Epilogue
Six months later
Stella
Was it wrong to feel a sexual connection toward a slab of stone? I took in the thin, gray veins of the white Statuario marble and shivered. So beautiful.
“Stella? Are you drooling?” Florence appeared at my side.
“Maybe. What are you doing here?” Had I been too engrossed in fixtures and missed a lunch date?
“I called by the office and they said you were down here.”
The last time she’d called by my office, it had been a different office, a different job—an entirely different life that I was leading.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, sweeping my hand down the cold, smooth surface and turning away in case I got tempted to lick it.
Florence winced and I guided her out of the penthouse unit we were working on and toward the lift. “Let’s get out of here.”
“I wanted you to hear this from me,” Florence said as she stepped inside.
“Oh God, will you stop starting sentences like that?” I laughed.
“At least this time, I know you’re not about to tell me that Karen’s running off with Beck.
” There was never a day that went by that I doubted Beck’s love for me.
He was a man who believed that love was a verb and found every way he could to show me how he felt.
He’d taught me what real love was.
“Well, no, but you won’t believe it when I tell you what she’s done now.”
The goods lift hit the floor with a thump.
“What?” I asked.
“Well, she’s walked out on Matt. Left him.”
For all Karen’s faults, I didn’t think she’d walk out on a marriage that was only six months’ old.
“Apparently she found him with his hand up one of her mother’s friends’ skirts at their housewarming. And they were snogging each other’s faces off. Of course, he blamed it on the booze.”
I laughed although it wasn’t funny. I’d never thought Matt was a cheater. He might have cheated on me, but I didn’t think that’s who he was in his DNA. But perhaps that’s how he was wired. “Are you sure that’s not just the story Karen made up to deflect from something she’d done?”
Florence shrugged. “I heard it from Bea who heard it from Karen.”
“Are they trying to make it work or is that it? The D word?” I asked.
“From what I heard, Karen’s already moved on.”
We headed across the road to the bench where Beck and I sat and had our lunch on days we were on site.
Beck was right—those two really did deserve each other.
“How do you feel?” Florence asked. “I wondered if you’d be a bit upset.”
“Upset?” I asked. “I don’t feel anything other than relief that I’m not part of the drama.
And grateful it wasn’t me that found him.
That he ended things when he did and he didn’t come back to me in the months before the wedding when I might have taken him back.
Him marrying Karen was awful but it led me to Beck, and I can’t be sad about that. ”
I grinned as Beck waved from the entrance to One Park Street. He strode over to us.
“Christ, he’s so good looking, Stella.”
“He is. But it’s his heart and his humor that make me love him more every day.”
“What are you two gossiping about?” Beck asked as he bounded over.
“I was just telling Florence how much I love you,” I said and that grin he wore when things went his way crept across his face.
“Not as much as I love you,” he said, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.
“You two are ridiculously perfect for each other,” Florence said.
“Just as you and Gordy are.”
“Which is the other reason I’m here,” Florence said. “Gordy proposed and I said yes.”
I jumped up and threw myself at Florence. “Yes! I’m so happy for you.”
“I want you to be maid of honor. Gordy wants a huge wedding. I’d prefer to elope but, you know, he doesn’t often put his foot down.”
“I’m excited.” I turned to Beck. “Isn’t this great?”
“I wish you were this excited when I propose to you.” He rolled his eyes.
I had to stifle a giggle. Beck proposed on an almost monthly basis. And each time, I said maybe or no or not yet. He took it in his stride, but I could understand why me being so excited smarted a little. “It’s different. Florence and Gordy have been together forever.”
“Just like we will be,” he replied.
“Right. So who cares if we get married?” I’d been so sure that I’d marry Matt, that somehow I didn’t want to cheapen what Beck and I had by wanting to get married. A ceremony that everyone else could have wasn’t enough somehow. I didn’t see the point.
“I’ll wear you down eventually,” he said.
I laughed. If it was important to Beck, then one of these times he proposed, I’d say yes. But I knew he loved me and that was all I needed. Beck’s love, adoration, respect, and time was more than I could ever have hoped for and I had it all. He was all I’d ever need.
Twelve months later
Beck
I stared up at the newly renovated, soon-to-launch, One Park Street.
