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After a few minutes of me resting my hand on her belly, she speaks up again. “She hasn’t kicked you yet.”

“Good,” I gruff, and she goes silent again.

Once we make it into the city, Penelope starts asking what we’re doing here, and I ignore every question, loving the fact that she’s getting so riled up at my silence.

“Just tell me where we’re going!” She groans, throwing her head back on the seat.

“It’s a surprise, Moss. Just wait and find out.” I don’t give her any more room to question, cutting her off with other topics when she tries to pry again.

Pulling into the mall, I park the car in a handicap space in the front. I doubt she’ll want me carrying her around, so we’ll need to find a wheelchair here, or a cart, something.

Rounding the car to her side, I open her door and pick her up before turning around and walking to the front doors, closing the car door with my foot. “Dmitri, I don’t want to be carried.”

“I know, baby. We’re gonna find you a wheelchair.”

When we enter the mall, I start looking around, finding the last wheelchair in the corner next to the exit doors. I stride over to it, turning it around and setting Penelope in it gently.

Pushing the wheelchair, I make my way to Kay’s.

“What are we doing here?” Penelope asks, and I don’t answer, pushing her further into the store.

The sales associate greets us when I stop at the counter. “Hi! How can I help you today?” Her overly sweet voice asks, looking between Penelope and me.

“I want the best ring you have,” I grunt, and she smiles, scurrying off to the back of the little store.

Penelope looks up to me, questions swirling in her mossy eyes. “Are you going to ask me to marry you? Or just force me?” Fire dances in her eyes, testing me.

I lean down to her ear, kissing the shell of it before nipping at it. “You will be my wife. You are carrying my child. You are my wife,” I say with certainty, making sure she knows there’s no say in this other than yes.

She huffs, muttering under her breath before I tangle my fingers in her hair and pull back hard to make her look up at me.

“Behave, Moss,” I say before leaning down and pressing my lips to her in a punishing kiss that has my pants tightening and my mind never wanting to pull off. She whimpers on my lips but pulls away at the speed of light when someone near us clears their throat.

Looking up, I see the saleswoman is back, a few rings hanging loosely on her fingers. She puts down the first ring, and I can see it on Penelope’s finger for the rest of her life, shining in the sun for every man under the stars to see. Showing she’s mine.

“We’ll take that one,” I say, not giving her a chance to show the other rings.

*This book is an advance reader copy and is to not be distributed anywhere. [email protected]*

35

Chapter Thirty-Five

Love On The Brain - Rihanna

Penelope

I hold my right hand up to the window again, the light streaming in as the ring sparkles, the little rainbow lights dancing all over the car. I never knew what kind of ring I would want. I never even thought I would get a ring, get married, have a family. Be happy.

He said yes to the first ring the lady showed, and I’m glad he did, because I love it. It’s a five-carat radiant cut with a white gold band. Small diamonds twist around the base of the ring, stopping at the big diamond. Every inch of it shines and sparkles at the smallest light.

I never thought I’d have a moment like this

“Did I do a good job?” Dmitri asks, looking at me in the corner of his eye.

“I love it. You did an amazing job. Thank you.” He takes my hand in his, kissing the back of it before settling our joint hands on my lap.

“Anything for you, Moss.” I smile, looking up at the road to see we’re not on the normal route home.