: Part 3 – Chapter 14

“Ready, ma belle?”

No.

I’m far from being ready. Actually, I want to crawl back to our hotel room.

Instead of sounding like a coward, I rub Ronan’s bicep slowly, which has become my sign for when I want him to fuck me.

Though I don’t really get to use it a lot, because he’s usually ready before I have to tell him anything.

I rise on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “Let’s go back to the hotel and you can have three rounds.”

His eyes darken, and I feel his bulge growing against my stomach.

I’ll never get used to how easily I can turn Ronan on. Sometimes, it only takes a touch and he’s more than ready to ravage me senseless, even in public places.

Not here, though.

We’re standing on the top of the Colossus Bridge near Milan and there are too many people for him to act on his desire.

“Fuck, belle,” he mutters under his breath. “When did you decide to take cocktease as a job?”

Since I got to know him, but I don’t say that. Instead, I run my fingers over the hard muscles of his chest and down to his waist, making him groan.

He grabs both of my hands in one of his own and imprisons them at his chest. A sly smile grazes his lips. “Are you scared?”

“No!”

“Are you sure, though?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, why do I feel like you’re seducing me just so you can escape this.”

“Hmph. This is child’s play. I am not scared, Ron.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Stop it.” I glare up at him, and that merely makes him widen his smile.

Sometimes, I hate how easily he can read through all my layers. He’s the only person who sees past the persona I project onto the world and senses the vulnerable part in me. The part I usually keep under lock and key because I don’t want it to get hurt by the harsh outside world.

With Ronan, though, I want to display it and let him feast on it. Despite his jokester personality, he has so much empathy, it’s insane.

It makes me want to protect him, too, because the world is too cruel for someone like him. The world doesn’t deserve a pure soul like Ronan.

He grabs my cheeks with his hands so that we’re staring into each other’s eyes. I’m so tiny compared to him and I hate that he has so much height on me, I have to stand on my tiptoes to get to his face — or close enough.

Whenever he does this, the entire world disappears from around us. The only one I see is him.

The only thing I feel is his body glued to mine, even though the vest and ropes are in the way.

“Do you trust me?” he murmurs in the tone that turns me boneless every time.

“With my life.”

“Time to test that, ma belle.”

Ugh. I must’ve been drunk when I agreed to this. Oh, wait, I was. But not on alcohol. I was completely spent last night after he wrenched multiple orgasms out of me. So when he suggested we go bungee jumping today, I might’ve agreed while half-asleep.

Ronan, being a manipulative arsehole when it suits him, took that opportunity and brought us here first thing in the morning.

“How about five rounds?”

He grins. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“I will have those rounds as soon as we go back, trésor.”

“No. You don’t get the rounds if you make me do this.”

“What if I change your mind?”

“You can’t change my mind.”

“If you like this, if you let go and scream, then I will get my rounds.”

I poke his side. “So now they’re your rounds?”

“They always were.” He winks, and I can’t help but smile.

Ronan will be Ronan. He’s addicted to adrenaline and fun. Although we’re both moving on from the trauma of our pasts, Ronan has never changed into a grim person.

He’s still the heart of the party and the one people gravitate towards. I’m one of those people, but the difference is that he somehow gravitates towards me, too.

He somehow can’t fall asleep unless I’m by his side, holding him close. He somehow only searches for me.

He’s somehow mine.

My husband. My world.

He’s everything I could’ve asked for and more. I might be addicted to him. The thought of waking up to find him gone gives me nightmares.

So whatever. I don’t care if it’s bungee jumping or literal jumping. I’d go anywhere with this man.

Hell included.

I wrap my arms around his waist, holding on to him because he’s the only anchor I’ve ever needed in my life.

“That’s my woman.” He leans his head down and captures my mouth in a kiss.

I get lost in the softness of his lips, in the way his entire body angles towards me. My eyes close as I soak in the overwhelming sensation. The way Ronan kisses is like he’s saying without words that he can’t get enough of me as much as I can’t get enough of him.

His lips slowly leave mine and I open my eyes to stare at his dark ones.

“Why do I love you so much, Ronan?” I sigh.

His grin is to die for. It’s so bright and happy and I want to keep it that way for a lifetime. He holds me to him by the waist. “Because I won you over, belle.”

And then we jump. Arms around each other, hearts beating loudly against one another.

And in the air, when we’re both falling and gazing into each other’s eyes, a sense of freedom hits me in the bones.

The freedom of being with this man until death do us part.