My argument to stay in London softens as I watch him look at the floor.
“You protect me just fine.” I move in and steal a kiss, desperate to right this between us but unable to find a solution. “Can we talk about this later?” I take a few steps away, hoping he’ll drop the subject and we can just enjoy the rest of the day. “Please? I don’t want to waste the precious time we do have together arguing.”
He tosses my hand away, still not letting the argument building drop.
“What will it take, dirty girl, huh? Do you want my name?” His name? “Will that help you take me seriously?” My eyes widen like saucers as I catch on to what he’s saying.
“Your name? As in…”
“As in I fucking do. The ring. The name. Half of what’s mine.”
“You’re proposing?” The shock in my voice is clear, shown by my hands flying to my face.
“Only if you move your ass to Chicago. That’s my terms.”
“You’re giving me terms for our engagement?”
“More terms of engagement, I should think.”
I can’t keep up with this man. Marriage? My heart pounds in my chest, ecstatic at the thought of being bound to the man I love for the rest of my life. I assumed he’d never agree to marriage. It really isn’t a Quinn thing.
“Should we roll your dice on the matter, too?”
He smirks, but doesn’t reach into that pocket. “Everything is always on my terms. You should have learnt that by now.” He doesn’t move to close the gap between us. He won’t. If I want physical contact from Quinn, I’ll have to ask for it.
“Aren’t I the exception to your rule?” The gap between us is now only a foot and I fight my urge to reach out and hug him.
“You are my only exception, Em. But not about this. You move your ass to Chicago and you can have the whole damn world.”
I search his eyes and find his usual steely reserve. My mind rushes to go over all the possible reasons why this isn’t a good idea, but my heart stomps them all out before they form into full coherent thoughts.
“I like the sound of that,” I say, wrapping my arms around him and focusing all of my attention on him.
“Is that a yes?” He finally reaches his arm around my waist, providing the comfort I need from him right now. I love this man and everything he’s working towards. And I knew that one day I’d have to make the decision to either move to Chicago or end things. I can’t contemplate my life without him now, though. He’s the other half of who I’ve become.
The man I love.
Living with Quinn and forging a new life together doesn’t have to mean I forget the sacrifices made to bring us together. Wouldn’t I be doing the exact opposite by walking away now? Dishonouring Josh’s memory and all the pain we went through to reach where we are today.
I stare into his eyes, and watch a storm of emotion play behind them. He’d deadly serious about everything he’s said, and I realise I haven’t appreciated the situation from his point of view. I must be important to him. Quinn Cane simply wouldn’t ask otherwise. Ultimatum or not.
Mrs Emily Cane, though?
About the Author
Rachel De Lune
Rachel De Lune writes emotionally driven contemporary and erotic romance.
She began scribbling her stories of dominance and submission in the pages of a notebook several years ago, and still can’t resist putting pen to real paper. What ifs are turned into heartfelt stories of love where there will always be a HEA.
Rachel lives in the South West of England and daydreams about shoes with red soles, lingerie and chocolate. If she’s not writing HEAs, she’s probably reading them. She is a wife and has a beautiful daughter.
For every woman who’s ever desired more.
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Charlotte E. Hart
Charlotte is a Dark Erotic Suspense/Romance author living in the heart of the British countryside. She’s lived all over the UK, but finally settled in a small town that still reeks of old school England.
Writing and poetry have become a revolution for the soul, and she cherishes every second that she’s sitting at the laptop tapping her way into a new character.
When not writing she enjoys socializing with close friends and traveling cities across the globe. Travel has always been a constant companion to reading and it only increases her thirst for stimulation.
“Life is a torrent of differences, different needs and wants, and it doesn’t always end that well. Yet we strive to find our souls final attachment, hoping for validation in our true desires.” – Charlotte E. Hart
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Innocent Eyes (A Cane Novel Book 1) Page 31