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He considered my words a long time, like he had to be careful with his answer. “I’ve never thought about it, to be honest. I’ve been alone a long time…until you. But I want you, no matter what, so if children are important to you, I’ll do it.”
“But you don’t want them?”
“I wouldn’t say that. My father continues to pester me about continuing the family line, and being around Andrew makes me less afraid to be a father myself. Never in a million years did I think Hades would be the family type, and it turns out he’s pretty damn good at it. Do I want to have kids tomorrow? Not really. But someday? Why not.” He continued to outline the bow shape of my bottom lip, to caress me like a treasured belonging. He didn’t say exactly what I wanted to hear, but it was good enough.
“You talk like you picture us getting married…” That was the future I imagined myself, but it seemed too soon to assume. We hadn’t even slept together yet, and I already visualized my first name with his last name. I’d barely been divorced for a few months, and I was already imagining the style of my wedding dress. Damien was nothing like me, and I doubted he fantasized about these sorts of things.
“I don’t know much about love, but I know it’s rare, unusual, and impossible to find…especially for someone like me. When I realized how I felt about you, I knew that feeling would last a lifetime. There will never be a day when I suddenly don’t want you, when I get bored of you. I imagine us being together forever. And yes, that probably includes marriage. It’s not like I’m ever gonna let you go anyway.” His hand moved to my cheek then to my strands of hair. He gently pushed it back, tucking it behind my ear so he could see my face with no obstruction. He wasn’t a romantic man, but when he said things like that, he was as gifted as a poet. He spoke from the heart, a heart that had never loved anyone else, and that was what made it so beautiful.
“This feels right to me. Like I should’ve been with you all along.”
“I feel the same way.” He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the lips, a gentle touch that was packed with emotion. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth for a gentle caress before he let me go. “That’s why I’m willing to do anything to keep you. That’s why I won’t kill him, even though I should. Because you’re the only thing that matters to me. And whatever you want…I’ll give it to you.”
I had no idea what to say to that. What had I done to earn his heart? He could have any woman he wanted, so what was so special about me? I wasn’t a supermodel. I wasn’t a billionaire from a noble family. I was just a woman…nothing special. But my mediocrity told me this love was true, because he loved me for no real reason at all. I looked into his deep green eyes and spoke the words in my soul. “I love you…” I wished I had something stronger to say, but I couldn’t think of any other pairing of words that could do my feelings justice.
“I know. You loved me from the beginning. You loved me despite my impulsiveness, my unpredictability. You trusted me when you had no reason to, when your trust had been shattered before. I should’ve stayed. I never should’ve left you…and I will always regret that.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded white paper. “But I’m here now. Forever.”
I already knew the contents of the paper without opening it. We were both ready for this, and there was nothing holding us back anymore. I should feel guilty for being over my marriage so quickly, but I wasn’t thinking about my ex at all. I was completely invested and devoted to the man staring at me. And even though it made me a terrible person, I confessed to myself that I was happy Liam had betrayed me.
Because if he hadn’t…I wouldn’t have this.
Damien’s eyes stayed on mine and never glanced down at the paper between us. Heartbeats passed as he waited for me to say something, to either open it and read it, or disregard it altogether. When nothing happened, he spoke. “Annabella.” He said my name with ownership, with a tone so deep and sexy. “May I make love to you?”
My fingers suddenly felt sweaty and numb, and my heart was beating so fast, I felt like a virgin. My nipples hardened in my bra, and my toes curled from excitement and anxiety. There was no reason to say no, and even if there were, it wouldn’t be enough to stop this from happening. I’d given him my papers because I wanted all of him, not just pieces of him. I was so anxious, I felt my head spin, felt the floor shake underneath my feet. “Yes…”
