Holiday Heat

Epilogue One: Jane

TWO MONTHS LATER

I rush in the door,smiling. “Honey, I’m home.”

“Hey, baby doll. I’m in the bedroom. Come on back.”

“Really? You can’t even meet me at the door?” I pout, busting through the bedroom door and slamming to a stop, my mouth falling open. “Holy shit!”

Ryker’s emerald eyes sparkle as he throws his dark head back and laughs his ass off.

“Really, baby? That’s how you respond? I’m trying to be romantic here and you’re killing me.”

His tall, muscular body is standing in the middle of the bedroom, dressed in a black tuxedo that coasts over his delicious body in a way that makes my head spin. A small smirk dances across his firm, seductive lips. He gets down on one knee and holds out a black velvet box tied with a silver bow.

The room is lit with flickering candles and red rose petals decorate the bed and floor leading up to where he’s kneeling.

My eyes fill with tears and I have to dig my fingernails into my palms because there’s no way in hell I’m going to start crying. Not until I get through this.

His green eyes shimmer with love and happiness. “Jane…you’ve made me so happy the last few months. I wake up every morning thanking my lucky stars that I met you. That I found my perfect match out there and managed to talk her into giving me a chance. I’m looking for another chance now, baby doll. The chance to change your name to mine. The chance to join your life to mine and make you as happy as you’ve made me.”

I shake my head. “You’ve already made me so happy. I don’t see how it could get any better.”

“Let me try.” He smirks at me, his eyes dancing with mischief. Lord, I love this man. “You know what an over-achiever I am.”

Laughing and struggling not to cry, I wipe my eyes. “I do know that.”

“And along with this beautiful ring to decorate the finger of my lovely future bride, I’ve got another gift for you.”

He holds out a piece of paper and I take it, my head cocked to the side. “What is this?”

“It’s a surprise. How about we move this along though, honey. My knees are starting to hurt.”

I roll my eyes and open the sheaf of papers, reading through them. My mouth drops and my eyes fly to his. “Are you kidding me? What have you done?”

“I bought the company that Richard works at. And I signed it over to you. I wanted to toss his ass out on his ear because of how badly he played you. But in the end, I’m not your knight. You don’t need that. You’re a woman who’s strong enough to decide for herself what punishment that jackass deserves. So it’s up to you to decide if you want to fire him or not. But either way, you’re in charge of his future and your own past. All I will do is support you in any way you ask.”

Tears pour unchecked down my cheeks. “That’s all any woman could ask for,” I whisper.

“You still haven’t answered me, sweetheart.”

“About what I’m going to do about Richard?”

“Pfft!” he snorts. “I don’t give a damn what you decide to do on that front. Only in so much as it applies to you. What I care about is whether you are going to marry me.”

“Absolutely I will marry you. I want to see what the next fifty years looks like.”

I throw myself in his arms and he whirls me around the room until I’m laughing and dizzy. He pulls back and stares right into my eyes, his own so full of love that it makes my breath stall.

“It’s all going to look perfect. Just like you.”

And his lips claim mine, ravenous and demanding. Soft and sweet. He’s everything to me and I can’t imagine my life without him.

Now I won’t have to. Because he’s the man of my dreams. The man of my future. My forever man.