Page 171 of Ten Day Affair

“I thought I’d wait until we were back in Atlanta.I’ve been trying to find the perfect night. But then I realized today that this is it. Thisisthe perfect time.”

He exhales, eyes steady on mine. “This house, this island, it started as a detour. A quick stop. Just twelve days, remember?”

I laugh through the rising tears. “Actually, ten days. Tiny detail.”

“Those ten days changed everything. This is where I found you. Where I finally figured out what I want. Not deals. Not wins. You.”

He opens the box, velvet and soft and utterly simple. The ring glints in the fading light.

“I don’t care what city we live in, what title’s on the door, or how messy life gets. If you’re in it, I’m home. Sam Taylor, will you marry me?”

I nod before I can speak, tears already spilling down my cheeks. I drop to my knees in front of him, my heart full and shaking.

“Yes,” I whisper, laughing through the tears. “Yes. Absolutely, yes.”

The kiss that follows is clumsy and breathless and perfect. His hand trembles against my cheek. My fingers clutch the collar of his shirt, like if I let go, I might wake up and find it was never real.

But it is.

This love. This life. Him.

Ours.

And it’s just beginning.

If you love steamy doctor one-night stands and second chances at love, check out Doctor Second Chance, the first standalone book in the Doctor Feel Good Series. Dr. Shep Duncan is a single father witha fierce protector vibe.

Who knew a trip to the ER in a strange city would bring me face-to-face with the man who shattered my world a decade ago?

A freak accident lands me in an unfamiliar hospital. The last person I expect to see is Shep, my ex from another lifetime.

The moment our eyes lock, the world stops turning. The same burning connection between us is still there, only now I hate him with every fiber of my being.

He chose med school in another city over me, breaking promises and my heart. Now, here in the flesh, there is an intensity in him that still makes me wet.

Stuck in his city for rehab, I can't escape him or my feelings. Each touch and lingering glance erodes my defenses, devouring my resolve.

As I recover, Shep's unwavering support forces me to reconsider everything. Can I leave the past behind andmake it work, or is there too much baggage and distance to undo the past?

Sneak peek of Chapter 1

Saturday, July 6

Isabella’s House, Birmingham, AL

Five of us from college are here, executing my party battle plan for our friend’s engagement party like it’s a military operation. Because if we don’t nail tonight, I won’t sleep, wondering why everyone else gets a love story, and I’m always organizing the backdrop… and somehow screwing that up too.

“I don’t want it to be fine. I want it to be perfect,” I tell Sophie as she wrestles with the lights.

“It’s a backyard party, Elle. Not a royal wedding.”

The Birmingham heat clings to me like a second skin as I nudge the terracotta pot a quarter inch to the left. The ferns still look wrong, though, and I can’t figure out why.

A horn blares in the distance, breaking the spell for a second. This yard might look peaceful, but we’re still in the city, and being here stirs up more complicated feelings than I’m ready to unpack. Mostly because he’s somewhere out there, probably living his best life while I’m sweating through my tank top, alphabetizing cocktail napkins.

God, even now, ten years later, just being in this city makes me think of him.

Izzy’s getting her happily ever after. I’m the best friend who’s making sure it photographs well.