Epilogue
EPILOGUE
D ana lifted the lid of the slow cooker. The scents of tomato sauce and ginger wafted to her nose and she groaned. Gigi’s recipes might be the death of her. She removed the marinating chicken breast, pulled it into strips, then placed the strips in the slow cooker with one cup of coconut milk, just as the cookbook called for.
Zain would be home any minute, and she couldn’t wait to sit down and have dinner with him. It’d been almost two weeks since she was kidnapped, and the normalcy she and Zain had fallen into made it seem so much longer. Today was the first time Zain had left the house without her.
Gigi, Ivy, and Savannah had all brought meals over, and she and Zain had holed up in her apartment while she rested and healed. They’d showered, watched movies, lain in bed—and she’d received more foot and back massages than she’d ever had in her life. A few days ago, they’d started taking morning and evening walks.
Life with Zain was an effortless rhythm.
Although nighttime brought the horrors of what she’d survived, her mind replaying the hours of her kidnapping like a broken record, Zain’s arms around her, and his sweet kisses and gentle touches, reassured her day after day, nightmare after nightmare, that they’d come out the other side.
Last night was the first time they’d made love since her rescue, and he’d been so careful and loving. Today, she felt like a brand-new woman. Better yet, she also felt like herself.
Keys rattled in the lock, and Zain entered. “Hey, babe.” He grinned. “Damn that smells amazing.”
She chuckled and replaced the lid. “I wish I could take the credit, but it’s Gigi’s recipe.”
His arms came around her waist, and he nuzzled her neck. “Gigi’s recipes have nothing on you.”
Grinning, she turned in his arms and kissed him, dragging her hand over his stubble like she’d already done a billion times and would never tire of. “What’d you do at the office?”
His mouth slanted in a relaxed, lazy grin. This past week hadn’t just been healing for her—it’d been transformative for Zain too. Dana had helped get the evidence Ghost collected to the FBI, and three days ago, Maxine and Roger were arrested.
They’d caused irreparable damage, but knowing they’d rot behind bars gave both Zain and her an ounce of peace. The hellish tsunami’s coming to a complete stop was almost jarring. And it was liberating.
Zain leaned back on the counter while she turned off the rice. “Well,” he said, “Rami offered me a job. Backcountry’s doing really well, and they need another man on salary.”
“Oh?” She could have jumped up and down but refrained, struggling to hold in her excitement. Zain hadn’t said anything about what he wanted to do now that he was done with the CIA, and she didn’t want to sway his decision. “What do you think about that?”
His mouth tipped up at the corner. “I can’t think of anything worse than my big brother signing my paychecks.” He picked up a piece of chopped green pepper and popped it into his mouth. “But I also love the idea of working with the hottest woman around.”
She laughed. “You’d better watch yourself or I’ll tell Pearl.”
He threw back his head, and the carefree laugh that boomed out warmed her heart.
“So are you going to take it?” she pressed.
His bright white teeth flashed at her. “I start Monday.”
She squealed and hugged his waist. “Ohmigod, congratulations. You deserve it Zain, you really do. ”
He grunted and his hands went to her hair, gently combing back the strands. “I’m thinking in a few months we’ll be able to house shop. What do you think about that?”
Warmth and excitement battled in her heart. “I can’t think of anything better.”
“Yeah? I can.” He moved away from the counter and held her hands in both of his then slowly lowered to one knee.
“Dana, you’ve done more for me than I ever could have done for myself.”
Tears rushed to her eyes, and her heart lodged in her throat.
“You came looking for me even though I was a stranger to you. You brought me home and made me remember what it’s like to love, to have family, and to enjoy friendships again. You helped me find happiness, and all I want is to make you smile every day.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.
Revealing a large princess-cut diamond set in a platinum ring and then slipping it on her finger, he said, “Dana McAvery, will you marry me?”
Love gushed from deep inside her. She stared at the glittering stone but could barely see through the salty water filling her eyes. “Yes!” she cried. He could’ve presented a bread tie and she’d have exploded with just as much happiness.
He let out a hoot, picked her up off the ground, and held her tightly against his chest. “I can’t wait to start a life with you, my love.”
She grinned and pulled back so she could kiss his mouth. “We already have.”
He lowered her to her feet, then nodded at the food cooking. “How about we eat? All I want to do tonight is celebrate by sharing good food and loving you.”
“You mean the same thing we do every night?”
He swept his knuckles over her cheek, reminding her of the lingering discoloration still there. “It’s a routine I’m happy to repeat for eternity.”
She leaned onto her tiptoes and kissed his lips. “Well, I can promise you will.”
He laughed, and the passion shining from his eyes filled her with contentment. Some might think her crazy for traveling across the world to find a missing man she’d never met.
But the idea of not having Zain in her life was crazier.
Keep reading for an excerpt from Taschen . . .