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“Good, because I’m never giving it back.”
“To ten more years with you, my beautiful husband.” I kiss him.
“I told you, I can do a lot more than ten years.”
EPILOGUE
Ten Years Later
I blow out the candle on the cupcake. Manuel removes the candle and the paper around the cupcake. Splitting it open, he feeds me a bite.
“Happy Anniversary.” He says as he licks the edge of my mouth to clean icing away.
“This is so good.” I sigh with pleasure.
“You taste better,” is moaned into my mouth.
Ending the kiss, he rests his forehead against mine. “Thank you for coming back to me.”
I close my eyes against the memory of why we almost didn’t get to another ten years. It’s been almost eight years, and the pain is still there. I’ve come to accept it will never go away. Losing Elias nearly ripped us apart. I didn’t care if Manuel believed Dominic Sabatini did the right thing—I’ll never forgive him for killing Elias.
For months I couldn’t forgive Manuel for not doing what I pleaded—killing Dominic as pay back. Manuel refused. Honor wouldn’t let him kill Dominic for what he would have done in Dominic’s place. It didn’t matter how much pain I was in.
Things became so bad I couldn’t stand to look at Manuel. It hurt enough I left. Manuel followed. And for weeks we lived in a battlefield. The only good thing to come out of losing Elias is that Ofelia came back to us in an attempt to bring us back together.
Seeing her reminded me that I wouldn’t have had Elias as a son for the years I did if it weren’t for Manuel. While the year I struggled to let go of the pain was a long one, in the end the immense pain I was in was only because of a part of me feared I hadn’t just lost a son, I lost Manuel. In all our years Manuel had never denied me something I asked for. A part of me was terrified him not doing it meant somewhere he fell out of love for me. When I told him, Manuel made it clear he hadn’t and would never let me go.
Sighing heavily, I shake my head. “The pain wouldn’t have been so deep if the love wasn’t. Even in the depths of the pain, I never regretted loving you. Happy anniversary, my dear husband. To ten more years of bliss.”
EPILOGUE
Ten Years Later
I laugh as I bury my head into his neck. “My dear husband, you have to give me some time to come down from heaven. Your stamina is, as always, stronger than mine.”
“Witch, it’s not stamina. It’s waking grateful to have my sexy as fuck wife pressed up against me.” He growls low in his chest.
Running my hand over his chest, I sigh. “How can you still be so hard and strong after all these years?”
“Simple, I have a very demanding wife who needs me around for as many years as possible. As long as you need me, I’m not going anywhere.”
“So, ten more years?” I ask as I trace the wedding band around his finger.
“I think I can do more than ten years.”
“I’m holding you to it.” I sigh into his mouth.
“As long as you hold me, it’s all I need.”
“I love you, my big, bad scary husband.”
“I love you too, sunshine.”
* * *
