AllFreeNovel
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“What?”
I duck my gaze. “All this money you’re spending, and you’re like a prisoner in your own home, and you were shot at—” My voice rises. “You could have beenkilled. And we know I was the target. It has to be me.”
“Ari, you don’t know that—”
“Maybe I should drop the charges,” I blurt out. “Then this wouldn’t be happening.”
Cash sucks in a sharp breath. “Is that what you want?”
Do I? “No. I don’t want him to be able to do this to more women, but—” My voice wobbles, going tiny. “I’m scared of what might happen. That you might get hurt.”
“Ari, I’m okay.”
Tears are pressing behind my eyes; I’m blinking furiously to keep them at bay. “I feel sick about it, Cash. I could have gotten you killed.”
“Oh hun, no.” He gently tips my chin up, forcing me to look at him. “Ari, sweetheart, none of this is your fault. I swearit.”
The tears burst free, streaming down my cheeks. “Yes, it is.”
“No, honey, no.” Cash brushes my tears away, dropping light kisses in their place. “Listen to me. This is not. Your. Fault. At all. Okay? Don’t shake your head. Just listen.”
His eyes are so sincere, so caring, I can’t look away. My voice is tiny. “Okay.”
“First of all, we have no idea who the target was. I own a big company, Ari. I’ve made enemies. It could have been me. And if it is Morgan, we’re prepared for him now. This won’t happen again.”
I don’t believe him, but won’t argue.
“Second”—he jostles me on his lap—“I would do anything to keep you safe. Anything. None of what I’m doing is a sacrifice. I get to be with you, Ari. I could be locked in a house for months with you and I’d be happy.”
My tears start to dry up as I stare back at Cash, wanting so badly to believe him. “But it’s so much…”
“No. Didn’t you hear me?” Cash looks at me intently, a depth of emotion in his eyes I’ve never seen before. “I would do anythingfor you. And I would choose to face any danger if it means I can be with you. You are everythingto me.I love you.”
What? Did he…
“Oh, shit.” Cash grimaces. “This isn’t how I meant to say it, with you crying and so upset and I thought I’d tell you when it was romantic—”
“You loveme?” My heart expands so fast I think it might explode.
“Yes.” Cash turns me so I’m facing him, my legs on either side of his waist. “I love you so much, I can barely breathe from it. My heart has known for a long time, but I kept holding back from saying it to you. And it was so stupid to keep waiting just because I was scared.”
He caresses my cheek, the emotion in his eyes finally clear. “But telling you I love you isn’t scary. I can’t believe I ever thought it could be. Loving you is the rightest thing I’ve ever done. I love you so damn much, Ari. You’ve always been the one for me.”
“You love me?” I’m parroting it, hardly believing.
“So much. But—” His face pinches. “If you don’t feel the same, it’s okay. I shouldn’t have just blurted it out like that…” Disappointment bleeds through his words.
“No.” Cash flinches. Crap. That’s not what I meant.
“No, Idofeel the same way,” I rush to explain. “I do. I just… I hoped one day…”
His brows pull down in a confused V. “You love me?”
“Oh,yes.” My tangled thoughts are gone, my worries, my fears—nothing exists except this moment.
“I loveyou, Cash. I’ve loved you for years. Even when I didn’t think there was ever a chance, you were still in my heart.”
“Ari…” Cash cradles my face in his hands, inches from his. “You’ve always been in my heart. I wish it hadn’t taken so long…”
