Page 58 of The Healing Touch

Dimitri nodded. “Yeah, the old man is the only person whose advice I wanted. He and I talked for a long time. I told him all about you, about how much I love you, but I was afraid that it wasn’t the forever kind of love I write about, and at the same time, I was terrified itwasthat kind of love. I wanted to know how he knew Mama was his.”

“What did your dad say?” Becca had heard all about the whirlwind romance of his parents. It was what had inspired him to write in that particular genre.

“He asked me a simple question. Basically, how would I feel if I lost you?”

Becca worried her bottom lip as she waited for his answer. She was a little excited, but more nervous to hear how he felt. Part of her dreaded it, part of her hoped, but it was a tiny part.

“I gave it some serious thought.” His thumb rubbed gently against her cheek. “I can’t imagine a world without you in it. It nearly robbed me of breath imagining never hearing your voice or teasing you until you get riled enough to give me that sass of yours. You’re the most important person in my world, Rebecca. I do love you, and I want you here with me until my dying day. So, you have to say yes, Becca. You have to.”

“Say yes?”

“To us. I want you to give us a chance. To give our love the chance to be the epic kind of love.The Notebookkind of love. Will you do that?”

Asshole had to bring her favorite movie into it, didn’t he? How was she supposed to answer that?

“I don’t know, Dimitri. How can I trust you with everything I know about you?”

“You don’t know everything about me.” He leaned forward and kissed her, so softly his lips felt barely there. “And you need to know everything before you agree.” He sat back, and her trepidation escalated.

“I know all about your finicky stomach and its epic blowouts. What else is there?”

He laughed, but it was a little forced. Nervousness shone in his eyes. What the hell did he have to be nervous about?

“After we got back from the signing room and you were asleep, I went out to get us food and called Nik. I thought he might have some ideas of how I could help you because of Lily.”

“Lily?” Why would anything having to do with his brother’s fiancée help her?

“Lily has an extreme fear of being touched. She has panic attacks, like you do, when someone tries to get near her.”

“How does that work with the two of them?”

“It took Nikoli a long time to get her to trust him enough to relax her guard around him, to let him in, and to eventually touch her. He did what he does best, which is whatIdo best.”

“And that is?”

“Dominance.”

The breath went of her lungs. They simply froze, refused to work. He was one of those men who liked to do awful things to women? And little Nikoli, the sweetheart with the face of an angel, was the same? How had she missed that about them?

“Get your head out of the gutter, Rebecca.” Dimitri laughed. “I can only guess what you’re thinking.”

“Bondage, whips, chains, beatings…you name it, I’m thinking it.”

He laughed so loud it made her jump. “Krasivaya, you do please me. So much.”

He was laughing at her? Enraged, she stood so fast she knocked the chair over, intending to march back into the room and lock his laughing ass out on the terrace. Instead, he caught her hand and tugged so she landed in his lap.

“Don’t run. I can’t chase you. My legs will give out.”

Becca ground her teeth. She wanted to hit him. Why had she never known this about him? Never even suspected it. She was not one of those women who was so insecure they’d let a man abuse her. Dammit, why did he have to be one of those men?

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“How could I not know you were an abuser?”

“Abuser?” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Did it feel like abuse in the bathroom?”

“No.”

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