Page 128 of A Not So Prince Charming

I grinned. “That’s the idea.” A primal part of me was extremely satisfied with that idea, especially knowing how it would make her squirm. Later, we’d go again, and I would take my time to kiss every inch of her body first.

She snorted in response, turning in the mirror to look at her appearance. “How do I look?” Her cheeks were flushed, but her hair was still perfect, and if you ignored the pink hue to her skin—and where we’d been, no one probably would have guessed I’d been fucking her in the bathroom.

Leaning down, I cupped her cheeks before bringing her lips to mine, kissing her once more—letting her taste us in my mouth. “Ready?”

She laughed. “For everything, with you.”

“Good.” I interlaced our hands and guided her back out to the party—and towards the next chapter in our lives together.

And if this was the beginning of our happily ever after, I liked to think that we’d gotten a pretty good start.

One month later…

“What do you think?” I asked, looking up at the brownstone as I slid my arm around Ella’s waist. She’d left me in charge of finding us a place to live, since she’d spent most of her last months frantically finishing her final design presentation for her capstone class.

I’d taken one look at this place online and knew it was perfect. Ella hadn’t gotten to see it yet, but I knew she would love it too once she gave it a chance.

“We can’t afford this, Cameron,” she groaned. “It’s too much.”

“I told you to let me take care of it.” I squeezed her hip. “It’s the least I can do.”

“I’m not trying to live off of you?—”

“You’re not.” I placed a soft kiss on her lips to shut her up. If anything, I was living offher, since I’d be going to law school full time for the next three years while she worked. “You couldn’t.”

Ella pouted. “Your parents are going to think I’m taking advantage.”

“My mom loves you.” I kissed her again to shut her up. “And Dad’s coming around.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” I laughed. Mom had fallen in love with her that very first time I’d brought Ella home. Sometimes, I thought she loved her more than me. Ella was the daughter she’d never had, and always wanted.

My dad, well… We were working on things. My decision to go to law school in New York wasn’t exactly something he could disagree with, considering it was still one of the top ten schools in the nation.

But turning down the internship at his practicewassomething he’d disagreed with.

I hadn’t cared. I’d made it crystal clear from the beginning—Ella was more important to me. And that he hadn’t lost both his sons when Dec had passed. But I clarified that if he didn’t change his tune, hewouldlose me. So I’d gotten an internship with a different firm without using my name or connections. I’d worked my ass off last summer, and it had felt… right.

Now I was going to do law schoolmyway, too. And if I didn’t end up at the family firm when I graduated, if Ella and I made our own home in a new town, I didn’t think I’d mind so much. Becauseshewas my family now.

James, Forest, Adam, and their girls were too, along with Ella’s sister, and my life was full of love. Of laughter. I’d never been as happy as I was the last semester, surrounded by four other couples.

The guys ate their words, of course. But those were their stories to tell.

“Should we go inside?” I asked my girlfriend, the love of my life, as I pulled the key out of my pocket.

She was still pouting, trying not to look upset that she hadn’t gotten her way, so I picked her up in my arms after I’d unlocked the door.

“What are you doing?” She laughed, that smile I loved finally bursting through.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Quirking an eyebrow, I looked down at her. “I’m carrying you over the threshold.”

“That’s what newlyweds do, Charming. Not people moving into their first home together.”

Technically, our first home together was the one we’d shared last year, but I wouldn’t argue with semantics. Not when I wanted to do this. So I shrugged. “I’ll carry you then, too. Whenever you need a reminder.”

“Of what?”

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