“True. And you answered.” I smirk, as her eyes dart to the door. “And then when you needed saving, which you did, you called me. You called me and I came.”
“Quite literally,” she snaps back.
“Yeah.” I nod. “Filled you up nice and deep. Since then, I’ve been saving you nonstop.”
“So, stop.”
“I don’t want to.” I shrug. “What part of that don’t you get? I like saving you. I’m not sure I could stop trying if I wanted to, but the fact is I don’t want to. I’d spend the rest of my life saving you if I could. Unfortunately for the both of us, I only have one shot at it.”
“Marry me,” she blurts out.
“What the fuck would that solve?”
“That’s not a no,” she says. “Marry me. We can go to Vegas right now and get married. Then they will have to leave us alone.”
“I’m not marrying you.”
“Why not? Is that level of commitment too much for you?”
“Baby, any level of commitment is too much for me.”
“Is that it then? You off my ex so you don’t have to become my boyfriend?”
I laugh. What a silly thought. Murder to avoid being her boyfriend? Even I’m not that crazy.
“I’m going to kill your ex because he deserves to fucking die.”
“There isn’t a little part of you that’s glad you’ll get off the hook? You can confess you love me, save me and never have to commit to me.”
“Jesus,” I groan. “That has nothing to do with it. Is this all not enough for you? You want a fucking diamond ring too?”
“I don’t like diamonds,” she shoots back.
“Or listening to me,” I add, taking a step toward her. She tries to sidestep me again, but I just grab her by the waist. “Nowbecause I need some fucking sleep and I don’t trust you not to try to run, I have to do this.”
I slap one handcuff on her wrist and the other to mine. She stares at where the cuff links us together. When she looks up at me, she has a cute little shocked expression etched on her face.
“What…”
“You said if I handcuffed you to the bed, you’d never forgive me, so I had to improvise.” I shrug.
“What if I need to pee?”
“I guess I get to watch.”
“I’d rather die.”
“If you need to use the bathroom, I’ll walk you to the door, undo the cuff and let you go, just to reattach it when you are done.” She opens her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. “The bathroom doesn’t lock, and if you think for a second you can try hiding out in there, I’ll drag you out.”
“You’re being an even bigger asshole than normal,” she snaps, tugging at the cuff.
“And you’re being extra difficult. Glad we are both at our best. Now let’s get some sleep.”
THIRTY-FIVE
There issomething about watching Ben sleep right now that breaks my heart. The last time we slept next to each other, he had his arms wrapped around me. This time he has us cuffed together but keeps his distance.
His face moves as he sleeps. Little lines form across his forehead and his eyelids scrunch up. Words form on his lips, but no sound comes out. His body is perfectly still. He doesn’t toss or turn, just lays flat with his chest facing the ceiling.
