Page 88 of Hush Darling

He glanced at the hooks on the wall where she’d hung the coats side by side. “Then he stole from me.”

She followed his stare. “So you kidnapped me in revenge.”

“Well, you were wearing my coat.”

Her shoulders lowered. “That’s all I am then, revenge?”

He caught her hand when she tried to pull away. “No. Turns out you’re something I didn’t know could exist. But eventually, my plan will play out, and he’ll try to steal you back. Regardless of my feelings, I’ll revel in his envy when he learns what I’ve done to you because I’m that broken inside. And you’ll likely go back to the place you came from, and over time, this will be nothing more than a story you tell about a vicious pirate and a boy who forgets.”

“That’s not how I’ll tell it.”

“No?”

She shook her head. “There was more than revenge between us, James. I felt it. I know you did, too.”

Yes, he fucking felt it. He was still feeling it. It was, perhaps, the most terrifying thing he’d ever felt, and it left him unhinged in ways he couldn’t explain.

“That’s it.” He leaned forward and grabbed her arms, pulling her off the stool and into the tub.

“Oh!” Water sloshed over the edge and onto the floor as he pulled her onto him. He needed to kiss her before it was too late, before he lost his chance forever. He didn’t believe in captivity, but he desperately wanted to keep her with him forever.

He wanted her solely for himself because it had been an eternity since anyone looked at him like they needed him the way she did.

“What do you want?” he demanded, kissing her passionately. “Tell me and I’ll give it to you.”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.” He peeled off her wet shirt and threw it aside. His mouth closed over her pert nipples, and he suckled them into sharp tips. “Would you stay here if I asked?”

“What choice do I have?”

“You have a choice. I’m giving it to you. What do you choose?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Think. What does your gut tell you?”

“I don’t think with my gut. I think with my heart.” Her hands pressed into his chest as she searched his eyes. “Yours is racing.”

He held her hand there. “What does that tell you?”

She tried to pull her touch away, but he held her there.

“You’ll get bored of me.”

“Impossible.” He reached under the water and angled his hard cock so she could feel how utterly far from boring he found her. “I want you.”

“For revenge?”

“No. I want to take care of you. You would want for nothing.” He cupped her breasts, desperate to show her how satisfying it could be. “We could go wherever you desired—travel the world and see all the wonders.”

“What about my family?”

His blood turned cold. “Right.” He lifted her off of him, putting the necessary distance between them. “Of course, you’d want to be with your family.”

“You’re upset.”

His lips formed a flat line. It wasn’t fair to get upset because she was lucky enough to have people at home who loved her. “No, you should be with them. They probably miss you.”