He traces a line up my neck with his lips. “I can think of a few ways to try to win you over.”
“Mm?”
A soft kiss just below my ear makes my toes curl. “I’ll start with my hands,” he growls, sliding his palm under my sweatpants to run it along my thighs. Side note: sweatpants do have one advantage—easy access. I shiver, catching his lips in mine.
“Then I’ll use my mouth,” he says with a kiss.
“And then?”
A taunting male smirk is the only response I get before his hand moves to the front, dipping between my legs, and Wes indeed does win me over again, and again, and again, right there in the kitchen while our eggs get cold. The sweetest part, though, is when he tells me he loves me in a husky whisper, his lips brushing my ear. Then he says it again when he’s deep inside me. Then a third time, when we’ve collapsed on the floor tangled in each other’s arms, our heartbeats slowing after all that exertion.
“I love you, Simone,” he says, wrapping an arm around my waist to pull me close. “I love you more than I can put into words. I’m in love with you. You make my life worth living.”
Sighing, I sink into his words, his arms, and I smile.
Epilogue
Simone
Wes and I lock ourselves in his house for a full week. We do nothing but sleep, have sex, eat, and repeat. It’s fantastic.
On the eighth day, Wes curls his body around mine in bed and tugs me close, putting his lips near my ear. “Move in with me.”
My heart does cartwheels. I inhale sharply, then turn my head toward him. Our lips brush and I shift away to meet his gaze. “You sure?”
“I’ve waited my whole life to feel this way, Simone. You sleep here all the time anyway. And I have more storage space for all your candles.”
I laugh, happiness blooming inside me. With tears in my eyes, I give Wes a nod. “Okay. But don’t propose. I don’t care about the inheritance right now. I just want to enjoy this—us—and see where it goes.”
He tightens his hold on me. “Deal.”
I move in the next day. The landlord at my apartment grumbles, but agrees to start looking for another tenant so I can break my lease early. Then, using Wes’s truck, I cart all my belongings (and candles) to his woodland fairy home nestled in the trees next to the ocean, and my soul lets out a long sigh.
I’m home. Finally, after all those years, I’ve moved into my dream house, I’m living with the sexiest man I’ve ever met, and my best friend lives a short walk away.
My new office is the best. The L-shaped desk that overlooks Cove Boulevard becomes my new home, and allows me to take in-person meetings with clients. The girls agree to let me put the wall decal up, so my logo takes up the space behind my desk.
I’m a real business owner. A professional. Even though I started this business years ago, and it took grit and grinding to get here, I finally feel like I’ve made it. I have an office and a growing client base. I have my independence.
Wes is so supportive it makes me sick. Okay, that’s a lie. It doesn’t make me sick. It makes me happy. He’s nothing like my ex-husband, in that he takes interest in what I do. He admires all the work I put in, and pride shines in his eyes whenever I tell him I’ve landed a new client. He’s my biggest cheerleader, and I know he doesn’t see me as an add-on to his life, but an integral part of it.
As spring bleeds into summer and the annual Heart’s Cove Fringe Festival comes around, I meet with Jen, Candice, and Fiona in Four Cups to set up our sidewalk tent for the week-long festival. It marks the one-year anniversary of my and Fiona’s arrival in town.
“Feels like more than a year,” Fiona says, her eyes on Clancy as the girl places chairs around outdoor tables.
“Thank goodness for geysers.” I grin, nudging Fiona with my elbow.
Her cheeks flush as a smile tugs at her lips. Then strong hands slide over her hips, and Grant wraps himself around her. “You can say that again,” he says in my best friend’s ear.
I laugh, turning away to give them some privacy, and catch the sight of a tall, golden-brown-haired vision in faded jeans. With a plaid shirt opened to reveal a tight, white T-shirt, Wesley flashes a confident smile at me as he closes the distance between us.
His lips are on mine in an instant, and I find myself wrapped up in his arms. My favorite place in the world.
