Page 121 of Deviant Reign (Knight's Ridge Empire 6)

EMMIE

“Daddy, we’re home,” I sing the second I push through the front door, but the only thing that greets me is silence.

Theo walks into the house behind me and closes the door.

“Drink?” I offer, walking down the hall after kicking off my boots and hanging my jacket on the hook.

“Yeah, sure.”

I make us both a coffee, Theo’s eyes drilling into me the entire time before we head through to the living room.

“So what’s the plan then?” he asks.

“Wait, I guess. I need to talk to him before we do anything else.”

He studies me, his eyes bouncing between mine.

“What if it was him—them?”

“Then… nothing. I’m not going to look at them differently, judge them for it. All that kind of stuff is a part of Cruz’s life, my dad’s past, your life. I won’t criticise any of you for what you do for your families, how you operate your… businesses. I just… I’m a part of them now. Both of them. And I know that I can’t always know everything, be involved with everything. But when it involves me, then yeah, I wanna know. I’m not going to put up with being lied to.

“I can handle the dark and the dirty.” Theo’s lips twitch in acknowledgment. “If this is my life, my future, then I want to embrace it. Not live on the outskirts like I have my whole life.”

“It’s your life, babe, and you can dive in as deep as you like into the underworld, as long as you’re holding my hand while you’re doing it.”

Threading his fingers through mine, he tugs me until I have no choice but to tumble into his body.

“I’ll consider it,” I mutter teasingly.

“Yeah, you do that.” His lips brush mine with every word he says and tingles spread through my entire body.

I love it when he lets go and forgets about taking life too seriously. Every time I see that easy smile and the sparkle of excitement, I can’t help but feel incredibly lucky to be a part of his inner circle. “But right now, we’ve got this house to ourselves and I think we should make the most of it.”

“Oh? Wanna show me what you have in mind?”

Our coffees are long forgotten after I place them on the table. He tugs me so I’m lying beneath him and looms over me, all muscle and strength, making me feel like a little mouse caught up by his power and intensity.

“Mine,” he growls, gently knocking his nose against mine.

Reaching for my hand, he lifts it, his eyes flicking to the ring sitting on my finger before he presses his lips to it.

“You really want this, don’t you?” I ask, my heart galloping in my chest as he honours the somewhat bullshit union between us.

His eyes seek mine out once more, allowing me to see everything he’s feeling in the dark green depths.

“I do. But only if you want it too.”

“Don’t you think we’re too young?”

“For what? Falling in love? Thinking about our future?”

“I-I—”

“We don’t need big dresses, white picket fences, and a plan for kids. All we need to be is us. We can carve out our lives as we see fit, one day at a time.”

“You’re annoyingly sweet and perfect, do you know that?”

He shrugs, an endearing, shy smile playing on his lips.