by Ava Miles
He needed to hear her say it.
“I took your private plane here after seeing Artemis on Jane’s lucky coin.”
He was already shaking his head in wonder when she held something up.
“And Chase found this for me. I forgot to tell you that you couldn’t have chosen a better ring. It’s perfect for me.”
His eyes zeroed in on the object in her hand, and this time his knees almost buckled. “You have the ring?”
“Yes,” she said, clutching it in her trembling hand. “Are you willing to forgive me for losing all sense when I saw my parents?”
“I lost all sense when I saw your parents at the head table,” he admitted. “I can’t imagine what it did to you.”
But he could. He’d been unable to stop himself from replaying the image of her curled up in a ball, crying her heart out.
“It knocked me back, but I’m on my feet again.” She stepped directly in front of him. “You were right to tell me not to give them that kind of victory. So, I’m here to ask you one simple question.”
He waited.
“Evan, do you still want to marry me?”
His throat closed along with his eyes, and for a moment, he simply stood there and let the relief wash over him, practically swaying from the force of it. Her hand on his arm brought him back, and his gaze locked with hers.
“I still want to marry you,” he said, his voice hoarse now. “Oh, Margie, are you sure?”
Her head bobbed up and down. “I am. And I have a compromise. About the house.”
His brow rose. Were they compromising now? “Okay.”
“I think we should buy some land and move it out to the country so we can expand it,” she said, shifting her feet. “That way you can make your improvements. Plus, you’ll need a lab.”
This was a huge step for her, and he ran his finger down her cheek to tell her so. “And we’ll need a bigger backyard for the kids.”
Tears filled her eyes and spilled over, but he was there to brush them aside before they could trail down her cheeks.
“Oh, Evan. Please put this ring on my finger.”
He finally slid it on, and then he kissed it. “It’s official. No turning back now.”
“I don’t want to turn back. I want to move forward with you and our new life together. I want that more than anything.”
And then he could no longer stand the two feet still separating them. He yanked her to him and took her mouth in a deep, lush kiss filled with promises. She gave him back her every wish and desire as she slanted her mouth over his, heating his blood and enlivening his body like she had lit up his life.
“Margie,” he whispered as he kissed the soft skin of her neck. “Oh, Margie.”
She smelled like cinnamon and freshly baked bread and all the possibilities in the known universe.
“Make love to me, Evan,” she whispered, drawing a heart in the center of his chest. “Please.”
He swept her into his arms and carried her to the west part of the house he’d taken over. Only now, as he set her down on the bed, did he realize his clothes were scattered across the floor.
“It’s a mess,” he said with a wince.
Turning his head back to hers with a mere finger, she said, “Like I give a damn.”
Then her mouth was moving over his again, and she pulled him onto the bed beside her. Every stroke of her hand helped bring him back to life. And when he touched her, she softened and surrendered to the unstoppable force of love between them, which had guided them to each other from the very first.
Her skin was delectable and fragrant as he helped her out of her clothes and kissed his way down her body. Her quiet moans brought him a new sense of peace while stirring the volcano that had gone dormant over the past few days.
She became a virtuoso of his body, and he, in turn, surrendered to her damp mouth and urgent caresses. But soon it wasn’t enough. She pushed him onto his back and rose above him like a goddess. He handed her the condom, and she fitted it over him. Her sable hair fell around her face, and her emerald eyes glowed as they gazed down at him.
When he sank into her, she cried out, the long, lithe line of her body a masterpiece of beauty and feminine grace. And then he thrust into her deeply and groaned, finding a new level of bliss. They traveled with each other until their bodies dissolved, and all he saw was that loving green gaze. Then she tensed and cried out, and he journeyed after her into the peace, into the light, where only love existed.
She fell onto his chest, and he caressed her back, breathing hard. When they finally touched each other—almost as though to confirm they were still here—he rolled them onto their sides and traced her face.
“I love you,” he whispered. “I’ll always love you. Until the day I die.”
Her smile was soft and so heartbreakingly beautiful, he felt his heart crack open even wider.
“And I’ll love you too,” she said in a strong voice. “Forever and ever and ever.”
And they continued to gaze at each other as the afternoon light changed, renewing their promises again and again.
Epilogue
Evan walked into the house that was slowly becoming his as well as Margie’s. The old Victorian now had some of his favorite paintings on the walls, including the grandmother picking roses and Artemis alongside her steadfast deer with the loaf of bread on the table.
After talking things through, they’d agreed he would find nice apartments for the renters she had so they could have the house to themselves. Everyone but Gary had been thrilled to see their new digs. The young man had hoped to live with them and invent “things.” Evan had promised to help Gary with his ideas until the new Artemis Center was up and running. That had seemed to pacify him.
“Hey!” Evan called out as he closed the door behind him.
“In the kitchen,” Margie answered.
When he arrived in the doorway, he spied an entire pan of cinnamon rolls. He sniffed the air. “Funny. I didn’t smell any of your cinnamon awesomeness when I came inside.”
“That’s because I made these at the bakery and brought them home,” she said, dashing over and kissing him on the cheek.
