Page 54 of Baby with the Bossy Billionaire

What comes next is primal. I remove her robe and get naked myself, and there in the sea of roses, I make love to Paige desperately. By the end of it, she is imprinted on my soul and I am sure I am on hers.

I am very aware that we have a mountain in front of us. There’s so much we have to get through, but with Paige by my side I know that we can face any challenge and come out the other end. I love this woman so much, and she loves me too. We are both willing to work for this, and that’s what matters. That’s what’s going to guarantee our survival.

Paige is mine, and I am hers. I know that like I know I have blood pumping through my veins. That realization is scary, but it’s also comforting, because we have each other for the rest of our lives, and I couldn’t be happier about that.

EPILOGUE

PAIGE

Two years later

“Ahhhhh!” TJ screams as he runs at Travis in the lawn of our Hamptons home. Just before he rams into him, Travis stoops down and scoops him off the ground and throws him over his shoulder and runs across the lawn as he laughs.

Amelia and I sit on the edge of the lawn on a picnic basket and watch as they horse around. I’m feeding our daughter grapes and she claps her hands as she watches her brother and dad play.

It doesn’t take long before Amelia is over my fussing over her and the grapes. She climbs to her feet and stumbles over to TJ and Travis who include her in their game and they tone down the roughness so as to not hurt her.

After a while, Travis’ age starts catching up to him and he starts running out of steam. So the love of my life retires to the blanket where I sit.

“Tired already, grandpa?” I ask.

“Well, I’m not the one who’s been sitting around eating grapes all day.”

“Correction, I’ve been feeding your daughter grapes.”

“Po-tay-to, po-ta-to,” he says.

I swat him on the arm. “You’re such a loser.”

“But I’m your loser.” He leans forward and gives me a quick kiss.

“Do you have any plans tonight?”

“No, not really. Why?”

“I was thinking we could invite my family down for dinner.”

“Yeah. That sounds like fun.”

My family has warmed up to Travis over the years. They can see how devoted he is to me and our family. Whatever reservations they had are simply gone. It helps that Mom and Travis are pretty much joined at the hip.

Speaking of whom, Mom, like the trooper she is, is in remission and has chosen to seize life by the horns. Since her recovery, the woman is a tank. She’s always training for some sort of physical endeavor. Last year she ran the New York marathon and is now preparing for a two-day mountain hike.

I hadn’t noticed just how on-edge we all were when she was sick. Everyone seems lighter now that she is better and more accommodating. Travis has been invited to go fishing with Dad and Matt more times than I can count, and Lily takes him shopping every now and then. I’m sure that’s not exactly what Travis would choose to do, but as long as it gives him the opportunity to spend time with my family, he does it.

I’ve also changed. In the best way possible, I think. Having Mom back has restored my sense of security. So I’m freer and quicker to laugh than I was when I firstmet Travis. Then add motherhood to it and it’s like I’m an entirely different person.

Although my pregnancy wasn’t the easiest, when Amelia was born my heart burst open. Where I used to be stubborn and rigid, I’m more flexible and permissive, especially where Amelia is concerned. I mean, I still have my moments of firmness, but that’s fine, because Travis seems to also adore that side of me.

Travis has changed as well. Like he promised, he rolled back some of his duties at work. Since we can afford it, he and I are basically stay at home parents now. He was worried about taking a step back from work, simply because it’s all he’s ever known in his adult life. However, it proved easier than he imagined. He has taken to family life like a duck to water.

“When we get back to the house, I’ll make the calls and let everyone know to come by for dinner,” I say.

Not long after that the kids come running back to us and we pack up and go inside.

I hand Travis the blanket and picnic basket and say, “I’m going upstairs to call everyone and also return a few work calls. Please keep the kids busy and out of the bedroom.”

“Of course.” He kisses me on the cheek, then I run upstairs.

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