Page 124 of The Ruthless and the Strong

Lizzie

By the timeI got back home, I felt calm.

I hadn’t felt like this for a while now, but now I knew what I needed to do.

I wasn’t freaking out anymore over the possibility that he might ask me to marry him.

I knew what my answer would be.

The only question was if he still wanted to marry me.

I frowned a little as self-doubt seeped its way in. What if I broke him, like I’d broken Sam? What if he didn’t want me anymore?

I didn’t know how I could possibly deal with that. I’d beg him to forgive me if I had to. Because the truth of it was he had trusted me with something pretty big, and I left him for it.

Dread encouraged my movements as I parked my car in Olivia’s driveway and ran over to Max’s house. I used the key he had given me to open the door to a totally empty house.

Max wasn’t home yet.

Right.

In my excitement, I forgot to check the time, but it was only a little past three in the afternoon, and Max usually put in a lot of hours at work.

I looked around the house, not sure what I could do now.

I didn’t want to go back to see Olivia again, not until I talked to Max first, and I didn’t want to leave, in case he decided to come home early.

I walked up the stairs to his bedroom instead. Then I climbed into his bed and took in his scent on his pillow.

Fuck, I missed this. I missed him.

I didn’t want to spend any more time apart from him. I wanted to tie myself to him in every way possible.

It was in that thought that I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I was kissed awake.

I smiled without opening my eyes and moved closer to the source, and frowned a bit when the kisses disappeared altogether.

I pursed my lips, wanting more of this. I hadn’t been kissed in a while. And I missed it. I really fucking missed it.

A deep chuckle permeated the air, and even if the laugh did sound a bit strained, it was like a soothing balm to my wounded soul.

I reached for the owner of the laugh and was met with only air.

My frown deepened. “Baby, open your eyes for me,” a soft voice cajoled.

I shook my head.

“Why not? Come on. Show me those beautiful emerald eyes.”

He leaned down and kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around his neck before he could move away again, holding him tightly against me. I felt him smile against my lips.

“Max,” I breathed.

“I’m here,” he promised.

---