“We’d need a prenup. None of that Oran and Karessa nonsense. What we have now is our own and anything we gain after marriage can be negotiated.”
Caerwyn’s smile displays all his teeth. “You’re so cute. Don’t ever try to negotiate with a seasoned lawyer. Have your guy write up a proposal and I’ll review it.”
“So, are we doing this?”
“I said send me a proposal and I’ll review it.”
“Uh huh.”
The tease hangs up and leaves me with my hormones.
I pop up in my bed, looking around as I shake off the haze of another nightmare. This time, they succeeded getting me into the van. I pull air into my nose and blow it out of my mouth.
“They can’t get me. They can’t get me. They can’t get me,” I chant to calm my brain.
I lie back in bed with my hand on my chest to will the erratic beating to slow down. In the days since the incident, I’ve tried to apply logic to my situation. They are incapacitated and will not be coming back. Still, every time the wind blows, my eyes fly to the windows or doorway as if they’ll come barreling through at any given moment. The shadows begin to look ominous in my overactive imagination. My lamp floods the room with light when I give into my fears.
This isn’t going to work.
I don’t want to run back to my parents. They’ll baby me for the unforeseeable future. I don’t want to worry my sisters, but I need to talk it out. When Caerwyn answers, his voice gravely from sleep, I blink a few times until it sinks in that I called him.
“Um...what are you doing?” I ask, trying to sound breezy and unaware that it’s past two in the morning.
“I’ll be there in a bit.”
I tear up when he disconnects. I don’t like that I’m relieved; independence has always been one of my things and those assholes have me scared of my own shadow. Swiping at my tears, I walk to the door when the bell rings.
I check the door at least three times to ensure it's him. His big frame fills the doorway as he studies my tear streaked face. His somewhat full lips pout as his eyes fill with empathy.
Without a word he lets himself in, locks the door, and puts his keys on the hook.
"Shhh. None of that," he whispers as he collects my tears with his thumbs. He pulls me close, still cupping my face. "It's okay to need someone."
Caerwyn bends, wraps me up in a big bear hug that separates my feet from the ground and swaddles me in comfort. Despite his squeezing, I breathe much easier.
He begins moving us towards my room.
"Okay, Caterpillar. Let's go get some rest.”
Chapter Seven
Caerwyn
“What’s this?” Imala asks, as she studies the paper I handed her.
Her dark eyes fly over the paperwork and her plush mouth moves silently as she reads. I know the moment her eyes catch my amendment because they roll heavenward.
“A sex clause in the prenup, Wyn? Really?” She grabs a nearby pen and starts marking through my terms. “I’m not giving you weekly blow-jobs for the first five years or committing to daily sex. Women have cycles, ya know.”
I shrug as I slide an omelet on her plate. I’ve been coming over late and sneaking out early for the last month. We’ve fallen into a routine, but I refused to sneak off this morning. I’m tired of being awake on the weekends bat shit early for no reason. We never outright said we were getting married, we just started negotiating our prenup. When we agree, then we’ll have her family’s lawyer review it. I’m all aware of client privileges but her entire family is his “client,” so he’ll snitch quickly. Until then, paper and notepads for us.
“I figured if you added a cuddle policy, I should add some bonuses as well.”
“It’s not the same thing. I’ve never even given a blow job before—"
“You will.”
“My point is, I don’t know if I’ll even like doing it, and you don’t know if you’ll like my delivery.”