Laney I n something of a daze, I followed Sterling into the penthouse and wondered for the umpteenth time if this was just a dream. As the door snicked into place behind us, I spun to face him, looking up into those blue eyes and not finding so much as a shred of ice. “Say it again,” I demanded quietly, not letting go of his hand but also refusing to take another st ep further into this place without hearing him say it now that we were alone. “Tell me, Sterling.” A slow grin hooked at one corner of his mouth and his arm snaked around my waist, tugging me to him. I landed hard against his chest. “I love you, Laney Westwood. I’ll say it as many times as you want for the rest of my life if you’ll have me for that long.” I smiled up at him, my fingertips grazing across the dark stubble on his jaw. “I’ll have you for as long as you promise not to make me listen to a conversation like that again.” “Sure,” he murmured, leaning into my touch and letting out a soft sigh. “Let the record show that I didn’t make you listen to it this time either, though. I’m still acc epting full responsibility for what I said. It’s just that I didn’t make you do anything.” “Fair enough.” I rested my head against his chest, listening to the uneven thudding of his heart against my ear. “I’m just not sure what to make of all this.” Sterling wrapped me in his arms, holding me tight, and walked us toward the living room. “You can make of it whatever you want, but the truth is that the organ you’re listening to right now? That belongs to you.” I smiled and closed my eyes. Sterling covered one of my hands in one of his and dragged it along his side, all the way from his shoulder to his hip. “This belongs to you, too.” I chuckled. “Does that mean that your abs are also mine?” “My abs. My cock. My soul. My money. All of it.” My butt brushed against the back of the couch. I looked up at him in the dark of the room. All the lights were off, but ambient light from the city below cast the space in a silvery glow. “I don’t care about your money, but I’ll take your heart, body, and soul.” He grinned as he stared into my eyes and caught my cheek in his hand. “Well, I guess that’s good because after the talk I plan on having with my father, we might have to live out the rest of our days on only my trust fund.” I pretended to gasp. “Good heavens, not only your trust fund.” He laughed, low and de ep, and his head descended closer to mine. “I’m serious, Laney. If I have to, I would give it all up for you. If the past twenty- four hours have taught me anything, it’s that you’re the only thing I can’t live without.” “Ke ep talking like that and you might get lucky tonight.” “I already have,” he said, quickly adding, “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I got lucky when you decided to hear me out. I didn’t fuck n —” “I know, Sterling. You’re many things, but a cheater isn’t one of them.” I ran my fingertips along his jawline and k ept my gaze on his even as his forehead came down to mine. “I love you too, you know.”
As I said the words, he went completely still. His lips parted and his fingers flexed against my skin, but other than that, the only movement I felt from him was the hammering of his heart against my chest. “Say it again.” A demand. A plea. But not a request. “I love you,” I r epeated simply, feeling my own heart skip this time. “I’ve known for a while now, but I didn’t want to say anything. I wasn’t even sure I had the right to.” “Neither did I,” he confessed in a breathy whisper. “I’m so fucking sorry, Laney. I should’ve told you that my father had tacked conditions onto my inheritance. I should’ve told you n —” I silenced him by pressing my fingers to his lips, then r eplaced them with my mouth and kissed him de eply, letting my body do the talking for me. After everything, I was so, so tired of talk. It was necessary and I knew we were going to have to do a lot of it in the following days, but not right now. My insides were still scraped raw and my chest was still aching, even if it was also fuller than I remembered it ever being before. I felt like I’d been in an emotional washer all day and all night, being thrown from one side to the other and then spun until I didn’t know which way was up. Sterling really had become the center of my universe, for better or for worse, and right then, I just wanted to be with him. No more talking or heavy stuff. Just pleasure and joy, love and togetherness. I stroked my fingers into his hair and murmured into his furious, hungry kisses. “I love you, Sterling Westwood.” He groaned, lifting me clean off my feet and setting me down on the back of the couch. St epping closer until he was pressed against me, he kissed me harder and de eper, almost like he was right on the edge of losing control before we’d really even started. “I’m so sorry, Laney. I love you. I’m so sorry.” With every broken, breathy word, I felt him roll his hips against