I grin. I don’t care about the injuries…or the near-death experience. This is the best birthday ever.
He sings “Happy Birthday.” I can’t help but smile at the mellow baritone of his voice. Is there anything this man can’t do?
Nope, I think. He’s perfect. And he’s all mine.
When the song ends, he looks me in the yes. “Make a wish, Belle.”
I tilt my head, gazing up at his face. “I don’t need to make a wish.” I kiss him on the mouth. “I have everything I could hope for already.”
His throat works, and emotions flit through his dark gaze. Laying his forehead against mine, he shares the air I breathe. “God, I love you, Annabelle Reed.”
“I love you too, Elliot.”
* * *
Elizabeth
I sit in the darkened study in Ryder’s mansion and wait. My brother is out with his wife, so I’m the only one here, along with a few of the household staff. They don’t bother me, though. They’re busy running the fortress Ryder calls “home.”
I count carefully as the clock on the wall ticks each passing second. Finally, at eighty-four, my phone rings.
“Lizichka,” a gravelly and slightly accented male voice says. “You called?”
“Yes, Tolik. You read the article about Julian’s deal with us, I presume?”
His grunt conveys a wealth of disapproval and concern. “Nasty business.”
“It’s certainly not ideal.” Which is why I am forced to make this call. “I want everything there is to know about my father and Wives Numbers Two through Six.”
“What are you looking for, Lizichka?”
“Leverage. Something to fix the situation. Like you said, this is nasty business.”
“What about that man at the dinner?”
I inhale sharply. If he hears, he doesn’t let on. “Ignore him. He has nothing to do with this,” I manage.
“As you wish.”
“Thank you, Tolik.”
——
Thank you for reading An Improper Ever After. I hope you enjoyed it! Don’t miss An Unlikely Deal featuring the mysterious, scarred Lucas, Elliot’s twin!
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Bonus: Unedited and uncorrected excerpt from An Unlikely Deal