Page 68 of Reaper Released

“You cheat, you die!”

“Wow, just straight in there, huh?”

“I won’t tolerate a single betrayal. If you even look at another woman slightly inappropriately or get emotionally involved, I will de-dick you and bury you in a ditch!”

“I agree to those terms!” He holds out a hand to shake. I shake it.

I peer down at him. “Promise?”

“I promise to be honest. I promise to be loyal, and I promise to be yours.”

“Forever?”

“Forever, Sunshine!”

“Then we have a deal!” With the goofiest grin, I melt. I slide around the booth and straddle his lap. Wrapping his arms around me and grabbing my arse, he drags me into him, chest to chest, both our breathing becoming erratic, eyes unblinking and dilated, a stare of a thousand promises passing between us.

I reach up and cup his face in my hands.

“Why do you have such an effect on me?” I gaze into his eyes, totally gone for this man who rewrote my rule book and burnt the old one to ash!

“When people are made, they're made in pairs, one single heart and mind split into two and sent off into the world. Maybe they’ll find each other; maybe they won’t. You”—he reaches up and puts the flat of his hand on my pounding heart—“are the other half of me!”

And he shrugs like he hasn’t just said the most romantic thing in the world, and the lump that appears in my throat is gonna fucking suffocate me. My eyes glaze, and I take a stuttering breath before taking another steadier deep breath.

CLUNK! “I’ll just set these down here!” the waitress says as she places our food on the table behind me. I bow my head forward to his and chuckle.

He smiles up at me and kisses my cheek. “Now shift your ass, woman. I'm hungry!”

“Dick!”

He kisses me again, and I slide off his lap and round to the other side of the booth. We eat in almost silence, but it’s a comfortable silence exchanging glances and smiles as we eat. It's the happiest I’ve ever been.

Steel

I jump out of the truck and grab Demi’s bags. I put them down on the floor and scoop up my fiancée for the last time. I spin her around. “I’m gonna miss you, don't do anything crazy without me, okay?”

She chuckles and nuzzles into my neck, wrapping her legs around my waist.

“I’m gonna go wait inside!” Demi blushes at the side of us.

“Demi, wait, can I have a word before you go!” She nods as I turn back to Ray.

I give her a kiss, one, to remember why she has agreed to marry me, and two, so she will miss the hell out of me and three, to make sure she will turn up tomorrow!

“See you tomorrow. I’ll be the one at the end of the aisle!” I kiss her one last time and release her. I slap her ass as she bends over to grab Demi’s bags. She gives me a wicked grin that promises all sorts of crazy dirty things when we’re married. Fuck, I love the hell out of that woman. She heads inside, and I turn to Demi.

“Soooo… ” I say as I scratch the back of my neck and kick concrete with the toe of my boots.

“Soooo… ” she repeats.

Oh, fuck, why can’t I speak to my own sister the way I can to Ray? “I know I’ve been a shit brother. I honestly thought keeping you away from me was for the best… after seeing Ray with her brothers, the guys, and even you and Scar. I realise that I need to improve. I need to do better!”

Blowing out a breath and looking to meet her gaze, she’s stood, hip popped, arms folded. She has a look about her. She’s changed since meeting Ray. We all have. She’s more confident, and she isn’t the mousy little sister I often ignore and boss around when I bother to see her.

I smile, but she doesn’t return it. Fuck, she’s gonna make me work for this. That’s totally Ray’s influence right there. Shaking my head, I take another breath.

“Go on!” She nods. “You’re not totally fucking this up. Keep going!” My eyes shoot back to her. She never swears, I mean never.