Yes, that’s what I call having it all.
Today, I join in when he shows a group of Americans from San Francisco the angel I spotted in Île de la Cité one fine Sunday afternoon many months ago.
“I’m not sure this angel means anything,” he says, pointing to the cherub carved into stone above an awning. “But it means something to me. The woman I love noticed it one day when we ate ice cream and wandered these streets. I’d never seen it before, not in all my travels. I learned then that some things are right in front of us, and we just have to look up.”
He gives them all a few moments to look up, snap photos, then say good-bye.
When they disperse, he takes my arm and links it through his. I ask how his day has been.
“You tell me, you little spy.”
“I like to keep you on your toes with my random appearances.”
“And you do. You always do.”
I raise my face and meet his gaze. “What do you want to do tonight?”
He narrows his brow as if considering my question. “Sip champagne on the rooftop?”
“That’s always a good idea,” I say as we stroll by the oldest clock in Paris.
The golden hands tick tock their way around the face. “That clock is when I knew I wanted to be with you,” he says, a happily wistful tone to his voice.
“It is?”
He nods. “I remember thinking about time, and how we can’t ever retrieve lost hours. But we can make the most of the hours in front of us, and I wanted to spend those with you. It took me a while to sort out how that would happen. But now I have, and I want to keep savoring every minute.” He takes a beat, snapping his fingers as if he’s remembering something recently forgotten. “That reminds me. I had another idea for what to do tonight.”
“What’s that?”
He drops to one knee and flips open a maroon velvet box. My heart beats so loudly I can hear it, I swear, and a rush of breath escapes my lungs. Warmth spreads all over me as I gaze at a gorgeous diamond solitaire.
“Let’s get engaged tonight,” he says, holding my gaze. “I love you madly, Joy. I love you so much I’d follow you around the world. I’d make you the center of my world. That’s what you are to me, and as we’ve made new dreams together, I have one more. Item number six. For you to be my wife.”
My smile is as wide as the river. I drop to my knees, throw my arms around his neck, and cry the happiest tears of my life. I murmur one word as my answer. “Oui.”
Fitting that it’s the same sound as an English word I rather love.
We.
That’s what we are.
Another Epilogue
Griffin
Six months later
The bubbly liquid slides down the crystal flute, and I hand it to Joy, setting the bottle on the table.
She raises her glass as the sunset flares behind her, the last remnants of the day tugging streaks of deep pink into the horizon.
“And what are we toasting to tonight, Mr. Thomas?”
I clink my glass to hers. “Hmm. Could it be that you now have three last names?”
She leans her head back and laughs, a rich, bright laugh that I love. “Assuming I use them all.”
“Oh, please. What could be better than introducing yourself as Joy Danvers-Lively-Thomas, the best perfumer in the world?”
“That does have a nice ring to it,” she says, taking a drink of the champagne.
“Speaking of rings . . .” I hold up my hand, the platinum band on it sparkling under the fading light, then thread my fingers with hers. I take another drink, set the glass down, and pull her next to me on the chaise. “That takes care of number five on my list.”
Drink champagne on your rooftop when we say good-bye to the crazy idea that we weren’t meant to last, because we are. Check.
She brushes her lips to mine. “Can I have my postscript now, please?”
“You can always have that.”
And I make sure she always does.
THE END
Curious about Christian and Elise? They have a story to tell in PART-TIME LOVER, releasing in June! Read on for more on that standalone romance! Also, be sure to check out COME AS YOU ARE, a sexy, swoony standalone romance with a masquerade ball, a Cinderella twist, and a billionaire hero who will sweep you off your feet. You can sign up directly for my newsletter to receive an alert when these sexy new books are available!
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ABOUT PART-TIME LOVER…
I’ll say this about Christian — he made one hell of a first impression. When I first saw the strapping man, he was doing handstands naked on a dock along the canal. His crown jewels were far more entertaining than anything else I’d seen on the boat tour, so I did what any curious woman would do — I took his photo. I might have looked at the shot a few dozen times. Little did I know I’d meet him again, a year later, at a secret garden bar in the heart of the city, where I’d learn that his mind and his mouth were even more captivating. But given the way my heart had been trampled, I wanted only a simple deal — No strings. No expectations.
Our arrangement worked well enough until the day I needed a lot more from him…
Let me just say, this whole part-time lover thing was her idea. I’d have gone all-in from the start, but hey, when a gorgeous, brilliant woman invites you into her bed, and only her bed…well, I said yes.
But then, one hysterical phone call from my brother later, begging me to find myself a wife so grandfather’s business stays in the family, and I need a promotion with Elise. Turns out a full-time husband suits
