Page 137 of The Proposal Pact
“I thought I was your nightmare.”
“You are. The kind that scared the crap out of me and forced me to wake up.”
“Are you—are you saying you love me, Shrek?” she squeals, and I let out a low laugh, tipping my head up before looking back at her.
“Yeah, little menace. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Get out of the fountain!” she suddenly screams and starts running through the water as fast as she’s capable in her half-drunk state, pulling me along.
“Where’s the rush now?”
“Time machine! I don’t need it anymore!”
“Sophia Lovinski.” I stop her, pulling her into my arms at the edge of the fountain. “There is no timeline in which I won’t find you. Now, stop running and kiss your husband.”
Before I can brace myself, Sophie jumps up, her arms locking around my neck, legs around my waist as she seals those soft, ice-cold lips to mine.
“You love me,” she whispers against my lips again.
“I love you,” I whisper back.
“But what about our deal? What happens after the year is over? We get divorced?”
“If you want.”
“What?”
“But just so I can marry you properly. So I can get down on my knee for you, ask for your heart, bring your family here fromNew York, and have your brother walk you down the aisle in your mother’s wedding dress.”
“You’d do all that?”
“Anything for you, little menace. I’ve wanted to be all that you need—want—from the day I married you. I was simply too afraid to admit it. Too afraid of messing it up. I still am, but I realized I’d rather be afraid with you than watching someone else bask in your color.”
“Oh, Shrek…”
“Ahem.” Luke fake coughs, drawing our attention to the many spectators we now have. “Care to explain it all to us now?”
Sophie gasps, finally realizing where we are and hides her face in my neck. I run my tongue over my teeth, studying the curious glances from my family, Hope, Joy, Zoe, and Matteo. The shit-eating grins from the Fantastic Four plus Alec and Jacob. And the slightly pissed-off glares from Grace and Luke.
“No. Not particularly. The only thing I care about right now is taking my wife home and getting her pregnant before she realizes I don’t deserve her love.”
“Pregnant,” Sophie squeaks, her eyes wide. “But I thought you didn’t want kids.”
“With you, I do. As many as possible, right? But can we cap it at five? I don’t think I’ll be able to handle any more little Sophie’s than that.”
“F-five?” Her mouth falls open.
“Yep, I’m drawing a line after that.”
“Luke!” she yells out. “Respectfully, get out of the way.”
I bark out a laugh and take off with my whole world in my arms, rushing up to our colorful apartment.
“Okay, maybe six.”
“You’re crazy!” Sophie laughs.
“That I am.”
