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He merely nods. “I get it, and it’s okay. But if it’s okay with you, I’d like to put the bracelet incident behind us, now, forever. For real this time.”
I shoot him a teary smile.
“I can agree to that.”
“Good, and actually,” he says, leaning back for a moment to seize my hand. God, this man is gorgeous, all bronzed skin and broad shoulders. My mouth waters and I smile back. “While we’re making things official…” he drawls slowly.
“Yes?” I ask, my question dangling in the air.
He gives me a cocky smile.
“Well, I thought maybe you might want to be my girlfriend? I mean, officially. I know it’s early, but the truth of the matter is that I think I’m in love with you. I should also probably mention that I’ve never said that to a woman before, at least in person. You’ve changed the way I think, Casey Henderson, and that’s that.”
Shocked, I’m unable to move. What? Is he joking? I never expected the alpha male to ask me this so soon, and I stare at him with wide eyes.
“Oh, wow,” he says. “That was way too much too fast, wasn’t it?”
I look at him dumbly because it feels like a dream. In slow motion, I imagine life as Pierce Lane’s girlfriend. I think of nights out with him, dancing and drinking in the best restaurants and clubs. I imagine countless sessions of wild, uninhibited sex in every room of this magnificent penthouse.
But my thoughts also include daily life. I imagine coming home from work and making dinner plans, catching up about our days, and having a laugh about something a coworker said. I imagine us doing simple, everyday things in this mind-blowing penthouse: watching Netflix in our pajamas or making a grocery list. I imagine us getting a pet, having a baby, or moving to the country. It’s all within reach.
Of course, I want to be his girlfriend. There is nothing I want more in life because I love him too. I love him so much and it’s only the beginning. My heart surges with excitement for the future.
“No, Pierce. It was not too much in the slightest,” I tell him as lean in for a devastating kiss. “I’d be happy to be your loving girlfriend.”
Laughing, we get back under the covers. I roll over and he slides his hands around my waist, letting them rest on my round, soft belly. I’ve never felt comfortable letting a man do that because it’s so huge and poochy. Pierce, however, gives it an affectionate little pat and rub. I’m suddenly flooded with relief and joy that this complicated man stormed his way into my life, even if we didn’t get along at first.
I nestle against into him, letting the CEO’s warmth seep into my every cell. I can feel his body relax into mine, growing heavy. His breathing is slow and even.
“I sleep so well next to you,” he murmurs. “I’ve never been this way before.”
“You mean, you’ve never slept this well before?” I ask teasingly. “Maybe it’s the good sex. It knocks us both out.”
Pierce chuckles lazily, but then he pulls me back against that big frame before speaking seriously.
“No, it’s not that sweetheart. I mean, it is the sex, but it’s also more than that. I feel comfortable with you. I feel like I can let go and really relax, which is rare for an alpha male who’s used to controlling everything and everyone around him. With you, Casey Henderson, everything’s different,” he whispers in my ear. “And that’s why I love you.”
With those words, my life takes off. Because sure, our initial meeting was pretty disastrous. I lambasted him for ditching a woman, and then paying her off with a gift. But again, my job is based on reader letters, and there is no letter that can give both sides of the story. Because once placed within the greater context of Pierce’s experiences, the gift lost its negative connotations and instead became a remembrance of a shared past.
But we’re not celebrating the past. Given the fireworks between us, Pierce and I are now celebrating the future because we’ve discovered an inherent compatibility. His alpha male exterior melded with my feisty nature. His gruff words contrasted with my teasing sentences. His hardness, my softness, and everything in between. And maybe a baby soon, who knows? Because it seems that dreams do come true … with this handsome CEO by my side.
Epilogue
Pierce
It’s a lazy Sunday morning. I’ve gone out for bagels and a newspaper, but Casey is still in bed, reading and snacking and lazing about. She works so hard that it’s a relief to see her let go and have some time to herself.
Because over the summer, Two One Two offered Casey a new job. She’s moved from Corner Chat to the Food section, where she’s their head restaurant reviewer. Now, instead of helping the romantically-challenged sort out their love lives, she gets the inside scoop on all the best places to eat in Manhattan. It’s even busier than before, but in a good way, and my woman loves her job.
