Page 18 of The Tycoon's Pet

I bite my lip, thinking back to my conversations with Grandma. She only ever told me to follow my heart and my dreams. She never said how.

Paul steps closer, his expression softening. "Kayla, this is still your dream. I'm just offering to help you by providing guidance and resources. It doesn't make it any less yours."

Tears well up in my eyes again, but this time they’re tears of gratitude. “You really mean that?”

He nods, pulling me into a gentle embrace. "Absolutely. I believe in you, Kayla. And I want to be there for you, in every way possible."

I rest my head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. “Thank you, Paul. That means more to me than you could ever know.”

He tilts my chin up, his green eyes locking onto mine with a tenderness that makes my breath catch. “Anytime, Butterfly. I'll do anything for the woman I love."

“I love you too,” I whisper, just as his mouth descends on mine in a long, passionate kiss.

Just then, Paul’s computer dings. He breaks our kiss to look at the email notification.

“What are you doing next Saturday?” he asks, continuing to rub his spare hand on my back.

“Ummm… probably nothing important, why?” I ask tentatively.

“One of my old business school friends, Christy Smith, is getting married. It’s a small ceremony followed by a reception at her parents’ house, I’d love it if you’d be my plus one,” he says with a smile.

His words make me burst out laughing. “Christy Smith, the supermodel, is your friend?”

“Yes…”

“I saw the pictures of you out with her and assumed she was someone you were seeing. I am so relieved,” I say, continuing to laugh. He returns my laugh and fills me in on the details of their longstanding friendship.

“So… will you be my date?” he asks again.

“Of course! I’ll be your date to anything, forever,” I say. And with that, we find ourselves tangled up on his office floor.

I can’t wait for more days like this.

Epilogue

Six years later

Paul

The last of the guests has left and Kayla has just walked a very pregnant Bonnie to her car. Our twin toddlers, Cade and Cole, have finally fallen asleep in my arms after running around all day. All in all, it’s been a fulfilling day and it’s made me so happy to see my wife so filled with joy. Celebrating the fifth anniversary of Rosemary's Place meant a lot to her and I couldn't be more proud of how far she's come. I've seen how hard she's worked in the past five years to grow her business and build our home and family.

I fall in love with her all over again every single day and I'm just grateful for being able to share wonderful memories with her and our kids. Thanks to her, I feel like the most blessed man on earth. Even little things like watching her smile as she watches our boys sleep, or the way her eyes light up when she talks about her business, fill me with immeasurable happiness. I feel like the luckiest man on earth with Kayla by my side.

She reappears at the doorway, her face glowing with the happiness and pride of the day’s celebrations. She quietly closes the door and walks over to me, her eyes softening as she looks at our sleeping boys.

"Hey, honey," she whispers, placing a quick kiss on my lips as she takes one of the boys from me.

“Hey,” I reply softly, smiling at her. “It was a perfect day, wasn’t it?”

She nods, a small smile playing on her lips. “It really was. Thank you for your unwavering support, husband. You’re amazing.”

I shake my head slightly. “This is all you, my perfect wife. You’re incredible and I love you.”

“I love you too, darling,” she replies with a tender smile, juggling Cole in her arms. “Let's get these ones to bed.”

Together, we carry the boys upstairs and tuck them into their beds. After making sure they’re settled, we walk hand in hand to our bedroom. As soon as the door closes behind us, I pull her into my arms and lower my mouth to hers in a long, ravishing kiss. I run my hands down her back to her ass cheeks, giving her a rough squeeze followed by a sound smack. She moans deeply into my mouth, pressing her body closer to mine.

“God, I've wanted to do that all day,” I say, pulling back slightly to smile into her beautiful brown eyes. “And I plan to do more. What do you think about us having a beautiful baby girl with your hair and eyes?”

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