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“You can’t just…” She sighed. “You can’t spank me whenever you don’t like what I say.”
“Sure, I can.” Garrick nodded. “Of course, I can. We told you that you belonged to us.” Garrick arched an eyebrow. “Did you think we were lying?”
“No, but.” She lowered her eyes to her hands. “That was before. I don’t want to make you keep your word when it might have been said out of arousal.”
Garrick pulled her chair further away from the table and hoisted her up from the chair, planting her ass firmly on the tabletop. His glass of wine tipped over, spilling all over the white lace tablecloth.
When she went to complain, he grabbed her chin and brought his mouth over hers, stealing all of the breath from her. She softened easily beneath his tight grip and his tender, possessive kiss.
He broke away, staring straight into her eyes.
“We meant everything we said,” he said. “I never needed love before you. But now that I have you, I can’t let you go. I need you. I want you. And Bastian. Both of you.” He moved his hand to her cheek. “I love you, Ariella. More than I ever thought a man was capable of loving.”
Tears blurred her vision.
“It’s not normal, though, right?” She blinked away a tear. “For me to love you and to love Bastian. Both of you, that’s not normal.” She needed to hear it again because her heart would break in half if she was made to choose.
Bastian came to stand beside Garrick and grabbed her hand, squeezing it.
“Why not when we both love you?” Bastian said. “You belong to us. And we all belong here.” He wiped away the tear rolling down her cheek. “But only if you’ll have us. This is your choice.”
She looked between them. The brutish Garrick and the overly protective Bastian. Together they were everything.
“I was afraid to come down here.” She finally said after a long pause. “I was afraid you’d tell me we were going home.”
“We are home.” Bastian corrected her.
“My father?” She frowned, the hope of her future suddenly feeling heavier.
“Has no say in what you do. If you chose us, then we stay here.” Bastian pinged his lips together.
“He didn’t sign the papers Ursa had drawn up, did he?” Disappointment tugged at her heart.
Bastian’s gaze flickered to Garrick.
“He didn’t,” Garrick answered before Bastian could. “Don’t baby her.” He grumbled at Bastian. “She can take it.”
“He hesitated. I don’t know what he would have done if Garrick hadn’t stepped in,” Bastian added.
“So, I can stay here. He’s not going to come barreling through one day to take me home?”
“No.” Bastian shook his head. “We made it very clear to him that it would be on your terms if you were to see him again. And he was to cut off any discussions with Chad about marriage.”
“He just let me go that easily?” her shoulders dropped.
“I’m pretty convincing when I want to be.” Garrick smiled. “If you want to see him, you can whenever you want. We won’t keep you from him.”
“And Finn?” Suddenly she remembered him, the hatred she’d seen in his eyes.
“Finn’s gone,” Bastian said somberly. “Your father made that decision pretty easily.”
She closed her eyes momentarily, letting the information sink into her heart.
“I don’t think he meant to hurt me, not with that stuff she put in the water,” she said.
“You’re probably right about that,” Bastian said. “But that doesn’t change the fact he betrayed your father and your friendship. He may not have intended to kill you, but he was fine with kidnapping and drugging you.”
“We should have handled him, not Henry,” Garrick grumbled.
