Twisted-Games

eighty of Eldorra’s most powerful, but it was also a major gamble.
“You sure?” I asked after she finished. “It’s a big risk.”
Bridget had the most to lose if it didn’t pan out.
“Yes. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier.” She paused. “Actually, I
can. I was scared of what people would say and that it would lessen my
legitimacy as a ruler. But I’m tired of being afraid. With great risk comes
great reward, right?”
A small smile touched my lips. “Absolutely.”
Bridget was, after all, my greatest risk and my greatest reward.
She lifted one hand and tangled her fingers with mine. “I missed you.”
The mood shifted, transitioning from the brisk practicality of our plan to
something softer and achingly vulnerable.
“I’m right here. I’m not leaving.” I swept my thumb over her bottom lip.
“I take care of what’s mine, and you’ve been mine since the moment I saw
you outside your poorly secured house at Thayer. Until I fixed it, of course.”
A smile tugged at her mouth. “You couldn’t stand me back then.”
“Doesn’t matter. You were still mine.” I curled my hand around the back
of her neck while keeping my thumb on her lip. “Mine to fight with. Mine to
protect. Mine to fuck.” My voice dropped. “Mine to love.”
Bridget sucked in an audible breath.
“In Costa Rica, you asked if I’d ever been in love. I said no.” I lowered
my head until our foreheads touched and her lips were scant inches from
mine. “Ask me again.”
It was the same request I’d made at the hospital, but this time, Bridget
didn’t break our gaze as she asked, “Have you ever been in love, Mr.
Larsen?”
“Only once.” I slid my hand up from her neck to the back of her head,
cupping it. “And you, princess. Have you ever been in love?”
“Only once,” she whispered.
I exhaled sharply her words sank into my soul, filling cracks I hadn’t
known existed.
Until Bridget, I’d never loved or been loved, and I finally understood
what the fuss was about. It was better than any bulletproof armor or oblivion
I found at the bottom of the bottle during my short-lived affair with alcohol.
Alcohol was for numbing, and I didn’t want to be numb. I wanted to feel
every goddamn thing with her.
I pulled Bridget close until our bodies pressed flush against each other.