Page 105 of Heartless Sinner

My heart stutters, then it races wildly against my ribs.

Those words—I love her—ring in my ears. That’s the first time he’s said anything of the sort, although I’ve felt his love several times. I just never thought he would say the words because we’re supposed to be a contract.

Now he’s said them so certain, so absolute, so easily in front of a hall full of people who may as well be the world.

I shouldn't feel triumph at Eloise's trembling form, but dark satisfaction curls through my veins, healing the deep embarrassment she’s caused me.

Micah looks away from her and back at me. Something fierce yet tender blooms in my chest and in his eyes. It makes me feel stronger.

Each heartbeat that resonates in my chest sings to me, telling mehe chose me, he chose me, he chose me.

He gives my hand a gentle squeeze then leads me back off the stage.

Hand in hand, we walk out of the room, and for the first time since I’ve been with him, I feel like his.

Micah holds my hand all the way home in the back seat of the car, and he doesn't let go even when we reach home. He also remains silent, although I can see there's a lot on his mind—things to do with what happened at the event and the previous things that troubled him.

When we get out the car, he leads me into the house in the same fog of silence but walks with determination and purpose in each step.

The click of our footsteps against the floor echoes through the hallway, each sound reverberating through our joined hands.

He takes me right into the bedroom and into the walk-in closet, where he presses a button on the wall for it to slide away, revealing a safe. The mechanical whir breaks the thick silence, and my pulse quickens with each number he dials.

I look from his stern face to the safe, curiosity gripping my insides. The air feels electric, charged with unspoken possibilities.

He opens the safe and takes out a large envelope. Only then does he release my hand and pulls out a contract—our contract. The paper feels like it holds the weight of destiny itself.

Micah holds it up in front of me, then he tears it right down the middle. The sound of ripping paper cuts through the silence. "I'll give you the rest of the money now. Consider it a wedding present." The firmness in his expression and the intensity of his dark stare keeps me rooted to the spot, stealing my breath.

"What do you mean? You can't do that." My voice comes out barely above a whisper, trembling like a butterfly's wings.

"I can and I am because I can't keep the terms of this contract. I don't want you to stay with me for a year. I want you forever."

My breath catches, and I gaze at him, not quite believing what he's saying to me. The wordforeverexpands in my chest like wildfire. "Micah... forever?" I search his eyes, realizing how serious he is. He looked just like that night weeks ago when he told me how he felt about me.

"Forever, Scarlett. I love you, so I will never stop being selfish with you, and I will never stop loving you."

"I love you, too." That's the first time in my life that I've ever said those words and meant them from my soul.

Micah drops the pieces of the contract and cups my face. The torn paper flutters to the ground like fallen leaves. "Then stay with me forever, bellezza. Say you'll be mine forever. We'll be a family, have kids, do whatever you want, and I can love you until the end of time and beyond that."

My heart swells and a hot tear rolls down my cheek, seeping from the depths of my soul.

In this moment, this man—my beautiful, dangerous angel—holds not just my face but my entire world in his hands.

I realize that thing I felt for him all along was true love. Micah Delarosa wasn’t just my prince. He is my salvation and like every dream come true.

I nod like my life depends on it and hold him, too. “Yes. I want forever with you.”

His expression brightens with a light that reaches his eyes, then he lowers and seals his lips to mine, pulling me flush against his hard body and the rapid beating of his heart.

Our kiss turns hungry and desperate, stealing over me in possessive waves. Micah pushes me up against the wall and I melt into him, giving myself to him all over again.

He pushes my dress up to my hips, moves my panties aside, and shoves his pants down to free his cock. The next few seconds see him buried deep inside me, tunneling into my body. But this feels different to every other time he’s taken me.

The world stills while my head spins at the same time, but our hearts beat as one. Like I was made for him and he for me.

Like I finally found the missing piece of my life and now I’m complete.

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