“What do you think? Is Nico worth the time?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “Vinnie’s been trying to get Nico another movie for close to a year.”
“If I could help him get back on track,” she says, her tone hopeful, “I could become a legit agent. I could have my own client list instead of following Burke around like his lapdog.”
“He could also ruin your career.”
Willow glances at the cars passing by as she drinks her latte. People are bustling past us on the sidewalk, the city humming with life.
“Maybe I should approach Nico first and see what he’s like.”
“I have a favor to ask.”
She shoves her dark hair behind her ears. “Name it.”
“I need an agent.”
Willow grins so wide it reaches up to her eyes. “What do you have in mind?”
“I’ve been working some nights at Date Crashers.”
“With their Crashers, right?”
“Yeah, I help Sloan teach the new Crashers how to break up dates. But last week, I had this idea for a movie…”
“About Date Crashers?”
“I don’t know what happened,” I confess. “I pitched the idea to Sloan and Dylan, and then I couldn’t stop writing. I wrote the first draft in one weekend.”
“What’s the screenplay called?”
“Date Crashers. It’s loosely based on how Sloan and Dylan started the company, but it’s a romantic comedy with parallel storylines that cover both Dylan and Sloan’s real-life romances.”
“Is there any date crashing in the movie?”
“That’s how the fictional version of Sloan meets his girlfriend.”
Her face illuminates from the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “We could totally sell that to a studio.”
“You think?”
She bobs her head. “Yeah, for sure. Date Crashers is so hot right now, especially with the new dating app Dylan created.”
“I’m proud of him. He put his foot down with Sloan and refused to work with Exact Match, and now look at how well they’re doing.”
“You look happy,” she says.
I can’t help but smile. “I am.”
She takes one last sip of her coffee and rises to her feet, grabbing her bag from the ground. “I have to get back to the office. I wish I could stay and chat, but Burke wants to talk about our new acquisitions.”
I wrap my arms around her. “Let me know how you make out with Nico.”
Willow hugs me back. “Wish me luck.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Ash
Six months later…
Dylan threads his fingers between mine, leading me toward the water. Now that our living situation is permanent, we end our nights on the beach without having to sneak around. It feels nice to be with Dylan and not have to hide our relationship.
Sloan has adjusted over the past few months. The first few were a bit rocky, especially when Sloan would catch us kissing or making out. Now, he groans and walks away. I don’t think Sloan will ever get used to seeing his best friend kissing his sister, but he’s accepting it.
We stop at the edge of the water, feeling the wet sand between our toes. Dylan grips my shoulder and turns me until we’re facing. He curls his finger around a loose strand of my hair and then pushes it behind my ear.
“You’re beautiful, Ash.”
“You’re pretty hot for a nerd,” I joke.
He laughs, and surprisingly, he lowers to one knee in front of me, ignoring the water hitting his thigh. My throat feels as if it’s about to close up as he reaches into his pocket and produces a blue box. He flips open the box to reveal a massive diamond, the band inlaid with diamond chips. Tears form in my bottom lids, threatening to spill over.
“Ash, I have loved you since we were kids, before I even understood that what I felt for you was love.” He holds up the ring for me to see. “When I kissed you for the first time, I knew that you were more than a crush. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, and if I had a time machine, I would take all of the stupid shit I did back. But we’re here now, happy and more in love than I ever thought possible. You took a chance on me, and I’m hoping you’ll take another one.”
He takes my hand and inches the ring along my finger. “Will you marry me?”
I smile so hard my cheeks hurt. “You know, I will.”
I sink to my knees and hook my arms around his neck. He rolls me onto my back, and his lips crash into mine. Stray tears fall from my eyes and wet his cheeks as our tongue tangle. He kisses me until my tears are gone, and I’m struggling to catch my breath.
I reach between us, feeling his hard cock over his shorts before I roll down his zipper, sliding my hand up and down his shaft. With a groan, Dylan pushes my shirt up my stomach along with my bra to expose my breasts. My nipples are painfully hard, so when he rolls his tongue over the tiny bud, I cry out his name.