“I love you, Avery,” I whispered, the proclamation so, so right. And brand new. I’d never said those words to anyone. But she deserved them, owned them, returned them.
“I love you, too.”
Time melted around us, our marriage essentially complete without the audience or the ceremonial bullshit.
This was our declaration.
Our promise.
To forever.
And I accepted it, accepted her, accepted this.
Avery came on a scream, her channel clamping down around me and forcing me to follow her on a bellow of my own.
Oblivion descended, pulling us both under into a series of violent spasms and heated kisses. Her addictive taste held me captive, her legs around my waist welcoming me home.
My Avery, I thought, whispering the proclamation with my tongue. You’re my Avery.
She held me for what could have been minutes or hours, the raw emotions flowing openly between us, the future paved and accepted.
But there was one thing I had yet to tell her.
An item that left me feeling a little uneasy and excited.
I waited until she was settled into my side, her head resting on my shoulder, her long legs intertwined with mine. “Avery?”
“Mmm?” she murmured.
“I… I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about you and Jamie and our future together.” That part was probably obvious. “And one thing I want to do is start working. To be a better role model for Jamie.”
She tilted her face back to see me. “What do you want to do?”
“Well, technically, part of Mershano Suites is mine—has always been mine—but I never accepted it because of my issues with Jonah. So Evan’s been running it all alone. And I sort of don’t want him to shoulder that burden anymore.” The conversation with him had not been an easy one, and I may have begrudgingly apologized a handful of times along the way, but the end result was worth it.
“What does that mean?” she asked, her tone curious. “For us, I mean.”
“Well, it depends on what we decide to do. Nothing is set in stone yet. Evan knows I wanted to talk to you first, to see what you were comfortable with me doing, and go from there. It would likely require moving, and he knows you have a job in Atlanta. Jamie also has school. Although, I suppose if we were going to move him, now would be the time, before he starts kindergarten.”
She nodded. “Technically, I can do my job remotely. Or find a new position. I enjoy what I do, but I’m not tied to it.”
Yes, I’d gathered that over the last few months. She excelled in her career, but it was clearly not her passion. It seemed she’d never had time to discover it, responsibility overtaking her before she had a chance. Perhaps I could give her some of that back… and more.
“You mentioned not being tied to Atlanta, too,” I said, recalling our discussion about dream jobs and locations.
“I’m not. I’ve just never had an opportunity to move or, really, to do anything other than what I’m doing.”
“So, you’re open to me providing you with that opportunity? And you would be okay with me going to work with Evan?” He wanted me to come on as his vice president, to essentially work at his side on everything. I preferred something a little less stressful, like being in the legal department, but we were still negotiating.
“I’m okay with figuring this out together,” she said softly. “And I think Jamie will approve, too.”
The thought warmed me. “I want to be someone he can look up to.”
She smiled, her palm cupping my cheek. “Wyatt. You’re already someone he can look up to. Don’t you realize that? You don’t have to be successful in a career to be a role model for your son. It’s you he sees. The caring man who explains things, plays with him, and introduces him to new lessons every day. That’s who he adores—his rebel friend Wyatt.”
I smirked. “I’m Daddy Wyatt now.”
“You are,” she agreed, eyes shining. “And he loves you.”
“He loves you, too,” I said, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Which is why you need to become Mommy Avery.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I don’t know how he’ll feel about that.”
“Then we’ll ask him.” I already knew he’d be thrilled. Jamie wanted a mom. What he didn’t realize was that he already had one, just not in name. Yet. “You’re his Auntie A in name alone, but we both know you’re the mother of his heart. That boy loves you like you’re his own, just as you love him.” I tilted her chin higher and bent my head to kiss her. “And I love you, too, Avery mine.”
She smiled. “Avery mine?”
“Yes.” I nuzzled her nose. “And soon to be Avery Mershano.”
“What if I prefer Avery Perry?” she asked, a taunting note in her tone.
I grinned. “Am I going to need to convince you otherwise?”
Her lips twitched. “Perhaps.”
“Another challenge,” I said softly, meeting her tempting gaze. “I’ll have you yelling your acceptance by dawn, Avery Mershano.”
She glanced at the clock and raised a brow. “Then I suggest you get started.”
“The things I do for love,” I sighed, beginning my path downward while holding her gaze. “Prepare yourself, sweetheart. I’m about to do wicked things to you.”
“Best proposal ever,” she breathed, her eyes falling closed.
“Mmm,” I agreed, smiling. And she said yes.
Agreeing to be my future wife. The mother of my child. The love of my life.
My Avery Mershano.
Epilogue
Avery
Six Months Later
I pulled the pizza from the oven and set it on the rack to cool. I’d opted for homemade, needing to calm the nerves curling inside my stomach.
Tonight, we were going to tell Jamie the big news.
Wyatt stood in the doorway, a phone to his ear. “Seriously? It’s been, like, a year since I last heard from you, and the first thing you want from me is a favor?”
He chuckled at whatever the deep voice on the other line said in return.
