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Six months later, I no longer think about Ryan. His ‘anonymous’ donation confused me at first, but then I realized it was his way of taking responsibility…without taking responsibility. It no doubt has something to do with his controlling, rich parents. They buried every one of Ryan’s illegal activities. Publicly admitting what he did to Cheryl is something they never would’ve allowed.
And Ryan was never strong enough to oppose them.
I go to roll over, wanting to hold the angel who changed my life, only to find I can’t.
Frowning, I open my eyes as I jerk on my arms. A rattle of chain and a tug on my wrists is all I get.
“What the—”
I jerk my arms, realizing I’m cuffed to the bed.
A soft giggle drags my astounded gaze to the bedroom door. Amber saunters in, wearing the one of the gray t-shirts of mine she’s slept in since she moved in here. “Good morning,” she murmurs.
I relax against the mattress, hooking my wrists in the cuffs. “Karma, huh?” I ask, arching a brow.
My cock’s already hard.
She giggles again as she crawls onto the bed, but then her gaze turns sultry. Her green eyes roam over me as she sees the tent beneath the sheets. “Payback is going to be fun,” she purrs.
I’m already panting. I never stood a chance with this girl.
No wonder I fell in love with her even before we spoke.
Even when she was with Ryan.
“I sure as hell owe you everything,” I growl, yanking my arms down.
The wood the cuffs are attached to gives way. A quick grip and twist on each wrist, and the handcuffs open. I grab an astounded Amber and flip her under me, grinning. “I weakened the wood and the cuffs never needed a key, in case something happened and you had to get away.”
Her wide eyes flicker up at the headboard, then to the cuffs laying on the bed on either side of us. Realization dawns through her.
She could’ve escaped if she’d tried hard enough.
Then she bursts into laughter, the sound sending joy dancing through my veins. Amber cups my face as she sobers, her green gaze softening as she looks up at me. “It’s almost like I didn’t want to run away.”
My breath leaves my body. My heart swells as my chest constricts.
“Amber…”
She pulls my face down to kiss her, but I surprise her again when I pull back. Moving quickly, so I don’t lose my nerve, I reach over to my bedside table and open the top drawer.
Inside sits a velvet box.
Taking it out, I open it, showing a twice-shocked Amber the contents.
It’s a ring. It was hard to squirrel the money away when Amber and I now run a company coordinating fundraising campaigns for community organizations, but I did it, bit by bit. Cheryl helped me pick it.
And now I get to ask the question that’s burned in my chest from the first moment I allowed myself to consider forever with Amber.
“Amber.” My voice is husky so I clear my throat. “I love you. I loved you before I touched you, before I spoke to you, before I…” my lips twist, “before I took you for myself.”
She smiles, her face so full of tenderness it makes my gut ache.
I lift the ring box. “Will you marry me?“ I ask, my nerves causing my throat to tighten as I watch her lids widen, tears welling up in her eyes, her lips slightly parting in astonishment.
Anticipation fills the air as I anxiously await her response. I watch her expression intently, my heart pounding harshly against my ribs. My thoughts proceed to feed me with every possible scenario of how badly this could go for me.
Time seems to stand still as the weight of the question lingers in the air. Amber's eyes meet mine, emotion dancing within them. And then, like a burst of joyful thunder, her voice rings out, echoing through the room with a resounding "Yes!"
