When finally they were spent, Malik blew out a long breath and toppled backward against the pillows, bringing her, still held securely in his arms.
Lying on Malik’s chest, still breathing hard, Dani closed her eyes and smiled. This was where she was supposed to be.
Epilogue
Malik looked around at his friends and wondered what he’d done in a past life to deserve this kind of happiness.
Dani was at the center of it all, of course. Over the past year, her presence in his life had made everything better. He’d worried for a while that living and working together would become a problem, especially since Ben was the only friend she really had in Monaco, but then one day she’d announced that she’d joined a local women’s business association. Technically it was only for business owners, but when she’d explained her situation and that she was responsible for the entire “business” function of Malik’s career, they’d made a special exception. Since then, she’d really connected with several of the women, and they met—whether officially or unofficially—at least once a week. She’d also gotten involved in fundraising efforts through Celine, who hadn’t had as much time as usual to devote to her favorite charities once she’d had her second baby. The organizational duties required fit Dani perfectly. It meant some occasional travel, but since Malik could work anywhere and generally attended many of those fundraising events anyway, their lives still meshed together naturally.
Meanwhile, her efforts with his social media and advertising had been repaid beyond their expectations. Sales had shown a steady increase, and his last book had surprised them all by debuting much higher on the best-seller lists than any of his others. His publisher had been so pleased that they’d committed a lot more marketing budget to his next release… which was due to happen any minute now.
It had been Dani’s idea to have a release party to celebrate. He’d protested that a book release was nothing new for him, but she’d insisted.
“Last time it was just us,” she’d said, the twinkle in her eye reminding him how they’d celebrated. “And before that, it went pretty much unmarked. But you have people who love you and also love any excuse to open a bottle of champagne, so let’s take advantage of that and have a party.”
He’d given in, not quite as reluctantly as he’d made it seem, and the look she’d shot him was a good indication that she knew that. The guest list had been limited by the fact that very few people actually knew he was an author. Léo and Ben were there, of course, and Lucien and Si. His aunt and uncle and Gabriel and Celine had flown down from Paris for the night, toddler and baby in tow, and he’d spoken earlier in the evening to his mother, Khalid, and all of his sisters, who’d expressed regret that they couldn’t be there but promised to come en masse for a visit soon. He was actually looking forward to it—he’d been back to Saudi Arabia several times in the past year, getting to know his family better and letting Dani get to know them too, and he rather liked the controlled chaos that occurred when everyone was in the same place. Surprisingly, he’d even managed to convince serious Khalid to take part in subtly tormenting Mahmud and Fareed. It had been a bonding experience.
“Come on, stop being all introspective!” Dani grabbed his hand and dragged him into the center of the room. “Let’s crack open the champers.”
Laughing, he went to do as he was told, and soon they’d passed around glasses.
“A toast!” Dani declared. “Someone make a toast.”
“Why don’t you do it?” Ben asked, but she shook her head.
“No, I’m rubbish at them.”
“I’ll do it.” Léo stepped forward, and they all settled down and waited for him to speak.
“I have never doubted Malik’s brilliance—I took advantage of it many times to get in and out of trouble in our youth.” A cackle of laughter interrupted him, led by Malik as he fondly remembered those times. “When he told me he was writing a book, I never doubted that he would succeed, even when he was unsure. We kept it a secret for a long time, and it always pained me that I couldn’t shout his brilliance from the rooftops. Now, with book number eight, I finally get to raise a glass and say, to Malik, my cousin the author. I am so very proud of you.”
“To Malik!” Glasses clinked and his friends and family drank, but Malik couldn’t move. He choked down emotion and met his cousin’s gaze. Léo smiled as he made his way over.
“That was a beautiful toast, Léo,” Dani said, rising on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”
“It was entirely my pleasure. Thank you for arranging tonight, Dani. I’ve wanted to celebrate my clever cousin for a long time.”
Still, Malik couldn’t speak.
“He deserves it.” Dani slid an arm around his waist and leaned into him. The familiar warm weight of her was all he needed to regain his composure. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her head.
“Who would have thought,” he said to Léo, “that we both would have found such happiness from you picking up a tourist in the casino?”
Dani elbowed him in the side, but Léo laughed.
“I heard that,” Ben said, joining them, “and I think it deserves a toast of its own. Everyone,” he raised his voice, “to getting drunk on champagne and meeting the love of your life!”
There was a great deal of laughter and confusion as everyone toasted—even Aunt Miryam, who disapproved of drunkenness and didn’t drink alcohol—and then someone turned on music and food was brought out.
Malik smiled and looked down at Dani at his side.
“I love you.”
She grinned at him. “I know.”
Want to see Léo pick up Ben in a casino? Go back to where it all began with Charming Him.
Escape to a world of glamor and excitement...
Hardworking Australian nurse Ben Adams inherits a substantial sum and decides to tour Europe. In Monaco, the home of glamour and the idle rich, he meets French billionaire playboy Léo Artois.
After getting off on the wrong foot—as happens when one accuses a stranger of being part of the Albanian mafia—their attraction blazes.
Léo, born to the top tier of society, has never known limits, and Ben, used to budgeting every cent, finds it difficult to adjust to not only Léo's world, but also the changes wealth brings to his own life.
As they make allowances for each other's foibles, Ben gradually appreciates the finer things, and Léo widens his perspective.
They both know one thing: this is not a typical holiday romance and they're not ready to say goodbye.
Now in Kindle Unlimited! Grab it at Amazon
Hi from Louisa!
Hey folks! Thanks so much for reading Between the Covers. This book was such a labor of love, and sadly, in the year I wrote it I lost three of my grandparents, so it’s also intensely personal for me.
If you haven’t already read the other Met His Match books, you totally should! Book one, Charming Him (where cheapskate Aussie tourist Ben is swept off his feet by sophisticated French billionaire Léo) is where we meet Malik and Dani for the first time. Or for something a little different, why not check out my theme park romances, the Joy Universe series? In fact, you can download a free novella for a taste—just click here. You’ll need to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, but you can unsubscribe anytime—or stick around for regular freebies and bonus content. All my books can be read as standalones, but you’ll meet recurring characters and can follow their journeys through the series.
Please take a moment if you’re so inclined to leave a review for Between the Covers. Reviews can make a huge difference to a book’s visibility. And to find out more about me and my books, check out my website or visit me on social media.
Hugs!
Louisa xx
Also by Louisa Masters
M/M:
Met His Match
Charming Him
Offside Rules
Joy Universe
I’ve Got This
Follow My Lead
Novellas
Fake It ’Til You Make It
Out of the Office
M/F:
An Irish Flirtation (Emerald Isle Enchantment)
An Irish Attraction (Emerald Isle Enchantment)
Trials & Tribulations of Online Dating
Writing as Olivia Ventura
Miss Fix-It
Catch a Shooting Star
About the Author
LOUISA MASTERS STARTED reading romance much earlier than her mother thought she should. While other teenagers were sneaking out of the house, Louisa was sneaking romance novels in and working out how to read them without being discovered. She’s spent most of her life feeling sorry for people who don’t read, convinced that books are the solution to every problem. As an adult, she feeds her addiction in every spare second, only occasionally tearing herself away to do things like answer the phone and pay bills. She spent years trying to build a “sensible” career, working in bookstores, recruitment, resource management, administration, and as a travel agent, before finally conceding defeat and devoting herself to the world of romance novels.
Louisa has a long list of places first discovered in books that she wants to visit, and every so often she overcomes her loathing of jet lag and takes a trip that charges her imagination. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, where she whines about the weather for most of the year while secretly admitting she’ll probably never move.
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Between the Covers Page 17
