T. Marius Homeland is no match for Lavender Deveraux.
“He told me a while ago that the only thing stopping him from declaring his love for you was his situation. His financial situation, I suppose. I just gave him a nudge in the right direction, that’s all. You’ve said yourself, you’re no longer mine.”
Lies. Lies. Lies.
“Well, you certainly gave him the means to propose.”
“What?” I take a step closer—an abortive one by force. “He proposed to you? Tonight?”
She nods. “I bet you don’t feel so clever now.”
“A proposal is a little premature.” I take that step. And another. “Unless you’re thinking of committing bigamy, which I don’t recommend.”
“Oh?” Does she realize she’s also stepping toward me?
Maybe she wants to improve her aim.
“You sent him to me with no intention of him winning. Because you love me.”
“I’ve never hidden that from you. From anyone.”
“But you have because the way your stupid lawyer tells it—”
“Former stupid lawyer.”
“All these plans you made, yet Daisy’s dad made it so easy for you in the end. I didn’t get that, so I rang your former stupid lawyer on the way over. Your former stupid cockhead coke head lawyer.”
“How is he?”
“As high as a kite. Again. He told me that day you could’ve dumped me after our wedding weekend and left me with nothing, but I wasn’t really listening to that bit. He explained there was no prenup necessary. That the papers weren’t filed.”
“But I hadn’t fucked you.” We’re so close now, the harsh fricative disturbs the wisps of her hair. “And I wanted to.”
“I know.”
“And you wanted to be fucked.”
She quirks a disparaging brow. “Says you.”
“Says the way your pussy throbbed around my fingers. Out on the terrace, your body under the blue sky. The sun was jealous. It had never seen anything lovelier.”
“Not the sun, you. You hadn’t seen anything lovelier. And you loved me. Two days in, and you were already mine.”
“You intrigued me.”
“I made you mad.”
“If love is maddening,” I whisper, pulling her into my embrace, “I don’t ever need sanity again.”
She sees my intention in the lowering of my head, so there’s time for her to pull away. Instead, she angles her chin, her mouth falling softly open as our lips meet. A kiss of promise, of desperation as my hands tighten and our bodies brush.
“That was quite a risk you took tonight,” she whispers as I pull back.
“Some might say a gamble. But all’s fair in love and cards, princess.”
EPILOGUE
RAIF
