Page 70 of Forbidden Billionaire Rockstar

I cock my head to the side, frowning. “What makes you think you’re messed up at all?” When she doesn’t answer, I cup her cheek and give her a small smile. “Mallory Dominic, you are the most beautiful, talented, and amazing woman who I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. I love the way you look at the life surrounding you — with wonder and excitement.”

As I speak, I realize I’m not just describing Mallory - I’m describing the person I’ve become because of her. She’s awakened parts of me I didn’t know existed and brought color to a world I’d only ever seen in shades of gray.

Mallory stays silent, her baby blues boring into my gaze, and I take a deep breath. “I’ve always had a fear of disappointing someone else, but you’ve never made me feel that way.” When I’m with you, I feel alive and content. More content than I’ve ever felt before. Do you really think I could feel this deeply for you if I thought you were too messed up?”

She shakes her head, and I smirk. “There’s no one else for me, sweetheart, and that’s exactly how Brent and I came to an understanding. He knows I’m in love with you, and he’s fully on board with it.”

For the first time since she walked into the room to find me standing here, she throws me a bright smile and says, “I’m in love with you, too, and it scares the shit out of me. My brother is the one who falls in love and has his life on track, not me.”

“Is it so hard to believe that you could have yours on track as well?”

Mallory shrugs. “When I’ve spent most of my life not knowing what I wanted… yeah, it is.”

“Well, that’s what you have me for. I don’t care if you go through twenty jobs. I’ll always be your biggest fan and cheer you on from the side. You’ll figure it out eventually. Not everyone has to have their life figured out at the same time.”

“I can’t believe you did this,” she says softly, glancing around the space that’s lined with roses and scented candles.

“There’s one more thing.” I hold a hand out, more than ready to pull her into the extra room I had specially done for a night together. “Do you trust me?”

“More than I ever thought I would.”

I place my hand in her palm, my fingers clinging to hers like they were meant to be there, and I gently tug her down a small hallway with me. We come to a stop in front of the door and I take a deep breath to push the nerves back a little more.

The idea came from our first date together when we went for a stroll in the park, and I’m hoping she’ll appreciate the sentiment.

With a deep breath, I turn the knob and push the door open. I keep my eyes locked on Mallory’s face, watching as confusion gives way to wonder. Her eyes widen, lips parting in a silent gasp as she takes in the room.

The ceiling is a canvas of stars, twinkling softly in the dim light. The air is cool and crisp, reminiscent of a clear night sky. A faint scent of pine and night-blooming jasmine wafts through the room, transporting us to an outdoor haven. In the background, a gentle, ambient sound plays - the soft chirping of crickets and the distant hoot of an owl.

The illusion is so complete that, for a moment, I forget we're indoors.

“Jace,” she breathes, stepping further into the room. “This... it’s beautiful.”

There’s not much in terms of light, because I wanted the focus to be on the ceiling, but there’s enough that she can see her way through while keeping her attention trained on the stars I configured.

It’s not perfect, I know that, but just the smile that overtakes Mallory’s face as she looks around is enough to fill me with warmth.

“How did you do this?” She asks. “Why?”

“You mentioned the city lights ruining the stars, so I figured I would bring them to you. I had a little bit of help, so I can’t take all the credit for tonight.”

She snaps her attention to me and swipes at the tears falling down her cheek. “No one’s ever done anything like this for me before.”

I take tentative steps closer to her, only a few inches of space separating us, and I smile at her. “I’m glad I can give you something no one else has.”

“You’ve given me so much,” she whispers, then cuts the distance between us in one long step and reaches up to wrap her arms around my neck. “Now, I would like for you to kiss me.”

As we kiss, I'm hit with a mix of emotions. Relief washes over me - she feels the same way. I'm overjoyed, but there's a flicker of fear, too. Loving Mallory means I could get hurt, and that scares me. But as the kiss deepens, that fear fades. This feels right. Us,together - it's like I've finally found where I belong. I know this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

We’re here now. That’s all that matters.

Mallory deepens the kiss while I inch us closer to the bed I made for us on the floor. There's a tray with dinner sitting on it, along with an expensive bottle of wine, but I simply kick it to the side without a care in the world.

All I can think about right now is slowly stripping Mallory of these clothes and showing her exactly how much I love her. That's really all I've been able to think about, and the entire reason Brent finally conceded and let me plan this night — apparently, my thoughts of Mallory are a distraction for the band.

It seems like we have all found love in our lives, each differently from the other, and I can't even deny how happy I get thinking about spending the rest of my life with the woman in front of me.

She might not know it yet, but there's no doubt in my mind that I'm going to make her my wife.

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