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My eyes widened. “Cyrus.”

“I’m not proposing but I am making a promise to you.” He reached across the center console and opened the glove compartment in the dashboard. “I was going to wait until I had you in my bed but I’m sure Greyson is going to have questions. He’ll want to make sure that you are in fact safe.” Cyrus pulled out a black velvet bag and placed it on my lap. “If you don’t know what this is, let me know and I’ll explain.”

I opened the bag, chewing my bottom lip in anticipation. I pulled out a dark purple leather case. Pulling it open, my eyes widened. “Cyrus,” I gasped. “It’s...I...wow...” The item laying on beige leather, looked to be a necklace but something told me that it wasn’t. A fairly thick gold chain sparkled. It had a diamond encrusted heart-shaped pendant with a gold key sitting off to the side in its own case.

“Do you know what it is?”

“I was going to say a necklace, but it looks too short to be one.”

“It’s a collar. This...” He pinched the heart pendant between his fingers and lifted it. “Is a lock and this key is the only one that can open it.”

“It’s your key. A key to my heart?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“Yes, pet,” he said softly. “I love you and I know you weren’t introduced to the BDSM lifestyle the right way, but I live it and I want to have you living it with me.”

“I started reading romance books and the BDSM scenes I’ve read in them are nothing like I experienced, but I trust you.” I cupped his face. “You saved me, Cyrus. You saved me from falling completely within myself. You helped me get my voice back.”

“No.” He covered my hand that was cupping his cheek. “You saved yourself. I was just there cheering you on.”

“I love you, Cyrus, and yes, I promise. I promise that you have my heart and I promise that I want to spend my life with you. I can’t have kids, but I want to do whatever we can to have a family of our own. Even if it’s by adopting animals.” I pulled the collar from its clasp and handed it to him. “Will you put it on me?”

“Really? Right now?” he asked, his voice thick.

I reached up and cupped his nape, pulling him down to my mouth. “I want your collar around my throat, Sir.”

“Fuck.” A shiver trembled through him. “I never thought those words would sound so damn hot.”

I laughed, turned around, and moved my hair off the back of my neck. “Please.”

His dark eyes met mine, a slow grin spreading on his face. He put the key in the hole at the base of the heart and unlocked it. When he had it around my throat, he kissed the spot behind my ear. “This is my promise to you that I will love and cherish you, protect you and help you whenever you need it. I will stand by when you don’t need my help and cheer you on. Your voice is mine, and my voice is yours. I will love you until my last breath and beyond that.”

My eyes welled at his sweet words. Words that I never thought I would ever hear from anyone.

Once the heart sat at the base of my throat, I turned around.

Cyrus took the small key and locked it, his eyes snapping to mine once the click sounded around us. “You okay?”

I nodded quickly, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

He put the key in his wallet. When he put it away, I was on him.

***