He turned her head and pointed to his mouth. “Your aim was off.”
Her mouth curved into a smile as she rose on her tiptoes. “Why don’t you help guide me then?”
“I’d be happy to,” he said huskily and then took her mouth in a deep kiss that had them both breathing hard.
She moaned as she broke their connection. “Wait! I have some exciting news.”
Even though he was loath to allow the interruption, he gave her some room. “Tell me.”
“I think I found our land. I chatted with Arthur today when he came in for a cinnamon roll, and he mentioned some land up in the mountains that’s still owned by the Merriam family. He suggested it might be right up our alley.”
His brow rose. “How nice of Arthur. How many acres is it?”
“He’s not completely sure, but he said it would be plenty for our purposes.” And she bounced on her toes as she said it. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
“It is! And I have my own exciting news.”
“Chase agreed to let you work from home,” she said with a smile.
He frowned. “No, he’s still insisting we don’t have enough security in the house to meet our internal corporate security guidelines, least of all government ones.”
Now she was frowning too. “Then what is it?”
He pulled out the stamped copy of the special citation he’d received from the municipal authorities in Paris. “I managed to find us a wedding site. How would you like to be married on the little inlet where we first kissed?”
Her ear-spitting squeal conveyed her feelings perfectly. The arms she wrapped around his neck were a bonus. “You mean the one off Pont Neuf Bridge?”
“Yep,” he said, pretty pleased with himself. It had taken him and a dozen French lawyers to make it happen in record time, but they’d manage
d it. “I thought it would be the perfect place for our wedding.”
“Oh, Evan,” she said in a lush tone, the one that told him he’d pleased her. He loved pleasing her—especially when he was able to use his money to do it.
“I also have another surprise,” he said. “We completed the first successful test case of the new invention.”
She gave another squeal, not needing to ask what he was talking about. They always referred to his invisible paint in vague terms.
“Oh my God,” she said. “This is huge! We have to celebrate. Oh Evan, I’m so happy for you.”
“And I finally managed to name her,” he said, taking her hands into his until their fingers were threaded together. “I’m calling her MAL-713.”
Her brow wrinkled, and he almost smiled. So, she didn’t get it either. Chase had thought he was crazy until he explained it. “It’s your initials. And the month and date that I first met you. It was the day my entire life changed.”
Watching her mouth drop open pretty much burst his heart.
“That’s so romantic.”
“I had to look up your legal name for the wedding license,” he said. “Margaret Anastasia Lancaster.”
“I’ve always hated that name.”
“Then why don’t you change it to Margie Michaels,” he suggested. “Unless you want to keep your name as a testament to your independence and—”
“Evan, I don’t need to keep my name to remind me of my independence,” she said, squeezing his hands with her own. “Margie Michaels has a nice ring to it, I think.”
“So do I,” he said, humbled she would agree to take on even more of him and his life than she already had.
“And there’s one more thing I have for you,” he said, deciding now was the time to show her his other surprise. “I’ll be right back.”
He had to run up the stairs to his old room—the one he was now using as his office for non-confidential business. Rushing back to the kitchen, he held the paper behind his back.
She tried to look behind him, but he danced out of her way. “Just wait a second, will you?”
Taking a breath, he handed her the piece of paper he’d drawn up. Inscribed at the top was one simple phrase: The Evan Michaels and Margie Lancaster Foundation.
Her hand immediately went to her mouth, and he saw tears pop into her eyes.
“On the day you came back to me, you told me you wanted us to change the world together. I want your name to be next to mine on everything we do.”
“This is just…” Then she hugged him hard, the paper crushed between them.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of his head. “We’re going to make our kids proud, Margie.”
“And we’re going to love them to pieces. And foster every interest they ever have.”
Dreaming about their kids was his new fantasy when he was in the lab in the middle of the night and she was across town baking bread.
“But don’t you think you’ll need to change the name?” she asked with a laugh. “It needs to be the Evan and Margie Michaels Foundation now.”
He gave her a squeeze. “That sounds even better.”
“And now,” she said, stepping away, “I have something else I want to try out.”
She pulled two cinnamon rolls a part and put them on a blue china plate. “I got to thinking about what we did with the baguette. How about cinnamon rolls?” she asked brightly.
Lust poured into his system. “Do you really think you need to ask?”
Grabbing the plate, she darted out of the kitchen. He gave chase immediately. She squealed the whole way to their bedroom in the tower. Evan ran past the picture of the goddess Artemis that had hung in his lab.
The goddess watched the door close and smiled from her place on the wall, happy that mortals had once again learned the power of love through feasting on bread.
***
To learn more about my upcoming releases, sign up for my newsletter here. These include Lucy and Andy's Dare Valley story called THE CALENDAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS; Susannah and Jake's story in Dare River called THE PROMISE OF RAINBOWS; and Jordan and Grace's story in my new series Once Upon A Dare called THE GATE TO EVERYTHING.
Dear Magical Readers,
Thank you so much for embracing Margie and Evan in this beautiful mini-series. It truly was a joy to research and write their love story. Paris holds as much of a special place in my heart as Dare Valley, and it was a gift to bring these two together in both places.
