Page 46 of Billion Dollar Vow (The Lincoln Brothers #4)
Karley
The next morning, I wake in his arms and choose to stay perfectly still, savoring the quiet, the way his fingers grip my waist even as he sleeps.
I tilt my head to look up at him. His dark lashes rest against his cheeks, his face relaxed, boyish even, in the morning light. A small smile tugs at my lips as I reach up, gently cupping his cheek.
His eyes flutter open, those piercing blue eyes locking onto mine. A lazy grin spreads across his face.
“Morning, Petal,” he murmurs, rough and sleepy.
“Morning,” I whisper back, feeling the corners of my lips curve up.
“How are you feeling?”
The question brings back the heaviness in my chest. “Better,” I admit hoarsely. “But I need something to drink. My throat’s sore.”
Reluctantly, we untangle from each other, the warmth of his body lingering as we move to the kitchen.
I’m bracing for the inevitable conversation we need to have.
He’ll want an explanation. A weight settles in my gut as I remember the look on his face when Liam revealed my secret.
I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and tilt it back, gulping it down in one go.
The coolness soothes my throat, but my mind is already spinning with thoughts of what’s to come.
He makes coffee, the rich aroma filling the air.
I sit at the counter, watching him move around with a casual ease that makes my heart skip. He’s shirtless, his hair still messy from sleep, and I wonder how he can look so effortlessly perfect.
Once he pours two mugs of coffee, he slides one across the counter toward me with a playful smirk. “Coffee for my girl.”
I smile as I take the mug, the warmth seeping into my hands as I take a sip. The moment feels light, easy, but the question weighing on my mind refuses to stay silent.
“What’s going to happen with the gallery?” I ask quietly, my gaze fixed on the steam coming from my coffee before looking back up.
Oliver freezes for a moment, then sets his mug down and steps closer. “Mr. Warne gave me the gallery.”
My head snaps up, disbelief flooding me. “What? How?”
He rounds the island in a few strides, his hand lifting to cradle my face. The affection in his touch steals my breath as his gaze locks onto mine.
“He knew we weren’t fake,” Oliver says. “Yeah, the marriage was fast, but he could see it, Karley. He saw how much we love each other.”
Love. He said it so naturally. And after all this time guarding my heart, of expecting disappointment, hearing him say that with confidence means he’s not walking away from me.
“He did?”
“Yes.” His eyes soften as his thumb dusts my cheek. “Karley, I love you. I love you so incredibly much.”
The words hit me like a tidal wave. My heart clenches, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. But this time, they aren’t from pain, they’re from relief, from pure joy.
“I love you too,” I manage as I throw my arms around him, holding on tight.
He hugs me back, his grip firm. “Not as much as I love you,” he murmurs, pulling back just enough to meet my eyes. “I can’t believe all this time I was searching for you, and you were right there in front of me.”
A grin breaks across my face. “I nearly died when I saw it in your office.”
Laughing softly, he rests his forehead against mine. “That room’s getting an upgrade. I want your paintings everywhere, Karley.” And for the first time, knowing he knows… knowing everyone knows… I feel okay.
An idea sparks in me, making my stomach flutter. “I want to paint us something new. Something special. In that arch shape you have in your room.”
His smile widens, his eyes full of adoration. “I’ll get you anything you need. I’ll turn a whole room into a studio if you want. You should be painting. And when the gallery opens, it’ll be ours, every painting, every student, everything. We’ll do it together.”
New hope fills my chest. I lean up, kissing him, pouring every ounce of love and gratitude I feel into it. This moment, this man, is my future. And for the first time in forever, I am ready to embrace it.