Page 112 of Mine Forever
He lowers his forehead to mine and lifts his hands to my hips. “Love is full of ups and downs, hurt and happiness. I can’t guarantee that I’ll never do anything that will hurt you. But I can guarantee that I will love you for the rest of my life, and if I do hurt you, I’ll do whatever I have to do to make it right. We’ll work it out. There’s no more running, no more pushing each other away.”
I bite my lip to keep from bursting into tears. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted from you, Chase. To have the chance to love each other through the good and the bad. Because I love you too.”
He brings his hands up to cup my face. “Eden, it’s alwaysbeen you. I’ve been lost for the last decade without you. I don’t want to be apart from you again.”
“Then don’t.”
I yank on his tie, bringing his mouth to mine.
He spins me around, and my back hits the wall as his kiss turns those tiny wildfires into a blazing inferno. My hands roam over the fabric of his suit, searching for purchase.
He presses his hard body into mine, and I want him to take me right there up against the door.
As I start to unbutton his suit jacket to push it off his shoulders, his phone pings from his pocket.
We break apart, our chests heaving. “That’s our cue,” he says.
My head is foggy, and I just want more of him. “What?” My head clears and my eyes widen. “Oh my God, I don’t have my phone. What time is it?”
He chuckles. “I told Katie to text me when it was time for us to head down.”
“Katie knew you were here?”
He nods with a grin. “Yep. By the way,”—he points at my hair—“you need to check your hair before we head down. You look like a woman who was almost fucked against the door.”
A hand flies to my hair and my eyes widen. I rush to the bathroom and survey the damage. “Damn it. I can’t look like we just had sex!”
He leans against the doorjamb, looking none the worse for wear. “Well, we didn’t.”
I redo the bobby pins in my hair, smoothing out the flyaways. “How is it you look normal?”
“Oh sweetheart, I have the jacket to help me. Just don’t laugh if I’m hobbling down the hall.”
We laugh, and our eyes meet in the mirror. I turn to him and he pulls me close. “I love you, Eden. Heart and soul.”
“I love you too, Chase. Heart and soul.”
Our kiss is sweet and tender but starts to edge toward hot. We pull away before we really do miss the event.
“Ready for this?” I ask.
His hand slides into mine, and he kisses the back of it. “I’m ready for anything with you next to me.”
epilogue
EDEN
Six Months Later
I pullmy car through the gates of what is now not just Chase’s house, but our home.
It’s early—just barely past sunrise—and I smile as I look out over the purple skies and the dark blue water.
I’d changed my flight time on the charter jet Chase arranged for me so I could surprise him. Exhaustion is heavy in my bones, but it’s counteracted by the exhilaration of seeing my man.
The night of the charity ball had been an unforgettable night in so many ways. Not only had Chase’s speech been a huge hit, but the event raised well beyond the goal the guys were looking to hit.
In fact, Hudson, Graham, and Carter want me to host the event annually for them.
