I lift mine. “To the man who broke me. And somehow made it worth it.”
We clink. Sip.
The bubbles rush through me, dizzying and sweet. I glance down at my rumpled clothes, then at the ridiculous perfection of the room.
“I need a shower before we do…anything.”
His grin is slow and wicked. “I’ll try to be patient.”
He leads me upstairs to a suite that looks like something out of a design magazine. The bed is massive, the walls lined with windows, and through a door, I glimpse a bathroom that could host a black-tie gala.
“This is…”
“Ours.” He sweeps his gaze over me. “Come on. I’ll show you the best part.”
He guides me into the bathroom, where a soaker tub gleams under a skylight.
“Take your time.” He brushes a kiss against my temple. “Unless you want company.”
“Behave, Blackwell.”
“That’s one demand too far, wife.”
I strip quickly, the tension of the day melting with every discarded piece of clothing. When I step into the hot water, it’s like slipping into a dream.
As I soak, I reach for my phone.
I need to let Tasha know I’m not coming home.
And my friends need to be the first to know I’m engaged.
Engaged.
Even I can’t believe it.
But when I open the message app, notifications explode across the screen. There is a flood of messages from Tasha and Lila, full of screaming caps and links.
THE PREDATOR KING HAS FALLEN FOR HIS PREY.
BLACKWELL PUBLICLY APOLOGIZES FOR MISTAKES.
Confused, I scan the articles, reading about the gala and his speech.
I’m stunned.
He never told me a thing.
Even if I had refused to marry him, he had still publicly apologized and restored my reputation.
My heart swells as the last doubts vanish, just like the steam off the water.
The door opens, quiet but unmistakable.
I send the messages that I need to, and I promise we’ll catch up in the morning. Then I look in his direction.
He’s leaning against the doorframe, his eyes on mine.
“I just saw the articles.”
