Page 98 of Toxic

I turned in his arms and stared up at him. “You’ve already answered this… And you’re already proving that you’re nothing like him, but-”

“I’ll never cheat on you,” he promised again. He didn’t seem the least bit irritated about having to repeat himself. “I’ll dump you before I do that. You have my fucking word.”

I frowned. “I don’t think I want you to dump me either,” I admitted.

His grin was all teeth. “That’s not happening, Sweet Girl. You belong to me. And I’m yours.”

I shook my head, a smile of wonder spreading over my face. “We haven’t even known each other that long…”

“So?” he asked. “What the fuck does time have to do with it?”

“It just seems like it shouldn’t be possible to…” I stopped, eyes widening.

He grinned at me. There was knowledge there in his gaze. He knew what I was about to say. His next words proved it. “Possible to what, Billie?”

I pursed my lips together and shook my head.

“Say it.”

“You’re so bossy.”

He shrugged. “Get used to it. And don’t change the subject.”

I sighed, a bit dramatically because I was back to teasing him. “Fine. It doesn’t seem like it should be possible to love you in such a short amount of time.”

“And do you?”

I rolled my eyes and lightly hit him in the chest. “You know I do. I’ve already told you before that I do.”

“Then tell me again. I want to hear you say it every day.”

All the joking around died away, seriousness settling in its place. “I love you, Toxic.” I paused. “Or should I call you Boone?”

“No. Toxic is better,” he said. “I love you, too.”

I searched his expression. He was completely serious. I almost couldn’t believe it. Not that I didn’t think I was deserving of love. Or of a man like him. It was just that it had been so long since anyone had shown interest I’d sort of thought no one ever would.

He was kissing me before I could think of what to say next. Melting into him, I enjoyed the way it felt to be held by him. “I’ll do my best not to let my baggage get between us,” I told him when our lips separated.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you sabotage this.”

“I’m not going to,” I insisted. “I just might test your patience sometimes.”

“I expect nothing less, Lightning.”

It was a relief to have the truth out in the open. I knew I could ask him anything about his past and he’d tell me, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to know. Maybe one day, but for now we’d leave it at ‘I knew he was a partier and slept around, but didn’t care as long as he didn’t do that going forward’.

I settled back into his arms and we watched a woodpecker land on a saguaro cactus and start hammering at it. It almost seemed too good to be true. I had my ranch and now I had Toxic. But there was still Fission Solutions and Jonathan Brently to deal with. I knew something was coming, but not today. Not right now. I didn’t want to borrow trouble. I just wanted to enjoy Toxic and this day.

CHAPTER 35

Billie

“Here you go, Sweetie.”

I took the sweet tea from Sloane with a murmured thanks. Toxic had brought me to the clubhouse with him while he got ready to go. They’d left for Phoenix a few days earlier than originally planned, he’d muttered something about all this supposedly going down Saturday, not today, which was Thursday, and in a hurry. So instead of arguing with him that I’d be fine to stay at the ranch, I’d gone with him when he’d told me to get into the truck.

“Jenny’s going to be bummed she missed seeing you again,” Kit said with a smile.

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