Mine Completely ~ Simon (Billionaire’s Obsession #1.4)(3)
Author: J.S. Scott

His eyes turned dark and turbulent. “What kind of mistake?”

“Us.” She gestured at him and then at herself. “Maybe we shouldn’t be considering marriage right now. Maybe there’s just too big a difference in our circumstances.” Hands shaking nervously, she swiped at both her eyes, the tears coming so fast she couldn’t keep up with them.

What. The. Hell. He’d waited, fighting against every instinct he had to make her his wife immediately, for nearly a year. And now she was questioning their upcoming marriage? Because he was wealthy? It wasn’t like his money was something new, something unknown. He’d been a billionaire long before they met. Cursing under his breath, Simon stepped forward, reaching for Kara, but she pulled free, backing away from him with a strangled sob. Dropping his hands, he fisted them at his side. Jaw clenched, he forced himself not to reach for her again. In the year that they had been together, he and Kara rarely fought, and he had never seen her look this fragile…except for the time she had been attacked and nearly killed by two violent junkies. Even then, she hadn’t looked this freaked out. When his woman was really angry, she got in his face and told him off. Their arguments fired hot and blew over quickly, usually resolved with a compromise and earth shattering make-up sex.

Did we wait too long? Is she getting cold feet?

Wishing he had just thrown her over his shoulder nearly a year ago and swept her away to Vegas on his private jet, Simon answered, “We are getting married and you need to tell me what’s really going on.” Trying to keep his temper and his voice level, Simon clenched his fists harder, nearly cutting off all the blood circulation to his fingers. Kara had never backed away from him, rebuffed his attempts to comfort her. What had happened to the woman who would throw herself into his arms whenever she needed him? And, damn it, he wanted her to need him. Her rejection was killing him.

“I don’t know if I can marry you.” Her statement was released with a mournful sob.

Screw it. Simon couldn’t watch her tears another damn moment and he didn’t for the life of him understand what she was trying to say. All he knew was panic, desperation and pain. Panic at the thought of losing her, desperation to fix whatever was wrong, and an unholy agony from hearing her say that she wasn’t going to marry him. To hell with that. “You’re marrying me. No f**king prenuptial. I need you, Kara. I’ll always need you. Please don’t do this.” His statement was low, dangerous, spoken like he was barely able to contain his caveman instincts…which he was. Right now, he wanted to pin her to the wall and get inside of her so deeply, take her so thoroughly, that she never again considered saying that she couldn’t marry him. Hell, if she needed a reminder of how they fit together, how much he wanted and needed her, he’d be glad to give it to her. Right here. Right now.

Eyes wild, Kara backed up as he followed slowly, stalking her until he had her pinned to the wall beside the door. Her eyes shot to his face, then the door, and back to his face.

“Don’t even think about it,” he rumbled, slamming a hand beside each of her arms, boxing her in, cutting off any hope of her escape. “Talk to me,” he demanded roughly, needing to soothe her pain…and his own. After spending the last year blissfully happy with a woman he loved more than life itself, Kara’s sudden irrational behavior was out in left field. He was usually the one that was a controlling, dominant ass**le and Kara was his voice of reason. “Are you okay?” he asked gruffly, his eyes searching her face. If something was wrong, he’d fix it. There was nothing he wouldn’t do at the moment to make her smile again, take away the confusion and pain he saw reflected in her eyes.

As long as she doesn’t say she can’t marry me. If she says it again…I’ll lose it.

Kara nodded hesitantly and then shook her head. “Yes. No. I don’t know.” She put her forehead on his shoulder and started to sob like her whole world was ending. Lifting her hands, she clenched at his t-shirt, fisting large portions of the cotton at his waist while she saturated the top half of the garment with her tears.

Holy Christ! Completely baffled, Simon wrapped his arms around her, his grip so tight she squeaked.

“Can’t breathe,” she mumbled as she sucked in a labored breath.

“Shit. I’m sorry. Kara, I don’t understand.” Simon loosened his hold immediately, keeping her pliant body against his, feeling completely helpless and hating every moment of it.

She twisted in his arms as a series of sharp raps sounded on the wood frame of the door and his older brother Sam strolled, uninvited, into the room.

Using the distraction to her advantage, Kara slipped from Simon’s arms and made her escape. “I have to go. Maddie is expecting me at the clinic.” Her explanation was rushed and breathless, as she hurried out of the open door like her ass was on fire, skirting around his brother as she went.

“No! Kara. We aren’t finished. Don’t you dare leave right now,” Simon bellowed loudly after her retreating figure. Angry and completely desperate, he plowed after her, determined to track her ass down until she explained what was going on.

Simon never made it out the door, his brother jerking him back into the room with a strong grip on the back of his shirt. “Whoa, bro. Let her go. It doesn’t look like you were resolving much of anything.”

Simon turned to face his brother, absolutely livid. “Take your f**king hands off me. She’s going to listen.”

Sam let his brother turn, but firmly gripped Simon’s shirt in the front, pulling his younger brother closer. Nose to nose, Sam drilled Simon with an icy stare, his voice as cold as his eyes as he replied, “Oh yeah, you both looked like you were totally ready to have a rational conversation.” Sam shook Simon lightly. “Calm the hell down and think about what you’re doing. The woman was dissolving in a puddle of tears. You love her. Is this really the mood you need to be in when you talk? You’ll say stupid things that you’ll regret later. Trust me.”

Deflated, Simon’s body relaxed, allowing Sam to loosen his grip. “Fuck. I already did.” He flinched as he heard the door to condo slam closed, his heart sinking to his feet at the realization that Kara had left their home. Left him.

Sam stepped back and grabbed Simon by the shoulders, asking quietly, “You good now?” His older brother was really asking if Simon had a grip on himself.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.” Shrugging off Sam’s light hold, Simon dragged himself back to his desk, slumping into his computer chair. Burying his face in his hands, he groaned. “I really need to talk to Kara. Work things out. Something’s wrong.”