me, lighting a fire within me that I knew only he could quench. “I love you, baby. I’m going to give you a proper wedding. A white dress. A n —” A low, desperately needy groan fell out of him that reminded me of that choked, broken way he’d been speaking when he asked me to come home with him at the block party. I de epened our kiss again before I broke it abruptly. “I don’t need a proper wedding or a white dress. I only need you.” His hips twitched, slamming into me and staying put, pressed hard against me for a moment. “God, Laney. I can’t... I’m so fucking close to...” As he trailed off again, he drew in a sharp, de ep breath and I pulled away just slightly, tightening my grip on his hair as he groaned out a protest. “What’s going on, Sterling? You can’t what?” His eyebrows drew closer together and he exhaled sharply. “I almost lost you, Laney. That can’t happen. I can’t go back to what I was before I met you. I didn’t know what I was missing then, but I do now.” “You didn’t lose me, though,” I whispered reassuringly. “I just needed some time to process. To figure out if I even had a reason to be upset when I came into this knowing n —”
“Knowing that I was full of shit and a complete asshole for proposing to you the way I did?” “No.” I smiled, though. “It’s good to know you’ve realized that, but what we have is real now, isn’t it?” “So fucking real,” he breathed with his forehead pressed as tightly to mine as his hips. “I can’t take it though, Laney. I need to know that you’re mine and that it’s because you want to be. No more contracts or shares or n —” “I’m yours.” I cut him off because I really didn’t need to hear anymore. “Tear up the contract if you want to and I’ll still be yours. My heart. My flabby stomach. My pussy. My soul.” He groaned. “I’ll take all of the above.” “That’s my husband,” I joked, then brought my hands up to his tie and undid it the rest of the way. As it fluttered to the floor, I got started on his buttons and pushed his shirt off his shoulders, feeling him kick off his shoes before I shoved his pants and underwear down. I felt the heat of him radiating against my hand before I’d even touched him and suddenly my heart was beating an uneven rhythm in my chest. “Shit, Sterling. Did you n —” “Almost, but no. I told you, Laney. I’m yours,” he said hoarsely. “All the way. You own me. You own my pleasure and my pain. My heart and my soul, so yeah. I almost came when you told me you only needed me, but I won’t. Not unless you want me to.” A soft moan tore out of me at the admission and I acted on instinct, kicking off my sneakers and lifting my hips for him to tug down my pants. My shirt followed quickly after, but instead of thrusting into me right there on the couch, he took me upstairs to our bedroom and buried his face between my legs. I was burning for him, but he took his time with me and licked up and down through my folds. He teased at my entrance with his fingers and circled my clit with his thumb, contented humming coming from the back of his throat. Bucking my hips, I tried to get him to sink his fingers into me. Lick me where I needed him. Anything. But it was almost like he was in a trance, just savoring the moment until I finally tugged at his shoulders and rolled him back onto the bed when he moved up. His gaze caught on mine as I climbed astride him. For the first time ever, I caught a flash of vulnerability in his eyes. Something indecipherable passed between us, heavy, real, and undeniable. He grabbed my hips and took control, slamming me down on him and roaring when he was fully seated. His lips parted, his gorgeous features twisting as he looked up at me. “I’m going to n —” “Let go,” I whispered, taking his face in my hands and kissing him. “I love you, Sterling. You don’t have to put up a front with me anymore. You don’t have to wait for me or for my permission. You can just let go.” A moment later, he swelled de ep inside me and writhed as he emptied himself, but he didn’t withdraw or put an end to anything. Instead, he flipped me onto my back in turn and spent an indeterminable amount of time making me see stars and hear the angels sing. All the while, he whispered how much he loved me and told me all the things he wanted us to do together. I wanted it all too—and so much more.
Eventually, curled up together with my head on his shoulders and our hands joined on his chest, he stroked his thumb along my knuckles and kissed the top of my head. “Can we take a few days and finish our Napa trip?” “Yes, please,” I agreed wholeheartedly, knowing that we needed the time and the space to figure out how to move forward from here, but selfishly, I also just wasn’t ready to share him with the world again yet. Sterling Westwood and I had come to an agreement to be married for one year, but that was never going to be enough for me. I wanted him for life and I needed him to know that it wasn’t just about shares for me anymore either.
