Page 88 of Vicious Heir

We go quiet for a little while. My heartbeat steadies and my breathing settles. My mind begins to work again. God, this fucking girl. She destroys me, and I love it.

“We can keep doing this, you know.” She says it almost shyly, like she’s afraid of how I might react. She peeks up at me through her hair. “We’re married. We can just… stay.”

My stomach does a little flip. Is she saying what I think she is?

“I don’t plan on letting you go anytime soon. Even if you really should.”

“I’ve never been good at doing what’s best for me. But for the first time in a really, really long time, I’m doing what Iwant.” She leans her chin back and kisses my neck. “You’re what I want.”

I hold her against me. Fuck, that’s too much. How could a girl like this want a broken sinner like me? And yet she’s in my arms, and I believe her when she says she doesn’t want to go anywhere. I believe she wants to be with me.

And that’s so wrong.

But maybe once, just this one time, I can let someone in. If I’m careful, if I dedicate myself to protecting her, maybe I can do something halfway good. Maybe I can be the husband I’ve always wanted to be.

My life doesn’t have to be all ruin.

Not now, at least. Not before the end.

“You’re all I want,” I whisper, and it’s the damn truth.

Chapter 32

Lucy

“You’re going to be the most beautiful woman there,” Adriano murmurs on the car ride over to the Union League. It’s a private, invitation-only club with a long list of prestigious members.

And exactly the sort of place I hate.

“That can’t be true, but I appreciate the sentiment.” I lean across the car and kiss him. He smiles back at me, and I swear, I need to thank Frank.

Ever since that old bastard tried to kill him over two weeks ago, Adriano’s been in such a better mood.

It’s weird. That night in his office, I thought he was going to push me away. But I realized that if I wanted him, I had to stand up for myself.

No more letting others dictate what my life was going to be like.

I have my own wants and dreams. I don’t need to bend them to accommodate everyone else all the time.

Screw him. When he tried that wholeI’m too dark and broken and bad for youbullcrap, I just didn’t take it.

Instead, I made him see what’s right in front of his face.

We fit. We work. I don’t even get why, but we do.

It’s that bizarre trick of human chemistry. It’s what makes love so incredible.

When it happens, it’s straight-up magic.

And we’ve had that spark ever since.

He takes me out to dinner. Showers me with presents. Fucks me until my body can’t take any more every single night. The man’s insatiable, and I’m completely here for it. When he looks me in the eye and tells me that he thinks I’m perfect, I actually believe him.

It’s incredible. I’m giddy all the damn time.

Kennedy says I’m in love.

And maybe I am, but so what?

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