Page 134 of Nash

She smiles. “You’ll find out tonight, and I love his queen. You will, too. I swear, if you close your eyes, our fellow queen sounds like Matthew McConaughey.”

Paint me so goddamn curious, I’m dying.

“Listen,” Wren reaches for my hand, “there’s more to know that’s not my place to tell you. But please,” her eyes beg, “don’t leave us. Be a queen with me, and let’s raise our babies together. Then one day, we’ll be sixty like Nadine and badass, hot grandmothers like her, too.”

I laugh, nodding because I can see it. It’s a vision beyond my wildest dreams.

Standingby the floor-to-ceiling window in our hotel suite, I watch the day melt into dusk. Wren left an hour ago, and anticipation claws inside me.

All the questions, too.

In a normal life, I’d be a fool to agree to this initiation, to consider marriage and children with a man who’s told me he hides secrets.

But clearly, I don’t want a normal life. I want this one.

Because what Idoknow about Nash is more than anything I’ve ever seen from another man. He’s fiercely loyal and deeply loving, and yes, he’s a little homicidal and a real dickhead when he’s grumpy, but I kind of love that about him, too. He lets me fire the snark right back.

Happy, horny, in love, and fearless: this pretty much sums up my current state when a heavy knock startles me.

“Poison!” Nash barks, “Let’s go! We’re late!”

This murderous meat dagger.

I storm toward the door, my mouth about to fire as I swing it open, “That’s not my fau—” but a bouquet of red tulips greets me.

They lower, and that damn, sexy smile slings its sunshine. “You never did tell me why you love these so much.”

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t mess up your eyeliner.

“They were my mom’s favorite.”

Nash softens his smirk.

“Symbolically, they’re supposed to evoke passion, love, and romance.”

“Oh,” he grabs my waist, crushing the bouquet between us, “they do.” His eyes take in my face, hair, and Chanel suit before they land on my new piercing. “Damn, poison. You truly do kill me with your beauty.”

“You like my new look?”

“I love your other look, too. But now you look like every dream I’ve had of us together except…”

His face twists, scrutinizing mine.

“What?” I drop my chin. “It’s a mod look with a smokey eye and nude lip.” My dramatic lashes blink with insecurity. “You hate it, don’t you? It’s my hair.” I reach for the two gold combs in it. “I can take it down. I can braid it or?—”

“Don’t you fucking dare; I’ll get that privilege later.” He sets the bouquet on the table in the foyer. “You’re just missing something.”

“My Mary Janes?” I glance down. “I wasn’t vibing them tonight. Nadine gave me these.” I click my nude, high-heeled Louboutins. “I feel like a sexy Dorothy in them.” I close my eyes, mimicking her inThe Wizard of Oz. “There’s no place like an orgy. There’s no place like an orgy.”

I make Nash laugh so hard, he hugs me, smushing my face against his quaking chest.

Tonight, he’s not wearing his usual, either.

He’s in a fitted black suit, a white starched shirt, and hallelujah, he left it unbuttoned, his ink on proud display, and his deep brown eyes. No glasses tonight. No disguise, either.

It’s just Nash, smelling like sweet leather and looking like a Tom Ford mafia lollipop my mouth waters to lick.

“I bought something for you. It’s why I’m late.” He reaches into his jacket pocket. “I don’t know if they go with your new look, but they screamed, ‘Vale meets seventeen thousand dollar earrings.’”

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