Epilogue Sterling I woke up to the warmth of her hand on my shoulder and the soft brush of her lips at my temple. I cracked open an eye, confused for a second when I realized that the sun hadn’t even broken over the skyline yet. Figuring she was probably just pulling me closer, I tightened my grip on her hip and settled in for another couple hours, but then I heard her whisper, “Wake up, my love. I’ve got a surprise for you.” I frowned and blinked open both eyes this time, squinting at the clock. Just past five. On a Saturday. What in the everloving... “Lane,” I mumbled, voice thick with sle ep. “The only surprise worth waking up for this early in volves you, no clothes, and at least another few hours in bed, so I really hope it’s that or I’m going back to sle ep.” She laughed, the sound soft and happy but also just a little impatient. “That’s too bad because it’s not that but you’re also not going back to sle ep. Come on. You have to get dressed. We’re going to Napa today.” Still fighting the fog of sle ep, I blinked a few times and finally lowered my gaze to hers. “Napa? Why?” It wasn’t like I needed convincing to go anywhere with her, but the look on her face, all smiley, determined, and a little mischievous told me this wasn’t just about good wine. I sighed. “Yeah, okay. I’m getting up, but should I be worried?” “Nope, but hurry. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there and the sooner we can hit the trail.” “The trail?” I groaned. “This is about that hike you wanted to do the last time we were there?” It shouldn’t have come as this much of a surprise. Laney and I had gone to Napa for a week after we’d made up and she’d learned from the vineyard manager that there was a supposedly fantastic hike right on the property. We’d meant to do it, but in the end, we’d barely left the house. It’d been five days mostly spent in bed, making up for lost time and reassuring each other of our love for one another over and over again. That had been about a month and a half ago, and I still hadn’t had enough of her. If she wanted to go spend another couple of days in that bed rather than this one though, I was game. As long as we didn’t really have to go on a freaking walk. I climbed out of bed and strode into the bathroom, eyeing her as I picked up my toothbrush. “Is this really about the hike?” My gaze skimmed across her shapely body and her full breasts, her toned thighs showed off by the tiny shorts she had on. “I n —” “Don’t even try, Sterling Westwood,” she admonished me playfully, backing away until she was all the way to our bedroom door. “We’re going to Napa and I’m not going to let you convince me otherwise.” Before I could open my mouth, she spun around so fast that her ponytail swished out behind her head and then she disappeared. I groaned and pushed down on my growing erection, knowing that for some
reason I wasn’t going to be able to change her mind today. Curious about why she was so excited, I grabbed a quick shower and changed, even more curious when she was practically bouncing in the passenger seat all the way there. Her fingers were drumming against her thigh, her eyes fixed straight ahead like she couldn’t wait for whatever her surprise was. When we finally pulled up to the house, the sun was high enough to cast that magical, hazy, early morning glow across the vines, and it caught her hair when she jumped out. I barely had the car in park before she turned, reached into the back seat, and tossed something at me. It took me a second to realize what it was. The hiking sandals. Those godawful, strappy things she’d bought me weeks ago. I’d made fun of them at the time, called them an insult to footwear. Now she was grinning, her eyes dancing with some kind of challenge. “What’s taking you so long?” she asked, those gray eyes widening as she parked her hands on her hips. “Get them on. We’re going. Now.” I turned the sandals over in my hand like they might miraculously transform into boots. “Are you really going to make me wear these?” “You promised you’d try them, and besides, you’re going to want them where we’re going.” She’d called the last half of the sentence to me over her shoulder, her ponytail swaying. The smile on her lips made it impossible to say no, though. I sighed, shoved my feet into the ridiculous things, and followed. Whatever this surprise was, I knew it probably wouldn’t stop with Napa, the hike, and the sandals. Or maybe it would. With Laney, the real surprise had always been just how easy it was to say yes to her, but she’d also been acting strangely for a few days now—even by her standards. She’d been restless and jumpy, almost vibrating at times and seeming exhausted at others. Every time I’d tried to corner her about it so far, she’d deflected with a kiss or a joke, and I’d let it go because I’d known she would tell me when she was ready. I had to respect that. Even if it’d killed me to wait when it was obviously something big. Laney led me around the house to a trail that cut through the edge of the vineyard, the morning sun warm on our backs. The ridiculous sandals squeaked with every st
Ep I took and she k ept giggling softly about it. “You know,” she teased, her eyes meeting mine over her shoulder. “They wouldn’t have been doing that if you’d actually broken them in.” “They also wouldn’t have been doing it if you’d let me burn them,” I shot back, st epping over a root that threatened to trip me. She grinned at me. “If you burned them, what would you wear for my next terrible idea?” “I’m starting to think you should just leave the idea-having to me,” I grumbled. “My ideas are good ideas.” “Your ideas are all about sex.” I arched an eyebrow. “You haven’t complained about that before.” “I’m also not complaining about it now. I just need you to trust me, okay?” She smiled, strangely
