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“You’re not going to find that out, Declan. They won’t give you that information,” Hunter tells me before Scarlet skewers him with her eyes.
“I’ll have my office do some digging and get back to you. If we’ve got a leak in the organization, we’ll find it. It was a good interview today. Try to focus on that, Declan.” She turns on her heels and leaves the room as my dad comes in.
Dad watches her leave. “What’s got her upset? I thought it went well.”
“Yeah... We’ll see.” I fucking hate the press.
When Annabelle gets home that night, Tommy and I have dinner ready and warming in the oven for her. Tuesdays have become our guy time. At least, that’s what we call it. There wasn’t really much to do cooking-wise. The personal chef I use to prepare and stock all my meals has increased her volume and even started adding new things each week just for Tommy. Belle was amazed last week when he actually ate the fresh chicken nuggets and mac and cheese that “Becca, the Chef,” as Tommy likes to call her, made for him.
She walks into the kitchen, throws her arms around me and squeezes, releasing all my pent-up stress from this crazy fucking day. “Hey,” she says softly as she kisses me. “How did the interview go?” Belle turns and drops her Mary Poppins bag on the kitchen chair, pulling out her empty lunch containers, empty coffee tumbler, a small bag from the grocery store, a bag from Sweet Temptations, and a hair clip.
“Seriously, woman. How do you fit all that junk in there?”
She glares, and I smile. “The interview went pretty well. He stuck mostly to some version of the questions they gave us last week. He did pull out a picture of us though. He knew we were living together. I didn’t confirm or deny. Just told him I was very much off the market.” I wait until she’s done twirling her hair up into her clip and then pick her up and sit her on the counter. It’s become our thing. It puts Belle at my height, and she wraps her legs around me as I kiss those pouty pink lips.
“Oh, yeah? Off the market, huh?” She cocks her brow, trying to play coy.
“Yeah. Permanently off the market. See, there’s this gorgeous, smart, caring, and amazing ballerina I’ve fallen irrevocably in love with. And I plan to love her until the day I die.” The teasing in my voice is now gone.
Belle gasps, “Declan.”
“It’s true. I love you, Belle. That’s not going to change.” I hope to God I’m not scaring her right now.
Her fingers play with the front of my long-sleeved Henley. “I love you too, Dec. Seriously, you’re the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to let myself love someone again. And don’t get me wrong, I’m scared every single day that something will take you away from me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I am madly, deeply, hopelessly in love with you.”
My hands grip either side of her face as my lips find hers. She tastes like cinnamon and sugar and all Belle.
She lets out a tiny moan just before Tommy marches into the room. “Dinner’s ready, and I’m hungry, Belles. Eww. You’re kissing again,” he complains. “Yuck!”
I pull back and lean my forehead against hers. “I love you, Annabelle Hart.”
Later that night, after I finish reading Tommy his nightly story and tuck him in bed, I come back downstairs looking for Belle, but she’s nowhere to be found. I’ve noticed that when she’s working through something, she’s usually downstairs in the basement in the small soundproofed ballet studio her parents built for her when she was little. She told me they left it there in case she ever wanted to use it when she visited.
When I open the door to the basement, Rob Thomas’s “Pieces” is playing on the sound system. Belle is dancing with her eyes closed, and her caramel-colored hair is flying wildly around her shoulders as she spins across the floor. She’s barefoot with black leg warmers, tiny black shorts, and a white cropped sweatshirt hanging off her shoulder with a thick black lacy bra strap showing.
Jesus, she’s fucking gorgeous.
I’m filled with admiration for this incredible woman who has no idea how strong she is.
I lean against the door frame, arms crossed, waiting for the song to end.
When Belle stops spinning and opens her eyes, she sees my reflection in the wall of mirrors. “Jesus, Dec. You scared me.”
I don’t move.
Can’t move.
The sudden silence in the room is deafening.
“You take my breath away, Annabelle.”
We stand there, eyes locked across the room. Neither of us moves for what feels like forever until my body catches up to my brain and my long legs cross the room in a few steps to bring me in front of this woman who’s quickly become my whole world. I gently clasp her hands in mine and hold them over my heart that’s beating loudly against the walls of my chest. “Marry me, Belle.”
Her eyes fill with tears. “Declan...”
“I know it’s fast, but I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. I want us to conquer this world together. I don’t want to miss a single moment of it, and I want you there with me for all of it. You and Tommy. I promise you, Annabelle, I’ll love you until my last breath, and I’ll always put you and our family first.”
I watch those lips I love tip up into the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen before she speaks, “Of course, I’ll marry you, Declan Sinclair. I love you with my whole heart and can’t imagine a world where that would ever change.” She leans up on her tiptoes and kisses me. I’m so relieved and so happy I can’t kiss her back at first.
