Page 87 of Red

“After you eat,” he said and took another bite.

She had to admit it smelled delicious, and, for the first time in weeks, her appetite had made an appearance. A few bites wouldn’t hurt.

She cleared the plate, even swiping the sauce up with a chunk of warm bread. Erik hadn’t spoken a word while she’d dug in. Feeling his presence had been enough to set her nerves at ease.

It shouldn’t have, though, right? She should have been nervous having him so close, but his being there calmed her.

“Melinda.” He grabbed her hand.

Tears sprang to her eyes again. Just feeling the warmth of his skin against hers was enough to make the longing, the desire flood her in full force.

“You have to decide.”

She lifted her gaze to meet his, sure she’d find a hard, unrelenting glare. But instead, she saw uncertainty, vulnerability. “You want me to sign away everything, like it didn’t happen. Like you didn’t matter, I didn’t matter.”

His eyebrow arched, and he placed his fork beside his plate.

“Melinda.” There was a warning in his tone. “That’s not it at all. I wanted you to have a choice. You had none going in. You’ve had people arranging things for you your whole life, and you didn’t even know it. This time, I wanted it to be your choice.”

“I wanted to sign them. To be done with you and get rid of everything that happened. But signing a piece of paper doesn’t change things.”

His thumb ran along her knuckles when she stopped talking.

“When I saw him turn the gun on you, when I saw his finger—” He sucked in a breath. “I knew he was going to shoot. And all I could imagine was you lying on the ground dying.” His voice was ragged, raw. There was a pain in him that matched hers, both in strength and depth.

Tears fell easily down her cheeks, but she didn’t wipe them away.

Erik yanked on her hand, pulling her out of her chair, and quickly maneuvered her into his lap. He flicked the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “I was a fucking idiot. I couldn’t let you go. I never did,” he said softly, tucking his fist under her chin to force her gaze to meet his.

Pain laced his glare. Was he waiting for her to let him loose or hold him tight?

She was tired. So tired of trying to figure out what the next move should be. How would he react, how would she? The calculating was too hard.

“I loved you. Your arrogance and your overprotectiveness and your annoying hulking presence somehow got to me, but you…you didn’t feel the same way.”

“Of course, I did. Why the hell do you think I sent you away? I was scared…more scared than I ever had been in my life. And I wish I could wipe those words away from your memory. I wish I could take that pain I gave you onto myself. I’d bear it all to save you from a moment of anguish. I wish I could go back and do everything fucking different. Not be so damn selfish.” He slid his hand behind her, cradling her before him.

“Because I loved you, too,” he whispered. “I just didn’t open my fucking eyes wide enough to see it.”

She sniffled. She was making a mess of herself with all the tears and sobs, but he didn’t seem to care. He drew her to him, pressing his warm lips against hers briefly.

“And now?” she whispered when he withdrew.

He maneuvered in his chair and pulled out a small, black satin box. A shiver ran down her spine when he opened it, and a silver band with a pink diamond in the center was presented to her.

“Now, you have to decide. Do you wear my ring, or do we sign those papers?”

She picked up the ring and started to slip it on her finger, but he caught her hand and took it from her. He slid it up her finger and held it tight against her skin.

“You’re mine, Melinda. Forever.”

“And you’re mine.”

Epilogue

“Say it again,” he barked, walking behind a naked and bound Melinda.

“I’m yours,” she cried out as the belt lashed across her round, red ass.

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