Page 38

Stevie

Our kisses start soft but quickly grow hungry.

I’ve been without him too long and my body is on board even though my brain is more cautious.

Technically, nothing has changed.

He has custody now, but my reputation still precedes me. Even in court today, I could see the jurors watching me, judging, trying to decide whether or not I was such an evil woman that I was somehow responsible for Damien’s rage.

“I haven’t been with anyone else,” he whispers against my mouth.

“Me either.”

He crawls onto the bed, tugging me with him.

Then he flips onto his back and pulls me astride him.

I sink down slowly and a moan escapes me as I gaze down at him.

“That’s my girl.” His eyes burn into mine.

He runs a hand over my breasts, down my stomach, and over my hips, his touch gentle, unrushed…. seductive . It’s a little intoxicating to watch him touch me. But it sends my emotions into overdrive. I love him so much I can’t imagine a world without him. Especially now that I know he loves me too.

But I don’t want my past to impact us—or the children.

They’re the ones who’ll have to defend their stepmother to classmates, and I know how cruel kids can be.

“Stephanie.”

He’s never called me by my given name before and I blink in surprise.

Hell, no one’s called me Stephanie in a decade.

I’m so mesmerized by his handsome face it takes me a second to realize he’s holding something in his hand.

It’s shiny.

A ring.

A ring?!

I blink in confusion.

“Marty, what are you… is that…?”

“I love you Stephanie Anne Marchand. I want you to be with me forever. Help me raise my kids. Build a life and a family together. I want to be there when you’re sad and slay all your dragons and love the hurt right out of you, until you’re whole again.”

“Marty.” My eyes puddle with tears—I’ve done a lot of crying today—and focus on the intense look in his eyes.

Our eyes and bodies are locked as intimately as humanly possible… and he’s holding out a ring.

“I’m a mess,” I whisper.

“Stop saying that. I love your mess. I love you . Marry me, Stevie. Say yes.”

“But what happens when someone finds an old video of me online doing something immature and teases the kids about it?”

“They’ll kick their asses because they love you as much as I do.”

“I don’t want you to do this out of guilt or because I gave Brenna that money.”

“I knew I wanted to marry you the first time we made love. I knew it when you left me. I knew it when I thought you might be dating ’Cuda. I simply realized I had to do something about it when I found out you paid Brenna off.”

“I paid her because you needed your kids more than I needed the money.”

“But I need you more than anything. Stevie—say yes.”

“Don’t you want more babies?” I whisper when I can’t think of anything else to say.

He shrugs. “I’d like more, but there are options if we get to that point. Adoption. A surrogate. We’ll figure it out together. I have three perfect kids… and now you. What more could I possibly need?”

“Marty.” I hold out my hand and he slides the massive diamond on my finger. “It didn’t have to be this big…”

“It did.” He smiles. “Never undervalue yourself. You’re not broken. You’re not damaged goods—you deserve anything and everything I can give you. Together, we can have it all.”

I drop my mouth to his, kissing him. Urgently. Passionately.

Trying to show him everything I’m feeling.

For him.

About him.

With him.

Our bodies move together in perfect unison, like no time has passed since the last time we made love. Maybe because it’s just a blip in the grand scheme of the rest of our lives.

“You’re so beautiful, Stevie,” he whispers, bringing my face back down to his.

We kiss and touch and grind, until a powerful orgasm rocks me from head to toe. I feel him tense inside me and then we’re lost in a whirlwind of pleasure and lust and love.

“I love you so fucking much,” I pant against his mouth.

“I love you too.”

I collapse on his chest, and we lie there in silence, the only sound that of our breathing.

“Are we engaged?” I ask after a few minutes.

He chuckles. “You put on the ring, so I’m going with yes.”

“You know this is my fourth engagement.”

“I don’t care.” He gently moves me to the side and then turns onto his, looking at me intently. “So here’s the deal. You have options.”

“Uh oh.” I can’t help but laugh.

“Option one: We go to Vegas the minute the trial is over and elope. No honeymoon since I have to get back to hockey, but we’d be married.”

