“I think Berti is warming to you,” Danni mused as she stared at her reflection in our hotel bedroom’s mirror. She was carefully pushing an earring into her ear—a simple act that shouldn’t have caught my attention as much as it did.

“They all do eventually,” I told her from the bed. I was propped up on a pillow with my hands behind my head, waiting for Danni to finish getting ready, while I laid there in my jeans and black shirt, watching her.

Her eyes found mine in the mirror. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

Danni rolled her eyes, but her smile grew, flashing her bright, pearly whites at me before she shook her head and picked up a lipstick.

The red lipstick.

It made my inner wolf growl in want.

“She told me today that she liked having you around.”

“Yeah?” My brows rose high. “She told me I should get a life and spend some time away from you.”

“She didn’t say that.”

“Yep.”

“She’s just testing you. Trying to get you to snap.”

“She shouldn’t. I’m a fire-breathing dragon when I’m set free.” I grinned, no doubt looking like a four-week-old puppy rather than a dangerous beast.

“I remember. We all saw what you did to Johnny Miller. You’re my strong, handsome bodyguard.” Her eyes found mine again, and that mischievous smile taunted me. It took all my strength to stay where I was and not crawl across the bed to slap her arse. She’d probably enjoy that too much, though, and then we’d never get out to dinner.

Spinning on the spot after she’d carefully applied her lipstick, Danni turned to me before she rested her hands on the edge of the vanity table and leaned back.

It felt repetitive to keep reminding myself just how fucking stunning she was, but I couldn't help it. Every time I saw her in a new outfit, the inner fifteen-year-old in me would wake up in my mind with a huge mental erection and remind me just how good I’d done. That night she was wearing a summery, floral white strappy dress that made her tanned skin glow. Her hair was down in loose waves, and she barely had any makeup on at all… except for those lips. Damn, those lips.

“A little bird told another little bird who then told me that apparently Vincenzo gave Berti a bit of a warning that night when you knocked Miller out cold.”

“Huh?” I frowned. “Vincenzo gave Roberta a warning? About what?”

“He told her to quit with the attitude. He said if she knew what was good for her, she’d support our new relationship.”

“Why would he get involved?”

Danni shrugged, but something told me she knew exactly why.

“Danni…” I groaned, raising a brow.

“He may have said something about how Berti pushing you and me apart would ruin everything.”

“Ruin everything with us?”

“Yeah… and my career. Vincenzo isn’t stupid, Marcus. He knows I’m nothing without you.”

“Danni, you’re everything on your own. You don’t need me to conquer the world. Don’t let anyone tell you that.”

“No,” she started. “Maybe not.” Pushing herself off the vanity unit, she began to stalk forward until she was sitting on the bed, lowering her face so it was an inch away from mine. “But maybe he knows that my smile wouldn’t be as bright without you there beside me. And maybe he knows that you’re the one that gives me that shine. Without it, I’m just a pretty face in nice clothing. You’re my accessory. My good luck charm.” Her fingers danced up my chest before she drew a circle around my heart. “My moon.”

“Damn,” I whispered, looking into her eyes.

“What?”

“I think my heart just grew again.”

Her small smile broke free and she laughed softly. “Is that all that grew?” She looked up at me through her thick, long lashes as her hand travelled back down my chest, sliding over my dick. “Nope. Didn’t think so.”

It only took a split second for me to flip her over and pin her beneath me.

It took a lot longer than that to make sweet fucking love to her, and even longer before we got to eat.

I’d never think about food again if I could spend the rest of my life buried deep inside of Danni Marston.

“Are you ready to go back home next week?” she asked as we strolled along the beach in bare feet, watching the moon’s reflection hitting the surface of the dark water. We’d been fed, watered, we’d talked, silently held each other’s gaze, and now we were where we liked to spend most of our nights when Danni wasn’t working. Every time we saw the white sparkles on the black ocean surface, it reminded us of our very first night together. That very first time we threw caution to the wind and devoured one another.

“Home,” I said through a small sigh. “Yeah, I’m ready to see everyone again.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I answered, staring down into the sand as I kicked a foot out. “I just can’t believe we’ve been gone so long.”

“Three months,” she whispered.

“Some days it seems like two minutes. Other days it feels like a lifetime.”

“Marcus?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you ever regret giving up your life and security to come away with me?”

