“It’s not that,” I said, even though it was a little bit. But people were watching us and the last thing I wanted to do was talk about him taking my ass in public.
“What is it, then?” he asked.
“It’s everything else, Bear. I don’t know how to do that job you want me to do. I’m clueless. And I just don’t understand what’s happening. Between us. With us. None of this makes sense.”
“Don’t you see?” he said, his voice gentle and soft. “This thing between us makes perfect sense.”
“How is that?” I asked. “Look, Bear, I’m not whatever you think I am. You can find someone else to fulfill those needs. You’d be better off with a woman like Zoe. Someone who fits your lifestyle.”
“Zoe?” he scoffed. “She’s a fragile fucking butterfly that I hate being around.”
“Well, whomever…” I said, my voice trailing off.
“Chloe, listen to me. Look at me!” he said. My eyes darted up, hypnotized by his piercing glare. “I thought I made myself clear the other day, but maybe not. I have never in my life met a woman like you. You’re special, don’t you see? I’ve tried being with other people, I’ve tried to make it work with other women, trust me. But it’s never been right. Not like this. Not till you, Chloe.”
“Bear, I don’t—,” I began.
“—let me finish, babe, please? When I met you that first time, I knew. I knew because something opened up in me, something about you ripped me wide open and crawled inside of me and never let go. It was like I’d been waiting for you my whole life. And then, when I saw you again, when we made love that first time —,”
“—that was not making love!” I protested.
“To me it was! To me, it was the beginning of everything that ever mattered. It was the confirmation that I was right all along. When I felt you around me, when I felt the perfection of our bodies fitting together like they were made from the same cloth, I knew, deep down, that you were the one.”
“The one for what, though, Bear? What do you want with me? What is all of this even about?” I cried.
“That’s a good question,” he whispered, reaching into his coat and pulling out two small white boxes with shiny red ribbons. “I want to show you what my intentions are, Chloe. These are for you.”
“What are they?” I asked. “The last time you gave me a present like this…”
“It’s nothing like that. One is dependent on the other,” he said, holding out one of the boxes to me. “Open this one first.”
I sighed, shaking my head.
“Bear,” I said. “I need to go.”
“Just open them! Please! If you decide to leave afterwards, I’ll kindly see you to the door of the plane myself.”
“Fine,” I said, my shaking hands taking the box from him. I pulled the end of the ribbon, untying the bow and letting it fall to the floor at my feet. Slowly, I opened the box and gasped when I saw the glittering diamond ring shining up at me.
“Bear!” I cried, my hand flying to my pounding heart. “Bear, this is too much—,” I said, shaking my head.
He held the other box out to me, his eyes shining with love.
“Now open this one.”
I opened the box quickly and pulled out a black velvet, diamond-studded choker.
“Chloe,” he said, taking my hand, “I love you. I love you like the moon loves the stars. I’d be lost in this world without you by my side. I know this is confusing, I know it’s all new and scary, but I promise you I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life, I’ll take you places you’ve never imagined. Yes, I have my issues, but I think our issues fit together perfectly. We’re like opposite sides of the same coin, can’t you see that? Being with you is like poetry, baby. We fit. Everything about us fits. Like the words strung together in a poem, as if they were made for each other. You’re my poem, Chloe. You were meant for me, don’t you see that? Opportunities like this, connections like ours, they only happen once in a lifetime, babe. We can’t pass this up, we owe it to ourselves to give in to this love, to this life together. We’d be fools not to try.”
I gasped, my head spinning, my heart racing as his eyes searched mine.
“But I need more from you, Chloe,” he reached up, caressing my face. “You have to accept both sides of me, just as I have to accept both sides of you. I need you to be mine. I want you to wear my ring, but I want you to wear this, too,” he said, brushing his fingers against the choker in my hand. “Do you understand, Chloe? I need you to be mine, in every way, forever and ever.”
He sank to his knees, the ring between his fingers as he held it up to me.
“I love you. Please be my wife, Beauty,” he pleaded.
I stared down at him, lost in his deep ocean eyes, lost in his enchanting words, lost in the simple fact that he’d told me he loved me.
My heart swelled with joy, with love, great waves of pleasure spilling out of my swollen heart. I couldn’t think, all I could do was feel.
Maybe none of this made sense, but whatever it was, it was definitely love.
“Yes,” I nodded slowly, tears falling down my face as he slipped the ring on my finger. He stood up, kissing me gently and then pulling away. He took the choker from my hands and placed it on my neck, fastening the buckle in the back, his fingers brushing against my skin and sending shivers down my spine.
“Look at you,” he whispered, staring at me with eyes full of pride and love. “Who are you?”
A slow smile spread across my face, the velvet clinging tightly around my neck, the ring heavy on my hand, as my heart swelled with pride and pure happiness.
“I’m yours, Bear. I’m yours,” I whispered through my tears.
His kiss was a thousand kisses, his love a thousand loves, and as we walked out of the airport arm in arm, I knew that our life together would be a thousand poems, worth a thousand heavens, in a thousand star-filled universes.
Chapter 31
Max drove us back to my apartment. We couldn’t keep our hands or lips off of one another the entire drive and by the time we made it into the elevator, we were ready to rip each other’s clothes off.
“I can’t believe we’re going to get married!” I said, laughing between kisses. “My mother is going to have a heart attack!”
“You let me deal with Matilda,” he said, his tongue sliding along the skin of my neck. I shuddered against him, my body on fire with desire for him.
“Good luck with that,” I muttered, my lips finding his again. He kissed me deeply, his tongue tangling with mine, searching for the magic we’d found together. The craziness of the entire situation was not lost on me, but at the moment, I didn’t give a damn.
Everything Bear had said in the airport was true. Somehow, we fit together like two pieces of a puzzle and that was what I wanted to embrace.
I made a silent vow to reject the fear and doubts that had plagued me. I had plenty of help with the design job, I had plenty of time to do it and I was smart. As for the fear surrounding my relationship with Bear, well—I had Bear. That’s all that mattered.
I made another vow to stay close to him, to communicate when I was feeling weird, to ask him questions if I needed to.
He loved me.
I’d never been so happy in my entire life.
Bear Dalton loved me and wanted to make me his wife. This beautiful, complex, masculine masterpiece of a human being wanted me by his side for the rest of his life.
I snaked my hands around his neck, pulling him closer while I kissed him, relishing the feel of his body against mine. The elevator dinged and we tumbled out into the hallway like a couple of horny teenagers.
He pushed me up against the wall of the hallway, his mouth searching mine, his hands running over my breasts as he pushed a thigh between my legs. I moaned against him, melting into the heat of his touch.
“Let’s go inside,” I said, pulling my mouth away and reaching down to grab a handful of his throbbing hardness. “I can’t wait any longer!?
?
We turned together, our fingers laced together, the ring heavy and shiny on my finger.
We’d taken five steps when I saw him.
Standing at my doorway at the end of the hall, his face full of jealous anger and rage.
“Harlan!” I screamed in shock, my heart pounding so hard in my chest I thought it would burst. I felt Bear tense beside me.
“What are you doing here, Harlan?”
“Hello, Chloe,” Harlan said, his voice seething. “I’ve come to take you back.”
Before I could say a word, Bear stepped between us.
“Chloe’s mine now,” he growled. “You need to leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Harlan scowled, reaching into his coat.
He pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at us.
Thanks for reading Book 1 of the Taking Beauty Series. Turn the page because Book 2 is available right now! And keep turning pages because I’ve included some special surprises for my amazing readers! You are the reason I write!
-nikki