Page 122 of Final Proposal

I laugh. It feels so good to. “Maybe. I might need some more distracting.” I lift on my tiptoes and kiss him.

“Distraction commencing.” His groan is all I need to know his body is as wired as mine is right now. Is as needy and wanting. “Now I’m wishing I’d have scheduled everyone else to come an hour later instead of thirty minutes.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I want to make love to you for the first time, Ellery.” He grins. “That’s such a cheesy thing for a guy to say, but to hell with it. I’m using the word love every chance I get so you get used to it. So you are no longer scared by it.”

“Move in with you. Get a dog. And immediate lovemaking. Wow, Sharpe. I don’t know,” I tease, my smile turning up against his lips. “Is that your final proposal?”

“Baby, I’m just getting started.” He chuckles as he leans back to look at me, the grin he flashes making my knees turn to jelly. His words even more so. “No. You’ll know when I propose.” A chaste kiss. “And there will be no negotiating the answer on that one.”

Ford

Three Months later

“You really think that’s the best option?” Ellery looks over to me. She’s propped up against the headboard of the bed, in my—er, our—penthouse. Her laptop is on her thighs, her hair’s piled on top of her head, and her face free of makeup.

Jesus.

Sometimes the sight of her staggers me. How did I get this lucky? How did I get her to choose me?

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asks, eyebrows narrowed and lips pursed.

“No reason.” I grin. “Sometimes it just hits me. This. You. Us.” I shrug.

“Fordham Sharpe, are you getting all soft on me?” she teases.

“Not where it counts.” I wink and she laughs before I motion to the laptop. “Yes to your question. Park City is the winter playground for the wealthy. It’s a great place for the next Signature Sharpe. Expensive. Exclusive. And if the success of Azure is any indication, people like to flaunt their ‘unique’ experience.”

And boy, have they.

Azure is booked through the next eighteen months, and we’ve only been open for two. Word spread fast among the elite and celebrity circles. And thank fuck for that.

Of course, there have been a few snafus, as happens with anything that is new, but we’ve managed to mitigate those and correct on the fly.

And I won’t lie, I just might throw its success in my brothers’ faces every chance I get. Just as they would in mine.

“Okay.” She nods as she bites the tip of a pen. “Park City it is.”

“I knew you’d—” The doorbell rings and our rescue mutt, Chex, lifts her head as if she’s figuring out if she gives a fuck before deciding she doesn’t and lays it back down.

The only people who come up without the doorman announcing them are my brothers. “What the hell are they doing here?”

“I don’t know,” she says as she pushes the laptop aside and rises from the bed.

Within seconds, I have the door open and am staring suspiciously at both Ledger and Callahan standing in my entry. “You’re tag-teaming again. What should I be worried about this time?”

Here we go again.

“We have something for you,” Ledger says, moving past me toward the family room as if he owns the place.

“Hello. How are you today, Ford? Are we interrupting anything? Can we come in?” I tease as I follow them. Ellery’s laugh sounds off behind me.

“Trust us,” Callahan murmurs, and fuck if that doesn’t make me worry.

I glance over to Ellery, and she shrugs.

“Can you use AirPlay from my laptop to the TV?” Ledger asks, knowing I damn well can.