The Grand Pact (The Grand Men #1)(134)

“He’s here,” Nina confirms.

“Do you think I’m crazy?”

“I think he’d be crazy to say no.”

I love you so much, it makes me fucking crazy.

“Crap. I’m just going to go for it.” I pull open the door and slide from the car. I turn to look at the girls and find them all smiling at me.

Nina lowers the window. “I feel like we should part with some advice. Wisdom.”

“Oh, oh!” Megan calls, shooting forward in the seat.

“No!” Nina cuts her off, holding her back with her arm. “Not any of your wisdom.” She chuckles, lifting her eyes to mine, and I think she’s going to say something, but she doesn’t.

“You deserve this, Lucy. You both do.”

Nina’s face softens as she twists in the seat to look at her sister-in-law.

“Thank you, Scar,” I say.

Nina nods in agreement, beeping her horn as I step back. “Go get him, little bitch slut!”



Elliot





Imagine finding someone like Luce.

She steps through the door at Groulx, and my heart sets off like a racehorse. I stand as she approaches me, not being able to stop the smile from pulling at the corners of my mouth.

“You know, I’d have much preferred driving you here myself.”

She steps in close, kissing my cheek as if that’s enough. “Where’s the fun in that?”

I lean in before she can sit down, lowering my voice to a whisper. “Baby, there would have been plenty of fun in that.” I pull back, keeping our faces close. “You look perfect.” I kiss her. “You’re perfect.” I kiss her.

“It feels so good to be home,” she murmurs, resting her forehead against mine.

“Hmm, we should sit down,” I groan, my hand dusting up the exposed skin at her back. “As much as I want to take you home and show you just how much I’ve missed you these past six weeks. I should try impressing you a little first.”

“You don’t need to impress me.” She chuckles, stepping away.

I pull out her chair and wait for her to sit down before I take mine. When I first arrived and found the place settings on opposite sides of the table, I asked the waiter if we could change it.

Luce slides her hand over my thigh, angling her body towards me as she asks, “Good day?”

And this is why. I won’t have a distance between us. Jesus, we had thousands of miles separating us for too long. Screw anyone who tries to keep me from her again.

Even a fucking table.

“The best.” I run my eyes around her face, appreciating her immaculate makeup. “You?”

She dips her head, and I frown.

“Luce.”

“I had an incredible day, but yesterday I had some sad news.”

I tighten my eyes on her, waiting.

“Ralph passed away,” she tells me. “Around a month ago. It’s why I never heard from him.”

I watch as pain swims in the pits of her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Luce.”

“He wrote me a letter.” She smiles, blinking and clearing away the tears. “I feel so lucky to have that.”

I nod, covering her hand on my thigh.

“I think it made me realise how important not wasting a second is. And I know you don’t like to make plans, and I’d never force you to make plans with me, but—”

“I want to make plans with you.”

“You do?” she asks, shocked.

I lace our fingers under the table, keeping her close. “Luce, ever since this started, all I’ve been able to do is make plans. It’s been endless thoughts that keep me up late into the night and wild fucking feelings I chase into the morning. You were thousands of miles away, and all I wanted was you beside me, telling me exactly what we’re going to do next. Forever. No track changes. No detours. Me and you, Luce.”

She blows out a breath, her eyes blinking wide. “Why did we take so long to get here?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “But if you don’t want to waste another second… then we won’t.”

Her chest rises and falls, and she rolls her lips, her eyes not leaving mine.

“If there’s something you want, princess, you’ll ask me for it.”

She swallows, and I wait. “You promised me something no man should promise on a whim—”

“It wasn’t a whim.”

“I was with another man, and you offered me your children.”

“And I’d do it again.”

“You would?”

“Are you asking me if our pact still stands?” I ask.

“No.”

I frown, disappointment stirring in my gut.

“I want to make a new pact. One that’s not just for me.”

She has no idea.

“One that’s for us—”

“I want kids. Lots of them.”

I cut her off and she breaks out into a wide grin, laughing as she tips her head to the side.

“What else do you want?”

“Movies—your kind.”

“I knew it.”

“Dinner—every Sunday with our parents.”

Her eyes glaze. “Okay.”