Two Hearts

Next Morning

Liza’s POV

I had spent the entire week watching Daniel and Laura. As much as they wanted to fool me, I saw right through them.

It didn't take much—just a few observations, a carefully placed comment, an innocent question, and then watching their reactions.

They weren't husband and wife.

That much was obvious. But even more obvious was the fact that they were in love with each other and simply refused to admit it.

Every glance. Every touch. The way they moved together almost instinctively. It was enough to convince me not to stop this ridiculous charade.

In fact, I was starting to enjoy it.

The charity gala had been only one small part of my plan. After all, how else was I supposed to push them out of their comfort zone and force them to see what everyone else already could?

The moment we arrived at the event, I disappeared into the crowd.

Did my grandson really think I was some harmless old fool? Everything was obvious. Although I had to admit, they played their roles remarkably well. Sometimes even I struggled to tell where the lies ended and the truth began.

The children certainly weren't Daniel’s. That much was clear. There wasn't a single feature they shared with him.

But they were wonderful children. Laura had raised them well. Of that, I had no doubt.

The real reason I stayed silent and pretended not to notice the truth was simple. For the first time in years...

Daniel looked happy.

And that meant more than anything. After Sarah died, he had shut himself off from the world. Then, years later, another woman broke whatever was left of his heart.

Erik never told me the details. Only that afterward, Daniel changed completely.

So when he suddenly announced he was married a few months later, I was shocked. And when he later claimed to have children? Even more so.

I had desperately wanted to meet the woman who had somehow put him back together. The woman who had healed him.

But now I finally understood. He hadn't healed back then. He was healing now. And he was doing it while lying straight to my face.

The little rascal.

Still, I couldn't even be angry. Because every time he looked at Laura, his entire face changed.

He thought nobody noticed. I noticed. And apparently so did everyone else.

Laura wasn't much better. She tried to act oblivious, but she watched him just as often.

The truth was painfully simple. They were both hopelessly in love. And neither of them had the courage to admit it.

Which meant I would have to help.

Just a little.

A grandmother had responsibilities, after all.

At the gala, every time Daniel stopped to speak with someone, his eyes immediately searched for Laura - Where was she? Who was she talking to? Was she alright?

And every single time a man stood a little too close to her...

Daniel appeared. Like clockwork. Possessive. Protective. Territorial. The boy had already claimed her as his. He simply hadn't realized it yet.

So I sat back and enjoyed the show.

Don't worry, my darlings. Grandmother will help you figure it out.

Daniel's POV

When I opened my eyes the next morning, Laura was still in my arms.

The night before, we'd returned home long after midnight. Exhausted.

We had changed clothes, crawled into bed, and somehow ended up closer than usual. Much closer. Her scent lingered around me. Soft. Comforting. Dangerous.

And everything she'd said during our dance replayed in my head. Again. And again. And again.

You are important to me.

Those words refused to leave me alone.

Did I really deserve someone like her? It didn't feel right. In many ways, I had been exactly like the men I'd warned her about. I used women. Walked away. Moved on.

Sure, I'd always been honest. I'd always made the rules clear. No promises. No feelings. Just s*x.

But Laura?

Every rule I'd ever created had already been shattered. The fact that I'd willingly shared a bed with the same woman for weeks was proof enough.

And unlike every other woman I'd known...

She never threw herself at me. Never used her body as leverage. Never tried to manipulate me.

She simply existed.

And somehow that drove me insane. Because I wanted her.

God help me, I wanted her.

I had realized it the moment I stood behind her in the dressing room, zipping up her gown. One simple touch. One glimpse of her bare back. One tattoo.

And I was finished.

Then came the gala. Watching other men stare at her. Watching them smile at her. Watching them want her.

Every instinct inside me screamed the same thing: Mine.

And Laura had noticed. Of course she had. That woman noticed everything. Even the things I desperately tried to deny.

Especially those.

After our conversation on the dance floor, one thing had become painfully clear. She wasn't indifferent to me either. She was just as confused as I was. Maybe even more.

So why was it still so hard to cross that final line?

Part of it was respect. I respected her. I respected her choices.

Even when they frustrated me.

And I never wanted her to feel pressured into anything. Not ever. Maybe a part of me still saw her as...

innocent.

Which was ridiculous. Anyone who had witnessed one of Laura's temper tantrums would immediately disagree.

I smiled to myself.

Then, half asleep, I pulled her a little closer. Instinctively. Possessively.

She didn't protest.

Now, in the soft morning light, everything felt different.

Laura was still asleep. Peaceful. Beautiful. Safe.

For a brief moment my arms tightened around her. A stupid fear settled in my chest. The fear that if I let go… she might disappear.

