Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“I am his one o’clock. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
Drake looks down at the books. “‘Lilly Morrison,’” he reads.
“I used my maiden name and Lilly’s name. I’m glad no one picked up on it,” I tell him as Legend walks up behind him.
“Hey, I thought I heard your voice. What are you doing here?” Legend asks.
“I have an appointment with the incredible Legend Raines.”
His eyes darken. “You do?” He looks at Drake, and he nods.
“She gave us a fake name.”
Legend smirks. “You gonna let me put my mark on you?”
My pulse races as I nod. “I have something.” Reaching into my purse, I pull out two pictures. One is of a fancy R, and the other is a fancy M. I hand them to him. “Can you mesh these two together?”
He stares down at the two images in his hands for what feels like a lifetime. When he finally looks up, his eyes are dark and filled with what can only be described as love. “Yes.”
“Good. We better get started.” I saunter past him and settle into the chair in his office.
“Where do you want it?”
“My left shoulder. That’s closer to my heart, right?”
“You’re killing me, beautiful.”
“I want a piece of us. What we are together.”
“You sure about this?”
“Absolutely. Then, when we have babies, I’ll need one for each of them too.” He moves to the door and shuts it, turning the lock. “You plan on having your way with me, Mr. Raines?” I tease.
“Not even going to chance someone seeing you. Shirt off, gorgeous.”
I do as I’m told and strip out of my shirt. He draws up my design, and it brings tears to my eyes. I love it almost as much as I love the man who drew it.
“It’s perfect.”
“You’re perfect.” He kisses me softly before he gets to work, giving me my first tattoo.
EPILOGUE
Legend
Today’s the day. We’re having a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new location for Everlasting Ink. It took some convincing for the guys to concede that they didn’t have to pay me back for the land purchase. I didn’t want the money to begin with. Putting it into all of our futures, and that of my parents and my in-laws, is a win in my book.
I gave my parents and Monroe’s a million dollars each. I told them to retire and enjoy life. They fussed, but eventually, just like I did with the guys, I convinced them to take it. It might have been me telling them they’ll have more time to spend with their grandkids. They, of course, assumed Monroe was pregnant. Not yet, but hopefully, it won’t be long.
I never wanted the money, but I’m grateful because it brought me my wife. How I didn’t see her, see us for what we could have been all these years, is beyond me. That’s okay because my eyes are wide open. The ink on the marriage license has long since dried, and her last name has already been changed. Hell, she has my ink representing our last name on her left shoulder.
There is no turning back for us.
So, I had to break out the big guns and get personal. The five of us sat in the break room, and I told them how scared I was when I almost lost Monroe. I told them how I didn’t want the money, but as soon as she offered to be my wife, there was a part of me who wanted her, even if I wasn’t willing to admit it at the time.
They eventually agreed, not that it mattered. I’d already purchased the land. We still have a lot of work today. We hired an architect to help us plan the new shop. I have a ton of ideas to run past the guys as our families grow. I can’t wait to get started.
“This is going to be epic,” Monroe says, smiling up at me. I rented a tent and heaters to keep us all warm. I wanted Lilly to be there, and Monroe is just a few months out of being released from the hospital. I can’t risk her getting sick again.
“It is. I’m pretty stoked about it.”
“Legend?”
I turn to see the guys standing behind us. Emerson is off to the side with Lilly in her arms. Our parents are all here, well, except for Forrest and Emerson’s, but they don’t deserve the right to see their children’s success and happiness.
“Yeah?” I ask as Monroe steps away from me to stand by her best friend.
“This—” Forrest waves his hand around the tent. “—we’ll never be able to tell you what this means to all of us.”
“Stop. We’re in this together.”
“We are,” Lachlan agrees. “But we needed to do something.”
“What did you do?” I ask, eyebrows raised. I told them I don’t want their money.
“We might have petitioned the city to change the name of the street,” Maddox tells me.