Her eyes overflowed with tears, and she glanced over at the Mustang filled with luggage and pillows and a large bag filled with chips.
“Say yes,” he whispered. “Say yes, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret it.”
She walked into his embrace, where he squeezed her so tight she felt her bones crack. When she threw her arms around his neck, he hoisted her up, cradling her against his chest.
She kissed his lips, sobbed against them, her whole body shaking with emotion. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes.”
Epilogue
One year later
It was early morning when Samantha opened her eyes for the first time, letting in only a fraction of light before quickly snapping them shut again. She still had a headache, and her throat felt like a tractor had tilled back and forth over the tender flesh. The windows were open, and wafting in from the bakery below was the scent of fresh baked bread.
She smiled, even though the action caused shards of glass to scrape down her neck. She couldn’t help it. Even though she was sicker than a dog, she was still happier than she’d been in a long time. She was in Paris for the first time in her life—with the man she loved more than anything in the world. The Devil had knocked on her door, bringing strep throat with him, but nothing could get her down these days. She had everything she ever wanted. A man who not only adored her, but who had become her travel companion and best friend.
She heard the click-screech of their front door opening, then rolled to her side to see Tristan walk into the room with the bags he’d collected at market. He sat on the side of the bed and pressed his lips to her forehead before setting them down beside her on the mattress. “No fever. How are you feeling?”
“Better,” she croaked. “What did you bring me?”
He furrowed his brow and opened the bag. “Well let’s see…” He pulled out three bottles of juices, ranging from red to orange. “I wasn’t sure which one you’d like, so I got orange, passion fruit, and I’m not sure what this one is.” He grinned. “She tried to tell me, but…”
Samantha grinned, propping herself up to kiss his nose. “Thank you. You’re the sweetest.”
“Ahhh… But that’s not all.” He stuck his hand in the bag and pulled out a Styrofoam cup and a loaf of crusty bread. “It’s only bone broth, but I thought if you were hungry—”
Her eyes began to water, and he stopped talking, setting the broth on the table to move closer. “Are you okay? Is it your throat?”
“No,” she said shaking her head. “It’s you.” She wiped at the corner of her eye and hugged him. Gripping his body to hers with all the strength she could muster. “How did I get so lucky? How is it possible I found someone to love me this much?”
He hugged her back, all his muscles tightening around her at once. “I’m the lucky one.”
Eventually they sat side-by-side, tearing off pieces of the delicious bread and soaking them up in the warm broth as they watched a movie. It wasn’t the ideal thing to do on vacation in Paris, but they still had three weeks left, and she couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather be doing.
When the movie was over, she peeled herself from the mound of blankets and took a shower. She washed her hair for the first time in a couple of days, and when she got out, she felt practically like a new woman. Clean, fed, loved.
She found Tristan over by the window, looking out at their spectacular view of the city. Her hair was tied up in a towel, and she wore one of his threadbare old t-shirts that smelled just like him. She walked toward him, because even a year later, she still craved to be near him. She set her hand on his shoulder, and rested her face against his muscular back. “Do you know what today is?” she whispered.
“No. What?”
“Your sister’s one year anniversary.” She moved to his side, and he draped his arm around her shoulders pulling her closer. “Do you think it’s a good time to call?”
He smiled down at her, then moved the short distance to the table to fetch his phone. “Let’s find out.”
“Hello,” Renee answered on the first thing. She was on speakerphone, held in Samantha’s palm as they looked out the window.
“Hey Ren.” Samantha smiled. “Your brother and I just wanted to call and wish you a happy anniversary.”
Renee laughed. “You’re in Paris on vacation and remembered my anniversary? Don’t you have anything better to do?”
Tristan took the phone from Samantha and started laughing “Samantha’s sick, so we’re just hanging out, waiting for her to get better.”
“Aww… Well that sucks. I thought she sounded different.”
Samantha grinned, and Tristan handed her the phone again. He then moved behind her, and began massaging her lower back with firm fingers. “Could be worse,” she said softly.
The two friends then went on to chat about the normal things. Work, life, and all the strange things only a best friend would care about. But before long, Phin could be heard in the background, and Renee was getting off the phone.
“Well, we’re about to go out to dinner, and I can’t find my shoes. I’ll tell Phin you called, and I’ll expect a whole rundown of your trip when you get home.”
“Sounds good,” Samantha whispered.
They all said their goodbyes, and then Samantha turned around, to rest her cheek on Tristan’s chest.
He hugged her tightly, peppering kisses along the side of her neck, “Do you know what else today is?” he whispered.
She only grinned, feeling herself getting turned on even in her state of weakness. “What?” she asked.
He kissed her again. “The anniversary of the day you first told me you loved me.”
She turned around, tears brimming her eyes in surprise. “It is, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “The best day of my entire life.”
She tilted her head, squinting up at him. “The best? Because I remember that day, and it felt more like a slow, endless torture.”
He brushed his knuckles over her cheek and looked into her eyes, as if the realization still pained him. Very much. He then lowered his hands to the small of her back and closed his eyes for a moment. “It was torture for me, too.” He took a deep breath, then opened his eyes allowing her to see all the emotion that lived inside of him. “I watched you walk out of the reception that night, thinking it was the last time I’d ever see you, and it—” But he shook his head, unable to continue, as though he didn’t want to relive the pain. He dropped his chin down to the crevice of her neck, as though he needed her closer, needed her as much as she needed him.
“Alone in my room that night, I realized a few things. That I trusted you completely.” He kissed her collarbone, and she could feel him shudder beneath her fingers “I also realized that if I was going to love you, I needed to allow myself to fall. Without a net, without a mask, because if I was going to be with you, you were the type of woman who deserved everything.”
She wiped the corners of her eyes, but then he took her hands in his, needing to say more.
“It wasn’t until you almost walked out of my life that I knew I had to take the risk, that I had to push away what I’d always been taught, and go with what I felt in my gut. To go after what I wanted.” He moved closer, his lips hovering over hers, breathing the same breaths, breathing the same air. “Because somewhere in the darkest moments, beauty lives. Waiting for you to take hold of it and run. I didn’t sleep at all that night. I went to the hotel lobby and bought every flavor of chips I could find.” He kissed her lips then, though only barely. “It was the best day of my life, because it was the day I decided to go after you.”
Sobs were jolting from her body, and she couldn’t take it any longer. She gripped him to her chest, hugging him harder than she thought possible. “I love you, Tristan Montgomery. I love you so much.”
“And I love you, Samantha Elizabeth Smiles.” He then carried her to their bed, where she convinced him to make love to her even though she was sick. Because try as he may, the Devil could bring sickness, but he could never prevent them from loving each other. Even without a net to catch them.