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  Luke’s holding his breath. He wants to hear what I’m going to say next. I take a deep breath.

  “I know it might seem crazy...we haven’t known each other for very long...but you’re everything I’ve been looking for. You’ve taken such good care of me...you’ve put your needs to one side to cater to mine...you’ve shown me kindness when no one else is willing to give it to me...and the way I feel about that is...overwhelming.”

  “What are you saying?” he says in a gravelly voice, stroking my face gently. His voice might be rough and his demeanor might be tough, but when he touches me...I sense the love at his fingertips. I sense that his possessiveness all comes with good reason. It’s all for me.

  “I’m saying...that I’m in love with you, Luke.”

  His eyes widen. I wonder for a second if I’ve said the wrong thing, but then he grabs my face in his hands and pulls me in for a long deep kiss. I sink into the feeling of belonging to him, of being wanted so much by the man of my dreams. It feels like my very own fairytale ending, with all my pain and upset pushed aside. Now, I know I’m cared for. I know without him saying it that he loves me too. But he pulls away to say it all the same.

  “I love you too,” he murmurs against my lips before leaning back in to kiss me. “I can’t imagine a life without you anymore...I’d be nothing without you. I’m so lucky that you’re mine.”

  His tongue enters my mouth and I gasp in pleasure as our hot breath mingles together. This is all I need. All I’ll ever need. When we break apart, both of us gasping for breath, I know that I’ve got everything I’ll ever need when I’m with him.

  “I know things might seem complicated right now...but we’re going to work through it,” Luke promises me. “I want a future with you. I want to marry you someday. I want to fill you up with my babies. I want to wake up with you every day for the rest of my life. I’ll never fucking leave your side if I don’t have to. I know that we technically work together...but I don’t care. Let people talk. This won’t come in the way of our professionalism...we’ll be the perfect team forever. A partnership in every sense. And that way, I can even be with you while we work.”

  “That sounds...utterly perfect,” I breathe. And I mean it. There’s nothing I want more than to spend all day every day with this man. There’s nothing more I want than to be utterly consumed by our romance. I want him within touching reach at all times.

  And now, it seems like all my dreams might actually come true.

  CHAPTER 8

  Luke

  Eight months later

  It’s a big day today. Everything rests on it going perfectly. It’s a triple threat; today is the launch for Despina’s book, but it’s also so much more than that. She’s invited her brother along to see if they can make amends. And if that goes well, I have yet another trick hidden up my sleeve.

  I’m feeling the pressure a little, for sure. I want everything to be perfect for my perfect woman. Now that we’ve been together for almost a year, I know things are solid between us, but sometimes I get this feeling that this wonderful woman is too good for me. The praise from the critics for her book is incredible, especially for a romance novel, and she’s set to make a lot of money in sales. Her face is everywhere in book circles, and today at the launch, several hundreds of people are expected to turn up. It’s a far cry from how she started out, and I know how important this whole thing has been to her. Now, it’s in my hands to make sure nothing goes wrong.

  But we still haven’t heard from Liam. As soon as we knew about the venue for the launch, he was the first person we sent an invite too. He must know we’re still together, given that we’re still in a partnership through work and given our posts on social media, but it’s like he’s disappeared off the face of the Earth. I’ve asked our mutual friends a few times if they’ve heard from him, but he’s cut everyone off. Everyone that knows me, at least.

  We’re at the venue of the book launch party, and there are plenty of guests. Despina looks incredible in a tight black cocktail dress, her auburn hair spilling over her shoulders, but her face is full of anxiety and concern. She keeps peering around at the guests. It’s clear who she’s waiting for. As she continues to greet people at the door, I wrap my arms around her from behind to make her feel safe. I’m fully aware that my cock is hard as I press against her, but I can’t help it. Even in the most inappropriate of times, she turns me on more than I thought possible.

  “He’ll be here,” I whisper in her ear, kissing her cheek. She sighs into me, pushing back against my cock cheekily.

  “I’m not worried,” she lies.

  “It’s all right. I’m nervous too. But he’s your brother. The man we both know so well would never miss your book launch party.”

  “Maybe we don’t know him as well as we thought before…”

  I turn Despina around to face me, cupping her cheeks in my hands. “Baby...I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Anyone who voluntarily cuts you out of their life is a fool. He knows he made a mistake...he knows that he looks like a fool...and his pride is hurt. You know him better than anyone. Don’t you think that’s enough to make him stay away for a while?”

  “Yes.”

  “But don’t you also think he’d see this as a perfect opportunity to slip back into your life? It won’t be awkward there are hundreds of other guests here. He can arrive casually and without a fuss. He won’t need to say a word and he knows you’ll be back on track. So isn’t it likely that he’ll come today to make amends with the only family he has left?”

  Despina smiles at me sweetly. “Luke...you always know exactly what to say. You’ve made me feel much better about the whole thing. Do you...do you really think everything will be okay?”

  I kiss the top of her head. “I can guarantee it. Now get in there. This is your party. I’ll let you know if he arrives.”

