Page 86 of The Naughty List

I grab my bag to change into my Speedo. “So, you ready to do the polar plunge?” I ask through the open bathroom door, peeking my head out to wink at her as she sits on the edge of her bed.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “Absolutely not.”

“Suit yourself,” I shrug before pulling on the Speedo and grabbing my towel.

I walk out of the en suite bathroom with a towel slung around my waist. Her eyes follow my hands as I grab the edge of the towel to remove it. “Fine, guess you don’t want to see Mr. Candy Cane.” I drop the towel, posing in the brand-new Speedo I got for the occasion. It has a perfectly placed candy cane on the crotch.

“Oh my god.” She laughs as I reach out, pulling her toward me.

“You want to taste the candy cane? Give it a couple long, delicious licks?”

“Mmm, yes please.” She slides her hand between our bodies, but I grab it just before she reaches my cock.

“First, you have to indulge me.” I step around her and open my suitcase, lifting out her skimpy little ho-ho-ho girl outfit I found shoved in the back of her closet.

“I am not wearing that in front of my family.” She snatches it away from me and tosses it back into my suitcase. “Where’d you get that, anyway?”

“Not in front of your family, sweetheart. Trust me, that’s the last thought I had when I found it in your closet.” I step closer, lifting her chin before giving her a sweet kiss. “I do want to fuck you in it later, though. When we’re back at the penthouse.”

“Deal. As long as I don’t have to jump in the pond with you.”

“Deal.” I plant a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Just make sure you have some of that hot chocolate ready for us after.”

We meet up with everyone in the living room and we all head outside. The ladies cheer me and the guys on as we run and jump into the pond. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m loved and welcome. Like I have a family of my own. My life has changed so drastically this past year, it’s almost unrecognizable. I feel like I’m finally living. I don’t spend late nights, weekends, or holidays in the office or at my desk at home. I’m actually enjoying my life and savoring every little moment with Sadie by my side.

After the polar plunge, I take a shower and then we settle down on her childhood bedroom floor, sipping our hot chocolate. Just like we did a year ago, only this time we’re wearing the matching t-shirts we won from the kissing contest.

“Thank you.” I squeeze her knee. “For bringing me into your family. I can’t tell you what it means to me that they accept and love me like they do.”

“Well, you’re very easy to love, but they also love seeing us happy.”

“You’re happy?” I ask.

She beams. “Incandescently. Are you happy?”

“More than I thought possible.” I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. “There is something I want to show you.” I pull up a real estate listing and hand it to her.

“What am I looking at—” She looks up and her eyes narrow on my face. “You listed the penthouse?”

“I listed the penthouse. I’m finally selling it.” She knows I’m not happy there, that it was a remnant of a life I thought I’d wanted almost ten years ago, but now I want a home. A place for us to grow old together. Somewhere we can raise our children.

“I thought we could start looking at houses for us,” I say, reaching my hand into my pocket again.

“For us?”

“Yeah, I figure we’ll buy a house, then plan the wedding so it’s not as stressful, and you know…” I take a casual sip of my cocoa. “Fill it with kids.”

“I—wait.”

I slowly pull the ring out of my pocket, turning to face her.

“I’ve thought of a million different ways I’d ask you to be my wife, but none of them captured how I feel about you, how much you mean to me, and I’m done waiting. I’m done trying to find the perfect proposal, because Sadie Emmert, you are my world, and I don’t want to go another day without you being my wife. Will you marry me?”

“Yes.” Her bottom lip begins to quiver as I slide the elegant solitaire diamond onto her finger. “I’m speechless, I’m actually speechless.” She lunges forward, wrapping her arms around my neck. “We’re gonna have babies?”

“Ten, at least,” I answer with a grin, resting my forehead against hers. “You have made me the happiest man alive. I just knew, from the moment I saw you, that no matter what it took, no matter how long it took, I was going to wait for you because you were going to be my wife. You have completely changed my world, Sadie.”

I feel the same way I did when I locked eyes on her in my conference room three years ago. It almost feels like it was just yesterday, but at the same time it feels like we’ve already lived a lifetime together. I wrap my arms around her, clutching her to my chest. For the first time in forever, I have a family. A home. I’ve found my everything with her.

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