Page 74 of Stick to the Deal
Her lips quirk. “I know.”
My head jerks back as I search her eyes. “You do?”
“Well, I didn’t at first.” Her cheeks bloom pink. “But after I calmed down, I thought about all the times you discussed purchases with me or tried to cheap out. If you were motivated by the money, you’d be spending a hell of a lot moreof it. I mean, you fly business class, for fuck’s sake.” Her eyes drop to the floor. “I think I was more scared that I was the only one catching feelings.”
“Listen to me.” Pinching her chin, I lift her face back up to mine. “I never cared for Serena. Even when I was with her, it was what my mother wanted and I was too weak to go against it. I didn’t even think to fight for myself until I met you. You taught me that I deserve to set my own terms in life.”
A single tear trails down her porcelain cheek.
“I don’t want independence anymore.” Her mouth opens and I plow on, afraid I’ll lose my nerve. “I want to be wherever you are. Here. Florida. Fucking Timbuktu if you want to go take pictures of goats.”
Her lips quirk into a sardonic smile. “Pretty sure we have goats here in the U.S.”
I grip her arms as I meet her smiling hazel eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I’m all in. The only thing I want is you.”
“I love you.” Her voice rings with confidence, but I can see the vulnerability in her eyes.
Heat courses through my body, radiating outwards from my chest. I’ve waited a lifetime to hear those words. It was worth every torturous moment to get here. Hearing it from the right woman.
“I love you, too,” I whisper against her lips before capturing them again. “Oh, in the interest of transparency. I don’t think I’ll be the next earl. If that matters to you.”
“Dammit, guess I better cancel that custom tiara order.” Her words drip with sarcasm.
“Keep it. You’ll always be my princess.” Her eyes darken as she bites her plump lip. I pull it free of her teeth with the pad of my thumb. “As much as I want to move onto the makeup sex portion of the evening. We have a scandal to squash and a publication to save.”
“Yes, sir.” My cock twitches at her response. Do I ever wish we had time to jump straight to bed. “I had an idea on the flight, but you might not like it.”
She’s right, I don’t like it. But over a deep-dish pizza, we debate ideas and reach a solution I can live with. Late that night, as I fall asleep with my wife tucked securely in my arms, I’m completely at peace without a fear of tomorrow hanging over my head for the first time in my life.
June
Letter From the Editor
The written word is a powerful thing. For centuries, it was used to preserve knowledge, to convey messages from far away. Today, we often wield it as a weapon, sharing misinformation or tearing people apart with speculation. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but it is not always stained with the truth.
Fame is dangerous. The world is a much smaller place and through online media, we think we know people we’ve never met because their lives are put on display. Those who seek to be public figures go into this life knowingly. My wife and I did not choose this—the world condemned us to this life because of our family names. Although we are both private people, our lives have been splashed across tabloids and gossip pages for years, culminating in the relentless coverage of our courtship and marriage over the past few months. The damage has been great, and now we feel the need to set the record straight publicly in the same court of public opinion where we have been slandered.
It is true that Nic and I both engaged a matchmaking agency, as many of our backgrounds are likely to do. It is also true that the service determined we would be compatible. However, we met organically before realizing the match had been made, and the connection was instant.
In Nic, I’ve found a genuine partner. She cheers on my successes, but pushes me when I need it as well. We may not carry on with public displays, but there is nothing fake about our affection. Like all couples, we have disagreements, and struggle to balance our careers and marriage. A relationship that was almost irreparably damaged by the careless accusations of a so-called journalist.
This mentality of likes and comments over truth and integrity is a blight on our society. It is exactly why I wanted to start Elysium, a publication dedicated to sharing true human interest stories about kindness and bravery—two things our world sorely needs more of.
Reginald Bancroft
Editor in Chief
Chapter 38
Print and Prejudice
Empty coffee cups and scraps of paper cover the dining room table. We’ve been sitting here all night waiting for feedback on the first printed edition.
“Do you see anything yet?” Daniel is hitting the refresh button so hard the laptop might crack. He’s manning the subscription portal.
“Nothing yet.” The normally cool and put together Tyra hunches over her phone, hair escaping her ponytail and coffee stains on her shirt. She’s scouring social media for mentions.
“How many subscriptions do we need to break even?” I ask.
