Page 51 of Merrick

“Your family hates me.”

“They don’t…”

“I don’t give a crap about that but just thought you should know.”

He stared at her for a minute, before taking her hand. “Do you give a crap about me?” His quiet and patient tone had her feeling like a bitch, the guilt rearing its ugly head inside her. He had introduced her to his family with the intention that this was going to end well. It hadn’t.

“That’s not the point.”

“Answer the damn question. I love you…,” his mouth tightened when he felt her trying to pull away from him. “Yes, that dreaded word. Love. The one that makes you so goddamned defensive.

And looking like you have just been told you’re going on death row. I love you Margo and you’re going to have to deal with it. My question to you is this- what are you going to do about it?”

Her eyes flashed, and she felt the sickness churning inside her belly. His family had a right to be suspicious because she was not being straight with him. She was lying to him, and he did not see it, could not see it because of the way he felt.

“Nothing. I need time.” She felt her heart aching at the shimmer of pain that came over his face.

“Well…” Letting go of her, he rose and strode over to the recessed cabinet. Touching a button, he waited for it to slide towards him. Plucking up a glass, he poured a shot and downed it in one gulp before taking another.

“I didn’t ask for any of this.” She was angry, unreasonably so. She was angry at herself for falling into a situation like this. Angry that she could not do anything about it. They were both going to end up being hurt and the idea of hurting him was killing her.

“No, you didn’t.” He had his back turned to her, but she could see his hand fisting.

“Neither did I. But what the hell can I do?” He turned to face her then and she felt a frisson of fear shimmering through her body. “My brother thinks you’re after my money.”

“That’s ridiculous. Is that what you think?”

“No.” Intense gray eyes pierced her, and she had to fight the instinct to run. “But I think there is something you are not telling me. I have been asking myself what that could be.”

The fear bloomed inside her chest until she felt it taking over. “Like what?”

He turned the glass around and watched as it caught the light of the fire, changing its color to something else. He wanted to hurl it, wanted to send it crashing into the wall and roar at everything and everyone.

“Why don’t you tell me?”

“There is nothing to tell. Look, this is not working. We are obviously on different pages. We are certainly not suited, and this is a mistake. Your family obviously knows it…”

“Is that right?” His voice was soft and menacing, sending shivers up and down her spine.

“You’re angry…” she rushed to say. “But if you are looking at this from a practical perspective…” She actually jolted upright and surged to her feet.

“Damn you for bringing me to this.” His face was harsh, his voice strained as he stared at her.

She felt fear coating her usual calm composure. As he came towards her, she forced herself to stay where she was. Her heart was beating hard, her knees weak.

He stopped in front of her, eyes fierce and molten. “For the first time in my goddamned life, I love completely. Do you know what my brother said to me?” Without waiting for her to respond, he continued. “He asked me about Laura. I loved her of course.

She was sweet and gentle and kind, and I loved her with that sweetness that flows through one like a gentle river.” His handsshot out to grip her arms, fingers digging into her skin. “Never like this. It was nothing like what I feel for you.

You make me breathless – I get faint just thinking of you. I want you so much that I can feel it in my very pores.” His eyes glittered. “You have me. The first time I saw you, I felt the shot straight through my heart and into every area of my body. Why the hell are you denying yourself this happiness? Denying me?”

She trembled and felt the tears burning the back of her throat and wanted to lash out at fate. She could not accept his love, was not worthy of it and she wanted to weep and curl up into a ball.

“Don’t.” Her voice was thin and thready. “Please don’t.”

“Don’t what?” He shook her. “Love you with every fiber of my being? It is too late for that. I want you, need you more than the very air I breathe? I do. God help me, I crave you with a violence and desperation that frightens me.

Will you deny that you feel the same?” He shook her again. “I want a life with you, dammit. I want to wake up next to you and pray fervently that I get to spend even the next fifty years with you. How can you not want that too?”

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