Hidden Paradise

by A. M. Guilliams

  I took the elevator to the rooftop and scanned my keycard at the door that led to the area where the party was being held. Several people had already arrived and were enjoying glasses of wine and drinks from the bar.

  The setting was very intimate, and I was sure this area would be a big hit with the guest. Trees were adorned with lights all around the space. Hanging lights hung above the space, going from one side of the roof to the other. Tables were scattered around, giving enough seating for guests. There was a bar to the left of me that would be any bartenders dream, filled with every type of liquor and mixer that would ever be needed. A dance floor was off to the right where a few guests were enjoying the music that played from the speakers that were strategically placed on each end of the roof.

  Looking around, I noticed Thorn in the middle of the roof speaking with a couple employees from Hidden Paradise. I wiped my hands nervously down the dress as I walked in his direction.

  He looked away from the men he was talking with and in my direction as if he could feel my presence. His eyes raked up and down my body, from head to toe and back up again. He excused himself from his company and walked my way.

  We met in the middle. My heart rate picked up with the intensity of his gaze.

  He pulled me into him, almost forcefully.

  “That dress should be illegal. I’ll be fighting off men all night from getting near you. You look amazing,” he whispered into my ear, nipping the lobe.

  My cheeks flushed with his words. I’d never been this bold, but the decision paid off just by seeing and hearing his reaction.

  “I can’t wait to get you out of it later,” he said before he pulled back from me. He kept his hand wrapped around my waist as we went to grab drinks from the bar.

  A glass of white wine in hand, we set off to mingle with the guests. Thorn enjoyed talking with everyone and hearing their thoughts on the new hotel. Everyone seemed pleased with what they’d seen thus far, making me proud to work for the company that’d created the beautiful building.

  A slow song came on, and Thorn excused us from the guests as he guided us to the dance floor. He pulled me close, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. We swayed to the beat of the song.

  “I’m glad you came along with me on this trip. You’ve made traveling here so much more pleasurable.”

  I smiled at the last word he used, remembering all the pleasure he’d given me the night before.

  His thumb grazed the pink flesh of my cheek, and I leaned into his touch.

  “I’ve enjoyed our time here. Hearing everyone’s reactions to the new hotel made the trip worthwhile. Even though I miss our little girl like crazy, I’m glad I decided to come.”

  “I miss her too. My day doesn’t feel complete until she’s in my arms. I hate leaving her at night even though I’m only a few floors away.”

  He was an amazing father, and Hali adored him.

  “Move in with me,” he spoke, causing me to gasp.

  That was an out of the blue statement.

  “What?” I asked, confused.

  “Move in with me. I have all the space in the world for the three of us in the penthouse.”

  Were we there yet, though? We’d only been giving this a go for a short period of time.

  “Where is this urgency coming from?”

  “I’m an impatient man. I want to come home to my family. Not have to leave your home to go back to an empty space of my own. I want to fall asleep with you cuddled into my side. I’ve told you I want a future with you. Is this fast? Possibly. But I know you’re it for me.”

  I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say. Did I want everything he was saying? Was this too soon? Yes to both. But I wanted this man in my life. That much I knew.

  Acting on a whim, I whispered, “Yes.”

  He picked me up and spun me around the dance floor. His excitement apparent with his reaction.

  I laughed as he continued to hold me in his arms before he placed me back on the floor.

  “I’m going to make you a very happy woman. You’ll see,” he promised.

  I had no doubt that he would.

  Epilogue

  Thorn

  I hadn’t planned to ask Lily to move in with me so soon, but it felt right in that moment to ask. I was on the high of the first night’s success of the new hotel location, and I wanted to add to the happiness I felt. She made me nervous with the way she hesitated, but once she’d said yes, I was done for. She’d broken her lease a month after we came back and moved her in with me. She added feminine touches to the space, making it feel just as homey as her place had been. She even had the same person come and paint a replica of the mural that was on Hali’s bedroom wall so the baby would transition well to being in a new place.

  We’d fallen into a nice routine over the past few months since returning from Milan. I enjoyed walking through the door with her after we left the office and seeing Hali’s excitement once we were home. She was now crawling and all over the place, something I’d enjoyed immensely.

  It took some convincing, but I got Lily to agree to a small weekend getaway to New York this weekend. I wanted to give her the world. I’d have love to show her the world, but with all of her travels, I’d settle for giving her everything her heart desired. She hated receiving extravagant gifts, so I’d stuck to surprising her with subtle things, like a new mug to add to her collection or a spa day every now and then.