“Leipzig? Why the fu—?” He glanced over his shoulder at where Jamie sat in the living area. “Actually, never mind. I don’t want to know. But it’s not my hotel. My brother owns the empire. I’m just a VP.”
He paused, smirking.
“You know I can.”
He snorted at whatever the guy said back to him.
“Fine, but you owe me. Actually, how about a weekend in Monaco? You can babysit while I take my new wife out.” He winked at me while he spoke, making me wonder who the heck he was talking to on the phone. “Then consider it done, K.” He hung up with a chuckle and immediately dialed a new number. “Killian needs a hotel room,” he explained before switching to a greeting in German.
His brother had put him in charge of the Mershano Suites European region, and so far, he seemed to be enjoying it. As a result, the three of us were moving to Switzerland at the end of the month. I wasn’t sure what I would be doing career-wise yet since my company couldn’t allow me to work overseas.
The adventurous part of me enjoyed the idea of a fresh start with Wyatt and Jamie, while the practical side of me couldn’t believe I’d agreed to this leap of faith.
Then again, I couldn’t believe any of this had become my life. Yet, here I was—Mrs. Avery Mershano—standing in the kitchen, preparing dinner for my husband and son.
Wyatt hung up and sent a text off with a shake of his head. “I swear Killian is secretly CIA or something more sinister. He’s one of the most cryptic people I’ve ever met.”
I arched a brow. “He seemed pretty normal at our wedding.” Killian had spent most of the occasion drinking with Powell—another one of Wyatt’s old college buddies. Both men were fun and not at all what I would have expected from Wyatt’s party-style background.
He slid his phone into his pocket. “Well, he needed the room under an alias.”
“And you didn’t ask why?”
&
nbsp; He scoffed at that. “Yeah, I learned a long time ago never to ask him questions. He just evades them.” He stepped closer, his palm lifting to cup my cheek. “Speaking of avoidance, are you ready yet?”
I wiped my hands against my jeans, biting my lip. “Yes. No. I don’t know.”
“Like ripping a Band-Aid off,” he murmured, leaning in to brush his lips over mine. “He’s going to be thrilled.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am.” All confidence and swagger, as always. He kissed me again, this time a little harder, lingering. “Mmm, come on. Let’s tell him now, then celebrate with pizza as a family before our adult time.”
“Wine and a movie?” I sighed dramatically. “It’s like you read my mind.”
“Sure. We can make a movie, sweetheart. I’ll enjoy watching it later.”
“Wait, that’s not—”
He cut me off with a searing kiss, his hand dropping down to capture mine. He tugged me forward. “Stop stalling, Avery.”
I wanted to argue, but we’d both hear the lie if I tried. So I nodded and allowed him to pull me into the living area, where Jamie lounged on his chair with a game in his lap.
“Hey, little man,” Wyatt said, ruffling his hair. “Avery and I want to talk to you about something.”
Jamie set the remote aside and lifted his chin, a move Wyatt had taught him. “ ’Sup?”
“It’s important,” Wyatt continued, crouching down before him. “So I’m going to try to explain some of it, okay?” This was what we had rehearsed, mostly because I didn’t know how to approach this without bawling my eyes out.
“ ’Kay. But I’m almost five,” Jamie reminded him. “So I know lots.”
“Oh, I know. You’re a genius,” Wyatt agreed. “Which is why I think you’ll understand this.”
Jamie nodded. “Yep.”
Like father, like son, I thought, smiling.
I took the couch while Wyatt remained in his squatting position, his gaze on his son. “Okay, so we’ve talked about this a few times, that your Auntie A is like a mom. Remember?”
“Uh-huh. ’Cause she takes care of me and stuff.”
“Exactly. But you’ve never called her Mom because that’s not her name, right?”
His lips twisted. “Yeah. She’s Auntie A.”
“What if she wanted to change her name to Mom? Would you like that?”
He tilted his head. “That can happen?”
“Uh-huh,” Wyatt glanced at me. “It can, right, Avery?”
I clasped my hands tightly in my lap, trying to stop my arms from shaking. “You remember our last trip on the plane? How we went to the beach and I wore the white dress?”
“Yeah!” Jamie bounced a little. “And the ocean with the fish! We’re going again?”
“Maybe, but you know how I changed my name to Avery Mershano? To be Wyatt’s wife?”
His nose scrunched. “Yeah. You kissed lots.” Then his eyes went huge. “Oh! So we’re going to do something at the beach and you change your name again?”
Wyatt chuckled. “Not quite, little man. Avery can only marry one man—me.”
“Oh.” Jamie deflated.
“But by changing my name and becoming a Mershano, it means I can be your mom now,” I explained. “Because we have the same last name. You’re Jamie Mershano and I’m Avery Mershano.”
His lips parted, his eyebrows shooting up. “Really?”
“Yep.” I smiled, hoping this next part went okay. “In fact, I signed some papers this morning that finalized it. I’m officially your mom, Jamie.” Tears gathered in my eyes, the admission meaning more to me than I could ever express. I’d managed to keep it together while completing the forms, but now, it suddenly felt all the more real.
