Page 119 of Stand Your Ground

So, I soaked it in. I savored every joke and smile, every brush of his thumb against the back of my hand as the night deepened around us.

And then, just when I was debating if I could push the truth down for another hour or if it was time to rip the tape off the mouth of the secret held prisoner inside me, Carter leaned back in his chair, eyes glinting with mischief.

“Before we get to dessert, I have something for you.”

“If you really did book a hot air balloon, I’m serious — I’m out of here.”

He smirked, shaking his head before calling Zamboni over to us with a whistle. The dog hadn’t laid down since I’d arrived, either drinking water, lapping up his meal, or exploring the rooftop with his nose going a thousand miles a minute.

His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he bounded over, and Carter rewarded him with a good rub down and some words of affirmation before he nodded to me. “Go give Livvy her gift.”

Livvy.

I loved that nickname. It was the one Maven used with me, the one my sister once called me when we were younger. My stomach pinched at the thought of her, too. The reminder that I’d have to tell my parents was right on the heel of that.

I could already hear my mother’s voice telling me that I’d disappointed them yet again.

I tilted my chin defiantly against that, because what the fuck did I care what she thought of me? But no matter how thick my skin was, she was still my mother, and I was still her little girl.

I’d always want her approval, even if I knew I’d never get it.

“Come here, Zambo,” I said, cooing at him when he wiggled under the table to get to me. He spun in a circle before plopping down, and Carter nodded to the box attached to his little vest.

“Open it.”

I unclipped the box from Zambo’s vest, the velvet warm from where it had been riding against his fur. My heart already ached before I even knew what was inside.

Lifting the lid, I found a delicate gold chain glinting in the candlelight. A dainty key dangled from it, small enough to wear against my collarbone, intricate but understated.

Just like the rest of my jewelry, it was gold and delicate, and it fit so well with my style that I could put it on right now, or with any other outfit I had, and it would work.

It was beautiful and thoughtful, and it nearly broke my heart seeing it.

My throat tightened as I lifted it out by the chain, letting it sway in the glow of string lights above us. “Let me guess,” I said softly, forcing a teasing grin. “The key to your heart?”

Carter tilted his head side to side, smirking. “Something like that.” He reached into his jacket, and when he pulled out what he had hidden there, my smile dissolved.

It was a collar, thick and gorgeous, made of sleek black leather with a small, shining ring at the center.

And where it fastened, there was a lock.

My eyes shot wide, breath stalling in my chest as I looked from it to him.

His smile faltered, nerves flickering across his features, but then he squared his shoulders and pushed forward. “Alright, full disclosure, I have prepared this speech I’m about to give and rehearsed it a dozen times, but I’m so fucking nervous now that I have this thing in my hands and you’re looking at me like that and I might vomit before I get it all out.”

I didn’t know if it was a laugh or a cry that came from me. My heart was bursting, the emotion swelling in me too much to contain.

Carter set the collar gently on the table, resting his hands on either side of it like he was offering a sacred thing. His eyes locked on mine, bright and unflinching.

“These last couple of months, everything we’ve done together — the lessons, the dates, the nights at The Manor, the mornings in my bed — it’s meant more to me than I can even explain. At first, it was selfish. I needed your help. I wanted your guidance. And I didn’t expect you to ever have anything more to do with me outside of that deal.” He swallowed, his voice dipping. “But the truth is, the more time I spent with you, the more I realized I was fucked. Well and truly fucked. Because I couldn’t stop wanting more of you. I still can’t. I don’t think I ever will.”

He paused, our eyes searching the other’s, his expression so open and raw that it broke something inside me.

“You’ve changed me, Livia. You’ve taught me things about myself I didn’t even know existed. But it’s not just about sex. It’s about you. I admire the way you never stop pushing. Your tenacity, your drive, the way you walk into a room and everyone just knows you’re the one in charge. I admire the way you aspire to excellence, in everything you do. The way you carry yourself. The way you believe in me, even when I don’t.”

His voice wavered, and he reached forward, his hand wrapping around where mine held the chain.

“I meant what I said that night you came to my house for the first time. You’re beautiful, Liv. But your looks?” He shook his head. “They’re the least interesting thing about you.”