I wrinkle my nose. “I don’t think…that’s what I want.”

“Option two: We plan something elegant but small during the All-Star break in February. I might get chosen to attend but I’ll just take the one-game suspension and bow out if that happens. Doesn’t matter to me. That would mean a condensed honeymoon, but at least we’d have one.”

“And option three?” I’m suddenly excited.

“We wait until next summer and plan the wedding of your dreams. Paris, New York, Hawaii—wherever you want. Every bell and whistle you always dreamed of.”

“What do you want?” I ask after a moment.

“I just want you to be my wife.”

“I’ve cried about seventeen times today,” I sniff. “And I might do it again if you keep talking like that. But I want option number three. Just not Paris.”

“Then where?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “Paris was the dream with three other guys, so I don’t want to?—”

“Is Paris still the wedding dream?” he interrupts. “Forget the other guys, broken engagements, all the bullshit. Just think about us and our wedding… the one you want to have with me . Is Paris the dream?”

I hate to admit it, but I nod.

“Then Paris. Next summer.”

* * *

“…on the count of aggravated assault, we the jury, find Damien Pritchard…guilty.”

I sag in relief and half the courtroom starts to clap.

Damien’s face is a mask of fury as he glares at me, but I avert my gaze, looking down at the diamond on my hand.

My engagement ring.

Because Marty wants me to be his wife.

We were up half the night talking, making plans, and getting ready to move into the next phase of our life. I have to go back to Paris for a few weeks—I left most of my stuff at the apartment there plus I have an obligation to Madame Bertrand—but I’ll be able to travel back and forth once we find a nanny and get into a routine. I probably won’t work in November and December because our goal is to sell his house and buy something together. Some place new, where we can start over and celebrate the holidays if we can do it quickly.

And now I can close the door on my past.

Not all of it, but definitely from the Damien incident.

I can’t help but feel relief as he’s handcuffed and taken into custody. He’s yelling something in my direction, but I don’t care anymore. I’m done.

I turn right into Marty’s embrace and he hugs me tightly. I wrap my arms around him and that’s when Chey notices the ring.

“What is that ?” she demands, grabbing my hand.

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. She’s been my friend through two of my three previous engagements.

“I believe that is called the engagement ring, yes?” Madame Bertrand says with a mischievous smile.

“Yes.” I smile back. “Marty and I are engaged!”

We’re immediately surrounded by our friends, with hugs and kisses and handshakes for everyone.

“I’m so happy for you,” Chey whispers against my ear.

“You’re going to be my matron of honor, right?”

“Of course!”

“And you approve this time?” I tease.

“A thousand percent!”

We both laugh.

“Celebratory dinner tonight on me,” Madame Bertrand says. “Everyone is invited.”

We make plans to meet at a restaurant in midtown at eight o’clock and then we say goodbye to Lorna and Madeline, who are flying back to L.A., before heading to the SUV where Grim and Rage are waiting to take us wherever we want to go.

“We should call the kids,” I tell Marty once we’re in the car.

“Let’s wait until bedtime,” he says. “Martin and Emma are both in school and Bradley is probably napping.”

“Oh, right. I forget about the time difference.”

“I already texted my mom, though.”

“I need to text a few people too, but it can wait. Everything can wait just a little bit. I need to breathe for a few minutes, soak it all in.”

“Whatever you need, baby.” He laces his fingers through mine, and we lean back in the seats.

“Hey, Marty?”

“Hmm?” He glances over at me.

“How much do you love me?”

A laugh rumbles out of him. “Enough to probably say yes to whatever it is you’re about to ask me.”

“Will you wear tails to the wedding?”

“That’s a given. My girl likes me in a tux.”

“Can the wedding party dress in pink?”

“Babe.” He brushes his lips against mine. “I don’t care what colors, what kind of suit, or where we have it. All I care about is marrying you.”

“You know I’m going to be extra, right?”

“ Extra is why I fell in love with you.” He kisses me again and I sigh against his mouth.

I can’t believe I’m even thinking it, but everything is right in my world.

Especially the man I’m going to marry.