Her heart pounded in her ears. “You wanted to stop me?”
A tender light entered his eyes, one that reminded her of the man she’d spent countless nights with.
“I never wanted to lose you. If I couldn’t have you as my EA, then I wanted you in my life a different way.” He took the box from her hands and put it on the ground. “You quit. You weren’t my employee anymore. Which meant I was allowed to do this.”
He cupped her face, threading his fingers through her hair.
She inhaled sharply as she froze under his touch.
“But then you went and erased the man I used to be,” he told her softly. “Remind me not to piss you off again.”
“I wasn’t angry,” she whispered. “I was heartbroken.”
Regret filtered into his expression. “My fault. I did all of this wrong.”
“You did a few things right.”
He nodded. “Without my memory, I was free. I didn’t have to worry about HR policies or the future of the company. For the first time in my adult life, I could do what I wanted. Be with who I wanted. And from the moment I opened my eyes I knew that was you. Even without remembering the rest, I knew you mattered.”
“I thought I was just convenient.”
“You are many things, but convenient isn’t one of them.”
“If I’d known…”
He shrugged. “How could you when I didn’t? But we didn’t need the past. We managed just fine on our own.”
“So what now?” she asked. “If you’re not mad about the accident and the company is stable, where does that leave us now?”
“Are you still quitting?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Then he kissed her.
With a moan, she melted into his arms just as she always did. His kiss hadn’t changed. Touching him still felt like coming home.
Something tight and twisted started to relax inside her. Jackson might be different with his memories but the man she’d fallen in love with hadn’t disappeared the way she’d feared.
I can have longer with him. This doesn’t have to end.
They could have a future that had never been possible before.
“Don’t move out,” he said against her lips.
“Technically, I never moved in. I was just temporary help.”
“Okay. Move in.”
She laughed, leaning back. “Isn’t that fast? I mean, we kind of missed the whole dating part of this romance.”
“You want to date? Fine by me. As long as I still get to fall asleep with you in my arms every night.”
How do you argue with that?
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll move in.”
“Tonight.”
“Tonight.”
“Excellent.” He kissed her again. “How long do you think it will take me to convince you to wear a ring?”
“Longer than a month,” she laughed, thinking he was joking.
“Noted. I’ll ask in a few weeks then.”
“You can’t be serious.”
His grin was wide and bright, open in a way the old Jackson had never been. “I’m a man who knows what he wants. And that’s you, sweetheart. No matter who I am, that truth doesn’t change.”
She slid her hands around his shoulders. “I want you, too,” she murmured. “I thought I was in love with you when I quit but this time with you, really with you…” She shook her head. “I’m head over heels in love with you. Now and forever.”
“That makes two of us.” He met her gaze. “I love you, Lori Carlow. For the rest of my life.”
“Promise,” she said.
There was no hesitation as he replied, “Cross my heart.”
Throwing herself into his arms, she held on tight, amazed at how her world had changed in the past few minutes. She’d thought she was walking into a nightmare and had woken up in a dream come true.
He’s mine. Really mine.
Forever.
She never intended to let him go.
Epilogue
“I made cookies.”
Jackson turned as she stepped out on the patio, a plate of snickerdoodles in her hand. Spying his favorite treat, he was by her side in seconds.
“This is why I married you,” he said, snagging a cookie.
“I should write a book. How to marry a billionaire: A beginner’s guide to snacks.”
“I’d endorse it,” he said, taking two.
“I invited Marc over for dinner,” she said.
“Ah, now I see. These cookies are a bribe.”
“Be nice to your brother. He’s been taking on more of your responsibilities. We owe him.”
“He wanted to be more involved in the company.” He pulled her to him, taking the plate of cookies and setting it a nearby table. “And I wanted to follow my good friend Richard’s advice.”
“Keep your wife on a separate continent?”
“Slow down and enjoy life with the people who matter.”
Her heart melted. Reaching up, she twined her arms around his shoulders. “I like that plan,” she murmured.
