Page 171 of The Score

"My pick?" she smirks.

I lean close and kiss her. Her hands travel around me until they find my ass.

I pull my lips to the side. "I'm too wise to let you pick. But we'll find a place."

She laughs. "Then I'll get them on myself, too."

"You don't have tattoos."

"This can be my first."

"Mhh." I smile. "We can make them a symbol of the way I trapped you by marrying you."

"You trapped me?"

"I found a way to get us to be as permanent as ink on skin. And if not for it, we wouldn't have kissed again, and gone through all of this."

"Maybe I trapped you," she says. "Maybe this was my plan all along. I know how loyal you are. You never would have divorced me. You would have never gone and dated someone else."

I laugh and kiss her again. "I never want to date someone else. I'll never divorce you, Pen. And I'll never sign a damn postnup. Your guilt wouldn't let you walk away with half my stuff."

Her smile turns playful. "Who's to say? It's easier to live with guilt when you're rich."

"Oh my God," I complain, and we laugh together.

But she pulls my left hand to my chest, and puts her left hand right next to it, so she can admire our rings all at the same time.

She gazes at me, adoration in her eyes.

"But I couldn't do that, if it meant I wouldn't have you." She tips her head back, asking me for a kiss, and I give it to her. "Marrying you is the best damn decision I ever made."

I hold her close. "I love you, Pen."

"I love you, too." She sighs. "Can you believe we can say that sofreely now?"

"I can. We were meant to get here."

"Unbelievable as it is. Who would have known?"

I laugh. "I think everyone knew but us, Pen."

Her parents arrive soon after and tease us about the video. They don't comment on the way we stay close enough to touch. To them, we've been in love for a while, and there's nothing to make them realize that things have changed.

My wife finally loves me with all her heart.

I end up having to go into a virtual meeting with Selena and part of the Strike team. I bring Pen with me to her room, so she can be a part of it. After a quick greeting with everyone, she moves away from the frame and listens. I sit up against the headboard, Pen's head is on my thigh, and I caress her hair as the meeting goes on.

She listens as Selena agrees that Pen doesn't need to be penalized, as she's not currently under contract with the Strike and is only acivilian. She had not agreed to morality clauses the way I had. Cora and Mariana share the sentiment, but Cora gives me a clear boundary— this cannot happen again. I'm only happy to make the promise. They don't know that I checked while on the plane back here and now I've confirmed the details. To avoid getting in trouble, all we have to do is remain inside the cabin. As soon as I own the property, the reasonable expectation of privacy while in the wooden dome is enough— nevermind the large glass windows that leave little to the imagination. If Pen were to feel like engaging in some risk again, we could make it happen, while remaining safe enough. We'll see how she feels after a while.

Pen sighs as I hang up. "You know, the video isn't even all that bad."

"Are you serious?"

She laughs. "Don't get me wrong. I'd rather it wasn't going around."

"You heard Evie. John from the club found out who leaked it. They weren't only fired, but they had to sign an NDA and take down the video. The Strike legal team is taking care of it, and that plus the fear of me going in with my own lawyers or John going in with his lawyers… It's never going to be fully contained, but it's as contained as can be."

"Eventually, people will find something else to be shocked about, and forget about this."