Page 98 of Axel

“Um, I am a verybigdeal.”

I can’t help it. I need to make us laugh, and Alena does, pointing to my front door. “Tell your paralegal I said hello.”

“How did you?—”

“Michael,” Alena smiles, “it’s obvious you’re in love with her. And I’m happy for you. It’s about time.”

“It is?”

“Does she have a name?”

“Ruby.”

“That’s so pretty.”

Yeah, I love the sound on my lips, too.

Glancing up at her window, I see her silhouette dart away. She couldn’t hear us over the gurgling fountain, and all she just saw was me, talking to my goddaughter while I realized how much I’ve fallen so madly in love with her. With Ruby.

With Alena? She’s free to tell Loch. I won’t ask her to lie anymore. If she waits until after their wedding, it’s her choice.

Either way, once Loch and Nash find out, I’ll lose my brothers, my family.

But once I tell Ruby, will I lose her?

Fuck, how can I make her understand this? That yes, I’m secretly Alena’s second king but Ruby’smyqueen.

“I’d better get going. I’m going to be late for a fitting.” Alena adjusts her ponytail. “And again, sorry if I crashed your morning. It won’t happen again.”

Rising on her tip-toes, she pecks my cheek and turns to leave, just as she did after our night together, except I left because Alena begged me to. She never wanted me to stay.

But Ruby?

I turn toward my front door and don’t want her ever to leave.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

RUBY

“Arch the perkies,firecracker. Let’s drive him crazy with your cherry-topped sundaes.”

I laugh at Zar. “How many words fortitsdo you know?”

“Darlin’,” he drawls, aiming his camera phone at me while I pose topless on my sun lounger. “A true Texan is a bottomless well of words.”

“And adding to my big brother’s spank bank.” Nick sips an ouzo lemonade, grinning. “Axel’s denied this for so long, but I knew you two were a thing.”

“Not everyone knows,” I remind him. “And we’re not a thing. We’re not official yet.”

“Oh?” Nick lowers his sunglasses. “Not official? Tell that to the giant purple bouquets he’s sent you every day, for six days straight since we’ve been here.”

Here, at Luca Mercier’s luxurious Mykonos hotel on the shore of the Aegean Sea. My sisters are in the spa, but I like it here on the beach, relaxing under the white umbrellas shading my cushy lounger.

Scarlett encouraged Nick to surprise Zar and join us before he starts summer training camp.

It’s a sisters’ vacation, and Nick and Zar fit right in. They’re like our beefy brothers who don’t judge when we lounge naked on the nude beach.

No, they join us.

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