Room-maid(93)

“Just adore?”

Taking one of my hands, he put it against his chest, over his heart. “I love you in the worst way possible. With everything that I am.”

I couldn’t stop my tears, but this time they were happy ones. With his free hand he reached up to wipe them away.

“You still love me even if I was maybe a little flexible with the truth in the past?”

“Madison, I don’t think you understand. I know you. I know who you are and what you want and I love everything about you, good and bad. Not to mention that now I know who your parents are, the lying is understandable, given that you didn’t have great role models.”

That made me laugh, and it felt amazing to laugh again. “I will do my best to be completely honest going forward.”

“Me too.” He took in a deep breath. “I didn’t like my life growing up, so I hid it. I got the right job, the right clothes, leased the right apartment, dated a certain type of girl. I hid behind all of it. Nobody ever got to see the real me. Until you. When I’m with you, I never feel like I’m hiding. You see me. You’re the only person I’ve ever been able to open up to. I’m always going to be honest with you. I’m always going to love you.”

His words were like sparkling fireworks setting off inside me. “And you understand that I have a lot of baggage.”

“Good thing I work out,” he said. He paused a beat before adding, “Because I’m strong and I can carry it—”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” I grinned at his stupid joke and was excited to think about the fact that I was going to spend a long time grinning at dumb things he said.

“I’m going to have to get a cheaper apartment when the lease is up,” he said. “Which is good, because we’re only going to need one room.”

“Are you asking me to move in with you?”

“What I want is for you to marry me. But we can talk about it when you’re ready.”

I loved him so, so, so much. I’d marry him today if he wanted. “You don’t talk about it. You ask.”

“I will. But for now, come here.” His voice was low and rough, like he was having the same onslaught of loving feelings that I was.

He pulled me into his arms, holding me tight against his chest, and I nestled against his shoulder. I breathed the smell of him in.

I sighed. “Orb weavers.”

“Did you just say orb weavers?” he repeated, laughter peppering his voice.

“They put out this pheromone that makes moths fly to their deaths, and Delia asked us what that scent would be for us. This, you, you’re that scent. You smell like freedom. Possibilities.”

“Funny,” he said. “I was just thinking that you smelled like all of my tomorrows. My future. My wife.”

“That’s closer. Next time, make it a question.”

The next time, he did.





AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you for reading my story! I hope you liked getting to know Tyler and Madison and enjoyed them falling in love as much as I did. If you’d like to find out when I’ve written something new, make sure you sign up for my newsletter at www.sariahwilson.com, where I most definitely will not spam you. (I’m happy when I send out a newsletter once a month!)

And if you feel so inclined, I’d love for you to leave a review on Amazon, on Goodreads, with your hairdresser’s cousin’s roommate’s blog, via a skywriter, in graffiti on the side of a bookstore, on the back of your electric bill, or any other place you want. I would be so grateful. Thanks!





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For everyone who is reading this—thank you. Thank you for your support, for your kind words, and for loving my characters as much as I do! You are the reason I get to keep putting out books.

Thank you to Alison Dasho—thank you for all the amazing opportunities and the support and for your encouragement, wisdom, and expertise. I’m so grateful that I get to work with you and the entire Montlake team. I know what a rare honor that is, and I’ll never take it for granted. A special thank-you to Charlotte Herscher, who is part therapist, part friend, and all developmental editor. You always help me make my stories so much stronger, even if I may temporarily resist your suggestions. I’m still trying to track down those narcotics for next time.

Thanks to all the copy editors and proofreaders who went over this manuscript with a fine-tooth comb (including Lauren, James, and Kellie). A special thanks to Philip Pascuzzo for the totally adorable cover.

Thank you to the best agent ever, Sarah Younger of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency, for making me feel like I’m your only client, and for being my partner in making my professional dreams come true.

For my children—by the time this book comes out, two of you will be away at college, and I’m afraid it will feel like half my heart is missing.

And Kevin, for yesterday, for now, for forever.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sariah Wilson has never jumped out of an airplane, has never climbed Mount Everest, and is not a former CIA operative. She has, however, been madly, passionately in love with her soul mate and is a fervent believer in happily ever afters—which is why she writes romance. She grew up in Southern California, graduated from Brigham Young University (go Cougars!) with a semi-useless degree in history, and is the oldest of nine (yes, nine) children. She currently lives with the aforementioned soul mate and their four children in Utah, along with two cats named Pixel and Callie, who do not get along. (The cats, not the children. Although the children sometimes have their issues, too.) For more information, visit her website at www.SariahWilson.com.