Epilogue
“I made cookies.”
Jackson turned as she stepped out on the patio, a plate of snickerdoodles in her hand. Spying his favorite treat, he was by her side in seconds.
“This is why I married you,” he said, snagging a cookie.
“I should write a book. How to marry a billionaire: A beginner’s guide to snacks.”
“I’d endorse it,” he said, taking two.
“I invited Marc over for dinner,” she said.
“Ah, now I see. These cookies are a bribe.”
“Be nice to your brother. He’s been taking on more of your responsibilities. We owe him.”
“He wanted to be more involved in the company.” He pulled her to him, taking the plate of cookies and setting it a nearby table. “And I wanted to follow my good friend Richard’s advice.”
“Keep your wife on a separate continent?”
“Slow down and enjoy life with the people who matter.”
Her heart melted. Reaching up, she twined her arms around his shoulders. “I like that plan,” she murmured.
The sparkle on her ring finger still caught her by surprise. After getting his memory back, Jackson had wasted little time trying to persuade her to marry him. She’d turned him down a few times, thinking it was too soon after his amnesia. She’d been convinced he’d wake up one morning and realize he wanted more than an EA.
But he never had. For a year he’d pursued her, asking the same question over and over again until finally she’d caved.
A lifetime with the man I love. Screw nobility. I wanted him for myself.
Not once had she regretted her decision.
Especially not when Jackson looked down at her the way he was now, with a tenderness in his eyes that took her breath away.
“Do you know how much I love you?” he asked, touching his forehead to hers.
“Mm,” she sighed in contentment. “Probably about as much as I love you.”
“Getting mowed down by you was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“It was an accident. I swear to God.”
“Maybe we all need a good running over every now and then.”
She groaned, dropping her head to his shoulder.
Laughing, he wrapped his arms around her. “I came so close to losing you,” he murmured into her hair. “My life would have been empty.”
“Mine, too.”
The words were said so softly she wondered if he heard but his arms tightened around her.
“I got you something,” he said, pressing a kiss into her hair before releasing her. Walking to the table, he picked up an envelope and held it out to her.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“I figured it was time to start enjoying this wealth.”
“Haven’t we been doing that already?” she asked, glancing at the mansion that was their home.
“Fair point. Time to start enjoying it even more.”
Shaking her head, she opened the envelope.
And pulled out two first class tickets to Paris.
She gasped.
“You wanted to see the world,” he said, coming up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. “Let’s explore it together.”
“The company,” she said. “You’ve never taken a real vacation. The longest you were ever away was when you had the accident.”
“Let Marc run the place for a while. We deserve a decent honeymoon.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, turning in his arms.
“All my life, the thing I’ve been most sure about is you. Even when I didn’t know anything else, I knew that.”
“See, if you say things like that, I’m going to want to keep you.”
“That’s the plan,” he said, lowering his head.
She closed her eyes as he kissed her, marveling once again the incredible turn her life had taken. She’d been ready to walk away from the man in her arms, and now here she was, married to him.
“I didn’t think this could ever happen,” she whispered to him. “Sometimes I still think I’m dreaming.”
Taking her hand in his, he pressed his lips to her ring finger. “I’m not a fantasy. Promise.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” she said, drawing her thumb along his bottom lip. “You’re my fantasy.”
“Good. Because you’ve always been mine, too,” he murmured in her ear. “When I think about how close I came to missing all of this…”
“But you didn’t,” she said, holding him close. “We found a way back to each other.”
“When I couldn’t remember who I was, all I wanted was a lifetime with you.”
“And after you remembered?” she teased. “What did you want then?”
He laughed. “I had a ring picked out before that first month was up. With or without my past, a life by your side was always my goal.”
“And you’re a man who gets what he wants.”
“Usually. Unless I’m dealing with stubborn employees who won’t give me a hint of their real feelings.”
“Says the billionaire who couldn’t figure out how to say, ‘Hey, you’re cute. Interested in dinner? Or bed?’”
His grinned widened. “Hey, you’re cute. Interested in—”
She slapped a hand over his mouth. “Don’t finish that question, smart-ass. We have to get ready for Marc. There’s no time to play.”
He kissed her palm before pulling it down. “There’s always time to play.”
Heat pooled low in her abdomen. “Stop tempting me.”
“But it’s my favorite thing to do.”
“We have to prepare.”
“Just an hour,” he bargained.
“No, we need to—”
“Half an hour. And maybe a shower.”
She rolled her eyes. “What happened to the laser-focused, professional CEO I used to know?”
“He fell in love and realized life is too short to waste.”
Her resolve softened. “His fully capable EA fell hard too.”
“Did she now?”
“You know how much I love you,” she said, her voice soft.
“Tell me every day.”
“Back at you.”
“I adore you,” he said, pressing a kiss to her right cheek. “The way you boss your teams around.” He kissed her other cheek. “Your loyalty to those you care about.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Your moral code that kept me out of your pants way too long.”
“Days at most,” she argued.
“But most of all, I love who you are. The irresistible Lori Carlow-Sinclair. My match in every way.”
Her heart fluttered. “I love you, too. Every day I wake up and wonder how I got so lucky.”
“Just wait till you’re waking up in Paris to freshly baked croissants.”
“You managed to find a way to improve utter happiness. I knew you were an overachiever.”
“Yes, I am. And you should see how well I perform under pressure.” He ran his lips down her throat. “Fifteen minutes. Final offer.”
She should be responsible. Tidy the house for their guest. Check on dinner.
Instead a mischievous smile to match his own tugged at her lips.
“Deal.”
He wasted no time grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the patio door. Laughing, she chased after him.
She’d thought Jackson losing his memory was the worst thing that could ever happen but now, she gave thanks for the accident that helped them realize how perfect they were together.
Meant to be.
And together, she intended to make a lifetime of memories.
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