Law Maker

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

Asher

A year later

It felt symbolic to win in Jerez—Dad’s favorite track. As much as I hated tempting fate, I couldn’t help hoping this year the championship title would be mine.

And the girl smiling at me outside my motorhome, standing with Ale, Dawson, and Grandma, was the one who made it possible.

She believed in me when I didn’t, and she endured my packed schedule without complaint. She wanted me to chase my dreams. The truth was, I’d already caught them—because I had her. But the title would be my thank-you to Dad.

I pushed through the throng of fans, shaking hands and accepting congratulations until I finally reached her.

“Estoy orgullosa de ti,” Kaia whispered in my ear. She wore a red mini dress with the number eighty and Williams printed on the back.

Thank God I hadn’t seen it while racing. I needed a win, not to highside because of how hot she looked.

I slid a hand into her wavy hair and kissed her once. Then again. Until Ale clapped and whistled. “Get a room, or get married, mi nino.”

“That’s what we’re hoping for,” Grandma said with a broad grin. “I want to organize a wedding. A huge party on the beach, and—”

“Maricarmen.” Kaia giggled, glancing at me. “Stop. Look at how pale he is. You scared him!”

Grandma shrugged. “A woman’s gotta do what she’s gotta do. It’s been forever since we had a party here. Tell me I’m wrong, Ale.”

He smirked. “You’re always right.”

“She is, indeed,” Dawson added, like there was any chance he’d disagree. He and Grandma were still in their honeymoon phase, even though they’d chosen not to marry. He worked as a mechanic in Jerez, and she’d retire next year. After so much heartache, life was finally good to them both.

“Well.” I took Kaia’s hand in mine, warm and certain. “Thank you for coming, but Kaia and I have somewhere to be.”

“Do we?” she asked, curious.

I squeezed her hand. “Yes. See you later, everyone.”

As soon as we slid into my car, Kaia threw her arms around my neck. “God, you were incredible out there. Poor Roy. You’re getting faster and faster.”

“Must be all the training,” I murmured into her hair. “And knowing you’re watching me.”

“Always. Do you like my dress?” Mischief danced in her eyes.

I let my hand trail to her thigh. “Your dress is a safety hazard, peque. I’m surprised they let you anywhere near the track.”

“And I’m surprised you don’t want to tell me what plans we have. Are we meeting Rys for dinner today?”

I nipped at her neck. “Tomorrow.”

Rys, Kaia, and I had a reservation at the best restaurant in the area.

“Then wha—”

I silenced her with a kiss, then started the car. During the drive, Kaia kept flicking glances between me and the road. I purposely took a way she didn’t know, but soon the beach came into view.

“Knew it.” She smiled. “I wish I’d brought a swimsuit.”

After I parked, we walked down the wooden walkway to the sand. Kaia dipped her toes into it, grinning. “Please tell me we’re coming back tomorrow so I can swim.”

“I’ve got a few days off.” I laced our fingers, steering her away from a group of guys playing volleyball. The place wasn’t as deserted as it had been last December, but still far from crowded.

We kept walking until Kaia slowed, her gaze fixed on the house she’d noticed last year.

“Wow,” she whispered. “They finished it. Look how beautiful it is. It even has a pool.”

“Want to take a look?”

She bit her lip. “I don’t know. Feels rude to gawk at someone else’s property.”

“No worries. Just for a moment. I’m sure the owners wouldn’t mind.”

I led her toward the fence.

“They must be used to people staring,” Kaia said. “It’s the most beautiful house in the area. But let’s only look for a second, okay? Imagine if they recognize you—you’ll make headlines.”

I kissed her knuckles. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

She giggled, slowing her steps as her feet sank into the sand. “I’ve got a confession.”

“Did you give an exclusive interview about our sex life?”

Kaia snorted. “Never. It’s ours and too good to share. But I did ask Nova for the pictures she took of you during training. I think it’s time for a new scrapbook.”

Nova worked at Ale’s agency, and she was in charge of my social media apart from being a talented photographer.

Warmth seeped into my chest. “How the hell did I get so lucky?”

“Says Mister Watch-My-Dance-Lessons.”

I stopped at the fence. “I love watching you dance. And I’ve got a confession too.”

“Surprise me.”

“I know the owners of this house.”

Kaia tilted her head, studying me. “You do?”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “Go ahead and gawk, peque.”

