Epilogue: Six Months Later

GRACE

SIX MONTHS LATER

The sun caresses my skin, leaving me warm and content as I stretch out on the wide lounger next to the private pool by our cabana. Jensen is lying next to me, his hand brushing along my arm, his chiseled torso on full display as he soaks in the sun,. I tilt my sunglasses down and smile over at him, blatantly running my gaze up and down his impressive body.

“Enjoying the show?” he teases with a smirk.

I chuckle. “Very much so.”

He rolls onto his side and props his head up on his hand, removing his own sunglasses so he can gaze down at me.

“You’re looking pretty tasty yourself.”

I grin. “Apparently, Miami agrees with me.”

The hockey season is over and we are celebrating six months together with a tropical vacation, just the two of us. The past few months have been good to both of us. Jensen had a great season and I managed to gain a handful of new pro-hockey clients thanks to my work with Carson. Both our careers are flourishing.

Carson and I are closer than ever and he’s gotten much more comfortable with my relationship with Jensen. On the other hand, things with Jensen’s dad are still tense, but he’s at least stopped pushing Jensen so hard to do what he thinks he should do with his life. It’s put them on tentatively okay terms, and Jensen is trying to build a new relationship with him. It also helps that while Jensen’s father was angry at how I blew up at him, he also respected that I did it—and he eventually admitted that he’s grateful Jensen found someone who could always be in his corner so unconditionally.

Truth be told, I’ve never been happier. I’m so in love with Jensen, I can’t imagine my life without him.

“Hey, the sun’s going to set soon,” he suddenly says, tracing his sunglasses-covered eyes down my chest and between my breasts. “Let’s go for a walk on the beach.”

“Okay,” I grin.

Jensen gets up and helps me to my feet as well. Slipping his arm around my shoulders, he guides me from our private area down to the beach. We stroll along the edge of the water in content silence for several minutes, listening to the waves. It takes me a little bit to recognize where exactly we’re going, but when I see a familiar rock formation ahead of us, I gasp.

“Wait,” I murmur. “Is this…?”

He chuckles. “The place we spent our first night together all those years ago on Spring Break.”

I can hardly believe it.

“Oh, my God,” I whisper, shaking my head. “I can’t believe you remembered where this was.”

“There’s no way I’d ever forget this place,” he tells me, as he leads me to the rocks.

As we slip inside the alcove, my mind immediately returns to that night, all those years ago, when Jensen gave me the first taste of real pleasure I’d ever had. The sky is turning purple and the water shimmers like fire. From where we’re standing, hidden from the rest of the world, it looks like a paradise.

“Did you know that was the night I lost my virginity?” I softly ask, after several moments.

Jensen looks at me, the surprise clear in his wide eyes. “What? No! I had no idea.”

I smile at him. “Yep. You were my first, and it was honestly so perfect, I couldn’t have imagined a better way to lose it.”

He chuckles softly. “Well, I hope I’m your last as well.”

I grin. “Do you, now?”

He nods. “Yep, and I have something for you, actually.”

“Oh?” I ask. “What is it?”

He reaches into the pocket of his swim trunks and digs around for a bit before producing a small velvet box. The world around me goes still and my heart stops. I gaze between the box and Jensen, momentarily speechless.

“What…what…?” I stammer.

“Grace,” he begins as he sinks to one knee in front of me. “You are the love of my life. Since the moment I met you in Miami, a part of me knew you were it for me. When I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, I… I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I knew I’d never find another woman like you. When we found each other again in Denver, I knew we were meant to be. That the universe or fate or whatever was bringing us together. You make me laugh and feel like I can do anything, so long as I have you by my side. There is no one else that I want to be with, Grace, now or ever. You have my heart and I don’t ever want you to give it back. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. Will you be my wife?”

He opens the box to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring with a white-gold band. I stare down at him, dumbstruck, for several seconds.

“Grace?” Jensen gently prods. “Baby? What do you think?”

I snap out of my daze and let out an ecstatic shriek before launching myself at him and knocking him backwards into the sand. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I shower his face and neck with kisses.

“Yes!” I exclaim. “Yes, yes, yes, yes! Yes! I’ll marry you!”

He’s laughing, and then his lips find mine. We sit up and he slips the ring on my finger, and I’m so happy that I have tears in my eyes.

Looking up at Jensen, I whisper, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he replies as he holds me close. Safe and secure in his arms, I feel so grateful for this man and his love, and I can’t wait to continue building our life together. When I met him during Spring Break all those years ago, I’d only wanted a week of fun with no strings attached. Instead, I found the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I have never been so grateful for a well-laid plan to go so poorly.