Something breaks open in my chest—fear and joy and certainty all mingled together. "What happens now?"
"Now we decide what we want." His thumb traces my lower lip. "Together. As equals."
"I want you." The truth flows freely now. "I want this life we've been building. The cabin. The mountain. All of it."
"Even though I made decisions without consulting you?" His expression turns serious. "Even though I'm controlling in ways that remind you of him?"
"You're nothing like him." I press my palm against his chest, feeling his heart race beneath my touch. "Your control comes from strength, not weakness. From care, not possession."
I rise on tiptoes, bringing our faces closer together. "And when you apologized, when you acknowledged you were wrong... that's when I knew for certain you were nothing like Marc. That loving you wouldn't mean losing myself."
His mouth claims mine then, the kiss fierce and tender all at once. His arms wrap around me, lifting me against him as if he can't bear any distance between us. I cling to him, pouring everything I feel into the connection.
When we finally break apart, breathless, he rests his forehead against mine. "December 26th was never going to be our ending."
"No." I smile against his lips. "Just the beginning."
He lifts me then, carrying me toward the stairs with purpose in every step. "I need to show you exactly what your words mean to me."
"I thought you might." I press kisses along his jaw, reveling in the shudder that runs through his powerful frame.
"And Marc?" He pauses at the base of the stairs.
"Can wait." I thread my fingers through his hair. "We'll deal with him a different day."
As he carries me upstairs, I know with absolute certainty that what started as a business arrangement, a temporary solution to our respective problems, has transformed into something neither of us expected but both of us need.
Love, real and unplanned, found in the most unlikely of arrangements.
And no threats, no legal challenges, no outside forces can touch what we've built together on this mountain, in this cabin, in each other's hearts.
EPILOGUE
DARIO
ONE YEAR LATER
"Stop fidgeting." I adjust my tie for the tenth time, catching Judith's amused expression in the mirror. "I hate these things."
"Says the man who suggested renewing our vows in front of the entire town." She steps behind me, slender hands replacing mine at my collar. "Stand still."
I obey, watching her concentration as she perfects the knot. Her hair has grown longer over the past year, wild curls tamed into an elegant updo for today's ceremony. The simple white dress she's chosen hugs curves I know intimately, still can't get enough of even after a year of marriage.
Real marriage.Not the arrangement we started with.
"There." She smooths the tie against my chest, eyes meeting mine in the mirror. "Presentable."
"Barely." I catch her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "You sure about this? Not too late to run away to the cabin and skip the whole town celebration."
Her laugh, warm and free, still hits me right in the chest. "After everything Sage and Luna have planned? They'd hunt us down."
"I can take them."
"Sure you can, mountain man." She turns in my arms, reaching up to trace my jawline. "But you won't, because you love this town almost as much as I do now."
She's right. Somehow, over the past year, Crimson Hollow has become home in ways I never expected. Not just a place to live, but a community with people I care about. People who care about us.
"Fine." I concede with mock reluctance. "For the town."
