Page 78 of Until It Was Real

He frowns. “I do. You find it difficult to trust men after what happened with your former husband.”

“Dead husband,” I correct. Former husband sounds too nice considering what he did. How he screwed me from the afterlife. I hope he’s enjoying hell.

“Considering what yourdeadhusband did, it’s normal for you to have trust issues.”

I sigh. “I hate it. I hate how stupid I was. How naïve I was. He catfished me, and I told him I loved him.”

Rhett growls. “That’s the last time you say you loved your dead husband when you’re in bed with me.”

My eyes widen in confusion. “Are you mad?”

He blows out a breath. “I’m not mad.”

If he’s not mad, then why did he growl? There’s only one other reason I can think of. But it can’t be true. I ask anyway. “Are you jealous?”

He scowls.

I point to his face. “That’s not no. Holy bananas, you’re jealous.”

“I don’t enjoy the idea of anyone else touching what’s mine.”

“What’s yours? I don’t belong to you.”

He captures my hand and places it against his heart. “I belong to you, so it’s only fair if you belong to me.”

“Y-y-you belong to me?”

“I don’t want anyone else. Just you.”

“You want to be exclusive?”

“Hell, yeah, I do. I don’t want any other men touching you.”

I giggle. “No other men want to touch me.”

He frowns. “Every other man on the beach yesterday wanted you.”

I roll my eyes. “Exaggerate much?”

His gaze dips to my chest. “You were running around in a wet swimsuit that clung to all of your delicious curves. I’m not exaggerating.”

“Delicious curves? No one’s claimed my curves are delicious before.”

“You weren’t speaking to the right people.”

I can’t argue with him there. Adam was not the right man. I blame myself for the entire fiasco. I was terrified when I left care. I had two hundred dollars and a bus pass to my name and nowhere to live. I jumped at the chance to move in with him.

I caress Rhett’s chest and his heartbeat speeds up in response. A sense of power fills me. It gives me the strength I need to continue the conversation.

“You said exclusive.”

He nods. “I did.”

“Does this mean we’re in a relationship?”

He squeezes my hand. “Havoc, I’ve wanted to be in a relationship with you since the night in our hotel room in Atlanta.”

“You have?”

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