  We’d gotten off the plane a couple of hours ago and checked into our hotel. I’d called and made sure our reservations were still a go for tonight. I was nervous, but I wanted to be the one to be with her when she scratched something off her bucket list of things to see.

  “Are you bundled up and ready to go?” I asked from my seat on the side of the bed. The temperatures weren’t what we were used to in sunny California so I made sure we packed accordingly.

  Lily came out of the bathroom dressed in jeans and a gray sweater with knee-high boots. The simple look made her even sexier than the dress she wore in Milan. She grabbed her winter coat and put it on.

  “I’d be even more ready if you’d tell me where we were going. I don’t even know if I dressed accordingly,” she whined. She’d been trying to get our plans out of me since before we left the airport in California. My lips were sealed.

  “You look beautiful. I’m still not telling you. You’ll see the surprise once we get there.” I put on my coat, and she grabbed her purse. We left the room with her on my arm.

  I hailed a cab outside of the hotel and whispered our destination to the cab driver so she couldn’t hear. She took in the sites around us. New York was busier than I’d ever seen it. Then again I’d never come here in the wintertime.

  Surprisingly, we reached our destination quicker than I thought we would with New York traffic.

  “Oh my God, Thorn. It’s beautiful,” she said as I paid the cab driver and we exited the vehicle.

  She took in Rockefeller Center and all its beautiful glory. Her gaze stayed on the beautifully lit-up Christmas tree that stood before us. The snow surrounding the area made the scene before us even more spectacular.

  “I thought you’d love to see this. Come on. Let’s go ice skating while we’re here,” I said as I led her over to the rink.

  The sign said closed for private party, but she was too busy to notice since she couldn’t stop staring at the tree.

  I gave the attendant our information and the sizes we’d need for skates. Lily had yet to say another word. Her hand still covered her mouth in shock and awe.

  “You ready to do this?” I asked as we sat down to put on our skates.

  “Why aren’t there more people here? I’ve always imagined dozens of people out on the rink when I envisioned coming here.”

  There was no one around yet because I’d rented out the space for a half an hour so we could enjoy her first time coming here.

  “I don’t know. Let’s just call ourselves lucky and enjoy the peace and quiet until other pe
ople arrive.”

  “I’ve never done this before. I’m sure I’m going to fall flat on my ass the second we go out on the rink.”

  “We’ll be fine. I’ll help you,” I replied. I’d gone a couple of times, but not enough to be a pro at it.

  We stood and walked over to the entrance of the rink. I went out first and maintained my balance as I turned around to help Lily onto the ice.

  She was wobbly at first, but after a few moments of unsteadiness, she seemed to feel more comfortable at skating.

  “This is amazing,” she said as we went around the rink a few times.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” I replied as I guided her to the center of the rink with each pass.

  Once we’d reached the center, I slowed down to a stop, grabbing her hand so she’d follow my lead.

  “Why are we stopping?” she questioned. The tip of her nose had grown red from the chill in the air. She looked stunningly beautiful. Red cheeks and all.

  “I love that we could experience this first together. I love the life we’ve built together. I can’t believe almost a year has passed since we found each other again. You’ve come to mean the world to me. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you and Hali to come home to. I never pictured myself having a family. I didn’t even know what to see when that word came to mind. You’ve helped me realize what I was missing in my life. I want you and our daughter for the rest of my life. I want future children with you. I’d love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you,” I said as I got down on one knee on the ice.

  Her hands came up to her mouth, and she gasped. I could see tears fall from her beautiful green eyes, causing my heart to fill with even more love than I thought possible. I reached into the inside of my coat pocket and grabbed the black velvet box that had been burning a hole inside since we’d left our home.

  “Lily St. James, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” I asked as I opened the box. I wanted to purchase the biggest diamond imaginable, but once I’d seen the two-carat antique diamond ring in the display case, I knew that was the ring for her.

  I looked up at her, waiting for a response. She loved to make me wait.

  Finally, she put me out of my misery.

  “Yes,” she said as she pulled me up from my spot on the ice.

  Gently, I pulled the gloves off that she’d put on when we arrived and placed the diamond on her finger. It fit perfectly.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said as she held up her hand to take in the beauty of the ring. The single solitaire square diamond shined in the bright light. Infinity symbols went down the white gold band.

  “Not as beautiful as you. I’m going to make you the happiest woman alive. I love you,” I vowed, meaning every word.

  “I love you too, Arie Caras. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you,” she promised in return, sealing our engagement with a kiss that made me weak in the knees.

  Who knew that seven days of fun in the sun would lead to a lifetime of happiness?

  I surely didn’t, but I wouldn’t change a single thing because it led me back to her and our daughter. It led me to have the family I never thought was a possibility.