Dani felt her stomach twist, everything wasalwayscomplicated! "Zack, if we're going to give this a real shot, we need to be honest with each other. No more secrets or half-truths."
He met her gaze, conflict evident in his eyes. After a long moment, he exhaled heavily. "You're right. I owe you the full truth. But some of this is not my story to tell and I don’t know ifit will go anywhere yet. I still don’t have any direct way to contact Emylyah, and it seems like my presence may impact her current life, so I need to tread carefully.”
Dani pressed her lips together, still not happy with his response. Why couldn’t he just tell her? Didn’t he trust her? If he didn’t, then what chance did they have?
Like you trust him?A little voice in her head mocked.
“Did you find out anything at all?"
Zack sighed. “I do have a promising lead. As yet though, it’s nothing concrete. But that's not important right now." His gaze softened as he looked at her. "What matters is that you're here, and you want to give us a real chance. Can’t we focus on that?"
18
Zack cursed at the suspicion and uncertainty he saw in Dani’s eyes.
This wasn’t the way he’d wanted to tell her he’d finally gotten a lead on Emylyah’s whereabouts, and of course, his girl wanted to know more than he was at liberty to tell her.
More than anything, he wanted to confide in Dani, but he couldn’t risk his loose lips scaring away the only opportunity he’d had in all the time he’d been searching for his child bride. Already the link was tenuous. Zack had a feeling it wouldn’t take much to spook either Gabi or her sister. He wanted to find Emylyah Baskov, or Lyah Radaeva, or whatever name she went by these days, and finally free himself so he could commit to Dani fully. Surely, she understood that? Wanted that? Dani had, after all, placed so much importance on his marital status that she’d walked out on him without even allowing him to explain. And for his own part, Zack wanted to be untangled from this weight that was dragging him down and preventing him from moving forward with his life.
Carefully, he maneuvered the subject away from Emylyah and focused on the other stuff Dani had said. That was far more important right now, anyway.
He’d hardly dared to believe it when she’d said she wanted to give their relationship a chance, and now he latched onto that hope with the desperation of a drowning man clinging to a piece of driftwood.
Dani’s admission flooded him with something that felt so much like relief he felt close to losing it. While Zack had been prepared to fight for her, he’d barely allowed himself to entertain the possibility that she might still want him after everything he’d put her through, after the secrecy and his obsession with finding the wife who stood between them and who had left him unavailable in more ways than just the legal.
Yet here she was, offering a glimmer of what he wanted most in the world, and she was offering it to him now despite her fears and uncertainties. Far more important in this moment to work on cementing that, rather than pursuing a lukewarm trail that might never lead to the freedom he longed for. If Dani was prepared to take him as he was, then he could work on the rest, no matter how long it took. As long as he had Dani by his side, it seemed like anything was possible.
They could make it work; he was certain of it.
"Dani," he breathed, reaching out to cup her face gently. "You have no idea how much that means to me. I swear I'll do everything in my power to be worthy of this second chance."
His thumb brushed across her cheekbone, savoring the softness of her skin. Dani's eyes fluttered closed at his touch, a small sigh escaping her lips. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly.
"I want to believe you, Zack. I really do," she whispered.
"Then believe me," he murmured, leaning in closer. "Let me show you how much I've missed you, how much I need you."
Their lips met in a tentative kiss that quickly deepened, years of pent-up longing and desire pouring out; a well their previousjoining had barely touched. Perhaps because neither of them had allowed it.
Zack's hands slid down to Dani's waist, pulling her flush against him as her fingers tangled in his hair.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Zack rested his forehead against hers. "God, I've dreamed of this for so long," he admitted hoarsely.
Dani bit her lip, a familiar mischievous glint in her eye. One he suddenly realized had been missing until now. "Well, we are at a kink club. Why don't we make some of those dreams a reality?"
Zack's breath caught in his throat, and his eyes flicked to the bottle of wine he’d ordered. It was still more than half full and the glass he’d been drinking from wasn’t finished, he’d only had a couple of sips, so he’d had nowhere near the two-drink limit enforced for scening. Still… "Are you sure? I don't want to rush things."
"I'm sure," Dani said firmly, taking his hand and leading him towards one of the private rooms. A very specific private room. The suspension room. "I've missed this - missed us - too much to waste any more time."
As they entered the dimly lit space, Zack's dominant side surged to the forefront. He turned to Dani, his voice low and commanding. "Strip for me, pet.”
A shiver ran through her at the familiar endearment. Slowly, teasingly, she began to remove her clothing, never breaking eye contact. Zack's gaze raked hungrily over every inch of exposed skin.
When she stood naked before him, he circled her appraisingly. "Beautiful," he murmured. "Now, hands behind your back and clasp your elbows.”
Dani complied instantly, her breath quickening as Zack retrieved a brand-new length of red rope from a nearby shelf and scanned it on his phone to charge his account.
He ran the silky material through his fingers, savoring the anticipation building between them. With practiced ease, he began weaving intricate patterns across Dani's skin, the rope hugging her curves and accentuating her feminine form.
