“No. God, you’re perfect.”
“I’m not. You know what I was…what I did in Getty Falls?” I enquire tentatively.
He nods. “I know everything. And you’re still perfect to me. God, I love you, Elyse. I was too twisted to recognize until it was far too late, until you saw nothing but the monster. But I do, baby. I love you. Inside and out, no matter what you’ve done. No matter what.”
My heart shakes, threatens to fly, but I need to state more truths. “I hated you for being two people, but so was I. You signed up for Lucky, but I wanted you to like Elyse, maybe even love her. Having that opportunity taken away from me before it had a chance to grow into something, hurt, and I lashed out at you.”
His head jerks downward, and a lock of vibrant hair falls over his forehead. I brush it back as he links his fingers through mine and stares in fascination at our fused palms. “Sending me away when the FBI rescued you cut me to shreds. The restraining order killed me.”
“I’m sorry. The shock was just too much, you know? I think I filed it because although I wanted to hate you, I couldn’t stop thinking about you, or missing you. It was my way of stopping myself from craving you.”
“And do you, crave me?” he rasps.
“I do,” I murmur.
His eyes fire a blaze of silver blue. “Fuck, you don’t know what hearing that does to me.”
“Good things, I hope.”
“Seriously awesome things. I love you. I love you. Please forgive me. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Please give me the chance?”
“You talk a good game, Mr. Blackwood. Let me think on it for a minute.”
We grin at each other for several heartbeats before he sobers. “I’m so glad Fionnella agreed to come find you for me.”
“So am I. Is she…okay now that this is over?”
He nods. “I think we’re both ready to put it behind us, however we can.”
My heart turns over in anger and sorrow for the wrongs done to them.
“I can’t stand the thought that they did that to you and your mother.”
He looks at me solemnly for several beats. Then he nods. “Would you like me to have them killed?”
I gasp. “Quinn. Please don’t joke about things like that.”
He doesn’t reply. I look deeper into his eyes. And shiver. “Please tell me you were just joking?”
He shrugs. “You’re distressed. Forget what I said.”
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I shake my head. “That’s…just on the off-chance you weren’t joking, I don’t want to have anyone killed.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” I repeat incredulously.
He grabs me by the waist and pulls me beneath him. The breath is knocked out of me and when I take a deep breath, his gaze drops to my boobs. Then with monumental effort he drags it back up. “Okay.”
He stares at me for a long while. “I love you. Fuck, I never thought I’d say those words. To anyone again besides Mama.”
Tears fill my eyes. He brushes them away and drops a light kiss on my nose.
“Let’s talk about us some more. I still have a lot of making up to do.”
“Okay. I think you should know, I’m not accepting that five million.”
He grimaces and rises off the bed. He paces agitatedly for a minute before he stares at me. “I really want you to take it, Elyse.”
“Why?”
“I can’t take back some of the things I did. But this would help. Give it to Petra, or give it to your favorite charity if you want. But take it.”
“If it means that much to you—”
“It does.”
“Then okay, it goes to Petra. What next?”
He eyes me from head to toe. “I’m obsessed with you. Have I told you that?”
“Not in so many words.” My eyes drift to the TV screen. “But I have a fair idea.” I smile.
He smiles back. My insides melt. “I intend to fuel that obsession. Night and day for a very long time. Do you have any objections to maybe considering making this thing between us permanent? Maybe after I get a proper therapist to sort out my…” he indicates his head.
My smile widens until I’m scared my face will burst. “Hmm, definitely maybe.”
He exhales. “Okay, do you have any more objections I need to deal with?”
“Not an objection. More like a condition.”
“Which is?”
“Am I allowed to be equally as obsessed with you?”
His smile widens by a mile. “Fuck yes.”
I laugh. My gaze tracks over his hard, beautiful body. “Quinn?”
“Hmm?”