Page 64 of The Ruse of Romancing
“And trips to Powell’s Books, where I can buy all the books I want. And—” I broke off, feeling exposed and ridiculous and vulnerable. It was worse than the jumble of emotions I’d experienced after reading my first hateful review of my book.
But even as I hesitated, all of the love and magic of the cover he’d designed came to mind. A cover that supposedly I’d inspired. Remembering that beautiful cover and the care that had gone into it warmed my heart and reassured me that I was doing the right thing.
“And?” Mason asked, grabbing my other hand and shifting so he stood directly in front of me, leaning close in the late summer sunshine as he waited for what I had to say next.
“And you kiss me senseless whenever I ask.”
Needing no further invitation, Mason pressed his lips to mine in a searing kiss that left me weak in the knees and desperate for more.
But he pulled back, resting his forehead against mine.
“I kind of took that as an invitation. Hope that was okay.” He whispered, his breath warm against my cheek.
“More than okay,” I whispered back, trying to catch my breath. “I think I owe Avery an apology.”
“Oh? Because, genuinely, you thinking about your sister is the last thing I was expecting to hear right now.”
I gave him an impish grin.
“Well, you might have convinced me that happy endings actually can happen, which means I need to change the end of my book.”
“Thank heavens!” A voice called from the doorway, startling us apart.
I broke away from Mason to see the entire cousin crew gathered in the doorway, grinning back at me. I was fairly certain Poppy even had Chloe on a video call watching the whole thing.
“How long were you guys standing there?” I asked, suddenly feeling very self-conscious, even as I leaned into Mason’s side.
“Long enough to know that kiss was far too short,” Poppy said with a knowing look.
“I concur,” Mason said, dipping down to press his lips to mine once more, causing my cousins to whoop and cheer.
And while it wasn’t exactly the storybook romance I’d always imagined for myself, it was infinitely better because it was real. Even if it had come with some plot twists I hadn’t seen coming.
Epilogue
Dani
Cascade Harbor, Oregon
Two weeks later
Thedaysfollowingthecover reveal flew by as Mason made it his mission to prove to me his sincerity. During that time, he hadn’t lied to me even once. Instead, he’d shown me with both his actions and words just how sincere he’d been on that stage. And while we’d spent some much-needed time in Utah, both of us meeting each other’s families and getting to see each other in a new setting, we’d both been eager to boarda plane and return to Cascade Harbor, after a stop at the store where Poppy worked to sign some books, of course.
The sound of the waves welcomed me as I stepped onto the beach, soaking in the pinks and purples of sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Hercules fairly danced behind me as he caught his first glimpse of the ocean. After Mason and I had reconciled, we’d decided we needed a redo of my trip to Oregon, this time without any lies between us. And since Avery had headed to Italy for what was supposed to be her honeymoon but had morphed into a solo vacation that she badly needed, I’d decided to bring Hercules with me. I only felt a little bit guilty for bailing on Avery, forcing her to take her trip alone, but I hoped this trip would help her reconnect with the braver version of herself who had disappeared when she’d started dating Eric.
While Mason and I hadn’t fully decided where our future would be, I knew the Oregon coast would play a big part in our lives.
“Absolutely stunning,” Mason said from behind me.
“I know, right? This is seriously one of my favorite things about Oregon.” I looked over my shoulder to find Mason staring at me, not the breathtaking view in front of me.
“I was more impressed with the sight of you at sunset.” Mason slipped his arms around my waist as we watched Hercules frolic in the waves, splashing and getting covered in sand.
“I’ll have to remember that line for the next book I write,” I said. I’d just finished fixing the ending ofOf Fates and Ruinand I was already eager to start another project. I was considering a complete change of genre, maybe trying my hand at contemporary retellings of favorite old movies. I’d start withPillow Talk, of course, though I could picture my version involving beaches and a sexy artist.
“Only if I get to help with any kissing research you need to do,” he said, pressing his lips to my shoulder.
I turned in Mason’s arms to look up at him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
