Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
When I talk about it, he doesn’t laugh it off.
He supports the idea completely.
I can’t imagine going forward in my life without Roman beside me anymore.
“I’m so lucky,” I murmur against him now, feeling his palm move up and down along my spine as we watch Hunter and Rayne whack each other with pool noodles.
Roman’s lips come down to kiss my arm. “No. I’m lucky.”
“Mmm. These guys don’t even know how big your cock is, too.”
He shrugs. “Some of them might have an idea. We’ve lived in this house together for a while…”
I give him a little shove. “Show-off.”
“And proud. Why? You want to brag about me?”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to help it sometimes.”
“I love you,” he tells me. “Don’t ever forget it.”
“I love you so much, Roman.”
He squeezes my ass from behind and we relax, watching the rest of the guys thrashing around in the pool.
I realize that I’ve never felt more at home in my life.
Roman’s possessive of me, protective, and loving in a way I didn’t know was possible. We get to choose the path of our lives now. A clean slate, side by side.
And I know that Roman is the best fucking choice I’ve ever made.
Epilogue
ROMAN, TWO MONTHS LATER
“Maks,” I shout from across the street, spotting my cousin past a thick line of taxis and traffic.
He waves at me and weaves through the cars, jogging over across the busy New York City street.
I wipe at the edge of my lips and see that my fingers come away with a streak of pink, and I can’t keep a smile off my face.
Tate hasn’t been able to stop kissing me all morning.
Even when his own lips have goddamn cherry syrup on them.
For the first time, I’m with a family that actually celebrates Thanksgiving. Maks just arrived in the city, and back inside the house behind me, I have someone who loves me, someone I love more than I ever knew I was capable of.
Miracles, all of them.
Maks finally makes it across the street, reaching out and giving me a hug. “Happy Thanksgiving. We’re matching.”
He’s in a white beanie and a black puffy jacket, just like mine.
“Glad you’re here. I was starting to forget who I am, around the Landrey family,” I tell Maks. “They’re so polite. It’s nothing like our family.”
Maks hums, lifting an eyebrow. “Maybe that’s a good thing.”
“It’s a fucking great thing. Come on. I’ll introduce you.”
We walk up the short set of steps that leads into Luke Landrey’s slice of New York City, a historic brownstone that has been renovated in a classic style. The front doors open into an entryway that looks like it’s from a movie, with polished hardwood floors, a curving staircase leading to the upper levels, and beautiful fixtures on every surface.
I take Maks to the kitchen near the back of the first floor, which is large with a giant island at the center.
“Maks! You made it,” Tate says, putting down the pie crust he’s working on and bouncing over toward Maks to wrap his arms around him. “Are you a cherry pie guy, a pecan pie guy, or an apple pie guy?”
“Pumpkin,” Maks says.
“Oh, that’s a given. We have three of them already baked. We’re working on the second set of pies now.”
Tate’s brother rounds the corner with a big open box of liquor bottles in his hand, setting it down near the bar at the edge of the room.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Luke says, smiling at Maks.
“Luke, this is my cousin, Maks,” I say, introducing them. Luke’s friend Logan Stone is at the edge of the kitchen counter, too, and his boyfriend Chase has his arms wrapped around his waist. I introduce Maks to everyone, and as usual, he plays it cool.
Luke Landrey is one of the most famous football players in the world, and Logan Stone plays a football pro on his TV show, Yard Line. Maks knows who both of them are, but one of the best things about my cousin is that he treats everyone the same.
Soon, Tate recruits Maks into helping him roll out more pie crusts, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m part of a happy family. Tate is incredibly cute when he bickers with his brother, and it reminds me of how I’ve always been with Maks.
It’s been two months since Maks and I cut ties with the rest of our family. The worst thing is that no one even tried to convince us to stay.
My other cousins have been radio silent.
My own father couldn’t even pretend to care.
I expected something from him. Maybe anger, maybe bargaining. But when I told him I was out, he stared at me for a few moments, then nodded, walking over to his front door to lead me out.
There had never been a stronger sign that I was making the right decision.