Leaning across the table, her chin still resting on his fingertip, Diesel held his breath as he asked her, “How will you hurt me?” His whisper was harsh. “And why?”

Her beautiful eyes, one dark brown, the other royal blue, shimmered with new tears that broke his heart. Misery was written all over her face.

When all he ever wanted was for her to smile at him.

The moment stretched on as she continued to stare up at him. He wanted to push her again. To make her tell him why she believed she’d hurt him. Because she did believe that. But he could see her trembling and knew that if he pushed, she’d flee.

So he waited, not moving a muscle. Still holding his breath.

“You want me.” Her barely audible words were like a sledgehammer to the chest because she sounded so sad. So hopeless.

“Yes.” It was pointless to deny it, so he didn’t even try. He’d wanted her from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her, eighteen months before. If it made him pathetic, then so be it. He regretted nothing.

She blinked again and more tears fell. “You shouldn’t want me. I’m not good for you.”

He’d expected something like this, but it still hurt. “For me? Or for anyone?”

“For anyone.”

Okay. He could work with this. He hoped. He brushed his thumb over her chin, then her lower lip. “I have one question and I want an honest answer.” When she opened her mouth to speak, he pressed his thumb over her lips, silencing her. “Please.”

If he sounded desperate, he didn’t care. He was desperate.

Her nod was nearly imperceptible, but the power of it made him weak in the knees. “Do you want me?”

Once more he held his breath, waiting for her answer. Seconds ticked by as they remained frozen, him bent across the table, her looking up at him like she’d just lost her best friend.

Then, just when he was about to straighten his spine and concede defeat, her eyes slid closed.

And she nodded, her sorrow palpable.

He hadn’t realized he could be full of joy and dread at the same time. “Why does this hurt you?” he asked as gently as he could. His voice was a perpetual growl, but he didn’t want to growl at Dani. Never at Dani.

She blinked her eyes open in surprise. “Me? Hurt me? I . . .” She trailed off as her mismatched eyes flickered in sudden confusion. Then she licked her lips nervously as the confusion became regret. “I lost someone.”

Diesel frowned, not having expected that explanation at all. He’d been sure she was going to cite her HIV status, and he was ready for that argument. He’d been ready ever since the doctors had told him to get tested after being exposed to her blood. “Who?”

“His name was Adrian.”