As I look up, it’s almost like I can see him there, standing on the roof, smiling down at me. It’s like I can see the rope snaking down to the floor in front of me and feel the evening air on my face.
Chris, am I daydreaming? Am I on something?
My heart starts to race and I shake my head to clear myself of my vision, but when I look back up, I see him. It’s Zander, lowering himself back down through the skylight.
It can’t be…
He looks worn out, like he’s just run a marathon as he touches down in front of me. I almost feel bad for him – almost. But I’m more concerned with the fact that he completely dumped me and sent me back to New York like I was a load of dirty laundry.
My eyes fill with red as he steps toward me.
No. No…it can’t be.
“You—you’re not here,” I mutter. “You’re gone.”
“I’m here, sweetie. I came back for you. I’m so sorry—”
I slap him. I don’t even think about it; it just happens. My fingers sting against his strong jaw, and I instantly regret it. He doesn’t even flinch. Hell, he doesn’t even react. He leans in, wraps a strong arm around me, and pulls me to him.
“You left me…” I whimper, guarding my heart against all the feelings he’s bringing out in me.
“I didn’t want to, Amory. I had to. Childers. He was going to arrest you—”
“Arrest me?” I almost scream. “What are you talking about, Zander? Stop lying!”
“Why would I lie to you?” he asks. “If I wanted you gone, you’d be gone. I did what I did because I thought it would be the best for you. I turned myself in to save you.”
Despite my pain, I search his face for signs that he’s lying but find none. He’s earnest. Sincere. As far as I can tell, he is telling the truth. I want to believe him. And so does my heart. “Zander, I need to know now…if you want to be with other women—”
“Never, Amory,” he says quickly. “The only obstacle standing between us being together has been taken care of. Childers. He was dirty. My lawyers and private investigators have been looking into him for months. He overplayed his hand by taking me in the way he did and now he’s the one who will be enjoying a cell. Now you and I can be together. Nothing can stop us.”
“I—I just want you to be sure,” I reply, my heart ready to spring from my chest.
“Sure?” he replies with a smile. “How sure do I look?”
I shrug, feeling more vulnerable than I’ve ever felt before. “I don’t know…”
Then, as if the shock of seeing him again wasn’t enough, Zander gets down on one knee before me. “How about now?”
Oh my God! Is this really happening? My body instantly starts to buzz with excitement. I’ve been pulled back and forth with such momentum today that I can’t believe my head’s still on. Is he seriously asking me to marry him?
“Marry me, Amory. I’m a better man with you. I need you. Marry me.”
Tears spill from my eyes, and I nod my head. “Yes, Zander. Yes!”
Instantly, I’m in his arms, my face in his chest, crying with happiness that pours through me, erasing any doubts or pain I had before. His arms are almost crushing me as he holds me tight like he was scared to lose me, and as the tears fall, I know, without a doubt, this is where I’m meant to be.
Epilogue
Zander
Five years later…
I never knew it was possible to feel so good watching a person you love be happy.
I’m grinning like a schoolboy as I watch Amory do the rounds at her first show, engaging with the large crowd that has come to see her work. After she quit her job, she went to art school and started painting full time. With a little help from me, she got over being shy and started posting her work online. People loved it. In fact, they loved it so much that Amory didn’t finish her final semester. She dropped out and started taking commissions.
She didn’t want me to pull strings to get her a show; she wanted to do it on her own and made sure I didn’t interfere because she knows that I would do anything to help her get what she wants.
No. My wife got here on her own, and I couldn’t be prouder.
Forbes printed an article on me after we got married. Everyone was skeptical of course and speculating what would happen to my companies when we got divorced. Most of the online bloggers and gossip sites gave us less than a year, with the high estimates around eighteen months.
But here we are at five years and still going strong. In fact, we’re going so strong that we’re planning on having a baby soon.
I wanted her to have a chance to establish her career before getting pregnant. But now that people know her name, they’re coming to her and she can decide where to put her energy.
And me? I’m still working, but not as much. I have billions, do I really need more of them? Not when I have a gorgeous wife waiting for me at home. Last night we had a private meal on the back deck of our Hamptons house, watched the sunset, went upstairs and made love, and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
I woke up this morning to her moaning while she played with her cute little pussy while giving me the best head of my life.
She’s the definition of sexy.
I simply can’t get enough of her.
I’ve started wearing loose sweats around the house to make room for all the hard-ons I get when I see her. And she’s always switching things up to excite me, whether it’s a new set of heels, some lingerie, or just something simple that she’s done with her hair. Sometimes I wonder if I’m going to realize I’m dreaming and wake up.
The show is nearing its close, and Amory flashes her eyes in my direction. That’s our little signal for me to come and save her. I go over to her, and when I reach her, I realize she’s being hit on by some young gun describing himself as an “influencer” and trying to impress her with his “online reach.”
In reality, he’s just hitting on her, and I wonder who the hell let him in.
“Hey, pal. Can you give me a second with my wife?” My stare lets him know he needs to back off, which he does quickly, practically bowing as he backs away.
Yeah. That’s right.
“Thank you,” Amory whispers. “I thought I was going to die if I had to listen to any more of that.”
“There’s always one,” I reply. “He shouldn’t have even been let in. I’ll talk to the gallery owner and make sure it doesn’t happen again. How’d the rest of the show go?”
Her eyes light up. “Three sales and two commissions. Big commissions. The wife of a celebrity actually.”
“Really?” I ask. “Which celebrity?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She winks.
“You better watch that sass, missy, or I’ll have to punish you when we get home.”
“Is that right?” she asks, turning into me and pressing her firm ass against my cock. “Are you saying I’ve been bad?”
I try my best not to growl or get too hard. We are in public, after all. But she doesn’t make it easy on me as she subtly grinds on me, the thin fabric of her black dress letting me know she’s not wearing any panties underneath.