I stopped dead in my tracks, turning to look at her and tugging on her arm. “Never.” I shook my head. “This is, without a doubt, where I want to be.”

“Then why do you always sound sad when we mention home?”

I huffed out a small laugh and brought her closer to me. “Because I love people back there, and of course I miss them. That’s natural.”

“Is it?”

“Isn’t it?” I tilted my head to one side.

“I don’t know. The only person I’ve ever missed being away from is you,” she admitted softly. “I mean, I love my friends and family, but I feel like I can let them go every now and again. You were the first person that made me feel like I couldn’t leave. Not without you.”

I brought one hand up to her cheek and gently stroked it with my knuckles. “That’s both flattering and depressing.”

“Depressing?” She blinked.

“Yeah, fucking depressing, Danni. You know I don’t get involved with the relationship you and your parents have, but it pisses me off that they never made you feel as special as you are.”

“They did… I mean, they do,” she stuttered in a very un-Danni like manner.

“No, they don’t. They make you feel provided for. There’s a difference.”

“Maybe. But maybe they just aren’t the same as your parents. Maybe my parents are wired differently, made of different stock. And, yeah, while I sometimes get envious of the fact that you and Sammy have had such a good upbringing, it doesn’t mean that I’m jealous or that I want it for myself. Some things are good to watch from a distance. Everything I’ve been through, every day I’ve ever lived, every decision my parents ever made for me, has brought me to this moment right here… with you. That’s good enough for me, Marcus. That will always be enough for me.”

“And what if I want you to have more?”

“Tough shit.” She half-smiled. “It isn’t up to you to decide what I want.”

I sighed, resigned to the fact that nothing I said or did was going to make her realise how lacking her parents had been with their love. Or maybe it was me who needed to realise that it truly didn’t matter to her. Each day was a learning curve with Danni by my side. Each day I learned a new lesson and had no choice but to accept it for what it was.

“You know what, Daniella Marston?”

“What?” she whispered, pressing her chest against mine.

“I’m going to make you so damn happy, I’m going to wrap you up in so much love for the rest of your life, you’re going to wonder how you ever made it to twenty-two without me.”

“Want to know a secret? I already do.”

“God, I love you.”

“Shut up and show me how much.”

I did. I showered her with all my emotions on that beach that night. We kissed and moved along the sand with a grace and ease that should have been choreographed, it was so smooth. I tugged her into a little cove where the rocks sheltered us from prying eyes, and the sounds of the waves drowned out our moans. I let the moonlight glow on my back and watched as the stars lit up her eyes as I hovered over her and poured everything I had into loving her naked body. I made her sweat, cry out, choke on her ecstasy, and pant as she begged me to stop, stop, stop, when what she really meant was more, more, more. I made love to her, fucked her, caressed her, nipped her, and marked her in intimate places with every ounce of love my fingers could transfer onto her flesh and into her body.

We owned the Sorrento skies that night.

We abused the Italian sands.

We made memories beside the crackle and fizz of the ocean.

Then we laid back and watched the moon wave goodbye to the sunrise from afar as a new day dawned in front of our eyes.

Another day for us before we returned home to everyone else.

I only hoped they were well. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to cope if anything bad had happened when we arrived home. I wasn’t ready to take the jump off of cloud nine and get hit with reality. I wanted to stay there, with her, forever.

I was finally becoming selfish… and I didn’t know how that made me feel.

Next week, as Danni had put it, arrived quickly, and we were soon flying through the air before landing in cold, wet, miserable Manchester. My girlfriend laughed at me as I unzipped my suitcase and threw on four extra layers before we met Sammy and Cameron at the arrivals gate.

“Marcus!” my little sister shrieked as she literally flung herself at my body, forcing me to drop my bags and catch her as well as I could. I stumbled back with her in my arms and grunted.

“Jesus Christ, Sammy.”

“I’ve missed you so much,” she cried into my neck. Were those tears I could feel against my skin? Yep. Either that, or her snot, and I preferred to think of them as tears, otherwise I would throw up on my little sister before I’d even said hello. “You’ve been gone forever.”

I laughed softly, closed my eyes, and squeezed her tighter. “Not forever. Just a few months, kiddo.”

“A few months too many,” she muttered, clearly pouting.

“Hey, what happened to you wanting me to live for me now?”

