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Now I ate less cookie dough. I didn’t cut it out completely, though, because what would life be without cookie dough? Of course, I read romance novels because they were amazing, but I got more sleep. And I still drank wine but didn’t do it to escape reality; I did it to enjoy good food, good company.
“She’s single now. A lot of men are gonna try and get in there.” “They can try,” I clipped out, my blood burning at the thought of some other piece of shit touching her. Touching what was mine.
“Who did this to you?” Rowan’s nostrils flared, his jaw was set in a rigid line.
“Tell me what happened, cupcake,” he murmured softly.
But his hands stayed on me. The grip never tightened. Not even a little. His fury did not leech onto my skin.
“Rowan,” I said in not much more than a whisper. “Yeah, cupcake?” “What is this?” His mouth turned upward ever so slightly before he leaned in and kissed me gently on the forehead. When he pulled back, our faces were inches apart. My heart thrummed. “This,” he murmured, eyes glued to mine, “is the beginning of us.”
“Where we goin’?” he asked. I looked to my best friend. “We’re going to fuck up the piece of shit who laid hands on my woman.”
“Yes, I allow dogs in the house,” I replied, still staring into those curious eyes. “I’m not a monster.”
“Because your cheeks are flushed, because I’ve been dreaming of what your lips taste like. Because I can barely fuckin’ control my need to claim them. Taste you.”
“You seem shocked. Do I not seem like a twin?” I teased. He rubbed his hand over his jaw, brushing at the thick stubble. “No,” he replied instantly. “You seem like one of a kind.”
But there was no ring on her finger anymore. And I was fucking desperate to make her mine in every way I could.
“But,” he gritted out. “Wanna do things different with you. Wanna take you on a date. Give you what you deserve. Show this whole town you’re mine.” He lifted his hand to brush my cheek. “And then, I want to show you you’re mine.”
“Cupcake, I was yours the second my steel-toed boot set foot in this pink fuckin’ bakery,” he said without hesitation.
despite how pissed I was with Rowan right then, he had made me feel safe enough to yell at him.
“You like me,” I said. “Like is one word to describe how I feel about you,” he murmured.
if we were both on a plane and it was going down, I wouldn’t be scared. Not at all, because I know you would somehow handle the situation. Now, I don’t know if you’re a pilot or whatever, but I know you’d take care of it. Take care of me.”
“You’re building me a greenhouse,” I repeated, but this time it wasn’t a question. Rowan’s expression softened. “Yeah, cupcake. I am.”
“I love you,” he repeated without hesitation. “I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you. And I’ve only loved you more since I got to touch you, kiss you, make you mine. Every new thing I discover about you is yet another reason why I’m a fuckin’ goner. Why I’m yours for life. Hate that you deal with that shit, fuckin’ hate it. But you’ve been dealin’ with it alone for all these years. Making you a promise right here, right now… From this moment on, you’re not dealin’ with anything alone again.”
“I can’t do anything to make you hurt less,” he said quieter, in a tortured tone that made that hate melt away. “But I can make sure you don’t freeze to death outside. He rubbed my arms as if to warm me. As if that were possible. “I can make you somethin’ to eat.” He stroked my face.
