Epilogue
Xander
Two years later
I stand in my gym, looking around at this masterpiece before me. I can’t believe I’ve done it. Three months ago, Charli and I opened the doors to Warriors Paradise and every single day, I’ve had an influx of new members. I have to admit though, it’s hard work owing your own business but that doesn’t make me love it any less.
Seeing kids coming off the street, with nowhere to go, feeling like Warrior’s Paradise is a safe place makes me feel more accomplished than any of my wins in the professional league last season.
Though, those wins are what has made all this possible. I was able to buy this place and fix it up. It took a lot of hard work but eventually, we turned this place into the best gym equipped for MMA. Of course, I made it so it functions as your regular gym as well because Charli wouldn’t have it any other way, demanding that women have a place to train as well but with my name attached to it, it is damn clear this is a gym designed for serious fighters.
I still train with Cole every day and we regularly have arguments of whose gym we’re going to work out of. Though, I find when I win that argument, my training session is usually a killer one that has me wishing for sweet, sweet death.
I make it home that night and find Charli dressed in a sexy black knee-length dress with strappy high heels, just as I had requested of her. She smiles at me the moment I walk through the door with those stunning blue eyes still managing to take my breath away and as usual that damn dog of hers lays right by her feet.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her seconds before I rush her and kiss her.
“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she teases as I’m still in my training gear, though, she often tells me just how much she appreciates this look. The need to strip her naked and take her on the kitchen bench pulses through me but I have a plan to stick to.
“I’ll be ready in five,” I tell her before dashing into the bathroom and rushing through a quick shower. I come out precisely five minutes later wearing the cologne she loves and give her a big ass cheesy grin.
“A suit?” she asks as her eyes rake up and down my body, appreciating the view. “Where the hell are we going?”
“You’ll see,” I tell her as I take her hand and lead her out to my truck. I help her up and quickly dash around to the driver’s side, anxious to get tonight started.
I drive in the direction of the gym but take a few different turns and watch as her face creases in confusion, having absolutely no idea where we are or where we’re going. I find a park and flick the ignition off. I lean across and give Charli a quick kiss before hopping out of the truck and helping her down in her heels.
I take her by the hand and start leading her to our destination. We walk down a street which is lined with shops and I watch the confusion sink in further. “Xander,” she says, scanning the names of the shops. “There are no restaurants down here, are you sure we’re in the right place?”
“Positive,” I tell her.
We walk for a few minutes more until I stop in front of a storefront and pull a key out of my pocket before handing it to her. “Open it,” I tell her.
She looks around, searching for a sign to tell her where we are but so far, there isn’t one. Her eyes go wide with concern as she shoots a funny look at me. “No,” she hisses. “Where the hell are we? I’m not breaking into someone’s shop. I’m too innocent to go to jail, I’d never survive.”
“Babe,” I tell her calmly, trying to hold back my grin at her comments because she couldn’t be more wrong, she is the furthest thing from innocent. “Open the damn door.”
She lets out a huff but does as she’s told after she looks up and down the street twice more. She pushes the door open and I flick the lights on behind her. The shop instantly comes to life and she takes it all in.
“What the hell is this?” she asks. As her eyes flick from the right to left, then top to bottom.
“This is your salon, Charli,” I tell her.
Her eyes go wide as she turns back to me. “Are you serious?” she asks.
“Yeah, babe,” I smile. “I’ve been working on it for a few months with Micky, there’s still some more work to do but I wanted you to choose all the finishing touches so everything is how you want it.”
“Thank you,” she whispers with a lump in her throat as tears of happiness starts overflowing in her gorgeous blue eyes and dropping down her cheeks. “This is… I don’t know, I have no words for how amazing this is. It’s my dream to have my own salon.”
I step forward and wipe the tears away. “I know,” I tell her. “Now, there is no time for tears, you need to see the place first.”
She gives an excited nod as she wipes the rest of the tears, “K,” she murmurs, taking hold of my hand and allowing me to lead her around the salon. I point out all the work that’s been done and what still needs her final say on. I show her where the register will go and where she can have shelves of products for sale.
“You’re going to have to come up with a name,” I tell her.
“Shit,” she laughs. “But I swore after all the drama of picking a name for the gym that I’d never do it again.”
“Tough shit, babe,” I grin, remembering the hell of a time we had narrowing down the list of names for Warriors Paradise. I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome, but it was a long journey. “Why don’t you keep it simple. ‘Charli’s Salon’.”
She stops in her tracks and looks around fondly. “Charli’s Salon,” she says, trying it out. “I like it.”
“Well, that was easy,” I murmur.
We come to a door and she pushes her way through. “What’s up here?” she asks, taking in the stairs.
“Go up and see,” I tell her as the nerves start taking over.
I follow her as we head up the stairs and she pushes through the door. She lets out a surprised gasp as she finds the rooftop terrace completely overtaken with flowers and fairy lights that twinkle against the night’s backdrop. “Oh my god,” she whispers to herself as she takes it in. “This place is amazing.”
I close the door behind me and drop down to one knee. I wait patiently as she takes it all in before slowly turning back to me with tears in her eyes. The second she realises what I’m doing and takes in the big diamond ring sitting in the velvet box that I’m holding out to her, she lets out another gasp and looks at me with absolute love in her eyes.
“Charli,” I start. “Since the day I saw you working behind that bar at Micky’s, I knew you were going to be mine. I watched you grow into this beautiful strong woman and still to this day, you continue to surprise me with how far you’ve come. I’m pretty sure I fell in love with you that very first day and since then, that feeling has only grown. I no longer know how to live my life without you and what’s more is that I don’t want to,” I say, letting that sink in before I continue.
She wipes a stray tear and I make sure she is hearing every single word I am saying. “Charli, will you do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife?”
She drops to her knees in front of me, “Yes,” she cries, throwing her arms around me and crushing her lips to mine as she continues, “Nothing in this world could make me happier. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” I say, taking the ring out of the box and sliding it onto her finger before pulling her back into me.
Our bodies come crashing together as she reaches for my suit jacket, slipping it straight off my shoulders before grabbing my shirt and ripping the buttons right off in her desperation to feel my skin on hers.
Her hands find purchase on my chest and begin roaming over the rest of my torso while I grab the hem of her dress and pull it up before tearing her panties from her body. She undoes my pants and pushes them down just enough to let my erection spring free.
I take her by the waist and shuffle us around until I can bring her down on top of me. She lets out a groan as she sinks down and allows me to fill her completely. Fuck, I will never get used to the feeling of being inside her.
She begins to move, like really move and before I know it, she is exploding around me with tears of joy in those beautiful eyes while I come inside her.
I lean back against the door with Charli in my lap. She comes forward and rests her forehead against mine while her fingernails run through my hair. “That was amazing,” she whispers with her lips resting against mine.
“You’re amazing,” I counter. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Yeah, well let’s just hope you don’t need a hip replacement and you can still rock my world when we’re ninety,” she smirks.
“Baby, no matter what, I will always rock your world.”