Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I looked over at the brownstone. It was as big or bigger than my brother’s. “What would you do with this much house? Rent the floors?”
Wilder shook his head. “The real estate agent said it needs some fixing up. But I’d make it into one big house. Between the baby and Lucas, who will probably visit more often than we’d like, we’re going to need space. Plus, I’m hoping we’ll fill some of the extra rooms with more kids someday. I’d love a family like you have, with everyone close in age. Lucas is sixteen years younger than me, so I pretty much grew up an only child—bouncing from one parent’s house to the other. I like what you guys have. It feels right.”
My chest filled with warmth. Yet there were still those nerves. A part of me was afraid to believe this was real.
Wilder must’ve seen the doubt in my face, though I’d thought I’d hid it well. He pulled me in tight. “Eventually it won’t be so scary. I promise.” He nodded toward the brownstone. “Come on. Let’s go see where I’m going to live.”
* * *
Later that night, I was lying in bed while Wilder finished up a call.
“Thanks, buddy.” He tossed his cell on the end table and slipped into bed next to me. “They accepted my counteroffer.”
“Oh my God. So that’s it? The house is yours?”
He nodded. “After a shitload of paperwork, but Andrew will take care of that.”
“Wow. I can’t believe how fast that happened.”
“Sometimes you get lucky and something perfect falls into your lap.” He ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “Like you.”
“I didn’t quite fall into your lap. More like you pulled me into the coat closet.”
He smiled. “Semantics.”
“Well, congratulations.”
“Thank you. Back at ya.”
“Me? I didn’t just buy a house.”
“Actually you did. I told Andrew to put the house in both our names.”
“What? No. You can’t do that.”
“Of course I can.”
“I didn’t mean you can’t—I meant you shouldn’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because … this is still new, Wilder.”
“What’s new?”
I motioned between us. “Us. The pregnancy. Things can happen.”
Wilder’s face fell. “Are you afraid to be tied to me?”
“No. That’s not it at all.”
“Then let me do this. I don’t want this to be my house. I want it to be our house. I know what I did made you have doubts. But what I was scared of was never you, Sloane. I was afraid I wasn’t enough for you.”
“You are enough…”
Wilder brushed his lips with mine. “Then let me make this commitment. To us. To our family. Please.”
“It’s still so early in the pregnancy. What happens if…”
“I loved you before I knew you were pregnant. Whatever happens happens. But we’ll always have each other.”
I inhaled deeply, blowing out with a nod. “Okay.”
He flashed a cocky smile, like he knew all along he’d win. “Thank you.”
This man was dangerous. I was pretty sure he could get me to do anything he asked with a little begging and that grin. “You know, I’m not always going to be that easy.”
“No?” He reached over and took my hand, bringing it between his legs. “I’ll always be this hard for you.”
We both laughed. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”
Wilder climbed on top of me, hovering. “I love you, Cupcake.”
My heart felt so full. “I love you, too.”
EPILOGUE
SLOANE
SIX MONTHS LATER
Slam!
Lucas came in from outside with Olivia trailing behind. My niece stopped short when she got a look at Wilder lying on the couch—with a mud mask on his face and cucumber slices over his eyes.
“What the heck are you doing?”
Lucas rolled his eyes. “That’s just one of his beauty treatments.”
Olivia chuckled, and the two of them disappeared up the stairs.
“Door open!” I yelled after them.
Wilder sat up, removing the vegetables from his face. “Do we still need that rule? They’re kind of related now, aren’t they?”
“Not by blood. Would it have stopped you if my aunt had married your brother?”
“Good point.” Wilder cupped his hand around his mouth and yelled up the stairs. “If I catch it shut, it comes off the hinges.”
I smiled and sat down on the other end of the couch, lifting my feet onto Wilder’s lap. “Rub, Mr. Hayes.”
“Yes, Mrs. Hayes.”
Wilder and I had gotten married a few days ago in England. It was the wedding I’d never dreamed of that turned out to be everything I ever wanted. We’d decided to do it before the baby was born, but I no longer had the desire for a big, lavish affair. Turned out, when I finally found true love, looking into each other’s eyes and committing to spend the rest of our lives together was all the fairy tale I needed. Being somewhere special with our family around us was more than enough. We married at St. Dunstan in the East, the park Wilder had taken me to when I first went to visit him in London. Not only was it beautiful, but what it represented felt right—it was a place of hope, a place people had attempted to destroy so many times, yet it had never fallen.