Promise Me Forever (Top Shelf Romance)

by Kate Stewart

  I started to eat when my head replayed her words, making my stomach turn, and my appetite evaporate. Dropping my sandwich on the plate, I sighed. “I can’t do this without you, Mian.” I spoke so softly I was surprised she’d heard.

  Her chewing slowed as she placed her own sandwich back on her plate. “You’re the only one who wants to do this at all.”

  I could feel my ire rising and took a deep breath. “We both know that’s not true.”

  “You invited yourself into my home so I’d give you a chance.”

  “And it was your choice to let me stay.” I lost the battle for patience and pushed aside the table until there was nothing but air between us. Her gasp and squeal as I pulled her into my lap and wrapped my arms around her went ignored.

  “We said no touching.”

  “You said no touching. I’ve wanted to touch you since you opened the door last night wearing that thin robe and sent me away. I’ve had nothing but my right hand and memories for three years, Mian.”

  “You’re trying to confuse me,” she whimpered.

  “You already know what you want. You’re just too afraid to take it.”

  “How do you know what I want?”

  “Because I want the same thing. Possibly more.”

  Her nose wrinkled as she leaned away from me. She couldn’t go far with my arm wrapped around her waist. “It’s not a contest.”

  “Then why are you such a sore loser?” My heart lifted—it fucking lifted—at the sound of her reluctant laughter.

  I almost begged to see her smile again when it faded. “I can’t believe we’re doing this right now. We’re wrong for each other.”

  “You don’t know what’s right until you’ve had it, and we’ve never had the chance to figure it out. There will never be anyone else I’d lose a war for, and if I had to, I’d fall again so you would rise.”

  I wanted to kiss her when she relaxed against me, but that would be pushing it.

  “How did you do it? How did you break free?”

  “I rewrote the rules.”

  “But wouldn’t your family have killed you? When you left, I kept thinking someone would come to hurt us while you were safely behind prison bars.”

  “I gave them all a future they couldn’t refuse. Most of my family lived in fear that their sons would inherit a death sentence and their daughters would be sold off to men without morals.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I returned Alexander’s legacy to his line and anyone who wanted freedom got it, but they no longer benefit financially either. A bigger piece of the pie was the only way I could convince the others without bloodshed.”

  “They didn’t think it was a trick?”

  “After Reginald and Andrew, they were afraid I was trying to weed out traitors, but I convinced them it was legit when I told them my plan to free your dad. The only one I really needed to convince anyway was Aurora. She’s Reginald’s younger sister and her son was next in line to succeed since I don’t have an heir and Andrew was dead.”

  “I thought only a first born son could inherit?”

  “One of the rules I changed was that the ruling Knight could name their successor. Male or female.”

  “You really picked her?” There was awe in her voice as I rested my chin on her shoulder.

  “Aurora isn’t just ambitious. She’s smart and fair, and it helps that she despised her brother even more than she despised me.”

  “She sounds like a lovely woman.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “So you rewrote the rules. Why would you need her?”

  “I wanted you and Caylen to be safe. I needed to be sure no one would come after you.”

  “You asked her to protect me?”

  “Yes.”

  “And now that she’s the Knight, you answer to her?”

  “I answer to no one. I’m free, Sprite.”

  “Really?” The longing in her voice made me hopeful that just maybe there was still room in her heart for me.

  “I guess that would make me an unemployed ex-convict.” I was far from penniless, but my joke fell flat when she didn’t laugh as I intended. Instead, she turned in my arms to kneel between my legs.

  “You really did all of this while we were apart?” It was hard to let my hands roam beyond her waist when she laid her hands on my thighs.

  “The only way I could stay away from you was to do everything I could to make things right and to hope that one day, you could forgive me for not doing it sooner.”

  “You’re not playing fair when you say things like that.”

  I cupped the back of her head, holding her stare as my thumb caressed her cheek. “This isn’t a game, Sprite. Not for me.”

  “Then why couldn’t you say all of this three months ago?” There was no anger in her voice. Only hurt that I hadn’t come for her sooner.

  “Believe me I wanted to. I almost did many times, but Lucas needed me to help him find out what happened to Z. I needed those answers too.”

  “Oh.” She lifted her hands from my legs to wring the hem of her flannel. “What did you find out?”

  “Not anything useful. It’s like he just disappeared.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too.”

  We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the last three years instead of our ambiguous future. I knew most of everything that had happened, but I needed to hear it from her that she had been okay. She told me she used the senator’s money to pay for school and then seed money for Rogue Designs. In two years, she’d managed to find over forty clients, ranging from local business owners to national fast-food chains all the while studying for a degree in graphic design. When the conversation turned to Caylen, the pride and love that bled from her were something we had both missed out on as kids. She told me about Anna studying medicine and Tabitha pursuing journalism.

  I noticed she steered clear of the subject of her father, and I wisely chose not to mention him, either. Her father and I may no longer be enemies, but there would always be bad blood between us.

  When there was nothing left to talk about, I helped her clean the brownstone, something she says she can never accomplish when Caylen was around. After cleaning, we spent the rest of the night watching movies until she decided to call it a night.

