by Dori Lavelle
Brax starts thrusting even harder and my inner muscles clench tight around him, holding on to him for as long as they can.
“Faster,” I pant. My hands are clawing his back now, my fingers digging into his flesh. “I need more of you.”
As he told me before, my wish is his command. He gives me what I want, fucking me until I almost choke from my cries of pleasure.
When he slows down, his strokes becoming long and smooth, I open my eyes. Our eyes meet and neither of us moves as we drink each other in.
“How did this happen?” He smooths my damp hair from my forehead. “I can’t believe I got this lucky.”
I smile. “We were meant to meet.”
He starts to move again, alternating between slow and fast while my entire body tingles under his fingertips.
When he slams into me deeper than before, I inhale sharply. The air is filled with sweat, his musky cologne, and sex. We created it and it smells wonderful.
He pounds into me a little longer and I fight against the orgasm that threatens to arrest my body, but not for long. I soon reach a point where I can’t anymore and it wins, crashing hard into me, rocking my world.
I ride the wave for as long as I can while Brax races for his own wave. When he stiffens and his eyes shut, I know he has caught it.
“Fuck,” he says loudly. The word is followed by a loud groan that comes from deep inside his throat. “This is it.”
“This is what?” I ask when he lowers himself onto my sweaty body and holds me tight in the circle of his arms.
“This is what many people spend their lives chasing.”
“I know what you mean.” I bury my face into his shoulder, still feeling him inside me.
He raises his head and kisses the tip of my nose. “We’d be fools if we let it get away.”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Does this sexy, gorgeous, wonderful man want me?
“I am. I want more than tonight. If you want the same thing.”
I pull him in for a deep kiss. “How could I say no after what you just did to me?”
After holding on to each other for a long time, Brax gets out of bed to get me a glass of water. When he returns, he’s holding an envelope.
“Is that my novel?” I sit up in bed and accept the cool glass of water.
He nods and perches on the edge of the bed, still naked. “I read it.”
“And?”
“It’s brilliant. Especially since it’s based on a true story.”
“Thank you,” I say, choking up. “I actually didn’t think you’d read it.”
“I did more than that.” He places the envelope between us. “The reason I almost didn’t come to the reunion is because I flew to New York to see a friend of mine. He owns a top publishing company. I pitched the book to him.”
“You what?” I cover my mouth with my hands, my heart racing.
“You’re not upset that I didn’t ask for your permission, are you?”
I shake my head, tears rolling down my cheeks. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“I did. And it paid off big time.”
I’m too emotional to even ask what he means.
He pulls me into his arms and kisses my temple. “I didn’t lie when I told Mariela Singer that you will soon be a published author. The publisher wants your book. They just need to speak to you first.”
“Oh my God.” I burst out crying and he continues to hold me. “Why did you do it?” I ask after I run out of tears of joy.
“Because you’re a brilliant author, and after the shit you went through, you deserve a happy ending.”
The woman in front of me looks even more unrecognizable than the last time I saw her at the Azure Hotel. Her dark roots are showing and they’re almost as dark as the bags underneath her eyes.
“Hi,” I say, clasping my hands over one of my books—Diary of a Lonely Girl—on the table. I no longer feel intimidated by her, but I also don’t even hate her, not anymore. Instead, I just feel sad for her. Since we last saw each other, she has experienced firsthand that karma is a bitch.
In just fourteen months, Mariela Singer’s life has gone downhill. News of her divorce was all over the papers for months after her movie star husband left her with nothing after she cheated on him with their chef. She has now moved back to Misty Cove and waitresses at a beachside pizzeria.
“Hi, Maggie, can you...can you maybe sign this for me?” She opens my book to the title page and hands it to me.
For a split second, I just stare at her, unable to believe I’m the one on the other side now, the one with everything, a New York Times bestselling author with a man who adores me.
Six months after we started dating, Brax asked me to move in with him. I didn’t even hesitate before saying yes and heading for New York, where I could be close to not only him, but also my publisher. I’ve only returned for the book signing at a local bookstore. Once it’s over, Brax and I will fly to Hawaii for a little fun in the sun.
