My father would not approve of the laughter.
So it’s a good thing.
“—and for a hot minute, I thought it was a great idea, because I couldn’t have my life blow up again, because I had nothing left,” I tell her, more honest than I’ve been in years. Sophie makes me honest, and less rude, and thinking I should be nice. Less of a grump, and even if she doesn’t forgive me, I need to remember how that feels. “I can’t get a job racing cars for anyone, and the one option I had left, needed me to be perfect. There’s no way a story about me, driving a car, and causing an accident would fly. I had to make sure it didn’t go any further.”
“But I wouldn’t…”
“Oh, I know. I knew after about forty-eight hours in your company. If even that long. I knew you weren’t the type of person to lay blame.”
“I would if you deserved it,” she promises.
“Oh, I know that, too. But that was the last I thought about my father’s instructions. After that, I was following my own instructions—to make Sophie Laz fall in love with me.”
“It’s the same—”
“It was different,” I tell her earnestly. “I needed you to fall for me, because I was already falling hard and fast for you, and I wanted to make sure I had a soft landing.”
“You…”
I put my hands on her waist, and take a step closer so I can lean my forehead against hers. Strawberries and cookies. I close my eyes. “Let me just say this before I mess it up. Sophie Laz, I am in love with you. I don’t know how or why or when, but I love you, and I don’t fall for anyone in this way. Except for you… because you’re you.”
“Ashton.”
I pull back so I can look at her, look at her clearly, through the eyes of a man in love.
And the way Sophie looks at me makes my ideas warm, and start to turn to some mushy substance.
“Is that all you’re going to say? Because even if I messed it up too much, you’ve got to tell me, Sophie, because I can’t go on much longer not knowing—”
“I love you, too.” She says it with a giggle, and the biggest smile.
My breath hitches, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever heard. The best I’ve ever felt. Better than winning any race, driving any car… “Really? Really… you’re sure?”
Sophie laughs again, and I’ll never get tired of the sound of it. I slide my hands aroundher waist.
“I’m really sure. I knew you weren’t that good of an actor.”
“I’m really not,” I tell her with a laugh. “Do you want me to show you how we’re going to do the dancing thing?”
Sophie nods, and there are tears in her eyes. Brown with green and gold flecks, and a fat tear rolling down her cheek. Seeing that makes me choke up, because this woman loves me. Lovesme,with all my failings and faults and super inflated bank balance that might disappear when I tell my father I’m staying in Laandia to work for King Magnus.
I don’t think Sophie will mind the difference in bank balance, and I hope she’s happy that I’m staying.
But that’s a conversation for later.
I sweep her up into my arms without warning, and she gasps, and then giggles. Holding her like this is so much better than giving her a piggyback because… well, it’s just better.
Plus, I can kiss her like this.
And I do—right there in the middle of the dance floor, with all of Battle Harbour watching.
I don’t care who’s watching.
And the way Sophie kisses me back tells me she doesn’t either.
Epilogue
Duncan
