“Ruin. You know I can’t..”
He didn’t let me finish, his hand reached for mine. “I know we can’t actually get married yet, Avery.” His eyes widened. “I know that but you have got to say you will be mine. Say…” he slipped from his chair and down on to one knee. Taking my hand with him. “Say you will marry me, Avery.”
I couldn’t say a word. All I could do was stare at his eager face with my mouth open. People had turned to stare and waiting for an answer. I had never felt more under pressure than I did at that moment.
I loved him, surely he knew that? I just didn’t understand his rush to make things more formal. Things were great the way they were. We were happy. Why did we have to change things?
“I love you, Colton.” I purposely used his real name and not his road name. “But.”
He dropped my hand like it had burnt him. Climbing to his feet. “Yeah, you don’t need to finish that sentence.”
“Ruin please let me explain…” I reached for him and he shook me off angrily. “Don’t Avery. You have said enough.” Raising his hand to a passing waitress he called her over to the table. “We would like the bill, this date is over.”
“Is everything ok sir?” She sounded small and scared. Not that I could blame her. Ruin was a scary man even when he was happy. When he was angry, he was terrifying.
And he was definitely angry now.
“Yeah just peachy. The mother of my child won’t marry me.” He shrugged, his voice rising. I ducked my head, my cheeks flaming. “Happy fucking Valentine’s Day.”
***
He was pushing the bike too hard in his anger. Taking the bends at breakneck speed. Leaving me with no choice but to hold on to his back and pray that he kept control of the bike.
He was angry. I got that. He thought I was rejecting him. When it couldn’t be further from the truth. I wasn’t rejecting him. I was taking things slow so we worked. There was no shame in going slow. He wanted to be a family, I wanted us to be a family as well. We just didn’t need to rush things.
“Fuck.” His words were caught up by the wind. Caught and scattered. It was only then that I realised he had pulled the Hog into a side road. Slowing to a stop. “Fuck Avery.” He slammed his hands down making me jump.
Gazing around I stared at the trees that pressed up on every side. The silence was loud after the throaty roar of the engine.
“What?”
His hands slammed down again. “Get off the damn bike.” He swore again. But he didn’t have to ask me twice. Although if he left me here in the middle of know where I would murder him in his sleep. I didn’t think he would. But Ruin could be unpredictable when he was pissed.
“Look.” Forcing my voice to be steady I whirled on him. Hands on my hips.
He was off of his bike in an instant. His hands crushing my face between his palms. “No, you look Avery.” His eyes blazed in the darkness. “Do you realise that you said you loved me back then?” All the anger seemed to seep from his body. His shoulder sagged. I could do nothing but stare at him.
Of course, I realised what I had said. I did love him it wasn’t a big deal. “I know.”
“It’s the first time you have ever said it, Avery. The first fucking time you say it and you reject me on the next breath.” His lips smashed down on mine. “You are killing me.”
Had it really been the first time I had said it out loud? I honestly couldn’t be sure. I had been in love with for so long. But had I ever told him in words.
“I do love you.” My arms went up around his neck. “I love you and I love what we have…. I am yours for as long as you will have me. I just don’t need a ring or a property vest to prove it. Don’t you get it Ruin? I don’t need to prove to anyone but you who I belong to. As long as you know.”
His lips were soft as they brushed over mine. “Nope still don’t understand.” He gave a shrug. “But I’ll take the fact you have finally said you love me as a win for today.” Pressing a kiss to the tip of my nose, his lips quirked upwards.
Chapter Three
Ruin
Yes, I had pulled us on to a small side road but I hadn’t pulled over so we could do the thing I could see she wanted to do. It was in the sudden light that danced in her eyes.
Kissing her nose, I took a step back only to find her body clinging to mine. Avery reached up, pulling my head down to hers. But she didn’t kiss me instead there was a flash of white as she smiled in the darkness.
Yeah, I knew what she had in mind. Her eyes scanned the trees around us. Distantly I could hear the sound of traffic but there was nothing on this road.
No cars, no people. No one but me and her.