Slam: A Bad Boy Romance (21 page)

“Nothing. You're just beautiful is all.”

“Stop it.” I could feel my face blush, cheeks warming with nerves. Even now, ten months later, he made me nervous. His sweet compliments sent goosebumps across my skin, made my heart pound so forcefully, I waited for it to shoot out of my chest.

It was crazy to me that this man could still entice me with his eyes, make me melt in his arms. We had been living together for a few months now and life couldn't have been more perfect.

Yes, I know, a lot of people would think we moved too quickly in our relationship.

But, life can be here one second and gone the next. Why waste a single breath on uncertainty, if I can be happy now, here in this moment?

“What? You are.” Quinn winked in my direction, looking over my shoulder to the back he nodded his head up.

“What are you doing?” My head whipped around, eyeing where his sight had gone.

A small, old woman emerged from the back. She was carrying the largest bouquet of calla lilies I had ever seen. There had to be over three dozen, all stuffed into a crystal vase.

My eyes doubled in size as she placed the flowers between us. A soft crackle fell from speakers on the ceiling, the roll of music filling the restaurant.

I couldn't see Quinn behind the wall of lilies. Wrapping my hand around the vase, I pulled them to my lap, frozen on the beautiful bouquet. The aroma filtered through the air, swelling my lungs, my heart racing over his gesture.

A deep cough yanked me from my daze, Quinn was eye height with me. I hadn't heard him move, didn't see him stand. I was too engulfed with shock over his gift to realize he was kneeling in front of me.

“Quinn, these are beautiful. How did you know these are my favorite?” The stunned emotions could be read in my tone.

“You can thank Mia for me.” Lightly his fingers ran circles around my wrist, pulling my hand down so he could hold it. “Cadence, I have spent my entire life oblivious to what I should be living for. You, you showed me what it feels like to actually live, to feel the blood that pumps through my veins.”

My eyes started to well, tears filling the creases of my lids. “Quinn.”

“I need you, and I can't picture my life without you. I don't want to.” Pulling a small red box from his back pocket, he lifted out a ring. “Tell me you feel the same.” Holding the ring up, it glistened in the sun light.

I tried to stop myself, stop the tears from streaming down my face, but I couldn't. They cascaded over my cheeks, a smile tugging up beneath the waterfall, hands trembling against the vase. “Yes. I do.”

Bringing his thumb to my skin, he brushed the tears away. Cupping my jaw, he wrapped his mouth tight on mine.

And I knew, knew he had been sent to me.

Sent to keep me safe, to free me.

Quinn had walked into my life, and now...

He was my life.

Forever.

THE END

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G
rowing up in a small town with little to offer, Leah Holt's imagination was able to run wild. She loves to write romance with intense alpha guys, the ones we all desire but dare not admit to. Who doesn't love a bad boy riddled with muscles and tattoos?

Having limited opportunities in life, writing has become an outlet for her to let out all of the dirty, forbidden thoughts inside of her head.

If you want to chat with her, you can email
[email protected]
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CHAINED: A Bad Boy Romance