Throne of Truth (Truth and Lies Duet #2)(96)

“Elle,” I growled. “Don’t be so—”

“What? Dramatic? Immature? Literal?” She stabbed my sternum. “Listen here, Mr. Everett, and listen good. I didn’t pick you. You didn’t pick me. Fate picked us, and there’s nothing we can do about it. The reporters can’t change it. Life can’t break it. And you most certainly cannot walk away from it.”

I sucked in a breath to argue, but she planted a hand on my mouth just as I’d done to her.

“I don’t care about anything else. I’m not going to worry about what may or may not happen. I’ve been fighting to deserve you ever since the night you were taken in Central Park. Do you know how much guilt I’ve carried since that night? How terrible I felt? The debt I endured to pay back?” Her bottom lip wobbled.

I crumpled inside for hurting her. I had no idea she suffered the way I had. Her with guilt, me with misplaced hate.

If only I’d told her my name from the very beginning.

But if I had, who knew if we would be here right now. About to do something stupid and reckless but so right. I couldn’t breathe with the thought of not claiming her. Walking from her office showed me how much I adored her. How utterly real this was.

It wasn’t a fling. It wasn’t short-term.

It was forever.

And if I stood by and acted like a dick—thinking I could keep her safe while abandoning her to the wolves—then I didn’t fucking deserve her.

It was my job to keep her safe.

I thought that meant from myself.

But I’d rather keep her safe from other assholes and screw my fears about not being the man she deserved.

She’d leashed me to her the moment she’d appeared in my doorway. Her cute little argument turned me on until I throbbed in my pants for her tirade to end so I could show her just how much I’d never let her go.

Today had started off blissful and slid into terrible, but now, it was exactly where it should be.

Acceptance.

This was real. So fucking real.

“So you listen here, Penn. I don’t care what argument you try. I’m not—”

“Elle...” I put a finger over her lips, silencing her with my stare. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Her lips brushed over my touch, making me shudder with desire.

“You win.” I leaned forward, my self-control at its end. Capturing her mouth with mine, I kissed her with every yes and apology I could. “I’m a fucking idiot, but I’m yours. I’m not going anywhere.”

It took a second for my vow to travel from her ears to her brain to her heart.

But when it did, she bounced into my arms as if she’d always belonged there.

“Truly?”

I chuckled. “Truly.”

She peppered my jaw with kisses. “You’re an ass. You know that, right?”

“I do know that. That was why I was trying to remove myself from your life.”

“Well, you tried and failed. Don’t you ever try again.”

I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“And don’t call me ma’am.”

“What do you want me to call you?”

“Something dirty while you take off my clothes and have your wicked way with me.”

My eyebrows rose. “In that case, turn around, Ms. Charlston. I suddenly have the overwhelming need to bend you over and stick my cock inside you.”

She trembled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

I swatted her ass, marching her to the bed. “Oh, I didn’t ask. You’ve been a naughty girl, going against my wishes and making me keep you. You need to be punished.”

Her laughter made my entire fucking galaxy blaze bright.





Chapter Forty-Six


Elle


“MARRY ME.”

My eyes flew wide. “What?”

Penn spun me around, shoved his clothes-strewn bag off the bed, and tossed me onto the mattress. “Marry me. Make our fake engagement real.”

“I—wow.”

“Wow isn’t the answer I want.” His voice was a seductive rasp. “Try again. Marry me?”

A shiver darted down my spine, loving his authoritative kinky tone.

I knew my answer, but I bit my bottom lip. “Um, how long can I think about it?”

I gasped as he pressed me onto my back, then hoisted up the silver dress and revealed my nakedness. I’d left him the gift of my underwear this morning and hadn’t replaced them.

He groaned. “God, you’re going to kill me.” He sank a finger inside me, burying his face into my hair. “Yes or no, Elle. Put me out of my misery.” Hunger poured off him, infecting me until I squirmed with starvation. He was so much bigger than me, so much stronger, so damn beautiful, yet with one little word, I had the power to break him into smithereens.

Just like he’d broken me.

I toyed with the idea of saying no. To give him a taste of his own medicine, but he withdrew his touch and rolled onto his side.

“You’re all I want, Elle. I was a jackass.” He kissed me reverently then contradicted it with sudden aggression. “It fucking destroyed me to go over there. To tell you to leave me. Feeling that god-crushing emptiness of having everything I ever wanted then giving it all away again. It hurt so fucking much.”