  Despina smiles and does as I say, immediately drifting off to meet a group of her friends. I stay by the door, exchanging pleasantries with people as they enter and constantly checking my watch. The party has been going for an hour and a half now and there aren’t many people coming in at this point. Maybe I was wrong about my old friend. Maybe Liam doesn’t care enough to show up.

  Despina has had a few drinks at this point and seems to have forgotten her troubles, but I’m about to give up and tell her he’s not coming. As I’m about to head toward her, I hear a slight cough from behind me.

  I turn and see Liam standing behind me. He looks guilty, as though he’s clocked how much damage he caused the day he walked out of Despina’s apartment. He doesn’t manage a smile, but I’m better prepared for this moment than he is. I reach out to shake his hand.

  “I’m so glad you came,” I say gruffly. “It’s going to mean a lot to Despina.”

  He hesitates before taking my hand and shaking it. He holds on for a little longer than necessary, clasping his other hand over mine.

  “Thank you for inviting me,” he says after a moment. “I...I made a mistake the last time I saw you.”

  Yes you did, I privately agree, but I don’t interrupt him. If he wants to give me an apology, then I’m willing to hear him out. After all, I’ve waited eight months for this moment. My old friend takes a deep breath, looking more uncertain than I’ve ever seen him before.

  “I let my emotions at the time cloud my judgment,” he tells me. “I was angry that Despina lied to me about what was going on between the two of you...and since you were working together, I saw it as you taking advantage of her. But now...sometimes I catch a glimpse of the life you’re sharing together on social media...and I see how much love there is between you two. You’ve got something amazing, and I was wrong to try and stand in the way of that...I didn’t understand, but now I do. And...I know you don’t need it, but you’ve got my blessing.”

  I can’t help grinning. He’s finally come through, the way I was certain he would eventually. I was right to have faith in him. He might’ve taken his sweet time, but the fact is,
he’s shown me everything that I needed to see from him.

  “Liam, I’m glad you feel that way. Because I know Despina has missed you a lot. And I’ve missed you too,” I tell Liam. Finally, a smile spreads across his face.

  “I’ve missed her too...and you of course. It took me some time to come around to the idea, but I’m here now...do you think she’ll let me talk it over with her?”

  I gesture toward her and he watches his sister laughing among her friends, looking brighter and better than ever before. “I’m sure she’ll be very happy to see you,” I tell him. “You’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

  Liam nods eagerly and takes a deep breath, heading over to speak to his sister. I watch them, feeling a rush of happiness for her. Her face lights up when she sees Liam and she greets him immediately with a big hug. I smile. Everything is going exactly as I hoped it would. Now, the party is going well, a family is reunited and it’s cleared the way for the final big event of the night. I feel inside my pocket for the ring I bought Despina months ago. I smile to myself.

  Tonight’s the night.

  Despina

  I’ve never felt so complete as I do tonight. With all my friends and family surrounding me to celebrate my success, how could I possibly feel anything but happy?

  It’s all thanks to Luke, of course. He’s the one who got me to this point. He’s the one that showed me what love is. He’s the one who took a chance on my novel, and now I’m going to be a published author, like I always dreamed. And he was the one who managed to bring Liam back into my life, even after everything that happened. He’s chatting with some of his colleagues on the other side of the room and he catches my eye with a sexy smile. I wish I could spend all evening at his side, but these events call for me to be sociable. Still, he’s the most important person to me in this room. In any room.

  Liam has been busy updating me on his life, but as he heads to get another drink, I make a beeline for Luke. He smiles at me, opening his arms for me to go to him. I slip into his embrace easily, snuggling my head against his chest.

  “Thank you,” I whisper. He grins.

  “What for, baby?”

  “For everything...for making my life perfect. For being you. Take your pick. I’m thankful for it all.”

  He laughs, pulling me in close. His hot breath tickles my ear as he leans in close.

  “I’d do anything for you,” he growls in my ear. “And I’m about to show you that...you and me, we’re going to be forever. I promise you that.”

  My eyes widen. “What do you mean?”

  He pulls away from me and walks up to the temporary stage that’s been set up for my speech later tonight. “You’ll see.”

  He clambers up onto the platform and pats the microphone to get the attention of everyone in the room. Someone cheers and then the whole room breaks out into applause. Luke smiles at the crowd, putting on his best public speaking demeanor.

  “Hello, everyone. On behalf of Despina, I’d like to thank you all for coming here tonight. I know how happy she is to have such a big turnout. And she deserves it, of course. She’s worked very hard on this novel to get to this point...and now her dreams are coming true.”

  The audience applauds and I blush. I’ve never been good at being the center of attention, but a surge of pride rushes up inside me. Luke has a way of making me own my achievements the way that he knows I should.

  “We’re all here tonight to celebrate Despina Jenkins,” he continues. “Her achievements this year are outstanding. She’s learned to put up with me, for one thing.”

  The audience laughs and I giggle, twirling my hair around my finger and feeling a little shy. Luke looks directly into my eyes as he delivers the next part of my speech.

  “She’s unlike any other woman I’ve ever met. She’s so smart, so witty, so full of love...she’s everything that I’ve been looking for in my life. And I think we found each other at exactly the right time. We weren’t looking for love, but it found us when we least expected it. And now, after eight months together, I can’t imagine a life without her.”

