Page 43 of All Tied Up
“You don’t believe in forever. You’ve told me a million times that men get tired of one, uh …”
“Cunt,” I provided, biting back a grin.
She nodded. “Yes, that. They get bored and want someone new. They like variety. No commitment.”
I’d said a lot of shit that I believed.
“Yeah, Shakespeare, I did. But you went and fucking stole my soul, baby. Changed the rules. Now, all I can see or want is you.”
The corners of her mouth began to curl up in a smile. God, I loved that smile. I’d seen little of it lately. I’d made a man disappear because he had some claim on her. My possessiveness had kicked in first. It took my heart a moment to catch up.
I touched the spot where the eight carat sapphire would rest if she had worn the necklace. “After tonight, when we fuck, I want you naked with my promise of forever right here.”
She bit her bottom lip nervously. “I almost wore it tonight, but, well, it’s expensive. I was scared of wearing it on the subway. If I wear it out in public, I might get mugged.”
Grinning, I bent my head and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, unable to hold back any longer. “I have insurance onit,” I assured her.
“But,” she breathed, turning her head to give me better access, “I don’t want to ever lose it.”
“You won’t.”
She let out a small, breathy laugh as I nipped at her bottom lip with my teeth. “This is New York City. Mugging is a thing.”
I tugged her closer and brushed my lips against the soft spot just below her ear. “Baby, if someone is stupid enough to take it off you, I’ll hunt them down, retrieve it, and kill them.”
Her body stiffened, and she pulled back so she could see my face. There was a frown between her brows. “Don’t say that. You’re not killing anyone.”
Eh, well, that was one thing I couldn’t promise her. I didn’t get a choice in that matter. But right now, we were going to let that fact go.
“Shakespeare,” I said instead.
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
Twenty
Noa
Not three words I’d anticipated hearing Ransom Carver say. Sure, he’d said he wanted forever, but even then, I hadn’t thought he’d say that he loved me. I was wired to believe he didn’t fall in love. He fucked. He enjoyed variety. Things he had told me so many times over the years that it was just who he was in my head. This version of him was foreign yet not. There was a familiarity to it.
“You love me,” I said softly as that sank in.
He nodded, grinning at me, as if my reaction was amusing. I probably looked stunned.
“You … that … this …” I stopped my stammering because finding the right words seemed important, but my head was reeling. As was my heart.
“Yes?” he replied as he watched me struggle to speak.
“I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting you to ever say that to me,” Isaid.
He held my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Was it that shocking, Shakespeare? I’d just told you I wanted forever.”
I blinked. He was serious about this.
“A man doesn’t do the insane shit I’ve done because of you for a woman who doesn’t own him. Youownme. You have for a while. It just took me some time to figure it out.”
Own him? Me?
