Page 124 of Worth Every Game

What?I pull back to look at her, but she dissolves into a beautiful cascade of giggles.

“Don’t tease me,” I rasp, then shrug it off. None of it matters, as long as she’s here. “Actually, do whatever you want with me. I’m yours, body and soul.”

“Who said anything about teasing?” She grips my hand and pulls me towards the stairs. “I’m one hundred per cent serious. I love you, I’ve missed you, and I want to show you how much. I already showed up on your doorstep. What more do you want? I could go and sleep out there in the car for a week?” She points out the window, at where that stupid orange Lambo is parked.

Half a laugh sticks in my throat. “I definitely don’t deserve you.”

She grins. “Nope. But I’m feeling generous.”

“Then I’m the luckiest man in the whole fucking world. I will worship you every day for the rest of my life. I love you, Elly Carter.”I’m never letting go again.

She softens in my arms, and the look in her eyes is sincere when she replies, “I love you too, Jack Lansen. Always. Forever.”

43

EPILOGUE

“Fuck me, that’s an album cover,” Seb says, staring at the proof picture in his hands.

“You’re not holding back, that’s for sure,” Nico agrees, peering over Seb’s shoulder.

We’ve all gathered in the Marchmont Arms this evening, on the ground floor where there’s natural light.No more basement for me.

Under the table, Jack squeezes my hand. “I’m so proud of you,” he whispers. I squeeze back and reach for the proof cover with my free hand. We’ve used one of the photos Jack took of me, lounging on the piano. The most tasteful one, and it has been edited, so it looks classy rather than porn-worthy. I run my finger over the album title,IndecentlyExposed.

“Yeah. I’m done holding back,” I say, a new sense of purpose swelling my chest.I’m proud of me too.

I’m releasing the new songs tomorrow, so we’re celebrating. I signed up with Robert Lloyd and he got me a record deal almost instantly. Apparently, they were clamouring to sign me, because my scandal was a PR dream, rather than a nightmare. He keptsaying that the photos were great, and we should use them for marketing purposes. It took me a while to get my head around it, but it turns out he was right.

I have over a million online followers now, and it’s growing all the time, and most of that is on the back of what happened with those naked pictures. Singing with Amy Moritz at Nico’s party helped, and I sang a number with her when she appeared at Wembley Stadium in the spring. It’s been a crazy year, and my career has exploded. I could never have anticipated it.

“Fuck, not another one. This is a nightmare,” Nico says, gesturing to a photographer who’s lingering outside. He lifts a drinks menu and uses it to cover his face. “I’m going to have to stop hanging out with you if this keeps up.”

Kate rolls her eyes. “Oh, rubbish, it’s not like they don’t follow you around sometimes.”

Nico flinches. “Not like this, they don’t.”

Jack stands, and I grab his arm to stop him. “Where are you going?”

He jerks his head towards the window. “To get rid of him.” I’m about to tell him not to bother when I change my mind.

“I’ll come with you,” I say, although really I’m saying, ‘let’s take a moment away from the others’, and I can see the second Jack understands exactly what I mean because his eyes widen.

“Come on then,” he says, tugging me out of my seat.

The others are so busy chatting that they don’t notice as Jack and I disappear in the opposite direction from the photographer outside. I lead Jack out the back exit.

It’s a warm summer evening. We’ve been together for six months, and I’ve never been so happy. I know, right down to my toes, that this is the man I’m spending the rest of my life with. Jack pulls me into him, here in the back alley, and kisses me with a ferocity that hasn’t worn away even after all this time. We’re still as eager for one another as we’ve ever been.

“You amaze me,” he whispers as he pulls back from our kiss. “I can’t believe all that you’ve achieved.”

“You gonna take credit for it?” I reply, my tone teasing.

“Not even a little. This is all you.”

I kiss him again. “I love you. I could never have done this without you.”

“I love you too.” He grins against my lips. “You know what else I love?”

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