Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Yeah, is Damon here?”
“I think so.” She turned toward Damon’s office, but she didn’t take a step as the man suddenly grabbed her hair and threw her against the door. She released a scream.
He wasn’t done with her, and she couldn’t see what was happening as he started to rain down blows on her face.
The shock of the sudden violence shook her. She covered her face, trying to curl up in a ball when he started to use his feet.
As quickly as the violence started, it was gone.
“You keep fucking hold of him, now!” Damon’s voice echoed around the room.
Pushing her hair out of her face, she looked up to see Damon coming toward her. She got to her feet even as her body protested against the onslaught of pain. Wrapping her arms around Damon, she couldn’t help but cry.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
“Rose sends her love,” the man said, bursting out laughing.
Meghan was shaken, terrified, and as she looked back at Damon, she saw the rage in his eyes.
“Call the doctor,” Damon said.
“I’m fine.”
“One of your eyes is swelling up, Meghan. I want a doctor to check you over, and I’m not taking no for an answer. Put him in the basement. He and I are going to have a word.” She winced with every step she took. He’d kicked her a few times on her legs and chest.
He’d even landed a blow to her stomach, and it hurt as well.
Damon helped her down onto the sofa. “I can’t let this stand, Meghan. I’ve got to take care of it.”
“She’s my sister,” Meghan said.
“And if you’d been alone here?” She had been a couple of times, usually in his office helping him complete work. Her business degree was coming in handy for something. “I’m not willing to take that chance, and she knows that you won’t hurt her, but she’s taken too much from you already.” He cupped her face. “I’m not going to let her take you from me, Meghan.”
She saw he wanted to say something else. “What is it?”
He stood up and walked away. That wasn’t what she expected, and she frowned. He moved toward his desk, and seconds later he came back, holding something within his hand. “I was going to wait until Christmas, but I don’t want to wait that long.”
She smiled. “It’s a couple of weeks away,” she said.
“I’m impatient.” He held open his palm, and she saw a band resting in his palm. “I want you to marry me. I want you to be my wife.”
“Damon?”
“Hear me out. I love you, Meghan. I didn’t even know what love was until I met you, but seeing you, being with you every single day, I know what it is. It’s the small things we do. Like putting the toilet seat down because I know it annoys you when it’s up. Leaving flowers for you that make you smile or buying your favorite ice cream. It’s not about the gifts for me. I love that smile you have that shines so fucking brightly.”
“I had no idea you were so smooth with words.” She sniffled. “You love me?”
“Yes, I love you. I love you so fucking much it scares me. Why do you think you were stuck in my apartment when we first met?”
“You didn’t know what to do with me?”
“I didn’t know what to do with my own feelings. I’ve never been like this with anyone, Meghan. Honestly, I didn’t know what to do, and it fucking scared me.” He tucked some hair behind her ear. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know I’ve not got a lot to offer you. That you hate this life.”
She pressed a finger against his lips. “No. Don’t. I love you, Damon. I love you so much, and I don’t care about anything else because the last six months have been the best of my life. Being with you, having you in my life. You’ve made it magical. I would love to be your wife.”
He slid the ring on her finger, and there was this moment as she stared at him, that everything fell into place with her.
He wasn’t the perfect businessman with the pristine reputation, but he was hers and she didn’t want to lose him. She loved him, and there’s no way she would ever change him, not for the world.
She cupped his face and leaned forward to take his lips beneath hers. Letting out a moan, she wrapped her arms around his neck, ignoring the pain.
When someone cleared his throat, she pulled away.
“It’s the doctor,” Damon said. “Reese, this is my fiancée, Meghan.”
“You didn’t do this work, did you?”
“No, he didn’t,” Meghan said. “I wouldn’t marry someone who’d beat me up, Doctor.”
“Good, good. Let’s check you over.”