The red brickwork had been cleaned, repointed, and repaired and looked as good as it no doubt did when it was built over a hundred and fifty years ago.
The arched windows were lit up, hiding the beautiful interiors Stella had completely transformed.
Tonight, we launched the sales of the first units on a strictly invitation-only basis.
“You did it,” Stella said as she stood next to me.
I slid my arm around her waist. “We did it.”
“But this for you . . . It’s more than just another development. How does it feel?”
“Different to how I expected,” I replied. “Looking back, I was a maniac—giving you the interiors on this job was insane. But I was desperate.”
“Hey.” Stella thwacked me in the stomach and laughed.
“You did a more than amazing job—far better than any designer I’ve ever worked with. But seriously, I didn’t know you from Adam. I should never have agreed to you leading this. I wanted the Dawnay building whatever the cost.”
“Do you feel free now? Like you’ve conquered your past?” she asked.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d given my biological father a second thought.
“Yeah, but I’m not sure that’s got anything to do with the building.
I think that’s about you and the life we have together—the future we’re going to have.
” I loved that I could still make her blush.
I hoped that never went away, even when we were ninety and hitting each other with our walking sticks.
“The thought of five baby Wildes in our new place makes everything else seem ridiculous.”
“Less of the five,” Stella said. “And less of the Wildes. They will be London babies.”
“But after we’re married, they’ll be Wildes.”
“No, after we’re married, I’ll still be Stella London. You’ll still be Beck Wilde. Our babies will be London-Wildes or Wilde-Londons.”
“That’s ridiculous. We’re not having kids with a double-barreled name.”
“Then they’ll be Londons,” she said.
I grinned—partly because she knew I’d give in to just about anything she wanted. But mainly because she hadn’t told me how she had no intention of marrying me.
Because she usually did. Every time I asked her. And I asked her a lot. Stella was a prize I’d never give up fighting for.
A familiar hand gripped my shoulder. “Not bad, mate. Not bad at all,” Dexter said as he came up behind us.
“Not bad? You want to see the interior,” I said.
“It’s incredible,” Stella said. “It’s the real estate equivalent of a diamond.”
“You got that wrong,” Dexter said and the gleam in his eye meant only one thing—he’d found a stone he’d been chasing.
“You deal in coal,” I said. “I prefer bricks and mortar.”
“Stop teasing Dexter,” Stella said.
“You keep hold of this one,” Dexter said. “She’s special. Women like Stella don’t come along more than once in a lifetime.”
“I know, mate. It hasn’t happened for you, yet. But it will.”
Dexter smiled and nodded—clearly not wanting to get into it but not believing me either.
“I have a feeling that this time next year, we’ll be double dating,” Stella said.
“I mean, any girl would be lucky to have you—funny, handsome, and millions of pounds worth of diamonds at your fingertips on a daily basis.” She turned to me.
“If this guy hadn’t tricked me into falling in love with him, I’d be first in the queue. ”
My heart almost stopped every time she told me she loved me. Even now. Over a year since we met.
“I shouldn’t complain,” Dexter said. “It’s not like I’ve never had what you guys have. I was just stupid enough to fuck it up. Just this once, don’t follow my example.”
Dexter believed in love but that it only happened once a lifetime. But being with Stella had shifted my perspective on a lot of things. Dexter was right. Loving a woman was important and I wouldn’t believe that my mate was going to go the rest of his life on his own.
“I’ll try,” I said, for once not wanting to mock him. “As soon as she finally says yes, you’ll be my first call. We’re going to need a rock of a ring.”
“I don’t need a rock,” Stella said and I bit back a grin. So she’d thought about the ring she wanted. Interesting.
I bent and pressed a kiss on her lips. “You deserve a rock.”
“Can’t you two keep your hands off each other for even a second?” an annoying voice said from behind me.
I turned to find Tristan and Gabriel coming toward us. Gabriel was supposed to be in Miami. He must have just stepped off the flight. He knew tonight was important to me—so it was important to him to be here.
How did I get so fucking lucky? Friends who would stand in front of a bullet for me and a woman I’d stand in front of a bullet for. No wonder my past had dissolved into the air. Life didn’t get any better than right now.
