“I love you, Ves,” he whispers against my lips.
“I love you too, Liam.”
He takes the ring from the box and slips it onto my finger. Everyone behind us cheers louder. They clap and throw confetti that blows around us with the light wind.
“You do realize that now you have to call me your fiancée, right?”
I laugh and nod my head. “I’d be happy to.”
His lips press against mine again while his hands cup my cheeks, holding me close to him.
My parents interrupt our kiss, Dad shaking Liam’s hand and Mom pulling me in for a hug. She’s so happy that there are tears in her eyes and her cheeks are flushed.
“I’m so happy you came around to your senses,” she says, wiping away her tears.
I laugh. “You finally got your way.”
Mom moves in to hug Liam, and Dad steps over in front of me, pulling me for a giant bear hug. He pulls away and his dark eyes zero in on me. “I like the guy, Vesper. I really do. But if he hurts you, I know where to get the equipment to bury his body.”
I laugh loudly, smacking his shoulder. “I don’t think we need to go that far, Dad.”
He holds up both his hands, palms facing me. “Just letting you know. Keep that in your back pocket in case you ever need it.”
I roll my eyes with a shake of my head. My little sister, Aria, walks up and pulls me against her for a hug.
“Congrats, big sis.”
“Thank you,” I tell her, looking her over. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. She usually skips coming home for vacations. Her hair that used to match mine is now bleached blonde, and she wears it in long, loose waves. She’s wearing a pair of skinny jeans with a pair of gold sandals, and a long, flowing shirt. It’s a long way from her usual sweats that she used to always wear.
“You’re really growing up. You know that?”
She blushes and rolls her eyes.
I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her closer. “Before you know it, it’s going to be you getting married.”
“Ha,” she loudly mocks laughter. “No way will I ever get married. I’m going to spend the rest of my life traveling the world and taking my pictures.”
“Staying young and free forever, huh?” I tease her.
“Absolutely. There’s nothing worse than getting tied down. I mean, you’re only twenty-six, Ves.” She looks up at Liam. “But, I guess if I had to get married, a sexy billionaire would be my first choice too.” She laughs, and I playfully push her away.
“Everyone, please come into the house for some champagne,” Liam says, motioning toward the house.
He wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him as he leads the way. I happen to catch a glimpse of Amy and Tyler over my shoulder. Her face is pink and he’s wearing a wide smile. It makes me wonder if he’s asking her out. They did seem quiet taken by one another on that one date we went on. Amy needs someone to make her settle down. She’s still just as wild as she was when she was a teenager. She goes out, drinks, has her random flings, but nobody has been able to keep her attention for long. I have a feeling that Tyler is the perfect guy for that.
Liam leads us all into the kitchen where he pulls out a bottle of champagne and pops the top. I squeal with delight when it pops, causing the rest of us to giggle. Liam pours us all a glass, and we all lean around the island to cheers.
Liam looks at me. “To us.”
I smile and agree.
“To my baby girl that I didn’t think I’d ever get rid of,” Dad jokes, causing everyone to join in on his laughter.
“To many healthy grandbabies,” Mom adds on.
“To someone else babysitting those grandbabies,” Aria says.
Amy and Tyler are too busy holding their own conversation at the back of the room to add anything else on, but I don’t mind. I’d rather see them find the happiness that Liam and I have finally found.
Mom and Dad turn to have their own conversation, and Aria pulls out her phone while sipping her champagne. Occasionally, I notice her eyes drifting toward Dillon who is sitting at the table, looking at the screen of his phone. Leaving Liam and I to have a few minutes alone.
“You have no idea how happy you’ve made me today,” he says, pulling me closer to him, my chest pressing against his.
I smile and wrap my arms around his neck. “I think I do.”
“Yeah?” His eyebrow arches. “Care to prove it?”
“How?” I ask, brows furrowing together.
He shoots me a grin, his eyes quickly flashing from mine to the other room.
My face heats up as I gently smack his chest. “My parents are here,” I whisper.
He glances over at them. “It looks like they’re pretty busy. I bet nobody would even notice if we slipped into the other room right now.”
I look around the room. They all did seem pretty occupied. “Okay, but you better be quick.”
He takes my hand and quickly pulls me into the dining room, down the hall, and into the little bathroom tucked away at the back of the house.
His hands find my hips and he pulls me against him, lifting me up and setting me on the counter top.
“I love you, Ves,” he whispers against my lips.
“I love you too, Liam.”
His mouth presses against mine, and he kisses me deeply, making me wonder why I ever wanted to wait for this.
Dreams are good, but that’s what they are; dreams. It’s a goal that’s something to work toward. There’s no guarantee. And they’re not written in stone. Being here with Liam, moving forward in our relationship, it’s only now that I realize that this is my real dream. Expanding my clinic, that’s just extra. Work won’t love me and keep me safe. Love does that. Love should always come first. And I plan on spending every day of my life putting Liam and our love first.
Bonus Content
WANT TO READ MORE FROM ALEXIS WINTER?
Business & Pleasure
Drake: A Rocky Mountain Romance
Always You: A Friends to Lovers Romance: Book 1
Needing You: A Friends to Lovers Romance: Book 2
Temptation: A Billionaire Romance (Forbidden Desires Book 1)
Seduction: A Billionaire Romance (Forbidden Desires Book 2)
Indulgence: A Billionaire Romance (Forbidden Desires Book 3)
Forbidden Desires: 3 Book Billionaire Romance Box Set
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About the Author
Alexis Winter is a contemporary romance author who loves to share her steamy stories with the world. She specializes in billionaires, alpha males and the women they love.
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If you love to curl up with a good romance book you will certainly enjoy her work. Whether it's a story about an innocent young woman learning about the world or a sassy and fierce heroin who knows what she wants you,'re sure to enjoy the happily ever afters she provides.
When Alexis isn't writing away furiously, you can find her exploring the Rocky Mountains, traveling, enjoying a glass of wine or petting a cat.
You can find her books on Amazon.
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