Page 35 of Dancing With Redemption

Roxie put the nightgown on first, comfortable because Lincoln kept the house warm. She adjusted the straps until everything was just right and then put the robe on. Looking at herself in the floor-length mirror, she decided to take the long blonde wig off and looked at her image. Even with the super-short hair, she didn’t look bad. Turning to the side to look at her profile, Roxie smiled again. Even with her belly poking out, she still didn’t look bad. Not bad at all.

Her right hand moved from her belly up to her hair. She kind of liked the look, even if she hadn’t made the choice to cut it so short. The bruises under her eyes and the cuts on her lips were gone, all that remained now was a woman who’d been through hell but still stood on her own two feet.

Going to the bed, Roxie sat down with her eyes still on the image in the mirror. She’d overcome everything that had been thrown her way. Her parents would be proud of her. Maybe she hadn’t ended up the kind of dancer they had hoped for, and she’d never been to Paris, but she had survived. She’d lived through all of it and that was enough.

Going to New York on her own had been stupid, but in the end, Celeste had been dealt with, as had the two men who’d killed her parents. Because of her, Marie could now live in the open without fear of being killed by a woman who had it in for her. Because of her decision, she could live out in the open now.

That was a new perspective on it all, one that brought tears to her eyes. She’d taken her fate in her own hands, and she’d nearly lost. For too long she’d sat in this house, second-guessing every decision that she had to make. She’d deferred to Lincoln, trusting him to make the decisions. Which wasn’t wrong, but she’d allowed herself to become…nothing. That wouldn’t work, not at all.

Her pride came back to life as she looked at herself in the mirror, even with the tears streaming down her face. Or maybe because of the tears streaming down her face, she decided, getting up to look at herself more closely. She was used to living her life, telling people to fuck off if they didn’t like how she decided to live that life, and doing exactly as she damn well pleased.

For a while, she’d allowed herself to lose sight of that, but now she saw that fire burning again in her eyes. She saw determination, which had been dormant for too long.

“Are you alright, Roxie?” Lincoln’s voice came through the door just before he pushed it open.

Roxie turned around, about to tell him not to come in, but it was too late. His jaw hung open and his eyes were moving up and down her, taking in the sight of her body. “Um, yeah, I’m fine.”

“You are, indeed.” He didn’t look away, or turn around, he just openly stared with hungry eyes going over her again and again. He leaned into the doorway, his hands in the pockets of the charcoal gray trousers he had on. “You look very good, actually.”

Roxie’s breath caught in her throat and she looked away. This hadn’t been part of the plan, but she wanted him. She’d always wanted him, even when she’d hated him as a teenager. “I’m sorry, I thought you’d be gone longer. I’ll change.”

“No, don’t,” he said quickly, holding his hand out. “Please, don’t.”

“But, Lincoln?” She made the two words a question. She wasn’t sure what she was asking, but he seemed to know.

“Roxie, come here.” He twitched his hand, refusing to budge. He wanted her to come to him.

Roxie stared at his hand, knowing she shouldn’t go near him, but she couldn’t say no. Not anymore. He was what she wanted, what she’d missed, what she needed, and she couldn’t deny it anymore. Her feet moved before she’d told them to, taking her to him.

Warmth flowed from his hand and up her arm as she placed her hand in his. Blue eyes crashed into brown, and she forgot what she might have wanted to say. But Lincoln hadn’t.

“It’s been too long, Roxie. I’ve wanted to tell you for weeks now that I made a mistake, that I’d been incredibly stupid. And honestly, I think I was stupid all those years ago when I left you in the hotel room alone. I should have stayed with you, I should have told you then that you were the only woman I’d ever love.”

“What?” She asked, shocked at what he’d admitted.

“I’ve loved you since you were fourteen years old, Roxie. Remember that first time you told me to fuck off? You made me laugh but I also knew you meant it. You were so fierce, strong, sure of what you wanted.” He ran a finger down her cheek to her jaw, but his eyes stayed on hers. “And when I found you as an adult, this larger-than-life dancer with eyes full of fire and damnation, fuck, I didn’t think it was possible to love you more, but every single day, you prove me wrong.”

“You love me, Lincoln?” Roxie could have rolled her eyes at the stupid question, but it wasn’t so stupid. She’d given him the biggest reason in the world to hate her. “But, I kept Lily from you.”

“Yes, but you did it to protect her. I understand that now. You did what you thought was best when you were the one left to make huge decisions on your own. You didn’t do it to be malicious. I was a dick about it when I found out, and I’m sorry for that. I wish I could change it, but I can’t. I can only try to learn from that mistake and not repeat it. If you’ll let me, I’d like to spend the rest of my life proving to you how sorry I am, Roxie.” He paused, moved his hand to his pocket, and pulled out a ring that made her eyes nearly pop.

“Lincoln?” Her brain was stuck on making her sound stupid, but she didn’t pull her hand back because she wanted this. She hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted this. “But we’re supposed to be the ones who snub their noses at convention.”

“Fuck that. Fuck conventions, fuck what we’re supposed to be, Roxie. Let’s just be us, and do whatever the fuck we want to, shall we? And what I want, what I’d really love, is for you to be my wife.” His eyes pleaded for an answer.

She moved her fingers, holding her ring finger up to him. She wanted to pull it back as soon as she saw her bare nail beds, but he clutched at her hand.

“I need to hear you say it, Rox,” he said, holding the ring just out of reach of her finger.

“Hear what, Lincoln?” Her eyes were on his again, full of tears. This wasn’t a dream. It was real. It was happening.

“Say you’ll marry me. Say you forgive me. Say you love me.” His eyes implored her to do his bidding.