Chapter 33
POV: Gabrielle?
Water cascaded over my body—cleaning it of dirt, leaves, his cum—but I would never be truly cleansed, not really, not after him.
My eyes were closed, yet I felt him beside me—his presence steady and consuming, standing close enough that even the faintest brush of his hand was a quiet assurance that he was there.
And god, I loved it.
At this point—I begged for it.
Dane’s fingers traced over my arm—sending a pulse through my body and blinking my eyes open.
I didn’t turn to face him—not at once. Instead, I remained still, my gaze fixed on the shower tiles as the water traced slow, wandering paths down their smooth surface.
But when I finally gathered the nerve to look back at him, my pulse leapt, sudden and unsteady.
Because he was staring at me—his gaze intense and unwavering.
And it stirred everything back to life—all the feelings I had tried so carefully to bury.
All the emotions came crashing back, sending my mind swirling about what if’s, and maybe’s, and could be’s.
So when the words came rushing out, I couldn’t stop them. I didn’t want to stop them.
“What would it be like?” my voice cracked as I spoke but my gaze never left his.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips but never completely formed. He took a single step forward, closing the short distance between us and running his thumb over the edge of my jaw. “What would, what be like, Belle?”
He knew. Of course he knew.
But he wanted me to work for it.
His thumb traveled lower, and he cupped my chin.
My breath caught in my throat. “What would life be like…as your wife?”
The word lingered on his lips like a ghost, unspoken yet unmistakable. Wife.
Then a smirk fully formed on his lips as he said, “I’d give you everything.”
My body shook with anticipation.
And he continued, “Everything, Belle. Everything you’ve ever wanted—you’d have it. A life beyond your dreams.”
My eyes widened, as he leaned in and pressed a deep kiss into my lips—one that shattered every ounce of my self control—every ounce of my restraint.
Because I wanted to be with him more than anything, I knew that now.
“You’d never want for anything,” he paused, studying my gaze, his eyes traveling back and forth intently. “Not for money, not for experience, not for…love.”
“But…” I began, stopping before a sentence even formed on my lips. My tone was quick and quiet. “But what would it be like?”
He nodded once, as if he understood what I meant. Then said, “Pure devotion. I’ll never have another if you’re mine. I wouldn’t need it. You are the only woman I’d even look at, Belle.”
I waited with bated breath.
And he continued, “This would be our home. But we would travel to—we could go whenever you like, whenever you’d like. And you can write, remotely of course, if you’d still want to keep your job.”
I bit my lip, thinking, but I couldn’t pinpoint one solid thought, as my mind raced.
His eyes softened then he said, “And we could have a family, one day.”
“A family?” I squeaked, both exhilarated from the thought and uncertain of it at the same time.
“Yes, a family,” he replied, taking my hand in his and pressing it to his heart. “I’ve…I’ve always wanted a family.”
The words fell out of my mouth, “Me too.”
His face washed with happiness in a second’s time.
“You don’t know how long I’ve searched for you, Belle. How long I’ve wanted this—-to find a love like…ours. One that doesn’t judge. One that understands and sees and feels,” he heaved a breath in before squeezing my hand and continuing, “I knew the second I met you that you were the one.”
“Then why did you have to run the tests?” I asked.
He paused, his gaze sharpening. “Because you wouldn’t have loved me if I didn’t.”
That took the wind out of me—hearing the word love so clear—so raw.
“I—” I began, shaking my head. Then finally saying, “You’re right.”
Without blinking he said, “I did it so you would finally recognize the truth of who you are.”
And damn him for being right—yet again.
Because this entire experience—being kidnapped, being a victim, being tested, and behaving like I did, made me realize the truth. That deep deep down, I was always searching for a man like Dane—who would rival my depraved wants—satisfy my perverted needs and fulfill my warped view of love.
“How did you know?” I whispered, looking down at my feet and the water pooling around them.
He touched me then—slowly, tenderly, as he placed his firm hand on my shoulder.
I looked up at him instantly.
He spoke calmly, “Because when I looked at you, I didn’t just see you—I saw the parts of myself that I’d tried to hide.”
I heaved in a breath and when I released it, I felt confident instead of terrified. Confident of the future.
“I should be terrified,” I said.
Dane only smiled. “But you aren’t. And neither am I, baby.”
“Instead I’m…” I blew out another breath. “I’m ready.”
Dane’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “So,” he murmured, a crooked smile tugging at his lips, “you’re really signing up for a lifetime with a psychopath like me, baby?”
I laughed, shaking my head and pressing my cheek into his chest, listening to the sound of his constant heartbeat. “Only if you’re prepared to spend forever with someone who’s just as unhinged.”
His grip tightened around me. “I don’t do give-backs, baby. You should know that by now.”
And somehow, that thought eased me, a quiet reassurance settling in because there was no way he’d ever be able to get rid of me.
Well, maybe there’s one way.
Murder.
But hey, at least by now we can agree he’s a top-tier kidnapper… not a serial killer.
Small victories, right?