Part 19 (1/2)
”You said you would always find me.”
”And now I'm vowing to never let you go.”
Her blue eyes search my face. ”Are you sure?”
”Absolutely. I don't give a d.a.m.n what your name is, or what you did to get here. You take me as I am and I feel the exact same way about you.”
”Why don't you show me?”
”I would love to show you-once you're fully recovered,” I a.s.sure her says, but I climb into bed and take her into my arms anyway.
One month later Burmese Fire Balloon Festival, near Inle Lake, Myanmar It's the last day of the Fire Balloon Festival. The streets are filled to capacity as everyone watches enormous hot air balloons being launched into the air in order to warn off the last of the evil spirits.
Suddenly, fireworks fill the skies and the crowd cheers.
Morgan whistles her approval, glancing back at me every so often.
”If you don't stop staring at me, then you'll miss the finale,” I remind her. Rather hypocritical since I can't take my eyes off of her.
She's wearing a white linen top with a matching skirt. There are vibrant flowers threaded in her hair and gold bangles at her wrists and ankles. Those bangles are my favorite present to her, mostly because I like the sound of them while I make love to her.
”If you think you're b.u.t.tering me up, it won't work,” she says.
”Why would I need to b.u.t.ter you up?” I grab her playfully, pulling her into an alley. My gun is holstered should we need it. While I haven't returned to the Bratva, I haven't left it all behind. ”Have I done something terribly wrong to displease you.”
She kisses me thoroughly, nearly making me forget my name. ”Not yet, but I'm thinking on it.”
”Does the thought of marrying me scare you that badly?”
”No, but the thought of you asking me because of a potentially life altering, like almost dying, event does. Ask me when I'm so full of life, that you can't help but want to be with me forever.”
I narrow my eyes at her. So much for the grand finale I arranged. ”Are you ready to go back to the hotel room?”
She nods. ”Ready when you are, Mr. Romanov.”
I smack her b.u.m. ”Incorrigible, this one.”
”Don't worry, Benji, I'll make an honest man out of you one day,” she promises, her gaze turning hot. ”But tonight, I plan to do all sorts of dirty things instead.”
Sweeping Morgan off her feet, I carry her the entire way to the hotel while silently vowing to one day convince her to marry me.
Epilogue.
Morgan.
One year later.
I'm sitting on the beach of a tropical island-one that Ben's grandfather gave to us an engagement present-off the coast of India. My toes are in the sand and I have a tropical drink in my hand.
It's a virgin, due to the news I've been dying to share to share with my fiance. However, I'm nervous.
”Too bad this couldn't be a real one,” I mutter into my drink.
There's something to be said for getting into bed with the mob.
Or at least with a former mobster who's really a hero in disguise.
As if sensing my thoughts, Ben shoots through the water, shaking his dark head and sending water everywhere. When he spots me, he smiles, holding up he spear he used to fish.
”That's my man!” Setting my drink down, I clap for him.
He walks to me, emerging from the ocean like my own Neptune and planting his spear into the sand. The fish flip-flops on the end of the spear, and I have to focus on him instead, hoping that my face is isn't green.
It isn't a bad view at all. His navy blue shorts are the kind that men in Europe wear to the beach-a shorter pair of boxer briefs that do great things for his muscular a.s.s.
”Nice swimsuit.”
His gaze drops to my chest. ”Nice t.i.ts. Not sure if the world is prepared for a pair as pretty as yours, though.”
”You said that no one would see me.” I'm wearing nothing but a pair of hot pink bikini bottoms and my engagement ring.
He nods at the yacht anch.o.r.ed in the cove. ”They can see you.”
I shrug. ”You're topless.”
His gaze travels lower, to my belly, and then back up again, a c.o.c.ky smile on his s.e.xy lips. ”Anything to share?”
A gasp leaves me. ”You know.”
He laughs, sitting down in front of me and taking my hands. ”Yeah, I know. You're not exactly secretive.”
”You found the pregnancy test.” I narrow my eyes. ”Were you spying on me?”
”It was on the counter. Hard to miss.”
I pout a little. ”I wanted to surprise you.”
”Trust me. I was incredibly surprised when I realized what those two pink lines represented.”
”And happy?” I bite my lip, nervous b.u.t.terflies zooming around in my stomach.
He kisses my nose, drops of water hitting my chest and making me gasp a little. ”Incredibly happy.”