Page 85 of Entwined

“Bless you,” she whispers, with tears in her eyes.

I smile in return.

“Fuck, You’re perfect.” Christos whispers, as his eyes blaze with hunger. A hunger I know too well.

My eyes answer back, despite my mind rebelling that it’s not ready to trust him again. He offers a hand and I place mine in his, not even balking at the shiny sports car at the curb. I climb in the passenger seat easily.

Neither of us speak as he pulls out into traffic and drives back towards campus. He pulls over at McGee’s. “I thought you would be comfortable eating here.”

“Thank you, I am. And they do have the best bangers and fries.”

“Good. I’m famished.”

We enter the dimly lit pub and take a booth in the back. The bar tender, Ralph, raises a hand at me and I wave back.

“I heard what you said to Cressida at the barn.”

“I figured you might,” he answers smoothly. “I might as well put all my cards on the table so to speak. I love you. I always have. I never questioned it. But it wasn’t fair… wasn’t right of me to keep you as I did. I had to let you go. I needed you to live your life. Truthfully, I was scared. I was scared to believe you actually loved the monster I was. The monster, that I’ll admit—still lives inside me. He’s not as prevalent as he was. But he’s still there.” He breaks off, swallowing hard. “Love me Jessie. Please. Love me again. I swear I’ll give you the world.”

“I don’t want the world. I only wanted you. But I can’t give you an answer right here; right now. I did love you. I loved both sides of you. I knew who you were—both an angel and a devil. Two sides of a coin. I didn’t care. I accepted you for who you were.”

“Did you?”

“Yes. I forgave you for everything a long time ago. But honestly, I’m happy. As happy as I’ve ever been. I’ve made a life for myself. One without you in it. I’m scared too. I’m terrified as hell that if I let you back in—you will burn my world, turning it upside down.”

He smiles, waiting until we place our order before responding. “This is how I know it’s the right time for us. You’ve done everything I had hoped you would. You flew Jessie. You are soaring through the skies, taking on your world by storm. I don’t want you to stop. I just want to join you.”

I bite my lip, considering his words. “How? How can we just simply start over considering all that’s in our past?”

“Easy. Consider this date number one. We’re starting at a new beginning. But I’ll warn you—I don’t put out after a first date. You’ll have to wait for the third.”

I sit back, stunned. Who is this man? He’s funny, is wearing jeans and made chicken pot pie from scratch at a homeless shelter.

My soul whispers the reply.

He’s your everything.

I raise my eyebrow, taking a sip of my soda. “That’s fine. I don’t put out until date number twenty-three.”

He groans, shifting his legs under the booth. “Twenty-three?”

“Yep.” I don’t blink. I just randomly made that shit up. But I’m sticking to it.

“Then the theatre counted, as did this morning. This is date number three.”

“Fine, since I still haven’t decided if I’m going to give you another one anyway.”

He takes my hand, tapping on the table, trapping it in his. He turns it over tracing lazy circles in my palm with his index finger.

I bite my lip.

Damn the man.

He still has an arsenal of moves I’ve never seen. Tingles race along my veins from his touch down to the center of my body.

His eyes lower.

Shit.

My body is still enslaved by his touch. My nipples peak, eagerly craving his mouth on them.

Fuck.

I wonder if he’s still a dirty DOM in the bedroom or if his appetites there have changed too. Because if the golden man sitting in front of me is still a dark devil behind closed doors, I’d be a fool to let him get away. He’s every woman’s best dirty dream and he could be mine again.

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