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I’m not sure how to respond to his promise. Instead of speaking, I nod and finish my drink. The staff appears again as if on cue, removing the plates and replacing them with small bowls of gelato and a bottle of bubbly, which Lycan proceeds in popping open.
He silently fills two flutes before setting the bottle in the ice bucket brought out with our dessert. Everything has been thought out tonight; he planned this, and even though I’m a whirlwind of emotion, I allow myself to enjoy the moment.
I pick up my spoon and scoop some of the cool ice cream into my mouth. Flavors of candy burst on my tongue—vanilla and strawberries—and a moan of pleasure vibrates in my throat. When my lashes flutter open once more, Lycan is beside me, on his knee, holding out a small, black velvet box. I don’t need to open it to know there’s a ring inside. And the way those green eyes are locked on me, holding out a hope of want and desire, I realize this isn’t just any dinner — this is a proposal.
“I didn’t think of doing this until this afternoon when I was sitting in my office alone,” he tells me. “I wasn’t going to because our marriage isn’t what you would call traditional.”
“No, it’s not at all.”
“But I would like you to wear this ring,” Lycan says, popping the lid on the box. The silky pillow that holds a gold ring topped with a heart-shaped ruby sits waiting for me. It’s beautiful, simple, yet elegant in every way. It’s perfect.
“It’s like you’ve read my mind,” I blurt before thinking it through. My admission makes Lycan smile as he pulls out the ring, holding it out to me. I could refuse him right now, I could tell him to go to hell and try to run, but until I’ve spoken with my grandmother and my father, I don’t know what my future holds.
With a slow nod, I allow Lycan to slip the ring on my finger. It’s heavy, weighting my hand down as the sparkling jewel now confirms I’m going to be his. A week. That’s what I promised.
“If in a week you want to take it off, you’re welcome to. I always keep my word,” he tells me, once more making me think he can read my mind. If he can, he’ll know how at war I am with myself over this situation. Lycan picks up the champagne glasses, offering me one, which I accept. “Here’s to a future which neither of us expected.” He sips his drink as I do mine, and our gazes never falter. And for a moment, he allows me in to see the man inside. The one who lost a father, who has an estranged brother. A man who’s as unsure of his place with me as I am of my place with him.
In this moment, my heart stutters.
He seems human.
But as quickly as it flickers in his eyes, it’s gone in the next second. And I wonder if he’ll ever allow me in fully.
17
Lycan
I wanted nothing more than to spend the night with her. Seeing her wearing my ring, I was overcome with pride that I have her on my side. Perhaps not fully—yet. But soon, she’ll come to realize I’m not a man who takes no for an answer. And I will whittle away at her defenses until she submits.
As much as I would like to join her for breakfast, I need to talk to the team. Kahn called late last night, informing me that Darius is back. For some reason, he’s returned to Crimson Falls, but we can’t find the bastard.
Stalking into my office, which is filled with men all dressed in black, I glance around, taking in each one. They’re anxious, just like I am. The air in the room is twisted with the need for violence.
We should’ve been locked in a meeting all night, but even after Kahn’s call, I couldn’t bring myself to sit around talking about my brother. But we need to figure out the best way to lure Darius out.
The night I brought Scarlett here, I knew he would linger, and when the two security guards I keep onsite slinked into the night, through the forest and into the Bardot garden, they found the cottage beside the house empty. A note waited for me on the wooden table, one that caused my blood to heat.
He’d disappeared once again.
I can’t afford to waste time looking for him while I have a girl upstairs who could either stand by my side or end up running. The wedding needs to go ahead, but I also need her to be on my side when the gala happens in a few days. Even though she’s now wearing my ring, there is no guarantee she’ll trust me when I haven’t given her a reason to.
