Thirst (The Calvettis of New York 1)

“I wanted your dreams to come true.”

“They are.” I lean into him. “I’m with you.”

He kisses me softly on the mouth. “It’s where you belong.”

I glance down the street. “We’re on our way to make another of my dreams come true.”

“Are we?” He laughs.

“We are.” I wiggle my brows. “Here comes our car.”

Epilogue

One Year Later

Rocco

“Here’s to my fiancée.” I raise a glass of champagne in the air. “It was a year ago today that she brought me here and now look at this place.”

The crowd gathered lifts their glasses in the air as Dexie beams.

Her hair is longer now, there are more pink streaks and Gaia’s engagement ring is planted firmly on her finger.

We’ll marry next spring after her fall collection has launched.

Today, we’re celebrating the upcoming winter collection in the Dexie Walsh boutique in Soho. It’s tucked next to a jewelry boutique, Whispers of Grace.

That’s owned by my fiancée’s business partners, Ivy Marlow-Walker, and her husband, Jax Walker.

It was Ivy who reached out to Dexie after seeing Gina’s post on Instagram a year ago.

Something in Ivy’s message spoke to Dexie’s heart so we came down to meet her at her boutique.

That meeting turned into dinner a week later that included Jax. We hit it off immediately and I saw something in the Walkers that I admire.

They’re down-to-earth people who have as much faith in Dexie and what she’s doing as I am.

They offered her a deal that beat out Suzanne’s.

I made an offer too, but Dexie wanted to build her company’s future on her own terms. I respect every decision she makes.

Dexie and her lawyer negotiated with Ivy and Jax to secure a royalty against a small percentage of equity.

Ivy’s handmade jewelry empire started in her apartment.

She worked hard for her success, and she’s by Dexie’s side as she does the same.

They share a studio space above Ivy’s boutique. So far, Dexie has hired two women to help her craft the handbags. She’ll scale up in time, at a pace that works for her.

She moved in with me a month before she quit her job at Matiz to work full-time on her business.

She’s as much a part of my family as I am. Poker nights now include her. She’s taken Dylan’s money on more than one occasion. Nicholas’s too.

Nicholas and Sophia drop by for dinner at least once a week with Winter and their new baby daughter, Reese. They’ve become my close friends as much as they are Dexie’s.

“She’s here!” Dexie starts toward the door of the boutique. My eyes are stuck on her ass in the tight pink dress she’s wearing. “Rocco, come see.”

I follow her smiling at people as I pass them by.