Billionaire's Second Chance At Love

Chapter Eighty-Five

Ronin wasn't expecting her to say 'yes'—she still endured wounds on her body that were yet to heal fully—but when she held his hand, laced their fingers, and tugged him inside her room, he could barely hold himself back.

Everything around him turned blurred or insignificant as soon as he closed the door with the back of his foot and let his gaze sweep over her beautiful self. The woman who was just so stunning in every fucking way.

From her hair to her soft and tender skin, from her deep, thoughtful eyes to that seductive curl of her mouth. Everything about her was such a turn-on. Yes, even her naive little heart was a tease like no other, the kindness that she just couldn't hide. He couldn't even blame Simon Walsh for holding such an obsessive liking for her or hate his brother for wanting her to be his.

Ronin would be lying if he hadn't thought about making her his in the past several months. Earlier, he might not have had the courage to admit to himself that his hate and anger towards her stemmed from the fact that she was forbidden, but his perspective had definitely changed now. Now, he couldn't suppress what and how deeply he felt. He couldn't hide the impulsive need to protect her at any cost.

He just...wanted to make her his.

But he wondered if it were too soon to bare his heart completely in front of her, if he were being selfish without even knowing. Because if that were the case, he couldn't continue with what was happening. Now that she had given him this second chance that he surely didn't deserve, he didn't want to ruin it by being impulsive and unknowingly forceful. The only thing he wanted was to be by her side, hold her hand, and let her take on the world. He wanted to be her strength and not a weakness she couldn't say no to.

Perhaps that was the reason when she gazed up at him with those passionate eyes and lifted herself on her tiptoes to press her lips to his, he slipped a finger between their mouths and whispered with labored breathing. "Carmen..."

Her eyes widened slightly at the way her name slipped out of his mouth, her head slowly tipping to the side. "Hm?"

He swallowed, letting his hands travel up her curves, shoulders, and arms until he reached her elbows and gently pulled them down. Confusion and disappointment were quick to flash in Carmen's eyes as she watched the way he peeled himself away from her, as he stepped away, as if he needed a minute to take a breath. And maybe a part of it was nothing but the truth, because being this close to her was clearly frying his brain. He couldn't fucking think straight.

"I'm sorry..." she said to him, suddenly nervous, pushing some fallen strands out of her face. "Was that too...bold...of me? I didn't mean—"

"Hey," Not able to help himself and for her to take his actions wrong, he stepped closer and cupped her cheek. "There's nothing wrong with being bold."

"But then, why did you...?"

"Because I was afraid of being too forceful...or well, selfish."

This time her eyes widened for a whole different reason and she knotted her fingers with the collar of his shirt, pulling him gently down. "Why would you think that?"

"Because...you still haven't healed properly. I don't want you to...take any pressure. There's no rush."

Perhaps there was some truth in his words, seeing she didn't say anything to make him think otherwise—just looked him in the eyes, thinking as if.

But then she did speak and he felt as if his heart was hit was a tsunami of desire. He almost chuckled to himself. Almost.

"Why don't we pick a safe word?"

He raised a brow, his lips curling into a naughty grin. "Safe word as in when it gets too..." he leaned in to whisper into her ear. "...rough?"

He could almost feel the way heat rose to her face and watched closely as the tips of her ears turned pink.