Page 136 of Rogue Romeo
I nod with wide eyes. “Yeah, I thought—”
“Not a fucking hope, pretty boy.” She folds the paper in half, and then rips it right down the middle.
I blink several times as I watch her shred the document into tiny pieces. She scatters them across the floor before moving closer to palm my cheeks, holding my gaze with hers.
“Alexander DeMarco, don’t you realize?Thiswas never fake. Foreitherof us. Every single emotion, every single word…” She trails off as she leans up to brush her lips over mine. “Every damn touch has been real. I don’t need a redo to know thatthis—”
She lays her hand over my palpitating heart and my jaw tics with barely constrained emotion.
“Thisis where I belong, pretty boy. Here, andonlyhere. In your heart. In your arms.”
I swoop down to pluck her from the floor and spin her around as I laugh out loud, the sound joining her whoop of delight.
When I set her back down, I hold her gaze even as Darcy, Leo, and Bailey begin to chat excitedly behind us.
I press a kiss to the top of her head as I hold Rey even closer, my emotions taking charge. “You came into my life—so unexpected, and so perfect—I’m still in goddamn awe that you could care for me, let alone love me like you do.” I angle her jaw upward, holding her deep brown eyes. “Was it any wonder that I fell head over damn heels for you, Sunshine? Hmm?”
My eyes devour her perfect face as her nostrils flare. Her eyes hold mine, and I feel sheer joy fill me from top to toe.
“Iadoreyou, Reyna DeMarco. More than I could ever put into words.”
Her smile consumes me as the Malones approach from behind.
“Well, Christ almighty, it was touch and go for a hot minute there, but it all came right in the end, eh?”
Darcy slides up beside us, smiling broadly. “Glad to have helped play matchmaker of sorts.” Her exaggerated wink makes me laugh while Rey slips into Darcy’s waiting embrace.
Bailey taps me on the shoulder, a knowing grin overtaking his face as he glances at my wife with a cheeky wink. “Told you she wouldn’t go for the redo.”
Rey returns to my side, giggling happily as I shake my head. “So you damn well did.”
Then I glance at Leonard, giving him a nod that sees him throw keys in my direction with a shit-eating grin.
“Now, Sunshine. How’s about I bring you around the corner to show you the epic refurb Leonard has so kindly done on your piece of shit Corolla, hmm?”
Her gaze shoots to mine as her jaw unhinges. “What?”
And I chuckle loudly. “Surprise, Sunshine!”
EPILOGUE
ALEX
Six Months Later
“That’s wonderful,sweet girl. I’m so glad you are all settling well.”
My best friend sighs softly on the other end of the line as I slip from my car, disconnecting the cell from the Bluetooth.
“It’s so nice to be home, Alex. But I do miss having you guys around the corner.”
Liv and Henry flew back to London three days ago once their newborn twins had gotten the all-clear from the pediatrician.
Jonah and Kate, the newest additions to my brother’s rapidly expanding family, are six weeks old now and utter perfection.
“We’ll visit as soon as we can.”
The sound of a crying newborn hits my ears, followed by my brother’s booming voice in the background. “Jonah needs a boob, Peach!”