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“I know.”
“You should be made to suffer.”
“I already am.” He touches me, traces along my cheek, and it’s pure magic.
“You don’t play fair.”
“I know. It’s why they call me Asshole Supreme.”
I start laughing, I can’t help it. And then I stop because he closes the gap between us and pulls out the big guns.
He kisses me.
It’s soft and sweet and tender and slow. There’s passion and love and longing and regret. And hope.
The kiss contains a bright and shining future if I’m brave enough, stupid enough, reckless enough to take it.
And I do. I slide my arms about him and deepen the kiss and finally when it’s over he smiles down at me, his dimple flashing and making me weak all over.
“I love you, Zoey,” he says, running his thumb along my lip. “You’ve ruined me. You got me eating those cookies you make. Already you have the devotion of my PA. That’s who I gave the cookies and cake to when you sent them home for Amelia. And also my mother, who ate the ones I left in here. I’m not really into sugar, or I wasn’t, but you make magic happen.”
“In my cookies and cakes?”
He grins. “Those, yes, but I meant you. You’re the magic ingredient. You make anything the right kind of sweet, Zoey.”
“You don’t have to convince me to love you,” I say.
Magnus releases me and leans against his desk, letting his gaze move slowly over me. “Actually, I do. I need to win you every day. Because I think you’re worth it. I never got the deal about heart. But I do now. And falling in love with you, I can see some things are worth more than money.”
My heart swells. “If I asked you to give it all up would you?”
“In a second. I’m not saying we take ourselves to the poorhouse, but yeah, I’d give up my empire for you.”
I fan myself with one hand and try to breathe. “You know what? You don’t have to do that. Not unless you want. But if you stick to those plans you gave me, you did something better. You saved my neighborhood. Progressed it, sure, but you’re giving back. You’re giving those who love it a place to live and where they can afford to live.”
His cheeks turn darker. “There’ll be jobs, too. I did that for you, for them.” He picks up two boxes that are on his desk and looks at me. “Why did you come here?”
“Because I love you.”
He nods. “I didn’t get why my mother gave me this,” he says, handing me a black box. “But I think it’s for you.”
I open it and gasp. It’s a beautiful key. “This is meant to represent your heart. Well, the way in, the way to protect it.”
“Is it?”
“Look at it.”
He laughs softly. “Actually, that sounds just like my mother. I think you’re right. My heart needs to be in safe hands, Zoey. And I can’t think of better hands than yours.”
“You know, I think a key like this works both ways.”
“It does?”
I nod. “Stands to reason it works for mine, too.”
“I like that.” He pushes away from the table. “I think a key that works like that means it’s got to be the forever kind. One that comes with a ring. Vows.”
Now I really can’t breathe. I don’t even know how I got here. But the happiness inside me is flying so high it’s looping the loop and it feels completely and utterly right. He’s an asshole, but he’s mine.
