Page 90 of The Fox

“Now, that’s how you’ll be kissed.” He winks at me, dropping to the blanket, and pulling me down with him. I straddle his thick thighs, putting my full weight on them, as Rhodes reaches for the containers of my favorite dessert. I wait, watching him puncture the layered dessert with a fork and bring it to my lips.

“Open, Amelia.” I do, moistening my lips with my tongue as he feeds me the first bite.Gods, I love this dessert. I love this man.“Good girl.”

Leaning down to him, cupping his face in my hands, I kiss him, letting him taste the coffee and cream on my lips. He moans and I smile against his mouth. “Yum.” I lean back, waiting for my next bite and as we eat, our conversation flows easily. We talk about the lake, about Parker and Duncan, and we discuss our next chapter in life.

“Do you want to be the head of the Family forever?” He asks, peering up at me, those large hands on my hips. I pause, not because I’m hesitant, but because I’ve never considered an alternative to the Mafia. I open my mouth, closing it quickly because the words don’t make sense.

“I don’t know anything else.” I shrug.

“Not what I asked. Do you want to do this for the rest of your life, Amelia?” My thumb finds the cuticle on my hand and I start to pick. Rhodes’ eyes dart down at the movement and his grip moves from my hips to holding my hands. “Okay, different question. What would you do right now, if you could do anything?”

That answer is easy. “I’d go to the cabin with you. I’d bring Lennon and Parker with us.” I close my eyes at the thought. “It would be Saturday. The kitchen is full of market finds and Parker is laughing on the dock. The birds are loud. Lennon is in his post, laying in the bay window. You have your arms wrapped around me and I am happy.”

Rhodes squeezes my hands and his eyes are sincere as he considers what I’ve said.

“And where does the mafia fit into that picture?”

I pull my bottom lip into my teeth, biting the flesh. “I don’t know.” Quirking my lips, I realize the gravity of never being able to dream due to duty. Why would I dream when the Mafia leeches itself into everything, demanding all you have.

Rhodes makes me dream. He is patient and waits for me to figure things out.

“It is okay to not know.” His hands rub my forearms. “We’ll figure it out together. You want to stay? I’ll hold your crown when it slips. You want out? I’ll kill whoever tries to stop your exit.”

I nod.

I always thought the Mafia was a life sentence, but some rules were made to be broken. The Queen rules the chessboard, after all.

CHAPTER 65

Rhodes---Pinky Swear with No Toes Crossed

Today is an ordinary day. We’ve both gone to work, coming home to find each other in our comfy clothes. Lennon is sleeping on the back of the couch and Amelia is at the stove, fixing dinner. She is freshly showered, those ratty sweatpants draped along her curves, and a t-shirt skims her upper body. Her dark hair is freshly painted with pops of lavender, and there is AC/DC blasting through the radio.

I don’t know what she is making or what this song is, but I do know that what I am about to do is going to be ingrained into my heart for the rest of my life.

The ring box is in my sweatpant pocket. The box is new, the ring within it is not. A gold band, sized to fit her finger, holds an oval cut diamond that sparkled on my mother’s hand. It isn’t a showy ring, but rather simple in nature and unbeatable in beauty. My father gave it to my mama, and I now get to slide it on Amelia’s hand.

Walking toward her, I clear my throat, making Amelia spin around with a beaming smile. “Hey. I’m just about done with dinner if you want to set the table.”

She spins back to face the stove, humming to the song playing. “Oh, maybe we have some of that sparkling water we bought the other day too, yeah?” she asks over her shoulder, moving her plump hips to the music.

I shuffle back a little and kneel on one knee.

“Amelia,” I say.

“Yes?” She responds without turning back.

I shake my head. Of course she wouldn’t make this easy. I drop my voice, using one that I typically save for the bedroom.

“Kochanie,” I whisper, the gravel now heavier in my tone.

Amelia spins instantly, shock dawning on her face as she realizes what is happening. I pull the ring from my pocket, opening it to her, and I watch her moonbeam eyes line with tears. Her hand moves to cover her trembling lips.

“I swear to you this, Amelia Conte. I swear to love only you, in all your forms and in all your iterations. I swear to fight for you against the world, to fight beside you as you defend what is yours. You are mine. I swear to make sure you always have a well stocked baking drawer, that the blankets are thrown on the couch, and that there is always simplicity in our home.”

Amelia breaks out in a laugh laced with a sob.

“I swear to hold you, to safeguard your heart, to walk beside you as equals and never anything less. I swear to always give you exactly what you need, even when your words fail and your body breaks. I will hold your broken mosaic until you can lift yourself again.”

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