He rises onto his elbows and stares at me. “I won’t.”
Heat blossoms in my groin. It’s arousal that feels too much like hope.
As I disappear into my bathroom and stare into the mirror, I let the reality of this situation settle in.
My heart is betraying me. What I want is to get through this week and this wedding and prove my siblings wrong and finally be alone and at peace.That is what I want.
But right now, my heart is trying to convince me that I want to walk back to that room and pull him into my arms and tell him he can always trust me. It’s trying to tell me that I should forfeit everything I want for him. To hell with this wedding and that fucking fiancé of his.
I should make Colin mine again.
As I’m rushing through my morning routine, I’m replaying the conversation with Pierce, and anger begins to boil inside me.How can Colin be such a pure and kind soul and be willing to marry that selfish and arrogant prick?
When I make it back into the bedroom, Colin is still there, and I’m a bit surprised. I mean, I did tell him to stay, but I have to wonder…why is he here? Why did he sleep with his arms around me all night?
“What’s wrong?” he asks, noticing my disposition.
I take a deep breath, and it feels like I’m breathing in rage. Why do I care about what Colin does?
But I do. I care a lot. Try as I might to not care about him, I do. More than anything.
“Declan, talk to me,” he says as he stands and reaches for me.
“Why the fuck do you let guys treat you like trash?” I bark. My hands itch to grab him, shake him, hold him.
“What are you talking about?” he asks suspiciously.
“That…” I point to the door but hold myself back from calling Pierce some very harsh names. “Do you know what that fiancé of yours just asked me to do last night, Colin?”
His face falls and I watch him shrink into himself. “Yes, I do.”
“What on earth is wrong with you?” I can’t hold back this time. I step toward him, taking his face in my hands and backing him against the wall. “Is that what you want? To be treated like a piece of property? I meanreally.”
“So what if it is?” he replies defiantly.
“Is it?”
He pauses as he stares at me intensely. “It’s not about what I want.”
“What?” I ask with a gasp. “What are you saying?”
“You know what I like, Declan. You remember how I am. If it’s what Pierce wants, then I’m going to give it to him.”
“You’re infuriating,” I growl.
“If you don’t want to do it, then just say no, Declan.”
“Of course I’m going to say no, Colin.”
“The thought of sleeping with me again repulses you so much,” he mutters sadly.
My eyebrows leap upward. “Don’t be daft,” I argue. “You know that’s not why.”
“Then what is it?”
“You don’t get it,” I argue, squeezing him tighter until he winces. He leans into me, closing his eyes.
“No,youdon’t get it,” he whispers. “Just because you don’t like it doesn’t make it wrong. So what if he likes to see other men appreciate what’s his.”
