Page 40 of Until She's Mine
“Three years,” I admit without hesitation. “I had it done after the first time I spoke to you. After I realized you were the only person who could unravel me completely. And I knew, even then, that you were it for me.”
“You got my name tattooed on your arm after one conversation?On the day Tobias brought me to the family dinner?”
I hum affirmatively, moving back to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Evelyn follows me, her bare feet padding softly against the polished floor. She leans against the counter, watching me with those wide, searching eyes.
“That night, you barely said a word to me. I thought you didn’t like me.”
I crack an egg into the frying pan, the yolk breaking and spreading out in a golden pool. “I didn’t trust myself to speak,” I admit. “One word, one look, and I would have crossed a line I couldn’t come back from.”
She exhales sharply, her fingers tightening around her coffee mug. “And now? Do you trust yourself now?”
I glance at her over my shoulder. “No. But I don’t care anymore.” I turn back to the stove, flipping the bacon. “You’re worth every line I’ve crossed and every rule I’ve broken.”
She’s silent for a long moment, the only sound is the sizzle of bacon in the pan and the soft hum of the city outside. Then she sets her coffee down and steps closer, her hand coming to rest on my arm.
“Lucian,” Evelyn breathes. “You say all these things about how you’ve waited for me, how you’ve wanted me, but I need to know… is this real? Because I can’t—” She breaks off. “I can’t keep doing this if it’s not real.”
I turn to face her fully, my hands leaving the stove to cup her face. “You think I’d mark myself permanently for anything less than forever?”
“Forever is a long time.”
“Not when it’s with you.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t know me yet. Not really.”
“Then come with me. Let me learn every part of you. Let me show you what’s between us isn’t just real. It’s inevitable.”
Her breath hitches. “Where would we go?”
“Somewhere no one can find us,” I say, my thumb brushing over her cheekbone. “A place where the world fades away, and it’s just you and me. No Tobias, no expectations, no noise. Just us.”
“And after? What happens when we come back to reality?”
There’s fear in her eyes—of what this means, of what comes next—but beneath it, there’s a flicker of hope, fragile but undeniable.
“We face it together.” My hands slide down to her shoulders, anchoring her to me. “I’m not naïve enough to think this will be easy. Tobias will fight, my father will disapprove, and the world will judge. But none of that matters as long as I have you.”
“You really believe that?”
“I do,” I say, pulling her closer until our foreheads touch. Her breath mingles with mine. “I’ll fight for us, Evelyn. I’ll tear down anyone or anything that tries to stand in our way.”
I know she doesn’t think I can protect her from the consequences of choosing me over him. But she’s underestimating what I’m capable of. What I’ve already done to ensure our path forward is clear.
Slowly, she nods. “Okay.”
Relief floods through me, though I keep my expression steady. “Okay?” I repeat, needing to hear it again.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
I press a kiss to her forehead, my lips lingering against her skin. The warmth of her, the scent of flowers still clinging to her hair. It’s almost too much. But I force myself to pull back, to keep my composure. “Drink your coffee. We leave in an hour.”
Chapter 20
Lucian
My estate in the Adirondacks emerges from the pine forest like a sleeping beast, its slate roofs dusted with fresh snow. In New York, the weather is warm and sunny, summer already in the air, but here, winter still clings stubbornly to the mountains.
Through the helicopter’s vibrating window, I watch Evelyn’s reflection. Her pupils dilate as she takes in the 20-thousand-acre expanse of wilderness and the sprawling manor nestled within it. Her lips part, a soft exhale fogging the glass as she leans closer to the window. The sun casts a golden glow over the snow-covered peaks.