Nine months ago, my world shattered. The possibility of this happening disappeared.
And now, I had everything I ever wanted, right before me.
Sometimes life twisted fate for the best, and I had the man across from me to thank for it.
As if sensing my thoughts, Wyatt reached out to grab my hand, giving it a squeeze. “She’s officially your Momma Avery now.”
Jamie glanced between us, his brow furrowing. “Like, forever?”
We both nodded.
“So I have a Daddy Wyatt and a Momma Avery?” he asked.
My vision blurred at those words coming from him for the first time. Even if it was phrased as a question, just hearing the nickname from his lips was worth all the heartache I’d gone through to reach this point.
“Yes, Jamie,” Wyatt replied when I couldn’t. “You have a daddy and a mommy.”
“Forever?” he repeated, the word ending on a squeak.
I waited with bated breath, not sure how he’d react, his face telegraphing a myriad of emotions.
“Yes!” he cheered, leaping from his chair to my lap and throwing his arms around my neck. “You’re mine now?”
“I’ve always been yours,” I said, hugging him back. “You know that.”
“But you’re my momma now? Forever and ever and ever and ever?”
“And ever,” I agreed, meeting Wyatt’s warm gaze over Jamie’s shoulder. He hadn’t released my hand, knowing I needed his strength.
Jamie squeezed me so tightly it almost hurt. “I love you, Momma A,” he whispered.
“I love you, too, Jamie,” I whispered back, my voice catching on his name.
Momma A.
He called me Momma A.
Wyatt joined our hug, kissing me on the forehead and holding us both. “I love you, too, Momma A,” he said softly in my ear. “Thank you for being the perfect mom to him.”
I opened my mouth to reply, when Jamie piped up, “Is the pizza done yet? ’Cause I’m hungry.”
He slid out from our embrace, causing Wyatt to chuckle. “That kid has a one-track mind.”
“He’s your son,” I managed to say, smiling.
“No, he’s our son,” he corrected me, his lips brushing mine. “Now, let’s go feed him so I can properly enjoy dessert later.” He stood and held out a hand.
I accepted it with a shake of my head. “You never hold back, do you?”
“What would be the fun in that?” he asked, smiling. “I’ll always be a rebel, Avery.”
“My rebel.”
“Indeed.” He slid his arm around my shoulders. “You wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He was right; I wouldn’t.
This was my world now.
My home.
My family.
The End
The Devil’s Denial
Mershano Empire, Book Four
I did a bad thing.
I was young and stupid.
I thought I loved him, but he corrected that falsehood after our one and only night together.
I promised never to acknowledge him again… Until my brother’s wedding left me no choice. Now I’m stuck walking down the aisle with Garrett Wilkinson and pretending he means nothing to me. Too bad the man is still as sexy and arrogant as I remember.
But he taught me how to guard my heart, and I have no intention of giving in to him again. Even if it is just for one night.
This time it’s my turn to deny the devil.
Sneak Peek at Scarlet Mark
Deceit requires punishment.
But what happens when the mark is innocent?
Killian “Dagger” Bedivere
My latest assignment has evolved into a game of deciphering whom to trust—the renowned politician who hired the Cavalieri Della Morte, or the runaway bride?
She’s gorgeous, conniving, and everything I crave in a woman.
She’s also my target.
Rule number one: Never fall for the mark.
Rule number two: Fuck rule number one.
Amara “Scarlet” Rose
I never wanted this world, but the decision wasn’t mine to make. I always belonged to him. Now there’s a new player on the board—one hell-bent on destroying all my plans.<
br />
He’s lethal, handsome, and everything I should fear.
Rule number one: Don’t trust anyone.
Rule number two: Do everything you can to survive, even if it means breaking rule number one.
And rule number three: When in doubt, kill.
*This novel is a stand-alone romantic suspense featuring an assassin from the Cavalieri Della Morte world.
1. Killian
Three weeks.
Three. God. Damn. Weeks.
That was how long it took me to track down Amara fucking Rose. The woman had disappeared without a trace, something I usually would have admired if it hadn’t been my task to find her.
And to end up here, of all places.
Diavolo Rojo.
My lips curled, amused by her employment choice. She’d been right under my nose this entire time. Clever female.
A string of these exclusive clubs existed across the world, designed for men and women with wealth and status who desired discretion in their sexual exploits. The Diavolo Rojo circuit only hired females with specific backgrounds. Most were young, early twenties, still in school, and looking to socialize with the elite of the world. It served as a fucked-up mentorship of sorts, but it worked.
The establishment was essentially a swinger’s paradise, a way to mingle and indulge in certain proclivities in a safe space with desirable partners. Although, not all of the staff played with the clients. Some tended the bar area only, enjoying the admiration of society’s rich and famous while rubbing elbows with future business partners.
The Rebel’s Redemption: Mershano Empire Series Page 22