Page 183 of Holy Hearts
“I love you, Kai,” she murmurs, her voice hoarse but steady.
Kai nods, his arms wrapping around Sophie’s waist as he pulls her against his chest. His head tilts back, resting against my shoulder as he exhales a shaky breath.
“Me too, little dove,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to Sophie’s temple. Then, shifting slightly, he turns his head just enough to glance at me. His expression is open, raw in a way that makes my chest ache.
“And you,” he adds, his voice softer but no less certain. “Both of you.”
I press another kiss to the side of his neck, my hand sliding down to tangle with Sophie’s. “Forever.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
THE CONCLUSION
Sophie
I breathe it in, leaning against the register with a soft smile as sunlight pours through the front window. The pink facade reflects against the glass, casting a rosy glow over everything. Chase and Juliet are curled up on the teal chaise lounge near the cowboy romance section, half hidden behind a tower of new releases I haven’t shelved yet. Stella and Miles are by the fireplace, arguing over which of the leg lamps needs to be repositioned:
“It looks crooked,” Miles grumbles.
“It’s meant to look like that,” Stella fires back, hands on her hips.
Liam is at the back, whispering something into Zoe’s ear as she flips through one of her own romantasy books, the corners of her lips tugging upward. I can’t wait to display it front and center, with a handwritten note next to it that readslocal legend.
And Kai?—
Kai stands by the front window with Julian, their heads bent together as they laugh about something I can’t hear. I know thatsound, though. It’s soft and easy, as if seventeen years of weight has finally slipped from Julian’s shoulders. It’s a sound that feels like home.
“Stop staring,” Stella teases, nudging me in the side. “You look like you’re about to start reciting poetry about your beautiful men.”
I swat her with the back of my hand, laughing. “Can you blame me? Look at them.”
She sighs dramatically. “Yeah, well, I look at Miles the same way. Sometimes I cry about how handsome he is while he’s sleeping.”
From the fireplace, Miles deadpans, “I can hear you.”
Stella smirks. “Good. I meant for you to hear it.”
Juliet snickers from the chaise, and Chase pulls her closer, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. The sight of all of them here, crammed into this tiny, chaotic bookstore, makes something twist tight and warm in my chest.
The doorbell jingles as Orion and Layla walk in, carrying a box of custom Kindle cases Layla’s been designing for me. “I hope you don’t mind,” Layla says, grinning as she sets the box on the counter. “I might’ve added a few with naughty quotes on them. You know, for your more adventurous clientele.”
“Oh, please. Ilovethose,” I reply, already rifling through the box. One of the cases reads:I like my books like my men… thick and hard.
“Perfect,” I say with a grin, turning to Kai and Julian. “Look! This one practically screams your name.”
Julian hums thoughtfully. “I think the one that saysSinfully yoursmight be more fitting, don’t you, Kai?”
Kai smirks but doesn’t answer, his eyes on me instead. There’s something in his expression—quiet, steady, the way he watches me like I’m the only thing in the room.
That look still undoes me.
Before I can respond, my phone vibrates on the counter. I glance at the screen.
Mum.
I raise an eyebrow, waving the phone slightly in Julian’s direction. He leans over, reading the contact name with mild amusement. “She must’ve seen the feature in theLA Weekly.”
Stella whistles low. “Is this the part where she tells you she’s proud, but in the same breath insults you?”
