Page 116 of Over the Line

In an instant, he’d reached the end of his restraint.

Michael opened the gate, and in a few strides, demolished the distance until he stood in front of her, breathing her in.

Being this close soothed his inner beast, but it wasn’t yet close to tamed. “You came.”

“How could I not?” With a tentative smile, she brushed back a lock of hair. “You sent a penguin.”

“I listened to you, Sydney.” Emotion carved his voice into ragged pieces. “It might not have seemed that way, but I did. Every single word. And since you’ve been gone, I’ve had them on constant replay.”

With a loud, nasally bleat, Chewie trotted over to Sydney then affectionately butted her.

Smiling, her expression genuine, she petted the goat.

“She missed you.” And so did I. I nearly lost my fucking mind.

Sydney didn’t make any further moves in his direction, but she was still here, and that meant something. “Even though I listened to everything you said, there were things I didn’t pay enough attention to, and…”

The thought that he might never have seen her again knocked him in the solar plexus, forcing oxygen from his lungs. “I should never have issued an ultimatum. It was wrong.” Struggling for calm, he took a gulp of air. “The truth is, I fucked up, Sydney.” He lifted his hat. Then, not knowing what to do with it, put it right back where it was. “Bad.”

“Does this mean…?”

“That I apologize? That I’m sorry? Yes. Both.” Helplessly, he shrugged. “That I won’t do it again…probably not. You mean the world to me, and I’m not perfect. I want you in my life, but I promise you that I will try not to make you feel trapped or smothered.”

Slowly, she nodded. “You said some harsh things.”

He needed to own his mistakes. “I did.” And he’d take back every word in an instant. “I was an ass.”

“There may have been some truth to them.”

Chewie, evidently bored, ran off to jump on top of her favorite boulder, where she stood, staring at the humans.

Her voice shaking, Sydney spoke. “I was so busy making sure I didn’t get hurt that I didn’t give enough consideration to how my actions impacted you. And I’m so very sorry for that.”

“Thank you.” He nodded. “But you have nothing to apologize for. From the very beginning, you were honest about what you wanted.” Before that, Gregorio had warned him of the same thing. “As I got to know you more, I learned what your fears were. I pushed you too hard.”

With a sigh, she lifted her hair into a ponytail only to drop it again. “The truth is, I’ve spent years making sure I didn’t get involved with any man, and I reacted badly to your ultimatum. I didn’t have to do that. I have safe words, and you’re not generally an unreasonable man.”

That night, to his regret, he had been.

“I panicked because the truth is, you scare the hell out of me, Master Michael.”

“Sydney…”

“Let me finish.” She shaded her eyes with her hand.

When he nodded, she went on. “I care about you, the land.” With a tiny smile, she looked around until she spotted Chewie. “Even her. Especially her.”

This was a start, a beginning.

His heart, which had been missing a piece since he’d sent her away, slowly began to heal.

“So where do we go from here?”

To my bedroom. “You tell me.”

“My business matters to me. Along with my freedom.”

“Understood.”