EPILOGUE
JAYDEN
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I park my car in the driveway and let myself into the house. Our house.
Deciding to rent out my house and move in with Tiffany was an enormous step but over the past few months, I’ve been working with a therapist, and during those sessions, I’ve also touched on the stereotypes of men and women in relationships.
It’s opened my eyes.
She said it's normal for a man to want to provide, as it’s what we did for survival until recently, meaning modern human times. Men are physically stronger and we’re programmed to protect, or at least some of us.
I know I am.
But the world has changed and a relationship only needed to be what two people required. For Tiffany, feeling protected and safe was important given her life in the public eye and then recently the threats to her life and home.
I filled that need for her.
I wanted to fill that need.
In the same breath, she had a need to be financially independent and prove to her father she could make it on her own. So, some rich dude didn’t appeal at all.
Lucky me.
Things I never thought I’d say.
We work. I wake up happy, I go to bed happy. Both usually involve sinking deep into the woman I love.
And I did ask her father if I could marry her. Steven is a good guy and far more family-focused than he appears on the big screen. He told me to ask Tiffany, that she was her own woman and had impressed him to no end by repaying her trust.
“She’s stubborn.” He shook his head. “I know you’ll understand this, Jayden. I wanted to provide for her.”
“Yeah.” I snaked a hand through my hair. “That part is hard to get my head around. But she loves me.”
“No one questions that. It's written all over her face.” Steven glanced at me. “Hard for a dad to see, but son, you already killed for her, so I can’t think of a better man for her.”
That was a moment.
We’d told her mom and dad about the day at the launch and asked them to keep it confidential for obvious reasons. If I were marrying into the family, they had to know who I was.
“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” I replied honestly.
“Which is why you have my blessing.” He slapped my back.
Thing is, I was never sure when the right time was. She’d asked me to wait, but I didn’t want to.
She was stubborn.
I was impatient.
But I wanted to talk to someone in a similar, or so I thought, position to me, so I spoke to Ryder. We went for a beer, and I asked how he felt being with a woman who is so vastly wealthy.
Turns out the fucker had a lot of money when they met, which I didn’t inquire how, but his advice was wise, anyway.
“Savannah is one of the top-earning movie stars in the world.” Ryder sipped his beer. “It’s insane how much she earns.”
“How does that feel? Even with what you brought into the relationship?”
“I’ve never cared about money, and I still don’t. A privilege, I know. I could have let it be more of a thing, but we barely discussed it,” Ryder admitted. “Savannah went through hell with her family who tried to use her, and then her best friend who tried to kill her.”
“Jesus Christ.” I almost spat my drink everywhere.
He nodded. “So, I made her put a prenup in place to protect her. She didn’t want it.”
What struck me as we were talking is that I’d never seen them as anything but a loving couple who respected one another. Now they had a baby, and the Delta Force operator was a total alpha protecting them.
I saw the similarities.
It wasn’t about fucking money.
It was about love and family.
I can see why Dad believed what he did, but it took me being more of a man to let Tiffany be an independent wealthy woman, and her to let me dominate when we were intimate.
Because I was.
The money in our bank accounts didn’t determine who we were or how much we loved one another.
That was about respect and allowance.
Overseeing the Black Hawke Security bodyguard operations is a big job, which sees me traveling around the country. Sometimes with Ryder. It gives me a purpose and a lot more enjoyment than I thought it would.
“Did you get it?” Tiffany comes downstairs, looking absolutely stunning in a green dress.
Christ, I’m nervous as fuck but trying to hold it together.
I lift the bottle of wine I’m holding. “Last bottle.”
A knock at the door has us both turning.
“Why am I nervous?” she asks, running her hands down her dress. We’ve been together officially for six weeks, and while she’s met Liam and Jessie, this is our first official dinner party as a couple.
But that’s not why I’m sweating.
I drop the bottle of wine on the counter and take her hand. “Come on.” Before we get to the door, I stop in the middle of the floor and tug her to me. “You look fucking beautiful.”
