Chapter 17: Epilogue

“Ready to go?”

Shiloh glanced up from her laptop to see Kellan’s gorgeous face peeking through the door of his office where she’d been hanging out until he was ready to leave. “Five seconds. I’m just sending out the final round of instructions to parents on how to register their kids.”

“I’ll wait.”

He leaned on the doorjamb and watched her work, which he did often, even when he was supposed be working with clients. She didn’t need a bodyguard anymore, but she needed him, so she still managed to find ways to spend nearly all of her waking hours as close to him as possible.

“Done. Where are you taking me tonight?” It was their one-month anniversary and Kellan had insisted they should celebrate to mark the occasion of their first kiss.

“Surprise.”

He mimed locking his lips, which simply drew attention to them and reminded her it had been at least an hour since she’d kissed him. So she fixed that problem by standing on her tiptoes and pulling him down to have her way with him. Because she could. Anytime she felt like it, and best of all, it was one thousand percent real.

“You should save some of that for later,” he murmured when they finally came up for air.

“Then you should probably stop being so adorable,” she countered primly. “And take me home so I can get ready.”

He laughed, hooked her laptop over his shoulder, and wrapped an arm around her waist to guide her from his office in the gym, which now sported a door that connected it with the office on the other side—hers. A perk from upper management who had fallen all over themselves to make amends when she’d filed a complaint against Sergio.

As they strolled through the residents’ courtyard, they met up with Eliza and Carolina, who was on the arm of a clean-cut guy in an expensive suit who clearly ate hundred-dollar bills for breakfast.

“I was just looking for you two,” Carolina said smoothly and flipped a hand to indicate first Shiloh and then Kellan as she repeated their names. “My new friend Hugo wanted to meet you.”

New friend Hugo immediately shook Kellan’s hand. “Hugo Bishop. I own Vivo.”

That explained why he breathed wealth and style. And he was British, with a dazzling accent that might turn the head of pretty much any woman with a pulse who wasn’t in love with Kellan Walker. Shiloh extended her hand as well. “Nice to meet you.”

“I wanted to personally apologize for the incident with my employee,” Hugo explained with grave seriousness. “He’s been fired with no references. If there is anything I can personally do for you, you have only to name it.”

Shiloh took the card he held out. “Thank you. That’s not necessary.”

“It’s a poor reflection on Vivo and on my personal holdings. I’ve taken up residence here to ensure such madness doesn’t continue,” Hugo said with authority that must get him whatever he wished for on a regular basis.

“We appreciate that,” Kellan said with a nod.

They chatted for a few more minutes as Hugo asked some choice questions about how they enjoyed the community and what they would like to see done differently, which was hard for Shiloh to answer because everything in her world was perfect. Especially now that she knew Sergio had become even less of a threat.

Carolina’s hand never dropped from Hugo’s arm once during the entire conversation, an interesting side note considering Shiloh had never once seen her friend treat any man with affection. Later she’d have to get the scoop on that.

Eliza took advantage of a small lull to wag a finger between Shiloh and Kellan with a dreamy smile on her face. “I missed the fireworks at Vivo Community Desk the other day. Looks like you two figured it out.”

“We did,” Shiloh said with what was likely an equally dreamy smile. “No more pretend. We’re in love for real.”

“That sounds like a dream come true.” Eliza’s expression turned wistful. “I’d like a happily ever after of my own.”

Carolina, who never seemed to miss an opportunity to provide sarcastic commentary whenever true love was mentioned, stayed mysteriously quiet. Shiloh and Kellan extracted themselves from Eliza, Carolina and Hugo with the promise of having dinner with them at some point in the future and went on their way.

“That was interesting,” Shiloh murmured as she and Kellan stepped inside her condo, but he swept her into his arms the moment the door shut, backing her against it to continue the gym kiss. But it was better because she didn’t have to stop.

Kellan, however, did not get that memo and lifted his lips way too quickly. “Surprise. We’re eating here. I’m cooking.”

She lifted a brow. “You’re cooking? You don’t know how to cook.”

“I can cook,” he insisted with a wicked smile. “I’m not promising it’s edible, but it’ll be cooked. Besides, I didn’t want to share you with anyone when I did this.”

A small velvet box appeared in his hand as if by magic, and he dropped to one knee. Her lungs simply froze, refusing to drag air into her body as she stared at the box. A ring box. Had to be.

But he didn’t flip the lid yet, snagging her hand instead to hold it tenderly as he speared her with his misty hazel gaze. “Shiloh Anderson, I’ve loved you for most of my life. Let me spend the rest of it showing you how much. I have a lot stored up.”

“I don’t know,” she hedged even as tears started slipping down her cheeks. “This is all moving so fast, and I’m just not sure I can give you what you’re looking for—”

And right in the middle of her very poor joke, he interrupted her with a smile. “You misunderstand. I’m giving you what you’re looking for, not the other way around. A man who loves you. A man who wants you to cling as tight as you can. Let’s spend a very long time figuring out what just us looks like.”

Her eyes went completely blurry with tears as he levered open the box and pulled out the silver band, holding it up to the light. That’s when she knew she’d never be the same again. “Is that a…unicorn?”

He nodded and slid the band onto her finger, so she could examine the unique way the artist had twisted the unicorn’s body to form the circle, tail meeting head with a diamond nestled near its horn. It was beautiful and perfect and so much more than she’d have expected.

“Yes, I’ll marry you.” Best of all, she never had to let him go.