Page 43 of Violent Attraction

I swear, every time he enters a room, I jump just a little waiting for him to attack.

If I could tell him, I would, but of course his sister doesn’t let me.

Like I said if I didn’t love her so much, I would find her infuriating.

Maybe I do find her slightly, but I would never voice it out loud. I like my balls too much.

But since there is a small velvet box hiding in my closet currently burning a hole through my socks, I need to broach the subject again.

Her cuddled up in my arms, watching a Disney movie should serve as a good distraction, right?

“Bella?” I stroke her hair, trying to get her attention away from the TV screen.

“Hmm?” She hums against my chest, telling me that she is falling asleep.

“I’m going to call a meeting with Ronaldo.” The statement must have woken her up because right away she sits up and looks down at me with a confused look.

“¿Porqué?”

I shrug. “I just think it’s time. It’s been four years, bella.”

She just continues to look down at me, like I’m an alien or something. Her mouth is even slightly open like she doesn’t know what to say.

At least she hasn’t said ‘not yet’.

Isabella’s mouth finally closes and opens as if to say something, but nothing comes out.

It might be best to pull all the stops here.

Shifting off the bed, I head to my closet and dig through the bottom sock drawer of the dresser I have in there. I feel around until the sensation of velvet crosses against my fingertips. The small velvet box.

Toying with it, I leave the closet and head back to the bedroom. Isabella is still sitting there, with even more confusion coating her face.

That confusion is replaced by surprise when I show her the box. Her brown eyes go wide and her mouth drops open even more.

“This is why I want to meet with him,” I don’t open the box, just hold it out between us. “To get his permission.”

Hesitantly, she reaches for the box and I let her take it from my hand. She looks down at it like it’s an explosive device or something. I can see by the look in her face, she is fighting the urge to open it.

“It’s okay, you can look inside,” again I’m met with wide eyes, but she doesn't move to open the lid.

“You’re really thinking about this?” Her voice has a shakiness to it and I can’t help but give her a smile.

I nod, taking a seat next to her on the bed. “Have been thinking about it for a while. Finally bought that a few months back. I was just waiting for you to tell me it was okay to finally talk to your dad.”

She looks down at the ring box one more time before shaking her head and handing it back to me.

“You should take it back then.”

What the fuck?

“What do you mean ‘take it back’? Isabella, I can’t just take the ring back.”

“Santiago.”

“No, don't ‘Santiago’ me.” I get up from the bed and start pacing the room. I can feel the anger bubbling inside of me. “I want to marry you. Spend the rest of my life with you, however long that it is. All I have to do is talk to your father, and you don’t want me to? Do you really want to spend the rest of our lives together in hiding? Because that’s one shit of a life.”

I must have been so distracted with the pacing that I didn’t notice that she had gotten up from the bed and walked over to me.