Epilogue Alice
SIX MONTHS LATER
I’m standing on the penthouse balcony, contemplating the Worthington Hills skyline.
Below me, the city glows soft and gold and promising.
It’s a perfect Texas sunset—sky shot through with streaks of orange and pink, clouds brushed in gold leaf.
The wind is barely a whisper, just enough to ruffle my hair and tickle the nape of my neck.
I lean into the glass railing, let the breeze lift the fine hairs on my arms, and breathe it in.
The sliding door whisks open behind me, and I don’t even need to turn around to know it’s Gabe.
“How was your day, Mrs. Mercer?” He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close to his muscular body.
He’s lost the jacket and tie, wearing a white button-down and black pants, sleeves rolled up.
His hair is tousled, like he ran his fingers through it a dozen times.
“It was great.” I turn in his arms and lean back against his warm body.
He’s so much bigger than me that he can rest his chin on the top of my head without even trying.
I relax into him, feeling the slow rhythm of his breath and the delicious weight of his arms, solid and safe and undeniably mine.
“I finally hired a new assistant. Actually, I stole Molly Thomas from your accounting department.”
Gabe nuzzles my hair. “That’s amazing. When does she start?” I knew he wouldn’t mind if I hired someone I already know and trust. Even if it means they quit The Mercer Group.
“In two weeks.” I lean back and smile at him. After Gabe proposed to me, I decided I wanted to do something different. So, I left my position at The Mercer Group, and now, I run the Mercer Foundation.
The Mercer Foundation supports everything from children’s literacy programs in Dallas to shelters for runaway teens in Houston, and we even fund a therapy horse ranch out in the Hill Country.
The best part? We keep the red tape to a minimum and the help as local as possible, so every dollar makes a difference.
I love that every charity we support is run by badass, unstoppable women and their teams, and that I get to say I’m part of something this big.
This good. It’s my baby. My pride and joy.
I quit the corporate side because I wanted to actually help people, not just play the corporate game.
Best decision of my life. Well, second best. The first is standing behind me, kissing my neck.
“Does that mean I can finally take you on that honeymoon to a private island?”
“Just give me a couple of weeks to get her up and running, and we can go whenever you want.”
"I'll start making the plans." He turns me in his arms, his hands firm against the small of my back, and leans down to capture my lips with his. His kiss tastes like mint and Gabe, and the familiar scent of his cologne envelops me as his stubble grazes my chin.
When we finally come up for air, my lips tingling and my cheeks flushed, I smile up at him, tracing the strong line of his jaw with my fingertip. "I'll start packing."
“You don’t have to pack much.” He arches an eyebrow at me, his expression pure wicked promise. “Actually, you don’t have to bring anything at all. I prefer you in nothing.”
“What a coincidence.” I slide in closer, pressing into the heat of his chest. He’s so solid, all muscle and heartbeat, and I can feel the way it thuds harder beneath my palm. “I happen to like you in nothing at all, too.”
He smacks my ass and lifts me as if I weigh nothing, muscles flexing. “We’re both wearing too damn much,” he breathes against the side of my neck.
God, I freaking love the way my husband thinks. “Why don’t we do something about that?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” He smiles and nips the side of my throat.
Life doesn’t get any better than this.