Epilogue
Simon paced the courtyard of the elegant resort with a frown.
Was he about to make a big mistake? What if she wouldn’t have him? The last six weeks had been the happiest of his life. Did he really want to screw that up?
He looked out at the water, reliving those memories with a contented sigh.
I don’t want to screw it up. But I need her. I want her to be mine. The need to brand her as his, to stake his claim, was nearly overwhelming.
Looking toward the outside door to their suite made him shudder. Fuck! Why was this so hard? He and Kara shared everything. There wasn’t a corner of his heart and soul that she didn’t know.
His phone vibrated in the pocket of his suit jacket. He was in a suit and tie, and it wasn’t even a damn workday. He was currently in Orlando, to visit Disneyworld of all places, to realize one of Kara’s dreams. Incredible that a woman born and raised in Tampa had never been to Disneyworld!
Of course, neither had he. But, then again, he had come to Florida as an almost-adult.
He clenched his last heart-wish in his palm, squeezing it until his hand was white, his blood circulation nearly cut off.
He had saved one wish. The other one had been used to get her to come on a vacation trip during her spring break. He had given her the heart a month ago and told her he wished that he could take her someplace that she wanted to visit during her spring break.
Okay. Yeah. He expected Paris, London, the Orient, or even Africa. Instead, she had mumbled quietly that she had always wanted to go to Disneyworld. Barely more than an hour’s drive from Tampa, and with a private jet available for travel anywhere in the world, he hadn’t expected this to be her dream vacation.
Granted, it had actually been fun. He especially liked it when she got scared on a ride and threw herself in his arms with a shriek and a delighted laugh. Tonight was their last night at the resort, and he was taking her to dinner in one of the best restaurants in Orlando. He just hoped that they had something big to celebrate.
Fishing his phone from his jacket, he looked at the caller ID. Hudson, Samuel.
“What?” he snarled into the phone.
“Did you ask her yet?”
Simon nearly laughed at the slightly nervous voice on the other end of the phone. Sam acted like this event was just as important to him as it was to Simon. “No. She’s getting ready for dinner.”
“You’ve had a week. What the hell?”
“What do you care?” Actually, Simon knew very well why Sam cared. He’d let it slip that if Kara said yes, Sam would very likely be seeing Maddie Reynolds again.
“She’s good for you. You need her. Plus, I don’t want to put up with your shitty mood if she says no.”
She wasn’t going to say no. She couldn’t say no. He would just have to convince her. Anything else was not an option.
The door of their suite opened, and Simon lost all interest in his conversation with Sam. “I’ll call you later.”
“Ask her.”
Simon clicked off the call and pocketed his phone, his eyes never leaving the beautiful woman in red, framed in the door of their suite.
God, she’s incredible. Will I ever get used to the sight of her?
Most likely...not. It didn’t matter where she was, or what she was wearing, he started having palpitations the moment he saw her.
Tonight, dressed in a red cocktail dress that flirted with her knees, and a pair of matching heels, she took his breath away. Her hair was down, tiny strands ruffling from the slight ocean breeze.
“You look beautiful,” he told her truthfully as he reached her side, planting a light kiss on her lips. You look like a fucking goddess.
Every day. Every single time he saw her.
“Thanks. You’re looking very handsome yourself, Mr. Hudson. Are we ready?” she asked, shooting him a happy smile.
I’m ready. Ready to strip off that sexy dress and see what kind of underwear you’re wearing. Then I’ll strip them off with my teeth and fuck you until you scream.
His cock was rock-hard, but that was nothing new. It happened every day, every time she smiled at him. Or when she didn’t smile at him. When she frowned. When she argued. Fuck! Her mere presence was all that was required to give him an erection.
Or her voice. Or just the thought of her. Damn...he was easy when it came to Kara.
“In just a minute.” He guided her back in the door, closing it behind him. “I need to talk to you.”
Her smile faded and he wanted to kick himself.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, her voice suddenly concerned.
