Epilogue

One Month Later

Graham and I officially settled into our shared room. Finally.

We had given Sloane some time to adjust to seeing us be affectionate toward one another. She had been a little weirded out by it at first, but now it wasn't a big deal. We avoided getting caught in each other's rooms.

After what we thought was an appropriate amount of time, we broached the subject of us sharing a room. She acted like it wasn't a big deal and made it clear she never wanted to hear about that stuff again. And she said we were gross.

That worked for us.

Contentment washed over me every time I walked through the door of our home. Life as I knew it had undergone a complete transformation, and yet, I wouldn't change a single moment of it. With Sloane's blessing, we had taken the next step in our relationship. We were all comfortable with the way things were and where they were going.

All week, Graham had told me he made plans for us on Saturday. I had no idea what he had cooked up but I was looking forward to it. Sloane was staying the night with Holly, which meant we had the whole house to ourselves. I was expecting a nice dinner at home and lots of sex. It sounded like heaven to me.

But he had other plans. He insisted I dress nicely because he wanted to take me out on an official date. I spent some time choosing a dress, wanting to look nice for him. Now that he saw me first thing in the morning with messy hair, smudged makeup, and morning breath, I wanted to remind him I was sexy.

I went with a little black dress with Holly's guidance. It had a plunging neckline and a dangerous slit up the side. It screamed sex, which was the ultimate goal for the night in my opinion. I took my time getting ready while Graham waited for me downstairs. I wanted to surprise him.

When I walked downstairs, he was in the living room.

"Graham?"

He appeared in the foyer, his mouth falling open. "Damn, woman. What are you doing to me? I'm supposed to be taking you out to dinner and all I can think about is that dress on the floor in our bedroom."

I laughed and flashed him a sexy smile. "That is still an option."

"No. I promised I was taking you out and that's what we're doing."

He drove us to a quaint little restaurant he had chosen himself. The ambiance was perfect, the food exquisite, and the conversation flowed effortlessly between us. With each passing moment, I found myself falling even more deeply in love with this man who had become my rock, my confidant, and my partner in crime.

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble," I whispered, my eyes never leaving his. "I'm a sure thing."

"I want you to feel special," he replied, his voice low and tender.

"I do feel special," I said, looking around the romantic dining room. "This is the best date I've ever had."

"And it's not over yet."

After one of the best meals of my life, Graham led me on a leisurely stroll through Central Park. As we walked hand in hand, the familiar sights and sounds of the park were comforting. I didn't think it was possible to be any happier.

"I remember when we came here a long time ago," I said. "Do you remember that?"

"Of course, I do." He laughed. "We were on roller blades and I almost died."

"That's right." I smiled, recalling the memory. "You promised you'd never let go, but you did, and you ended up with your face in the dirt."

"At least I didn't drag you down with me," he joked, squeezing my hand.

We walked in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the peace of the park and the comfort of each other's presence.

"When Sloane was little I used to bring her to the park," I said, thinking about those early days of motherhood. "She hated the grass."

"She did?" he asked with a laugh.

"Oh yeah, she wanted nothing to do with grass. She loved the water but not grass or dirt."

"Because she's a fish," he joked.

We rounded a bend in the path and stopped.I noticed something different about the park. The woods, usually shrouded in darkness at this time of night, were illuminated with a soft, warm glow. Intrigued, I glanced up at Graham, my curiosity piqued. I assumed we had just interrupted a photo shoot or a crime scene.

Graham gently pulled me forward.

"What's going on?" I asked, unable to hide the confusion in my voice.

Graham simply smiled, a twinkle in his eyes as he led me deeper into the woods. With each step we took, the glow grew brighter, casting a surreal light on the trees and foliage around us. Bad things happened in the woods at night, but Graham seemed to have a mission. I trusted him to keep me safe.

And then, suddenly, we emerged into a clearing bathed in moonlight, the soft glow of fairy lights twinkling overhead. My breath caught in my throat as I took in the sight before me—a makeshift dance floor, surrounded by candles and flowers, with soft music playing in the background.

I turned to Graham, my heart overflowing with emotion. "What is all this?" I whispered.

Graham's smile widened as he took my hands in his, his eyes shining with love and adoration. "I wanted to do something special for you," he said softly. "To show you just how much you mean to me."

"This is a lot." I laughed.

The music grew louder and I realized it was moving. On the other side of the clearing, a string quartet was playing. "Are they here for us?" I gasped.

"They are." He nodded. "I want this moment to have all the bells and whistles or, in this case, all the strings and more strings."

He dropped to one knee in front of me. My heart flipped over before beating so fast I thought it might actually pop right out of my chest.

"You didn't have to do all this," I breathed out, my voice barely above a whisper.

