Page 198 of So This Is War
“No.” I laugh as we reach a door where we’re greeted by a balding man with a thick mustache.
“Mr. Posey.” He shakes my hand. “I’m Harold and will be assisting you. We’re so pleased to have you with us tonight.”
“Call me Levi,” I say and follow Harold into another room, this one much smaller and with a table and three chairs. In the center of the table is a large velvet box. Wylie looks all sorts of confused, so I turn toward Harold and ask, “Can you give us a minute?”
“Of course.” Harold bows his head and then leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.
Turning toward Wylie, I take her hand in mine and look her in the eyes. “I wanted to do something for you, something to show you my dedication and commitment to you. And now that I know how you feel about me. . .” I turn her hand over and draw a circle on her palm. “I want to give you something that says that you’re mine. If you’re open to it, of course. I won’t be offended if you’re not ready for anything like that but?—”
“I’d love it,” she says with a smile, probably sensing my nerves because fuck, am I nervous.
I want this, I know I do, but that doesn’t mean I’m not worried about what she might think about it. That she might think it’s a horrible idea and want nothing to do with it.
“You . . . you do?” I ask, hope springing in my chest.
She cups my cheek and says, “Yes, I’m yours, Levi. If you want to give me something to represent that, then please, give it to me.”
Fuck, I love this woman.
So damn much.
I lean my forehead against hers and press a soft kiss to her lips. “I’m so relieved to hear that.” Then I tug her onto my lap where she fits comfortably. She plays with the hairs on the back of my neck as she beams down at me.
“Why are you relieved? You were there when I said I love you.”
“I know,” I say. “But remember, this is all new for me.”
“This is new for me too,” she says. “And we’ll go through it together. But yes, whatever you have waiting for me, I want it. I want you.”
“Good,” I say as I reach for the velvet box. “Because I really want you to have these.” I open the velvet box revealing quite a few gold and silver bracelets, all incredibly thin.
“Oh my gosh,” she says as she looks through them. “Are these . . . bracelets?”
“Yes,” I say.
“But they don’t have clasps.”
“Because they’re permanent bracelets,” I say. I look her in the eyes. “It’s a way of me being able to tell people that you’re mine.” I pick one up. “You can take your pick. Some are generic, but there’s one with my initials intertwined into the design and one with my number. If you don’t like them, I can always get you something else. Maybe something less permanent?—”
“I love these,” she says as she studies the one with my initials closely. “It’s beautiful. And the one with your number . . . and maybe this one.” She picks up a generic one, but they look amazing together when she places them on her wrist. And because the number and initials are so subtle, her dad won’t even know. “I love these so much. Am I allowed to get three?”
Relief washes through me as I say, “Get as many as you want, Wylie.”
She pauses for a moment and gives them a long look. She even moves some around, grouping them together to see what works best. After a few minutes, she settles with the original three and cups my cheek.
“I love these so much. Thank you, Levi.”
“Of course.” I rub my hand up and down her back. “I’m glad you like them.”
I lean in and offer her a kiss, which she takes, and I get lost in her mouth for a moment. I forget about the responsibilities around us, the trouble with her father, and the idea that all of this could be taken away with one wrong move.
Instead, I revel in the feel of her arms around me, in the passion in her kiss, in the gratefulness and love in her eyes.
When she pulls away, she tugs on my bottom lip with her thumb and says, “I’m so sucking your dick tonight.”
I let out a roar of a laugh just as there’s a knock on the door. “Come in,” I call out.
Harold walks in and asks, “Are you ready?”
