Chapter 76

I’m pulled from sleep by something brushing up against my thigh. My eyelids flutter open, light filtering into my vision.

“Good afternoon,” Eric whispers into my ear, it’s then that I realize it’s his palm making soft strokes against my upper thigh. His touch callouses scratch against my bare thigh, I silently give

thanks to Emily for giving me that extra razor.

I grunt and rub my eyes. I feel so disoriented from having woken up at the crack of dawn at Emily’s only to come home and go back to bed and now waking up to the high noon sun lighting up our bedroom. It feels like early this morning didn’t happen today, that maybe it was a even dream.

Unfortunately, when I focus enough I can still hear the faint sounds of chatter and anticipation of fans and the media waiting outside.

“Renee,” Eric says, his voice more stern than his gentle greeting from moments ago. I bring my attention back to him.

I don’t remember him coming into bed with me, but it looks like he’s been here awhile. I notice now that he’s shirtless, and his skin his warm from our body heat.

I also realize this is only the second time we’ve touched each other while in bed. The first and last time we were this close together in bed, we ended up . . . I blush at the memory. But, we didn’t this time around I’m sure of that.

“Yeah?” I ask, moving loose strands of hair from my bed head out from my face.

“I love you and I want us to be a family,” Eric declared.. Adrenaline floods my veins sending a course of energy surging to my heart. I’m definitely awake now.

He just know that by making such a statement he’s awakening our fated mate bond. A bond that I tried to hard to sever over the years. By his declaration, he’s connecting our soul agreement, my wolf stirs awake. Her ears perk up and her eyes widen in alertness and interest.

“Eric,” I start and don’t know how to finish. Hearing him say those words, after seven years of wondering if he was even capable of love is affecting me in ways I can’t even describe.

But, beneath the sea of excitement, relief, and awe is the all too familiar feeling of fear.

“I don’t want to get hurt again,” I manage to tell him in a weak whisper. “And I’m not the same person who you thought I was,” I explain to him.

If he and I get back together, it won’t be where I was a quiet and submissive wife who let him walk all over me. I except Eric to pull back in anger for being rejected by the third time. But he doesn’t.

He moves his hand up from my thigh, instantly causing a yearning on my heart for him to put his hand back on my now cold leg.

The empty feeling on my thigh is how I expect my entire self to feel if Eric and I try to getting back together and it doesn’t work out. The very thought of it is enough to send alarm bells

throughout my body.

Then Eric tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “I know,” he says and he sounds happy, almost

excited about what I told him. “You’re so much more than I could ever have imagined,” Eric says and I begin to melt.

What if I don’t meet his expectations and he leaves? The intruding thought is enough to make me freeze.

Eric must see the doubt on my face because he brings his fingers to my lips as to prevent me from speaking.

“I will prove my love for you,” he says seriously. I lift my eyes from his hand to meet his gaze.

“Will you go out with me to dinner tonight?” He asks.

I nod. I suppose the least I could do is give it a shot. If it doesn’t work after one date then at least we can’t say we didn’t try. That might be the only thing left I can do to prove to Eric we may not be good for one another after all.

Margaux agrees to watch Debbie while Eric and I go out to dinner. He won’t tell me where we’re going, but he says to dress nice. I could’ve guessed that much.

I don’t want to underdress, but I also don’t want to over do it. Knowing Eric, it’ll be somewhere fancy but I never was one who enjoyed to get all glamours and I did warn him that I wasn’t

going to be the old wife that he once had, the one who would’ve dressed in the most elegant and fanciest clothing just to appease him no matter how out of place I felt.

So, I decide to where what I like. I’m in a knee length burgundy cocktail dress that cuffs off the shoulders exposing my collar bones where a simple diamond necklace lays. I match the necklace with studded diamond earrings. I slip on black heels and grab my skinny black purse and descend down the stairs.

I see Eric’s back as he talks to Margaux and my heart already begins to throb. He’s in a black and gray plaid sports coat with tan pants and a silver watch.

Margaux sees me first. She steps out to the side away from Eric and grins. Eric turns around and I find myself holding my breath. He looks even more gorgeous than I expected, and the way he’s looking at me is more than I can handle.

For awhile, neither of us say anything. Margaux chuckles. “You two kids have fun,”

“You look beautiful,” Eric says as though he finally has come out of a trance.

“Thank you,” I reply.

Eric holds the door open as we leave the house, then again when we come up to the car.

Thankfully the reporters left. We must be becoming old news.

When we’re seated, my dress inches up above my knee revealing more of my upper thigh.

I pull nervously at it but it won’t stay down. My face reddens when I see Eric getting an eyeful of my bare legs.

“Sorry,” he instantly apologizes and pulls his gaze away. He smiles. “Not very gentleman-like of me,”

The fact that he’s being so polite about it all only turns me on even more. “It’s okay,” I say and stop tugging at my dress, letting it slide wherever it’s going to.

We park outside of a tall glass building, the setting sun glows against the glass making it look like the entire restaurant is on fire. It’s radiating warmth and class.

Eric again opens the door for me and helps me step outside. A few people turn their heads and do a double look at us.

I catch our reflection in the upscale restaurant and notice that we do make an attractive couple.

The valet takes the car and Eric goes up to the security guard at the door, ignoring the line. Eric gives him our name and the guard nods in respect and moves a the red rope aside.

I avoid eye-contact with the patrons who have been waiting to be seated. Eric notices my discomfort at the special treatment and leans into my ear.

“I made reservations, they didn’t,” he says his breath is hot against my neck sending chills down my spine.

We’re led up a flight of black stairs that have a red carpet rolling down them and spilling into a large circle at the base of the stairs.

The restaurant is elegant, but not over the top. The floors are authentic cherry-wood and the furniture is black. The tables are small meant for no more than two people.

Were led outside to the roof. Here, the bar is in the center of the space with glass fire pits rimming the permitter of the short walls. You can see the entire city line from up here.

The seats are white and cushiony, string lights cross-cross overhead and an array of plants are scattered throughout the area. It’s beautiful.

People stare as we get seated. I look at Eric to see if he notices, he does.

“Just ignore them,” he says as he casually reviews the menu. I try to and imitate what he’s doing, but I can’t focus. I can feel eyes on us.

I know we look good, but everyone here looks good. Is that big of a deal?

“Can I have your autograph?” I hear someone ask. Eric and I put down our menus and see a young girl, probably in her early twenties stare at the both of us eagerly.

Eric and I stare back confused. “Can I have your autograph?“ she repeats.

Behind her a few more people begin to approach, all either pens in their hands. I dart my eyes across the restaurant trying to look for a way out, only to notice more and more people are

pulling out their phones and closing in on us.

This was a mistake.