  I had been staring into the dark and hadn’t noticed her return an hour later until the smell of her peach-scented soap reached me. I placed the envelope I’d been clutching on my lap to hide my reaction as she stood in front of me.

  “Here.” She thrust the blanket and pillow that she’d been holding toward me. “The couch isn’t too comfortable to sleep on, but I’m sure it’s better than what you’ve gotten used to.”

  “Thanks.” I made sure my hands touched her when I took the blanket and pillow and hid my smile when she shivered. Her gaze dropped to my lap, out of instinct or desire, I didn’t know, but it made me even harder.

  “What’s that?”

  I stood up, forcing her to take a step back to make room for me. What I had to say wasn’t something I wanted to do sitting down. “I know I asked you for the weekend, but I think all that needed to be said has been said.”

  “Really?” She made a sound of disbelief. “Because I think there’s just one more thing you still haven’t said.” I was thrown when her eyes filled with tears, and her voice broke. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her.

  She wanted me to tell her how much I fucking loved her, but I couldn’t do it unless she was completely sure she wanted to hear it.

  “I never wanted to call what I felt for you love. I saw what love does, and I wanted more with you. I was just too much of a coward to tell you.”

  I handed her the legal envelope and watched her turn it over. There was no writing on the outside. “What is it?”

  I shook my head. “If there’s a piece of you left that still belongs to me, you’ll know what to do with it.” I brushed away her tear. “But if there isn’t room in your heart for me an
ymore, tomorrow morning, I’ll walk away forever.”

  Chapter 30

  MIAN

  I DIDN’T WANT to be a girl duped by a beautifully worded apology, and I didn’t want to be a girl stubborn enough to give up what she wanted for pride. Either decision could one day make me a fool, but which would make me truly happy?

  Angel didn’t just go to prison for me. He renounced his throne and changed a two-hundred-year-old empire to free his family… and me.

  What he gave up, the sacrifice he made—do I just pretend it didn’t happen? Loving Angel scared me because no matter how bad anyone hurt me, he was the only one who could ruin me.

  I lay in bed staring at the ceiling and listening to the rain as it poured outside. Downstairs, sleeping on my couch was the only man I wanted to love asking me to love him back.

  The thing was I could live without Angel and find happiness.

  Sitting up, I turned on my bedside lamp and picked up the yellow envelope. My hands trembled as I opened the envelope and pulled out the papers inside. I read the words at the top of the first page and then my teary gaze trailed down to the bottom where I found Angel’s signature.

  He had filed for a divorce.

  I didn’t bother reading through the legal jargon. I climbed from my big, empty bed and made my way downstairs. He said I’d know what to do with the papers if I knew what I truly wanted, but he was wrong about having said all that we needed to.

  There was still one more thing.

  “Angel?” I considered turning around when I thought he might be sleep, but then his voice broke through the dark.

  “Yeah?”

  I turned on the lamp, which cast a dim glow over the living room. I could see Angel sitting up. He was shirtless and barefoot, but his dark jeans still covered his legs.

  “It only took a moment for us to fall, and when we did, I didn’t think there was anything that could reverse the spell, but I was wrong.” His head bent shielding his eyes from me. “We aren’t those kids wanting love for all the wrong reasons.” My hand cupped his chin to lift his face. “The thing is we can’t rekindle what we never truly had in a weekend. It’s not enough.” Before he could respond, I scribbled my name next to his and then handed him the papers. “I don’t want the marriage our fathers wanted for us.”

  I held my breath as I waited for him to say something. The next moment, it seemed like all the air expelled from his body, and then he ripped the papers from my hand. I gasped when he tossed them onto the couch and stood up. I felt the fire in his gaze heating my skin, making my heart pound, and my pussy begging for it to consume us. His fingers cupped the back of my neck and pulled me in close. “Then what do you want, Sprite?”

  Staring into his eyes, I didn’t just see lust. I saw a future I wanted to be a part of. “I want more.”

  Epilogue

  MIAN

  One Year Later

  SOMETIMES YOU FIND happiness, and sometimes happiness finds you. Right now, happiness was using his mouth to drive me crazy. I gripped his soft locks tighter between my fingers but had nothing to use to bury my moans when his tongue found my clit. My bare ass was slippery against the leather seat of his car as he ate me as if we hadn’t just come from dinner and dancing.

  Tonight was date night, and Angel had just driven me home from the club. He had barely taken his eyes off me the entire night, so I suppose I should have expected this when I chose the tight black dress with the plunging neckline.

  Back at the club, in the middle of the dance floor, he had used his fingers to bring me release, and now he’d chosen the curb where anyone could walk by. He’d also parked the Mustang under a street lamp. I should have said no, but he’d pushed my dress up my thighs and ordered me to lean against the car door there was nothing I could do to resist.

  Just then, I heard laughter off in the distance. I cracked open my eyes enough to see a couple walking by on the other side of the street. They never once glanced our way, but I tensed anyway.

