Page 61 of The Billionaire's Secret Desire

“Where are those men?” Betty asks, craning her neck toward the door. “I didn’t put on leopard print Spanx for nothing!”

“They’re coming,” I say, sipping my cocktail. “And I hope your heart’s ready.”

And then they arrive.

In full regalia.

The door swings open and in march the Good News Guys… dressed as various Disney princesses.

Hudson is Elsa, wig and all. Ian is both confused and committed as Belle, complete with yellow ballgown and combat boots. Garrett is rocking a mermaid tail that squeaks when he walks, and Trevor—dear God—is Cinderella with a beer can in place of a glass slipper. The others are all in some sort of princess gown, tiara and all.

Sawyer?

Sawyer is Prince Charming.

Naturally.

He even bows.

The bar explodes in laughter, cheers, and way too many camera flashes. The Walking Ladies nearly collapse from glee.

“I’m never recovering,” Gladys wheezes between cackles. “This is going on the Christmas card.”

I can barely breathe. Sawyer makes a grand show of coming over to me, dropping to one knee like he’s about to apologize for everything wrong every man has ever done throughout history.

But then…

He stays on one knee.

And pulls a box from the inside of his ridiculous velvet jacket.

And suddenly everything goes still.

“Charli Whitmore,” he says, voice steady even as his smile turns soft and reverent, “I’ve fought for a lot of things in my life—money, legacy, control. But I’ve never fought harder, or wanted more, than the life we’re building together. You, me, Ghost… a place to belong, and someone to share it with. I don’t care where we live, how big the house is, or if we spend the rest of our lives curled up in the back of your van. I just want you. Will you marry me?”

The bar goes silent.

My throat tightens, my eyes fill, and my heart… my heart soars.

I nod.

Then throw my arms around him and whisper, “Yes.”

The place erupts in chaos again—cheers, applause, one of the Walking Ladies sobbing into her drink and yelling “I LOVE LOVE!”

Sawyer kisses me like I’m the only person in the world.

And for the first time, maybe ever, I believe this kind of joy was always meant to be mine.

We might be a little broken. A little burned. A little messy.

But we’re building something beautiful, anyway.

Together. Forever.

And that’s the best win of all.