secretive and smug, and k ept walking. I followed her, but that was no surprise. I would follow this woman into hell if it meant getting to spend a little bit of time with her. The last few weeks since we’d made up hadn’t been without their challenges. We’d had a lot to talk about and we’d both completely opened up about our fears, our reservations, and our expectations. Talking about that kind of thing had not come naturally to me, but as always, sharing it with her hadn’t been as bad it might’ve been if I’d been sharing it with anyone else. After bleeding my insides all over the floor of our penthouse, I’d also finally presented her with a printout of all our assets. I’d included everything from properties, to cars, to racehorses, and beyond, and she’d eventually—reluctantly—begun to acc ept that it all belonged to her now too. We still had to take a tour of most of our properties, but the one she’d been most excited about had been that second storefront in LA. I’d bought the whole damn building and we’d be opening in just a few weeks. Vincent was convinced I’d only done it to win her back, but the truth was that I’d owned that building since before she’d even left it the first time. I’d simply been waiting for the right time to tell her. At least her dad was talking to me again. Our relationship was far from perfect, but he was coming around. Slowly but steadily. He’d made a very real threat to my balls if she ever showed up at his door like that again, though. Once she and I had smoothed things over at home in every way possible, I’d made an appointment with my father and I’d sat him down, letting him know that I was through letting him use my relationship with Laney as some kind of bargaining chip with my brothers. She and I had also invited Jameson over for dinner one night and she’d told him everything about our arrangement from her point of view. I’d learned a lot about her that night myself, but in the end, I’d also explained things to him as I’d experienced them. Without getting into an argument this time. Things were better between us now, even if I knew Jamie still wasn’t onboard with the whole arranged marriage thing. All three of us also knew that Dad wasn’t going to get off his back about it entirely, but for now, he was letting things unfold naturally. It wouldn’t last, but at least my brother had a tiny fraction of peace. Eventually, the trail opened into a small clearing on the far side of my property. I’d never been here before, but it was shaded by old oaks and there was a blanket and a basket waiting for us right in the middle. My eyebrows shot up. “What is this?” Laney ignored me, spreading out the blanket and sitting down before she opened the basket. Humming quietly, she smiled as she started pulling things out of it. A bottle of wine and a selection of cheeses, fresh bread, berries, olives. All of them were things she knew I loved and the fact that they’d been in that basket made it clear she’d planned this. Like, really planned it. Cautiously striding over, I sat down next to her and watched as she opened a bottle of wine and poured me a glass. She handed it over and smiled. “So, what do you think we’ll be doing this time next year?” I leaned back on one elbow, watching her through the dappled sunlight and wondering where she was going with all this. “This time next year? At this point, I’m just hoping I’ll have recovered from you
insisting we wake up before dawn for a surprise hike.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked at me like nothing else mattered. “That’s all you’re hoping for?” As our gazes caught, I shook my head and pushed up onto my knees. “I also hope that you’ll still be looking at me exactly like that.” “Like what?” she asked, her breath catching as she watched me crawl closer to her. “Sterling n — “Like I’m the surprise you’ve been planning all along.” She opened her mouth to respond, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I caught her around the waist and pulled her down on the blanket with me. She laughed right before I kissed her, de ep, hungry, and with everything else I’d been holding back since she’d woken me up this morning. When I finally pulled away, she was breathing fast, her fingers twisted in my shirt. I was panting too, my leg moving to pin hers to the blanket. As I moved my palm to her hip, she suddenly touched a hand to my cheek and shook her head. “Sterling, wait,” she whispered, a nervous hitch in her voice that I hadn’t heard before. “There’s something I have to tell you.” Her expression shifted then, the teasing playfulness fading. Whatever it was that took its place was somehow a lot scarier and more endearing all at once. I frowned, sliding my leg off hers and curving myself protectively around her side. “What is it, baby? What’s going on?” “That’s just it. Baby. I mean, I found out a few days ago,” she began, the words tumbling out in a rush. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you, but we’re going to have a baby. I’m pregnant, Sterling.” My entire world seemed to narrow down to her eyes, the hope and fear tangled there. My heart stopped, but then it was racing, pounding loud enough that I was sure she could hear it. “A baby,” I r epeated like I had to taste the word to believe it. “Pregnant?” She nodded, her voice shaking as she stared up into my eyes. “Next spring. That fits into your timeline, right?” I almost laughed, but I almost cried, too. Instead of either one of those things, I took her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing her cheeks. “Fuck the timeline. I’m changing the contract.” She blinked. “What?” “I want you for my whole damn life, Laney,” I said, my voice rough. “I want it in writing. With a wet signature, notarized if you want. Forever.” Her eyes shimmered, her smile breaking wide and bright through the tears threatening at the corners. “Forever?” “Forever,” I r epeated before I kissed her, the vines rustling around us in the warm, late summer breeze, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I had everything. I had her. We had our future, and soon, we would have a family I never even dared to hope for. Life was pretty darn good, and for as long as she was at my side, I had a feeling it would only ke ep getting better.
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