Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
He settles me on his lap in the center of the pool, his hands bracketing my hips as he slowly sinks inside me. Needing to be even closer, I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold on tight. I just want to singe everything about this moment into my memory. The weight of his body, the depth of his love, the way we move together like we were always meant to be this.
Months ago, I couldn’t have imagined a future with River.
Now I can’t imagine one without him.
His mouth finds my neck, my jaw, the place just beneath my ear that makes me tremble. “I love you,” he confesses. “I’ve loved you for so long.”
“I love you too.”
His arms tighten around me as we keep moving. Surrounded by the water, fairy lights, and stars, this sliver of time feels almost magical.
We make love like two people who’ve finally found what they never thought they’d have. Every touch is sure, every kiss is steady, because he’s always known I was his, and I’m finally ready to admit he’s mine. And when he pulls me close afterward, it doesn’t feel like an ending. It feels like the beginning of everything.
47
River
The flood of people hasn’t slowed since the first bottle of champagne popped hours ago. Every time I take a sip of beer, someone else shows up, arms loaded with housewarming gifts.
“I gotta say, domestication looks good on you, Thompson.” Laiken grins, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “The place looks awfully cozy for a guy who used to be more of a minimalist.”
With a smirk, my gaze slowly sweeps across the room.
It’s not just my penthouse anymore.
It’s ours.
The three of us.
A neroli and white jasmine candle glows on the counter. Nora’s sparkly sneakers sit askew on the mat, one tipped sideways like she darted out of them mid-step. And Callie’s favorite cookbook is open beside a mixing bowl.
The air smells like sugar and citrus and something that feels distinctly like home.
“I like it better this way,” I tell him, meaning every word.
The place is packed wall-to-wall with people I’ve fought beside, bled beside, and trusted with everything short of my heart, because that’s always belonged to the woman who’s chatting on the other side of the room.
Steele’s in the kitchen, locked in a heated debate with Knox over whose bourbon reigns supreme. They’re each gripping a bottle like it’s a trophy, neither willing to back down.
On the sectional, Maverick and Willow are curled up together, glasses of red wine in hand, wearing the kind of expressions that make it obvious they’re in a world of their own making. His arm rests comfortably around her shoulders, his smile easy and content, like he knows exactly how lucky he is.
I couldn’t have picked a better man for my sister. She deserves someone who sees her quiet strength and appreciates her softness. They’re the perfect complement to one another.
Jax is trailing after Sloane like a persistent golden retriever who doesn’t understand the concept of personal space.
“You need to stop staring at me,” Sloane warns, striding past him. “Or I’m going to pour this drink over your head.”
My teammate grins, completely unfazed by her prickly demeanor. “If you’re trying to find a deterrent,” he says, letting his gaze drag slowly down and back up her body with deliberate insolence, “you’ll need to do better than that.”
Laiken chuckles under his breath, and I do the same. Neither of us bother to hide our amusement. Whatever’s brewing between those two is going to be interesting to watch.
My gaze catches on Callie again. Her hair is pinned up, a few silky tendrils framing her face. She’s wearing a black wrap dress that hugs her curves and makes her skin glow.
The second our gazes lock, everything in me seizes. Not with nerves but with certainty.
She’s always been the endgame.
Even when she belonged to another man.
One who used to be my friend.
She cuts a path straight to me, her fingers brushing my arm like she needs that small connection as much as I do. “I think everyone we invited has shown up.”
I glance around the room at the friends and family crowding the space. People who mean the world to both of us. “Pretty sure they’re all just relieved you finally took pity on me and gave me a shot.”
“I can one hundred percent attest to that,” Laiken says with a grin.
Callie’s lips curve. “Maybe I should’ve stopped keeping you at arm’s length sooner. It feels like I missed out on so many wonderful moments.”
I brush a kiss across the tip of her nose. “As much as I would’ve loved that, I think we found our way to each other at exactly the right time.”
From the corner of my eye, I catch Rina leveling a death glare at Oliver.
“I swear to God, if you make one more comment, I’m going to—”