Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“I remember the first time we made love. There I was, a thirty-three-year-old man and yet, I felt like an adolescent boy. I wanted to make it special for you, but you made it amazing for me. Never had I ever had a woman so responsive to me. You… you came alive and brought me to life with you.” He sighs heavily.
I’m tempted to turn to look at him. His words tug on a memory I tell myself I would rather have forgotten. I was already under his spell before he ever pushed his way inside of me. After I gave myself to him that first time, I’d as good as signed my soul away.
He gets up to move across the plane to sit beside me. My chest heaves once before I get it under control. His presence takes over as he sits next to me.
His strength and determination seep into my skin, ignoring the invisible barrier I try to place between us. The sound of him placing something on the table before me, causes me to turn my head. A small box now rests on the tabletop.
I look at it for a long moment, gritting my teeth, still refusing to speak. When I say nothing, nor move to reach for the box, he nudges it in my direction.
“What is this?” I say sharply.
“This is your engagement ring. I need you to put it on before we reach our destination,” he replies.
I jerk my head to look at him. My jaw is so tight, I think my teeth are going to break. I’m instantly hit with the full force of his eyes. I want to look away, but I’m captured in his gaze.
“I’m not wearing that,” I grunt.
He sighs in frustration. I turn back for the window, needing a release from his stare. My reprieve is short lived. He slips his fingers under my chin, turning my face back to his. I avoid his eyes to keep the steam going inside me.
“Don’t… come on, look at me, baby,” he coaxes me like a snake charmer.
I lift my eyes to his. He searches my face without a word for several moments. I feel like he’s looking into the core of who I am, seeing my past.
Fear creeps in as I think of things he can find there. Not fear of his discovery, but fear of having to deal with what’s lurking there.
“Unfortunately for you, you signed an agreement to be my fiancée and that includes wearing that ring,” he finally murmurs. “You don’t owe me anything, but I need you to see this through with me. For reasons I’ll explain at another time, I’m asking you to do this.”
“Why not explain them now? As a matter of fact, why not explain why me? Why am I here?” I bite out.
“Because I’m still in love with you,” he says without taking even a moment to think.
Pulling my face from his hold, I frown, as if tasting something sour. My skin still scorches even after the contact is broken. His eyes remain on me, but he reaches his hand out for the box on the table.
“Why now?” I say just above a whisper.
He shakes his head, this time his eyes drop to the box in his hand. I watch as a wide range of emotions run over his face, faster than I can read them. When his eyes lift to mine again, I see nothing but pain.
“I thought of coming back to you every single day for seven years. At first, I knew I couldn’t. For all the reasons I let you go to begin with. I couldn’t. Then, I convinced myself to keep a promise I could never keep in the end,” he says.
“But you made it,” I say louder than I mean to. “They were your words.”
“And I knew it to be a lie from the time they left my mouth. Chloe, that’s our past. I want to make this right for our future,” he says, almost pleading.
I shake my head, turning from him. “I don’t think that’s possible,” I mutter.
He shifts in the seat next to me, leaning in closer. He pauses for a moment before placing his forehead against the side of mine. I close my eyes as I soak in the feel of him.
“I used to think many things were impossible. These last seven years have been one of the worse parts of my life. Yet, I pushed through, secretly hoping that somehow life would bring you back to me. It has and I’m not letting go this time. So, it’s possible.
“Just breathe, baby. Let me in enough to show you. Take all the time you need, if that’s what you want, but open the door. Let me in. I’ll work with that,” he whispers against my temple.
Tears soak my lashes. I almost open my mouth to tell him why I can’t, but the moment his arms wrap around me—pulling me into his embrace—all I can do is nod. A war rages within me. One I’m not sure I’ll survive.