Page 64 of Drunk on You

Oh shit. Who he belongs to…because…

“You’re mine,” I breathe, speaking the first honest words regarding us since we started this whole mess of a thing.

“Damn straight I am,” he says, palming my cheek affectionately. “And that’s exactly what I told her. And if you hadn’t run, jumping to conclusions, then you would’ve known that.”

“I…” I shake my head, feeling like a fool. “I’m usually smarter than this. I’m a numbers person. I deal with data and statistics. I base my decisions on facts and research. But this whole relationship thing is driving me nuts.”

“Because falling in love isn’t a math equation you can solve,” he says with a hint of humor in his tone. “It comes from in here.” He presses his hand on the area above my heart. “Feelings can’t be analyzed. You have to go with how you feel.”

“Love?” I whisper. “Do you love me?”

“Yeah, Ana,” he says. “I love you. I’ve fallen in love with you, every part of you. The good, the bad, the stubborn, the workaholic, and the soft part of you that you only let a small number of people see, including me.”

Oh my God. Julian Parker is in love with me. He sees me and gets me and accepts me, and in spite of it all, he still loves me.

“Why aren’t you mad at me?” I ask curiously. “You have every right to be. I just accused you of cheating without any proof.” If I were in his position, I’d be pissed at the false accusation.

“Because when I told you I’d wait, I meant it. From the first time we spoke, I knew you wouldn’t be an easy catch, but I’ve learned over the years that most things in life don’t come easy, and you’re worth it.”

He leans in and brushes a kiss to my lips, and I wrap my arms around his neck.

He deepens our connection, slipping his tongue into my mouth so I can taste the whiskey on his breath, and then he lifts me up, pressing me harder into the wall while I wrap my legs around his waist.

“If it were up to me, Red,” he murmurs against my mouth, “I’d marry you right now. That’s how sure I am of us. How sure I am of the love I feel for you.”

His admission shocks me, but not in the way I’d expect. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been drinking—though I’m nowhere near drunk—but it’s as if these feelings for him are burning bright and colorful in the dark, cold night, and I don’t want them to disappear. I want to stoke the flames and fuel the fire. Now that I’ve felt the warmth, I don’t want to go back to the cold. Now that I can see, I don’t want to be blind.

“Okay,” I blurt out.

“Okay what?” he says slowly, though based on the hopeful look in his eyes, he knows what I’m talking about.

“Let’s get married.”

“Are you serious right now? Don’t fuck with me, Red,” he warns.

“I’m serious,” I tell him. “We’re already engaged, and we’re in Vegas. And…I’ve fallen in love with you too. Let’s do it, Julian. Let’s get married.”

chapter twenty-five

JULIAN

“I’ve fallen in love with you too.”

Those words are the reason I’ve just married Anastasia Kingston. The reason we arrived at the Clark County Marriage License Bureau just before midnight and got our marriage license. The reason we found a small chapel and paid an officiant to read us our vows.

We laughed.

Ana shockingly shed a few tears.

We were pronounced husband and wife.

We kissed.

And now, we’re back in our room with Ana laid out in the middle of the bed, naked and ready for me.

“Are you just going to stand there and stare at your wife, or are you going to fuck her and consummate this marriage?” She punctuates her question by reaching up and palming her bare breasts while smirking at me.

“I’m going to fuck my wife every damn day for the rest of our lives, but right now, I’m taking a moment to appreciate the view, Mrs. Parker.”

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