Her eyes widened.

I swallowed a laugh and kissed her instead, pressing the keys into her palm. “It’s ours.”

She froze, staring at me, then dropped her gaze to the keys glinting in her hand. “Ash. No way.”

I shrugged and tapped the code into the panel. The gate unlocked, and Kaia stepped forward cautiously, gasping at her surroundings.

The pool shimmered in the evening light. Palm trees swayed in the yard—because she loved them. As I nudged her toward the white stone house with its wide square windows, she covered her mouth with both hands. “It’s even more spectacular up close.”

I had Rys to thank for the help with construction and design. He’d recommended the team that built his hotel, and a year and a half later, here it was—the house of our dreams.

Inside, sunlight filled every room. Kaia trailed her fingers over the glass of a floor-to-ceiling bookcase in the living room, her grin tugging at my heart.

“For your books,” I said. “I plan to give you more. Some are already in the package on the shelf.”

She lifted the rectangle wrapped in pink paper and tore it open impatiently. Her bottom lip trembled at the sight of another special edition of El Principito, but it was the book beneath it I wanted her to notice.

“Our story?” She looked up from the cover, her eyes shining.

“Yes. I already added some things.”

She opened the album. Inside were pictures of us as kids, then our first photos together. My handwriting wasn’t nearly as neat as hers, but under each image I’d written fragments of the memories I cherished with her.

Kaia sniffled, drying her cheeks with the heel of her palm. “I love it. And there are lots of blank pages.”

“We’ll add more until we run out, peque. Because we will.”

Slowly, I dropped to one knee. My hand shook as I pulled out a box with the heart-shaped diamond ring.

Tears drenched Kaia’s cheeks. She clutched the book to her chest, staring at me like I was something she couldn’t look away from.

“I want to fill that book with hundreds of pictures,” I said. “I want to spend every day I get with you—living, laughing, raising our kids. You’ve always been, and you’ll always be, my everything, Kaia Demeri. So would you please be my family? Will you marry me?”

Her answer was a mix of a laugh and a sob as she ran toward me, slipping on the polished hardwood. I caught her before she could fall.

“Sí. Yes. Please,” she whispered, holding me tight.

I slid the ring onto her finger. I’d kissed her more times than I could count, but the kiss she gave me then topped them all—slow, purposeful, tender. She broke away only to press her lips along my wet cheek.

I lifted her, wrapped her legs around my waist, and carried her to the kitchen.

As I set her on the marble counter, she tugged at my team shirt, dragging it up my torso until it hit the floor. The cool press of her new ring brushed my abs, sparking heat through me.

It was my turn. I peeled off the dress I secretly wanted her to wear to every race. She giggled breathlessly as I uncovered the lacy thong and sheer bra beneath.

Fuck. Me.

“I knew you’d win.” Kaia brushed her thumb across my bottom lip. “If I’d known you’d propose, I’d have worn nothing.”

I sucked her finger into my mouth, holding her gaze as the air between us grew hotter.

The last rays of sun flooded the room, the ocean stretching wide behind the windows, but I only saw the woman I prayed would soon be my wife.

For the second time that day, I dropped to my knees. Kaia gasped as I pulled her to the counter’s edge and tugged her thong aside. I kissed her inner thigh, teasing until her breaths came fast and shallow. Then my mouth was on her clit.

She grabbed a fistful of my hair, rocking her hips to my rhythm. “Ash. Please.”

I fucking loved it when she begged. Sliding a finger inside her, I looked up, hardening just from one glimpse of the ecstasy on her face. I pressed the spot that made her shudder, kept her there until she was close. Then I pulled back.

“Tease,” she panted, tugging at my hair. “Come here.”

I rose, and she wasted no time unbuttoning my pants, stroking me from root to tip. My hands freed her bra, caressing her breasts, rubbing her hardened nipples as air leaked from me in a ragged exhale.

Her hand moved faster, thumb circling the swollen tip, before she aligned me with her entrance. I caught her mouth in a hot, deep kiss as I pushed inside.

Fucking heaven. Nothing could ever beat this. Nothing ever would. She was so slick I slid in and out effortlessly, angling to hit the spot that drove her wild.

Her nails dug into my shoulders as she clung to me, desperate for another kiss.

I yanked her against my chest, tongue tangling with hers as I devoured her mouth, my thrusts quickening.

