Page 41 of The Vow

Sinclair…Shazad…they were going to know she was mine and exactly what I’d do to any man who tried to take her from me. And Robyn…she was finally going to learn that I had no intentions of ever letting her go.

“Happy New Year!”The room erupted as I captured her mouth, the sound of celebration dulled behind the taste of her sweet lips and the temptation of her soft tongue.

“Damon.” Her brows collided. “What are you?—”

“Trust me,” I clipped and pushed the ring onto her finger. “Ladies and gentlemen,” I called out, dramatically dragging a chair from the wall and hoisting myself onto it. “Thank you all for being here tonight. I’m sure I speak for Magnus when I say we’re looking forward to all the…opportunities that this new year will bring.”

I felt Magnus’s glare zero in on me like a laser. His displeasure soured his expression, but no one noticed because they were all looking at me.

“However, the reason I’m up here, on this chair”—I paused and let them laugh, let them roll right into my spell—“is because I have already won the greatest prize of them all. I know, I’m sorry for all of you, too.” I smiled wide, ignoring the way Robyn cut off the circulation to my hand. “But I would like you to share in my success, inourcelebration”—I angled myhead, finally finding Robyn’s panicked gaze as I lifted her hand—“because the love of my life has agreed to be my wife.”

“He was going to sell me to Uzair? How would he—over my dead body.” Robyn scoffed.

We’d hardly made it through the door of our apartment before she’d demanded an explanation for what had happened earlier at the party, the idea to foreign to even speak.

My jaw pulsed. “That would’ve been the case if you’d said no.”

She had the decency to grimace. “I don’t understand how he could think…”

“Because he’s not thinking. He’s devolving.”

Her throat pulsed as she swallowed, her eyes drifting back to the heavy sapphire on her finger.

“And this?”

“On loan.” I took her hand, bringing her knuckles to my lips. “Until we go out tomorrow and pick out a real one.”

“Damon.” She hiccupped and tugged her hand back. “This isn’t…there had to be another way.”

“I don’t want another way, Robber.” I pulled her to me, catching her chin in my fingers. “I wantthisway. I want you.”

“But this…us…” Her wide eyes met mine, filled with uncertainty and confusion and no sign of denial. Not even a glimmer.

Smiling, I angled her face to mine. “Do you want to marry me?”

“Do you want to marry me?” Her voice whispered across her lips, and I hated that after months together—months when I’d risk everything about my life and career for her, because ofhow I felt about her—she still feared any kind of tether because of what happened to her parents. She was so afraid of anything that could be lost or ripped away without warning. I was determined to be the thing that broke her of that fear.

There was nothing that would ever keep me from her.

“God, yes, Robber.” My chest caved with a small laugh. “This just gave me an opportunity to look less like a caveman when I tell you I was never going to let you go.”

That brought a small turn of her lips.

“So, do you want to marry me?” I repeated, brushing my thumb over the bottom swell of her lip.

“Are you really asking?”

“Yes.” My head dipped lower, my mouth skating along her cheek. “But you know I rarely ask questions I already know the answer to.”

“Your arrogance is?—”

“Attractive? Irresistible?”

“Unparalleled.” She shivered. “And if I said no?”

There was not a thread ofnoin her voice.

“Then I’ll just have to fuck you until you scream yes.”

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