Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 14883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 74(@200wpm)___ 60(@250wpm)___ 50(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 74(@200wpm)___ 60(@250wpm)___ 50(@300wpm)
The door swings open, and despite already knowing what to expect, I’m still so stunned by the vision that greets me that my hands fly to my mouth, muffling a gasp.
I’ve only ever seen Parker in t-shirts and denim pants, except when he’s naked, but this time, he’s wearing a three-piece suit complete with a bow tie and dress shoes. His curly hair is slicked back, and my God, he’s seriously the most gorgeous man alive.
He stands there with his hands clasped together behind his back, looking less than confident for the first time ever, uncertainty crossing his face. Sweeping his tongue along his bottom lip and laughing nervously, he cocks his head to the side. “Hi, baby.”
“H-hi,” I croak out. Something pulls my gaze to the floor, and I just realize I’m standing in the middle of a heart-shaped arrangement of petals. My body feels warm all over, and butterflies flutter in my belly.
Parker saunters to me, and when he’s close enough, he tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “God, I can never get over how beautiful you are.”
Words get stuck in my throat, and I stare at him like an idiot.
He smiles that sweet smile of his and sinks to one knee. Watching him makes my heart beat faster than normal and my insides lurch. “Piper, you know I love you. I loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you. I love you now. And I will love you until the day I die. Will you please let me make you happy every single day of our lives? Will you marry this poor man and be his wife?”
Despite the sting behind my eyes, I blink slowly and nod. “Yes, Parker. Yes, of course, I’ll marry you. And yes, I love you too.”
He grins and calls out, “Thor.”
Thor trots to us, and laughter bubbles within me when I see that he’s wearing a matching tuxedo with a small velvet box tied to his back. Parker takes out the ring and slides it onto my finger. It fits perfectly, including the square mixed-cut diamond in the center.
Finally, I can’t stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks anymore. Who would have thought my happily ever after was right beside me all along?
“Baby, I hope you’re not crying because you find the ring ugly.”
Pleasant fuzzy feelings erupt in my chest, and I giggle. “Are you gonna be this annoying until we’re old and gray?”
Parker smirks. “You can count on it.”
EPILOGUE
PIPER
Just like every day after work, I rush home.
Home.
I’ve lived in the apartment for more than a year, but it has never felt like that. Never. It was a place for me to rest, sleep, cook, and eat. Nothing more, nothing less.
But now, everything’s different because of Parker.
I’m actually looking forward to going home to him every day.
Our wedding a year ago was intimate. We had a couple of people to witness the ceremony, and it was a fun-filled reception. Parker knew a lot of people in the wedding industry, so we didn’t even need to hire an event organizer.
Thor was there, of course. He was the ring bearer, and all our guests howled in laughter as he trotted down the aisle, loving all eyes on him. Sadly, though, his owner took him back. Parker was heartbroken because he’d been a huge part of our love story.
We planned to rescue a pet, but for some reason, I simply asked my sister to bring Fifi to us. So far, Parker loves her.
So I guess it’s not that much of a surprise to hear them ‘talking’ when I step inside.
“Hot stuff!” Fifi chirps.
My head whirls to Parker, who stands from his desk and ambles to me. “What have you been teaching her?”
He raises both palms and widens his eyes. “What? Nothing. Fifi’s just observant.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Fifi’s a good girl, and she simply says what she sees.”
“Fifi mimics what we tell her.”
“Oh? Hmm.” He walks over to Fifi and pets her head gently. “Good girl.”
“Hot stuff!”
“So you’re still gonna deny teaching her anything?” I move to them, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
Fifi turns her head to me, flaps her wings, and says, “Goodbye!”
I peer closer at her. “I’m gonna return you to my sister.”
“Goodbye!”
Straightening my spine, I face a grinning Parker. “I hate you.”
His smile only gets wider. “No, you don’t.”
“I do.”
“Nope.”
Without warning, he sweeps me into his arms and brings me to the kitchen countertop, settling me on top of it. “Tell me you hate me, Piper.”
His voice turns gravelly and hoarse, and I smirk. “I hate—”
The rest of my words are drowned out by his kiss. What I like to call the “welcome home” kiss. The kind of kiss that has my toe-curling and makes me forget about the day’s stresses.
God, I love this guy. I can convince myself that I hated him when we first met, but I didn’t. Not really. Did he get under my skin? Yep. But maybe, maybe it was entirely something else. Just as intense, but the complete opposite of hatred.