so long she’d been afraid of experiencing happiness and having it taken away—and now, the man who could show her a slice of heaven was here in front of her. For her. With her. “What did she say?”
“She gave me her blessing and said she was proud of me for going after what I wanted.” He dragged his chair close to her until he was within a breath of her.
“I know, but you have other family members and friends who might not share her enthusiasm,” she said, teetering between hope and caution.
He stroked her cheek, and she sighed. Her stomach sank, and she focused on the intensity of his gaze to keep from jumping into his arms. “Anyone who thinks our relationship is wrong isn’t worth my time. I doubt anyone who sees us together will have those thoughts, but if they’re petty and old-fashioned, then fuck them.”
Her mouth dropped a notch. “Brooks—”
“I love you, Madam. I’m sorry I wasn’t one hundred percent upfront. I love the woman you are, and your past made you that woman. I promise I’ll never take you for granted. If Spain is your home, I’ll move here to be with you. I’ll leave everything behind if that means building a life with you. I also—”
She didn’t let him finish.
She pulled him to her, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him with all she had. Fire ignited in her blood. She caught his manly smell, and touched his hair, reveling in having him so close again. Her tongue meshed with his, caressing his and challenging at the same time.
When she wrenched her mouth from his, she could feel the eyes from other patrons of the café, but she didn’t care. “When you asked me if I loved you, I didn’t answer. I wasn’t ready.”
She cast her eyes downward, then cleared her throat. When she faced him again, tears pricked behind her lids. “I came to Spain because I wanted to start a new life, but as the days turned into weeks, I realized that a new life without you in it isn’t worth living.”
“What are you saying?” he asked.
A couple of tears spilled from her eyes, falling down her cheeks. “I love you, Brooks, with all my heart. I want to be Alexa with you, if you’ll have me. I’ll move to Texas. You already have a home there and I’d like to be part of it.”
He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingers. “Are you sure? What about living in Spain and—”
“I’ll find other ways and places to help and can travel more often to check on how my donations are helping. But I know I’m asking a lot. If I stop running, if you’ll have me—”
He caressed her cheek, and she trembled under his touch. “You’ll be my Alexa. Former Madam of House of Alexa. The most magnificent woman who’s ever walked the earth.”
“Will you be okay with that?” she breathed. “With everything?”
“Yes,” he answered quickly, staring deep into her eyes.
She nipped his chin. A warm sensation spread through her. From now on, the sense of belonging that Brooks provided would no longer be a fantasy. It would be real. It is real. “Remember when I struck the deal for the male virgin auction with you? I told you I’d keep you around until I got what I needed from you.”
He thrust his fingers into her hair, smiling.
“Yes.”
A bubble of affection burst inside her. She stroked the back of his neck and lifted her chin to stare at him. “Well, even then, I was right. I’m keeping you around until I don’t need you anymore.”
“Forever,” he whispered.
“Forever,” she agreed.
Epilogue
Two years later…
Alexa finger combed her hair and glanced at the mirror one last time. Her husband would come home at any moment, and if she wanted to take full advantage of the child-free afternoon, she couldn’t be too picky about her looks. Though she smoothed her hand over her blue sundress, she looked all right for a mother of one who’d kept a few extra pounds since giving birth—not that Brooks seemed to mind.
He ravished her any chance he could, and many times woke up at night with little Stella so she could rest to have energy for their steamy moments. Alexa had named their daughter after the old lady who had helped her when she’d run away as a teenager. Somehow, it seemed soothing to pay a small homage to the kind woman who’d taken her in.
Brooks’s father