Marrying the Mob Prince

INDIE

Our first kiss triggered an avalanche of emotion inside Knox. Since last week, he’d barely kept his hands off me. So many mornings his sweet kiss roused me from a deep sleep, right before he handed me a latte. I cherished those gestures, because they proved his feelings for me had grown.

He did care.

It validated my initial impression of Knox, that beneath his ice-cold exterior was a man desperate for intimacy, affection, and love. Here was the proof. He’d halted the demolition of St. Luke’s and would fund cleaning up the property. He took me out on dates and kissed me in public, rules be damned.

I was falling for Knox.

I didn’t expect a rush of yearning whenever Knox entered the room, or the need clenching my thighs with his gentle touch, or my overwhelming desire to submit.

Knox and I strolled through The Spheres after dinner. They had been emptied for our date. Outside was pitch-black. The moon poked through a gap in the steel lattice, illuminating the dense vegetation in an ethereal glow.

Knox pulled me up the same staircase he’d stormed down during our first meeting. He smiled, as though reliving the memory. Then he brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it. Warmth shot up my arm and settled into my heart. When we reached the highest level of The Spheres, a relaxed lounge area, we tilted our heads to gaze at the stars.

“This is beautiful,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “I can’t believe you did this for me. It’s so thoughtful.”

A grin played on his lips. “Wait until later.”

“There’s more?” I thumped my fist on his chest. “You’re making me feel bad for only getting you chocolate!”

He waved me off.

“I hope you don’t feel obligated.”

Knox’s soft eyes landed on me. “I like seeing you smile. And no man would ever call a date with Indie Starling an obligation.”

I blushed. Easy on the charm, Knox.

He’d even dressed up for tonight. A navy suit clung to his powerful frame. It shouldn’t have made such a big difference to see him out of his usual jeans for once, but it transformed him. The suit elevated his rugged good looks. He looked formidable, like a man who should be given every ounce of control.

He’d chosen my dress. The wine. The food. Sure, Knox picked things I already enjoyed, like Chardonnay instead of Merlot. He chose a backless number I’d worn before. I’d mentioned that I loved comfort food, so he’d ordered lightly battered fried chicken on top of crispy waffles. We ate. We laughed, tucked away in a restaurant with no other patrons. It was wonderfully extravagant gesture. He gave me all of the romance, but none of the choice.

Knox poured wine from a bottle that had been waiting for us in an ice bucket beside the chaises. He passed a glass to me and I drank, grateful for the excuse to settle my nerves.

“I’ve always dreamed about power,” he said, pouring a drink for himself. “I have this image in my mind. A landmark named after me. I wanted to be unrecognizable from the street kid who fetched cigarettes for bikers.”

“Well, you succeeded.”

And yet, something of that boy lingered in his gaze. His head tipped toward the ceiling. Moonlight bleached his skin, erasing that jaded toughness.

“I never imagined I could ever be normal, that I could have what everybody else has.” His voice dipped to a smoldering whisper. “I need you in my life, Indie.”

I froze, the glass halfway to my mouth. “You have me.”

“You don’t belong to me in the way I require.”

His earnestness stroked my skin with gooseflesh. “What do you mean?”

“I’m a selfish man. I don’t just want what’s best for you, I want you for myself. It’s not enough for me to have you living in my house. I need more,” he boomed, his voice magnified. “I know I’m not the easiest man to be with. All the rules…the schedules. I demand a lot. But I also can’t stand the thought of you leaving me.”

Warmth claimed my cheeks. “I’m not going to leave you.”

“Don’t say that unless you mean it.”

“I swear,” I whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

My heart pumped madly as he fingered my cheek. Those words coupled with his touch had weakened me. He’d never said anything so vulnerable, and I didn’t know why he’d chosen tonight to air this out.

His light grip transferred to my waist.

“Do you think about the future?”

The nagging in my mind refused to be stilled. Pain needled my chest. “Yeah.”

“What do you see?”

Heat stole into my cheeks. I was lightheaded from the alcohol and overwhelmed by his attention. “I-I want to stop working for Vanity one day. I’d like to write for a more prestigious website. Do some charity work for the homeless. Beyond that, I’m not sure…we’ve been through so much.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“I see you getting everything you want. You can have anything, Indie. Keep writing, or you can retire early and do something else with your life. Build a family. Children.”

The last time Knox had mentioned children, I’d panicked. But several months of living with him had thawed me to the idea. I pictured an overprotective Knox in the delivery room and later, sitting opposite a high chair feeding his toddler.

I smiled, my heart teeming with those warm images. “I can’t wait.”

“Me too,” he said huskily.

My throat tightened. “Knox, why are we here?”

He hooked his chin over my shoulder and whispered in my ear. “It’s a special occasion.”

“Valentine’s Day?”

His tender gaze met mine, and his face broke into a smile. It was eager and alive with affection, and I fought to resist the swells of warmth kicking in my chest.

The lights darkened. Dozens of people marched up the staircase in silence, forming a circle around us. Candles burned on screens as they lifted their phones. I whirled in Knox’s arms, bewildered by this display, and then he stepped back.

Oh, God.

Knox reached in his blazer and pulled out a box.

I gaped at him. No. He wouldn’t.

Several of the women surrounding us gasped. Every muscle inside me tensed as Knox popped open the lid. The sound shot through my soul. Light landed on a big, sparkling diamond. I wasn’t knowledgeable about jewelry, but I knew the size of that stone could wipe out my student loans. My heart stalled, then pumped furiously, as though kicked into action.

Fuck.

He glanced at the ring before taking it from the box and holding it between his thumb and forefinger. His eyes crashed into mine, the emotions within them complicated.

“Marry me.”

Those words sucked the oxygen from my lungs. My cheeks boiled and my vision blurred. I couldn’t breathe. Blinking, I scanned his confident expression and the ring in his grip. He couldn’t be serious. We’d only known each other for seven months, and most of that wasn’t spent as a couple. My brain listed a thousand reasons to turn him down. I hadn’t even introduced him to my parents.

Marry me.

It was an order, not a question. I hardened as I put together Knox’s over-the-top charm with this abrupt proposal. He’d planned this. He wanted me vulnerable, so he took me on a fantastic date, plied me with alcohol and sprung this on me.

My mouth trembled with the weight of everyone watching. What if I said no? My stomach bottomed out. And if I accepted? Hope fluttered in my chest. Did he even love me? My voice cracked as I attempted to speak, but nothing came out but a whimper. I offered my wavering wrist and Knox grasped my left hand, sliding the ring on my finger.

He grabbed my face and kissed me hard. “Marry You” by Bruno Mars exploded from speakers. Knox dipped me as white balloons floated down like fluttering doves. The people around us hurled silver streamers in our direction. They uncorked giant bottles and sprayed us while letting out earsplitting cheers. Champagne soaked his waves as he shielded me from the blast. For a moment, I was transported. Because his warm laughter when I squinted from the alcohol felt perfect.

His face buried in my hair as though its scent gave him life. A wrenching joy swayed me back and forth. I dissolved into overwhelmed tears.

Knox pulled a streamer from my hair. “What good is a relationship without strings?”