It was awkward. It wasn’t a declaration of love and yet, for Zander, it was a lot.
It was everything.
“Wait. So the s-suitcase is b-because you want to set me free? Not because you h-hate me or are disgusted by me?”
His gaze narrowed. “Why would I be disgusted by you?”
“Because I’m an awful person. I’m just this blackhole who sucks people in and they can’t escape. I’m not good enough for you. You deserve someone far better.”
“Little girl, you ever say something like that again and you’re getting your butt blistered. I’m not putting up with that shit coming from your mouth any . . . fuck!” He ran his hand over his face, looking exhausted. “Fuck, I had no business saying that. When I’m not your . . .” he trailed off.
“When you’re not my Daddy? My Dom? I thought you wanted to be my guardian?” Right now, he had the power to completely destroy her. It was enough to be handed a suitcase, but to be straight out told that he didn’t want her . . .
Yeah, she didn’t think she would recover.
“Of course I do. But you shouldn’t want me.”
“But I do,” she whispered. “I want you because I have feelings for you too.”
The shock on his face was nearly comical. Did he not realize how much she cared for him?
“I want you, Zander. I want to stay.”
He sucked in a breath. “You want to stay.”
“Yes.”
“With me.”
“Yes.”
“Because you have feelings for me.”
“Yes,” she replied. “And you have feelings for me.”
“Yes.” He studied her for a long moment. “But you packed a suitcase.”
“I thought it was your way of kicking me out.”
“No. Fuck, no. I’d keep you locked in this room until you die if I could.” He grimaced. “And that likely wasn’t a very sane thing to say.”
“Not really, but your insanity is just part of what makes you who you are.”
“It does?” He looked puzzled at that.
“It does. You’re eccentric and gorgeous, protective and dangerous. And I have feelings for all of you.”
“All of me? I’ve been told I’m too much to deal with.”
By his ex? Yeah, she didn’t like that bitch. She was also a fool for leaving the most amazing man in the world. But now that she knew how he felt, Keira wasn’t going to make that mistake. She was holding on tight.
“I want all of you,” she said firmly. “Every weird, possessive inch of you is mine.”
He stood there, just staring at her. As though he didn’t understand a word coming from her. Then something crossed his face. Something fierce and almost scary. But she wasn’t scared. At least not of him. The future was still kind of terrifying. But Zander wasn’t.
“Be sure of what you are saying, Keira,” he warned her. “Because if you say you’re in, then I’m not letting you go. I let Charlene leave because I didn’t have feelings for her. It was surprisingly easy to let her go. Especially after the things she said. But with you, that won’t happen. Once you’re mine. You. Are. Mine.”
Mine.