The sparkle on her ring finger still caught her by surprise. After getting his memory back, Jackson had wasted little time trying to persuade her to marry him. She’d turned him down a few times, thinking it was too soon after his amnesia. She’d been convinced he’d wake up one morning and realize he wanted more than an EA.
But he never had. For a year he’d pursued her, asking the same question over and over again until finally she’d caved.
A lifetime with the man I love. Screw nobility. I wanted him for myself.
Not once had she regretted her decision.
Especially not when Jackson looked down at her the way he was now, with a tenderness in his eyes that took her breath away.
“Do you know how much I love you?” he asked, touching his forehead to hers.
“Mm,” she sighed in contentment. “Probably about as much as I love you.”
“Getting mowed down by you was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“It was an accident. I swear to God.”
“Maybe we all need a good running over every now and then.”
She groaned, dropping her head to his shoulder.
Laughing, he wrapped his arms around her. “I came so close to losing you,” he murmured into her hair. “My life would have been empty.”
“Mine, too.”
The words were said so softly she wondered if he heard but his arms tightened around her.
“I got you something,” he said, pressing a kiss into her hair before releasing her. Walking to the table, he picked up an envelope and held it out to her.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“I figured it was time to start enjoying this wealth.”
“Haven’t we been doing that already?” she asked, glancing at the mansion that was their home.
“Fair point. Time to start enjoying it even more.”
Shaking her head, she opened the envelope.
And pulled out two first class tickets to Paris.
She gasped.
“You wanted to see the world,” he said, coming up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. “Let’s explore it together.”
“The company,” she said. “You’ve never taken a real vacation. The longest you were ever away was when you had the accident.”
“Let Marc run the place for a while. We deserve a decent honeymoon.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, turning in his arms.
“All my life, the thing I’ve been most sure about is you. Even when I didn’t know anything else, I knew that.”
“See, if you say things like that, I’m going to want to keep you.”
“That’s the plan,” he said, lowering his head.
She closed her eyes as he kissed her, marveling once again the incredible turn her life had taken. She’d been ready to walk away from the man in her arms, and now here she was, married to him.
�
��I didn’t think this could ever happen,” she whispered to him. “Sometimes I still think I’m dreaming.”
Taking her hand in his, he pressed his lips to her ring finger. “I’m not a fantasy. Promise.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” she said, drawing her thumb along his bottom lip. “You’re my fantasy.”
“Good. Because you’ve always been mine, too,” he murmured in her ear. “When I think about how close I came to missing all of this…”
“But you didn’t,” she said, holding him close. “We found a way back to each other.”
“When I couldn’t remember who I was, all I wanted was a lifetime with you.”
“And after you remembered?” she teased. “What did you want then?”
He laughed. “I had a ring picked out before that first month was up. With or without my past, a life by your side was always my goal.”
“And you’re a man who gets what he wants.”
“Usually. Unless I’m dealing with stubborn employees who won’t give me a hint of their real feelings.”
“Says the billionaire who couldn’t figure out how to say, ‘Hey, you’re cute. Interested in dinner? Or bed?’”
His grinned widened. “Hey, you’re cute. Interested in—”
She slapped a hand over his mouth. “Don’t finish that question, smart-ass. We have to get ready for Marc. There’s no time to play.”
He kissed her palm before pulling it down. “There’s always time to play.”
Heat pooled low in her abdomen. “Stop tempting me.”
“But it’s my favorite thing to do.”
“We have to prepare.”
“Just an hour,” he bargained.
“No, we need to—”
“Half an hour. And maybe a shower.”
She rolled her eyes. “What happened to the laser-focused, professional CEO I used to know?”
“He fell in love and realized life is too short to waste.”
Her resolve softened. “His fully capable EA fell hard too.”
“Did she now?”
“You know how much I love you,” she said, her voice soft.
“Tell me every day.”
“Back at you.”
