Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
I stay in his comforting embrace for a long time, sobbing quietly while Abram just holds me tightly against his strong body.
I pull back, smiling through my tears.
“I’m a mess, right?” I ask with a small chuckle.
“No,” Abram says in a soft tone. “You’re the most beautiful woman in my world.”
I rise on my toes to place a chaste kiss on his lips, but Abram tightens his arms around my waist and deepens the kiss.
I open up my mouth beneath him with a soft moan, enjoying the gentle pressure of his lips against mine. His tongue delves into my mouth, teasing and tasting me in slow, unhurried strokes until it seems like I’ll faint from an overdose of pleasure.
How did I survive so long without him again?
Abram pulls back and smiles down at me, his eyes crinkling beautifully at the corners.
“Thank you,” he says, placing a chaste kiss on my nose.
“What was that for?” I ask with an amused chuckle.
“For coming back for me,” he says. “I was lost without you.”
I swallow softly and step away from him. I reach into my bag to retrieve a velvety blue ring box. I flip the case open and drop down on one knee.
Abram laughs.
“What on earth are you doing, Melody?” he asks, his surprise evident in his tone.
I shrug nervously. “It’s just...we’ve wasted so much time between the both of us. I didn’t know the outcome of today’s meeting, but I came prepared, just in case....”
Abram laughs and shakes his head at me in amusement.
“And you wonder why I love you like crazy?”
“So, what do you say?” I ask, holding out the ring to him again. “Will you marry me, Abram Harden?”
Abram takes the ring from my hand and slips it on his finger. “Of course, Melody Hanson,” he says, helping me to my feet. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want forever.”
He drops to one knee next. “I don’t want you to ever doubt my love for you. I never want you to feel unloved. I might get it wrong sometimes, but as long as we are together we can do anything. This love, our love, is not something I saw coming. I didn’t know what love was until I met you but now that I know what this is, love, I never want to let it go. So now it’s my turn to ask you. Melody Hanson, will you marry me?”
I wrap my arms around his neck and smile into those gorgeous blue-green eyes that I fell in love with even before I met him.
“Yes,” I whisper with a big smile. “I love you. A million times yes.”
“I love you, too,” Abram says right before he lowers his head to mine in a heated kiss.
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER
Abram
I walk into the living room and stop to admire my wife.
My heart swells with pride and a familiar feeling of joy.
In moments like these, I always bless the day I met Melody. She lends meaning to my life at every step, and I can’t imagine my life without her.
She looks more beautiful than ever at eight months pregnant.
She seems to glow with an otherworldly light that makes her look even more angelic.
Melody seems to sense my presence because she turns to me with a smile that brightens the room.
How did I get so lucky?
“Hey, baby,” Melody greets. “You seemed busy on the phone earlier, so I didn’t want to be a bother.”
“You’re never a bother,” I say in a mock reprimanding tone. “I’d put my life on hold and bring you the moon if that's what you wanted.”
Melody laughs and shakes her head at me.
“Don’t be silly,” she says. “Was that another client making offers?”
I sigh heavily and nod in response.
After a year, I’ve finally released articles about my latest and final collection The Unveiling. They are all paintings of Melody at the house my stepfather left me, which has now become our home.
Despite making my intentions clear, not to sell those paintings, I’ve been getting calls and offers from people worldwide.
“I thought you asked June to handle the calls and everything that had to do with The Unveiling?” Melody asks.
I lower myself beside her, and she immediately cuddles up against me.
I place a soft kiss on her head, enjoying the soft texture of her hair against my lips and the sweet scent of her shampoo.
“You know June. She never does what I ask. And as one of the conditions to come back to work for me she’s now allowed to do whatever she wants, including disregarding the boss’s instructions.”
Melody laughs.
“I believe it’s a fair price to pay for having her back in your life. She’s an amazing woman.”
I chuckle softly in agreement. “I’m just glad we were able to bury the hatchet between us, and I got my friend back again.”