Page 86 of Desperate Measures
“What?”
“I. Love. You.”
“You love me?”
“Of course, I do,” I said, not understanding what she didn’t get about this.
“You crazy, brilliant, wonderful woman! Of course, I love you. How could I not fall in love with you? Never mind that you’re smarter than anyone I know. But you have the most beautiful heart I’ve ever encountered. You’re amazing,” I whispered, staring at her luminous eyes, so dark and wet with her tears they were like black diamonds glittering up at me.
“But what about your obligations?”
“What obligations?”
“I-I got a phone call on the drive up here. Someone said you were promised already, and I had to let you go or you and ODI would suffer,” she confessed.
Rage filled me, completely and immediately. Whoever called my wife was going to pay for the little bit of misinformation.
“We’ll look into that call, but whoever it was, they were lying to you. However we got here, I promise you, going forward there will be no miscommunications, no lies or half-truths. I will always be honest with you. Now, no more talk of divorce, okay?”
“No divorce,” she repeated, biting her lower lip.
Fuck. I loved her lips. They were so pouty and naturally pink. She never wore balm or lipstick to taint her flavor, and I loved that even more. I stole a kiss right then, just because I could, groaning because I knew I couldn’t take it any further with the Volkovs and the Vipers in the next room.
Cockblocking assholes.
But that was okay. There was always later.
“You’re my wife, Michaela. And I’m your husband. Say it.”
“I’m your wife, you’re my husband,” she whispered, and her tone was full of wonder.
“Fuck yes, I am. And I love you,” I said, repeating myself and not giving a shit that I sounded like a total fucking sap.
“Do you really?”
“I get that you’ll need some time to believe me, but yeah, I do. I love you so much, Wife. I am never letting you go,” I said. “So whatever you need to do to come to grips with that, you go on and do it. Just know I will be right here waiting because, Sweetheart, you are mine. Understand?”
“I understand,” she said, and the smile she gifted me sealed itself right over my heart.
“And Liam?”
“Yeah, Sweetheart?” I asked, my gaze adoring as I stared at her with so much feeling I thought it might actually consume me.
“I love you, too.”
My heart swelled and pride filled me as I breathed in her lilacs.
“I’m gonna make you so goddamn happy,” I promised, squeezing her hand in mind.
“You already do.”
I didn’t deserve her. But I was going to. I was going to work damn hard to.
Chapter 33-Michaela
Celebrating my marriage a little belatedly with my family during Uncle Josef’s Christmas party actually turned out to be pretty amazing.
My cousins took turns teasing me, then mooning over how handsome Liam was. For that I had to threaten a few of them, but knowing they were my family meant I was jesting of course. Mostly.