“Yes.”
“Because you were caught withholding information.”
“No, because there was nothing you could have done about it had you known.”
I took a deep breath. “You seem to believe you are the almighty imparter of all knowledge, as if you have the right to divulge information to me or keep it from me.”
Rett slowly turned, running his large hand down his face. He was still dressed as he’d been in the office, a light blue button-up shirt, the collar open and sleeves rolled up. His dark gray pants fell to his leather loafers, and if I was to guess, my come still adorned his cock hidden beneath. Instead of thinking about that, I concentrated on the fatigue showing in the small lines on his handsome face.
Finally, he spoke. “There was nothing you could have done.”
I stood. “That isn’t the point. Did you ask me to be your wife, your queen, or your whore?”
“Emma, you’re being ridiculous.”
I stepped toward the doorway to the bedroom as Rett seized my arm.
“You want honesty?” he asked, his words coming quicker. “I want all three from you.”
My breathing stuttered as I stared his direction.
“You wanted honesty.”
“I-I guess...”
Taking my hand, Rett dropped to one knee. “My mother was wrong, asking the question isn’t easy.”
“Why do you want to marry me?”
His nostrils flared as he inhaled. “I want to know that you’re always here.”
“You don’t want consequences for your actions. You want a little woman who is at your disposal.”
He nodded as he extended my fingers, ran his finger from the faint white line at my wrist and over my hand. When his gaze returned to mine, my breath caught. I couldn’t explain the sensation, but I sawmore. Maybe it was the glare of the sun through the skylight, but in that second, it was as if I saw deeper into Everett Ramses than I’d ever seen, or maybe for once, I was being allowed to see what he rarely showed.
The timbre of his voice had my attention. “You were conceived to reign over New Orleans. That’s why I want you beside me as my queen. It’s your fate to rule this city. And as for being my wife, I want that. It fucking kills me to imagine you sleeping up here.” His gaze went toward the opening to the bedroom. “And if you think a lock can keep me out, you haven’t been paying attention.”
I had been paying attention. That was why I also asked for the dead bolt.
Rett inhaled. “As for a whore...” His head shook. “I didn’t mean for you to think of me like those men. That possibility never crossed my mind. It also isn’t right to say that I have needs that supersede yours but instead that we both have desires. What I want is for us to fulfill them together.”
“Rett.”
He tugged my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. “Emma, you know you can believe me. You said you’d trust me.” When I didn’t speak, he stood, still holding my hand. “I fucked up this afternoon. However, I’ve been upfront about what I wanted. I never misled you. I am a man who thrives on power. I crave your submission.”
I shook my head as I looked from where he was holding my hand back to his eyes. “I didn’t give that today. You took it. It’s not the same.”
Emma
Submission given is sweeter than submission taken.
As I recalled what Rett had told me, I wondered if he meant them—now or then.
“You’re right. Don’t throw away what we have and what we will have,” he said, “because I screwed up.” Rett gently framed my cheeks, his palms on each side. “I pushed too far. I’m not offering an excuse. I’m telling you that I know it was a mistake.”
I was too emotional for this. I shouldn’t want to forgive him and yet I did.
When I didn’t reply, he released my cheeks and took a step back. “Signing the certificate is bigger than us. Remember me saying that you may need to speak to someone, to make a statement?”