Page 53 of Contracted and Claimed By The Boss

She nodded once and it was enough. Max strode the short distance across the room and lifted her up, arms wrapped around her middle, kissing her through salty tears, holding her tight to his body, holding her right where he intended for her to be for the rest of their days.

EPILOGUE

SUNSETS OVER THE beach were one of Paige’s favourite things. It was strange, she supposed, that the ending of the day could make her think of new beginnings but it did, for dawn was an implicit promise in the going down of the sun. Or perhaps it was that here, in Australia, the colours were different from anything else she’d known before.

Two years after her parents’ book was published, Paige could honestly say she barely thought of them. There were times when she was reflecting on her own family—married to Max, and a much-loved stepmother to Amanda—when Paige wished she had a better parenting model to base her own decisions on, but in those moments Max would simply remind Paige to follow her instincts. Her instincts, he told her, were always good.

And perhaps they were.

It had been instinctive to come to Australia. To be brave and let herself love Max even when that terrified her. To return here with him, quite simply, to come home.

And it was home: this tree house on the edge of the continent, with the ocean lapping at the cliffs beneath them. Two years after that awful time in her life, Paige could honestly say she’d never been happier.

Amanda met Paige’s eyes in the mirror and grinned. At thirteen, Amanda was a beautiful, funny, smart and confident teen. While she had the occasional emotional outburst, it was abundantly clear that having Paige in her life had been good for the girl. They loved one another very much, and Amanda’s friendship issues had settled down too, so sleepovers in the attic of their house had become a regular occurrence for Amanda and her friends.

‘Are you ready?’ Paige asked.

‘Oh, yes.’

‘You’re sure this isn’t too much?’ Paige gestured to Amanda’s outfit.

Amanda’s grin widened. ‘Don’t lose your nerve now.’

Paige laughed. ‘Okay, okay. Well, let’s do this quickly, before your aunt and uncle arrive.’

Though they were happily ensconced in their life in Sicily, Mia and Luca were regular visitors to Australia, and their children had become a staple for Paige, Amanda and Max. Neither Mia nor Paige had ever had a sister, and yet they’d become that to one another, almost immediately.

Paige had given herself over to the idea of loving without limits—once she’d started, she’d found she couldn’t stop, anyway—and in exchange, she’d received an abundance of love. From Luca, Mia, and their beautiful children—now her nieces and nephews. Her heart was full. While in an ideal world it would be the parents who loved and doted on a person, there was no guarantee this would be the case, and Paige, unable to change her past, simply accepted with gratitude the happiness of her present.

Downstairs, Max was putting the finishing touches on dinner. The sun was low on the horizon, bathing the kitchen in a golden light. Nerves filled Paige’s tummy with butterflies, but when Max turned and smiled at her, they dissipated. Everything was okay. Better than okay.

‘Max,’ she said, reaching for an ice-cold glass of water and taking a sip. ‘I bought a new shirt for Amanda. I...hope you like it.’

A frown briefly flickered on his face. ‘If you bought it, I’m sure I will.’

‘I hope so.’

He arched a brow then turned as Amanda entered the kitchen. The shirt itself was oversized and a crisp white, so Max shrugged. ‘It’s nice.’

Paige nodded thoughtfully, nervous once more. ‘Why don’t you spin around, honey?’

Amanda’s grin was pure cheek as she did what Paige suggested, so the back of the shirt came into view.

Big Sister—Coming Soon.

Max read the words without comprehending and then, a moment later, turned to Paige, jaw dropping. ‘Does that—is that just the design of the shirt?’ His voice was hoarse, thickened by emotion.

Paige shook her head.

‘You mean—we’re having a baby?’ He looked from Paige to Amanda, a thousand emotions rushing through him. The last time he’d found out he was going to be a parent, it had been an incredibly conflicted time. He’d loved the idea of Amanda from the start, and had known he’d do anything and everything to protect her, but being tied to Lauren was not something he’d relished. Whereas, the idea of their family welcoming another baby, a baby that he and Paige had made together out of the deepest form of love...

‘Say something,’ Paige demanded, tilting her head back, so he was jolted into action, wrapping her into a big hug, holding her tight, his eyes meeting Amanda’s over Paige’s head. Their daughter was smiling, looking at them from a couple of metres away, and though Paige couldn’t see Amanda, she held out her hand, reaching for her, so Amanda joined them in the hug, their family, the most precious people in his world.

He was so happy he could hardly bear it.

Much later, after the Cavallaros had left and Amanda was in bed upstairs, Paige settled herself on Max’s lap, out on the veranda, a beatific smile on her face.

‘You, my darling wife, are an excellent secret-keeper. How long have you known?’

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