Page 29 of His Wild Seduction

Fifteen years, and I’d been so scarred by my past, so heartbroken, I’d never allowed another man to come near me.

I sincerely doubted Josef hadn’t had sex in all that time.

But I didn’t want to think of the beautiful women he’d undoubtedly taken to his bed. I just couldn’t.

I supposed my hangups were about trust. How could I trust anyone ever again after I’d been betrayed by Josef?

Not in the mood for a pity party, I took another sip of whiskey spiked coffee. Weddings should be happy, but I felt like I’d just attended a funeral.

Oh, I’d mourned the girl I was years ago. The past was the past.

This version of me was older, wiser, stronger.

Sex didn’t have to mean anything more than that. My heart didn’t have to get involved.

I knew that. Really, I did. And I certainly wasn’t judging anyone for the way they lived their lives.

“You’re not wearing jewelry,” he said.

Josef’s gruff whisper interrupted my racing thoughts, and I was almost grateful for the distraction.

“Oh, I don’t really have any, anymore,” I confessed, slightly embarrassed.

It didn’t skip my notice that we hadn’t exchanged rings during our vows. But I guess it didn’t matter. Marriages didn’t require rings. I shrugged, wanting to speak, but I couldn’t.

I couldn’t lie and say I didn’t care. I always thought I would be the type of person who wore my wedding ring with pride.

I remembered conversations we’d had about that very thing all those years ago and my heart hurt. But maybe he didn’t feel the same.

“I’m sorry this wasn’t ready during the ceremony,” he added, and suddenly, he was there.

Josef was standing right in front of me, stealing all my attention. He took my left hand in his and I blinked hard. I lifted my chin, his gaze was locked on mine, refusing to release me.

His dark irises were smoldering as he slid something cold and hard onto my finger without looking.

“There. It fits,” he grunted.

I nodded, because yeah, it did. Then I looked down. And I gasped.

“You remembered,” I whispered.

On my finger was a single, solitary stone set in a thin gold band.

A pink ruby.

My absolute favorite gemstone.

Tears pricked my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I flexed my hand in the light, noting with glee it didn’t entirely cover the small tattoo encircling my finger.

He hadn’t said a word about it. So, I assumed he either hadn’t seen it or he didn’t care.

Either way, I was glad the tiny pink ribbon tattoo was still there. The color had faded with age, and it was hardly visible anymore.

If I wasn’t so fair skinned, it probably would have disappeared over the years. But I was, so the tattoo remained visible.

“It took a little while for the jeweler to find the right one,” Josef said.

“It’s perfect. Thank you, Josef.”

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