“Thanks, handsome.”
Grinning like fools, we pull open the door. The girls start hugging, and I shake Liam’s hand. Which is stupid, as we only saw each other an hour ago at work.
“This place is gorgeous!” Jessie almost falls over as she takes in the chandelier and huge entranceway.
“Come on through, I hope you both like salmon,” Tiffany says.
“Oh, I’m allergic to seafood.” Liam says, and I frown at him.
Tiffany looks horrified. “What?”
Jesus.
“You are not!” Jessie slaps Liam’s chest. “Ignore him, he’ll tease you all night if he can get a bite.”
“Behave,” I warn him.
“What fun would that be?” Liam smirks. “Anyway, I don’t want to mess up your surprise proposal.”
“What?” Jessie snaps her head around to me.
“What?” Tiffany’s mouth falls open.
That motherfucker.
I stare at my best friend for a long time, wishing I was armed. I might even shoot the guy if I were. Of all the dumb things for him to say, why did he say that?
“Dude.” His eyes widen. “I was joking.”
I turn to Tiffany, and she looks pale.
Fuck.
“Liam! Did you know? If you knew and messed this up for him, I am going to kill you.” Jessie starts slapping her fiancé.
“Ouch, no, I didn’t know. He might not...oh, maybe he is.” Liam goes quiet.
Small miracles.
I walk over to Tiffany and take her hands. She still looks pale as she swallows.
“I had a plan.”
Her mouth parts.
“I was going to wait until after dinner. I even got fireworks.” I smile as her eyes begin to fill. Then I turn to Liam. “I purposely didn’t tell big mouth here.”
A small cry escapes Tiffany’s mouth, and the protective bear in me pulls her to my chest.
“Oh my god,” Jessie squeals.
“I did it better,” Liam mumbles.
I laugh, and cup Tiffany’s face gazing down at her with all the love in my heart. “I can wait. Do it another time.”
I’ve never seen a woman shake her head so fast in my life. I thought it might fly off.
“No, no.”
Wait, is that a no-no?
Or a no...no?
Should I do it?
I’m a little confused.
“On your knees, man. Go.” Liam gives me the kick I need.
I drop to the floor and pull out the ring box, which has been burning a hole in my pants pocket for hours.
For weeks inside a sock in my drawer.
It’s not nearly as big as she deserves, but Tiffany has chosen me, and the moment I saw it, I knew. It’s as sunshiny as her in every way.
“Tiffany Stallone, there are a lot of reasons why this shouldn’t work, but we do. Every day I wake up and fall more and more in love with you.”
A tear slides down her cheek.
“I promise to be the man you need and deserve until your last breath. Or mine. I promise to honor you, support you, and pack the dishwasher the way you like it. Even though it's wrong.”
Her smile lights up the room.
“Oh, my goodness.”
“I’m gonna need an answer.” My heart beats faster as I tug open the box, and she gasps the moment her eyes fall on the yellow diamond.
As I said, it’s perfect.
“Jay,” Tiffany’s hand flies to her mouth.
“Say yes, princess. Marry me. Spend the rest of your life with me.”
Tiffany lifts her eyes, and her response surprises me. “Do you mean what you said about the dishwasher?”
Liam barks out a laugh.
“No. But marry me, anyway.” I stand, smirking as our eyes lock.
“Yes,” Tiffany sobs as happy tears fall down her face. “Yes, Jayden, I’ll marry you.”
I slide the ring onto her finger and claim her forever. Then pull her into my arms and kiss her for a really long time to make my sister and best friend as uncomfortable as possible.
Jessie clears her voice.
“Go home,” I grumble.
“He’s joking.” Tiffany smiles.
“I’m really not.”
“Let’s go,” Liam chuckles. “But I’m taking this bottle of wine, and we’re getting pizza.”
Ignoring the two who bicker on the way out, I smile down at my bride-to-be.
“I love you.”
“I love you, Jayden Rogers. Thank you for being the man I need.”
She might regret wanting such a protective man when we have little girls.
They are never, ever dating.