Page 36 (1/2)

After a few uess I also wanted to prove I wasn’t evil, despite what my father and our ranch hands had said They all knew me, Elias They helped raise me from the time I was a baby, and then they turned on me I almost expected it from my father, because I knew he hated aze and asked, “Now do you see why I’ve always felt I couldn’t rely on anyone but myself?”

“I do, and I’le reason to trust me”

“It was all just bad ti,” I said “I wasn’t ready for a rets are the decades we lost, and the fact that I channeled er That wasn’t fair to you”

“Your anger was justified”

“It was an excuse to push you away” I stretched up and kissed hi our rule about focusing on the present instead of the past”

“This was irateful you confided in me I knoasn’t easy to talk about what happened to you”

“It doesn’t feel right to keep secrets from you, not when you’re a part of me”

“A part you never asked for”

“But a part I’ to appreciate”

He grinned and said, “It’s nice to be appreciated”

I just had to ask “Would you have chosen me as your mate? You know, if you didn’t have to?”

“Again and again and again”

“Even though I’m stubborn and disobedient?”

His grin turned devious “That’s not so bad It gives me plenty of reasons to spank you”