“I’m sorry about your mother,” Mariela says, pulling me back to the present.
“Yeah, thanks.” I take the book from her.
My stomach twists when I think of my mother. After spending the night of the reunion at the hotel with Brax, I returned home to find that she had overdosed on pills. She had succeeded at taking her own life. I guess she knew that it was over, that she had lost her power over me. I’d gone home that morning to let her know that I was moving out, but she didn’t give me that chance. She left without even a note. It was painful at first, but the good things happening in my life helped me heal.
I’ll never forget the horror of finding my mother dead on the couch with empty bottles of pills and whiskey next to her, but I have too much to live for.
I sign Mariela’s book and hand it back to her. Normally, I write a short message for the reader, but I have no words to say to her.
“I read the book,” she says, her voice cracking. “I’m so sorry for all...I was so cruel to you. I’m sorry, Maggie.”
“Thank you for dropping the nickname,” I say, unable to help it. “Take care, Mariela. Thanks for coming.”
She gives me a small nod and walks away, her shoulders folded forward as the weight of her life presses down on them.
“Wow, it must have taken a lot of guts for her to show up at your book signing.”
I look up to see Brax standing in front of me. He’s also holding one of my books in his hands.
“Yep. I kind of feel sorry for her.”
“Don’t, babe. She’s responsible for everything that happened to her. Don’t let her steal your joy. She’s done enough of that.”
“You’re right.” I take a breath and lean back in my chair. “Are we done?”
He nods. “The shop owner is closing up. It was a really great turnout.” He glances at the book in his hand. “But you still need to sign my book.”
“Of course, sir.” I take the book from him and pick up my pen. Before I sign, I notice a pink silk ribbon sticking out of the book. “What’s this?”
“A bookmark I bought in the shop. You can have it if you like. Pink is not my color.”
“Thanks, baby?” I flip open the book to see. I’m not only an avid reader, but I also collect cute bookmarks. Every time Brax travels, he always visits bookstores around the world for unique bookmarks. But when I see the one nestled between the pages of the book, tears spring to my eyes.
“It’s—”
“Yes, it’s the best bookmark ever.” He reaches for the ribbon and lifts it up. A beautiful cushion cut diamond ring is dangling from the ribbon.
I’m too choked up by my emotions to speak, so I just stare at him in shock as he removes the ring and walks around my author table to come and kneel in front of me.
“Oh my God, he’s proposing,” someone in the store says, but I don’t look to see who it is. My eyes are only focused on one person.
“There’s one thing you left out in your book,” he says, r
ubbing the fragile ring between his fingers.
“What’s that?” I wipe a tear from my cheek.
“You didn’t give your character this kind of happy ending. Will you give me permission to add another chapter?”
“How would that chapter end?” My fingertips touch the base of my throat. “She meets someone who loves her more than anything. He asks her to be his wife.”
“And what does she say?” A smile curls my lips.
“She says yes.” He takes my hand, presses a kiss on my palm and gazes back into my eyes. “Is that a good ending.”
“Yes. It’s perfect,” I whisper. “Go ahead and have him slide the ring onto her finger.”
“You’ll be my wife?” A grin lights up his face.
“In a heartbeat. Give me my ring, mister.”
“Gladly.” He slides the cool ring onto my finger, then rises from the floor to kiss me while someone cheers and claps.
“Is this the end of the chapter?” I ask when we pull apart. “Where do they go from here?”
“To Las Vegas, if she agrees.” He tips up my chin so I can look into his gorgeous eyes. “I can’t wait.”
“I also can’t wait. Let’s go to Vegas first, then honeymoon in Hawaii.”
And so it happens. A few hours after I say, “yes”, I also say, “I do” to the man who changed me.
Everything that happened before he came along was worth it, the pain, the tears, and the anguish. It all lead me to our beautiful chapter.
Life tells the best stories. I couldn’t have written a better ending if I tried.
THE END
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