Then, things happen quickly. Music starts playing from our new speakers, and Clancy approaches with something clasped in her hands. Grant drops down on one knee, his eyes shining with emotion as he gazes at Fiona.
Fiona starts crying.
I start crying.
Jen and Candice, crowding in the café doorway, start crying.
“Fiona, I love you,” Grant says, and Fiona starts sobbing. Hard. His smile widens. “You made my house a home. You gave me the family I never thought I’d have. My life is richer with you in it, and I can’t imagine living without you. Make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife.”
Clancy, with the same steel-blue eyes as her father, opens her hands to reveal a black velvet box. Grant plucks the box from his daughter’s hands and smiles as Clancy leans down to kiss his cheek. She stands to the side, a smile spreading over her lips.
“A year and three weeks ago, I saw you across the street and knew you were the woman for me. All I could give you was an umbrella and an—ahem—preview of what else I could offer you.”
“Dad!” Clancy exclaims, her cheeks flushing red. She rolls her eyes and I laugh, remembering that first life drawing class where Fiona and I giggled like schoolgirls about what, exactly, Grant had on display.
Grant laughs as Fiona lets out an exasperated sigh, then flips the velvet box open to reveal a beautiful emerald-cut engagement ring with a delicate white gold band.
Wes slides his arm over my shoulders and tugs me close, leaning his cheek against my temple as we watch Grant slide the diamond ring onto Fiona’s finger.
She wraps her arms around Grant, tears streaming down her face, nodding her head like a maniac as she laughs and cries and snorts all at once. Her future husband kisses her through her tears, his hands on either cheek, both of them radiating love and happiness.
Surreptitiously, I try to wipe my own tears without anyone noticing. Judging by the tightening of Wes’s arm and the low, rumbling chuckle in his chest, I fail spectacularly.
“Don’t get any ideas, Wes,” I say as I try my best to glare at him.
“Still opposed to marrying me, huh?”
“Definitely.”
“I’ve got ten months to change your mind, otherwise we’ll have to find somewhere else to live.”
“Good luck with that,” I grumble, but I can’t quite hide my grin.
Wes’s eyes sparkle at the challenge, then his lips find mine for a searing kiss.
We’re interrupted by squealing as Fiona thrusts her new ring toward Jen and Candice. Extricating myself from Wes’s arms, I join my friends in the doorway of our beloved café and restaurant and swoon over Fiona’s new ring.
“Never thought I’d marry anyone again,” she says with a sigh, running her fingers over the sparkling diamond. “But then again, I never thought I’d meet anyone like Grant.”
“You deserve it, hun,” I say, giving her a tight hug. When we pull apart, I turn my head and meet Wes’s gaze.
My heart skips. Maybe…
That thought is interrupted by Candice clearing her throat. “I also have news.”
Jen whips her head around. “You’re engaged?”
“No.” Candice huffs a laugh.
“Pregnant?”
“God no,” she says, horrified.
We laugh, and lean in as Candice takes a deep breath, her eyes sparkling.
Candice
“We had a special customer a few weeks ago,” I say. “Some big-time Hollywood producer.”
“We did?” Jen’s eyes are wide.
I nod. “Uh-huh. And he was impressed by the food we have on offer. I didn’
t know who he was until after, but he talked to me while he was here. Said we should keep Fallon and Jen under lock and key to stop them from ever leaving. Bought a whole box of pastries to take on the plane with him back to L.A.”
“He said that?” Jen glances at me, then at Fiona and Simone. I know she knows her pastries are good, but I’m not sure she truly understands what a genius she is at baking. I can’t keep the smile off my face as I think of what I’m about to tell her, of just how much this Hollywood bigwig was impressed by her work. All four of us are blubbering messes, but I can’t keep the news to myself any longer.
