I slipped from his arms and dropped to my knees in front of him.He smirked even as he petted my hair back from my now-burning cheeks.I didn’t want him to change.Ever.I loved his mischievousness.I loved his sly innuendo.His stamina.His wonder in us.
“I…” I began, my voice clear in the quiet.The room’s shadows enhanced the bubble effect.It was just us and Bree.She was here for this unplanned but perfect moment.“I love you, Luka.And I want to make you mine.Forever.”
Luka’s gaze softened, and he shifted, as if to settle on his knees, too.I shook my head, planting my palms on his thighs to hold him steady.His grin turned devilish, but his eyes remained full of emotion.He opened his mouth, but again, I shook my head.My heart pounded in the hollow of my chest, blood whooshing in my ears.
I stared up at him, dizzy from nerves.“Will you marry me?”I whispered.
His thick thighs shifted as he dropped down, still towering over me, his palm cradling my skull while the other captured my cheek and chin.
“I’d be so fucking honored.And I’ve been yours,justyours since I sat across from you at that restaurant.You’re mine, Millicent Anne Jones—soon to be Stol.I can’t wait to make it official.”
Instead of kissing me as I expected, Luka leaned back and laughed.It was a deep, joyous sound.He collected me closer, pressing my cheek to his chest.
“I get to be the Bridezilla,” he crowed.“Man, I’m going to love ordering Cruz around.”
I clutched his shirt as I giggled at the image of Cruz’s hulking mass in a pastel bridesmaid dress, his massive paws clutching a bouquet.Luka must have had the same image because he guffawed, tipping backward, taking me with him so I lay atop his big body.I shifted my hips as the bulge in his pants grew.
“Fuuuuuuck.”He dragged out the word as his hands slid from my nape, down my back to cup my hips.Somehow, someway, Luka Stol made me feel sexier than any other woman alive with a newborn in the crib mere feet from us and me in maternity leggings.
That was the moment I knew I didn’t just love Luka Stol; he owned my heart.
I’d broken my promise never to let another man inside.But Luka Stol wasn’t just in my heart.Like our daughter, he’d imprinted on my soul.
Luka’s phonerang the following morning.I only knew it was morning based on the light coming into the condo.Multiple diaper changes and attempts to breastfeed had punctuated the dark hours.
I groaned and Luka searched for his phone, too tired, it seemed, to even raise his head.
“Hello?”he finally mumbled.
“Luka, Mom’s in ICU.”
He must have put the phone on speaker because I jolted first at the deep voice, then at the words.
Luka sat up.He rubbed his eyes.“Mike, slow down.Alyssa’s in the hospital?”
“Yeah.She’s…well, she’s bad, man.”
“Millie had our daughter yesterday…”
“You’re going to be with her, Luka,” I said.I settled my hand on his thigh, right above his knee, and squeezed.There was no give—his muscles were clenched tightly.“She needs you.”
“You need me,” Luka snapped.“After what your father tried at the hospital, not only do you need me, but we also need a freaking army—”
“Is that Millie?”Mike asked.“Hey, Millie.I’ve heard a lot about you from Mom.”
“Erm…hi, Mike!”I said, nerves skittering through me.“I’ll make sure Luka gets on a flight to see Alyssa.”I glanced over, wondering if I should tell him Luka had asked that Bree’s middle name be Alyssa.Luka hadn’t mentioned it, probably because he was busy glowering.
“I’m not leaving you,” he growled.“I don’t want to miss—”
I leaned forward and ended the call.Luka grunted but didn’t seem overtly angry with my decision.
“I know how much she means to you,” I whispered as I turned toward him.“At least I think I do.You talk about her a lot—way more than your mother.”
He flinched.“Alyssaismy mother—at least the closest thing I had to a real one.”
I clutched his hand.“Right.Which is why you need to be there with her.You’ll regret it if you’re not there.”
“But you won’t come with me.”
