Page 208 of Brutal Prince

They fly open at his command, and then narrow warily.

Nothing’s different. Except…

“What’s behind your back?”

He smirks at me. “I meant what I said.”

“About what?”

“I don’t like you anymore, Indigo Virgo.”

I bristle at my full name, but bear it out of sheer curiosity. “Go on…”

Briar’s smirk fades, and is replaced with a deadly serious expression.

I know this is all some ruse, but that doesn’t stop the flutters blooming in my stomach.

Flutters. Because it’s not worms burrowing around down there anymore.

It’s butterflies.

Briar drops to one knee, bringing out a deep-blue velvet box and flipping it open all in one smooth motion.

My hands are at my throat, and I don’t remember how they got there. “Did you practice that or something?” I ask weakly.

“Too many times to count.” He clears his throat, and his eyes dart to the box.

Which I haven’t even looked at. I’ve been transfixed on his eyes this entire time. But when I look down, my legs cave in, and I sink to the floor in front of him.

“Briar…”

“I don’t like you anymore, Indi. Maybe I never did. I fucking love you.” He moves the box closer to me, as if I’m not admiring the diamond-encrusted sapphire ring he’s holding out for me quite enough for his tastes. “You’d better marry me, or I’ll make your life a living hell.”

I reach for the ring, but he snaps the box closed before I can take it. My eyes fly up to his, and I scowl deeply at him. “What the fuck?” I snap.

“You don’t get the ring until you say yes.”

“Well let me see how it looks first.”

“You’re shitting me,” he says through a laugh. “This is all hinging off whether the ring looks good on your finger?”

I shrug, and waggle my left hand in his face. “And if it fits. If it doesn’t fit…”

He glares at me for a moment, and then flips open the box again. “How do you always manage to make me so fucking mad?”

He takes out the ring, hesitates, and then slides it onto my finger.

Oh my fuck. It’s absolutely fucking gorgeous. I sniff, twist my hand around a bit, and go to take it off.

“Nope,” I say, shaking my head. “This isn’t gonna cut it.”

Briar lets out a deep-throated growl. Before I have time to squeal, he scoops me into his arms and charges with me into the bedroom. I bounce hard on the bed, sending rose petals fluttering into the air beside me.

I grab the ring and try to yank it off, but Briar clambers onto the bed and pins me down.

“You’ll wear the fucking ring,” he says, voice so low it’s more of a growl than actual words. “And you’ll fucking like it.”

“Bastard,” I murmur, narrowing my eyes. “Think you can buy my love?”

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