Free A Madam into a Mistress by Nadia Aidan Page B

happened between them, there was no doubt that he did.
    He lifted his head and cupped her cheek, a smile spreading across his face at the dazed look in her eyes.
    “Why would I turn you in when you’re already serving your sentence?”
    She stiffened. “Of course. And you get so much more out of me serving time with you, warming your bed and cleaning your home, than you would if they hauled me off to prison.”
     “Obviously.” He smiled then. “But I’m thinking we should modify your sentence a bit.”
    Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment, he lost his nerve at the naked anger in her gaze. He had no idea how she felt about him, not truly. He had a hunch, but after what he’d said to her…
    He steeled himself for whatever resistance she put up. What they shared had weathered eight years and a rocky few months. He was determined to make her see that no other man would ever be able to fill that empty hole she spoke of earlier, just as he knew no other woman had ever been able to fill that void in his heart that had been there since the day she’d walked away. She loved him—he knew it. Just as there was no doubt that he loved her.
    “First, I’m thinking your sentence should be longer. I’m thinking indefinitely.” He ignored her sharp gasp and held her closer when she struggled to pull away. “And I know you enjoy running Every Desire, but that’s going to have stop. On that I refuse to budge. Besides, I’m thinking after the wedding, we should start filling this place with kids, and any child of ours is going to be a handful, so you’ll be too busy to run that brothel. We’ll also have to build a bigger house, and with all this land, we may want to think about turning it into a ranch. And with your head for business…”
     Cherie stared up at Shane, her eyes wide and her ears buzzing. She could not have possibly heard… Was he serious?
    “Are you serious?”
    He pinned her with a level stare. “Completely. I love you, Cherie. Have from the first moment I laid eyes on you, and that’s why I could never turn you in. Even back then I couldn’t.” He leaned his forehead against hers and released a long, ragged sigh. “I wish you would have trusted me eight years ago. I’d worked out a deal with the judge. Had you stayed you would have been released into my custody and put on probation. I’d planned to marry you as soon as your probation was up.”
    Cherie’s throat clogged with emotion at his words. He’d done all that for her? Tears burned the backs of her eyes. No wonder he’d hated her and been hell bent on revenge. Not only had she broken his heart, but her betrayal had cost him his freedom for two years. She couldn’t imagine the pain and bitterness she’d feel if the man she loved betrayed her so cruelly.
    She touched his cheek, the tears she’d tried to fight back, slipping down her cheeks. “Oh, Shane,” she whispered brokenly. “I am so sorry. For hurting you, for all the pain I caused you—”
    He silenced her with a single finger against her lips. “That’s in the past—all of it. Today’s a new day, and I say we make a fresh start.”
    She smiled through her tears, completely amazed by Shane’s capacity to love and his ability to forgive. After everything she’d done, he’d found a way to put his love and trust in her again. She didn’t think she deserved it, or him, but she would forever cherish the second chance they’d been given.
    “I love you,” she said softly.
    His lips furled into a crooked grin
    “I know.” He slowly backed her towards the bedroom. “And I expect you to spend the rest of the day and all night showing me just how much.”
    She arched a mischievous brow. “Just one day and night? You sure you don’t want me to show you for a lifetime?”
    He grinned. “You’re right. A lifetime may be just long enough for me to get my fill of you.” His eyes twinkled. “But then, maybe not.”
    He swept her up into his arms, and for the rest of the day