His Dangerous Love On Ice (Olivia and Zane) novel Chapter 144

Olive’s POV

“What do you want from me, Zane?” The words came out broken exhausted. “You want me to apologize for going to dinner? For trying to move on? For not knowing how to handle the fact that you bought my stepfather’s entire company like it was nothing?”

“I didn’t do it like it was nothing.” he said, and his voice was raw now, all the careful control stripped away. “I did it because you asked me to. Because you looked at me in my penthouse, and I could see you were terrified about your family losing everything. And I couldn’t stand it.”

Oh god.

“I destroyed my relationship with my father,” he continued, his grip on my wrist tightening slightly. “Made myself a target for everyone who’s ever wanted to see me fail. Spent a billion dollars I could have used for a hundred other things. All because you needed help and I couldn’t say no to you.”

My throat was so tight I could barely breathe.

“But you left,” he said, and his voice was rough now. “You didn’t call. Didn’t text. Didn’t acknowledge it. And I showed up that meeting and sat there like we were strangers while I practically begged you with my eyes to say something.”

“I didn’t know what to say,” I whispered.

“So you said nothing?” The devastation in his voice made my chest ache. “You let me stand there wondering if I’d pushed too far? If I’d scared you off? If maybe saving your family made you realize exactly how dangerous I am?”

“It did scare me,” I admitted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “It terrified me. Because I’ve never had anyone do something like that for me. I’ve never had someone willing to burn their entire world down just because I asked for help.”

His eyes searched mine.

“And I didn’t know how to handle it,” I continued, my voice breaking. “Didn’t know how to be in a situation where someone had that much power over my life. Where someone cared enough to destroy themselves for me.”

“So you went on a date with someone else.”

“Because he was safe!” The words came out louder than I intended. “Because Judy Byron doesn’t make me feel like I’m drowning. Because being with you is intense and overwhelming and I don’t know how to breathe when you look at me like

that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m your entire world,” I whispered. “Like you’d set everything on fire just to keep me warm. Like I’m the only thing that matters and nothing else exists.”

The words hung between us.

“Because you are,” he said quietly. “You are my entire world, Olive. And I would burn everything to ash if it meant keeping you safe.”

Oh god.

“Don’t you see how terrifying that is?” My voice cracked. “Don’t you understand that having someone love you that intensely is the most dangerous thing in the world?”

His hand came up to cup my face, thumb tracing my cheekbone

“Then be terrified,” he said. “Be scared. Be overwhelmed. But dont run away from me. Don’t go on dates with other men because I make you feel too much.”

“That’s what I thought.” Zane said quietly, but he didn’t let go of my wrist. Didn’t step back.

Instead he stood there, jaw clenched, hands trembling slightly like he was holding himself back from something.

“I have spent two weeks,” he said slowly, “trying to give you space. Trying to respect whatever boundaries you needed. to be patient and wait for you to come to me.”

He took a step forward, eliminating what little distance was left between us.

“But I’m done being patient.”

Another step, backing me against the wall.

“I’m done pretending I don’t care.”

His hand slid into my hair, tilting my head back.

“And I’m done letting you run away from this,” he said, his voice dropping to something that was almost a growl. “From us.”

“Zane-

“You’re mine, Olive Monroe.” The words were possessive and dark and should’ve scared me but instead sent heat flooding through my veins. “You have been since the day you agreed to this arrangement. Since the day you let me touch you. Since the day you stepped into my mansion in Chicago and accepted my deal.”

His hand came up to cup my face, thumb tracing my cheekbone with a gentleness that contrasted sharply with the fury still burning in his eyes.

“So if you want to end this,” he said quietly, “if you want to walk away and find someone safer and easier and less complicated, then you look me in the eye right now and tell me you don’t want me anymore.”

My breath caught.

“Tell me you don’t think about me every second of every day,” he continued, his thumb moving to trace my bottom lip. “Tell me you don’t ache for me the way I ache for you. Tell me that what we have means nothing and I’ll walk out that door and never bother you again.”

I stared up at him, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.

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