Where are we going next? The next Dare River book comes out soon, and it's called THE PROMISE OF RAINBOWS. This is Susannah and Jake's story, and so many of you have written me and told me how eager you are to read it. We'll be journeying back to Dare Valley soon for Andy and Lucy's story called THE CALENDAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS. I'll also be releasing a new series called Once Upon a Dare with all of the football stars you met in THE BRIDGE TO A BETTER LIFE. Jordan and Grace are up first in THE GATE TO EVERYTHING. Stay tuned.
If you enjoyed this mini-series, I would love for you to post a review since it helps more readers want to read my story. You can write one at the retailer or on Goodreads. When you post one, kindly let me know at [email protected] so I can personally thank you. To keep up with all my new releases, please sign up for my newsletter and connect with me on Facebook. I continue to post about food and other fun stuff, so come and join our big Dare family.
And if you're looking to read about more powerful billionaires, you might check out Kathleen Brooks' Women of Power series. Her books are about female billionaires—something we need more of in the world. Keep reading for more information about her first book in the series. I highly recommend it.
Lastly, since you guys love it when I give you a recipe, keep reading for instructions on how to make a simple Parisian baguette like Margie (and I) learned how to make in Paris on our baking apprenticeship.
As always, thanks so much for reading and bringing so much joy into my life.
Lots of light,
Ava
CHOSEN FOR POWER by New York Times Bestselling Author Kathleen Brooks
Somebody is out to destroy Elle Simpson and everything she's worked hard to build. As the CEO of a corporate conglomerate, Elle is used to fighting off challengers. However, this new threat comes at a time when she finally lets her guard down to meet Prince Charming. And it's unlike anything she's been up against before. Drake Charles's work on mobile technology has made him a wealthy, powerful man. But he quickly sheds the fame and publicity for a more private life, which earns him the label as a man of mystery. Drake adds to that mystery every year when he hosts a masquerade ball for charity. It's also his best chance to find the one thing he really wants . . . true love. Having met behind masks of anonymity, Elle and Drake enjoy a whirlwind night of romance that leaves them both wanting more. But Elle must question everything and everyone as she battles to save her life and career. Can Elle trust Drake to help get her life back or will she lose everything?
Amazon Kindle - Barnes & Noble Nook - iBooks - Google Play Books - Kobo eReader
And now for the recipe…
Classical French Baguette
The key to this recipe is to mix the dough in a bread machine on the dough cycle or with a dough hook in a KitchenAid mixer. And you need fresh yeast; it makes a big difference.
Combine 1 cup water with 2 1/2 cups flour with 1 1/2 tsp. yeast and 1/2 tsp salt. You have the option of proofing your yeast by adding 1 tsp. warm water and 1/2 tsp. sugar or you can simply add the yeast by itself to the flour, water, and salt.
Mix in the bread machine until complete (most machines have two rising cycles). If you're doing it by hand in the mixer, let the dough rise once, punch it down, and then let it rise again.
When the dough is ready, divide the dough in half and roll them out into two circles.
Now tuck one side of the dough into the middle and pinch the seams. Then, do the same thing on the other side. Then take one side and connect it all the w
ay to the other side. Finally, like Andre said to Margie: “You use both hands to roll it into the shape of the slender arm of a beautiful woman. A dancer's arm.” Then use a baker's blade or a sharp knife and make three cuts on the diagonal on the bread. Slash, don't saw.
Let the two baguettes rise again for about 30 minutes or so and bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the loaves are golden brown.
* This recipe makes two baguettes.
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The following books by Ava Miles are also available now.
The Dare Valley series:
NORA ROBERTS LAND (Meredith & Tanner)
FRENCH ROAST (Jill & Brian)
THE GRAND OPENING (Peggy & Mac)
THE HOLIDAY SERENADE (Abbie & Rhett)
THE TOWN SQUARE (Arthur & Harriet)
THE PARK OF SUNSET DREAMS (Jane & Matt)
THE PERFECT INGREDINT (Elizabeth & Terrance)
THE BRIDGE TO A BETTER LIFE (Natalie & Blake)
DARING BRIDES (a collection of wedding stories)
The Dare Valley Meets Paris Billionaire's Mini-series:
THE BILLIONAIRE'S GAMBLE: #1
THE BILLIONAIRE'S SECRET: #2
THE BILLIONAIRE'S COURTSHIP: #3
THE BILLIONAIRE'S RETURN: #4
The Dare River series (connected to Dare Valley):
COUNTRY HEAVEN (Tory & Rye)
COUNTRY HEAVEN SONG BOOK
COUNTRY HEAVEN COOKBOOK
THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN (Tammy & John Parker)
THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN: A MAGICAL TALE (children's book)
FIREFLIES AND MAGNOLIAS (Amelia Ann & Clayton)
Looking for Dare Valley Swag? Ava has a Zazzle Store now where you can buy a coffee mug from Don't Soy With Me and other fun items. Come check it out.