Page 100 of Mr. Big Shot

She nods. Then, weirdly, reverses course and shakes her head instead. “No, actually. Not at all.”

“I’m not exactly lovable.”

“You are though,” she says, coming toward me until we’re chest to chest. She tips her head back and stares up at me. “You’re so lovable. I couldn’t resist you even if I tried.”

Then her gaze slips down to my lips and I bend down and kiss her, and though we don’t know it, won’t hear the story until tomorrow morning at breakfast, Katherine, Anders, and Lucy are standing just to the side of the dance floor with a perfect view of the cake and a perfect view of us and when I kiss Scarlett, the three of them start to clap. Anders even whistles.

It seems the Elwoods are about to add one more to their ever-growing family.

Epilogue

Scarlett

“Think your parents mind?”

“That you’re walking me back to my hotel room?”

He looks at me sidelong, a glance so chock-full of charm I’m surprised my knees don’t give out. It’s a look that says, I’m not simply walking you back to your hotel room.

I hum and pull out my key from my clutch then hold it to the door until the light turns green. Once I’m inside, Hudson follows me into the room and shuts the door quietly behind us.

My heels are the first things to go. I toe them off with a long sigh. Oh my god. Sweet relief. I toss them clear across the room and look over to see Hudson watching me. He doesn’t look distressed now, not in the least. All the worry he’s been carrying is gone now.

We spent the last hour out on the dance floor together. For a corporate lawyer, Hudson has major moves. Lucy was out there with us, my parents too. I watched Hudson spin and dip Lucy while she laughed. My dad and I danced together near the end of the reception.

“You’re happy?” he asked simply.

“Beyond” is the one word I was able to form. Anything else would conjure a flood of tears.

“Good. I like you two together. It fits. I thought it would.”

I reared back. “You thought it would!?”

He smiled and angled me out so he could twirl me back toward him. “You’ll have to ask Hudson about it.”

I plan to, some other time. Now, I walk toward him and turn to present my back. I pull my hair forward in front of my shoulder so he can access my zipper. He knows what to do, tugging it down and kissing my bare shoulder before pushing the material apart and helping me step out of it.

“Will you move in with me?”

I still then turn to look at him over my shoulder.

“Into your place?”

He nods. “I have a house close to Elwood Hoyt. Plenty of space. Close enough for you to walk to the office, though I could easily drive us.”

“Sudden, no?”

He shrugs. “Sudden? I don’t know. When have you felt like this before?”

I consider it then smile. “Never.”

He absorbs that with a solemn nod. “Then we’re on the same page. I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m all in, Scarlett. I’ve just admitted to your family that I’m in love with you. I’d like you to move in with me. I’d like to spend as much time with you as I can, and I know neither of us will cut down our time at the office, not really, so I’ve been thinking through that problem already.”

I smile and tip toward him, propping my arms up on his shoulders. His hands go easily to my hips, toying with my panties.

“Have you?”

“Yes,” he says, bending to kiss me. “You’ll give me every night and all your weekends. If we need to work, we’ll go in together. I’ll add a second desk in my office if I have to.”

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