AllFreeNovel
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While she was the epitome of grace under pressure, I was a ball of nerves. I told her we couldn’t let fear dictate our lives, but the thought of losing her was so debilitating, there were times it was hard to let her go and get out of bed. But I did. We had children to raise and lives to lead. I promised Catherine she’d have my last breath, and I pray mine is before hers.
Finding Catherine all those years ago wasn’t fate. It wasn’t destined. It was fucking perfection. It was finding a needle in a damn haystack, and I worked hard for that fucking needle. I’ve worked hard for this life. But the work didn’t stop years ago when I won her back. It didn’t stop after we had kids, or after we found out she was in remission.
The work never stops. They say if you love someone, it isn’t work. But that’s fucking nonsense. Marriage is work. Love is work. If you don’t have to fight for it, it’s not worth it. But being her husband is the greatest job I’ve ever had. It’s the experience of a lifetime.
I’d fight every day of my damn life for this woman, and she’d do the same for me.
I press my lips to hers and take her hand in mine, twining our fingers where our names are inscribed. I’ll never get enough of my kitten. A quick kiss turns passionate, and of their own volition, my hands are in her hair, ready to undo the carefully curled tendrils secured in an updo that highlights my favorite spot. Right beneath her ear, where she shudders every time my lips meet her soft skin.
“Dad, they’re here!” JJ calls. He goes by Jonathan Junior, even though we don’t share the same middle name. The kid is my doppelganger. His younger brother, James, looks exactly like his mother. Right down to the whiskey eyes that have always been my undoing.
I growl into Cat’s mouth as she tries to pull away from me.
“Jay.” Her tone holds no scolding, though. It’s all panting, want, and need.
I smirk as Cat pushes the hair out of my eyes and strokesherfavorite place.
This is us. A little bit obsessed—okay, a lot obsessed—always slightly tousled, with swollen lips and big smiles.
A perfect life for two imperfect people who worked their asses off to get here.
“Please don’t let her marry him,” I beg.
There’s no way Chloe could have found this with Evan McCabe’s son. And how the fuck did my daughter—my literal pride and joy—end up dating someone in the Mob? It’s insanity.
Cat grabs hold of the front of my shirt, drawing my attention. Not that she ever doesn’t have it. “She’s happy. And he’s not part of the Mob. He’s just related to them. He’s an accountant, for fuck’s sake.”
I drop my head back. “Oh my sweet, naïve wife. He’s an accountantforthe Mob.”
She tugs on my shirt, forcing my head up. “Stop. She’s happy. And I seem to remember another story involving a boy who most people believed didn’t belong with the girl he loved. And look at how they turned out.”
“Almost dead, Cat.We almost diedto be together.”
She coughs out a laugh. “So dramatic. And if I remember correctly, you’d say it was worth it.”
I wrap my arms around my wife and pull her against my chest, pressing a kiss to her hair and inhaling that floral scent that first drove me crazy almost thirty years ago. “Always worth it. But are you trying to tell me he’s her Romeo?”
Cat shrugs against me. “Maybe. Who are we to say?”
I groan. Of course she’s right. Chloe is happy. Shane seems nice enough. Although, with all the tattoos, he’s not fooling anyone. The man is most definitely working for the Mob. He’s not just an accountant like my wife and daughter believe. But if I forbid it, I’ll only push Chloe away. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
As we take the stairs down to greet our guests, I stare at my wife’s ass in Chloe’s latest design. “God, she’s talented,” I mutter, still in awe of our daughter.
At twenty-six, she’s accomplished more than most fashion designers withdecadesof experience. And obviously, Cat has helped her. Being the daughter of a fashion icon who literally determines whether a designer’s career lives or dies can never hurt.
But Cat, despite her love for our daughter, would never jeopardize the magazine’s credibility if she didn’t believe in Chloe’s designs. If anything, she’s harder on her than any other designer. But Chloe shines. Just like her mother, she makes people work for her affection. She’s above the fray. Her cold blue stare brings everyone around her to their knees.
But fuck, her designs are gorgeous. Likely thanks to the mentorship she received from Sienna for all these years.
“She’s got more talent in her pinky than most designers.” Cat smiles as Chloe comes into view. She’s relaxing with a glass of champagne in her hand while speaking with Cynthia and Peter, who look at her the same way we do—with complete pride and infatuation.
JJ and James stand beside the appetizer table, stuffing their faces like we didn’t have lunch a few hours ago. Preteen boys never stop eating. I laugh as James catches my eye. The sight of the two of them beside one another always makes me smile. Our family is my entire world.
The chime of the doorbell has everyone falling silent.
“I’ll get it,” Chloe says, her eyes finding mine. “Sois gentil,s’il-te-plait.”
Be nice, please.
