“I don’t know if I could believe you. You broke my heart, Colin.”
“I know I did. God, I know. But losing you broke me. Nothing has meaning to me anymore. Please give me a chance to love you. I will dedicate my life to making it up to you. To making you happy. Without you, my world is colorless.”
A sob escaped her. Her life as Princess Jihae had been colorless. She had been colorless, lifeless, until she met Colin. He had filled her life with color, and she was finally able to bring out all the beautiful, powerful colors within herself. And she wanted so much to forgive him. To grab the happiness he was offering her. But she was so afraid.
“I don’t think I could endure another broken heart. I won’t be able to survive next time.” Tears ran down her face, probably undoing all the hard work of her stylist, but it was hopeless. There was no way she could stem her tears.
“I swear to you there will never be a next time. I will never keep a secret from you again. I’m far from perfect, and I may hurt you at times in my stupidity, but I will always own up to it and work harder to be the man you deserve. Please.” Colin kneeled before her on the cold asphalt. “Please give me a chance to love you. Let me cherish you for the rest of our lives.”
Jihae was so entranced by Colin’s words that she didn’t see the group of people who came to stand behind him for a second. Then she drew back in shock. It was the Song family. She recognized Garrett Song and Grace Song from the business papers, and Adelaide Song from the fashion magazines. James Song was also there. Another man and woman stood beside Adelaide and Garrett, and seemed to be their significant others. They all wore warm smiles and earnest expressions. All but Grace Song, who stood in the middle with calm dignity.
“Please forgive him,” James Song said. “He’s so entertaining.”
“We’ll personally kick his ass if he misbehaves again,” Garrett said as though he meant it.
“He’s an idiot but we love him.” Adelaide shrugged. “Could you, too?”
Then Mrs. Song finally spoke. “Will you be a part of our family?”
“Will you give me another chance?” Colin asked, still kneeling in front of her with tears brimming in his eyes.
He had always kept his connection to his family a closely guarded secret. But he had enlisted all their help to win her back. Her tears fell furiously. He had done this for her. Despite the scar in his heart left by his father, Colin wanted to open himself up to her, and in doing so, revealed to the world that he was Colin Song of the Hansol Song family.
“You just revealed your secret in public.” She stated the obvious, too awed to be clever.
“I know. I don’t care who knows. This secret I’d held on to for so long was merely a form of my pride. I wanted to be seen for the man I was, and I wanted to claim my success as my own. But all my life, my family has been there for me, and I couldn’t have done anything without their love and support.”
“Oh, Colin.”
“And I offer you not only my love and support, but my family’s as well. Will you marry me and grant me—us—the privilege of being your family?”
“Yes,” she whispered then said with more strength, “Yes, I will marry you, Colin Song. Please stand up.”
He stood and pulled a small box out of his pocket. It was the one she had messengered back to him. He carefully withdrew the diamond ring, and asked, “May I?”
“Yes.”
He lifted her hand and pushed the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. When she glanced toward the Song family, Adelaide and Garrett’s wife were wearing tremulous, watery smiles, and even the men’s eyes were red-rimmed. She looked toward Grace Song and she gave her a solemn nod with a gentle smile on her face. They were going to be a family.
“You’re mine now, you know.” Colin raised her hand and kissed her softly on the knuckles, smoothing his thumbs over the ring. “And you can’t back out because we have a ton of witnesses.”
Jihae had been so focused on Colin and his family that she didn’t realize that they were again surrounded by cameras...and applause.
“Oh, well.” She cupped his cheek, all her love shining in her eyes. “I guess I’m stuck.”
“You bet you are.” Colin dipped her back to the roar of their audience and kissed her thoroughly, marking the beginning of their happily ever after.
* * *
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Hot Holiday Fling
by Joss Wood
One
Adie Ashby-Tate was done—for this evening at least.
In a small but exquisitely decorated conference room in the iconic Grantham-Forrester hotel on 5th Avenue in the heart of Manhattan, Adie waved goodbye to her last guest and allowed her smile to fade.
She gripped the edge of her main display table, thankful for the empty room now that all the millionaires and billionaires who’d attended her “Christmas Indoor Market” had left. She loved interacting with clients and showing them her carefully chosen wares, but keeping the charm flowing for four or more hours was exhausting.
Because her feet were aching, Adie kicked off her heels and sank her feet into the expensive carpet. She looked around, pleased she’d managed to capture the essence of a snowy European Christmas market in the small ballroom. She’d strung fairy lights, the ten-foot Christmas tree in the corner was draped with fake snow and a diffuser released hints of hot chocolate, pinecones and cider. She’d dropped the temperature to just this side of chilly to echo the sharp bite of a snow-tinged winter’s night and she’d propped a snowboard and skis against a papier-mâché replica of a horse-drawn buggy.
The room suggested wealth, but more importantly, romance and the spirit of Christmas. The costs involved made her eyes water, but setting the scene, drawing in her clients and then transporting them to a simpler time was worth every penny and the hours of backbreaking work.