He sat on the bed beside her, frowning. “How do you see them?”
“Ugly. Sometimes I don’t think they’re really that bad, and that they healed pretty well. Some of the cuts were jagged, so I know they show. But I guess I see them as glaringly hideous and deforming at times. Emily always swears she can hardly notice them, and only if she’s really looking for them very closely,” she confided.
“I thought you were over that. I thought you realized that nobody notices them,” Dante rasped. “What changed?”
“Something my mother said today. It’s not really important. I just wondered.” Sarah wished she hadn’t even mentioned it. For the most part, she was over feeling unattractive because of some of her scars. Dante had helped her considerably not to be self-conscious. Unfortunately, her mother had hit a vulnerable spot today.
“What did she say?” Dante asked angrily. “Talk to me.”
“She said that I need an intellectual man to see past my scars, someone who isn’t as interested in sex,” she admitted in a rush.
“No, you don’t. All you need is me. And I’m very interested in fucking you on a daily basis, more if possible.” He paused before asking, “Do you want the honest truth?”
Sarah took a deep breath and nodded.
“I don’t see your scars. I never really have. I thought you were beautiful from the first time I saw you, and that’s never changed and never will. I crave you like a goddamn addiction, and it wouldn’t matter what kind of scars you had,” he finished solemnly.
Sarah looked at his earnest, stubborn expression and sighed. “That’s because you’re crazy. The scars are there.” Her heart melted, belying her words. Dante was special, and he already saw past her scars. He always had.
“Emily’s right. If I try to look at you without a raging hard-on—which almost never happens, by the way—they’re not noticeable.” He tipped her chin up and Sarah looked into the depths of his eyes. He was telling her the truth, his truth. “We all have scars, sweetheart. Some are on the outside, and some are so deep inside us that they never heal. Yours did heal, and they’re a symbol of just how brave and resilient you are. Never be ashamed of them. They’re part of who you are.”
Dante’s words were so eloquent that it made her want to cry. “Are you forever scarred inside because Patrick died?” Sarah asked gravely, wondering if he’d ever get over the death of his partner.
“No,” Dante answered honestly. “I still hurt, and I’ll always miss him, but I think he would have wanted me to live my life the best way I can because he can’t anymore. He was a good man who didn’t deserve to die. But I’ll keep taking care of his wife and son the best way I can. I think that’s the best way to honor him.”
Sarah nodded. “I think so, too. How are they doing?” Sarah knew that Dante called Karen and Ben almost every day.
“Surviving,” Dante said regretfully. “Karen’s strong for Ben. And Ben’s an exceptional kid. Every day will get easier for them. They have each other.”
“Did they know you’re a billionaire Sinclair? Did anyone?” She’d wanted to ask him that since the outpouring of pleas had come in through her answering service. Now she understood why everyone had called. Dante Sinclair was an extraordinary man.
Dante shook his head. “I never wanted anyone to know, and after a while, it wasn’t important. I didn’t want to be judged worthy because of the family I was born into. I wanted to be judged on my own merit.”
God, he was amazing. Sarah couldn’t imagine any other guy who wouldn’t want to flaunt the fact that he was incredibly rich and born of one of the most prestigious families in the country. “Why do I have a feeling you somehow made sure Karen and Ben were going to be fine for the rest of their lives?”
“I did. I donated some money to them anonymously. I know Karen. She’ll invest the money, and she’ll have money from the police department. She’ll be fine financially, and Ben will be able to go to any college he wants, pursue his own dreams. Karen’s educated, and she wants to go back to work now that Ben is almost grown.”
“You’re amazing,” she told him reverently. “Do you miss your job? I know you can’t stay here forever.”
“I’m staying until this asshole is caught. I’ll be on leave from the department as long as necessary.”
The thought of Dante leaving ripped her heart to pieces. “It could take forever,” she told him sadly.