Bachelor Untamed - Brenda Jackson [71]
He reached out and brushed his knuckles against the softness of her cheeks and said, “And I am a man who will love you forever, as well.” He kissed her. “There’s something I think you ought to know. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think your Aunt Mable had a hand in all of this.”
She lifted a brow. “In all of what?”
“That publishing company. Vandellas Publishing. Donovan and I own it. I didn’t know it was the one that was publishing your aunt’s work until I heard you talking with Darcy. Just so you know, I plan to remain impartial. It will be the editor’s decision as to whether you did your aunt’s manuscript justice. If you did, then it will be published.”
Her eyes lit up and she smiled. “And if I did a good job and they want another book from Flame Elbam, would you let me write it?”
He shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
“And will you inspire me again?” she asked, leaning in closer and using the tip of her tongue to trace around his lips.
“Baby,” he said in a quivering breath, “all you have to do is ask.”
“I’m asking.”
He stood up and pulled her into his arms. As he quickly moved toward the bedroom, he glanced down at her and smiled. “That’s one request that you don’t have to make twice.”
Epilogue
“How did you manage to get married before I did?” a disgruntled Donovan Steele asked Uriel, as the two stood with Uriel’s five godbrothers for another wedding picture.
Uriel rolled his eyes and remembered something Ellie had once asked him. “Would you like some cheese to go along with your whine?”
Donovan frowned. “Funny.”
Uriel shook his head. “Hey, at least the product trade show was a huge success for the Steele Corporation, so I guess you can’t have everything. Now, smile for the camera, Don.”
After the photo was taken, Donovan strolled to where his fiancée was standing with his relatives. There was no doubt in Uriel’s mind that Donovan would try to work on Natalie again, to move up their wedding date. Uriel and Ellie had decided not to wait, and figured a Thanksgiving wedding would suit them just fine. They had a lot to be thankful for.
Ellie had accepted a position at Lassiter Industries, and they made Charlotte their primary home, but kept Cavanaugh Lake as their weekend getaway, deciding to keep Uriel’s lake house as a guest cottage for any visitors.
The editor at Vandellas Publishing had loved the story and could not believe it had been written by two different people, and had asked Ellie to continue writing as Flame Elbam. Ellie had agreed to do one more book, and she would see how that worked out before doing another.
Uriel smiled as he glanced around the room, looking for his wife, but he didn’t see her anywhere. He then scoped all the people who had come to see him and Ellie pledge their love and life to each other. It had been a beautiful affair.
He breathed in deeply when he saw his mother with her boy-toy, but didn’t feel so bad when he noted his father was too occupied talking to Donovan’s aunt to notice. Or maybe Anthony Lassiter no longer cared, which was even better.
“How much longer for the pics, U?” Xavier leaned over and asked.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Winston jokingly asked. “It’s too early in the day to be making booty calls, X, so chill.”
Uriel knew Winston had only been joking, but he had a feeling W’s words had hit a nerve with X, and he couldn’t help but wonder why. He then glanced over at Zion. “Thanks for the ring, Z,” he said to his godbrother, who had flown in from Rome a couple of days ago.
Zion smiled. “Only for you. I hope she liked it.”
Uriel chuckled. “Are you kidding? A wedding set designed by Zion. Come on, man. She loved it.”
“I hope you know you’re no longer a member of Bachelors in Demand,” York decided it was time to point out.
“Whatever,” Uriel said, rolling his eyes. He then saw his wife reenter the ballroom with her best friend Darcy. He hadn’t forgotten Darcy’s role in Ellie’s two escapades involving him. He left his godbrothers and moved toward his wife to give her a huge kiss.
When the wedding planner came to grab Ellie for