Rock Chick Reawakening (Rock Chick 0.5)(52)

Smithie was back to muttering. “Fuck, now I gotta find a new dancer.”

Marcus smiled into the dark. “She likes to dance, Smithie, but yes. Eventually, she’ll be busy having our children, and my guess is Daisy will feel the need to put all her attention into that.”

“I like you enough to hope you don’t have girls,” Smithie mumbled.

Marcus hoped he did.

“Thank you for being the first man in her life she could trust,” Marcus said.

Again, there was silence.

After Marcus gave him time for that, Smithie replied, “Thank you for bein’ the second.”

Then Smithie hung up.

Marcus flipped his phone shut and turned his head to look out the window in order to watch Denver slide by on his way home to Daisy.





“Boss,” Ronald growled.

Marcus stared out the windshield at Lee Nightingale standing beside the elevator doors, arms crossed on his chest, one booted foot up, the sole resting against the concrete.

Yes, Nightingale was good.

Marcus’s building was secure. In other words, it had armed security guards that looked after everyone, not just Marcus. There were codes. There were monitored cameras. And Nightingale looked like he’d been waiting for some time, undisturbed.

“It’s okay,” Marcus said.

Ronald swung into his spot and bit out, “Fuck!” as Marcus threw open his own door.

Lee pushed away from the wall. Marcus closed his door and met him halfway across the short space.

Nightingale shoved his hand in his pocket as Ronald warned, “Not another move.”

“It’s fine, Ronald,” Marcus said, not looking from Nightingale.

He pulled his hand out of his pocket, lifted it, and from his fingers dropped a necklace—delicate gold chain, at the bottom a row of pearls.

“Wasn’t the time to give you this an hour ago,” Nightingale muttered.

Marcus lifted his hand palm up.

Nightingale let the pearls go and they fell into his hand.

His fingers closed around it.

“Do you work on retainer?” Marcus asked.

Lee Nightingale’s head twitched.

And then he smiled.





Marcus slid into bed beside Daisy, gliding a hand over the silk at her belly and pulling her back into his front.

He curled into her.

Her fingers curled to link through his at her middle.

“Everything good?” she asked sleepily.

He buried his face in her hair.

“Everything is perfect.”

Her fingers tensed in his.

He pulled her deeper into his body and whispered, “You’re safe now, darling.”

At that, her entire body tensed.

She let his hand go, turned in his arm, and slid hers around him.

He could feel her gaze in the dark.

“Are you okay?”

Marcus tangled his legs with hers.

“I’m fine, honey.” He gave her a squeeze. “Are you?”

“Peachy.”

He grinned.

She snuggled closer.

“Love you, baby,” she whispered.

“Love you too, darling.”

She stiffened then melted in his arms.

He’d had to wait to say it. He’d had to wait until he knew he’d done all he could to make it as right as he could make it.

He’d done that.

So he said it.

“A dream,” she murmured.

“Sorry?”

“You. You’re the dream a girl like me never thought she could dream.”

She was right. She’d told him she’d never given herself a prince charming.

But now she had one in the way he came.

So all that was left was to build her a castle.

And Marcus was going to take care of that too.





Epilogue



Annamae

Daisy



I stood in the suite and stared out the windows at the snow-covered mountains while Michelle closed the door behind the girls who’d done my hair and makeup.

“Gosh, but you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

I turned to watch Marcus’s sister walking toward me and smiled. “Well, thanks, sugar.”

She looked me up and down and then she got misty.

I moved to her, my skirt swaying with me, and it had to be said, it felt nice. So nice, I never wanted to take that dress off. Not ever.

But if I didn’t, it wouldn’t stay as pretty as it was.

And it’d be difficult for Marcus to give me some wedding nookie. He could get creative. But I didn’t want any of his creative ruining my dress.

I got close and took her hands in mine.

“You gotta quit cryin’, darlin’,” I advised, doing so because she’d burst into tears no less than six times since she and Doug had met us up in Aspen two days before. “You got your makeup done too and you’re pretty as a picture. Marcus and Doug’ll be all upset you show puffy-eyed and red in the face.”

“Marcus won’t even know I’m there.”

He loved his sister but I reckoned she had that right.

She pulled a hand from mine, lifted it, and cupped my jaw. “I’m glad he waited to find the right girl.”