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I couldn’t stop the tears even if I’d wanted to. Nor could I stop the swelling of my heart, because he had just broken me.
“But I need to know one thing.” He brushed his thumb across my cheek, wiping away some of the tears. “I love you, Grace. I’d like to be your prince charming…but am I the prince you want?”
A few weeks ago, I would have responded with a forceful “hell no” to that question. But now, after getting to know the real Ben, I couldn’t imagine my life with anyone else. He understood me. He accepted me. I should have known that I would find my happily ever after with a man who had a history as sketchy as mine. In some ways, we canceled each other out.
So today I would say “hell yes” to his question. Because I had fallen completely in love with him.
I reached out, placing my palm against his cheek. “I don’t want Prince Charming.” His eyes lowered to the ground and his mouth turned down in a frown. The hope that had been staring out at me had vanished. “I want you, Ben Lockwood.”
His head shot up and he grinned, letting out a heavy breath as if he’d been holding it for hours.
He grabbed my hands and brought them up to his lips. “I’m sorry for the other night. I’m sorry if I was rough. I’m so damn sorry I let you walk out my front door. I can’t bear watching you walk away again.”
I kissed his fingers. “I let you down. I won’t ever do it aga
in, but you have to know that—”
“It’s all right. Tonight is about starting over.” He pulled me closer, the armor cold and hard against me. “Tonight is about letting go of the past and moving forward together.” With a wide grin, he said, “So there’s only one thing left to do.”
He took my hand, guiding me to a small pergola, flowers decorating the clean lines. He set me underneath it, standing directly across from me, holding our hands between us. “This is where you get true love’s kiss.”
I laughed, sniffling, because I couldn’t hold back my tears. “Is that so.”
“A fairy tale isn’t complete without true love’s kiss. Lucky for me, my princess isn’t unconscious, because that would be a bummer. And also really illegal.”
I snorted. Our histories were truly unconventional, but I knew now that it made us better, stronger. “Together we’ve slept with more people than is doctor recommended.”
He barked out a laugh. “Yes, we have.”
I tilted my head, reveling in the brown depths of his eyes. Eyes that still told me everything he was feeling. “But somehow it works for us.” I reached up, placing both hands on his cheeks and rising on my toes. “I love you, Lockwood.” I pressed my lips to his and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
He rested his forehead against mine. “You’re my fairy tale, Grace. You’re my happily ever after. The one I never knew I wanted.”
He pressed his lips to mine and I tasted the saltiness of my tears. Now tears of joy.
Happily ever afters are what childhood dreams are made of. And as an adult, they are a symbol all of the things you want, yet know you might never find.
But I found mine with Ben. And I’d hold on tight until our story was over.
And maybe not let go even then.
For my husband and his raised eyebrows. It’s just research, honey. I promise.
Acknowledgments
I had decided to write a series about the porn industry because I wanted to do something different. I had no idea that Max, Everly, Ben, and Grace would take me on an emotional journey unlike any other book. Ben and Grace in particular were tough to write. Both of them are broken. Both of them are closed-off. But who better than a director of porn and a former escort to give each other a clean slate and a chance at happily ever after?
Sue Grimshaw, thank you for being right. Again!
To the usual suspects: LB, SG, SK, and DK. You girls are the silver lining to this sometimes crazy, sometimes miserable, but always exciting thing we call being an author.
And most importantly, thank you readers. Your enthusiasm for all my books is overwhelming and each time you tweet or share or blog or post, you make my already dream-come-true even better.
BY GINA GORDON
White Lace
Rush
