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“What did you ask her to do?” I asked shakily, and Thorn motioned towards the cliffs.
“I asked her to jump,” he admitted. “I asked her to take a leap, and promised her I’d keep her safe if she did.”
I covered my mouth with my palm as I glanced at the cliffs.
“But…” I whispered. “We’re so high up here… it’s a long way down.”
“It is,” he said. “But she was at a point in her life where she needed to face her fears. I was doing it for her just as much as I was doing it for myself. I wanted to show her she had a choice. I wanted to show her her own strength. Except, she didn’t do it.”
“Didn’t jump?” I asked, and he shook his head. “Is it safe?”
“It is,” he said simply. “You just have to jump across the rocks below.”
The idea filled me with fear, and suddenly I realized maybe he’d want me to do the same. He seemed to sense my discomfort and cocked his head at me as I spoke up.
“If you want me to jump…” I started, my eyes flitting over his face. “I… I will.”
He stared at me, smoothing my hair down thoughtfully.
“I don’t want you to jump,” he said soothingly. “I have a different choice for you, my little rose. One tailor-made for you. One that isn’t about you, or me as a person. It’s about us, and choosing each other over anything else in the world.”
His words made sense, but still made me nervous, and I did my best to give him a brave smile which made him chuckle.
“Come with me, Harlow,” he said, and I followed him towards the edge of the cliffs.
Any other day I would be afraid, but he’d promised me I wouldn’t have to jump, and I believed him. But even if he changed his mind, I had accepted deep down that I was ready to do it. I would face any fear for him. I would do it all to give him what we both wanted most in the world – to be with one another.
He had set up a blanket surrounded by several paper lanterns on the cliffs, and I gave him a smile as we made our way over there. He motioned for me to lie down, and I did. He slipped his suit jacket off and joined me, his fingers absent-mindedly going through my hair as we stared into one another’s eyes. It truly felt like the calm before a storm, the moment before lightning struck, the moment that changed everything.
“Are you ready, little rose?” he asked me gently. “Are you ready to make your choice?”
“Yes,” I whispered in response, already knowing I would do anything and everything to end up in his arms again. “I’m ready.”
“I want to make love to you one last time,” he said, and a shiver went down my spine when I heard him call it that.
It had always been fucking with Thorn, never making love. This made me reconsider things, and for a couple of seconds, my heart pounded with irrational fear.
“Tell me you want it,” he prompted me gently, and I stared up at him, the reflection of the starry sky in his eyes blinding. “Tell me you want me to make love to you, Harlow.”
“I do,” I whispered. “I want it.”
“What else do you want?” he taunted me, and I blinked fast before opening my mouth.
“I want to hear it,” I admitted.
“Hear what?” his voice was barely audible.
“Hear that you love me,” I managed to get out, blushing fiercely as soon as the words left my lips. “I want to hear you say it.”
Chapter 23
Thorn
I needed to put my cock inside her.
Harlow Granger had never looked more beautiful than she did that night, lying on a soft blanket with her hair fanned out around her and her eyes frightened. I knew we would both remember that night forever, commit it to our memories and never look back after the decision she was about to make. Even though I was sure about her feelings for me, I was nervous. I needed her to make the right choice for both of us, and what worried me was that I wasn’t even convinced what that was myself.
There was no doubt that we were hurting each other, and hurting alone. But my only hope was I could make things a little bit better for Harlow. That I could teach her to let go, and let me take care of her when no one else would. I hoped that she trusted me enough to let me in close, and let me take care of her.
I moved my weight to my elbow and lingered above her, my eyes finding hers in the semi-darkness.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I told her in a low, raspy voice. “I’ll never get enough of looking at you.”
