Page 111 of Mark my Words

He pulled me into his lap, tucking his face into my neck and clinging to me as I looked at the sun setting over the city, soaking up his undivided attention. Things were changing between us, and my heart warmed as he let me see his more vulnerable side. But then again, he’d never been the one who had trouble expressing their emotions.

“Just stick close to me. They’ll try to separate us if they can. I’m sure Gregory has told my parents about you. They’ll look to corner us to poke holes in our story.”

“Which is what?” Sam smiled as he sat on the edge of the bed, quickly tying an expert knot in his tie.

He’d come out of the bathroom much more relaxed, a small grin plastered across his face as he watched where I sat at the desk doing my makeup.

“What do you want it to be?” I asked, unsure of how he saw our changing relationship.

He stared at me for a few moments, his intense gaze a little unnerving, but I returned it, finally feeling like I’d turned a corner with my feelings toward him.

“I want you to be mine,” he said quietly, causing my pulse to pound. “Even if it’s only for tonight.”

My throat was tight as I looked over my shoulder at him, nodding as I tried to decipher his suddenly serious demeanor. He could have my heart for more than tonight. It’d already been in his care for months without me realizing it. He’d been much more gentle with mine than I’d been with his, and I knew that needed to change.

“I’m yours,” I confessed quietly, realizing I meant it.

I’d been lying to myself the night before, letting my issues with my parent’s marriage bleed into my reaction to Chase and Evan’s engagement. The comments had been out of my mouth before I could contain them. Maybe the right kind of love could last without resentment.

And I wasn’t going to hold myself back from the possibility anymore. It was time to let Sam see the real me, the one I’d kept under lock and key for years. Fuck my family and their broken relationships.

Maybe it wasn’t too late to change. Nana had done it at eighty after staying in an arranged marriage for almost sixty years. I didn’t want to waste that much of my life being afraid to love someone wholeheartedly.

“If only that were true,” Sam muttered under his breath, but I heard him.

Staring critically at my reflection in the mirror on the desk in front of me, I vowed to let him past my defenses. It was time I stopped letting the fear of feeling like I wasn’t enough rule my life.

“You’re stunning,” Sam whispered in my ear as I placed my hand in his, stepping out onto the curb in front of the imposing apartment building in uptown Manhattan.

“Thank you, but I’m a sure thing, Sam.”

“And you’re still stunning, regardless of your eagerness to get me naked.”

Laughing, I tugged him toward the large glass doors, a familiar doorman holding one open for us.

“Nice to see you again, Ms. Willard.”

I smiled, greeting the man who’d been stationed at the door for most of my life.

Nana had moved into a smaller unit in my parent’s building, opting to rent out her large multi level townhome once my grandfather passed away. She said it was too much for just her, and with how little time she spent in the city nowadays, it made sense to let another family use the space while she was on the Cape.

If it wasn’t for my father and maybe Gregory, she’d probably relocate there permanently, but Nana was nothing if not loyal to her family. They just didn’t always deserve it.

I probably also fell into that category, neglecting her to avoid confronting my father. At least I knew her door in the cottage was always open. But I probably needed to call first; I didn’t want to walk in on anything that would scar me for life. Nana and Pietro seemed to be making up for lost time.

“You alright?” The firm grip of Sam’s hand was a source of strength as we boarded the sleek elevator, the attendant greeting us before he pressed the button for the penthouse.

I nodded hesitantly, leaning into him as I clung to his arm. “I’ll be fine. Just psyching myself up to face the firing squad.”

“They can’t be that bad.” He smiled, tucking a loose curl behind my ear, fingering the large diamond stud in the lobe. The earrings were a present from my grandfather before he died, and I treated them like armor when I was forced to interact with my family. “These are pretty. You look nice, all cleaned up.”

“I’d rather be dirty,” I laughed, winking at the roguish grin that pulled at his mouth.

“I’ll be happy to help you out with that later.”

“Me too,” I breathed as I stared at his handsome face. He’d carefully styled his hair, his face clean-shaven, and his suit perfectly pressed. My mother would be distracted by his pretty face and impeccable manners; hopefully, that would be enough to keep her from appraising his pedigree.

If anyone ought to be worried about being found lacking, it should be me. Their elite breeding just made them snobs, not better people, and certainly not any nicer. I was terrified I was headed for the same path, despite keeping my distance, but the last few weeks had given me hope of finding something more than their empty existence.

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