Meadow’s POV:


    I may have held back on getting to know ric any further tonight, but I wasn’t going to let go of the matter with rissa.


    I was going to find a way to ask him about her without raising any suspicions.


    After he fucked me on my vanity table, he kissed me onest time, and then went downstairs to get some


    food warm for both of us.


    I took a quick shower and got dressed in a tank top and a pair of shorts–he seemed to love it when I wore that–and then I went down the stairs to the kitchen where he was already setting up our tes and a


    bottle of wine.


    I nearly melted at the sight. ric had changed into a pair of sweatpants but he was still shirtless. And the pants hung low on his hips.


    My mouth watered again. I couldn’t imagine I had been missing all of that pleasure while I was still a virgin. However, if there was anything I was relieved about, it was the fact that ric got to disvirgin me.


    I was d I gave that part of me to him. There was no one else I could imagine who would’ve-


    “I can feel your eyes boring into my back, Meadow,” ric murmured, amusementcing his tone as he


    turned around to face me.


    I shrugged, even as heat crept up my neck. “It’s a nice back.”


    He arched a perfect brow at me, smirking as his eyes did a not–so–subtle sweep of my body. I swear I waspletely sore, but looking at this man made me want to go again and again and again.


    Those piercings on his cock made our sex feel all the more pleasurable and epic. Although I could never stop wondering how it felt to get them, since he couldn’t… you know, feel anything.


    He tilted his head. “Come here.”


    Come.


    Here.


    Those two words were very simple, but when put together… When HE put them together, it felt like he was casting a spell on me. My feet moved before my brain could even catch up.


    But those words didn’tpare to what he had called me when he was fucking me upstairs.


    ‘Seelenmme.‘


    The word had not stopped echoing in my mind. ric had quite literally called me his soul me, and not only that, but he had told me he was terrified that I would leave since there was no time use in the


    contract.


    Although, I had to be frank. It was a relief to hear that. To know that the contract I signed was not a trap even though it was an oversight on my part to not even ask about it.


    I was careless. Blinded by my need to have him, overwhelmed with the way he treated–and still treats- me. No one had ever made me feel like I actually mattered. Like I MORE THAN mattered.


    I wasn’t even sure anyone would ever treat me that way except for him.


    ric let out a sigh of relief when I walked into his arms. He wrapped his big arms around me and I buried my face into his chest.


    “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he murmured into my hair.


    A nervous chuckle escaped me and I trailed my hands across his chest<b>, </b>raising my head to look at him. My breath caught in my throat. It was as though that moment we shared upstairs had made something in him go soft. Vulnerable.


    I could see why he’d be scared ofpletely opening up to me. Hell, I was scared of opening up to him too. I was no saint. I had done things that…


    I had done questionable things. Things that if <b>I </b>ever told anyone about them, they’d understand why my sister was so cruel to me–even if she did go overboard sometimes.


    But I wasn’t ric. And ric wasn’t me. I didn’t know what he had done, and maybe it was okay. Maybe I could live with that so I wouldn’t feel guilty about not opening up too.


    Seeing ric this vulnerable–even though it was just a little–already tugged at my chest.


    “It’s just… been an eventful day, I guess,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I’m also wondering what you’re going to do to that waiter.”


    ric chuckled. “Nothing he doesn’t deserve. But <b>if </b>you must know, I’m not going to kill him.” He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “I’m not a monster, Meadow. Ruthless and tactful, maybe. But no monster.”


    I feigned a frown, chewing on my bottom lip. “That’s a disappointment. I was kinda hoping you were. There’s something appealing about fucking a sexy man with blood on his hands.”


    I was joking about that, but the way ric froze let me know that I definitely should not have said that. His eyes shed, jaw clenching.


    “ric, I didn’t…”


    But I trailed off, because just as quickly as the darkness appeared in his eyes, it disappeared like it was


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    never there.


    What the hell was that?


    I swallowed as he lifted me into his arms and dropped me on the counter. But before I could say anything else, he captured my lips with his in a soft kiss. I melted against him, moaning into his mouth. And I was just starting to reach for his hair when he pulled away, amusement swirling in those beautiful ink–blue


    eyes.


    And then he spoke. “One question.”


    My brows drew together in confusion. “What?”


    “I know you’re dying to ask me questions, baby. And right now, I’m giving <b>you </b>the chance to ask just one.”


    His teeth scraped over his bottom lip lightly. <b>“</b>Just one, Meadow. I need you to choose wisely.<b>” </b>


    My cheeks heated. “That’s not fair, I have so many questions I need to—”


    <b>“</b>Just one, baby girl. Whatever it is…” His jaw clenched and I knew that this was difficult for him to say. “…


    and I mean whatever. I’ll answer it honestly.<b>” </b>


    Something tugged at my heart. “Honestly?” And then I quickly realized my mistake, shaking my head.” Wait, no<b>, </b>no. That wasn’t a question.” I was scared that I’d just missed my chance.


    ric let out an amused breath, probably remembering the same incident I was. The day after we’d met, on our way back home in his private jet, he had given me this same opportunity, and I blew it.


    He took my hand in his and raised it to his mouth, and then he kissed my knuckles. My eyelids fluttered.” Go ahead, baby<b>. </b>I’ll be honest.”


    I took a deep breath, looking away from his eyes as I thought about what I was going to ask.


    There were so many things I wanted to know. Who was he? What was it that Nn did to him that made their rtionship slightly strained? Why did he stalk me for so long before actuallying to meet me? What had happened <i>to </i>make him suddenly lose his sense of touch?


    But for some reason, I didn’t ask any of those. They didn’t exactly feel right to me. And all those were personal questions that would make me feel guilty for not opening up as well.


    So many questions I wanted to ask, so many I was afraid of knowing the answers to.


    I shook my head, not knowing what to say, and I was about to open my mouth when something suddenly hit me.


    A question I could ask him to know <b>just </b>how… honest he was going to be with me.


    I swallowed, cupping ric’s face in my hand, watching the way he stared at me with an expression I couldn’t exactly decipher.


    “ric…” I breathed.


    He nodded, his throat bobbing like he was afraid of what I would ask.


    “Did… did someone convince you… No.” I shook my head. “WHO convinced you to release Juniper?” 1


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