Page 99 of Dangerous Devotion

As if she could read my mind, she squeezed my hand, drawing my attention back to her. “What are you thinking about?” she asked softly.

“You.”

She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.

I cupped her cheek, and she immediately leaned into my touch. Then cuddled herself deeper into my arms. A perfect fit. Her green eyes sparkled with a mix of mischief and affection that never failed to captivate me.

“Just you,” I murmured, leaning in to brush my lips against hers. “Always you.”

Jemma’s lips curved into a smile against mine. “Careful, Mr. Evil Prince. People might start to think you’re going soft.”

I chuckled and pulled her even closer. “I don’t care what anyone thinks. And I’m okay with everyone knowing I’m completely smitten with my wife.”

Her soft smile was everything.

As if on cue, Matt piped up from across the aisle. “Geez, get a room, you two. Some of us are trying to keep our dinner down here.”

I shot him a look, but there was no real heat behind it. “Jealous, little brother?”

Matt snorted. “Of you two lovebirds? Nah, I’ve been inoculated by watching these two.” He nodded at Alex and Fee, who were in a world of their own. “I’ll pass on the drama, thanks.”

Jemma stuck her tongue out at him, then nestled closer tome. “Ignore him,” she whispered. “He’s just cranky because he’s the only single one here.”

I laughed, not caring who heard. It felt good to let my guard down, and here, in this circle of friends who felt like family, it was safe to show the world how much this woman meant to me. For years, I’d kept everyone at arm’s length, convinced that showing affection and love was a weakness I couldn’t afford.

But Jemma had changed all that. She’d stormed into my life, challenging me at every turn, and somehow wormed—or bullied—her way past all my defenses.

There was a short silence while everyone was probably hanging onto their own thoughts.

Jemma’s breathing slowed as she nested her head against my chest.

I looked down at her, and sure enough, her eyelids slowly closed as she drifted off to sleep in my lap.

Dom must’ve realized what was happening as he offered me a blanket.

I nodded, and he spread it over her, with more affection than I’d seen in my best friend in a long time.

He truly liked her, which was another sign of how right she was for me.

I leaned back and exhaled, her warmth a comforting weight against my chest, and followed the discussion that had broken out between Dom, Alex, and Matt about how to best deal with Zotov.

I caught Fee staring at me with an intensity that made me pause.

“If you ever hurt her,” Fee said, her voice low and deadly serious, “I’ll off you myself.”

I met her gaze unflinchingly. “That will never happen. I’d rather die than hurt her. She’s the love of my life.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, a hush fell over the group. Matt looked thoughtful, Dom’s face lit up with amusement, and Alex seemed content as if my declaration only confirmed something he already knew.

“Once you fall for one of them, it’s game over,” he said and squeezed Fee’s side.

In that moment, I realized how much my family had grown beyond just the Salvini name. These people around me—my brothers, brothers-in-law, my friends—we were all part of something bigger now.

“We’re strong together,” I said, my voice firm with conviction. “Whatever Zotov has in store for us, whatever comes our way, we’ll face it as a family.”

As if on cue, Jemma mumbled in her sleep, “As a family.”

Laughter erupted around me, breaking the tension.

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