From a Wrong Turn to Mr. Right novel Chapter 26

Lavinia Bennett walked over, wrapping her arms around Daniel’s waist and pressing herself close to him. “You know, you haven’t really spent any quality time with me for days,” she complained, her voice soft but tinged with frustration. “Even when we went to pick out rings today, you were totally distracted. And you promised to go shopping with me, but you bailed.”

There was no mistaking the note of accusation in her voice.

Daniel Gill parted his lips, about to respond, but Lavinia cut him off. “But… you did say it’s all for our future, so I guess I’ll let it slide this time.”

She playfully poked his chest. “Here’s what I was thinking: when you need to work, I’ll let you focus. I won’t bug you. But when you’re free, you have to actually be with me, okay?”

Lavinia tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at him. “I really missed you, you know.”

Her gaze reminded Daniel so much of Olivia Bennett’s—those big, expressive eyes, like two shining grapes, always able to speak a thousand words without saying a thing.

He zoned out for a second, not rejecting her touch. One hand slid to her waist as he nodded.

Lavinia’s face lit up. She threw her arms around his neck and stood on her toes, pressing a kiss to his chin, then slowly trailing up to his lips.

She blinked at him, then flicked her tongue playfully across his bottom lip.

Daniel’s eyes darkened, his feelings complicated and unreadable. He tried to push down the discomfort swirling inside. He closed his eyes, took control, and leaned in, deepening the kiss.

Things started to heat up. Lavinia’s hands began to move downward, reaching for the tie on his bathrobe. But just as she was about to untie it, he caught her hand and stopped her.

The intimate mood quickly faded. Lavinia opened her eyes in confusion.

It was always like this. She could feel his body responding to her, but somehow, he always managed to stop himself.

Her words were heavy with guilt.

Daniel froze. Memories of Olivia’s biting sarcasm echoed in his ears; his heart felt like it was crawling with ants, each one biting and stinging.

He hadn’t known what Lavinia had done until after it was too late. His first instinct had been to go find Olivia, but by then, everything that shouldn’t have happened had already happened.

He’d been furious, shaking with anger, even wanting to scream at Lavinia. But no matter how wrecked he was, what was done was done.

In the end, all he could do was sit alone in his study that night, staring at nothing and wishing he could erase every memory of what happened with Olivia.

For more than a month, he hadn’t tried to investigate the hotel from that night, or even to find out who the man was that Olivia had ended up with.