Page 14 of Rent Me While You Can

“Huh?” He drops both hands to his sides. “You won’t be fine?” He gives me a half-smirk, and it urges me to keep going.

“Yes, I won’t be fine living the rest of my life without you.”

He steps closer. “But you said we weren’t right for each other. You said you never wanted to see me again.”

I move closer, reaching out my hand to touch him. It connects with his bicep, and I rest my hand there. “Cole, I was afraid, but I’m not anymore. I pushed you away because I was so scared I’d lose you.”

He laughs, but there’s no humor there. “How would you lose me? I love you, Amber.”

Tears well in my eyes at his words. “Oh God, I love you too. I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I thought I knew what I wanted. I thought all the wrong things.”

He’s smiling now. He inches closer. “Come here.”

I bat my eyelashes at him. “Cole,” I whisper with a growing smile.

“Come here,” he demands again, and I move closer to him. He wraps his strong arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. “Don’t ever do that again. I thought I’d have to spend the rest of my life trying to prove you wrong. Trying to make you see that we’re perfect for each other.”

I wrap my arms around his neck. “We are perfect for each other. I’m sorry it took me a while to see it.”

“As long as you see it now, that’s all that matters.”

I kiss his cheek. “I don’t deserve you.”

He tugs me closer, and before he slants his lips over mine, he says, “Honey, you’re the only woman on the planet who deserves me.”

Epilogue

Amber

I love this time of year. Winter in South Florida. The air is crisp, and there’s a slight chill in the air. We don’t have to be bothered by any of that annoying fluffy white stuff all over the ground. No, instead, we get sunshine, soft breeze, and tons of presents!

I’m spending Christmas with Cole and his family. His mother and two brothers. We step up to his mother’s red-wooden door with a huge wreath wrapped in holly and ivy.

“Ready for this?” Cole asks me, and I squeeze his hand.

“Absolutely,” I say with a smile.

Sure, there was a time when I was afraid to make the leap. Afraid to commit, but now all those silly fears are gone.

Eradicated. Never to waste space in my mind ever again.

The door opens, and I spot his mother coming toward us. She’s got short red hair and a smile that is similar to Cole’s. I can see where he gets it. Her green eyes look like Christmas trees, and her long red nails are painted like candy canes.

She’s wearing an ugly Christmas sweater, and I can tell I already instantly like her.

“I’m so glad you both finally made it.” She hugs her son first, and then she wraps her arms around me.

“Hi, we brought some wine.” I hand her a bottle of Chardonnay Cole and I picked out at the store together in its Christmas bag.

“I like her,” his mother says, winking at me. “With my boys, all I ever get is beer every year.”

We all make our way into the house and further down the hall toward the kitchen. The whole place is decked out in holiday decor, and I love the giant Christmas gnomes by the front door. The Christmas tree is nearly seven-feet tall and is decorated in a Grinch That Stole Christmas type of way.

The kitchen smells like heaven, and I want to dig right into the plate of Gingerbread cookies on a Santa plate on the counter.

“We all can’t make good choices,” I say to his mother, but look right at Cole.

He laughs. “Beer is way better than wine.”

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