Page 128 of Married with Mayhem

And there she is. A flash of bright pink in the middle of a knot of drab men. Vibrant and captivating. Her long hair is loose and her short sleeve dress reaches to her knees, matching the flats she wears.

She’s speaking rapidly, using her hands a lot and gesturing to the screen behind her. I recognize the graphics from one of her own games, the one she demonstrated for me as she sat in my lap in a Colorado kitchen.

Everyone around her hangs on her every word, listening in rapt silence as she points to the monitor and demonstrates her game.

She’s beautiful. She’s brilliant. She’s inspiring.

And I’ll love her forever.

Sabrina’s head was turned while she called up an image on the screen but now she faces her audience. Our eyes lock and hers widen with shock.

“MONTE!” she yells and now all heads are swiveling this way.

I cut through the crowd without even seeing them as I rush to her. We collide and I scoop her up into my arms. Holding her again is like returning home after war. She is my home, now and always.

Without the slightest care about who is watching, I greedily seek out her mouth and steal a lengthy, passionate kiss. Her response is just as eager. She’s clinging to my neck and her legs are around my waist.

After a full minute she breaks the kiss and tilts her head back to give me a severe stare. “I’m still kind of mad at you. And how did you drive back so fast when Nico said you just left Wyoming today? What happened to your phone? Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?”

“I’ll tell you everything. I’m so sorry, baby. Just let me look at you for a minute.”

She drops her legs from my waist and runs her hands over the flared skirt of her dress before raising a stubborn chin. “You can look,” she sniffs, then pokes a finger into my chest. “But you have some explaining to do.”

I reach for her hand and press it to my lips. “I’ll explain. I’ll grovel. I’ll fall on my knees and beg your forgiveness. Name it, Brina.”

Tenderness battles with stubbornness on her face. But it’s her mischievous smile that finally wins.

“Sing,” she says.

“What?”

She shrugs. “You told me to name the price of my forgiveness. I’ve always wanted to be serenaded in front of acrowd. This won’t get you off the hook completely, but it’s a start.”

“You want me to sing to you right here?”

Her grin stretches wider. Clearly, she’ll enjoy making me squirm. “Right here. Right now.”

My fault for putting ideas into her head. That doesn’t mean I won’t follow through.

Whatever Sabrina wants from me, she will have.

Her eyes dance with delight as I clear my throat and begin.

“In Napoli….”

By the time I’m finished belting outThat’s Amore, a considerable crowd has surrounded us. I refuse to let go of Sabrina’s hand the entire time so there’s no confusion about who she belongs to.

Sure, I’m making a fool of myself and people are holding their phones up to record me but who the fuck cares?

Nothing matters but the girl in front of me.

Once I’ve dragged out the final note, I pull her close, enjoying the feel of her body and vowing to myself that we’ll never be separated again. My lips graze her forehead. “I love you, Brina.”

She wraps her arms around my waist and lays her cheek against my heart. “Then take me home, Monte Carlo.”

Naturally, I obey with no hesitation.

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