Page 117 of Vengeful Union

She looks up at me, her smile widening. “I just have a feeling.”

I can’t help but lean down and kiss her gently.

She deepens the kiss, grabbing the back of my head to pull me closer.

I explore her mouth with my tongue and eventually, she breaks away, breathing hard.

“Maybe we should get back to the house.”

I chuckle, putting an arm around her and drawing her close to my side. “Not yet. Just want to sit here for a while. Watch the sun set.”

She leans her head against my shoulder and looks up at the sky. Soon enough, pinks and purples start to spread across the sky.

“It’s beautiful here.”

“It's one of the things my father got right. He built our first house with his bare hands, or at least that’s the story he told. When he started making real money, he upgraded it into what it is now. My mother always said she missed the old house, having us all closer.”

“My father inherited our estate,” Lara muses, eyes wide as she looks up at the sunset. “It's lovely there, of course, but I have to admit the view here is better. It’s weird that I’m going to miss this place.”

I stiffen at her words, but my throat works, the words not coming out.

Stay.I want to say.Stay forever. Be mine.

But if she says no right now, I won’t get any more time with her. And there’s so much more I want to do.

“Your brothers are worried about retaliation,” I lie.

She hums, snuggling closer to me. “I'm in no rush. No matter how it started, I’m glad I met you, Rory.”

“I’m glad I met you, too, Lara.”

There’s so much more I want to say, but instead, I just watch the sunset with her until the moon comes up.

We hold hands all the way back to the mansion.

Duncan and Raquel, as well as a few of my father’s staff, are still living on the grounds, but other than that, there’s no one else here.

When the door closes behind us, I look around to make sure none of the remaining occupants of the house are downstairs.

The downstairs area is empty, so I grab Lara’s hand, taking her out onto the terrace. More of my mother’s flowers are planted around it, leading to a gazebo in the middle of the backyard area.

I drag her along the trail.

“Where are we going?”

“Just to the gazebo,” I murmur. “Always wanted to hook up there.”

She giggles. “You haven’t? Not even as a teenager?”

I chuckle. “I didn’t get around much.”

I hadn’t exactly been celibate in high school, but I’d been more focused on my grades. I’ve been wanting to get from under my father’s thumb most of my life.

“Lies,” she sings in a teasing tone. “You’re so handsome, you had to have had girls all over you.”

“Not as much as you’d think.”

We arrive at the gazebo and walk inside.

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