“I love you so much, Alexis,” he murmured against my forehead. “I can’t believe you love me enough to stay, but I’m going to do everything to make it worth it for you. I’m honored you chose me.”
Lifting my head, I cupped his jaw. “I’ll always choose you. I love you more than Ilya loves Shane.”
His lips curved. “I’m embarrassed to admit I know exactly what you’re referring to.”
“You finished the season, didn’t you?”
He nodded.
“I knew you liked it! Wasn’t the ending good?”
“It was fantastic. You got me to love gay hockey romance. I think you’re a witch.”
“I’myourwitch.”
Chuckling, he pressed my cheek to his chest as we held each other close. The future ahead might hold danger, as all futures did, but with Nick, I knew my heart would be safe. And in the end, that’s all that really mattered.
Epilogue
Alexis
Two months later
Mom and I picked up the chair in my study and carried it to the living room. Once we set it in the corner, I wiped my hands.
“Well, chair. Enjoy your new home until my study is renovated. When you return, we’re going to have so much space to hang.”
Mom patted my shoulder. “Dear, should I be worried that you’re talking to a chair?”
“We’ve grown close since I spend hours a day in the study. Let it lie.”
Mom laughed. “All right, then.”
Michael and Nick strode through the front door, both of them approaching us and giving us a kiss.
“How was the meeting at Red Hook?”
“Good,” Michael said, squeezing Mom’s hand. “Nothing is getting through that port without me knowing, and Alexis’s security system is unbelievable. We were able to get facial recognition matches on three of Oskar’s men who trespassed there last week, and Leo’s having the cops search for any violations. If they have a warrant, they’re going to jail.”
“Happy to be of service,” I said with a salute. “Facial recognition at the ports is going to help a lot.”
“How was your morning, ladies?” Michael asked.
“Good. Mom did yoga in the back yard and I worked on the encryption for the updated bookkeeping system. I think Katia’s going to love it once I train her on it.”
“She’s very sharp, so I’m sure she’ll pick it up quickly,” Michael said with a nod.
“Can you come to the house with me for a minute?” Nick asked, and I realized he was a bit pale. “I need to show you something.”
“Uh, sure.”
He extended his hand, and I took it, squeezing as he led me through the house. “Are you okay? You look...weird. Are you sweating? Do you need to go to a doctor?”
“I’m fine.”
We approached the back door, and he opened it before leading me out to the yard. As we walked down the small slope, I gasped as I saw the pink and red roses spread out across the newly mowed grass. They spelled “Will You Marry Me?” above a heart.
My gaze snapped to Nick’s. “What the—”
