Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
When I leaned forward and began to kiss and lick her rounded cheeks, she looked over her shoulder with a laugh. “Mark, knock it off. I’m sweating to death inside this thing. It does not breathe. Next time we play with latex outfits, I’m turning the air down in our room to like forty degrees.”
Laughing, I stood and helped her out of the clingy material. “That might cause shrinkage.”
The sigh she released as she peeled the outfit off her legs after taking her boots off made me laugh again. “Oh God, air. I need in that pool, like, yesterday.”
Before she could take off, I grabbed her hand. “You never answered my question.”
She pretended to think for a moment, then gave me her glorious smile. “Of course I’ll marry you. You’re never getting rid of me.”
“And you’re never getting rid of me.”
Epilogue
Mark
Two Years later
I stood at the edge of the frozen lake in my parent’s backyard, my gloved hands gripping the weathered, wooden railing.
The sun set over the tree-lined horizon, and the scent of pine hung heavy in the air.
We were supposed to get more snow tonight, and I knew Layla couldn’t wait. There was a dusting now, just enough to make the northern Michigan woods look picturesque. If the meteorologists were right, we were about to dumped on right in time for the holidays. The thought of getting snowed in with Layla was just about perfect.
Looking back at the massive lakeside home I’d grown up in, I smiled at the sight of friends and family milling about inside the giant family room. It was two stories high, with windows going all the way up overlooking lake. Tomorrow was Christmas eve, so my parents were hosting their annual neighborhood party tonight. Seeing all my family and old friends had been great—for the most part. There were a few judgmental bitches and nosy assholes, but only a few.
They all loved Layla. I mean, what wasn’t there to love? With Vali at her side, she charmed the pants off everyone she met with her beauty and humor. While she didn’t really need Vali anymore, she hadn’t had a panic attack since her programming, she still liked to bring him everywhere with us. Partly because Vali was a working dog and happiest doing his job, but mostly because he was a canine ambassador for A Kid’s Best Friend.
Layla’s hard work had paid off, and she’d raised enough money for the foundation to really get off the ground. Vali was part of those efforts, and he’d been part of a bestselling doggy charity calendar featuring working dogs and shirtless football stars. That had been Joy’s idea, and I can still remember being kicked out of the photoshoot, along with Leo and Ramon, for scaring the talent.
Not the dogs, the men.
The calendar had been a success, with lots of media coverage, and now people recognized Vali. Not everywhere, but enough that Layla was able to spread the word about her organization—both to those who wanted to donate, and those who needed it. Working with the Cordova Corporation’s charity division, she’d also become interested in a scholarship foundation that Joy was in charge of, plus Hannah’s various projects. Even Mrs. Cordova adored Layla and treated her more like a true daughter-in-law than her daughter-in-law’s friend.
“Hey, you,” came Layla’s husky voice. “What are you doing out here by yourself?”
“Had to step away for a second. Sorry to abandon you.”
I turned, smiling as she handed me a big, steaming mug of what smelled like hot chocolate with a dash of Irish cream and butterscotch schnapps. Dressed in a fluffy pink down parka and wearing a white hat with a sparkly pink pom-pom on top she was too cute for words. My adorable little snow bunny.
After taking a sip, I said, “I see my Uncle Dan is here with his Merry Merry Christmas Brew.”
She nodded with a small laugh. “He’s a character, but his hot chocolate is really good. I, of course, have the virgin version.”
I kissed her nose as she frowned down at her not so small second trimester baby bump pushing against her jacket. Despite our best efforts, it had taken nearly two years and some medical help for Layla to get pregnant. Her pregnancy was the final push to getting me to visit my family. While they’d come out to see us in Arizona plenty of times, I wanted my son to know where his dad came from. I wanted him to play with his cousins and to spend summers out on the lake like I had.
I took a sip, then sighed with contentment and lifted my arm. “Come here.”
She slid up next to me, wrapping one arm around my jacket-covered waist, her pink gloved hand resting on my hip.
Together we leaned against the railing and looked out over the lake, taking in the orange and purple sunset and how it glittered off the ice.