Part 41 (1/2)
”That's my privilege,” Cain said as she kissed her forehead.
”Just remember that I'll follow, but like Emma, I don't want to be left behind.”
”That's a deal I can live with.”
Chapter Forty-Nine.
The house was quiet when Remi got back, and she slowly walked up the stairs, telling Emil good night as he kept going toward the guest room Dallas had pointed out to him earlier. Dallas was in the other bedroom, and Remi hesitated in the hall. What she'd done that night had set Dallas free of everything and everyone that had been a part of her life. And standing there she realized that includedherself .
”Are you all right?” Dallas asked as she put her hand around Remi's elbow and led her into the master bedroom. ”Do you need me to help you?”
”I'm fine, just thinking.”
”If you got a chance to talk to Bob, I'm sure he gave you plenty to think about.” In front of the bed she let Remi go and stepped back.
”If you want me to go downstairs and sleep on the couch, that won't be a problem for me.”
”What I want is to get in that bed and hold you. I'm not in great shape, but I can manage that if you're up for it.”
They left the door to the balcony open to let the cool night air in and enjoyed the feel of each other with no barriers between them.
Dallas had draped herself over Remi's uninjured side with her head resting on her shoulder and ran her fingers softly over her skin, not wanting to press down on the bruise that dominated Remi's chest.
They didn't start talking right away, so Dallas was content to watch the rise and fall of Remi's chest as she breathed. It was like a miracle.
”Where'd you run off to?” Remi asked as she scratched Dallas's back.
”Just wis.h.i.+ng silly things.”
”I find that hard to believe. Since we've met you've never asked me for anything, so tell me what you're hoping for and I'll do my best to give it to you.”
”I want you, Remington,” Dallas whispered so softly she figured Remi hadn't heard her.
”You have me.”
”No, I want” Remi pressed two of her fingers against her lips.
”You have me, Dallas, and not just here.” She fanned her arm around the bed. Remi sat up a bit to lean against the carved headboard of the bed, taking Dallas with her. She settled Dallas across her legs.
”I want you to understand something. I've never allowed anyone but my family and close friends to know me this well. No woman has ever come close to owning my heart, but you're the difference I've been waiting for, and I want nothing more than to stand up for you.”
”I can't ask you to do that.”
”You can't force someone to do that, just like you can't force someone to love you. You're more than my bed-warmer. If you decide to stay with me, I'll keep you safe and give you room to grow into the incredible woman I know you can be, and that doesn't apply only to your career. I'll hold you up so you can achieve your dreams and be there to catch you when you fail. I want nothing from you in return.”
”Is that all you want?” Dallas asked. She'd moved so she could see Remi's face as she spoke.
”You're free now, Dallas, maybe for the first time in your life. No one's waiting in the wings to make you do something you don't choose. If you want to explore that freedom, don't feel you're bound to me.”
Dallas moved so she straddled Remi's legs and was close enough to see those unique eyes. She placed her hands on Remi's cheeks and spoke from her heart. ”If Iam truly free, then nothing's stopping me from loving you. Nothing's stopping me from wanting to be the last woman in your life.”
”I love you,” Remi said softly but with meaning.
Dallas leaned her forehead against Remi's. She didn't want to say anything yet, so the echo of Remi's declaration could resonate in her head until it sunk in.
She moved back enough to kiss Remi. ”I love you and for once I'm feeling selfish. I don't want to share you with anyone. I want to be free to take care of you and to expect certain things from you. I want you, Remi, but I won't settle for anything but your all. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?”
”That's what you have,” Remi said as she moved to kiss Dallas's palms.
”No more models?”
”No more women of any kind.”
The kiss that followed erased any reservations Dallas had. ”Can I ask you one more thing? If you can't answer, then don't.”
”Just ask.”
”Remember, if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to.”
”If you don't ask me I'll have a hard time answering.”
”Did you kill Bob?” Dallas's good sense was telling her she shouldn't ask the question, but she had to know.
”No, I didn't, but I won't lie and tell you I made it easy for him to survive. It's a wait-and-see situation,” Remi answered truthfully.
”What do you mean?”
”I hurt him pretty badly. Let's just say I broke him of his smug att.i.tude, and then I dropped him somewhere. It's up to him, with some divine intervention, to swim back without something eating him. Maybe that's not what you wanted, but when he talked about you and showed no remorse, I snapped.”
”Can I confess a deep, dark secret and not have youthink any less of me?”
”Nothing you tell me will change how I feel about you.”
”From the time Bob came into my life I've had a list of ways I'd like to see him die. The day you and I met I was well into five thousand, and all mine included lots of suffering.”
”That should be incentive for me to behave.”
”I'm sorry if I put you in a position you didn't want to be in.”
”Bob is one of those people you'd like to kill more than once.”
Remi ran her fingers along Dallas's hips, obviously being careful because of the pain. ”I'm glad I was the one who helped you get this idiot out of your life.”
Remi's words made Dallas cry. ”I know why you love those adventure books. You're like a knight defending my honornot that I have much left, if any at all.” Dallas wiped away her angry tears.