Chapter 115
As I’m packing up my apartment, it hits me. I’m moving in with Gideon. We’re going to the house at three o’clock tomorrow for a final walkthrough and will be closing tomorrow.
My phone buzzes with a text.
Declan Kruk
Is this a stupid idea for a Christmas present for Lauren?
They’re still together. I open the link, and it’s monogrammed luggage from Louis Vuitton.
Dani Sommer
Since when do you buy flashy shit?
I watch the bubbles appear and then disappear. After another moment, he texts back.
Declan Kruk
She’s into that.
She’s into your money.
Dani Sommer
Instead of luggage, just take her on a trip. Don’t pack at all. Buy the clothes there.
That’s what I would want.
Declan Kruk
Stealing that idea.
I stare at the phone for a while, thinking if I should say anything else.
Declan Kruk
Looking forward to seeing you two tomorrow. Can’t wait to hear about the house.
Right. Declan is having a small dinner party tomorrow. I need to start mentally preparing for her to be all over him.
Back to packing, I fold my clothes, place them in boxes, and find something Adam bought me. I shake my head, looking at the Brunello Cucinelli sweater. Even though it cost over a grand, I throw it away. That shit doesn’t impress me anymore, and it’s sad how it used to.
I’m done with Adam and so grateful I haven’t seen or heard from him since the appointment. Chuckling to myself, I think about how I am a fertile little fucking womb, getting sixteen eggs out on my retrieval. I still don’t know if I want kids and am happy I don’t have to think about it for a while.
My alarm sounds, reminding me to head to the house. When I get to our soon-to-be home, there’s Gideon, looking fucking sexy in jeans, a T-shirt, and a casual jacket.
“Excited?” he asks as I near him.
“So excited.” I pull him in for a kiss. The real estate agent makes a little noise after our kiss lingers for a few extra seconds, and we smirk at each other.
Inside, G walks through each room, checking every detail while I imagine how we’ll decorate. The thought of us here together—everyday life, laughter. It feels right.
“Can you give us a few minutes alone?” G asks.
The guy hesitates, then nods. “Put the key back in the lockbox.”
“He knows we’re going to fuck,” I whisper as the agent leaves.
G chuckles, but then I notice he seems nervous. “What? Is there like a hiccup or something?” I tilt my head.
“No …” He trails off. Why does he look so nervous? Then he gets on one knee. I gasp, fucking surprised. This is happening!
“Dani,” he says, and I hear his nerves. “When I say that you own me, I mean it with every part of my being.”
This is everything I hoped this moment would ever be. This is how it should be. But my nerves are there. Are we ready for this? We’ve barely talked about this.
“Your face got my attention; your body made me bold, and your brain is why I can never live without you.”
Happy tears flood my eyes, falling down my face.
“A life without you is one I hope to never experience again.” He reaches into his front pocket and pulls out a giant emerald-cut diamond on a gold band. It’s stunning. Shit.
“Will you marry me?”
I want to scream “Yes,” yet pause for a moment. It’s not because I don’t want this; it’s because I deeply want it. Are we moving too fast? It’s a different pace than with Adam.
“I know it’s unexpected,” G says as if he’s reading my mind. “We can be engaged for a week or ten years. That’s up to you. The wedding is up to you. I want us to start building our life together.”
Tears stream uncontrollably down my cheeks—happy tears.
The kind of tears that come when life feels like a fairy tale and everything I’ve ever wanted is coming true.
I’m actually going to marry a man who loves me for exactly who I am—Dani Sommer, flaws and all.
A man who cherishes every inch of me, even the new ones. A man who pushes me to be better.
“Yes,” I manage in a happy blubber. “I will marry you.”
He scoops me up, and my legs wrap firmly around his waist as we kiss. Then he pulls back. “We have to put this on.”
He slides the ring on, and it fits perfectly. “This is epic,” I gush, looking at it. “I love it! I love you!”
We kiss, each one more intense than the last until we’re pulling off each other’s clothes and christening our new home. Tangled together on the floor that will soon become our living room, I couldn’t be happier.