Page 173 of The Outlaw's Savage Revenge

I take his hand, my fingers knitting with his. “Caden. Please. Talk to me.”

I swore I’d never beg him to make me his priority, but here I fucking am, my pride in tatters.

His lids fall shut, and his thick lashes cast shadows over his face. For a moment, he seems to wrestle within himself, but then his breath leaves in a rush. When his eyes open again, a softness flickers in their depths.

“It’s just you and me, Luciana. No one else gets a say, okay?” His tone is soothing, but I don’t miss the way he grinds his molars. He seems . . . conflicted.

Why is this hard for him?

I reach up and trace the sharp line of his jaw with my fingers, trying to soothe him—and maybe myself. His stubble feels rough against my skin, but his warmth calms me.

“Okay,” I say softly. “I hear you. But tell me what you’re thinking right now.”

“Luciana, there’s something you should know about Scar—”

It feels like a bucket of cold water has just been dumped over my head.Scar? Seriously?

I cut him off with a sharp shake of my head, my voice trembling. “Can we not talk about him right now? Please?”

Maybe I should’ve been clearer about what I wanted to talk about. But I thought it’d be obvious, given the massive green elephant sitting on my finger.

I blink back tears and lift my left hand, the emerald catching the light like a beacon. “Caden, I woke up to find this on my finger. And now you want to talk to me about Scar?”

His gaze drops to my hand, then returns to my face, his green eyes catching my failed attempt not to cry.

He winces, and instantly the tension in his jaw eases, though his gaze darts to the door like he’s expecting it to burst open. “Do you like it?”

“Like it? Baby, it’s the most beautiful, most meaningful ring I’ve ever seen, and you’re asking if I like it? I freaking love it, Cade.”

“It’s settled, then.” His arm slips around my waist. “Let’s go.”

“Wait. Wait—” My voice breaks. “That’s . . . all you’re going to say?”

His jaw tightens with impatience again. “Oh, I’ve got plenty to say, just not now.”

My eyes close as equal parts hurt and longing twist my gut. God, I want him, but is he doing it for the right reasons? Or because he thinks I need some sort of label. A reassurance of my status in his life?

“What do you really want, Cade?” I whisper. “Please be honest with me.”

Suddenly the tension in his body coils tighter, his gaze locked on mine like he’s searching for something. Then, in one swift motion, his arm bands around my waist, pulling me into him. Before I can say another word, his lips crash against mine.

It’s not a gentle kiss. It’s deep and consuming, his clever tongue tangling with mine like he’s trying to carve his answer into my very soul.

Hekisses me until I’m melting. Until the tension in his shoulders fades. Until everything else disappears, leaving only this unshakable bond between us—the one that defies time, reason, and anything outside us.

When he finally pulls back, his forehead drops to mine. He cups my jaw, his thumb tracing my kiss-swollen lip with a reverence that makes my heart ache.

He’s no longer in a rush to leave. For the first time since I came into the kitchen, he’s fully present with me—and just like that, I feel safe again, grounded.

“There can never be any doubts about how I feel about you, Luciana, do you understand?Ever.”

I blink, startled by his raw passion. “I know you love me.”

He lets out a humorless chuckle. “Well, it’s way beyond that. I was yours from the moment I saw you in that club. You fuckingpossessedme. Why do you think I took you?”

My breath catches at his words. “Because you save women?”

He does his side nod. “You really have no idea of the power you have over me, do you?”

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