Page 74 of Under His Control

“I brought it to the wedding last night. I thought I could get you somewhere quiet near the end of the night. Maybe I could sneak you off into… another closet.”

I rolled my eyes but smiled, loving that this could be our little joke.

“But then…” He raised his brows. “We didn’t exactly stay until the end.”

I nodded, sobering at that reminder.

“So this morning, I thought I could have Olivia hand the box to you.”

I held her close and kissed her cheek. “No go?”

He shook his head. “A blow out. I never changed a diaper so fast. I was worried the stink would wake you and we’d lose the element of surprise.”

“Uh-oh,” I teased her.

“Uh-oh!” She loved exclaiming it loudly.

“Then she lost interest in holding the box to hand it to you.” He frowned at the wet corner. “Then she wanted to gnaw on it.” He wiped the corner off on the sheet. “And then she decided to give you a new name and wake you up. And here we are.”

He held the box closer, smiling at me with so much love in his gaze.

“I love you, Eva. Will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife? The mother of my children?”

I leaned in to kiss him, brushing against the ring box he held out. “Yes, Liam. I would love to be your wife.”

“Mama!” Olivia wedged in, hugging me close.

“And I would love to be the mother of your children.”

He kissed me harder, keeping me close. When we parted, he took the ring out of the box and slid it onto my finger. “Perfect fit.”

I smiled, staring at it fondly. “It is. Just like you are a perfect fit in my life.” I kissed Olivia’s cheek. “Both of you. I love you, Liam.”

“I love you too.” After another heated kiss, he got a smug smile on his lips as he gazed at my hand and the glittering diamond on my finger. “I had Tessa and Nina help pick the ring when you had Olivia at a swim lesson.”

I gasped. “They knew all along?”

“Romeo too. He came to give me advice as well. He teased me the whole time that he knew from the moment he introduced us that we’d hit it off.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, that’s silly. He did not.”

“Hmmm. I think I might have.” He pulled me closer until we snuggled with Olivia climbing over us both.

“You knew the moment you saw me that you’d want to marry me?”

“Well, I knew I wantedsomethingwith you. And I’m glad we both fought hard enough to find what we have.”

“And what’s that, my handsome fiancé?”

“A very bright future.”

We kissed to seal it.

While the morning started on a good note—a proposal and being dubbed Mama—we walked into the kitchen to face much more serious and bad news.

Over breakfast, everyone congratulated us. Danicia was there as well, recovered from being drugged already. It really did seem that everyone knew about Liam’s plans to make it official with me. Franco had helped quite a bit in securing the paperwork to have me officially adopt Olivia, too. Once we married, she would really be my daughter, and he would be my husband.

I couldn’t wait. I’d been eager for a purpose and for something to concentrate on, and I sure had gotten my wish granted in that regard. And I’d never take a second of it for granted. As everyone talked about how good of a match we were, I realized how much I’d changed—and how I hadn’t, staying true to myself—after meeting Liam. No longer just an icy Mafia princess, I was someone who’d be married to a wonderful man. I was already recognized as a mother. Both roles, being Liam’s wife and Olivia’s mother, felt like a dream come true, a dream I hadn’t even known I’d been waiting for until I met them.

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