Page 45 of Overdosed: Her Dark Side
I felt disgusted at his insinuation. I shook my head and squinted. “You know nothing about me or my life. Now, let go of me,” I demanded, struggling against his hold.
Before I could break free, Shane hissed from behind Austin, his voice laced with danger as he held Hope by her hand. “Keep your hands off my woman.”
But it worked. In an instant, I saw the shift in Austin’s expression, a flash of dread replacing his earlier insolence. And he let me go.
“Good boy,” Shane hissed.
Austin turned to face him. “Who do you think you are, dude?” Bad move.
Shane scoffed, though his eyes blazed with lethal anger. “Listen, dude, because I give warnings only once.” He leaned close to Austin’s ear, probably so Hope wouldn’t hear, speaking in a dangerously low tone. “Touch her again, and I’ll break your hands.”
Austin took a hesitant step back as if to distance himself from Shane, who held his gaze, his eyes piercing. There he was. My big bad wolf. I realized I loved it. I loved the danger in him, the rush he was giving me. I loved it from the start. Perhaps, it was one of the reasons I felt so attracted to him. Because despite the huge red flag he was, he was giving me a sense of security I’d never had before.
“Be grateful my daughter is watching, or it wouldn’t be just a nice talk,” Shane added, unfazed.
Austin looked at me with a questioning look in his eyes, and I couldn’t resist mocking, “He’s not joking.” My lips fought back a smirk. “He’s an unpredictable psycho.” I shrugged.
Austin’s jaw clenched and his gaze dropped to the ground before he walked away, muttering something under his breath. My gaze locked with Shane’s. My hero. My knight in shining armor. And my wicked villain. All in one. All mine.
SEVENTEEN
Shane
Mommy, wear something beautiful!” Hope shouted through the door as Melanie was getting ready in the hotel bathroom.
It was the last day of our vacation, and I had something special planned.
I wore a black suit and shirt, my usual choice. We dressed Hope in a beautiful black dress that made her look like the princess she was. Eventually, Melanie went out of the bathroom with a sultry swirl, and I froze. She was gorgeous. She wore a black silk dress with thin, glittery silver straps crossing on her bare back. Her chocolate waves, left loose, complemented her sultry makeup.
“Damn. You are a beauty queen,” I whispered, my gaze still stuck on her.
“Stop it, I’m no beauty queen.” She blushed.
This woman was unbelievable. She was such a goddess, and yet she remained so shy and humble. “I wish you could see yourself with my eyes, Melanie.”
She smiled softly, our gazes locked. It felt like time stood still. She was perfect. I adored everything about her. Her radiating smile, the way she giggled softly every time she was embarrassed, or how her eyes would sparkle when she looked at Hope. On top of it, she was so damn hot.
“You’re so beautiful that I can’t even let you out of my sight for a minute because there’s always someone sneaking up on you,” I said.
Melanie whispered, “Then don’t let me out of your sight. Never.”
I slowly approached her, tilting her chin with my fingers, and her eyes flickered between mine. “I won’t. I don’t want to lose you ever again.” I leaned in to kiss her, but before I could do so, Hope exclaimed in joy.
“Mommy, Daddy, I love you!”
I chuckled, pulling away. Melanie licked her lips as if tasting our almost kiss, her cheeks blushing. I faced Hope, who ran to me, and I lifted her. “We love you, too, darling. So much.” I teased the tip of her nose, and she laughed. “Will we be together now? Mommy, you and me?” she asked, and I nodded.
“We will, my love. From now on, we’ll always be together.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
I held Hope close as we came off my yacht, her giggles echoing in my ears became my favorite kind of music. Melanie’s eyes shimmered as she looked around the private island I’d brought them to, her gaze flickering between the candlelit path of roses petals and me. I grinned at her, pointing to the trail of rose petals she followed, her beauty glowing in the soft moonlight.
Fuck. It has to be my favorite sight in the world.
I watched her gasp, her eyes filling with tears of happiness as she looked at the romantic arrangement before us. The table I had decorated earlier with roses and twinkling candles, making sure it looked like something out of a fairy tale. Magical. She deserved nothing less.
