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“I had to make a stop.” He had a red velvet box in his hand as he lowered himself next to her. His brows lifted as she stared at the oblong box suspiciously.
“What is it?”
“You can find that out by opening the box. It’s not a damn snake. And might I add that most women would be in throes of delight at receiving gifts from their man.”
“I am not most women,” she muttered, still staring at the box he was holding out to her.
“You are telling me,” he said dryly. Taking her hand, he slapped the box against her palm.
“Hey.”
“You are intent on pissing me off.”
“I did not ask you to buy me anything and yet you do. All the time. I don’t know-“ He watched as her eyes went wide as she stared at the contents of the box. It was not what she expected.
Ever since they met, he had started showering her with gifts that she felt uncomfortable accepting. But this was just something simple. The thin golden necklace was delicate looking with a ruby pendant that winked and glittered in the light from the flames in the hearth.
“It’s-“ She struggled to find the words and felt a lump inside her throat. In one of their discussions, she had told him about the ruby pendant she had seen at a jewelry store when she was only fifteen and going through her hell and how she had yearned at that moment to be able to afford something like that.
“You remembered.”
“Yes. I take it that you approve.”
“Damn you,” she whispered. “God. I hate when you do this to me.” Taking the necklace out, she handed it to him so that he could put it on her. As soon as he did, she closed her hand around the stone, feeling a jolt as the warmth spread to her flesh.
“The one I saw was much smaller,” she pointed out.
Shaking his head at her contrariness, he cupped her face between his hands, “I can afford bigger.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You are most welcome.” He wiped the tears away. “I adore you.”
Her heart stuttered. He was able to do that. Was the only one who could get past her barriers and tie her into knots. To bring her to tears and make her heart throb with need and yearning.
“There were so many times while I was growing up that I wanted to hear my parents say that they were proud of me, that bringing home a good report card was something to celebrate.”
The tears were flowing and she did nothing to stop them. She could be real with him, be vulnerable, knowing he would never use it against her. “When I got out, when they died, and I was free, I told myself that I did not need to hear the words, that it did not matter.
I had been through the worst and I brought us – David and I out of it and it was all good. Then I met you.” She gripped his hands. “I don’t know how to show you, to say it back and most of the time, I am not certain I have the words. I Just know how to show you.”
“Then let that be enough.” He hated when she revisited her childhood and the difficulties of her past. And felt frustrated that he was unable to do anything to erase those horrible years.
“I know you, darling Remi. I know that you love me and how difficult it is for you to verbalize what you feel.” Shaking one hand loose from her grip, he wiped at her tears. “I know.”
“He would beat me.” She used her free hand to press against his cheek as if to assure herself that he was real and was here, right here with her.
“He would come home at night and find something to bitch about. She would be sleeping off the high from earlier and I would make dinner for all of us, making certain that David had something to eat and his homework done.
I would try to make sure the place was clean that he would not have anything to bitch about. But it would never be enough. He would pick at little things. The place was too warm or too cold.
The food was not to his liking. He would head for the room to wake up David and I would stand in his path so he would not get to my brother.” Her fingers gripped him and he realized that she was lost in the past. “He would hit me in the stomach so that it would not show. I would-“
“Enough!” His voice whipped out, causing her to jump reflexively. “I cannot bear it. I want to dig him up and kill him for what he did to you.” His eyes were fierce, his handsome face taut with tension. “No more, darling.” He lowered his forehead to hers and took fortifying breaths. “You never have to go through anything like that again.”
“I know.” She leaned into him and closed her eyes as his arms wrapped around her. It was incredible that this powerful man loved her enough to put aside his needs for her and that further cemented the decision she had been struggling with. David was right. He deserved everything from her.
She was going to have to put away the clawing fear of turning out like her parents and give him what they both need.
