Page 17 of Sweet Madness

“Then trust me when I say that our girl is in good hands.” I hold his gaze firmly.

He sighs, looking unconvinced. “I don’t like him.”

I smile at that. “You don’t like any man who comes near our daughter.”

“That idiot kid, Remi, was never a threat.” He grumbles, looking like a petulant child. I try hard not to roll my eyes at his annoying yet adorable tantrum.

“And why is that?”

“He wasn’t Shaw Banning.”

Silence follows my husband’s statement. He knows. We’ve all known since she was a girl. At first, it was just a sweet crush—a little girl and her giant protector—but when he left, she lost a piece of herself, even if it took us years to notice. I made my peace with it, and I hope Sebastian will too. For his sake.

Leaning down, I kiss his lips softly, savoring the taste and feel of him. God, I love this man—love his faults just as much as I love all his good qualities. Some stories, like Sebastian’s and mine, were written in the stars. Just like ours… theirs will be cosmic. I know it, and deep down, Sebastian knows it too.

“Darling?” Sebastian whispers close to my mouth.

“Yes?”

He kisses me once more. “I still don’t fucking like it.”

I laugh and hold my husband closer, knowing damn well things won’t ever be the same after this. One day we were changing diapers and kissing boo-boos. Now we’re losing our kids—to other people and to this cruel world we exposed them to.

But one thing is for certain, our love will never waver and will always stand firm even in the coldest of storms. Because Sebastian, our children, and I—we’re solid gold.

Ella's To-Do List While in Nowhere

1 Find my calling in life.

2 Make Shaw Bear smile.

3 Find myself.

4 Not get hurt by a crazy fan.

Chapter

Five

COWBOYS & PINK BLING

Ella

“What doesn’t kill you… will surely hurt.” — Ella

Ahard knock on the door startles me awake.

“Ugh.” Sitting up in bed, I push the cream-colored cashmere eye mask on top of my head and squint at the bright sunlight streaming through the maroon curtains. I frown at the unfamiliar room. Where am I? Not in the hotel back in Venice.

The sheets are soft, but the room has a warm, earthy scent. Outside the open windows, the sky is glaringly blue, and the air smells fresh and sweet, unlike back home.

Suddenly, memories from last night hit me all at once. Mom’s call, the flight back from Italy, and the ride to this place. Shaw.

I’m not at a hotel. No. I’m in Canyon Creek. In Shaw Banning’s larger-than-life ranch, to be precise.

Butterflies flap their wings wildly in my stomach as I think back to the man. I remember the way he looked down at me with a bored expression, but his eyes told a different story. Brown eyes invade my thoughts.

Bang! Bang! Someone is still banging on the door. What time is it? Checking the clock on the nightstand, I see it’s six in the morning.

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