  I wonder where he’s going with this. I wasn’t expecting him to get up and give a speech, so I have no idea what he has in mind. He extends his hand and gestures for me to join him.

  “Despina...I’d like you to join me up here.”

  The crowd applauds me and I’m forced to walk up to him with shaking legs. I raise my eyebrow at him, questioning what he’s up to, but he simply smiles at me coyly. I take his hand as I stand beside him and suddenly, it’s like we’re the only people in the room. He looks deep into my eyes.

  “You’re the love of my life, Despina,” he growls to me, the possessive beast within him making a reappearance. “You’ve shown me that life is so much more than just working to live. I thought I was happy before I met you, and I’d resigned myself to being alone, but now I realize how much I need you. Every part of me belongs to you, and you belong to me...in all ways except one. But I want to change that now.”

  My eyes widen as he reaches in his pocket and brings out a ring box. I hear people all around me gasping, but their voices are muffled in the background. I only have eyes for him.

  He gets down on one knee, though I’m certain he knows what my response is going to be already. His eyes are filled with love and lust as he looks up at me hungrily.

  “Baby...I don’t ever want to let you go. I promised you all those months ago that I’d never leave your side. Now, I want to make that official. I want you to be my wife. I want you to be the mother of my children. I want to start living our life the way it should be lived...together, forever and always. Despina...will you marry me?”

  “Yes,” I tell him when he’s barely even finished his sentence. “A million times yes!”

  He opens the ring box and I gasp. Inside is the most incredible diamond ring I’ve ever seen. It must’ve cost a fortune, and I want to tell him it’s too expensive, that I don’t deserve something so beautiful. But that’s the thing. He thinks I deserve the world. And he gave me that the moment he walked into my life.

  I allow him to slide the ring onto my finger and the audience applauds wildly. He stands up and I stare up at his handsome face. This man wants to be mine forever...how did I get so damn lucky. I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him harder than I’ve ever kissed him before. He hooks his arm under my knees and scoops me up into his arms, spinning me around as we kiss in his strong embrace. I feel dizzy with exhilaration, wild with lust, happier than I thought possible. Our lips explore one another’s with as much passion as the day we met. And I know deep in my heart, that things will always be this good between us. No matter what life throws our way, we’ll always be perfect together. We’ll always be happy.

  That’s more than I could have ever asked for.

  EPILOGUE

  Luke

  Three months later

  “I can’t wait to see your sexy ass for real tomorrow.”

  Despina giggles on her end of the phone. She’s sitting in her hotel room in nothing, but lacy lingerie, for my eyes only. She’s been on her book tour for two months now, with work commitments forcing me to stay in New York city. I’ve been in contact with her the entire time, promoting her book, arranging her events as she travels and flying out occasionally, but it’s not enough. I’ve missed waking up beside her. It feels wrong to be so far away from her all the time.

  But tomorrow, the tour ends and she’s coming home, back to me. Then, I won’t be forced to view her sexy body through a camera, but in the flesh. I’ll be able to do everything that I’ve been dreaming of since I last saw her.

  “I can’t wait to see you either. It feels like far too long. Even though you flew out to see me so many times.”

  “Even a minute away from you is too long,” I growl, wishing I could run my tongue all over her body. My cock has been perpetually hard since the call started, and I won’t be able to get her off my mind for the rest of the night. But I won’t give in and touch myself. I know i
t won’t help. The only thing that will give me the satisfaction I need is her warm body against mine and my cock buried inside her tight pussy.

  Despina smiles at me. “Have you got something special arranged for when I get home? Should we go for dinner or something?”

  “Don’t worry, baby. I’ve already got a romantic night planned out for us,” I insist. I wasn’t going to half-ass her coming home. I’ve prepared a night that I know she’ll love. Even at the mention of it, she beams at me.

  “I’ll take your word for it. I should go, honey. My flight is early tomorrow.”

  “I know, it’s okay. I’ll be there to pick you up when you land.”

  “Aw honey, you don’t have to.”

  “I want to,” I say. “I’m not going to wait longer than I have to to see you. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”

  “I love you more,” she insists, blowing a kiss to the camera as she signs off. The moment she’s gone, I feel a little deflated, but I know that it won’t be long now until I never have to feel like this again. She’ll be back by my side, working on her next book and I’ll be able to relax once more. But I have to make sure that everything is perfect for her return.

  I’ve got the perfect plan in mind.

  *****

  I see her immediately as I’m waiting at the arrivals terminal. She looks more beautiful than ever. She’s caught some sun while she’s been away and her pale cheeks are covered in freckles. She’s searching for me desperately in the crowd, looking anxious. When she finally sees me, her face splits into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen and she runs to me.

  She drops her suitcase at my feet and jumps into my arms. I spin her around, not caring that everyone is staring at us. She’s my girl and I want the world to know it. She’s mine. As I set her down on the ground, I feel my possessiveness reawakening and I wrap my arms around her protectively, glancing around for anyone who might try and take her from me. Despina swats me playfully.