Page 88 of Vulnerate

I see her as soon as I’m through the door. She’s amazing, a deep red cocktail dress with the most gorgeous slit showing her thigh. There’s no embellishment or jewelry, my little artist is stunning without it. I finally understand how people can look at someone and think I want to haveyour babies. If it was possible she’d be pregnant from the thought alone. My Dani will be filled with me, grow our family, and glow while doing it just like she is now.

I watch her like a creep as I go to the bar and she stands beside some woman. Jealousy takes over instantly, I don’t give a fuck about her sexuality; she just has to be consumed withme. Even with Tali it’s not about her fucking him, logically I know it will never happen, it’s about her time. She’ll fuck me but she won’t give me that one thing. I crave it, I always have, but it’s the same as when we were kids and she’d make excuses so she wasn’t alone with me.

They’re not touching but the cunt is stealing her smiles, getting pulled in when it’s only ever supposed to be me. Taking my drink, I’m at her side before I’ve even had a sip and my Dani tries to evade my touch when I wrap my arm around her. She looks up at me when I hold her hip and relaxes. Her first reaction is to lean into me before the idiotic part of her brain comes out and she turns cold.

Kissing her cheek because I can, and it helps every fucker in here know she’s mine, she blushes. So adorable. I came on her back after having my thumb in her ass but she’s blushing at my lips touching her face. Cute as fuck. I could pinch her cheeks she’s so sweet.

The woman she was talking to, before I kindly returned back to my rightful place, is familiar. It doesn’t click until she introduces herself and I pull Dani closer. The little cunt is the sister of the one person who made Dani’s life hell in school. I’ve never spoken to Kacey; Zoe was a bitch and I assume her sister is too.She gets the message that she’s unwanted and leaves us alone as she points at a table. “I’ll go test my luck.”

I guide Dani around the room picking the most discreet table as I whisper into her ear, “Why did you say no?” Her brows pull together as she looks at me and I add on weakly, “To being my wife.”

There’s no answer, just a small sad smile as she sits at the poker table primly. Sitting so I can see the room and that enticing slit is closer to me, we get dealt in. Rian and Zidane take the seats opposite, fucking sharks, they look at Dani trying to work out if they can speak freely. I tap a chip on the table to get their attention and shake my head out of her view, so they know it’s not business.

My intelligent woman is too quick and picks her cards up with a smile asking easily, “How do you all know each other?”

She’s protected from the Bratva, no one has ever mentioned anything in front of Dani. Maintaining that secrecy, I hold the back of her chair and play with the truth.

“We have mutual business interests.”

There’s not really a way to drop “we kill people for a living and their family are our disposal team” or the other interest is drugs, it would just confuse my little artist.She’d probably be pissed given her proximity to the shit storm Carly caused.

The dealer plays another hand and random guests filter through the criminality. I move closer to Dani and hold her knee writing my name on her skin with my thumb. Keeping my voice low so no one else hears, I ask for what we both want.

“Marry me?”

She doesn’t even look up from her cards or pause in her answer.

“No.”

Fucking infuriating, stubborn little shit. I’ll get down on one knee all she has to do is say she’s mine.

Eyeing her cards, she has a losing hand, so I change my offer.

“If I win, you have to marry me.”

I sit taller ready to collect more than winnings or payments due, but she crushes my mood with one word.

“No.”

She folds and stands like I’d possibly let her leave. Crazy girl. I was willing to search a country with a population of over two hundred million until I found her, I’m not going to lose her in a crowd of a couple of hundred.

I follow her out of the main room and grab her arm pulling her into a supply closet. Keeping her caged in against the door, I cup her face and beg, “Stop being stubborn.”

There’s too much wicked enjoyment on her face, my little artist likes watching me suffer and she repeats the same word again.

“No.”

I slip my hand down to her neck and my jaw hardens matching my voice as I repeat myself, “Stop being so fucking stubborn.”

She leans into my palm and my crazy girl is smiling from ear to ear as I squeeze the sides of her neck to stop the bastard word coming out. It doesn’t work and she spells it out.

“N. O.”

It’s the only word that’s left her mouth and I never want to hear it again.I kiss her cheek hoping it calms us both.

Everything I’d read to make it perfect has left my memory with having her in my arms. Moving closer to her lips, I soften my voice to coax out the truth.

“Why won’t you marry me?”

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