Page 72 of Vandal

“A baby with your violet eyes.” His tone was soft and sweet.

I smiled back. “And your red hair.” I swallowed hard, wondering if he already knew my secret. He knew my body better than I did most of the time, but he hadn’t said anything, which made me wonder. “Do you want kids?”

“Yeah,” he growled. “I mean I never gave it much thought beyond assuming I’d have kids someday. But I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about putting a baby in you.”

A shiver slid down my spine at the intensity of his words. “Okay.” The word came out barely above a whisper but before I could get any more words out, Drew stood abruptly and left the kitchen. “Drew?”

He returned a minute later but he didn’t sit, he paced the length of the kitchen, stopping every once in a while to lookat me before he started up again. After a couple of minutes he stopped pacing and turned to face me. His expression so damn serious it made my heart hitch.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said. “I meannothingis wrong. I love you, Macy.”

I grinned. “I love you.”

“You’re my best friend. These guys are my brothers, my family, but you? You’re my whole fucking heart, Mace. I never thought I’d see you again. Never thought I’d hug you or hear you laugh again. And hell, I never let myself think about having you like this, in my bed and in my heart, but here you are.”

My heart swelled twice its normal size. “Here I am.”

“And now that you’re here. Mine. I’m never letting you go.” He pulled out a deep purple velvet bag and dumped the contents in his palm. “Macy, will you marry me?”

I sucked in a sharp breath and covered my mouth in shock. He wanted to marry me. It shouldn’t have come as such a shock, but I was shocked. Really fucking shocked. “Drew,” I sighed over the sound of my racing heart. Did I want to marry him? “Of course I do.”

His shoulders relaxed a fraction. “So that’s a yes?”

I smiled, nodding eagerly. “It’s a hell, yes, but I need to tell you something first.”

He took my hand as if he needed the connection and I appreciated it because I definitely needed it right now. “You’re already married?”

“No,” I laughed and shook my head.

“Is there another cartel after you?”

I laughed again. “Nope. Do you want to guess again or should I just tell you?”

His eyes slid shut and he exhaled until his shoulders relaxed. “Okay, hit me with it.”

“I’m pregnant.” I held my breath and waited for his response, whatever it was.

He was stock still, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Then his slack-jawed expression morphed into a smile. “We haven’t exactly been careful.”

“No,” I smiled. “We haven’t.”

“You’re having our baby.” His smile grew. “And we’re getting married.”

I nodded, tears welled up in my eyes as happiness threatened to overwhelm me. “We are.”

Drew picked me up and spun me around, laughing as he dotted my face with kisses. “Is this real, Mace? Are we really this fucking happy?”

I threw my head back and laughed. I knew exactly what he meant. This kind of happiness felt surreal. It was unlike any other time in my life and each day I expected something bad to happen, to snatch this brief period of joy from me. But six months later we were still here. Still together. Still happy. “We are really this fucking happy, Drew.”

“Love you, babe.”

I felt those three words down to the depths of my soul. “Love you more,” I shot back, the way I always did.

“Im-fucking-possible, because I love you with every ounce of my being. With every damn thing I am.” He kissed me like I was his whole damn world.

My heart swelled again and for the first time in my life, I believed I was.

THE END