~Grace~
"It took me hours to draft that," I whisper, my voice trembling as my vision blurs and tears escape. "You could have just declined amicably."
He doesn't offer an apology. Instead, he reaches out, his large hand cupping the back of my neck and pulling my face inches from his. I gasp as I feel his tongue catch a stray tear—a slow, deliberate movement that sends a shiver straight to my core.
"If we are going to do this, Grace, we will do it the right way," he growls, his eyes darkening with hunger. "I don't need a piece of paper to claim what has been mine since the moment I caught your scent. Keep your 'one year.' I'm keeping you."
My excitement comes in bubbles of tears. It isn't just about him keeping me stalled, but the fact that he actually agrees to do this.