“I didn’t realise that would mean living without me.”

“I’ve spoken to you every day on FaceTime.” I opened my eyes to wink at Cam who was standing in his usual cargo shorts and flip flops, hair tied up in a bun, and his hands shoved in his pockets as he shook his head and smirked. “Hasn’t my Viking friend been taking care of you?” I asked her.

“He can’t cook.”

“Really?” I laughed.

“And he’s terrible at picking his socks up and putting them in the wash basket.”

“What an arsehole.”

“He leaves dirty dishes in the sink and tries to charm me with a smile to get out of cleaning them.”

“Those damn charmers, hey?”

“And he moans when I watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, trying to distract me from all the cat fights by running his fingers through my hair and shit. He’s a wizard, Marcus. But he’s not good—he’s an evil one. Like, a mind, voodoo-y, magician type creature.”

“Sounds dreadful.”

Sammy pulled back, letting me see her face for the first time. I dropped her on her feet and brushed the mascara tears away from her eyes.

“Yeah…” She sniffed up, wiping the end of her nose with the back of her hand before she shrugged. “But he fucks me so good, I forgive him for all of those bad things.”

Cameron threw his head back, barking out a laugh.

Danni yelped in surprise before slapping a hand over her mouth.

And my little sister… well, she was grinning at me like I’d fallen right into her evil trap of ear abuse, just as she’d planned it.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I whispered quietly. “I think I’m literally going to throw up, right here, right now, on your feet.”

Sammy giggled and took two steps back from me. “Welcome home, Marcus.” She grinned.

“Welcome back, Marcus The Tanned,” Cam managed to push out as the remnants of his laughter faded away.

“Stay away from me, Cameron The Sister-Stealer.” I pointed at him and pretended to look mad, but not even I could resist the charm of the Viking beast. Within seconds, he was slapping a hand on my shoulder and pulling me into a manly embrace. It was like hugging a fucking bear. I swear he’d gotten bigger.

“You been working out?” I asked, instantly regretting it as Sammy’s laughter rumbled to life again.

“Oh, Marcus.” Danni sighed from somewhere beside me.

“Working out is one way of putting it,” Cameron said, his smile smug.

“There’s that nausea again,” I muttered quietly, rubbing my stomach.

The bastard. Ugh.

I needed someone to clean my eyes, my ears, and my brain out.

“Okay. If we don’t change the subject quickly, I’m going back to Italy and never coming home,” I warned them all.

“I’ll be good.” Sammy smirked as she held her hands up in surrender.

Danni turned to her slowly. “Good is boring. Let’s be bad. Really, really bad.”

“Now that I can do,” Sammy chuckled.

It only took us just under an hour to get back to Leeds, and when the streetlights of Calverley came into view, it somehow looked different than when I left. Smaller. Homelier.

“You ready to see Mum?” Sammy asked as she spun around in the front seat and looked back over her headrest at me.

“That depends. Has she put up balloons?” I asked, raising a brow. “Made a cake? Invited half the royal family around to welcome me home?”

“No. She wanted to, but no. I warned her off.”

“I knew I liked you for a reason.”

Danni’s hand curled around mine on the backseat, instantly forcing my attention her way. “Your mum loves you, Marcus. Don’t play it cool. Let her know you love her just as much.” She smiled flatly, and I gave her a small nod of understanding.

She was the puppet master.

I was the wooden boy—in more ways than one.

“You got it,” I whispered.

One step was all I’d taken inside the house when my mother came barrelling towards me, much the same way Sammy had done in the airport. I caught her and squeezed her as tightly as I could without hurting her. Her small tears of happiness fell on my neck, too.

It was in that hallway, with my father coming into view over Mum’s shoulder, that I was reminded of how I hadn’t changed that much at all. Going off to discover the world didn’t make me selfish. It meant I was doing my best at living life to the full. As soon as I came home, I would always be the old me. I would always bathe in my family’s happiness and know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I would lay my life on the line for any of them.

Family mattered, just as Dad had reminded me all those months ago.

Now Danni was part of it. As I watched both my parents embrace her like she was their own daughter before they led her into the kitchen and made a fuss of her the whole night long, I soon began to realise that, in fact, just like everywhere she went, Danni wasn’t simply a part of it.

She was becoming the centre of it.

She was the life of fucking everything, that girl.

Every-damn-thing.