Page 682 of The Tempted

“Is this another Property of Parrish thing?” she teases, giving me a glimpse of her smile.

I divert my eyes to our hands then back to hers.

“It’s clear who you belong to, Sunshine. I put a baby in you and branded you mine forever. I want to marry you because I’m ready to live by my vows. I’ll give you all I am and promise to for the rest of my life,” I tell her, lifting one hand to cup her chin drawing her closer. Dipping my head, I cover her mouth with mine and kiss her with whatever gentleness I can muster.

“Marry me,” I say against her mouth.

“Yes,” she whispers, leaning forward for more of my mouth. “But nothing big. I want it to be about family,” she demands, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Small, got it,” I agree, hiding my smile as I pull her onto my lap and kiss her some more.

“Lacey will be my maid of honor and of course you’ll have Blackie as your best man, won’t you?” she questions in-between my attack on her lips.

“Yeah, yeah,” I mumble, threading my fingers through her hair, angling her head so I can kiss her neck.

“Maybe we can have the priest come to the compound.”

Right, maybe he’ll bless the table we congregate at too. Father whoever could not only marry us but cleanse the Satan’s Knights of their corrupt souls.

Oh, Reina.

Crazy never could fix crazy.

But fuck if that matters.

We might be two completely different breeds of crazy but we are suited for one another. She silences my maker with her soft voice and I tear down her insecurities, making those scars that mark her body, Property of Parrish—just like every other inch of her.

“We’ll have to invite the Biancis and the Pastores, but other than that we’ll keep it to just your brothers,” she rambles as my teeth graze her neck. “Oh, and we’ll have to make sure we have some of that non-alcoholic beer for Blackie.”

“Whatever you want, Sunshine. I’ll have Wolf and Pipe blow up balloons, bring in a goddamn support group for Blackie, whatever it takes as long as it puts a smile on your face,” I growl against her skin.

A sexy, low rumble of laughter works its way up her throat and escapes her lips, spreading joy throughout the open space meant for tears and prayers.

Sunshine.

“Do you think Riggs could be our videographer?”

I lift my head, arch an eyebrow, questioning her as she continues to ramble on. She was turning my club into a circus.

Wrapping her arms around my neck she winks at me as a smile spreads across her face.

“We’re getting married,” she whispers.

“Yeah, we are,” I rasp, sliding my hands down her hips as I glance over her shoulder at my boy’s headstone. “You hear that, Jack, your old man is getting hitched.”

Reina’s arms pull me into her embrace.

“You were right when you said he’ll be with you always but you left one part out…you forgot to tell him he’ll always have a place in our family. This baby has a guardian angel protecting him or her, and that angel is his brother,” she murmurs, clearing her throat before she pulls back and takes my face in her hands, forcing my eyes to lock with hers. “You feeling some kind of way, you tell me, Jack. Me.”

“You,” I say hoarsely.

“Me,” she agrees.

Two words that meant nothing to anyone else in the world but two words that meant the world to us. They are the words that became a vow and when the day comes for Reina to take my name and for us to pledge our love and commitment, it’s those words we’ll say to one another, the only ones that mean anything.

You.

Me.

The words Reina and I live and love by.

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