How could I not? I loved him. He loved me. He screwed up. I screwed up. We were both hurting so, so much. Doubt crept into his caramel-colored eyes. Someone coughed, reminding me I hadn’t answered him yet.
“I forgive you.”
His lips spread into a smile as relief pushed him to his feet. He reached up and palmed my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
“Thank you.”
“I shouldn’t have slapped you.”
“You should have. I only wish it’d knocked sense into me that night.” He shook his head, his cheeks pinching as if reliving that horrible argument. “And if you’re worried about what your dad would say about us, I already know.”
“You do?”
His voice dipped to impersonate my father. “‘If you hurt my baby girl, Caden Wilson, I’ll castrate you.’”
I blinked. “That actually sounds like him.”
“It should, it’s a direct quote.”
He went to my father? For me? I was not only impressed, I was a goner. The tightness in my chest eased as I took a long, welcome breath. But he wasn’t done yet.
He pointed at the space between us. “If you close this gap and kiss me, I swear no matter how upset I am in the future, I will never, ever walk away from you to save my stupid pride. I’ll listen to what you say, even if you’re yelling at me. You can even tie me to the bed to ensure I don’t go anywhere.”
That made me smile. “I like the sound of that.”
He blew out a breath. “God, me too.” His eyes twinkled with mischief, but mostly with love. Seeing it there so raw made me realize it’d been there all along. Like his ability to speak smoothly, he only had to let go of control for it to come to the surface. He palmed the back of my neck. “I don’t want to lose you. As long as you let me stick around, I’ll be here, kitten.”
I leaned in and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around me and I became vaguely aware of the megaphone pressing on my lower back. As the kiss deepened, our tongues meeting for the first time in way too long, shouts of encouragement came from our audience.
When we parted, he swiped his thumb over my cheek, picking up a tear with it. A happy tear this time around.
“All aboard the Cade train?” I teased.
“There’s only room for one. Should we celebrate the beginning of our future together?”
“Definitely.” I grinned.
He backed away, lifted the megaphone, and announced, “Drinks on me at Oak & Sage!” The cheering crowd scattered for the parking lot.
“I always knew you loved the spotlight,” I told him, very impressed. And proud.
“I’ve always loved you.” He placed a soft kiss in the center of my lips. “Ever since I woke up and saw those beautiful blue eyes hovering over me in that hospital bed.”
Okay, that got me. My eyes filled anew. “We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?”
“Better than okay, kitten.”
Hand in hand, we walked to his car. I thought about the fated night when he’d wrecked his car. The painful weeks that had followed. The recent days that had folded into each other when we were together. And, I figured, he was right. We were better than okay. We’d traversed a bumpy road already. We were both too stubborn to go down without a fight. Only this time around, we’d fight for each other.
Keep reading for an excerpt of the first book in the Lost Boys, Daring Devlin.
Sneak Peek
Daring Devlin - Chapter One
Rena
The first time I’d seen Devlin Calvary, I held my breath until my chest inflated like a party balloon. Today hadn’t been any different. The moment I saw his profile when I strode in, I ducked my head and ran for the kitchen. He was like the sun: hot, and he made me squint if I looked directly at him.
Other than the flooring good looks of my boss, my new job had started without a bang. Oak & Sage hadn’t hit a dinner rush yet. My drill-sergeant-like trainer, Melinda, and I were attempting to stay occupied as well as stay out of shift manager Chet’s sight.
“How can anyone take him seriously with that lisp?” she spat. Melinda spat everything. She reminded me of an angry cat most of the time.
I frowned, dusting the broad leaves on one of the fake plants lining the top of the empty booths where she and I were cleaning. Well, where I was cleaning. She was gossiping about everyone she laid eyes on. I didn’t like her all that much, but she was the only coworker I really knew here. I missed my friends at the recently gone-out-of-business Craft Palace. Right about now, we’d be opening a shipment of new scrapbook paper and dishing about the cute delivery guy.
“What if he dated a girl with an ‘S’ at the beginning of her name?” Melinda said, an evil smirk on her face. “Like… Sarah. ‘Sthara, you’re stho sthexthy.’”
I tried not to laugh, but it was funny. Mean, but funny.
“Nervous about tonight?” she asked as I moved to the next plant. “It’s your first time alone.”
“No, I think I can do it.”
“It’s a lot of pressure. Don’t underestimate a Thursday. It’s twice as busy as Friday but in fewer hours. Plus, you have a three-table section.”
I glanced at her uneasily.
“And your tables aren’t in the direct path of the kitchen, so you’ll be double-timing it back there most of the evening.”
I blinked at her. “Are you trying to freak me out?”
She smiled, her eyes holding a lazy-cat look, then her gaze slid over my shoulder. I watched as her smile turned… something. Almost lusty. Then I realized why.
It’s him.
Crazy as it sounded, I could feel whenever he approached. I clutched my dust cloth when his low, commanding voice washed over the air and etched into my skin.
“Melinda, help the hostesses roll some more silverware, will you?”
Devlin Calvary. General manager of Oak & Sage, though I would swear he couldn’t be much older than my twenty-two years. The youngest man who’d ever been in charge of my paycheck was dressed in a suit. He always wore suits rather than the khaki-and-button-down-shirt combo Chet wore. I guess to show he was in charge. But let me tell you, Devlin didn’t need a suit to alert anyone of his authority.
I ran a gaze up and down the length of his lean body, appreciating his height, broad shoulders, and the air of power and control emanating off him like expensive cologne.
When his long, dark lashes gave me a once-over, I felt my throat close off. I’d been introduced to him in passing when Chet hired me. Devlin had merely tipped his chin in acknowledgment.
He hadn’t spoken a word to me since.
“Sure thing.” Melinda pointed to me. “Unless you’d rather Rena do it. She doesn’t know how to do anything else.”
I glared at her, but she didn’t see me, as she was attempting to blind him with the bazillion-watt smile pulling her shiny, red lips. Devlin’s bored expression remained, his chiseled jaw firm.
“Just you. Rena’s…” He lifted his brows and studied the cloth I’d clutched against my chest like a kerchief. “…petting the plants.”