Page 51 of Teach Me (Filthy Rich Billionaires 1)

Erika swallowed, hard, aware of her heartbeat in every part of her. Even her fingertips. “And if I go out there and apologize to my brother, then we can...continue?”

He muttered something, then leaned forward to press his forehead to hers.

“Baby. I’m not letting you go. If you don’t apologize to your brother, I’ll be disappointed. And I might take that disappointment out on that fine ass of yours. That’s your choice.” He laughed when she shuddered. “But you and me? There’s only one thing you could do to end this. You’ll have to tell me to go, and you’ll have to use your safe word, so that I believe it. Is that what you want?”

“No,” she breathed. “I don’t want that at all.”

“Make a choice,” he ordered her.

“You,” she said, and she didn’t even think about it. It didn’t require thought. “Of course, you.”

Dorian tilted her head up then, and dropped his mouth to hers and gave her the sweetest, most delicious kiss, like something out of a fairy tale. And then he raised his head, his eyes went wicked and he dropped a hand down to her butt and squeezed.

Making her jump, because the plug was still in there.

“Try not to walk as if you have a stick up your ass, kitten,” he told her, amusement making his voice that much richer. “You wouldn’t want to raise suspicions.”

Erika scowled at him, but when he took her hand, she laced her fingers tight with his and felt nothing short of giddy.

She took a quick peek in one of the mirrors they passed out in the hallway, and hardly recognized the person she saw looking back at her. Because finally, after all these years, she looked alive. She wasn’t hiding. She wasn’t afraid.

She was just...Erika. Herself.

At last.

Dorian drew her back to that same doorway where he’d found her earlier and they stood there a moment, looking in on the assembled crowd. Erika found Conrad quickly in the middle of the throng, looking as buttoned-up and unapproachable as ever. Her stomach twisted, predictably.

“Are you ready?” Dorian asked from beside her.

Erika looked at her brother. And she looked down at her hand entwined with Dorian’s.

And she knew it didn’t matter what she chose. That he would express any disappointment in her honestly, and present her with consequences, but he wouldn’t cut her loose. She could make any choice at all, and he would support her. And possibly paddle her if he didn’t agree with it.

But after all this time, after so many years out there, alone, she’d finally found her home. He was her home.

Dorian would keep her safe. He had the power to lead, to demand. But she had the power to surrender. And between them, they had the power to do absolutely anything.

Even fall in love too fast, and then stay there forever.

But she didn’t tell him that. Not now. She was certain he would much rather tie her up and make her say it later, when he ran out of patience.

She could hardly wait.

Erika looked up and found herself there in the bright gleam in his dark eyes that was all for her. Only and ever for her.

“I would follow you anywhere,” she told him.

And then she smiled, as bright as the sunshine he made her feel even here, inside and at night. Everywhere. That was the magic they made between them, and always would.

She believed in him. In them. In this, no matter how new.

In the home they made between them, and carried wherever they’d go.

And before he could prompt her, she leaned closer and whispered his favorite word in his ear, so no one else could hear.

“Sir.”

CHAPTER TWELVE