Unlocked Page 17

  "Oh? Let me guess. Thomas has gone rogue and is hunting us even as we speak!"

  He laughed. "Not quite." His expression slipped to something that almost looked like nervousness. "I was hoping you'd like to make our living arrangement permanent."

  "For real?" We basically were already living together, but nonetheless, the formal acknowledgement was a big step.

  "For real," he confirmed. "I love knowing that I've got you to come home to every night. I want to know that I've got that forever."

  The word 'forever' sent a warm tingle rolling through my chest. "You make me sound like a kept women," I replied. "What about the nights where I come home to you?" I was going for a little sass, but it was somewhat ruined by the sickly sweet smile I couldn't seem to wipe off my face.

  He chuckled. "I love those, too."

  I made him sweat it for a few seconds, but the truth was he'd had me from the moment he opened his mouth. Hell, he'd had me almost from the moment we met. There was no want left in our relationship now, only need. I needed him like I needed air, and I couldn't imagine going home to a house without him either.

  "Of course I'll move in with you."

  He let out a long breath and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. "That's what I wanted to hear."

  "Although I have to say, Ruth's probably going to have an aneurysm. I'm the last domino standing, and I have no doubt she'll see this as a sign that the end is nigh."

  "The end?"

  "You know, marriage, kids, impractically fluffy pets. To Ruth that stuff is the end."

  He laughed. "I see."

  "No pressure from me — these hips won't be passing any little bundles of terror for at least a few more years — but if you plan any more big changes, give me a little notice so I can ease her into the transition, okay?"

  His expression lost a little of its amusement. "Well actually, there is one other thing I wanted to mention."

  "Oh?" I said cautiously.

  There was a long pause. "I quit."

  Something shifted in my stomach. "Quit? What do you mean quit? I thought that wasn't allowed."

  "Well, maybe that's not quite the right word. Rather, I asked Joe to fire me."

  "He can do that?"

  Sebastian shrugged. "He's in charge. He can pretty much do what he wants. Call it a perk of knowing the boss."

  "And he was okay with it?"

  Sebastian gave a surprised little smile. "Yeah. He actually seemed happy to do it."

  I shook my head slowly, trying to come to grips with what he was saying. I couldn't deny that the idea of having Sebastian all to myself filled me with joy, but I didn't want that at the expense of his happiness. "Wow. I appreciate the gesture, Sebastian, but are you sure? I mean, we're doing okay now, aren't we? Things don't need to change."

  "I'm not worried about the ninety nine percent of the time things are going fine," he said. "I'm worried about the one percent that they're not." There was pain on his face now. "Everything that happened recently has made me realise a few things. I'm not sure I'll ever trust the group like I used to. Those men are my friends, and they'll remain that way, but they also swim in dangerous waters. You know that as well as anyone." He took one of my hands in his and raised it to his mouth, brushing soft kisses across each knuckle. "Maybe nothing like that will ever happen again. But I'm not willing to risk it. I'm not willing to risk you."

  The look on his face, the fierceness, the fire, the love, it rippled through me. But still, this felt like too much. "I don't know, Sebastian. I mean, this is who you are, this is what you do. It may not make for an ideal relationship, but we can make it work. I never expected you to give up your life for me."

  "This isn't me giving up my life, Sophia," he said. "This is me beginning it."

  I could only shake my head and grin like an idiot as my heart melted into a puddle in my chest. "Well, how can a girl argue with that?"

  He pulled me in for a kiss and, for a while, I lost myself in his lips. There was a strange sensation blossoming in my chest, one that took some time for me to recognise. Hope.

  He was right.

  Everything was perfect.

  A Little Bonus

  Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story. Writing this series has been an amazing journey, and I have each and every one of you to thank.

  From the day I started writing The Alpha Group, I had two endings in mind. I wound up choosing the one you just read, because it makes the most sense in terms of how I saw the characters behaving. But the other one is a lot of fun to think about, and I didn't want it to go to waste, so I decided to write it anyway. If you want to see how Sophia and Sebastian's lives could have been, all you have to do is sign up to my newsletter here (or just go to my website, http://mayacross.com, and click 'newsletter'). Once you've confirmed, you'll receive an email with a link to the bonus scene. I'll be releasing several bonus scenes exclusively to my email list over the coming months. I am also planning to start a monthly gift voucher giveaway for my mailing list fans, so there's lots of reasons to stay in touch! I promise not to share your email with anyone else, and I won't clutter your inbox (I'll only be mailing when there's something important like a book launch or sale).

  Also just a friendly reminder that if you did like the story, the best way you can show thanks and help me keep producing more work is to leave a review on the site you bought from. You don't have to compile an epic three page analysis; even just a single line and a star rating helps. Anything that lets other people know you enjoyed it. It's a little thing, but it makes a big difference to writers like me.

  Thanks again!

  About the Author

  Maya Cross is a writer who enjoys making people blush. Growing up with a mother who worked in a book store, she read a lot from a very young age, and soon enough picked up a pen of her own. She's tried her hands at a whole variety of genres including horror, science fiction, and fantasy, but funnily enough, it was the sexy stuff that stuck. She has now started this pen name as an outlet for her spicier thoughts (they were starting to overflow). She likes her heroes strong but mysterious, her encounters sizzling, and her characters true to life.

  She believes in writing familiar narratives told with a twist, so most of her stories will feel comfortable, but hopefully a little unique. Whatever genre she's writing, finding a fascinating concept is the first and most important step.

  The Alpha Group is her first attempt at erotic romance.

  When she's not writing, she's playing tennis, trawling her home town of Sydney for new inspiration, and drinking too much coffee.

  Website: http://www.mayacross.com

  Facebook: http://facebook.com/mayacrossbooks

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/Maya_cross

  Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6217503.Maya_Cross