Devoured - Cathryn Fox Page 0,66
know, it just reminded me that I should never let myself believe in fairy tales, because...”
“Because there’s still a part of you that believes you’re not enough. But you have to let that go. You’re everything. You’re more than everything.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “The truth is, Peyton, you can take care of yourself, I know that, but all I want to do is protect you and give you the world.” His throat makes a noise and he puts a hand on my face. “I don’t want to live without you. Correction, I can’t live without you.”
“You can’t?”
“No.” Eyes full of love and sorrow study my face. My heart races and happy tears full of joy spill down my cheeks. “Can you let me do that?”
“All I ever wanted from you was your love, Roman. Those other things aren’t important to me.”
He smiles. “Is that your way of saying you love me?”
“Of course I love you,” I blurt out. “I’ve always loved you. For as long as I can remember I loved you.”
“Then say yes.”
“No,” I say, and he falls back onto his heels.
Fear and sadness invade his dark eyes. “No?”
“No, if it’s tradition, then I want to sign the prenup. I didn’t know that before. I thought it was about me, but it’s not, it’s about your family and tradition and I want to respect that.”
He smiles, stands and pulls me to him. “Right there, Peyton. That’s why I don’t want you to sign it.”
I take a big breath, about to answer him, then glance up to see our families. “Wait,” I say. “Why is everyone here?”
“Because if you say yes, I want to get married this very second. All the arrangements have been made.”
“Oh.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, oh, and I’m not the only one out here holding my breath here, Peyton. My sisters can’t wait until they can call you sister, Mamma can’t wait to call you her new daughter, and I can’t wait to call you my wife.”
I put one hand on my hips and shake my head. “You just took it upon yourself to make arrangements without consulting me?”
“I just thought—”
I throw my hands out, palms up, and those watching must think we’re fighting. “And never considered if I wanted it to be on a beach or a church, or a... I don’t know, somewhere else,” I say, totally pressing his buttons and wanting to frustrate him.
“This is where your school is going to be built, I thought you’d like—”
“What about where I want to live?”
“If you liked Malta, I thought you’d like—”
“You thought I’d like all of this, did you? Maybe I don’t like any of this, Roman. Maybe I hate it.”
I grin up at him and that’s when he clues in to what I’m doing.
His smile is slow, sexy. “Do I have to kiss you to stop you from arguing with me?”
“Yes, Roman.”
He pauses, his lips inches from mine, hope invading his eyes. “Wait, what are you saying yes to?”
“I’m saying yes to being your wife, to living here, to building a school here, a future here, and celebrating a wedding today with our families.”
He runs his thumb over my cheek and I melt into him. “Are you going to hate all those things, Peyton?”
My heart beats so fast, I’m sure I might faint, but if I do, this man will be there to take care of me, and more importantly I’m going to let him. “I’m going to hate every single one,” I say.
“Good.”
Cheers erupt behind us as he picks me up, puts his lips on mine and as his love and warmth wrap around my body and heart, he spins me, pushing the last chills from my body. I kiss him back, deeply, passionately, my flesh absorbing all his heat and love, and for the first time in my life something miraculous happens to my body.
It warms.
* * *
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