“Hold me,” she whispered. “Please, Caleb. I need you to hold me. Banish the painful memories and replace them with new ones.”

The absolute lack of hope in his eyes gutted her. Had she done this to him? She’d been afraid before, not wanting to place Caleb in the untenable position of having to ever hurt her again. But now, they were free. There was no threat. No one to control either of them ever again.

“Come here,” she choked out, holding up her arms to him.

With a tortured sound of agony, he enfolded her in his embrace, wrapping his arms so tightly around her that she couldn’t breathe. She didn’t want to breathe. Not another breath unless she shared it with him.

“I’m so sorry, Ramie,” Caleb said brokenly. “I’m so damn sorry.”

“Shhh, Caleb,” she soothed, clutching his head to her br**sts where his cheek rested. “Never be sorry for killing that son of a bitch.”

“I’m not sorry I killed him,” Caleb said coldly. “I’m sorry for what I did to you.”

“I’m sorry for what he did to us,” Ramie gently corrected.

She pulled him closer to her, resting her cheek atop his hair as she stroked his face with her hand.

“I love you,” she said tenderly.

He went rigid against her and would have bolted back up, but she caught him and held him tightly to her.

He found her wrists with his hands and carefully pulled himself away from her, holding her wrists on either side of her. His eyes glittered and his jaw was pulled tight as he stared down at her.

“Don’t say something you don’t mean,” he said hoarsely.

She smiled, allowing the full light of her love to shine. So he could see it. Feel it.

“I’m not in the habit of telling guys I love them,” she said wryly. “And I have to say I don’t like it much. So if you could just say I love you back then I’d feel much better.”

He stared at her in absolute befuddlement.

“Do you forget what I did to you? That I took a knife to you and cut you to ribbons? That I could have killed you?”

Tears glittered brightly in his eyes and he didn’t even make an attempt to call them back. They trickled down the hard line of his jaw. There was so much grief and regret in his eyes that she wondered if he’d truly ever heal after such a grievous injury to his soul.

No, she wouldn’t think like that. Love could heal all things. She had to believe that.

“You didn’t hurt me,” she corrected firmly. “It took me longer than I’d have liked to figure that out. But given that I know well what it’s like to be controlled by another, I could hardly blame you for the same thing that has happened to me.”

He looked stunned. “You knew it wasn’t me controlling my actions before . . . before we got to you?”

She nodded, her smile a little quivery. Her chin wobbled as she herself was precariously close to tears.

“When I came to and that monster was gloating about you handing me over to him, I knew you would have never willingly done that. You love me,” she said simply.

He hauled her into his arms, his chest heaving and body trembling from head to toe.

“God yes, I love you,” he said. “Desperately, hopelessly, absolutely in love with you until the day I die.”

She reached up to cup his face when he finally pulled back, his gaze raking over her as though he was having to convince himself that this was all not some cruel joke being played on him.

“I like that notion,” she said in a loving voice. “But what do you say we save ‘until the day I die’ for a hundred or so years from now?”

He hugged her again, his hand buried in her unruly hair, his arms like steel bands around her body. She smiled, marveling at the fact that she and Caleb had weathered a storm no other couple would ever have to endure.

“Don’t think for a minute any of this counts as an actual proposal,” she huffed. “I expect bended knee, the ring . . . everything.”

Caleb threw back his head and laughed, the sound joyous and carefree.

Then he sobered and dropped to his knees in front of where she sat on the couch. He took both her hands in his and looked at her with such love that she melted on the spot.

“Will you marry me, Ramie? Spend the rest of your life with me? Have my children and grow old together? I swear to you that no one will ever love you more than I will and that no one will ever be as loved and cherished as you will be.”

She lifted her hands from his and framed his beautiful face, staring him directly in the eyes so there was no mistaking her sincerity.

“Oh yes,” she breathed. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Caleb Devereaux. I don’t care how much money you have. I’d love you if you had nothing. I love you.”

His eyes were suspiciously wet again and he swallowed as if he couldn’t get the words out he wanted to say. Finally he gave up and pulled her into his arms, rocking her back and forth as he shuddered and shook against her.

“I thought I lost you,” he choked out. “I thought I’d driven you away. Betrayed you in the worst way possible. I don’t even know how you can be in the same room with me without being terrified after what I did. But God, I want a second chance. I want it more than anything else in the world. You won’t regret this, Ramie. I swear I’ll make you happy.”

“You already make me happy,” she whispered.

“I’ll build you your dream house. One you’ll be happy in. One with warmth, love and laughter and if, God willing, a passel of children born of our love.”