Page 64 of Love Unspoken

"Should we do this over dessert?" she asked cautiously.

"No. Now."

"Ah…that day when Mila and I walked into your office, you were…ah…."

"Kissing Ann?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, and?"

"She came out and told us how you were getting engaged. I…she made it sound like you were both in agreement, and then you told me you broke up. So…are you on a break, and you'll get back together again? Or…."

"Or am I here making time with you while I'm taking a break from Ann, and when I've had enough of you, I'll go back to her?" I couldn't keep the hardness out of my voice. She had a very low opinion of me.

"Are you?" she asked meekly.

I wanted to scream at her, the rage inside me profound. Since I'd seen what happened to her, my emotions were all over the place.

"Is that what you think?" I challenged, still angry.

She cast her eyes down.

"I don't like confrontations," she had told me, and here I was goading her. She had no reason to trust me, believe in me. We didn't know each other; we were just finding one another, and I wanted a full pardon and then some for how I'd treated her in the past. I was a selfish asshole.

"Baby, I'd never do that to any woman ever. It's not who I am." I cupped her cheek and lifted her face. Her eyes were watery, and I hated myself. "I care about you. I really do. I'll never hurt you on purpose. I promise you that. Never again."

She just kept looking at me, her lips trembling.

"Can you believe me?"

She shook her head almost imperceptibly.

"I understand." I wanted to hit something hard. With my callousness, I'd damaged a wonderful and kind woman to the point that she had no trust left in people. Her brother, her sister-in-law, Ann…so many people hadn't helped either, so many people who should have. "I'll earn your trust."

Now, she looked surprised.

"I'll show you that you can trust me. It'll take some time, but I won't let you down. Okay?"

She looked just about as steady as a newborn foal trying to find its feet.

"What do you want from me?" she asked in a small voice.

I smiled. Fuck, she was something else.

"I want you to be you."

"What does that mean?"

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do with me. You don't have to say anything you don't want to say. You wear what the fuck you feel like. Eat what you want. Talk to me about anything or nothing. You're the boss."

She chuckled then and sniffled. "Can you ever not be the boss?"

I brought her closer, and she automatically cuddled into me.

"I know I'm an arrogant asshole. I don't know if that will ever change but what I can tell you is that I'm going to work very hard at being a better person for you."

"Why?"