Final Offer (Dreamland Billionaires, #3)(94)

“It won’t anymore. I can promise you that.”

“How am I supposed to trust you?”

As good a question as any, and one that makes my heart pound harder in my chest.

I clasp on to her chin. “Because I can’t survive losing you again. Getting a glimpse of the life we could have if I changed is enough to convince me that I will never be happier than I am with you, even if I have a long way to go before we can move forward together. You asked if I’m willing to put in the work? I’m so fucking ready, I would sell the house tomorrow.”

Different emotions flicker across her face.

Sadness. Uncertainty. Resignation. It’s the last one that makes the acid rolling my stomach unbearable.

Lana takes a few deep breaths before peeking up from underneath her lashes. “Then do it.”

My eyebrows tug together. “Do what?”

“Put the house on the market tomorrow before we leave for Dreamland.”

My mouth drops open. “Tomorrow?”

“Is that a problem? You’re the one who wants to sell it so you can move on with your life, so here’s your chance. Contact the realtor first thing in the morning.”

The tightness in my chest makes breathing a nearly impossible task. “I thought we agreed to remodel the house first.”

What are you doing questioning her? Just agree and take your win where you can get it.

Her chin quivers. “Plenty of people put houses on the market while they are in the middle of construction. We can just have the realtor share the renovation mock-ups Ryder sent us, along with the blueprints.”

Her plan is logical and foolproof, yet the look on her face has me questioning the whole thing.

If you tell her about the inheritance, you’re not only letting your brothers down, but yourself too.

It’s one thing to fail myself, but to risk everyone else’s future, including Iris’s, isn’t worth it.

I release a pent-up breath. “I’ll contact the realtor and the rehab facility early in the morning.”

I’m not sure if leaving before the end of the summer is a possibility, but I will call Leo before to find out how or if that could affect the will.

Hopefully not. I’ve already spent a good portion of my summer here.

She blinks twice. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

I’ve never been more sure of anything. Getting sober was always the end goal, and Lana encouraged me to find a way to get there sooner.

“Yes. There is nothing I want more for myself than a future with you.”

She bites down on her bottom lip. “It’s not just me anymore. Cami and I are a package deal.”

I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her flush against me. “You and Cami aren’t a deal. You two are a lottery jackpot, and it’s time someone treated you both that way.”





38





ALANA





I stare at Cal, processing everything he said. I’ve never had anyone speak about Cami and me the way he does. His words make my eyes water, the tears from before threatening to come back with a vengeance.

You and Cami aren’t a deal. You two are a lottery jackpot, and it’s time someone treated you both that way.

My whole heart feels impossibly full and ready to burst. I want to believe what Cal says. That he will get better. But I can’t deny the tiny shred of doubt worming its way through my happiness, threatening to poison it with my worries.

As if he senses my thoughts, Cal tucks his fingers under my chin and lifts my head. “I know you don’t trust me. Not fully at least, and I don’t blame you one bit. So, push me away. Get mad at me for drinking. Ice me out because you’re afraid of letting me in again. Do whatever makes you feel safe, happy, and in control.

“But just know that whatever you do won’t change the fact that I will keep fighting for us and the future I know we can have. The one we deserve to have. Whatever you do won’t stop me from getting help. Just like it won’t stop me from wanting to be a part of Cami’s life in whatever way I can, even if we aren’t together. From—”

That’s it.

Watching Cal love my kid to the point of wanting to stay in her life regardless of our relationship status is enough to snap the last bit of restraint I have.

I cut him off with a searing kiss. A kiss I pour all my feelings into. Excitement. Fear. Adoration.

Cal matches my desperation, his lips teasing me until I’m wild for more. A tingle spreads down my spine as he slides his fingers through my hair and tugs me closer. His lips press against mine and match my pace, turning my world upside down from all the different sensations overwhelming me.

Everything about our kiss is amplified as we reacquaint ourselves with what we like.

The brush of his tongue against mine, light and teasing.

My lips ripping away from his solely so I can pull his shirt over his head and run my hands down his chest.

His stubble scraping against my neck as he sucks on the sensitive skin below my ear, bruising it with the harsh pull of his mouth.

At one point, he lifts me up and carries me to the bed without breaking our kiss. I straddle his thighs and deepen it. One quick grind of my hips against his straining erection causes him to release the sweetest groan, and I soak it up, drowning the sound with my lips.