Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 220

Chapter 220

Daphne’s POV

‘Daphne!” His footsteps were dangerously close now.

I didn’t turn around, opting instead to increase my pace, my heels clicking heavily against the deck.

It was useless; David’s long strides closed the distance in a heartbeat.

He caught my elbow, his touch firm, and spun me toward him.

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When I tried to wrench myself free, he stepped into my personal space, easing me back against the cool metal of the wall until his arms moved on either side of me, caging me in.

‘Leave me alone, David,” I choked out, my hands pressing against his chest in a desperate attempt to create space.

If you want to play games with her, go back. Don’t come running after me.”

His grip on my wrist tightened, pulling me flush against him until I could feel the heat radiating from his skin.

His eyes narrowed, turning as cold as the sea behind us.

‘I never agreed to play her game. Did I?”

‘You didn’t stop her!” I snapped, my frustration tearing at my throat.

‘I’m not a prop in your life, David. I’m not some decoration for you to pose with while she makes these advances and you do nothing. Gosh! She’s been circling you all night, marking her territory like she owns you, and I’m absolutely done with

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He leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear, his voice dropping to a grounding, seductive tone that forced my racing heart to slow.

‘When the time is right, we will end this. We will get rid of her. But you have to hold on. If you snap now, you ruin everything.”

I’m not patient anymore,” I sobbed, the fight leaving me. “I don’t care about the plan. I just want her out of our lives. She’s unbearable.”

He moved, his thumb hooking under my chin to lift my face.

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He rubbed his pad over the corner of my lip, a movement so tender it made my pulse jump.

“Be patient, Daphne. If you walk away now, lives are going to be ruined. Real lives.”

He wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb, his gaze boring into mine with a terrifying sincerity.

“I don’t see Julie in that manner. Do you understand? To me, she doesn’t exist. She has no effect on me. Never has, and never will. And it’s not just her, Daphne. No other woman matters. None of them.”

I looked up, searching his blue eyes for a crack, for a lie, for anything other than the truth.

“Do you really mean that?”

A small, sincere smile pulled at his lips, and he nodded.

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9:30 am P

Chapter 220

“Why?” I whispered.

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He didn’t answer with words. His eyes went dark, shifting into that intense, magnetic focus that always made the world around us disappear.

He leaned in, his lips hovering mere inches from the sensitive pulse point of my neck.

His breath was warm, a steady stream of heat that made my eyelids flutter shut.

“Because,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper, “they’re not you, Daphne.”

The air between us became electric. He moved closer, his lips just grazing the skin of my throat, sending a shiver through my entire body.

We were mere heartbeats away from a kiss that would have shattered my final defenses when a soft, amused cough broke the spell.

We pulled apart, startled. An elderly couple was strolling toward their suite, arms linked with the easy familiarity of people who had shared decades together.

The woman had silver hair pinned neatly and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Her husband walked with a slight limp but still carried himself with quiet dignity.

“You two might want to take that inside,” the woman teased gently, her voice warm with laughter.

She stopped for a moment, looking over her shoulder at me with a knowing smile.

“But if I may offer a little advice, dear… don’t save all the fire for the bedroom. Life’s too short. Sometimes the best moments happen in unusual places, at unusual times. Be intentional. Be playful. A little role-playing never hurt anyone, either.” She winked.

“Keep the spark alive wherever you are.”

Her husband chuckled and gave David a nod.

“She’s right, son. Listen to her. She’s kept me on my toes for fifty-two years.”

Heat flooded my face. I was certain my cheeks had turned the color of a ripe tomato.

I couldn’t even look up, focusing instead on the polished teak planks of the deck until I felt David’s gaze burning into me.

The couple continued on their way, still chuckling softly, leaving us standing in the sudden, heavy silence.

I pressed my hands to my burning cheeks, mortified. David, on the other hand, looked like he was savoring every second of my embarrassment.

He turned back to me with a smirk playing on his lips.

“Well,” he murmured, his voice dropping low, “you heard them. Why are we still standing out here?”

His eyes remained fixed on mine as he leaned in closer, lips brushing the shell of my ear.

“Or would you rather I bent you over this wall and fucked you right here in the hallway?”

Heat rushed through me. I bit my bottom lip, my fingers twisting nervously in the fabric of my dress. I felt exposed.

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1:30 am

Chapter 220

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