Extreme Love

Epilogue


EIGHT MONTHS LATER

Cait squealed and slapped her hands over her eyes. It didn’t matter how many times she watched, seeing Dante eat a fist never got any easier. She peeked through her fingers and relaxed. The punch hadn’t fazed him. He was still on his feet, defending his title for the first time.

After a long break, she’d been thrown back into his world. With another huge fight on the horizon, the interest in them as a couple had increased tenfold. Surprisingly, she’d found it wasn’t the horrible place she’d thought it would be.

The pride she felt for Dante as he interviewed and signed autographs surpassed any residual panic she still battled. But with each day, this became her world, too. Hell, she’d even been interviewed on occasion, letting the fans know the trials and tribulations of being an MMA star’s girlfriend, the weeks of barely seeing him as he trained hard. But she didn’t resent the time away from him. She spent those long weeks submerged in her program, which had taken off and spread throughout the South at record speed. Dante proudly stood in her corner and supported her dedication to helping others lose weight.

And she supported him, wanting him to achieve every goal he set out to win.

Loving Dante had taken her far outside her comfort zone, and she couldn’t be happier.

The bell dinged, signaling the end of round one. She fidgeted in her seat while Dante sat in his corner, Mike barking out orders. When the bell sounded again, he shot out of his chair and ended the fight with one punch. His poor opponent crumbled to the ground.

Cait jumped to her feet screaming and clapping. The octagon filled with people and when the announcer came to Dante’s side, her man took the mike from him. The announcer’s eyes widened but he didn’t protest.

“Caitlyn, come here.” Dante motioned for her to come forward.

She froze. She wasn’t supposed to enter the cage. Her place was right here, supporting him.

Mike, with a look of defeat, sighed. “Go on up, Cait.”

She glanced at him. Their relationship had gotten stronger; she now considered him like an uncle. “What’s going on?”

He rolled his eyes. “Just go.”

She hesitantly climbed the stairs and entered the ring. It felt so weird to be on this side of the action, among the flood of people, the cameras, the bright lights. She shuffled to Dante’s side and smiled shyly at the lens thrust in her face.

He took her hand. “I wanted to win this fight for you.”

“Why?”

“Because I wanted to do this.”

He bent on one knee and Cait’s eyes widened. Everything around them faded. Only Dante existed.

Mike appeared at their side and handed Dante a black velvet box.

“Caitlyn Moore, you are my life, my future, my love, and I want you in my corner always. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

As the fans screamed, he popped the box open to reveal a teardrop diamond ring with a white gold band. Cait pressed her free hand to her mouth, tears filling her eyes. “Yes.”

Dante slipped the ring on her finger and rose, taking her in a long kiss. As the cameras flashed and the crowd whistled, she smiled against his mouth and held him tight.

She’d slain her dragons and her reward was a lifetime of happiness with this man.

Her warrior. Her champion. Her love.