  “Angel… baby… you have to stop. Someone will see.” To my surprise, his head lifted, and I was met with the intensity of his need as his brown eyes met mine.

  “Come here.” I did as he asked and tasted myself on his lips with a moan when he kissed me. “Do you taste your sweetness?” he asked when he pulled away. His voice was thick with untamed desire. “How can you ask me to fucking stop?”

  “I just think maybe we could take this inside,” I flirted. His eyes were wide with surprise. We’ve been divorced and dating for a year, but even though I agreed to give our love a try, I still set some boundaries. Like not staying overnight at the brownstone with Caylen and me. He’s been patient, letting me set the pace and make the rules, even though I knew the small space I kept between us was hurting him. I just had to be sure that what I wanted was also best for my son. Even without us living together, the bond that had been there between Angel and Caylen when he was just a baby was restored almost instantly. If Angel broke his promise or he left, I wouldn’t be the only one heartbroken this time.

  “Are you sure?” There was so much hope in his eyes that I was almost sorry I hadn’t done it sooner.

  “I haven’t given you your birthday present yet.” I reached down and pulled his gift from my bag. “I think this will show you how sure I am.”

  He slowly took the small box from my hands. It was the same size as the one he’d given Caylen four years ago. As he untied the bow and tore the wrapping, I held my breath. He lifted the top and lying on the bedding was a replica of the brass key he’d given to Caylen and me for his first birthday.

  His head lifted. His gaze met mine. The love in his eyes shone brightly. “Is this?”

  I took the key from the box and his key ring from the ignition. “Caylen is ready.” He didn’t say anything as I slipped the key onto his key ring. “And so am I.”

  I didn’t get the chance to say more when he kissed me hard and deep. “About fucking time,” he mumbled against my lips. “You were killing me, Sprite.”

  My laugh was cut short when a knock on the window interrupted our moment. Angel turned, jaw hard and shoulders tense, to face the intruder at his window. I was surprised to see my dad standing there and also a little worried about how much he might have seen.

  “What?” Angel greeted gruffly. I punched his arm, but he didn’t even acknowledge my warning as he stared back at my father who was bent over and looking straight at me.

  “I asked you to have my daughter home at a reasonable hour.”

  For the love of God.

  It had been a year since Angel came home, and their pissing contest when it came to me wasn’t even close to ending. Of course, my dad hadn’t actually been serious when he set a curfew. First, because I’m a grown woman. Second, because Angel would have flipped him the bird if I hadn’t been holding his hand and his other hand hadn’t been holding Caylen against his side.

  Dad’s been making an effort, despite trying to enforce himself as the dominant male in my life, to get along with Angel.

  Angel has made no such effort.

  Although he did go to prison so I could have a relationship with my father again. I think he’d drawn the line there four years ago.

  “I’ll be right in,” I said before Angel could respond. Sometimes, it made me sad that they would never get along, and other times, I remember the men they once were and was just glad they weren’t trying to kill each other.

  “All right, baby girl. I put Caylen to bed an hour ago. I’ll be inside.” That was his way of letting me know to do what I needed to do. He banged his knuckles on the hood of Angel’s precious car to piss him off before walking away. I held in my snicker when Angel’s nostrils flared as he watched him walk away.

  “I promised I wouldn’t kill your dad, but that doesn’t mean I won’t kick his ass.”

  “You do know if you ever want to marry me again, you’re going to have to ask him for my hand.”

  His answering grunt was full of challenge as he eyed
me. “Your father knows better than that. He’ll be lucky if I let him come to the wedding.”

  It was my turn to make a rude sound. “I think you’re both lucky I decided to forgive either of you.”

  His voice softened as he stared back at me. “I’m now the luckiest man in the world, baby.” The butterflies returned, and I was ready to forgive him for being rude to my father when he added, “But my first action as the man of the house will be to make you scream my name.” The evil glint in his eyes told me he wasn’t speaking about the one his mother had given him.

  “I am not calling you daddy when we fuck.”

  The kiss he placed upon my lips was succulent and full of promise. “We’ll see about that.”

  “Angel…” My voice held a warning note.

  “Little Mian Ross, it’s past your curfew.” He leaned over and kissed my lips again. “Now go inside before daddy spanks you.”

  Oh, God.

  I could feel his words deep in my cunt where he should have been. But there was also disappointment when his words registered. “You aren’t coming in?”

  He shook his head, his face a mask of the same disappointment I felt. “Lucas thinks he has some information about Z.”

  It’s been two years since Z’s disappearance, and while we all feared he was dead, none of us was willing to let go of him. It was never far from my mind that if Angel had still been the Knight, he would have probably found him by now or at least uncovered what had happened to him.

  “I understand.” After all, it was his promise to me that kept him in the dark this long.

  He walked me to the door and then kissed me goodnight one last time. My father was waiting in the living room when I walked inside.

  “How was your date?”

  “It was good, Daddy, but my feet are sore from dancing the night away.” I stepped out of the red stilts that were more Brandi’s style.

  “Glad you had fun.” He fell silent, but I had a feeling he had more to say, so I waited. “So, did you give him the key?”