Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Sorry wasn’t a word that Sergei said often, so when he said it, he meant it. I slipped my arms around his neck and smiled, “So, can we have a redo or something?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay. Wait here.” I placed my book on the counter, then rushed to the guest bedroom and grabbed the balloons and gifts I’d hidden in the closet. Once I had it all bundled together, I hurried back to the kitchen. “I have a surprise for you.”
“I see.” He played along and asked, “What’s all this?”
“Open it and see.”
He leaned forward and peeked inside before reaching in and pulling out the little, white onesie and booties I’d bought. He held them in his hand for a moment, then whispered, “This is real… We’re actually having a baby.”
“Yep. In about nine months or so.”
He ran his thumb across the soft fabric, then in a blink, he’d closed the space between us. He cupped my face and pressed his forehead to mine. “I don’t deserve you.”
“You do, and you deserve this baby, too.”
He slid his hand down and rested it over my stomach. “Never thought I’d be this lucky.”
“Me either.” I covered his hand with mine and whispered, “I love you.”
“Fuck, I love you, too. More every damn day, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make you and this baby as happy as possible.”
And this time, when he kissed me, there was nothing rushed or apologetic about it. This kiss was full of promise and love, and I was a bit disappointed when he pulled back and asked, “Is that what I think it is?”
When I saw that he was talking about my book, I nodded, and he walked over and picked it up. He looked in complete awe as he flipped through the pages. “This is incredible, Lina.”
“You really think so?”
“I do.” He continued looking through each page, and when he reached the end, he closed the book and said, “I’m proud of you, Lina.”
“Yeah?”
“Absolutely. I can’t wait to see what comes next. For you. For us. All of it.”
“I have a feeling it’s going to be good. Really, really good.”
“Hell, yeah, it is.”
He dipped his head and kissed me again, and I melted into him without a second thought. He wasn’t perfect, and he certainly wasn’t a saint. But neither was I. We were two broken souls with haunting pasts and broken pieces, but through all the chaos and wreckage, we’d found something good.
Something real.
We were happy, sharp edges and all. And as his lips moved over mine, steady and sure, one truth settled in my heart. We would face hard times here and there, but we’d face them together. He was mine, and I was his.
Today and always.
EPILOGUE
Three Years Later
“We’ve got a situation.”
“Okay.” I didn’t like the sound of his voice and almost dreaded asking, “What’s going on?”
“We’ve got a VIP in the high-limit lounge shouting that we cheated him out of a hundred grand.”
I leaned back in my chair and stared out the window overlooking the lake. “Who?”
“Name’s Carter Briggs. Oil money out of Texas,” Hugh answered with annoyance. He was the general manager of the Black Crown in West Memphis, and like me, he didn’t like to deal with bullshit. “He’s been here three times this month alone, and there’s never been an issue until now.”
“So, what’s the deal?”
“He claims the dealer palmed chips, but there’s nothing on the cameras.”
“Then, he’s full of shit.”
“That he is, but his people are getting loud. Security is containing it for now, but you know how this kind of thing can go.”
“They think if they bark loud enough, they’ll get their way. They’re wrong.” I got up and started to pace. “Pull the footage from every angle of that table and send it to me and Jenson. If the dealer fucked up, I’ll handle it. But if this prick is lying…”
“He is,” Hugh cut in. “I’ll send you the footage, but I’ve already checked the pit logs twice. Dude lost fair and square.”
“Then tell security to escort him and his fucking ego off the floor. Time to remind this asshole he isn’t in Texas anymore. He’s in my house. If he wants to accuse me of cheating, he can do it from the goddamn parking lot with a couple of bruised ribs and a fractured jaw.”
“So, you don’t want me to try to comp this thing away?”
“Fuck no. If you want to give this guy something, give him directions to the nearest fucking ATM.”
There was a beat of silence before Hugh chuckled, “Understood.”
I ended the call and slipped the phone back in my pocket. I was still pacing, hoping to settle my temper when I heard voices coming from the living room. The softness of it put me at ease in a way nothing else could.
It was the sound of my family.