“You boys are looking gorgeous,” Stella said to the two of them and I tightened my grip. She was now a regular at our Sunday night drinks and the guys adored her. It was like a woman had been initiated into our group.
“Not as beautiful as you,” Tristan said, taking her arm and placing a kiss on the back of her hand.
“Knock it off,” I said, pulling Stella back, and she laughed.
“Now I know Stella’s taken, I think I can safely say, I’ll never marry,” Tristan said.
He was full of shit. But it was exactly how I would feel if Tristan was with Stella—there wouldn’t be any point looking for anyone else when the woman who was meant for me was already taken.
“So this is One Park Street,” Tristan said. “Looks decent enough but if it’s that nice, then why aren’t you two moving in?”
Stella had suggested we take one of the two penthouses, but I’d been a bit reticent.
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel living somewhere with such a strong connection with the Dawnay family.
But now, after the block’s transformation, after being with Stella and working so closely with her on this building, I couldn’t think of a better place to live.
“Actually,” I said, pulling the keys to the penthouse from my trouser pocket. “I’ve been thinking about that. As it’s launch night, maybe we should take a tour and look at it from a buyer’s perspective.”
Stella lifted up on her tiptoes and her eyes lit up. “Really? I’ve been hoping against hope that you might have a change of heart when you saw the place.”
“Excuse us, gentleman, go help yourself to champagne. We’re going to go and look at the flat where we’re going to bring my first son home from hospital,” I said, guiding Stella into the building and toward the private lift for Penthouse A.
“Are you serious about this?” she asked.
“Which bit? The son thing? The hospital or the penthouse?”
She grinned. “I meant the penthouse but all of it, I guess.”
We stepped out of the lift and directly into the lobby of the best apartment in W1. The marble floors, the crystal chandelier, the inlaid brass detailing on the door frames. It all looked perfect.
“I’m serious about everything to do with our future,” I replied, striding toward the entrance to the living space, but Stella didn’t move and when I turned, she was biting the inside of her cheek like she did when she was nervous.
“Well, if that’s the case, then I have a question,” she said.
“Ask me anything,” I replied.
She fumbled in her handbag and pulled something out. “How about we wear these?” she said, presenting a black velvet box to me. I recognized it as one of the jewelry boxes Dexter used for his clients.
Was my woman proposing to me? After all these months of me asking her to marry me—she was finally saying yes?
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Tonight was the perfect night—just when I thought life couldn’t get any better.
But that was life with Stella. Just as I thought we reached the pinnacle, she went and set a new standard in happiness.
When I didn’t take the box from her, tentatively she opened it to reveal two rings, side by side—one a band of diamonds and one plain platinum.
I hoped this woman would never stop surprising me.
I grinned and she rolled her eyes.
“So what do you say?” she asked.
Okay so it might not be the most romantic proposal I’d ever heard, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“Sure, I’ll wear the ring.”
“Beck!” she said.
“What? I can’t answer a question you haven’t asked me.”
She laughed. “You’re impossible. But I love you. Will you marry me?”
“You’re perfect. And I love you too, and I’ll marry you every day of the week for the rest of your life.”
I took the box from her and pulled the diamond ring out and got on one knee.
“You’re the most gracious, kind, funny, sexy woman I’ve ever met, and I love you so much sometimes it frightens me.
My entire life, I’ve been searching for something, needing to fill a missing void in my life.
For years I thought the Dawnay building was the answer.
But all along it was you I was waiting for. ”
Stella stepped forward, tilted her head to the side, and pushed her fingers through my hair.
“Marry me,” I said. “And I’ll never stop working to make you happy.”
She sat on my bended knee and clasped her arms around my neck. “I love you, Beck Wilde. Now. Tomorrow. Forever. It’s as if my life didn’t really begin until I met you. And you’ve got a deal.”
Being with Stella London wasn’t just a one-off, deal of a lifetime.
It was a daily win, and nothing would ever compare.
It didn’t matter what happened in life—good or bad—as long as Stella was by my side, everything was perfect.
Searching for a closed door on my past had opened the heavens and brought me Stella, and I’d never look back.
Keep reading for Dexter’s story in Mr. Knightsbridge.