Page 49 of Unwrapped
My heart stops when I recognize the newcomer’s voice.Oh my God, he’s here.
Dean settles before I can think, let alone answer. I whirl to face him. No joke, the man is so gorgeous, he takes my breath away. His tie matches his eyes, and the suit he’s wearing looks like it was made for him. I open and close my mouth a few times, trying to string a sentence together.
Jude grins, his arm still around my shoulders. “How’s it going, West?”
“Good. Great, actually. I’ve never been better.” He scoots his chair closer to the table. Warmth seeps into my skin where his knee brushes against my leg.
“What are you doing here?” I finally whisper.
His deep blue gaze burns into mine. “What does it look like I’m doing?” At my bewildered stare, he adds, “I’m crashing a wedding. C’mon, sweetheart.” Smirking he snaps his fingers twice. “Try to keep up.”
Jude chuckles and sips his water.
“But you said you usually take your mom to church on Christmas Eve,” I stammer, unsure whether the sight of him makes me want to laugh, cry, or a mix of both.
“Yup. I do.” He rests his elbow on the table. “But I needed to see you, so I canceled.”
I needed to see you.
I’m beyond shocked he canceled plans with his motheranddrove almost four hours to crash a wedding—where his brother is in attendance—just so he could see me.
“But, why?”
“So I could give you this.” He hands me a folded-up piece of paper. “Go ahead, it won’t bite.”
“What is it?” I unfold it slowly, like I’m afraid the page will, in fact, chomp on one of my fingers.
Jude repositions his arm when Dean twists my chair to make me face him. “I finished your book for you.”
“You,what?”
“When I asked about it at the cabin, you said you hadn’t figured out which direction your story was headed, right?”
“Uh-huh ...”
Dean leans forward in his seat. “You hadn’t figured out the ending, so I wrote one for you.” He holds up his index finger. “Mind you, it’s only an outline, so you’ll have to forgive my lack of creative writing ability.”
My gaze darts from the paper in my hand, to his face, then back again.
Jude nudges me. “This is the part where you read the page, sugar.”
“Right. OK.” I turn my focus to Dean’s handwritten paragraphs.
After spending thirty-four years with ringside seats, Dr. Sean East finally pulls on his gloves. He’s done putting himself last. Even though he doesn’t deserve (I forget the heroine’s name, so I’m making her Camila), he’ll do whatever’s necessary to prove himself worthy of her love. Sean is ready to fight for Camila (aka the only woman he’s ever been in love with), no matter what opponents join him in the ring (including meddling mothers and pompous sleazebag siblings).
Sean made a grave mistake when he allowed his woman to walk away, but he won’t let it happen again. If Camila allows him back into her life, he will do EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER to keep her, up to, and including, physical restraints (read: handcuffs).
Lucky for Sean, his beautiful, funny, smart, resilient, sexy, talented, kind, and loving woman is willing to give him another chance.
(Please note, he will get down on his knees and beg if necessary.)
It takes time, patience, and the occasional screwup, but Sean wins Camila back (by following through on the promises he’s made), and they live happily ever after, despite his fear of moths.
Tears blur my eyes as I read Dean’s words twice. He’s willing to fight for us. He truly loves me.
“Please say something.”
“Dean, I—” Overwhelmed by my emotions, I meet his panicked gaze and try again. “I don’t know what to say.”