“No.” He sat on a leather couch in the opulent suite and pulled her down into his lap. “I need to ask you something.”
Do it. Just do it. Before you go crazy.
He opened his clenched fist, showing her his final heart-wish.
“Don’t waste it on asking for sex, ’cause I’m pretty much a sure thing,” she answered, laughing softly.
He slid her off his lap and seated her beside him. Reaching into his pocket, he handed her a small box.
She looked at him, then the heart, and then the box. Taking the box in her hand, she lifted the lid slowly.
“I wish that you would marry me.” His voice was husky and filled with part hope, part fear.
“Oh, my God. Simon, I didn’t expect this.” She pulled the huge, sparkling diamond ring, housed in a platinum setting, from its velvet home, her fingers trembling. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes. Please.” Say yes or I’m gonna lose it.
She looked at him with a stunned expression. “You want to marry me? Simon, you haven’t even told me that you love me. I assumed you just weren’t ready. I didn’t expect this.”
How in the hell could she not have suspected? She’d owned his heart, body, and soul for what seemed like forever. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” Surely he had said that to her before? “I do. I can’t believe I’ve never said it, but you had to have known.”
She smiled up at him. “I know. I just wasn’t sure if you were ready to say it.”
“I’m more than fucking ready. You’re mine and I want it official.” His eyes were intense, his body tight. “I should have told you that I loved you. I’ll make sure you hear it so often from now on that you’ll be tired of hearing me say it. You deserve to hear it every fucking day. Maybe I haven’t verbalized it because there aren’t really words to explain how I feel about you. Love seems lukewarm, not enough. But I love hearing it coming from your lips. I should have known that you wanted to hear it.” He sighed. “You’re my life, sweetheart. Please be mine. Mine forever.”
She threw herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes tightly, knowing he held his whole world in his arms at that very moment.
“Mine forever,” she breathed, close to his ear, her voice incredulous.
He pulled back to look at her face. She was crying, tears spilling from her eyes in an endless stream.
“Don’t cry. I don’t like it.”
“I know. But they’re happy tears.”
Fuck! Crying was crying, and he hated to see her cry. He plucked the ring from her trembling fingers and grasped her hand gently, sliding the ring on her finger. His heart raced as he stated, “You’re marrying me.”
“I thought you were asking.” She shot him an amused look. “I haven’t said yes.”
“You will,” he warned, his expression dark. “Say that you will.” Say it. Before I have a damn heart attack. Say it. Now. Right fucking now!
She pried his fist open and pick up the heart gently. She tore it up, letting the tiny pieces scatter over the couch. “Wish granted.”
He blew out a relieved breath, his heart hammering. “Yes?”
“Yes. I’ll marry you. I love you, too.”
“Soon,” he demanded.
“We’ll see. Compromise?”
“No!” He took her hand in his and gently kissed the ring he had placed on her finger. “No compromise this time.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, dropping a soft kiss on his lips as she caressed the nape of his neck. “A small compromise?”
“No.”
He groaned as she pulled his head down and gave him a toe-curling, hot embrace that had him panting in the aftermath.
“You can give a little,” she told him in a low, persuasive voice.
He growled as her hand moved down his chest and palmed his erection through his pants. “Are you trying to seduce me into compromise?”
“Maybe. Is it working?” she answered in her irresistible “fuck-me” voice.
“Hell yes, it’s working,” he growled, pulling her into his arms. “Fine. We’ll talk terms. Later.” He stood and pulled her to her feet.
Fuck! He was easy.
“Later,” she agreed. “Much later.” She grabbed his tie and tugged, leading him willingly toward the bedroom.
Maybe being easy wasn’t always a bad thing.
They missed dinner and ordered room service hours later. In the hours preceding their celebratory engagement dinner in the suite, Simon learned that compromise wasn’t bad at all and that being easy could be a very, very good thing.
~*~The End~*~