Page 62 of Eternally Bound

Once we got to the high-rise building in the most pristine location of London, Arthur came to a stop and came around to open my door.

“I’ll walk you to his floor,” he offered.

I thanked him in a strained voice, ready to start perspiring. I told him he was my everything and then ran off the moment it got tough. He promised to protect me and he did. I should have thrown myself into his arms and shower-kissed every inch of his skin and then begged him to take us home. Not me, but us. Because we were us… forever more.

We rode the lift in silence and on the top floor, Arthur swiped his fingerprint and the elevator opened directly into a large penthouse.

The large floorplan spread in front of me and though every single fiber of me was shaking, I straightened my shoulders and forced myself to do this.

For Daniel. For me. For Bram. Our future together.

I walked into his home and the door to the lift closed off, taking Arthur back down.

“In my office, Arthur,” Daniel’s voice called out, and my heart skipped a beat hearing him again. Shit, if only I knew which way was the office.

Hesitantly, I took several steps till I heard a noise coming out of the corner room. I passed the threshold of the room and noted the empty desk. Surely this was the office; it certainly had a set-up of an office.

“What are you doing here?” Daniel’s voice had me whipping around to find him sitting on the sofa, in the left corner of the room, with his feet up on the coffee table.

The seconds ticked away as we stared at each other. Just like always, seeing him was like a punch in the gut. I loved this man. I would love him forever. It wasn’t a choice. It just was.

I started walking towards him, my feet soundless against the plush carpet. His eyes were heavy lidded and veiled, a guarded expression giving me no clues. I wished I could tell what he was thinking. I needed something to give me courage.

Or maybe I just had to put it all out there for him. Then he could take me or leave me. For good. Shit, I hoped it wouldn’t be the latter.

Once in front of him, I gently put my hands under his calves. I sensed him tense at my touch, but he didn’t resist me. I picked them up and put them on the floor and I slid in between his knees and the table.

He pulled me onto his lap and feeling his body so close to me felt like a relief. He was like a drug I needed to survive.

“Ainslee,” he started softly, but I quickly stopped him.

“Please let me say what I came to say,” I uttered, in a trembling voice.

Daniel’s eyes watched me intently, and he nodded.

I swallowed hard, the fear of rejection thick in my veins.

“Yesterday, I- I was in shock. I knew you’d come for me. But seeing so much death and hearing your uncle’s threats, I just shut down. It hit me hard that one mistake could have cost me seeing Bram ever again. Or my mum.” I took a deep breath. “Or you.”

My voice broke and the feelings choked my throat, making it hard to breathe. I had never wanted something so bad as this man and a life with him. Our own happily ever after.

“I want to grow old with you, cry with you, laugh with you, be poor with you. And if you want me to be a criminal with you, I will. I just want to be with you, Daniel. Please-”

He wasn’t moving and with each second that passed by, dread inside me grew.

“Bram misses you,” I rasped. Damn it, if he’d come back for him, I’d take it. I was so scared to live out the rest of my life without him.

His hand reached out and lifted a lock of my hair. “My little Nightingale,” he murmured, bringing it to his nose. “I love your scent. It stayed with me for those twelve years.”

My heart fluttered, hope swelling inside it. “I love your smell, too. And your heat. For twelve years, I felt like part of me was missing. Now… I finally feel complete. With you.”

He sighed, regret on his face. He looked tired and somehow older. “I can’t have you, my little Nightingale.”

“Why not?”

“Because you deserve someone better than me. I’ve done horrible stuff, Ainslee. You’ve seen it firsthand. I’m a monster, a criminal. Your first instinct was to run and it was the right instinct.”

I shook my head vigorously. “No, I didn’t run from you. I just wanted to hold Bram, I wanted- “ I searched for words, desperation clawing at my chest. I needed to show him how much I loved him. “I wanted to feel him in my arms, have you hold us because I know you’ll always keep us safe. You are not a monster. You are my hero. My everything.” His eyes flickered with hope. “I told you I love you and I mean it. I meant it then and I mean it now. You are a good man and that is all that matters to me.”

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