Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 79

Daniel was too sharp for his own good—Amelia could already see the gears turning in his head, and she was terrified he’d connect the dots from her off-cycle period straight to the truth: that she was pregnant. The nerves had her snapping.

“Oh, you have a lot of nerve talking about this! This is all your fault—I’m so stressed because of you, my whole cycle’s a mess!”

It was such a flimsy excuse, but Daniel actually bought it. He studied her flushed, irritated cheeks. “Did you see a doctor? Did they prescribe anything?”

“No need for meds,” she shot back. “The doctor said the best cure is to never see the person who’s stressing you out ever again.”

“What kind of quack gives advice like that?”

Before she could react, Daniel’s hands circled her waist, yanking her into his lap. She landed hard, separated from him only by a damp towel, the air between them thickening with something charged.

“Hey! What are you doing?” She tried to squirm away, but Daniel’s grip was ironclad.

He rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice low and coaxing, the vibration brushing her ear. “Amelia, just move back in. Look at you—you’ve barely been gone a week and already your health is off. Clearly, that new place is bad for you. Come home and I promise you’ll feel better.”

“The only bad energy I have is from you!”

She wriggled, stubborn as a mule, desperate to get up. Daniel let out a sharp hiss, as if she’d done something to him.

“Stop moving. You’re making it… difficult.”

She froze, then bristled in outrage. “Seriously, Daniel? You’re still not satisfied, even after spending every night with your precious Porcelain Doll? If you can’t get enough, go to her—leave me out of it!”

The atmosphere snapped taut, everything going utterly still for a moment.

After a beat, Daniel let her go, his voice rough and tired, laced with something that sounded like bruised disappointment. “Amelia. Whether you believe me or not, nothing ever happened between me and Violet.”

She slid off his lap. “Whether you believe it or not, my grandmother’s still a virgin.”

Daniel blinked, then realized she was calling him a liar in the most roundabout way.

He let out a laugh—part exasperated, part genuinely amused. Amelia shot him a scathing look; her disgust only deepened. Even now, just the mention of her made him laugh.

She didn’t even think—her mouth moved faster than her brain. “Yes! I feel a thousand times better with him.”

A beam of light hit Daniel’s face, highlighting every angle as his expression darkened.

Then, as if making peace with the idea, he grinned—a dangerous, mocking twist. “Well, what can I say? I’ve always enjoyed a challenge. The more you want to run from me, the more I want to make you stay.”

He caught her chin between his fingers, leaning in. Amelia jerked her face away. “You can’t force something that isn’t there, Daniel. Enough!”

“Maybe not, but sometimes you settle for what quenches your thirst.”

Her words had stung—he was clearly losing his cool. One hand snaked around her waist, the other slid up to cradle the back of her neck. He was determined to see if her lips were really as resistant as she claimed.

Amelia was trapped, pinned to the door. His lips were close—almost brushing hers—when suddenly there was a beep, and the door swung open. Amelia stumbled backward, only for Daniel to catch her, spinning her into his arms.

He was still shirtless, and the two of them stood there, pressed together, her barely covered by a towel, the heat between them unmistakable.