Page 81 of Merry Kissmas

“It’s not over yet.”

She swivels around, sets the globe on the coffee table, and stands, offering me her hand.I slide my palm in hers and rise to my feet, allowing her to lead me to the bed.Hell, I’d follow this woman anywhere.

Epilogue

Brynn

We’re at my apartment in Portland on New Year’s Eve, cleaning up the dishes after the delicious meal that Pierce cooked.

He returned to Portland with me like he said, and we’ve been working on The Mad Batter’s brand marketing all week—when we’re not screwing like bunnies.But we’ve managed to visit both locations, which enabled him to see my small hometown of Climax Cove and meet all the locals.They kept asking him to say specific words over and over so they could hear his accent, and though I’m sure he hated it, he took it all in stride.

“I was thinking about something.”I turn around to face him after I’m done filling the dishwasher.

“Yeah?”he asks, grabbing two champagne glasses and a bottle from the fridge.

“On Monday, I’m going to tell Enzo Mancini that I’m not interested in the job.”I bite my lip.Taking myself out of the race for the position wasn’t an easy decision.It’s guaranteed income, and what I’m about to do is really scary.

“What?Why?”he asks, twisting the cork of the champagne bottle to open it.

“Because I want to go out on my own.”

He lowers the bottle and raises his eyebrows.“Really?”

“I know it’s crazy, and you probably think you’re dating a nut.You won’t have to support me if you’re worried about that.”

He laughs.“I’m not.”

“But I don’t know… I work for a firm now, and there are a lot of rules and policies, and it has to go through this person and that person for approval.Do you know how many ideas they turn down because they’re afraid to try anything too different, then someone else ends up doing it, and it explodes with popularity?Maybe it’s working on the bakery brand, I don’t know.But I want to be the one to make the decisions.I know it will be a slow start, and I’m really scared, but I think it’s the right decision for me.”

He comes over and places his hands on my hips.“Breathe.”

I inhale and exhale a few times.“It’s just you’re taking a huge chance with me and my family, and that got me thinking.Change doesn’t come without fear, and rewards don’t happen if you don’t push the fear aside and just do it.I’d rather regret that it didn’t work out than that I didn’t try.”

“It will work out,” he says before pressing his lips to my forehead.“You can make anything turn to gold, but if it doesn’t, I’ll be here to support you.”

“There’s another thing.”And this is the scariest part, but I told myself to do this before the clock strikes midnight.So here goes nothing.

“Okay?”He steps back to go to the table, but I tug him back to me.

“I want a partner.”I bite my lip again.

“Do you have someone in mind?Someone you worked with at the firm here?”

I shake my head.

“Why do you think you need a partner?”He tilts his head and studies my face.

“I don’t need one, I want one.”

He chuckles.“If you don’t know someone, you’ll have to put an ad out and do some interviews, I guess.”He shifts to walk away, and I tug him back.“Brynn?”

“I know someone.”I swallow the lump in my throat.

“Okay, ask them then.If they say no, find someone else.But I really think you can do this on your own.”

“Will you?”

He blinks, obviously trying to figure out where I’m going with this.

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