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“I’ve never said I love you,” I tell him, scowling playfully.

His lips curve into that most delicious lopsided smile. “Yeah, but you do.”

I chuckle as he takes hold of my left hand and twists my temporary wedding band off my fourth finger. “Can I?” he asks, taking the new rings from the box.

I nod. “Yes. Because I do, Jax. I really do love you.”

He slides on the rings and takes hold of my cheeks, planting his lips on mine. I melt into his hold as the Dragons start tapping their sticks to the ice behind us.

“I am absolutely putting out on our first date,” I whisper when we part.

“Then please can we go for fast food?” he asks.

“How about your favorite Deliveroo?” I smile, kissing him again.

He never answers because a tiny bark comes between us. The puppy is dressed in a Dragons doggie sweater. Bianca, beaming at Jax and me from where she and the entire Comms team and Mitch are standing looking on, tells us, “He’s the official team pup now.”

“Our dog?” I ask Jax, tucking into his chest.

“Elvis,” he says, and we fall into laughter, before Elvis cocks a leg and turns the white ice yellow.

“Elvis, no!” we shout in unison.

Oh boy, now I have two messy pups to look after forever.

And I couldn’t be happier.

40

OCTOBER

Sienna

Mr Mantel’s Office

Jax and I never do make a public statement about our relationship. We don’t need to, after another TJ video mysteriously leaks. This time, Jax and I remembered everything about the proposal.

And the first date.

Now, though, we have to update the immigration office.

“Let me get this straight,” Mantel says. “You’ve taken another temporary employment contract and want to amend and extend your working visa?”

I nod, smiling beatifically, as Jax squeezes my hand in our seats across Mantel’s messy desk.

“But you also want to apply for the right to remain as a spouse because now you two locusts have decided to make your bogus wedding real?”

I recoil. “Locusts?”

“Now’s not the time, babe,” Jax tells me. Then to Mantel, he says, “It was bogus. We just couldn’t remember it because we were crazy drunk. Like, next level, frat party kind of wasted. And I don’t think we consummated it.”

“Babe!” I gripe. “Is this you taking control of the situation? Maybe you should give the girl boss the limelight here, honey.”

Jax shrugs. “What? I’m telling it how it⁠—”

Mantel holds up a hand. “Bap bap baaaaa… So now you’ve had sex and expect this department to rubber stamp another Canadian into the great United States of America?”

I smirk at Jax. “It was pretty good sex.”