Page 108 of Isolated
I gave myself just two or three beats to note the look of utter mortification on Robert’s face before I turned around. Though I didn’t know how long he’d been standing there, Bryan had walked in at some point. Judging by the way he cowered and refused to look me in the eye, I suspected he’d heard enough. It didn’t matter to me either way.
Because my gaze settled on the only person who mattered. Landen had a gleam in his eye, and the grin on his face showed me his teeth. The pride in his expression was undeniable as he extended his hand to me.
I took it, and the two of us walked out of the office without a care for who was watching us.
It felt good.
So good.
I didn’t think it could get any better.
But the moment we stepped outside, Landen spun me into his arms, plastered me against his body, and crushed his mouth to mine. He kissed me like he’d never kissed me before, my knees getting weak at how perfect it was.
Framing my face with his hands, he tore his mouthfrom mine. “I am so proud of you for what you did in there. I don’t think I’ve ever been more turned on in my whole life than I was watching you stand up for yourself. I’ve always loved your confidence, but that was on another level.”
This was it.
This was my moment to have it all.
“I love you.”
His fingers pressed in. “What?”
“I love you, Landen. I love you so much, I don’t know how to contain all that I feel for you. The way you have looked after me, listened to me, and encouraged me. There is nothing more I could need, and yet, you give me even more. So, I love you.”
His eyes got wet. “I love you, too.” His hand slid away from my face. One cupped the back of my hand as the other went around my back. He kissed the top of my head and murmured, “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been wanting to tell you that.”
With my arms wrapped around him, a smile blazing on my face, I looked up at him. He kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, and my mouth.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said, his voice husky. “We need to celebrate all that we just said to one another, and I’ve got to do something about what seeing you do what you did in that office did to me.”
I giggled with delight, warmth infusing my body, and happily allowed him to guide me to the car.
EPILOGUE
Iris
Seven Months Later
“I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
The light was shining in Landen’s eyes. “I can.”
“Really?”
He nodded, holding me close. “From the moment you told me I was your girl the next time this opportunity arose, I couldn’t stop thinking about it happening. Whatever it took, I was going to make sure you were with me.”
My hand rested on his shoulder, my body pressed close to his. Landen was holding my other hand while looking at me like I was the most precious thing in the world.
And we were finally doing it.
We were dancing together at a wedding. Our dearest friends, Hart and Reagan, had tied the knot today, and I couldn’t have been happier for them.
It felt a bit surreal to be here, to be so happy to the point of delirium.
After what had happened seven months ago, things hadn’t been all rainbows and sunshine. I’d decided to open my own marketing agency. I had enough knowledge about and contacts within the industry to be able to establish the business quickly and garner clients faster than I would have if I’d attempted to do something similar ten years earlier.
But it wasn’t without struggle.
