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He sat up and pulled me onto his lap before gripping my ass in his hands. I weakly wrapped my arms around his shoulders as he slid to the edge of the bed, eventually standing to his feet.
“How does a hot bath sound?” he asked me.
“Like bliss,” I whispered, so sleepy. My entire body was sore, and my arms felt like spaghetti from holding onto the bar for so long.
He pressed a kiss to my temple as he strode from the playroom and across the hall to my room. I slowly lifted my head, frowning. I never came in here anymore unless he was away on a business trip or was working extremely late.
“Am I in trouble?” I asked.
“Not in trouble, baby girl. I just have a surprise for you.”
I frowned in confusion as he stepped into the bathroom, and then, I saw it.
Sitting on the counter was a big, fluffy robe I’d left sitting in my shopping cart in one of my favorite stores, a pair of fluffy bunny slippers, and my favorite, Eucalyptus-scented bubble bath and Epsom salt.
“Oh, Rhett,” I whispered, blinking back unexpected tears at his thoughtful gesture. “Thank you.”
He gently set me on the counter next to it all and walked over to the tub to begin filling it with bath water. “I don’t want your thanks, Natalia.”
I swallowed thickly, reaching over to finger one of the ears of the bunny slippers. “I love you,” I whispered so low, I barely even heard myself. But he suddenly stilled, obviously having heard me despite my extremely low tone. I slowly looked up at him beneath my lashes, wondering if I’d just fucked everything up.
I wasn’t sure if I’d survive him letting me go. I could deal with him never loving me, but Ineverwanted to be without him.
He silently moved over to me, spreading my sore legs so he could step between them. He gripped my face in his hands. His touch wasn’t gentle, and his eyes were fierce. Fear gripped my heart.
Was this the end of us?
“You’ll never hear me say those words to you, Natalia.” Tears swarmed my vision. “But you are now the only reason I breathe. My life revolves around you. And if I ever lose you, I will lose myself.”
My heart swelled at his words. This time, I cried, my lips trembling. “You know that’s almost even more intimate than ‘I love you’?” I whispered, my voice cracking.
He nodded. “What I feel for you cannot be contained into three words, Natalia, and I won’t try.” He kissed me in that harsh, savage way he always did before he stepped back and began adding my Epsom salt and bubble bath solution to the water. It was almost as if we hadn’t even just had a very serious heart-to-heart.
Without a word, he lifted me from the counter and carried me to the tub. Then, he stepped in with me, settling me between his legs. I relaxed my back against him.
I’d been sold to a ruthless man, one many feared.
And yet, I was the safest I’d ever been.
19
Rhett
My phone began vibrating beside me, jerking me out of my sleep. I quickly rolled onto my back, being careful not to jostle Natalia, and snatched it off the nightstand. I frowned at my head of security’s name on my screen. It was never a good thing if he was the one calling me. After swiping my thumb across the screen to answer the call, I lifted the phone to my ear.
“Yeah?” I grunted, easing into a sitting position, somehow managing to slide my arm from beneath Natalia’s head without waking her up.
“Got a gift for you,” Gin rumbled. “Caught him at the airport trying to fly out of the country.”
Frederick.
I slid out of bed and padded barefoot to the closet. “Where is he at?” I demanded to know, shutting the closet door behind me so I could get dressed.
“Ocean City warehouse, Sir.”
“I’ll be there in an hour.”
I hung up the call and slid on a pair of jeans and a plain, black, long-sleeve t-shirt before shoving my feet into a pair of worn boots. I planned to get bloody tonight, and I didn’t want to ruin my good clothes.
