Page 124 of Indulge
I chuckle, tracing my thumb along her jaw. “Say it again.”
Her lips curl. “I’m perfect for you, sir.”
My pulse kicks. “Damn right you are. But you do realize you’re in trouble for tying up my brother when we’ve got work to do, right?”
She pouts, and God help me, she knows exactly what that does to me.
“He’s learned his lesson. You can go collect him,” she says sweetly.
“Oh, you’re the one giving orders now, huh?”
She shrugs, fingers dragging lightly up my chest. “Only so I can be punished by you later, Irish.”
I pull back, forcing air into my lungs before I forget where we are. I study her. The spark in her eyes, the way she tilts toward me even when she’s pretending not to.
She’s the missing piece I didn’t know I was searching for. For once in my goddamn life, I don’t want to fight or hide. I just want her.
“I’m not done, Princess. I never was.” My voice drops. “You’re it for me.”
She swallows, her eyes softening. “You sure you can handle me, Irish?”
I shake my head, smiling despite everything. Because this is what she does to me. Bella King makes me happy. “I don’t want to handle you. I want to fucking cherish you.”
She exhales, and it’s oddly soothing that she’s as fucked up over this as I am.
“But first,” I add, stepping back with a faint grin, “I better go untie my brother.”
Her laugh breaks through the quiet. “Good luck.”
And I know she never planned on going back. She’s sending me instead.
Because this isn’t just about her anymore.
It’s about fixing what’s broken between all of us.
57
ROWAN
The ropes bite just enough to bruise my pride more than my shoulders.
Hay sticks to my shirt. My patience? Long gone.
I hear boots crunching outside before the stable door creaks open.
Reggie walks out of the door towards the fence I’m tied to.
He leans on the frame, shadow cutting across the sunlight, and for a heartbeat neither of us says a damn word.
Then he grins, far too pleased with himself.
“You comfortable there, brother?”
I glare at him. “Go ahead. Get it out of your system.”
“Oh, I already have,” he says, folding his arms.
“Yeah, I noticed,” I deadpan. “Planning to help, or just here for moral support?”
