Page 65 of The Billionaire's Masquerade Ball

Epilogue

“I’ve never been on a private plane before,” Cynder said. “Do you own this one?”

“Why? You want it? Pilot!” Xander called out. “I’d like to put in an offer on this plane.”

Cynder giggled and slapped him on the arm, even though she knew the pilot couldn’t hear them through the closed door. She stared around the interior of the small jet again, thinking back to how her life had changed in a little over a week.

She was with her first real boyfriend on her first private plane ride, headed to some tropical location that Xander still hadn’t revealed.

Since her confession and their kiss, she and Xander had spent every single waking moment together, as though making up for lost time. Cynder was shocked at how quickly they had moved into a relationship that felt comfortable and right. On paper it sounded too fast. In reality it was exactly perfect.

They had long conversations sharing light things like favorite movies and ice cream flavors and fell asleep talking to each other on the phone. They laughed and lingered over long dinners together. She got to see his penthouse, but they both decided it was too cold and uninviting and watched movies cuddled up on her couch instead.

Xander opened up to her about Sarah and Ryder, something he had never done with anyone. The story of his loss had them both crying, which cemented their bond even further.

Maybe it had only been a few days, but Cynder couldn’t imagine a life without Xander. He seemed to feel the exact same way and continued to lavish affection on her in unexpected and touching ways. Knowing that Cynder was dreading her first Christmas without her father, he had shown up at her door that morning with a big grin and a car waiting out front.

“Are you up for a challenge?” he had asked.

“Challenge? I haven’t even had coffee yet. But with you? Yes.”

“You have ten minutes to pack a bag with warm clothes and a bathing suit.”

“What?”

“I’m whisking you away to an undisclosed location. Not to celebrate a holiday, but to just to celebrate.”

“What are we celebrating?”

He had smiled and kissed her briefly on the lips, sending warm and happy sparks through her. “Us. We’re celebrating us, sweetheart. Nine minutes!”

Packing had been hard, not knowing what to expect. She knew that with Xander’s resources, they could be going anywhere. She had begged for clues, but warm weather was the only one he gave her. He was taking this surprise thing very seriously. He was also taking hand-holding very seriously. He had not released her fingers from his since he picked her up that morning. And she did not mind one bit.

“Can I make guesses?” she asked. “We could play twenty questions?”

“Nope,” Xander said. “Are you always terrible at surprises? This might be a problem.”

“Normal surprises I’m okay with. Surprises where I have to blindly pack a bag for who knows where for who knows how long is different. Jamaica?”

“Not answering that. Now, rest your pretty head back and enjoy your first private plane ride.”

“You think my head is pretty?”

“I think all of you is pretty. Which is why we’ve got separate suites. I like the speed we’re moving, but I may need help hitting the brakes in some areas. If you know what I mean.”

Cynder leaned over and gave him a long, slow kiss. They were both breathing a little heavier when she pulled away. His eyes had a fire in them when she met his gaze. “I know exactly what you mean,” she said. “Staying in separate suites is a good idea. For now.”

“For now,” Xander said. He gave her a playful kiss on her bottom lip, then moved up her cheek, trailing light kisses toward her ear. “But maybe we should talk about what ‘for now’ means. I don’t know about you, but I’m already thinking about changing for now into forever.”

Cynder gasped, partly because of his words and partly because of the way his lips caressed her earlobe. Xander pulled back, a concerned look in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m moving too fast, aren’t I? Forget I said anything. When you’re ready, you can bring it up. No pressure.” He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss there.

When he went to drop her hand, she shook her head and clutched his, lacing their fingers together. Tears started to form in her eyes.

“Oh no—it’s that time of day when I make you cry again,” Xander teased. “I’m adding this to my skill set: the ability to make my girlfriend cry.”

Cynder laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself. I cry about everything. But seriously, Xan, you’re not moving too fast. At least, not for me. People might think we’re just in some giddy stage of early dating, but it’s more than that. Even Lucy, who would normally pull me back down to reality, thinks so.”

She didn’t mention that Lucy had already started designing her wedding dress. Two weeks ago, Cynder would have laughed if someone told her she would fall in love before Christmas. She hadn’t said the word out loud yet, but she was completely there. Love didn’t follow an exact script, Cynder was coming to understand. It simply came in whatever way it chose to come, and she was holding tightly to it.

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