Page 64 of Power and Possession

I scratched my head, still a bit out of it from my concussion. “I know you hoped he would, but—”

“No.” She looked at her bare feet, and my eyes followed. She was wearing the cow pajamas that I loathed. “He managed to get word to me, and I knew he was going to rescue me.”

The blow hit me hard. All this time, I’d really thought that she loved me. And all this time, she’d been plotting against me.

“When?” I asked sternly. “How long?”

“Only a day or two…”

“So when I told you I loved you, you were still planning on betraying me? On letting me go to my grave?”

Her cheeks turned pink. “No, it’s not like that—”

“Then what was it like, love? You used me for sex and then planned to let your father finish me off?”

I was deeply hurt. I loved this woman, and I’d given her more of myself than I ever thought possible. I’d shared my secrets, told her the most intimate details of my life. And instead, she’d just been biding time until her asshole father showed up to kill me.

“Steele, I admit, I have feelings for you—”

“Do you love me?” I asked harshly. If she did, nothing else mattered. I’d put it in the past.

“It’s complicated…”

“It’s not, Ashlynn. Do. You. Love. Me?” I gritted my teeth together, my head starting to throb.

“I care about you—”

“That’s not what I asked!”

“Look, I’m trying to figure it out. Give me time, I need to—”

“I love you, damn it! I would do anything for you, Ashlynn—anything. I’d carve out my own heart and serve it to you on a platter. I’d swim in a sea of acid, crawl out of my own fucking grave for one last kiss. You figure your feelings out, but until then, stop tormenting me and get out.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ashlynn

I sat alone in my room at Steele’s estate, more confused than ever. I’d watched over him the past forty-eight hours, keeping a bedside vigil. When he awoke, I assumed he’d pepper me with kisses and praise. I wasn’t expecting a confrontation about my feelings, and I definitely wasn’t prepared for it. Yet Steele was nothing but intense, and I should have known he would want answers. To say that I felt horrible was an understatement. I’d betrayed the first man to ever love me.

I wandered down to the kitchen, wanting to check on Steele’s dinner. Now that he was conscious, I was eager to get him off the IV and on to regular foods. Glinda greeted me as I walked in. She appeared to harbor no ill-will about my father’s men storming the estate, but, then again, unlike Steele, she didn’t know that I could have prevented the whole thing.

“What can I get you, Ashlynn?”

“What does Steele like best? I want him to have something nutritious, but also something he loves.” Even though he was mad at me, I still wanted to help care for him until he was back on his feet. It was the only thing I could think of to help assuage my guilt.

“He mostly likes scotch,” Glinda said with a gleam in her eye.

I laughed, despite the tense conversation between Steele and me. “That one I know.”

She smiled at me, then turned her back to checksomething on the stove. “I’ll heat up a stew. It’s not his favorite, per se, but ifyoubring it to him, he’ll be happy.”

Sheesh. Did everyone around here know Steele’s feelings for me? Cooper seemed well aware of our situation, too.

I pulled up a chair and then went to the refrigerator, looking for my own dinner.

“No no no,” tutted Glinda, putting a plate in front of me. Roasted chicken and fresh vegetables. I could barely take my eyes off of the dish. It looked so good.

“You’ve been taking such good care of Mr. Steele, you need a hot meal and a break too,petite cherie.”

---