Page 103 of Sapphire Storm

“Three,” Donnie added.

Logan said, “Stick to porn and leave the agenting to thegrown-ups, Donnie.”

“Fine. Four,” Donnie said.

Logan shook his head. “Not how that works.”

“Wait a minute,” Ethan said. “What’s going on? What do youthink this place is going to be?”

“Yours!” Donnie barked, moving toward him. “Come on, dude.Wake up and ride the guilt train for as long as you can. This is going to beyour bakery, your store. And it’s in La Jolla.” Donnie patted him on the chestwith one palm. “So it’s going to be as fancy as you think you are.”

Ethan’s eyes found Rachel’s. “One year’s rent in La Jolla isa lot of money.”

“Please,” she answered. “It’s the least I can do. I shouldhave raised a red flag the minute she tried to pimp Romy out to Scott. You haveno idea the responsibility I feel here. So like Donnie said, ride the guilttrain. You’ve earned it.”

Roman went to her and put his arms around her.

Ethan hated what he had to say next, but there was no wayaround it. “Is it just your money that’s going to pay the rent here?”

Rachel and Roman parted. She held Ethan’s gaze as herexpression lost its tender smile. “A little of both, to be honest. But it’snothing like an investment. She wrote me a check upfront for her portion.”

“And she had no terms at all?”

Rachel waggled one hand in the air as she scanned the emptyspace around them. “I might have promised not to fund a case against her forextortion. Even though a considerable portion of the Internet thinks I shoulddo exactly that.” Rachel wandered over to the counter where a register mightgo, running her finger along its edge. “She called me three days after. She wasout of her mind, so I took the call. I expected her to threaten me, but insteadshe pulled a whole mental health thing. I wouldn’t call her contrite, but she’snot fighting.

“She’s going to a therapist. A real one, not just one whodoles out prescriptions by request. So if there’s even the smallest chanceshe’s going to finally work on some of her issues, I’m going to stand by herwhile she does it. She’s paying a heavy price for what happened, and sheshould. But if she can call me asking for help after I exposed her to theworld, then I’m the last thing to go. Like I said, she’s the only mother I’vegot, and right now, I’m all she’s got. So if that doesn’t work for you, I getit. But if you let me make this right, I promise I’ll never put either of youin her path again.”

She’d followed through on every promise she’d made as partof their plan to thwart the wedding. Despite the anger he still felt in hisheart toward Diana Peyton, her daughter’s conviction to stand by her, to giveher the chance to change, seemed admirable. And he had no reason not to trusther. No reason, it seemed, not to consider Rachel a part of his family.

And then there was Roman, gazing at him with those big,beautiful hazel eyes that always broadcast his heart to the world.

“Sucre vérité,” Ethan finally said.

“What’s that?” Roman asked.

“It means sweet truth, and it reminds me of you,” Ethansaid. “And that’s what we’re going to call this place.” Then he pulled Roman infor a big kiss as everyone applauded lightly.

And, of course, when he pulled back, Roman had tears in hiseyes.

“Why are you crying, baby?”

“’Cause it’s like they’re your family now.”

Ethan kissed him gently on the lips. “Our family,” hecorrected him.

Epilogue

ThreeMonths Later

When they stepped out onto the canopiedterrace of their suite at the Hassler Hotel, Roman gripped Ethan’s hand andsaid one word under his breath. “Rome.”

As if the name itself was so resonant with meaning, itneeded no further detail.

“Rome,” he said again, as if he were tasting something sweetand rich. He pulled Ethan to him. “We’re in Rome,” he whispered against Ethan’slips before they kissed.

And Ethan felt a surge of pride for having kicked in extrafor the hotel room and its stunning view. Perched atop the Spanish Steps, theHassler offered sweeping views of the Eternal City’s sea of domes and cupolas,now turning gold-edged in the light of dusk. Denis Michel, the designer labelthat had lobbied vigorously for Roman to be the centerpiece of their latestmen’s formal wear campaign, had paid their airfare—and after Ethan’s steadyagenting, coughed up a model fee big enough for Roman to take over half therent on their new apartment without tapping into the cash he’d made off thesale of his mother’s house after the return of her trust. The bakery wouldn’tbe open for another few months, so they were able to pad the trip with sometime spent exploring the city.

Two days of city walks and jet-lag naps later, they werestanding in a fenced-off area of the Colosseum, hemmed in by bright lights anda row of folding director’s chairs as Roman, clad in a series of elegant,brightly-colored tuxedos that looked almost like a gay pride version of the oneEthan had torn from his beautiful body the night of the wedding, struck aseries of poses that ranged from the elegant to the tiger-like.

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