“I adore you,” he said, pressing a kiss to her right cheek. “The way you boss your teams around.” He kissed her other cheek. “Your loyalty to those you care about.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Your moral code that kept me out of your pants way too long.”
“Days at most,” she argued.
“But most of all, I love who you are. The irresistible Lori Carlow-Sinclair. My match in every way.”
Her heart fluttered. “I love you, too. Every day I wake up and wonder how I got so lucky.”
“Just wait till you’re waking up in Paris to freshly baked croissants.”
“You managed to find a way to improve utter happiness. I knew you were an overachiever.”
“Yes, I am. And you should see how well I perform under pressure.” He ran his lips down her throat. “Fifteen minutes. Final offer.”
She should be responsible. Tidy the house for their guest. Check on dinner.
Instead a mischievous smile to match his own tugged at her lips.
“Deal.”
He wasted no time grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the patio door. Laughing, she chased after him.
She’d thought Jackson losing his memory was the worst thing that could ever happen but now, she gave thanks for the accident that helped them realize how perfect they were together.
Meant to be.
And together, she intended to make a lifetime of memories.
Did you love this Indulgence? Check out more of our category romance titles here!
Don’t miss another book by Victoria Davies! Sign up for our newsletter here!
About the Author
Victoria Davies’s passion for writing started young. Luckily she had a family who encouraged believing in magic and embracing imagination. From stories quickly scribbled in bright pink diaries, her love of storytelling developed. Since then her characters may have evolved and her plots may have grown decidedly more steamy but she never lost her love of the written word. Writing is not only a way to silence the wonderful voices in her head, but it also allows her to share her passions with her readers.
Discover the Billionaire’s Second Chance series…
A Baby for the Billionaire
Also by Victoria Davies
Right Billionaire, Wrong Wedding
The Billionaire’s Bet
The Billionaire’s Paradise
Love at Stake
Dying to Date
The Alpha’s Temporary Mate
Discover more category romance titles from Entangled Indulgence…
Scotland or Bust
a Winning the Billionaire novel by Kira Archer
After dumping her boyfriend, Nicole Franklin jumps on a plane and heads to Europe. Sure, money and a job would have been nice to line up first. Even a visa, for that matter. So now she has to play tour guide at an Outlander experience for the most obnoxious man on the planet. Until she stumbles into the wrong bed in the middle of the night and wakes up in Harrison’s arms. Now his family thinks they’re engaged, and the entire village is betting on how long before she runs for the hills.
The Penthouse Pact
a Bachelor Pact novel by Cathryn Fox
Billionaire software developer Parker Braxton knows everyone wants something from him. That’s why he made a multi-million-dollar bachelor pact with his friends to never marry. But he never counted on running into, literally, the quiet but sensual Layla Fallon. Sparks fly. Hearts flutter. But falling for Layla could cost Parker more than just several million dollars.
The Billionaire in Her Bed
a Worthington Family novel by Regina Kyle
Real estate mogul Eli Ward knows he has a fight on his hands with his latest project. He doesn’t expect that fight to be led by Brooke Worthington, the woman who rocked his world one unforgettable night. The one woman who doesn’t know who he is, which is a good thing. Graphic designer and part-time bartender Brooke Worthington refuses to follow her family’s plan for her. She’s too busy building her artistic career. She doesn’t have time for relationships, either, because she has to save the building she lives in from some greedy real estate billionaire.
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Fiancé
an Invested in Love novel by Jenna Bayley-Burke
After her father’s untimely death, the only things Lily Harris is left with are debt and scandal—and her late father’s business partner, Jake Tolliver, looking over her shoulder. Billionaire Jake Tolliver is the ultimate ruthless businessman with a well-deserved reputation for always getting what he wants. Before his friend and mentor dies, he asks Jake to take care of his daughter…by marrying her. It sounds like a perfect arrangement to Jake. But Lily’s a romantic at heart, and she won’t accept a marriage of convenience. She’s wants the one thing Jake can’t afford to lose—his heart.
Giving Up the Boss Page 19
