Page 185 of The Christmas Wife

"As long as we agree to disagree," I say at the same time.

She huffs.

I twine my fingers through hers, "Come on, babe. Allow me to help; it's what I do best."

"I want to build my business on my own merit, you know?"

"And I understand and completely get that...but if I can pave the way so you spend your time on the actual creation and less on fighting through roadblocks?"

She shuffles her feet, then glances at me. "For every pound you spend on paying off my debts, you'll also put one toward a scholarship for someone less privileged who wants to study baking at a school of their choice."

"Done," I blow out a breath. "You can manage this each year through FOK media, a division of 7A investments that was set up for exactly such causes."

She blinks. "You agree?"

I straighten my shoulders, "If that makes you happy..."

"This makes me happy." She sinks down onto the decking, sticks her legs into the hot tub and, parts her legs. Finally, fuck! I move into the 'V' between her thighs.

"You make me fucking happy," I hold her gaze, peer into those baby blues which mean more to me than life itself. "It was a time bomb," I say. "They wrapped a timebomb around me and left me in a locked room for days."

Her chin wobbles, her face pales. "The kidnappers?" she whispers. "They did that?"

I nod. "If I so much as moved or breathed wrong it could go off, so they said."

"What...what happened next?"

"My kidnapper... I couldn't see his face because I was blindfolded... Which didn't help, because I could imagine the moving hands of the clock in my mind." I swallow; my fingers tremble.

She grips my hand, and warmth chases away the ice that had crept into my veins. I focus on her beautiful face, those flushed features. "He kept coming in and torturing me, sometimes beating on my legs, sometimes hooking me up to electricity. Each session was timed, it lasted precisely an hour, all of which was counted down precisely by the clock." I chuckle, the sound harsh. "The torture went on for days I thought, but it was really only for forty-eight hours, so I found out later."

She gasps, "Oh, Wes." She places her palm over my chest, "Baby, I'm so sorry."

I focus on her gaze, the silverly sparks in her eyes. "That last time..."I force out the words, "he said he'd be back in twelve hours. I counted down the time, past the twelve hour mark. He was late. I knew then, he was going to kill me. He came in and started raging at me, told me he was going to kill me. He hooked me up to the electrodes. I sensed him move away to start the electricity. I knew there was no way I was going to survive that session. I prayed that my heart would give out before the pain got too bad. He switched on the electricity, and left."

"Wes, no." She throws her arms about me, "Oh my God, that's terrible." She presses her cheek into my chest and moisture dampens my skin. She's weeping, for me? Something inside of me dissolves. I fit my knuckle under her chin, tip up her head.

"The cops arrived within minutes of that... They broke through, switched off the electricity, had their best bomb disposal expert dismantle the one around my chest. Turns out, it was a hoax all along."

"What?" She gasps, "I mean it's a good thing, but still... That bastard."

"Yeah." I cup her cheek, "I escaped with no outward scars... I was lucky, unlike some of the Seven."

"It's why you guys are so close."

"Close? Ha!" I smirk, "The only person I want to be close to is you, baby."

I lower my head, brush my lips over hers. "You're welcome, by the way," I whisper.

"For what?"

"For the three words you were going to tell me earlier, but didn't, and which you are going to reward me with now."

"Reward you?" She pouts.

"Yep." I reach down, lower the zipper on her jeans. She grips my shoulders, rises up, and I yank down the pants and panties, ease them over her hips, then step back and pull them off of those gorgeous legs. I stare at the pink flesh between those beautiful thighs. "For the orgasms I am going to bring you to in the next hour."

"So sure of yourself. If you think you can trick me into?—"

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