Page 109 of Into the Woods

“I think it’s time we got a few things straight, darling,” he growled. “You will not disappear again, or you won’t like the consequences.”

I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to respond or not, but when he squeezed my wrist harder, I gasped out, “I won’t. I promise.”

He gave a curt nod and slammed on the breaks as another light turned red. The car skidded to a stop. “I gave you a stunning diamond—do you know how much it’s worth? And you don’t want to show your appreciation?”

Was he actually insinuating that I owed him sex as a thanks for a ring I never asked for? No wonder women ran from him.

Unfortunately, running away wasn’t an option for me as he hit the gas the second the light turned green. I pressed myself against my seatback, praying we wouldn’t crash.

“You don’t understand,” I tried again. “It’s not that I don’t want to—”

He let out a scoff. “Don’t fucking lie to me.”

“I’ve never done this!” I shouted, screwing my eyes shut as he narrowly missed a woman stepping into a crosswalk. “I’ve never… I’m a virgin.”

Miraculously, his foot came off the gas.

“What?” he asked, sounding curious.

I pried one eye open and saw him staring at me. “I’ve never… I’ve never had sex.”

He pulled the car over to the shoulder. “You’ve never…”

I shook my head, letting the fear knotting in my chest seep out in the form of tears. My eyes welled up. “I never had time for a boyfriend in school,” I whispered, letting the truth mingle with the lie. “And my grandmother always said how special it was to wait.”

“You’re pure,” he breathed, his eyes round with wonder. Like I’d announced I was an angel or a unicorn. “Of course you are.”

“I don’t want to lose my virginity in a cold hotel room, on a mattress that's been shared by so many other people,” I added, dropping my gaze. “I want it to be special. Magical.”

Not a lie. It was what I’d wanted. And my first time had definitely been special and memorable. Maybe not as magical as romance novels made it sound, but I wouldn’t change it for anything because of who I’d been with, not where we’d been.

“Of course,” Eric agreed, touching my chin and lifting my face. “My sweet, beautiful girl. Of course you’re innocent. Like you knew waiting for me was exactly what we’d both need.”

I nodded and expelled a breath. “Eric, I want our first time to be perfect. It’s the start of the rest of our lives. And while there’s a part of me that wants to wait until we’re married—” insert gagging noises here “—I have a feeling I won’t be able to wait.” I let out a breathy chuckle.

Eric’s eyes practically glowed with animalistic pleasure. “I understand completely, my love.”

“What about after the auction?” I suggested with a bright smile. “We’ll have so many reasons to celebrate that night… Could we go back to your place? Not a hotel?”

He leaned in, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Absolutely, dove.”

I swallowed down a wave of bile at the feel of his dry lips on mine. “You’re not angry with me? I know I was wrong, running away from you, but I was just so… overwhelmed. I was scared of how deeply I felt for you.” I batted my lashes, playing up the innocent virgin act.

And because Eric was a narcissistic chauvinist, he ate it up.

He wrapped a hand around the back of my neck and pulled our foreheads together as we shared the same air.

Don’t throw up, I mentally ordered myself. My skin felt like a thousand ants were crawling over it wherever he touched me.

“I understand completely,” he said, his tone now reverent, with no trace of the irrational rage from moments earlier. “I love you.”

He loved me? He barely knew me. And seconds ago, I was pretty sure he’d wanted to kill me. Eric was dangerously unstable. It was like playing tag with a rabid wolf.

I cleared my throat. “I know you do. I feel the same way.”

My heart wouldn’t let me say I love you back to him. The words got caught in my throat.

“I’ll take you home,” he murmured.

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