Page 97 of Wild and Bright

When I release my first sob, he presses me hard against his chest. “Oh God, Lauren. Does this mean you’ve forgiven me?”

“Absolutely not.” To emphasize my denial, I rub my nose over his peck, wiping my snot on his shirt.

He jerks back. “Gross!” A tender smile tugs at his lips as he lifts his hands and places them both on my cheeks. “Then why did you call me back over here? Why are you crying?”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t coming back, just that I haven’t forgiven you. I’m going to make you grovel for the next six months at least. I’m going to get a whole new wardrobe out of you, darling.”

He squeezes my face for a moment before yanking me closer and pressing his mouth against mine. His kiss is hard and desperate. When he pulls away, he gasps, as if breaking to the surface after diving too deep. He rubs the pads of his thumbs against my cheeks. “I love it when you call me darling.”

“Yeah?”

He smiles faintly, his eyes heavy-lidded. “I always wanted you to call me darling. You called everyone darling. Even Callum, the psychopath neighbor. But never me.”

I smile as I raise my hand and thread my fingers into his hair, and his eyes fall shut. “Yeah, well…only boys who did exactly what I said got special treatment. You never did.”

“I wish I did. I wish I had just given in.” His eyes snap open. “You were wrong, though. I wasn’t lying. You’ve been number one for as long as I can remember.” When his eyes gather moisture, my throat grows tight. “I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. You’re my home.”

He pulls me in closer. “I promise I’m going to be better. You’ll be good for me. And I love that you’re a firecracker. I love that you’ll wear lingerie in public when I tell you to be a good girl.” When he pulls away, his eyes settle intently on my face. “And I’m not going to push the issue with Cadence’s paternity. Ever again. We’ll wait till she’s old enough to make the choice for herself. I want to be her father no matter what that DNA test says.”

I smile tenderly, my lips quivering. “You don’t have to make all of these promises. I’ll take you back no matter what. I know I talked a big game about trust, but the truth is I have no principles.” My smile grows cheeky. “I’m your ho, honey. Your paid ho.”

He smiles tenderly, lifting a hand and tucking a strand of hair behind my ears. “You do have principles, but I love that you would say that. And you’ll be my unpaid ho from now on.”

He sets his mouth on mine. The kiss is soft and sweet, as chaste as he’s ever kissed me, and it makes me that much hungrier for the hours we’ll spend in his bed making up for years of stupidity.

EPILOGUE

Camden

Her face glows with perspiration as she stares back at me. Those heavy-lidded eyes tell me she’s moments from drifting off to sleep.

It’s now four in the morning, and every time her eyes have fallen shut, I’ve pulled her in for another round of fucking. I’m too elated, too overcome with my good fortune to let her sleep. She’s back in my bed. Cadence sleeps a few doors down.

And it’s permanent now.

Still not willing to let her sleep, I reach over to the bedside table and open the drawer. I’ve pulled the earring out so many times, my hand knows exactly where to find it. I dangle the strands over her face, letting the sparkling red bead at the end brush the tip of her nose. The tinkling sound makes my chest ache, reminding me of those miserable days without her.

“What’s that?” Lauren asks, her voice groggy.

“Your earring. I carried it around with me when I couldn’t find you.”

Her eyes pop open, and she seems to snap out of her sleepy daze. She stares at me for a moment, as if assessing my seriousness. Seeming to come to some kind of conclusion, she turns into her pillow and buries her face, her chest shaking with laughter.

A sheepish smile tugs at my lips. “In case you couldn’t tell by my unhinged voicemails, I was kind of a pathetic mess when you left.”

“Apparently.” The pillow muffles her voice.

“You really have no idea.” I reach out and stroke the dark strands of hair spread over her back. “I wandered around the house aimlessly, holding it in one hand with my phone in the other, calling you for the fiftieth time in a row.”

“Where did you find it?”

There’s something in her tone… Something that sounds like mischief. “Right here.” I point to the edge of my bed.

“And you thought that was a coincidence?”

My brow knits. “You left it there on purpose?”

She sucks in her lips, as if fighting a smile. “I promised myself it was my final childish act. It was just too tempting not to do. I was packing up my jewelry, and after the idea popped into my head, I couldn’t let it go. I even wove the prong through one of the threads of your comforter. I was hoping it would stick to it when your cleaning service came and changed the sheets.” A slow smile spreads across her face. “I was determined for your next girl to find it.”

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