Page 147 of Beautiful Revenge
I twist her and tuck her onto my lap to hold her close. “You keep saying that.”
“Because it will,” she murmurs for only me to hear. “This was meant to be.”
My voice is rough and gritty. “Yeah, you keep saying that too.”
She presses her lips to my jaw and pushes away just far enough to look into my eyes. Hers are wet with emotion again, this time the relieved and happy kind. And for a change, I’m the one filled with fear and dread. “It will be over before you know it, then we can move on.”
I pull her to me tighter and throw my sarcasm aroundsince I have no fucking idea what else to say. “That’s pretty presumptuous.”
Her smile takes over her face. “Only good will come of this. I promise.”
I press my lips to hers and do everything I can to prepare myself, because I know she’s not going to change her mind. “Leave it to you to take this philanthropist thing to the next level.”
That’s when my family decides it’s safe to butt into the life-changing moment with the woman I love and want to grow very, very fucking old with.
“Darling, we’re so proud of you,” Mum says to Harlow.
Bella butts in to be Harlow’s biggest hype-woman. “Of course, you can do this. This is nothing compared to saving yourself from the—” she lowers her voice so the kids can’t hear “—dickless little man. You’ve got this, Harlow. We’re so proud.”
Dad and Archer force their way into the conversation.
“You’re brave, Harlow. Quite the partner for our Devon,” Dad says.
“Have you ever seen Dev like this?” Archer quips like I’m not even here, but he does it with a shit-eating grin on his face. “I think he might cry. He’s become soft in his retirement.”
Harlow tries to suppress a laugh. Hell, I’m lucky she doesn’t call me a marshmallow in front of my family.
“He’s hardly retired,” Bella retorts with a roll of her eyes. “I should know since he demands access to our RESKILL system to casually peruse whenever the curiosity bug bites. Some men play golf or tennis, Devon scrolls the dark web like he’s shopping for fine Italian loafers.”
“When he’s not doing that, he’s taking advantage of his brother-in-law because of my connections with Uncle Sam,” Cole complains, and he’s not giving me shit. That fucker means it.
“Touché,” Bella agrees with her husband. “He takes advantage of us in every way.”
“He can’t stop,” Dad announces. “He’s a Donnelly. It’s in his blood.”
“It is,” Mum agrees with pride before she leans in andpresses a hand to my arm. “And you found the one who gives you balance. It’s all I ever wanted for you.”
Cool water hits us from the side. Harlow and I turn to the pool where Isaac just splashed water on us and proves that miniature humans are the key to lightening any moment. “Come and play, Uncle Dev!”
Harlow puts a hand to my cheek and demands my attention. “It will be fine. I promise.”
I press my lips to hers once more before I set her back on her lounge. I toe off my pool shoes and rip the T-shirt over my head. “I know it will, baby, because there’s no other option.”
“Finally,” Abbott complains in her perfect, annoyed preteen tone.
“Yay!” Isaac yells. “Throw me into the deep end!”
I turn for the pool, but don’t head for my niece and nephew.
I go straight for my brother.
And by the look on his face, he doesn’t realize it until it’s too late.
He tries to stop me, but I have the momentum. The last thing I hear before he hits the water fully dressed is “Fucker?—”
I roll him in the water before we come up for air. “That’s what you get for calling me soft.”
Bella laughs. “Nicely done, Dev. Archie deserves that and more.”
