The Rivals - Dylan Allen Page 0,265

my place, it’s so small and Bianca—” I stammer as I race through the logistics of his plans.

“I’ve got a suite at the Baccarat. It’s going to be fine.” He strokes my arms reassuringly.

“I’m so excited. Oh, Remi. Thank you.” I reach up to stroke the strong, sharp line of his jaw. He drops his head and presses a kiss to my mouth.

It’s amazing, that in the gamut of extreme emotions I’ve run the last two days, that in the sanctuary of his arms, all I feel is peace.

“It’ll give us the chance to do what we’ve never really done before.”

“What’s that?”

“Date. I want to take you to dinner. Go see a show. Walk you home and kiss you good night on your doorstep. Send flowers to your office. All of the things I thought I’d spend my twenties doing.”

I’m overcome with happiness, I cover my mouth and squeal behind it.

“I’ll take that to mean you like the sound of that?”

I nod. “I love the sound of it.”

The way my heart flutters in my chest almost tickles, and I laugh as happiness bubbles inside of me.

“Okay. I’m going home,” he says abruptly

“Wait. What?” I rise up on my knees and grab his arm to stop him from putting on his socks.

“I want to do this right. Your daughter is here. I’d rather see her again for the first time when I’m coming to take her and her mother to breakfast. I want to win her over, too. Show her what it looks like when a man loves a woman. So, yeah. I’m going home.”

He leans down to kiss me. I clutch his waist and say a silent prayer of thanks.

“So, we’re good?” he asks when he breaks the kiss.

“Yes. I love you. Like my life depends on it. With no limits. But, you have to bear with me. I was married for all of those years, but I’ve never really had a partner. I’ve always been by myself.”

“Not anymore. And as long as I’m alive, you won’t be again.”

Be still my beating heart. This magnificent man is mine.

He always has been.

I see us in his eyes, taking shape, growing, cracking, frayed around the edges even, but holding together because we’re writing our own story now, and in both versions, it ends with us.

Chapter 45

EPILOGUE

THE LEGEND OF REMINGTON WILDE

* * *

REMI

* * *

“Are you sure? Once I hit send, it’s out of our hands,” Kal asks me for the hundredth time and I finally take the mouse from her and hit send myself.

“It’s done. Out of our hands. Let the chips fall where they may.” I press a kiss to her lips and slam her laptop closed. I lean down, scoop her out of the chair and walk us back to our bedroom.

“You’re awfully relaxed for a man who just sent his entire life story to a tv news magazine.” She says skeptically.

I set her down on the edge of the bed and sit next to her.

“It was written by someone I trust completely. I’m not worried at all. Besides, you titled it The Legend of Remington Wilde. Soon, it won’t just be a nickname, it’ll be a motherfucking title.”

“Oh, God, you’re going to be impossible after this, aren’t you?”

“If impossible and glorified are the same thing, then absofuckinglutely. Now, let’s fuck.” I waggle my eyebrows.

“It’s about damn time,” she grumbles, and starts unbuttoning my shirt while we walk. I’m just pulling her skirt up when she stops walking and steps away from me.

“Wait, our flight leaves in two hours, do we have that kind of time? We still need to get B—” She glances at her watch and I cover it with my hand.

“Bianca can have a few more minutes with her dad. The plane will wait. But I can’t. Not another fucking minute.” I lie back and hook an arm around her waist to take her with me.

She squeals in surprise but grabs my ass and pulls me into her.

“You feel that? That’s six weeks’ worth of hard fucking you’ve missed.”

She grins like the little rogue she is. “That was all your bright idea. I’ve been ready—”

I cover her lips with mine and drink the rest of her words.

Her mouth opens beneath mine and her tongue slides home.

I planned on taking my time, feasting on her body and making up for everything I’ve missed for the last six weeks.

But the minute I taste her, that goes out of the window because there’s no way I can take my time.

“I