Page 208 of Mayhem and Minnie

She takes a bite.

“Oh, this is fantastic,” she exclaims.

I smile to myself.

Food, check.

We eat the first course and then I unveil the dessert. A variety of chocolates and chocolate cakes that delight her even further. She eats almost all of them—which is just as I intended.

Once we’re done with the food, I take away the dishes and clear the table.

Minnie watches me closely, her lips drawn up in a smile.

She looks…happy.

Because of me.

I fucking did that.

I put a smile on her face.

I mentally high-five myself. This is how it’s done, ladies and gentlemen.

“Would you mind checking under the table? I think you dropped something.”

Her brows go up in question. She leans to look under the table and for a few moments, she doesn’t speak. She doesn’t move. She doesn’t react.

I wait with bated breath for her to say something.

Slowly, she gets up, holding between her tiny fingers the ring I’d worked so damn hard to make.

She looks at it and swallows hard.

Then she looks at me, and her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

“What’s this, Marlowe?” she asks on a whisper.

“What do you think it is, Minnie?” I smile as I walk toward her. Dropping to one knee, I take the ring from her and slide it on her ring finger.

It fits perfectly. Good.

She’s speechless for what seems like forever. Her eyes flitter from me to the ring and back to me. Her mouth opens a few times, but no sound comes out.

“I can smell your blood on it. Your blood and…” She presses her lips together as another blush stains her cheeks.

“Yes, my blood and my seed. All for you.”

She squeezes her eyes shut, but her mouth tips up at the corners.

“You made this?”

“Of course. The band, too. I learned how to forge a ring just for you,” I boast confidently.

She opens her eyes and stares at the ring, turning her hand around to study it better.

“It’s beautiful, Marlowe. This is the best surprise,” she murmurs, her voice breaking with emotion.

“I’m not even going to ask the obvious question, since the answer is yes,” I tell her.

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