Graham smiled up at me, his eyes shining with love and devotion. "I want you to know how deeply you are loved and cherished," he said, taking my hand in his.

I felt like I was in a dream, but this was my reality, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect moment. "I love you, Graham," I whispered, my voice filled with emotion.

He opened a small velvet box, revealing a beautiful ring sparkling up at me. "I love you," he said. "I knew I loved you from the moment I saw you. Your smile practically melted me. Losing you back then nearly killed me. I don't ever want to be apart from you again. My life will never be complete without you in it. I love you now and forever. I need you, Isadora. I love you. Will you marry me?"

I nodded, tears pricking my eyes. "Yes," I choked out the word. "Yes, Graham. A million times yes!"

I was speechless, my mind reeling with disbelief. This man, who had come into my life like a whirlwind, had turned my world upside down in the best possible way. And now, here he was, asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. He slipped the ring on my finger and got to his feet.

He pulled me into a passionate kiss, the weight of his love crashing over me like a tidal wave. In that moment, surrounded by the beauty of the night and the warmth of his embrace, I knew that this was where I belonged. The string quartet faded away, giving us privacy.

"There's someone we have to call," he said.

"What?"

The next thing I knew, he was holding up the phone. Sloane's face came on the screen with Holly standing behind her.

"She said yes!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with joy.

On the other end of the line, Sloane squealed with delight. Holly, too, joined in the celebration, her words of congratulations ringing in our ears. They were screaming and jumping up and down.

I held up my hand to show them the ring.

"Congratulations!" Holly said. "Now go celebrate. We love you!"

"Congrats!" Sloane said and cut the connection.

Graham put his phone back in his pocket. "They were waiting for me to call."

"The first time we went on this date, it was the best night out I'd ever had. Now? I don't think you could ever top this."

"I set the bar pretty high." He laughed.

"I am still in shock," I said. "I can't believe you set all of this up."

"Sloane helped," he said. "I suggested she be here, but she said this was our moment."

"She's a smart kid." I smiled. "But I'm glad she knew about it ahead of time."

"She helped pick out the ring. By the way, I feel sorry for the man that proposes to her. She's got champagne taste."

I giggled. "She's always been a little on the dramatic side."

"I love you, Isadora," Graham whispered, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. "Fourteen years haven't dimmed your shine at all."

My heart swelled with emotion, and I knew in that moment that I would spend the rest of my life with him. "I love you."

"Come on, I have another surprise."

"Oh my goodness, I'm not sure I can handle anything more."

"Sure you can." He grinned.

We arrived at the Plaza where he had reserved a suite for us. When we walked into the room the entire suite was decorated with more candles, flowers, and fairy lights. The bed was covered in rose petals and there was a bottle of champagne chilling along with strawberries.

"You didn't have to go this far," I whispered, my heart feeling like it might burst with happiness.

"I wanted you to have the most unforgettable night of your life," Graham said, pulling me into a deep kiss. "I love you more than anything, Isadora. And now, I get to spend the rest of my life showing you."

I sighed, feeling like the luckiest person in the world. "I love you too," I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

He grinned. "Now, can we talk about what that dress will look like on the floor?"

I laughed at his playful remark, but my heart swelled with happiness. After everything we'd been through together, it was surreal to be standing here, in this moment, about to start our lives as husband and wife.

We ordered room service, drank champagne, and enjoyed our time together. I couldn't believe this was my life now—a man who loved me so deeply that he would plan a magical night just for the two of us.

He kissed me and slowly unzipped my dress, letting it drop.

"That's for the floor," he whispered.

A blush crept onto my cheeks, but I laughed at his enthusiasm. The dress pooled around my feet. I stepped out of it, feeling both exposed and beautiful under his appreciative gaze.

"The most beautiful woman in the world," he murmured, gently leading me toward the bed strewn with rose petals. "I want to make love to you all night."

"I want that, too."

***

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***

Want more?

Start at the beginning and check out Book 1 in A Billion-Dollar Business Novel, Ladies' Man Exposed!

A serial womanizer ghosted by the hottest woman he's seen?

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There's nothing I can't do, and no one I can't have.

Leaving women with a fake number after one hot night is my trick. And yet… this girl bested me.

For the first time in a long time, I'm intrigued.

She snuck out in the middle of the night while my dumbass was sleeping.

If she was a guy friend, I'd high-five her for that move.

Her loss. Until it's mine too.

Of all people to show up as a new marketing client for my firm, it's this girl.

The one I can't stop thinking about. The one that exposed me for my horrid ways.

Big problem though. Her father hates me. Good thing it's his problem.

I might have been a bachelor spreading my wild oats before, but now I'm a one-woman man.

That is, if she'll have me.