The Last Piece of His Heart (Lost Boys 3)

I wasn’t exactly excited about sharing potentially bad news with Esther Morris from up the street, but I couldn’t wait either.

“Okay. Open it.”

I gripped Ronan’s hand and waited an eternity as the ladies chatted and mumbled and rustled the phone in my ear. Then I heard Esther say, “It looks like she got it. Oooh, fifty thousand dollars. That’s nothing to sneeze at.”

My mouth fell open and I stared at Ronan, shaking my head. “I got it. Fifty thousand…”

“Baby!” Bibi cried in my ear. “Did you hear?”

“I heard.” Tears threatened. “Oh my God. Oh my God,” I said over and over, disbelieving as my future unrolled in front of me. My own business. The responsibility of it… The potential of it…

“Wait.” I held still. “Bibi, you didn’t put up the house, did you?”

“No, honey, I promise,” she answered. “This is based on the strength of your Etsy shop and your business plan. Your hard work.”

“Holy shit.”

Ronan stood at the end of the bed and began tugging the blanket off of me. “Tell her you’ll call her back.” His voice was low and gruff.

“Um…Bibi, I have to go.” I smothered a yelp as Ronan took hold of my ankles and pulled me down the length of the bed. “I…I’ll call you back.”

I hung up as Ronan spread my legs and knelt between them.

“What are you doing?” I breathed.

“You got the loan,” he said, matter-of-fact. “Good job.”

The

n he lowered his head, and I don’t remember much after that.

We celebrated in the shower, where we took turns wringing pleasure from each other until I was sure I couldn’t have another orgasm for at least a month. But Ronan was shirtless as we sat at his kitchen table, eating fruit and doughnuts. The look in his eyes when I licked powdered sugar off my lip had me doubting if that were true.

The man is a walking orgasm machine.

“What do you want to do today?” he asked.

“I have to get home at some point to celebrate the bank loan with Bibi. I still can’t believe it.”

“Fifty K is fucking amazing, Shiloh.”

“It’s not bad,” I said. “I’ve done the math a thousand times in my head. The space is seven hundred and seventy-five square feet. At forty-two dollars per square foot, that’s about thirty-three thousand dollars per year. Divided by twelve months means fifty grand will cover eighteen months of rent. That’s just to lease the property. Doesn’t include insurance, interior design—”

“I’ll help,” Ronan said. “Whatever I can do. I’ll build whatever you need.”

I shook my head. “You are too much. Last night. This morning…”

Because he loves me.

The moment you know your life is about to change forever hits like a sledgehammer. The weight of it heavy and monumental but exhilarating. I felt it when Bibi told me I got the start-up loan for my business. I felt it again in that kitchen, looking at Ronan Wentz.

I love him. I’m helplessly, hopelessly in love with him.

I opened my mouth to let the words come out when his phone on the table between us rang.

“Yeah?” His eyes widened; his face paled. “When?”

My pulse sped up as I watched confusion, alarm, and then something worse play over his features.