Wondering if she was even awake, Felix started walking toward her. It was then he realized she had her left hand up and was staring at it. Or more accurately staring at the wedding ring she was wearing. He sat down next to her on the bed and took her hand, studying the expensive and elegant ring.
Running his thumb over the diamond, he asked, “Why are you wearing your wedding ring?”
“Beau called me today. He was quite horrible. He knows about you. I’m not sure how, but he does.”
Felix fought the fear, the memory of pain, of pressure, of darkness flooding over him. It didn’t matter. He had known what he was risking, had known there was no way Alcroft wouldn’t find out at some point. Felix was practically living with Regan. And it was worth it. She was worth it. Being with her brought him the closest to happy he had ever been.
“I take it he wasn’t exactly thrilled that we’re seeing each other?” Felix had no doubt Alcroft had been scathing in his opinion of Felix.
“No. He told me I didn’t waste any time finding some fool willing to take on the mess that I am.”
“That’s anger and jealousy. You are not a mess, Regan. You’re an amazing, giving, compassionate woman.” Felix watched her twist the ring on her finger and fought the urge to reach out and yank it off.
“He asked if you had gotten me pregnant. Isn’t that an odd thing for him to ask?”
Felix’s heart almost stopped. “Did I get you pregnant?” He had no idea how he felt about that. He had never thought he would have children, but maybe, with a woman like Regan ... A whole different vision of the future popped up before him in ten seconds.
“No, of course not. I’m on the pill.”
The family-man future disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. It was ridiculous anyway, totally impractical and irresponsible for him to even consider bringing a child into this world. “Right.”
“I just thought it was weird that he would ask that.” Regan still sounded unfocused, her voice distant and reserved. She kept lifting her hand and checking out the wedding ring.
“So what about that phone conversation had you coming home and putting on your wedding ring?” he asked, gently. It needed to come off. The longer it sat on her finger, the greater potential there was for her to fall back under the influence of Alcroft.
“I’d never taken it out of the evening bag I’d thrown it in the night I left him, and I came home thinking I should pull it out and sell it. That it was time to deal with it instead of keeping it tucked away in a purse. I felt ready to handle getting rid of it, instead of ignoring it. This is a valuable ring ... I can swap it for different jewelry or just take the cash.”
Felix waited. There was clearly more and he wanted her to say it unprompted.
“So I took it out and I just thought it feels so good not to wear it ... what would it feel like back on my finger? I put it on, and it feels heavy and oppressive and awful, and yet, it’s like I can’t take it off. It’s like it’s whispering to me, asking me if I made a mistake, even as my brain knows I did not make a mistake. I could never go back. Yet every time I think I should pull the ring off, my hand never moves.”
That was all he needed to hear. Reaching over, Felix tugged the ring off her finger. It would be better if she took it off herself, but he wasn’t about to wait around and see if that happened or not.
“Ouch!” she protested. “You scratched me.”
“Sorry.” Closing his fist around the ring, he dropped his hand down on his thigh so the ring was nowhere near her, and leaned over and kissed her ring finger and the tiny scratch he had made removing it. “Don’t put his ring on again, please.”
Regan shivered and looked at him with wide eyes. “Felix, that was so weird. It was like the second you pulled it off, I felt this pain, then relief. Just instant relief. I sound crazy, don’t I? All the time, I just sound insane.”
“No, you don’t.” He lifted the ring and looked on the inside for the inscription he knew would be there. “Ego own vos. Do you know what that means?”
“It means ‘we belong together’ or something like that. Beau said it’s Latin.”
“The literal translation is much less romantic than what he told you. It actually means ‘I own you.’”
“‘I own you’?” Regan’s eyebrows shot up. “No, that’s not romantic at all.”
“It’s a binding ring. When you wear it, you feel compelled to be with the person who gave it to you.”
Regan looked at her bare hand. “A binding ring? But wouldn’t that mean it had a spell put on it? That’s totally not like Beau at all ... he wouldn’t believe in something that out there.”
Which went to show you how well she knew the man she had married. She had been lured and blinded by his charm and the very spells she didn’t think he would believe in. “You’d be surprised what people will do.”
“That’s true. And it did make me feel that way . . . like I couldn’t take it off. It was weird.” She shuddered. “This has been a very weird day. Hell, every day has been weird since I bought this house. Do you think it’s cursed?” Regan pressed her temples. “God, I can’t even believe I just said that out loud.”
“I don’t know what is going on in this house. There is definitely something here, and it’s wise to be on guard. But not all things that have happened in this house are weird.” Felix took her hand into his and stroked it. “It’s where we found each other, after all.”
“That’s true.” Her eyes softened as she looked at him.
Felix loved that look she got, the one that said she did care about him, more than just as a means to an end, but him. The man. The person. She cared about him. “If none of these weird things had happened, we probably wouldn’t have met again after the Christmas party. And what a shame that would have been.”
“That would have been a shame. Having you here, with me, well ... it’s been amazing, Felix.”
When had anyone ever told him his presence mattered? Intense, powerful feelings welled up in him. He kissed her, a soft, gentle press. “I just want you to know that I’m falling in love with you.”
Her breath hitched. “Are you serious?”
Felix gave a soft laugh. “Oh, hell yes, I’m serious. When have you ever known me to say something I don’t mean, especially when it comes to emotion?”