Her apartment had become my apartment when we moved into together two days after I was freed from jail. With me not living in my building, builders were free to move in, tear out stairs, rip out kitchens, and blitz the entire building in one go rather than piece by piece.
It was finished two months before I’d hoped, ready for new low-income renters who needed a break.
Everything we’d endured and survived had finally given us the benefit of the doubt.
We’d been tested to see if we deserved the greatest gift of all.
And luckily, we’d been found worthy.
Elle was my happily ever after.
And I was hers.
And who knew? Maybe in the future, we’d give her father and Larry what they wanted and deliver a new Belle Elle heir or heiress.
But for now...she was mine. I was hers, and we were having far too much fun practicing.
Speaking of which.
Elle padded out of the bathroom with a towel on her head and another wrapped around her stunning body. Sage trotted by her heels as she always did when it was dinnertime.
I stayed where I was on the couch, flicking through a magazine on investment opportunities in Africa.
I waited until Elle gave the gray feline her ration of freshly cooked chicken then watched as she unwound her long blonde hair and tossed it over her shoulder.
Hoisting the towel higher around her breasts, she moved back toward the bedroom to continue dressing for the charity gala I was hosting with Larry.
I already wore the gold tux that was this evening’s color of choice.
Elle had yet to dress.
Checking my watch, I cracked a smile.
I was the host. I shouldn’t be late.
But I had a fiancée who was too delectable.
Tossing the magazine away, I followed her into the bedroom, grabbed her wrist, and spun her around. I yanked at the towel.
“Hey.” She swatted me as the fabric tumbled to the floor. Her eyes glittered; her love that I’d never get used to or tired of seeing shone so damn bright. “If you kiss me, who knows how long we’ll be.”
I smirked. “I plan on doing a lot more than just kissing you, Elle.” Biting her ear, I growled, “Get on the bed.”
With a grin, she obeyed instantly, spreading her legs, acting coy and shy all at once.
The perfect woman.
My perfect woman.
Undoing my belt, I fell to my knees to worship her.
We’d get to the charity event.
Eventually.
In the meantime, we’d be together.
Just us.
We’d love. We’d argue. We’d protect. We’d evolve.
We were a family.
And that was all that fucking mattered.