With a deep breath, I smile at my three best friends. “Mr. Big Shot Producer is shooting a movie in the area in a few months. He wants us to do the catering. He sent the proposal to the company email this morning, and ladies, it’s a huge contract. Huge.”
Fiona stares at me. “Wait. What?”
Simone starts laughing and claps a hand over her mouth. Jen just stares.
I grin. “If we commit to the contract, the profits will keep us afloat for a whole year. We’ll need to hire another full-time chef for it, probably, but we have time to find someone before shooting starts on the movie.” I glance at Jen, a question in my eyes.
“I’ll do it,” she says without hesitation, without me even needing to say anything. “If Guillaume won’t let me take a couple of months off my restaurant job, I’ll quit.”
“Holy shit!” Simone yelps, then hops a few times, then gathers everyone in a bone-crushing group hug. “Holy shit! Holy shit! What’s the movie?”
“Don’t know yet,” I say.
Simone lets out a squeal, her blue eyes shining. “I wonder who the actors will be. Hopefully someone hot. I’ll never say no to a bit of eye candy.” Simone glances over her shoulder, then back at the three of us. “Don’t tell Wes I said that.”
We laugh and, with tears in our eyes, turn back to the setup for the Fringe Festival. A year ago I was running around, frazzled and overwhelmed. I’d had a harebrained idea to start a pop-up café to promote my yoga studio during the festival. I’d bitten off more than I could chew, and I was desperate. I offered Fiona a temporary job, and I never could have imagined I’d end up here.
Even with a less-than-great date with Rudy under my belt, I still feel like I’ve grown in the past year. I feel like maybe, Paul is smiling down on me. He’d be proud of me for this. For running my yoga studio while investing in the café. For trusting three other women to start a new business with me. For not letting my own fears and grief stop me from providing for myself and my daughter, from living life to the fullest.
And who knows? Maybe this catering contract will put Four Cups on the map. And if there’s some hot Hollywood eye candy for me to ogle, I won’t be the one to complain…
Book 3: Dirty Little Midlife Mistake is available HERE
(mybook.to/DLMidlifeMistake)
In which Hollywood heartthrob and certified silver fox Blake Harding decides Candice is the woman he wants. She just doesn’t know it yet.
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Also by Lilian Monroe
For all books, visit:
www.lilianmonroe.com
Forty and fabulous
Dirty Little Midlife Crisis
Dirty Little Midlife Mess
Dirty Little Midlife Mistake
Brother’s Best Friend Romance
Shouldn’t Want You
Can’t Have You
Don’t Need You
Won’t Miss You
Military Romance
His Vow
His Oath
His Word
The Complete Protector Series
Enemies to Lovers Romance
Hate at First Sight
Loathe at First Sight
Despise at First Sight
The Complete Love/Hate Series
Secret Baby/Accidental Pregnancy Romance:
Knocked Up by the CEO
Knocked Up by the Single Dad
Knocked Up…Again!
Knocked Up by the Billionaire’s Son
The Complete Unexpected Series
Yours for Christmas
Bad Prince
Heartless Prince
Cruel Prince
Broken Prince
Wicked Prince
Wrong Prince
Lone Prince
Ice Queen
Rogue Prince
Fake Engagement/ Fake Marriage Romance:
Engaged to Mr. Right
Engaged to Mr. Wrong
Engaged to Mr. Perfect
Mr Right: The Complete Fake Engagement Series
Mountain Man Romance:
Lie to Me
Swear to Me
Run to Me
The Complete Clarke Brothers Series
Extra-Steamy Rock Star Romance:
Garrett
Maddox
Carter
The Complete Rock Hard Series
Sexy Doctors:
Doctor O
Doctor D
Doctor L
The Complete Doctor’s Orders Series
Time Travel Romance:
The Cause
A little something different:
Second Chance: A Rockstar Romance in North Korea
Dirty Little Midlife Mess: A Fake Relationship Romantic Comedy (Heart’s Cove Hotties Book 2) Page 23