“I like that very much.” I was sick of being worried all the time about when Ken would make his move. I knew he was toying with me, biding his time, but now Shaw would catch him unaware. The bastard. I was only sorry I couldn’t get a front-row seat to watch and make sure this time that he would stay dead.
“I’ll see you soon.”
Shaw walked out of the room, leaving me alone in the bedroom. The familiar fear returned, but then I remembered. Shaw was going to take care of it. I would be free of that manipulative asshole and he would never have the chance to hurt me again.
I laughed and dropped onto my back on the bed, hugging myself. I’d never felt as loved as I did at that moment. I had a man who was willing to kill for me, just like I would kill for him. What greater love existed than that? For him to risk everything in his life to make me happy again? I had been so miserable this past week and a half since Ken showed up.
Maybe now we could move on from everything that had happened. We could put everything behind us and live our lives together, burying all the skeletons in the closet and letting them stay there. For Shaw to do this for me, I would do everything for him in return.
I lay there, thinking of our future together, then jolted up. Damn, I needed to hurry. Shaw had told me to be dressed when he returned home. I vaulted off the bed, ran over to the closet, and riffled through my clothes. The elegant rose-pink jumpsuit would be perfect. I plucked the outfit from the rack. Thank god I made a habit to iron all my clothes before I put them away. The material skimming over my body made me already feel ten times better.
How had Shaw known I needed this?
I sat in front of the magnifying mirror. After pinning my hair back, I worked on my makeup—soft and natural with a bronzer, smoky eyes, and a light brown, natural-looking lipstick that made my lips plumper. A touch of false lashes and mascara to add volume to my eyes and my face was perfect. I hadn’t gone all out like this for Shaw before, and I wanted to wow him. Every man we passed tonight should envy him whether they were gay, bi, or straight.
Next, I worked on my hair, blowing it out, then curling the short locks to fall perfectly on one side with a few tendrils trailing over my forehead. My hair could do with some highlights, but I didn’t have the time. It didn’t matter; it still looked amazing. I spritzed all the important places with my most expensive cologne and, closing my eyes, inhaled deeply.
I’d eat me up if I could.
In the bathroom, I took two pills to calm my nerves tonight. The last thing I wanted was my paranoia about Ken to ruin the night Shaw planned for us. I replaced the bottle of Xanax in the medicine cabinet, patted my hair, and walked out of the bathroom. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the figure standing by the bed.
I placed a hand over my heart. “Oh, my god, you almost gave me a heart attack.”
“Sorry, I thought you heard me come in.” Shaw ran his eyes over me, his face flushed. “Ari, you look…” He shook his head. “Amazing, and that’s not quite the word I want to use, but nothing else comes to mind right now. Baby, turn around.”
I turned for him. The cut in the back of the jumpsuit was deep and didn’t cover up all my tattoos. He made a strangled sound in his throat.
“I don’t know if I want you out in public like this,” he said. “How am I going to stop every man out there from making a pass at you?”
“But you don’t have to. I’m already yours.”
In good deeds and bad.
“Your shoes.” He gestured at the pair of nude heels I had put at the foot of the bed. “Sit and let me get them on.”
“I can do it.”
“I want to do it.”
Heat traveled from my neck to my cheeks. I shouldn’t be shy about letting Shaw do this. He’d helped me put on my shoes before, even when I was a teenager, but this time it was different. He was a Daddy taking care of his boy. He went down on one knee before me and gently lifted my foot.
“Even your feet are beautiful. How did I end up being this lucky?”
My chest swelled. “Are you sure you don’t mean unlucky? So many bad things have happened since I returned.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Your life would have been so much easier if I hadn’t come back.”
“Easier, maybe.” He secured the strap around my ankle and reached for my next foot. “But definitely not as fun. I wouldn’t be anywhere near this happy either.” He glanced up at me. “Ari, you’re every reason a man needs to both be good and bad at the same time. Because I’ll do whatever it takes to take care of you and ensure your well-being.”
I blinked the tears away. “Oh, please stop. You’re going to make me ruin my mascara, and I’m wearing fake eyelashes.”
He laughed, struggling to his feet. “They look nice, but so you know, Ari, I love you just as much plain-faced.”
I gasped. “Plain-faced? When am I ever plain?”
“You’re right.” He pulled me to my feet and into his arms. “My love, there’s nothing plain about you. The things you make me do for you, Ari. It’s too late to turn back now, and even if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t do a single thing differently.”