Page 138 of For the Gods' Sake

"I was hoping to speak with you and Lorenzo, if you had a moment."

That was all it took for Ravenna to know why I'd come and to squeal at a decible my ears could barely handle.

And by the end of our conversation, I'd left with Ravenna's well-wishes and Lorenzo's threats if I ever treated his daughter with disrespect or got in the way of her work with their family business.

But most importantly, I got confirmation that Reyna's family was safe, giving her an inch of peace after the strife.

Chapter 37

Reyna

I woke up to something cold on my shoulder.

I must have slept like the dead, because I was on my stomach, arms wrapped around a pillow, with little memory of Adrian leaving.

But as I blinked my eyes open, I realized I felt fully healed. Even though I went to bed two nights ago knowing my wounds had closed, I’d spent all of yesterday suffering the after effects. My muscles ached, my head hurt, and I felt so tired that I’d only left the bed to eat with Adrian on his—our—patio.

By dinner, I was feeling much better. Enough that I rose from my chair after we were done eating and firmly planted myself on Adrian’s lap. How he expected me to justmove onwhen he looked at me with sincerity in his eyes and said he loved me was insane.

Despite my grumbling, he insisted that I rest another day before exerting myself physically. And I was inclined to listen to him after he told me he'd visited my family while I was resting to make sure they were safe.

“You’re no fun,” I’d said, wiggling my ass against the hard length in his pants, evidence that my health was the only thing putting a stop to sex.

Adrian banded a hand around my waist, pulling me flush to his chest so he could speak in my ear. “And you love me despite it.”

I couldn’t disagree with that statement, so I simply turned and settled into his chair with him, resigning myself to drinking my tea instead of doing what I really wanted. Even if my tight, weary muscles agreed with him.

But this morning I felt alright. Enough that the first sensation upon waking wasn’t my strained muscles, it was the object resting on my shoulder.

My eyes fluttered open and were immediately seized by Adrian’s. “Good morning,” he said, his voice a low rumble through the morning air.

“Were you watching me sleep?” I asked, letting my eyes trail over his body where it was seated on the bed.

“I was.” There was emotion written all over his face, open and proud.

I reached up to trail my fingers over his jaw. “You know, you’ve admitted to quite a few emotions over the last few days. I don’t think you can say you are without them anymore.”

Adrian’s mouth pulled into a closed-lipped smile. “I was never without them. Just repressed them.”

“And that’s healthy?” I asked through a soft laugh.

“No.” Adrian reached down and swept a strand of hair off my face and behind my ear. “And neither was pretending an ounce of anything between us was fake.”

I nodded in agreement. Even though there were many moments I had to remind myself that we were ina fake relationship, the memories of those days all felt very real.

“Reyna, honey, do I need to be concerned about nerve damage or are you simply ignoring the box on your shoulder?”

I’d forgotten about it, too focused on Adrian, but he didn’t need to know that. I reached over my shoulder, grabbing the box and sitting up quickly. And the second I laid eyes on it, I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. “Adrian…”

Adrian reached down and opened the box with a care that seemed so foreign for his strong, large hands. Revealing a stunning ring—a beautiful, emerald cut diamond set in a platinum band. The stone glittered in the sunlight, and something about it must have been an optical illusion, because it cast silver and gold sparkles across the room with each catch of light.

“Marry me, Reyna,” Adrian said, the words almost demanding. “Please.”

I was so stunned, it took me a second to snap into motion. Enough time that Adrian said, “I will get down on my knees and beg. Don’t think I wo—“

I threw my arms around him, damn near tackling him to the bed with the force of it. Adrian hauled me over him, making me straddle his lap and holding me tight.

“Yes. Please. Yes,” I said, chanting the words against the skin of his neck. There was no other option.

---