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He felt familiar even at the earliest of our time together, like we were somehow connected. But how could that be? He’s twice my age and comes from a completely different world than mine.
Yet again…
His beliefs about family and loyalty mirror my own, which is what matters most to me. Gazing at that alluring, always-bordering-on-naughty smile and into those dark, sparkling eyes ties my stomach in nervous knots of doubt and fills me with a profound longing for him…
For family, for us, for our forever…
And I want to say yes.
But that’s wild. I’m only eighteen. I’m supposed to make rash decisions as a teenager, but this – to potentially give up my independence and take a husband – would be the craziest thing of all. I’m torn between the familiar safety of my lonely life and the potential for something more with him.
“What do you say,” he pleads.
He’s giving me the power, forcing me to make the choice.
Askingme to choose. To choose him. Not just for now.
Forever.
I stare into his eyes. And I want to say yes. Doubt creeps in.
He’s a dangerous man. One who first demanded I marry him out of revenge. I could get hurt in so many ways.
Is it worth risking everything for… him?
CHAPTER 24
Haze
With a cobblestone digginginto my kneecap, my heart in my throat, and my stomach in my ass, I stare up at her, and I beg, plead with the gods of fate that brought us here today to make her say that one little word.
“What do you say?” I ask.
She stares down at me, deep in thought. Finally, she says one little word.
But it’s not the one I want to hear.
“Why?” She blinks. Twice.
“Why, what?” I say.
“Why do you want to marry me?” she asks.
She’s the first thing I think about when I wake up. The final thing on my mind as I drift off to sleep. I love the way she feels, smells, sounds, and tastes. She’s beautiful and strong and intelligent and kind.
“I need you. I want you. I’m obsessed with you.” I rack my mind, thinking of what she might want to hear, what words I can say toconvince her. “I’ll take care of you. Protect you. Spoil you. You’ll want for nothing.”
I wait, and my breath tightens my chest.
“And—I’ll try not to be—grumpy.”
Her blue eyes sparkle. “And I can call you my little sunny bunny?”
“Never.” I can see she’s softening… That dirty four-letter word, hope, burns bright in my chest. This time, I don’t fear it. I lean into the feeling. “Please, say yes.”
She doesn’t say anything back. She only stares down at me, biting her lower lip.
“The wedding that’s set up in the ballroom, that’s for us. When Gian and I planned this trip, I thought, why not get married while we’re here? I mean—if you agreed, of course. But why wait? This castle is a part of your past—I thought there’s no better place to start your future.” I grab her hands in mine. “Our future.”