That this wasn't real. That I'd imagined all of it.

Laura shifted slightly.

I froze. I didn't want her to wake up.

Not yet.

“Daniel?" Her sleepy voice caught me completely off guard.

Damn. So much for pretending.

“Yeah?" I tried to sound half asleep.

"If you keep holding me this tightly…" She laughed softly. "...I'm going to run out of oxygen."

She was laughing. At me. Seriously?

I loosened my grip. Slightly. Not completely.

Just enough.

Then, unexpectedly, she turned around. Suddenly our faces were only inches apart.

Maybe less.

"Good morning.” She smiled. "Rough night? Or rough evening?"

She was teasing me. And somehow that was even more dangerous than her being nervous.

"Where's Laura?” I asked. "And what exactly did you do with her?"

Her eyes widened. Then narrowed.

"Daniel."

"There she is.” I grinned.

A second later I received a light punch to my shoulder. Neither of us could stop laughing. And somehow… it felt normal.

Comfortable. Easy. Like we'd been doing this for years.

Then my heart suddenly started racing. Because I knew exactly what I wanted to do. And for once...

I wasn't sure if I should.

”Laura?” I asked quietly.

“Yeah?" She smiled.

"I'm about to do something incredibly stupid.” I paused. "And I really hope you won't panic."

For the briefest moment, uncertainty flashed across her face. Then, surprisingly, she relaxed. Completely.

“Okay." Her voice was soft. "I trust you, Daniel."

Those five words hit harder than they should have. Harder than any confession. Harder than any kiss. Harder than any touch.

Because she trusted me. And God knew I wasn't sure I deserved it.

Slowly, I lifted one hand from her waist. My fingers brushed against her cheek. Soft. Warm. Perfect.

Laura closed her eyes. Just for a second. Leaning ever so slightly into my touch. As if she enjoyed it. As if she wanted more.

That was all the encouragement I needed.

I leaned closer. Giving her every chance to stop me. Every opportunity to pull away. To tell me this was a mistake.

She didn't.

So I kissed her.

At first it was gentle. Barely a kiss at all. Just my lips brushing against hers. Testing. Waiting. Hoping.

Then she kissed me back.

And every coherent thought vanished from my brain.

My hand slid into her hair. Her fingers wrapped around the back of my neck. Pulling me closer.

The kiss deepened naturally. Neither of us forcing it. Neither of us hesitating anymore. Weeks of tension. Weeks of stolen glances. Weeks of denial.

All crashing together at once.

God.

I had imagined kissing her. More times than I wanted to admit. But reality was so much worse. Or better.

I honestly couldn't tell anymore.

She tasted like coffee and sleep. And something that was entirely Laura. Something that was rapidly becoming my favorite thing in the world.

When she softly sighed against my lips, whatever remained of my self-control shattered completely. I pulled her closer. Needing her. Wanting her. Far more than I should.

Her arms tightened around my neck. And for one dangerous moment, I forgot every reason I had for holding back.

Then reality struck.

Hard.

Because my body had clearly decided it was fully invested in this situation. And Laura was definitely close enough to notice.

Oh, for the love of God.

I immediately pulled away. Far too quickly. Far too obviously.

Both of us were breathing heavily. Trying to recover. Trying to understand what had just happened.

“Daniel..." Laura whispered. Still looking slightly dazed.

"I..."

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. CEO of a major company. Capable of negotiating multimillion-dollar contracts. Unable to form a complete sentence.

"I should go."

Laura blinked.

"What?"

"I need…" I pointed vaguely toward the dressing room. "...to get dressed."

We were already dressed. Fantastic. I closed my eyes for a second. Humiliation complete. Then I turned around and escaped. Literally escaped.

The moment I reached the dressing room, I grabbed the nearest shelf and exhaled. Deeply. Repeatedly.

“Seriously?" I muttered to myself.

I looked down. Then immediately regretted it.

“Really?" My body, unfortunately, had no intention of cooperating.

“Traitor." I informed it.

No response. Not that I expected one.

A few minutes later, after doing my best to regain what little dignity I had left, I finally got dressed. Or at least pretended to.

From somewhere in the bathroom, I could hear water running. Laura had clearly decided hiding was a reasonable strategy too.

Honestly?

I couldn't blame her.

Before leaving the room, I cleared my throat. Loudly. Mostly for my own benefit.

"I'll make coffee!” I announced to absolutely nobody.

Then I immediately winced.

Coffee? That was the best excuse I could come up with?

Fantastic. Absolutely smooth, Daniel. And with what remained of my pride barely intact...

I headed downstairs.