Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 58952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
He chuckled, and couldn’t get Lauren out of there and alone fast enough.
As he drove them toward his place, feeling happier than ever, he knew one thing for certain. All the things that had once tethered him to the past no longer mattered. Only the future did, with Lauren by his side.
Forever.
Epilogue
What a difference a year made.
Lauren glanced around the crowded Meridian ballroom, elaborately decorated for the annual Future Fast Track charity event, finally able to relax now that dinner had been served and the guests were mingling before the bachelor auction started.
She glanced across the room near the bar, where a group of men were gathered—Chase conversing with Derek Bettencourt, Drew and Tripp Daniels, and Neil, who was now engaged to Billie. Some of the same men who’d been auctioned off the previous year but were now off the market and in exclusive relationships as a result of those pairings. Who knew the Future Fast Track bachelor auction would produce more committed couples than the actual bachelor franchise?
“You’ve outdone yourself once again,” Billie said, coming up beside Lauren.
“Thank you.” Lauren smiled at her friend and soon-to-be sister-in-law, who was wearing a gorgeous strapless gown in sapphire blue, which matched the streak of color in her blonde hair.
Over the past year, Lauren’s boss, Jade Dare, had passed on even more responsibilities to her so she could spend more time at home with her baby daughter, Sage. And recently, Skye, her assistant—who was married to Tripp—had taken time off for maternity leave, which had increased Lauren’s workload, but she thrived on the challenge and the pressure of putting together an event. Especially when it all came together so seamlessly.
“I’m betting Neil is relieved that he’s not up on the auction block this year,” Lauren teased Billie.
“Not a chance,” she said with a laugh, and raised her left hand, showing off the engagement ring the other man had recently put on her finger. “He’s all mine.”
Lauren understood the sentiment, because she felt the same way about Chase. After that evening at Elysian Heights, there hadn’t been a day when they’d gone without talking or seeing one another. Six months ago, she’d moved in with Chase, and two months after that he’d asked her to marry him. She’d very enthusiastically answered with yes as he’d slipped an obscenely large diamond ring on her finger.
Lauren started as she felt arms slip around her waist from behind and a strong, male body press tight against her as he pulled her close. Recognizing the scent of Chase’s cologne, she immediately relaxed in his embrace.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I’m going to steal away my fiancée before the bachelor auction starts,” he said to Billie from over Lauren’s shoulder.
Billie smiled at her brother, the fondness for him unmistakable in her eyes. “Okay, but you two behave yourself.”
“I make no promises,” he said, the playfulness in his voice now a more normal occurrence than his previously gruff tone of a year ago.
Lauren grinned, her heart swelling with affection and love. Her man had come a long way since she’d first met him as a grumpy, cantankerous bachelor who’d built a fortress around his heart and viewed the world through a lens of skepticism. He was a different man now. A better man. One who enjoyed life and no longer carried the burden of his past.
He had transformed in ways she could hardly have imagined a year ago. His once furrowed brow had softened, replaced by genuine smiles and laughter that lit up his handsome face. It had taken time and patience on Lauren’s part, but the walls he’d erected had eventually crumbled to dust, and in their place was a warmth and openness that only made her fall more in love with him.
Grabbing Lauren’s hand, he led her out of the ballroom to an alcove with a balcony that was vacant.
“What’s all this about?” she asked, turning to face him when they were standing side by side at the railing, overlooking Manhattan.
He shrugged and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. “Just thought you could use a breath of fresh air. I’ve watched you run around for the past few hours, and I realized that I miss you when you’re not by my side.”
“Aww, look at you,” she said, looping her arms around his neck, loving how openly affectionate he was with her these days. “You’re so romantic.”