My heart damn near stopped when she said,“I love him.”
As I drive uphill, my hands clench around the wheel until I reach the top and park the car.
“Sir.” Herbert appears in the foyer, his face stony and a touch pale. “I’d like to apologize again for transferring the call.”
I don’t waste time. “Where is she?”
“In your bedroom, but Mr. Rourke…”
His voice fades as I climb the stairs, practically running up to get to Elowyn.
Just outside our room, I finally stop. Breathe. Smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles in my navy-blue suit.
Then I step inside, closing the door behind me.
Air finally reaches my lungs at the sight of her, as if I haven’t been breathing properly for hours.
She sits on the edge of the bed, hair draped down the front of her body. The T-shirt and jeans she’s wearing enhance every gorgeous curve.
What truly brings me down to my metaphorical knees, though, are these eyes.
Silvery. Round. Huge.
Staring at me.
“Little moon,” I say.
She worries her bottom lip. “Hi.”
Do you know?she asks without words.
I do. But I’m starving for honesty. For that open communication we agreed on. I want her to tell me how she feels herself.
“How was your day?” I walk over to our bed. On my way there, I shrug off my suit jacket and place it on one of the armchairs. “Anything interesting happen?”
Her gaze lands on my arms when I roll up my sleeves, heating as I reveal my forearms.
Being the center of her attention gets me hard. Turns me into a starving man.
But satisfying my selfish needs will have to wait until I deal with Barclay.
After she talks to me, I’m going to warn him to back the fuck off for good. This is the last time she’ll look terrified, confused, or shaken. He’s done ruining her life.
Finished.
“Talk to me.” The bed dips when I take a seat next to her. I press a finger beneath her chin, tilting her face up, breathing her sweet scent in. “I’m right here.”
“Barclay called,” she whispers, twisting her lips. “He was an asshole.”
Despite the heaviness in my chest, I laugh. I can’t help it.
“What’s so funny?” She seems unable to help herself, too, her mouth relaxing, lips curving into a smile.
“Not funny. Sweet.” I lean in for a kiss. Because she was honest. Because she let me in, knowing this conversation would be hard. “You, sayingasshole. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to hearing you talk like that.”
All humor drains from her eyes. “No other way to describe him.”
Oh, but there are. Abuser. Motherfucker. Bully. Narcissist.
