Page 77 of RAKEish

“The penis symbolized your heart, since that’s where the heart of most men resides. So, you didn’t bring me your penis to fix but instead your broken heart. And I dreamed your heart got broken because that would be poetic justice for a man who lived his life as an unapologetic rake.”

“You little minx. You could have put that version out to the public a long time ago.”

She giggled. “Where would the fun in that have been?”

A smile tugged his lips.

“Scott,” she said, her expression sobering. “What did your father mean when he said you had ten minutes?”

“My best friend is in love with Rose and she, him. The King has declared I must get married today. It will either be to her or to you…the woman I love.”

She blinked. “Today?”

“I know I’m not good enough for you, but I promise to work every day for the rest of my life to change that fact.”

Lux couldn’t explain it, but right then, she saw Scott for the man he was, not the man she’d branded him to be in her mind. When her heart whispered, we love him, she didn’t try to shut it down. She embraced its wisdom. A tear rolled down her cheek. “It’s I who should work every day to deserve you. I can’t believe I told you that you weren’t good enough. Scott, I love you like you’re my last breath.”

He pumped his fist in the air as if he were a man who’d just won a freaking trophy. Or a trophy wife. “You’ve just made me the happiest man in the universe.”

“The Rake of Manhattan. A closet romantic. That’s a plot twist no one saw coming…especially not me.”

As they stood there, hand in hand, the reality of what would soon unfold hit her—she was about to get married in a royal chapel, in her pajamas, to a man who had just upended every notion she had about love and certainty.

And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Scott leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a kiss that sealed their promise—a promise of a new beginning, a journey of love that they would embark on together, rewriting their story one page at a time.

Epilogue

Three months after Lux and Scott’s impromptu wedding in the grand chapel of Shiretopia—while she wore mismatched pajamas and he a tuxedo—their life had settled into a delightful rhythm, swinging between the vibrant energy of Manhattan and the serene majesty of his country. Scott’s future as the King of Shiretopia was secured, but until it was imminent, he was allowed to live the life of a royal with dual citizenship. His column with Naked Runway would come to an end with the next issue.

Tonight, Manhattan buzzed with the celebration of their union, hosted by Naked Runway and the ever-spirited Ms. Birdie. The venue, a stunning fusion of European elegance and Manhattan’s modern flair, was abuzz with excitement and laughter.

As Lux mingled with the eclectic mix of guests, she caught sight of Scott across the room, sharing a laugh with a group of friends. Two of them being Mark and Rose. Rose, as it turned out, had been right. She’d won back Scott’s affection in absolutely no time at all, which probably had the wicked witch who’d cursed the clan twitching in her dusty remains.

Lux met Scott’s gaze, and a silent exchange of happiness passed between them.

Amidst the revelry, Lux watched as Ms. Birdie approached, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Lux, darling, I’ve got a surprise for you,” she announced with her characteristic flair.

“I find that hard to imagine,” Lux said, grinning. “You’re normally not one for surprises.”

“I’d like to introduce you to Molly Thorn,” Ms. Birdie replied, her lips twitching. “The friend I told you about with contacts in the second veil.”

“Ms. Thorn, it is so nice to meet you,” Lux said, shaking hands with the woman.

Once Lux had agreed to go to work for Ms. Birdie as the CEO of the Fairy Godmother Project, life had gotten even more interesting than marrying a rakish prince. At first, she’d resisted the idea of leaving academia, but Ms. Birdie had made an excellent case for why she should. Mainly, Lux would be able to put her psychology degree to use as she helped people experiencing life’s struggles. And since Lux had just come out on the bright end of a life struggle, she could relate to those going through something hard.

“I insist you call me Molly,” the spirit whisperer said. “After all, we’ll be working closely together for the next several weeks.”

Lux glanced at Ms. Birdie. “Is that so? I wasn’t aware I’d been given an assignment. I thought my job was to oversee all the ongoing missions.” The position allowed Lux to know about all of those who’d been helped so far by Ms. Birdie’s group of merry busybodies. For instance, Isabella had once been an assignment of the FGP, and Scott had been known to help the organization on occasion.

“That was the plan, but Molly just called in a favor,” Ms. Birdie said, looking quite amused with the situation.

“And what does that have to do with the FGP?” Lux asked.

“Well, in order to understand, you’re going to need to know what it is Molly does for a living,” Ms. Birdie said.

“You two look like you’re in cahoots on something big?” Scott came up behind Lux and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her into him. “Do I even want to know?”

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