“You would survive,” he said in a low voice. “You would survive anything because that’s what I demand of you. But you won’t ever have to survive that. Because I am never letting you go. I meant every word. I tracked you down, Maeve. Followed you across the country. Broke into a private, gated community and then . . . then I found you fucking dead in a swimming pool. You weren’t breathing.”
He heaved in a breath, and she watched him, wide-eyed.
“I stayed up all night watching over you. I counted every breath you took. Because when I jumped into that pool, you weren’t. Fucking. Breathing.”
“Okay. But it all turned out all right. I’m breathing now.”
“What if I’d been a few minutes later? What if I had decided to wait until later? What if I went after that asshole like I wanted to instead of going over to the pool? My God, Maeve, don’t you get it? It was a quick decision. Chase that asshole or look in the pool? I could have chosen the wrong fucking one.”
The torment on his face was clear and she stared at him in wonder.
“But you didn’t. You made the right decision.” She stared at him, feeling like she was seeing the real Gray for the first time. He was tortured. And it wasn’t that he didn’t feel like most people probably thought. It was just that he held his feelings deep, wrapped them up tight, then only let them out when it really mattered.
“You really care about me,” she whispered.
“Fuck, Maeve, I fucking love you.” He stood up and paced back and forth as she leaned back. “I’m not good at this shit, all right? You said you wanted a different sort of proposal. Well, I don’t do romantic shit. I’d probably just fuck it up. When I got to your apartment and you weren’t there . . . I was ready to tear the fucking city apart. And you . . . I was going to tip you over my knee as soon as I found you, redden that ass until you were unable to sit for a week, then tie you to the fucking bed until you agreed to be mine for running from me.”
“I didn’t run. Not from you.”
“I know that now, girl. Didn’t know it then. I was mad as hell at you and now I feel guilty for that.”
“Don’t. Don’t feel guilty, you didn’t know about . . . about him.”
“Know this . . . from now on you are mine, I am yours. There is none of this sex buddy shit. You will tell me everything, and I do mean everything. I might not know how to be in a relationship, but I know what I want . Every. Fucking. Thing.”
She let out a breath. “Thank God. Because that’s what I want too.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You look like you don’t believe me.”
“Just not sure you’re ready for my level of possessiveness, girl.”
“Yeah?” She challenged. “Maybe you’re not ready for mine. Because with every step I took away from you, the pain grew and grew until I thought I was going to explode. I knew what I wanted . . . that I needed you . . . only I had no clue how to even find you. I asked Isaiah to look for your contact details so I could call you . . . to explain . . . but I knew it wouldn’t be enough. Nothing but you would be enough.”
“You know . . . I thought that would annoy me.”
“What?” she asked with a frown. “Me telling you that I want you?”
“You challenging me. Giving me sass. Never thought I’d find someone I wanted to be with . . . but when I let myself consider it, I figured I’d want someone who followed my every word with a yes, sir.”
“Really? You thought that was what you wanted?”
“Yes, I mean, I thought I’d want a girl who was very, very obedient.”
Was he . . . was he even for real right now? She was beginning to rethink this whole thing.
Then she saw his lips twitch.
“Wait . . . wait . . . stop the press. Are you making a joke?” She gaped at him.
Had pigs started flying?
“I never joke, girl. At the club, I only played with subs who knew that I required total obedience.”
“At the . . . at the Edge?” what was he talking about? And she really didn’t like hearing him talk about other women.
Made her want to get violent and Maeve was not a violent person. Well, okay, she tried not to be. Sometimes a girl was pushed too far.