Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 86510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Ronan ended up only spending two months in Las Vegas. Two months was too long being away from me, he decided—even though he flew home every weekend—and he found someone who would put up with his long-distance micromanaging to finish the yearlong project.
I gave my notice to Trish a month ago.
Next week, Ronan and I are moving to New Orleans. New Orleans, where I gave an offering to Madame Laveau along with a wish.
I wished for guidance, to find where I’m supposed to be. My place in this world.
I’ve found it.
Ronan and I aren’t engaged yet, but we’ve committed to each other. He’ll continue to head up O’Connor Enterprises, which will soon be headquartered in the Big Easy.
I’ll begin my new part-time position at Odette’s Botanica while I take classes at the local university.
More importantly, I’ll begin to learn the practice of Voodoo from Mémé, as I now call her.
Ronan and I stop at Black Rose Underground for the last time after Brenda and Dalton’s wedding reception.
We head straight to a private suite that he reserved.
“Kneel,” he says, once I’m naked.
I kneel before him, my gaze pointed toward the ground.
“I’m going to bind your wrists.”
“Yes, sir.”
He binds my wrists, this time with fur-lined handcuffs.
Then he pulls me to my feet, gazes deeply into my eyes.
“I love you, Mary. I’m going to give you a new name. Because you’re no longer a Blossom. You’re a full-fledged flower. A rose. That’s what your name will be from now on here at the club. Rose.”
I love it. A thrill of excitement courses through me. “Yes, sir.”
Suddenly, he drops down on one knee.
I widen my eyes. Have we traded places?
Then he pulls the velvet box out of his jacket pocket. He opens it.
I gasp. A ring? Is he…doing what I think he’s doing?
“I love you, Mary Sandusky, my Rose. You’ve blossomed under me, you’ve effloresced, and I want to be with you always. I want to have children with you, live a life with you. I once thought I wanted a submissive in every way, but I no longer want that. I want you, Mary, exactly as you are. I want this to be permanent between us. I’m your Dominant, and you’re my submissive during play. But in the rest of our life, we’re equals, with equal responsibility to love and care for each other and our future children.”
My heart pounds, and my chest heaves. I’ve never felt so powerful and so fragile all at once.
He takes the ring out of the box, pulls my handcuffed hands upward, and places the ring—a beautiful, sparkling diamond solitaire surrounded by rubies—onto the ring finger of my left hand.
“You have a safe word.” He smiles. “But I sure hope you won’t use it for this.”
I shake my head. “Never. I will marry you, Ronan. I love you. I love you so much.”
“Then lie on the bed, my wife-to-be, mo leannan. And I will take what’s mine.”