Page 102 of A Forbidden Arrangement
For several moments, we don’t move, taking our time to come back to reality. Then he lifts, releasing himself from me. There’s the sound of something dropping into the trash before he’s back, pulling me into his arms, facing him.
The room’s quiet except for our breathing tangled together. Xander’s fingers work over the sore muscles in my shoulder, slide through my hair, trace down my spine until I’ve melted against him. Time stretches, and his heartbeat beneath my palm grows faster, more uneven.
I pull back to ask what’s wrong, but he presses his forehead to mine. His voice trembles as he says, “I think I would die without you by my side. I promise you. If you feel weak, I’ll help you become strong. If you’re greedy, I’ll get you riches. If you want power, I’ll make the world kneel at your feet.”
He draws back just enough to cup my face. “All you need to do is stay with me. If I can have even the smallest piece of your love, that’s enough.” He leans in, brushes a soft kiss against mymouth, then meets my gaze. “From the first time I saw you, you’ve always been my only choice. I love you.”
My hand moves before I can think, finding his face, his jaw rough beneath my palm. “I love you too.”
His eyes widen, filling with wonder. A slow smile builds until it overtakes his face. He kisses me hard, deep, like he’s finally breathing again. “I don’t deserve you, Dahlia. You’re kind, forgiving, affectionate. You care about everyone around you. I’m none of those things. But I love you, and I’m greedy enough not to let you go.”
He doesn’t see it. The way he’s already saved me. How lucky I am to have him. But I’ll spend the rest of my life showing him. “I love you.”
Chapter 43
Dahlia
I towelmy hair one more time and give up. It’s dry enough. Xander’s shirt hangs to mid-thigh, soft and a little too big, smelling faintly of him. The memory of last night sits warm in my chest. The way he looked at me when he said it. The way I answered before I even thought about the words, loving him back like the words had been waiting.
A noise pulls me out of it. A soft glide, like a heavy hinge moving. I step into the bedroom and freeze. The full-length mirror on the far wall is not a mirror at all. It’s open on a seam I never noticed, pushed wide to reveal a hidden doorway and a slice of another room flooded with light.
“Xander?”
“In here.”
I cross the rug and slip through. My breath catches. The room is lined floor to ceiling with shelves of books. The ceiling peaks high above, white beams crossing like ribs. A huge arched window takes up the end wall, and morning sun pours through it in bright bands.
A soft rug cushions my bare feet. Every piece of furniture looks made for comfort. Deep sofas, wide chairs, a knitted throw draped over an armrest.
“Like what you see?” Xander’s voice comes from the window. I drag my gaze from the books and find him standing there with a plant in his hands. He’s barefoot, sleeves pushed to his forearms. The sight makes my chest tighten.
Dangerous, but domestic.
“What is this place?” I walk toward him slowly because I want to take it in.
“It is a morning room,” he says, like it’s completely normal.
“Is that a rich people thing?”
He smirks. “You’re still saying ‘rich people’ like that doesn’t include you.”
“That’s because it doesn’t.”
“It does now. Should I move it all into an account under your name?”
“That’s really not necessary?—”
“I’ll have the account taken care of today.” The look he’s giving me dares me to see what will happen if I keep denying it.
My mouth snaps shut, not wanting to get into any more trouble than I already am.
He glances down at the plant in his hands and back up again. “These like morning light. I checked. East-facing window.” He points, then gestures at the tiered stands. “I thought they would do well here. The humidity stays higher by the window, and the temperature is even. This peace lily was yellowing, so I repotted and added perlite. The rosemary should stay closer to the light.”
He’s rambling and doesn’t even realize it, which only makes me smile. His face goes intent and soft all at once, like he’s trying to get the right answer on a critical test.
I look down at the plant he’s holding, its long dark leaves shaped like hearts. I recognize it instantly. It’s the same little plant that kept me company while I was in hiding. “Is that the one from Houlton?”
“It is.” He steps closer. “I thought it would be better up here with you.”
