Jayded (45 page)
He looks up at me with tears in his eyes. He slams his lips against mine once more. He puts his forehead against mine.
“
I fucking love you, Maxine Leigh Daniels!
”
He grabs my hand to lead me off the barstool.
“
Let
’
s go upstairs. I want to make love to the mother of my child.
”
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
Kyle
It
’
s officially summer. The windows are open, and the smell of flowers and barbeque is heavy in the air. I feel as though I have the world on a platter for the taking. Everything I thought I didn
’
t want in life has happened, and I feel like the luckiest man on earth. I have the love of my life as well as a baby on the way. What more do I need? Life now feels effortless.
Max and I found the perfect house after two months of searching. I gave up my apartment, and Kinsey found a new roommate. Everything is finally working out perfectly. My mother
’
s ecstatic about the baby, and my father is still getting used to the idea.
I
’
ve been watching her belly grow over the last five months, and it
’
s the most fascinating phenomenon I
’
ve ever experienced. My daughter is growing inside of her.
Our
daughter! Watching her and feeling her move inside Max is the most beautiful thing I
’
ve ever experienced.
Max looks up at me.
“
Did you feel her?
”
Her head is in my lap as she lounges out on the couch on our back deck, outside.
“
I did. She
’
s so strong. I can
’
t wait to meet her.
”
“
Me either,
”
she adds.
“
What are you going to do when she ends up with someone just like you?
”
I close my eyes and lean my head back.
“
Kill him,
”
I answer. She laughs with amusement.
I
’
ve had a secret for weeks now, and keeping it from Max is driving me insane, but I
’
ve been waiting for the right time to reveal it. Now seems like the perfect moment. My stomach is queasy, and I begin to shake as I gently move out from under Max, replacing my lap with a pillow.
“
Where are you going?
”
she pouts.
I stand above her, kneel to one knee, and take the ring from my pocket. She sits up and gasps with her hands over her mouth. She gets more beautiful each time I look at her.
“
Maxine Leigh Daniels, you struck my heart like a lightning bolt, so unexpectedly. Ever since, my world has been turned upside down
—
in the best way possible. I am
so
in love with you. I want us to be linked together in every way possible for the rest of our existence,
”
I take a quick breath and gulp.
“
Maxine, will you do the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?
”
My hands are shaking as I wait. Tears are gushing down her cheeks. She leaps into my arms, her belly slamming into me first.
“
Yes! Yes, I
’
ll marry you!
”
My breath releases, and I stand up with her in my arms, carefully twirling us around in circles.
“
I love you, Kyle.
”
I stop and put her down to look into those baby blues.
“
I love you too, Max.
”
I kiss her softly. My heart is filled with every amazing feeling possible. I am the luckiest man alive. She is my soulmate, the love of my existence
—
my everything.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shevaun DeLucia, author of the
Eternal Mixture
series, lives in upstate New York with her husband, four children, and two dogs. As a stay-at-home mom while her children were young, she fell in love with reading. She indulged in the small moments that took her away from the reality of her loud, rambunctious household, bringing her into a world of fantasy. When reading wasn
’
t enough to satisfy her, she turned to writing, determined to create the perfect ending of her own.
Playlist
1.
Nothing Really Matters
–
Mr. Probz
2.
Talking Body
–
Tove Lo
3.
Sex on Fire
–
Kings of Leon
4.
No Ordinary Love
–
Sade
5.
The Heart Wants What it Wants
–
Selena
6.
Sideways
–
Sheryl Crow
7.
Me and the Old Man
–
Neil Van Dorn Band
8.
Hanging by a Moment
–
Lifehouse
9.
One
–
Ed Sheeran
10.
Latch (Acoustic)
–
Sam Smith
11.
Let her Go
–
Passenger
12.
Wings
–
Birdy
Acknowledgments
Wow! I can
’
t believe I am publishing my second book! It
’
s so surreal. Just like the first, I feel like a proud mama. One preconceived notion has transformed into a novel. But none of this would be possible if it weren
’
t for my dream team, always behind me!
To George Parulski
—
photographer/graphic designer of the book
—
what can I say? You
’
ve done it again. Bravo! You
’
ve taken my creative idea and multiplied it by a thousand. Your work is exquisite, and I feel honored to have taken part in it.
And to Jinelle Shengulette
—
editor
—
you never disappoint me! It feels like Christmas every time I open one of your emails. I absolutely love working with you!
Thank you both for the tremendous time and effort you have put into this project. We have many more to come, and I can
’
t wait!
Next, I
’
d like to thank Charles Morone and Danielle Costanzo for your willingness to take part in my book cover. My vision of you two was right on, and you both looked amazing! And though this book isn
’
t directly about the two of you, you planted the seed that made the idea grow. So, thank you for that. I had fun working with you both!
I can
’
t help but smile when I write this
—
thank you to the Bolger sisters for always having my back and being my cheerleaders! You are amazing women, and I couldn
’
t ask for better friends!
And to my children, may you always follow your dreams. It
’
s because of you I push for success. Thank you for being my number one fans!
Last but not least, my husband. Thank you for believing in me. When I
’
m down, you push me up. You
’
ve believed in me since day one. When I lose faith in myself, you
’
re always right there to instill it back into me, and for that I am truly thankful.