Oliver pulled her off the chair, and wrapped his arms around her.
She was surprised by how comforted she felt at his touch.
“I’m here, Ruby. You’re not alone.”
“I thought you were supposed to be a monster.”
“I am a monster, but when it comes to you, I can’t do it.”
“Why?”
“Have you ever heard about the Dentons, about the curse we face?”
“Curse? No. I only know that you guys are pretty deadly.”
Oliver blew out a breath.
She wondered what was wrong with him. “The Denton men have a, er, skill.”
“A skill?”
“Yeah. When we find the woman for us, that one woman who is going to be ours for the rest of our lives, we know that she is the one.”
“Oh.”
“You’re mine.”
“Excuse me?”
“In the alley, when I finally saw you, I knew you were mine. The woman destined to be mine.”
Ruby froze, not knowing if this was something insane, and crazy. Instead, she went with laughter. Putting a hand to her stomach, she pointed at him. “Ha, ha, ha, that is so funny. You’re so funny.”
He didn’t laugh along with her.
“It is supposed to be funny, right?” she asked.
“It’s not funny. This is my life, and it’s your life as well.”
“My life? You’re telling me that some kind of freaky curse on your family, and now you’re claiming that you want me? That I’m supposed to be yours?”
“Yes.”
“And you expect me to be okay with that?” She didn’t know what this man wanted from her, and right now, she really didn’t care. The timer went off, and she moved away from him, taking the bread out of the oven, and placing it on a cooling rack.
“You have to be okay with it.”
“Okay, so let’s deal with this logically.” She spun back around to face him. With the new clothes, she felt like herself. “You’re saying to me that your family, all of the Dentons, have no choice in the women they fall in love with. It’s fate? Destiny? Some freaky shit?”
“Pretty much.”
“Even your parents?”
“Yeah, even my parents.”
“Jacob?” she asked.
“Yep.”