Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 102833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“And your strength and loyalty and big heart,” she adds.
“Will you marry me, Dani? Will you become my wife and spend the rest of your life with me?”
“Yes,” she says, sniffling back her tears. “I would love to marry you.”
I slide the ring onto her finger, and she snakes her arms around me. I lift her into my arms, and she wraps her legs around my waist as our mouths connect.
I walk us back inside, leaving the French doors open to let in the evening breeze, and I spend the next God knows how long worshipping my fiancée, until her stomach rumbles, reminding me that I never called for dinner to be brought up.
“Let’s get you fed,” I tell her, handing her back her clothes.
With three orgasms, she’s lying on the bed in a sleepy daze, but because she’s hungry, she nods and sits up.
“Stay there,” I tell her, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss when there’s a knock on the door. “I’ll bring the food to you.”
“No, that’s okay,” she says. “I want to sit out on the terrace. It’s decorated so beautifully, and it’s our last night here. Plus, I want to take a few pictures of my ring out there.”
She blushes a beautiful shade of pink, and I can’t help but kiss her again, this time harder.
“Okay, I’ll meet you out there.”
Since I’m not going to risk anyone seeing her half naked, I let the bellhop know I’ll bring the food in myself, and then I wheel the cart in. I grab our dome-covered meals and carry them onto the terrace, where Dani is sitting, staring out at the water. Her hair is up in a messy bun, she’s back in her pajamas, and she’s smiling softly.
“It smells good,” she says, taking the lid off the plate.
Her engagement ring hits the light and twinkles, and I now understand where the possessiveness my brother feels toward Peyton comes from.
“I don’t want to wait.”
“Well then, sit down and eat.” She laughs, misunderstanding.
“No, I don’t want to wait to marry you. Anything can happen in life, and I don’t want to wait to make you my wife.”
A beautiful grin spreads across her face. “Okay, we don’t have to wait. But …”
She gnaws on her bottom lip, and I reach out and pull it out, then lift her so she’s sitting on my lap.
“Talk to me.”
“I know I’ve been married before …”
The growl that leaves my body has her widening her eyes.
“You were not married to that fucker,” I tell her. “It was annulled, which means it never happened.”
“I know,” she agrees. “But what I was trying to say was, when Enrique and I got married, it was so quick. When I mentioned wanting an actual wedding, he ignored me and pushed forward with the quickie wedding. Looking back, I know it was because of his master plan.
“But I don’t want that kind of wedding with you. I don’t have a lot of family or friends, but I’d like to wear a white dress and walk down the aisle with my brother. I’d like a pretty reception and a cake we cut into and feed each other. I want to dance with you, and at the end of the night, I’d like to go to a hotel, where we spend the evening consummating our marriage.”
She shrugs shyly, her gaze averting to over my shoulder, so I tilt her chin to look at me.
“You can have all that,” I tell her.
The only thing I care about is marrying her, but if she wants a wedding, she’ll have it, and I’ll be right there, in a tux, with my brother by my side.
“But I don’t want to wait. Hire someone or plan it yourself. I’ll do whatever you want. Two months, max,” I say, “and then you’re mine forever.”
A beautiful smile curves the corner of her lips. “Thank you.” She presses her lips to mine. “Now, feed me, fiancé. I’m starved.”
32
Matteo
“Enrique killed your parents.”
Lorenzo looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, so I explain, “Eddy combed through his laptop and found evidence indicating that after Enrique discovered Michael was your dad’s attorney, he found out everything there was to know about your parents, including their address.
“Eddy also came across a wire transfer to an offshore account. It took some digging, but he linked it back to a Chad Kennedy. He was one of the chefs at North Harbor Point Country Club, who had made one too many bad decisions and was in desperate need of some cash flow.
“Chad confirmed that Enrique had paid him to drug your parents the night they were killed, so when the house was set on fire, they wouldn’t wake up.”
Lorenzo’s jaw clenches. “And where is Chad now?”
“Dead,” I tell him.
I killed him last night, after he begged me to, the guilt getting to him. I considered keeping him alive so he could tell Lorenzo himself, but I didn’t want the blood on my best friend’s hands, so I handled it so he wouldn’t have to.