Page 233 of Vows We Never Made

“I didn’t hate you. I mean, not exactly. I just thought you were an entitled swinging dick who thought he could have anything he wanted.”

His smile comes slow and soft and achingly tender, even if I know he’s about to make fun of himself. “What part was untrue?”

“None of it,” I say. “There’s just more to you than I thought. Layers.”

“Onions have layers, Hattie. The more you peel, the harder they make you cry.”

“Well, so does tiramisu! And there’s a lot of sweet stuff between the bitter espresso. Even rich, entitled jerkwads can be kind. Sometimes,” I add.

His eyes spark with challenge.

“So I should cancel your big book event with two world-class authors? It’s only the talk of town. You don’t want to know the strings I had to pull to get M.E. Court and Gwen Lynn to Portland for a duo signing.”

“Ethan!” I lean over to smack his arm. “You can’t get to me that easily. I know you wouldn’t dare. And thank you again, I’m still in awe it’s happening.”

Seriously. That mother-daughter pair from Minnesota canwrite,even if they’re in different genres.

“Shame,” he grumbles. “But are you sure? You might be older and sexier now, but that doesn’t mean you’re any less gullible.”

“Please. I’mwayless gullible.” When he opens his arms, I snuggle in close, smiling when I feel his lips against my hair. “Have you forgiven him yet?”

“Gramps?”

“Yeah. I know it’s a little more complicated with your parents, but he isn’t around to defend himself. And without him, we wouldn’t be here now.”

“I…” He sighs, his hands trailing down my side to the sliver of skin between my shirt and shorts. Despite myself, I shiver. “It’s fucking complicated. At the end of the day, he lied to me. He held back secrets I should’ve known, long before I left town ragingand lost. But I get why he did it, why the fallout with Mom and Dad left him no good options. And you’re right, Gramps playing hardass cupid wasn’t acrime.”

“Especially with me,” I remind him, hooking my leg over his.

“It wouldn’t have worked with anyone else, Hattie.”

My whole body tingles.

He still gets that reaction, even though he tells me he loves me every single day.

Yes, the breakup sucked, but it helped him realize what’s important. I’m not afraid anymore that he’ll take me for granted or abruptly change his mind.

Not while he’s holding my hand like a treasure.

It’s a new experience, feeling like you’re in so deep with a man and he’s right there with you, sheltering you from every wave of life.

Every time I imagine the future, my fingers and toes curl. I get the same heady feeling I do when I finish an awesome book and I know there’s a sequel coming.

Ethan Blackthorn isn’t just my sequel.

He’s my whole fricking saga.

The prologue, the middle chapter, and the very last word. If I’m lucky, we’ll be writing amazing new stories together until we die.

Grinning, I roll on top of him, urging his hands on my hips.

“Careful,” he growls.

His eyes ignite. I can already feel his erection against my leg.

“I want to hear you say it,” I whisper, brushing my lips over his.

“You really want to talk about Gramps right now? Fuck.”