Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Imogene
I hesitated in the doorway, taking it all in. The room I’d left mere hours ago was now unrecognizable, transformed into a romantic dreamscape straight out of a fairy tale. Soft candlelight flickered across every surface, the golden glow bouncing off the floor-to-ceiling windows and casting gentle shadows on the walls. The faint scent of roses and sea salt hung in the air, as if the very essence of the island had been bottled and poured into the room.
My footsteps echoed against the polished floor as I made my way inside. A trail of crimson rose petals wound its way through the suite like an invitation. The music of a gentle guitar drifted through the air — calm, soothing, yet achingly familiar. It was a melody I often heard Samuel play.
The balcony door was open, the sheer curtains swaying in the evening breeze. It carried with it the faint crash of the ocean waves and the crisp tang of salt, mingling with the soothing aroma from the candles. My chest tightened as I followed the petals, drawn as much to the setting as I was to the overwhelming anticipation curling low in my stomach.
As I stepped outside, a smile spread across my lips at the sight that greeted me.
Gideon stood by the railing, silhouetted against the horizon where the last streaks of dusk melted into the inky sky. He wore a sharp navy suit that fit him perfectly, though he’d skipped the tie. The open collar added a touch of ease to his otherwise commanding presence. The perfect combination of Gideon and Samuel. But it was the look in his eyes that rooted me to the spot — so much love and devotion, it left me completely breathless.
“Are you my reward?” I managed to ask, despite my racing heart.
“I hope so,” he replied as he stepped toward me. His voice was low and intimate, full of raw emotion that sent shivers down my spine.
But before I could utter a single syllable in response, he reached into his pocket and gracefully dropped to one knee.
The world around us instantly vanished, leaving only the two of us and the sound of our hearts beating as one.
“Imogene…” His voice was thick with emotion as he took my hand in his. “I never thought I’d get to do this. For four years, I took it day by day. Hour by hour. Minute by minute. Every day, I woke up fully prepared for it to be my last.”
I swallowed hard, a tear sliding down my cheek at how terrifying that must have been. Yet, he somehow managed to find the strength to survive. To not give up.
“When I finally escaped, I almost ruined it all over again. I let revenge consume me. In my mind, it was the only way to settle the score. But I don’t want to live like that anymore. Not when I have a chance at something better. At something real.”
He opened a small velvet box and revealed a sparkling, round-cut solitaire diamond. It was simple, but elegant. Just like him.
“I don’t want to be defined by what happened to me, by the mistakes I’ve made.” His voice softened, his eyes piercing into mine. “I want to be defined by you , Imogene. By us. By this love I didn’t think I’d ever find again. All that time I was locked away, I thought my need for revenge kept me alive. Now that I’m able to think clearly again, I’ve realized I was wrong. You kept me alive. Your love. Your refusal to give up on me. It brought me back from hell. You brought me back from hell.”
My heart swelled with gratitude that our love had been strong enough to see him through his darkest days. It helped me through mine, too, even if I didn’t realize it at the time.
“I’ve been looking back for too long. I’m not going to do that anymore. Orpheus lost Eurydice because he looked back. I won’t lose you because of it.”
He paused for a beat, taking a deep breath to settle his emotions.
“I may not know what the future holds. But I do know I want to spend it with you. Every second. Every moment.”
“Gideon…” I exhaled, struggling to blink away the tears spilling from my eyelids.
“I know it’s not an extravagant ring,” he continued before I could attempt to make sense of everything I was feeling.
He gave me a heartwarming smile that was a mixture of Samuel, Gideon, and every other part of this man I couldn’t imagine not having in my life.
“When the gaming platform took off and I started making real money, the first thing I did was go to a jewelry store and buy this ring. I knew we were nowhere near that stage of our relationship. I figured since the wine bottle worked for my professional life, buying a ring might work for us. Luckily Henry thought to keep it so I can do what I’ve wanted for too long now.”
He licked his lips, his eyes locked on mine with love and determination. “I know there’s a lot left unresolved, but I also know just how fleeting life can be. I don’t want to waste another second of my life without you by my side.”
His voice cracked slightly as he brought the ring up to my finger and whispered, “Imogene, will you marry me?”
I shook my head, tears blurring my vision as I stared down at this beautiful, imperfect man.
I once imagined what it would be like if he proposed. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure if it would ever happen, not when we were trying to keep our relationship hidden from Liam. Or, more accurately, I was trying to keep it from Liam.
When I got that phone call and learned Samuel was presumed dead after his car was found with a bullet hole in the blood-soaked driver’s seat, my biggest regret was loving him in the shadows. Like he just said… We had a second chance. I wasn’t going to ruin this, regardless of the uncertainties that loomed ahead.
“Please say something,” he begged after several long moments, the silence between us heavy. Then a smile lit up my face.
“How does yes sound?” I choked out.
Relief covered his expression as he slid the ring onto my finger and jumped to his feet, pulling my body against his. “Yes sounds fucking perfect.”
His lips found mine, warm and urgent, and I melted into him. With each touch of his hands against my skin, a soft sigh escaped my lips.
In this moment, I didn’t allow myself to worry about all the uncertainties hovering like a foreboding cloud in the distance. Instead, I let myself believe we could have this. That we could be happy. That we could live the life we once dreamed of.
“Hold on,” he warned after bringing the kiss to an end.
“What do you mean?”
He swooped me into his arms and carried me inside. The warmth of his body radiated through me as he held me close, making my heart race in anticipation.
He reached the bedroom in just a handful of strides, carefully setting me down. But he didn’t let go. His hands caressed me as he walked me backwards toward the bed, his lips moving sensually against mine in a kiss that felt like it could mend all the cracks and fissures inside me.
He moved from my mouth, peppering kisses along my jawline and down the column of my neck before spinning me around. He tugged the tie of my dress loose and it fell to the floor, my bra and panties soon joining it.
Facing him, I pushed his jacket off his shoulders, my eyes locking with his as I slowly unbuttoned his shirt. I couldn’t help but marvel at how far we’d come since the first time I tried to do this same thing and he stopped me. It seemed so long ago. Like we were different people back then, despite it only being a few short months ago.
Then again, we were different people back then. Gideon was still clinging to the past. In a way, so was I, still in love with a ghost.
But now, as I ran my hands over the same scars I did that day, I found myself appreciating them even more. Every mark, every line, every bump made him into who he was today. But it didn’t define him. Even better, he wasn’t letting them define him anymore.
Once he stepped out of his shoes and his clothes joined mine, he steered me toward the bed, carefully lowering me onto the surface.
His mouth captured mine again, his kiss so deep and full of emotion it took everything in me not to break into tears. We’d shared so many moments during our time together, both before and now. But this moment, knowing he was finally mine, that we finally made it to this point, it was so much bigger than I thought possible.
“Please,” I begged, wrapping my legs around his waist and circling my hips.
“What do you need?” he rasped, burying his head in the crook of my neck, teeth nipping, tongue teasing.
“You, Gideon.” I held his face in my hands. “Always you.”
Without breaking eye contact, he slid inside of me.
There were no punishing thrusts or desperate drives. Instead, he took his time, savoring me inch by inch, letting me feel all of him. Letting me see all of him.
It was almost too much. But at the same time, it wasn’t enough.
When he was fully seated, he stayed there for several long moments, his face pinched, as if he was struggling to contain all the sensations consuming him.
Then he exhaled, all the tension rolling off him in waves. He captured my mouth, his tongue swiping against mine in a tantalizingly slow rhythm that matched the way he currently pushed in and out of me.
I held him close as we chased our bliss, our bodies working in perfect harmony until we both fell over the edge together.