Kaia rocked her hips, and I dropped my hand to her clit, circling with my fingertips. I wanted her to come first—or even better, with me.

“You’re taking me so well, mi amor,” I rasped against her mouth. “I want to fuck you like this for the rest of my life.”

She quivered, clamping around me. A moan ripped from her throat, and I broke the kiss so I could watch her unravel.

“That’s it,” I whispered as she came with a cry, clutching my shoulders.

Holding her face between my palms, I kept thrusting until the base of my spine tingled, warning me of the inevitable.

“Look at you,” Kaia whispered, breathless. “My future husband is the hottest man on earth.”

This fucking girl. My climax tore through me, leaving me useless. I spilled inside her, hard, then dropped my forehead to her shoulder, still shaking from the aftershocks.

Kaia chuckled softly, kissing my damp hair. “It’s ridiculous how much I love you, Asher Williams.”

I bit her shoulder lightly. “Lucky for me, you love me enough to marry me. But probably not as much as I love you.”

She tipped my chin up with her thumb. “I still feel like a teenager with a crush, in case you doubted it.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “No doubts. But my crush on you has always been bigger.”

Kaia huffed, and I grinned. God, I loved teasing her.

I loved knowing I’d get to tease and love her for the rest of my life even more.

***

“Ash. Mi nino.”

I reached for the voice, eyes still closed. “Peque.”

“We need to go, sleepyhead,” Kaia said, tossing the sheet off me.

I sat up, blinking. “Go where?”

She was already dressed in a pink sundress, looking so fucking beautiful it stole my breath. My gaze fell to the ring on her finger, and color spread across her cheeks.

“Somewhere we need to be,” she said. “I’ll drive.”

I winked. “Give me five minutes to shower.”

When I came out, she was waiting behind the wheel. I kissed her before buckling into the passenger seat.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked as she started the car. “Let me guess, Grandma called.”

Kaia chuckled. “I called her. She was so happy for us. I promised we’d have lunch with her and Dawson. Maybe Ale will stop by too.”

I sighed. “And here I was hoping to keep you in our bed all day.”

Her smile softened into something more serious. “I hope you don’t mind if we visit someone before Maricarmen’s.”

I didn’t. What I didn’t expect was that she meant my dad.

At his grave, Kaia slipped her hand into mine. “I thought he’d want to know we’re getting married.”

Tightness swelled in my throat. “Gracias, peque.”

Thanks to her—and my weekly therapy—I’d come a long way with grief. I visited Dad’s grave every time I was in El Puerto, but Kaia’s gesture cut deeper. Smiling, she caressed my cheek, then reached into her white purse.

My breath caught at the small velvet box.

“I didn’t want to steal your thunder yesterday,” she said. “But I bought this ring for you a while ago. In case you ever doubted my crush was bigger.”

Emotion clogged my throat. “Peque, peque,” I whispered. “I’ve had your ring for over a year.”

An adorable blush erupted on her cheeks.

“Anyway.” She pulled a platinum band from the box and took my hand. “Will you please marry me at some point in the future?”

“Sí, mi amor. Tomorrow if you want. Grandma knows the whole town—she’d have us married by noon. Now give me my ring.”

“Not tomorrow. I want a pretty dress, and Alba and Javi need time to get here from Madrid.” She slid the band onto my finger. “But soon.”

“Soon.” I leaned in for a kiss.

She smiled against my lips. “Wait. I need to tell your dad something.”

My eyes misted. I nodded as Kaia turned to face Dad’s headstone.

She cleared her throat. “Hola, Sergio. As you know, I’m going to marry your son. He finally said yes.”

Finally? I laughed through tears.

“And I know things didn’t work out for you, but they will for us.” She glanced at me, her blue eyes shining. “I promise to love him. To be faithful. To fight for him and believe in him even when he doubts himself. He’s in good hands, Sergio. He’ll never be alone.”

I pulled Kaia tight, my chest nearly bursting with love and gratitude. “Thank you,” I whispered, my tears wetting her cheeks.

She smiled and brushed them away with her fingertips. “De nada. I told him the truth.”

I slid my fingers into her hair, holding her close as she tucked her face into my neck. “Te amo.”

“Yo más,” Kaia said. I love you more.

I didn’t argue. Instead, I looked skyward. It felt like Dad was here, watching us. And if he was, he knew how happy she made me.

True love was rare.

But I was lucky enough to have found mine.