Page 27 of The Grinch who Loved Me
“I more than like you beauty.”
She bit her lip while she smiled, “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“I can’t either. It’s why I had to call you. I missed you.”
She shut her eyes in happiness and then opened them, “I missed you too. It’s so strange that we barely know each other and yet, it feels like I have known you for a long time.”
He laughed, “It does feel that way. You are the first person I have let in my life or my home since my father left.”
“You are sweet. And it makes me feel special that I’m the one who got to see your inner sanctum.”
“You are the only one. The only woman I would allow near me.”
She smiled again, “I really don’t hate that. So, you haven’t dated much then?”
He snorted, “No. I haven’t dated. Girls weren’t in my life when I was growing up. I didn’t like public school and I had a hard time even looking at people, let alone girls. My mom left when I was younger and my dad always told me how poisonous women were. I listened to him and took his advice to heart. I have been too busy with my shop and the cars to go looking. And I listened to my father. But then you showed up and you changed every single thought I have. About women and dating and Christmas. I’m not the same Ryland I was when I woke up this morning. And I doubt I will ever go back to him. I’m not sad.”
She smiled, “I love that. I love learning about you and your life. Although it makes me sad you ever had struggles like you did.”
“I don’t mind the struggles. Not now. They made me who I am. As I expect your struggles did for you. And I appreciate them more because I now realize just how much I want to be different. I don’t want to be the Ryland I was. I like the Ryland I am right now. The one who changed because a tiny beauty needed help with her car.”
She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt, “I like that Ryland too.”
“This Ryland is more bold than I have ever imagined. I never realized that I would be as possessive as I am right now.”
Aria felt her brows draw together in confusion, “What do you mean?”
“Beauty, I don’t like being apart from you. I want to be by your side and never let you leave mine. I don’t want to sleep apart from you and I want to, -no, need to,- know that you are not going to be taken by someone else. That there isn’t some man waiting for you to finally see him. Because that isn’t happening beauty. You are mine now. I claimed your lips and I will claim your body, and you won’t be able to go back to being the Aria you were either.”
Aria shivered with need, feeling her panties drench at his possessive words, and she said, “There isn’t another man in the wings Ryland. There never has been. Men don’t see past the crutches. I get looked over because they believe that I am broken or deformed. And it used to hurt. A lot. And I let my dreams of one day finding love die a long time ago. I knew it wasn’t in the cards for me. Until I met you.”
Ryland growled and Aria shivered again and then Ryland said, “Those men were all fucking idiots. And I’m fucking grateful they were. No one deserves you. Not even me, but I’m going to try my fucking best to deserve a beauty like you. I will show you how fucking perfect you are. Show you what I see when I look at you. I don’t see your crutches. I see you. Aria. I see the woman I want a future with. I know it’s fast, but I don’t care. I don’t give a single fuck that it’s fast. I need you in my life Aria. And I will show you that you are mine.”
She let out a small breath, “I want nothing more than to see what you have in store. I need to see it.”
He growled again and Aria clapped a hand over her mouth to keep the whimper in her throat.
“Beauty, you will see it. I’m giving you the night. That’s it. Then you are mine.”
She smiled, “Good.”
“Try to get some sleep, beautiful girl. I will stop by tomorrow sometime and then take you on a date. A real one.”
She smiled wider and then he went on, “And then you are mine. I am going to claim you and make you never doubt how perfect and beautiful you are.”
She sucked in a breath and he growled, “I can’t wait to taste you all over.”
Her breathing picked up and he went on, “And make you mine. Only mine.”
“Yours. Just as you are mine.”
He growled one last time, “Only ever yours.”
Then with one last goodbye, he hung up and Aria fell back on her bed, breathing hard.
She was so turned on by his words, by his growls, like he was some wild animal, that made her whimper.
Her panties were flooded and her clit throbbed.
