Page 71 of Hidden While In Sight

She shook her head, not in denial but in confusion. “Why?” she repeated.

“Why do you let me fuck you?” The words came out harsher than he’d meant them to, not out of anger, out of fear; fear of losing her if he pushed this.

His eyes flicked to the Bible, angry at its presence between them. “It’s a sin, right? You like being a sinner?”

She didn’t flinch away from him. Her face remained relaxed and clear. “We’re all sinners. We all need saving.”

He shook his head, frustrated with her pat answer. His thumb traced over her bottom lip. “You want me to make you dirty, Hannah? Is that what this is?”

“You said you loved me,” she said softly.

He wanted to snarl. She hadn’t said it back.

“You let me fuck you before that.”

She still didn’t flinch, her hand reaching out to caress his face, making his pulse pound in a mixture of annoyance and delight. “Do you love me, Diego?”

He considered keeping the words inside, but her trusting eyes softened him. “You know I do. I love you so fucking much, Hannah.”

Her smile was blinding, the type he so rarely saw. She leaned into him, kissing his mouth with a little laugh.

“Marry me,” she said.

It was as if the words infected him with a fever. He felt hot and cold at the same time.

“What?” He strangled the question out of his suddenly dry mouth.

She looked delighted with herself as she stroked his cheek. “Make what we do together no longer a sin. Marry me, Diego.”

He couldn’t fucking breathe. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

Hannah scowled at him. The ferocious look was too adorable for words and made it even harder to suck in any air.

“I know exactly what I’m saying,” she snapped.

Diego struggled up, escaping from the couch and from the spiraling fantasy his head was playing for him. “Marriage is forever, mami. Do you really want forever with me?”

She scrambled up behind him, crossing her arms as she glared. “I’ve been letting you try to impregnate me, Diego.”

The reminder that he’d shot his cum inside of her, repeatedly, made the edges of his vision dim.

“You don’t think having a baby together is forever?”

He stepped into her space, gripping her arms, stopping just before he shook her. “Of course I want forever! It’s toxic as hell, Hannah. I want to bind you to me and keep you and lock you away like a goddamn psycho.” His chest heaved as the idea spiraled through him, lighting up every part of his body. “Are you really going to let me do that? You don’t even love me!”

She smacked his hand away, and he let her, hating not feeling her under his hands but liking her standing up to him. “Who says I don’t love you?”

“You do!” Diego dragged his hands through his hair. “You haven’t said it, Hannah. Instead, you spout this marriage crap.”

“It’s not crap.” Her voice had gone soft, both her anger and her joy sapping away into that dull blankness.

“You had the shittiest marriage ever,” he reminded her, even though he felt like an asshole for doing it. “It’s that kind of bullshit that almost ruined you.” He took a breath, his hands trembling as they reached for her face. He was relieved when she didn’t back away from him. “Do you really want that again? How can you tie yourself to me? It’s so…” No term seemed right. Crazy. Idiotic. Masochistic. “I don’t want to ruin you,” he whispered, his insides twisting into a snarling mess. She was his, and she was willing to say she was his, so what the hell was he even doing? Trying to talk her out of it?

Her hands pressed against the tattoos on his chest, the fingers curling in the smallest stroke. “I love you, Diego.” She rubbed her face against his hand as she stared into his eyes. “You haven’t realized that yet?”

Everything inside him stilled. “Say it again.”

“I love you.” Her soft half smile was the most beautiful thing ever. “Marry me.”

---