Knowing we’d never find her panties again if I removed them and not wanting to leave them behind for someone other than me to have them later, I simply pushed them aside before I put my mouth on her. She squirmed and writhed against me, but I held on tight and gave her exactly what she needed as fast as I possibly could.
If we stayed away for too long, it would be obvious where we’d gone. I didn’t really care if anyone found out, but it was part of the thrill of things to wonder if they would.
Colette’s moans had barely subsided when I felt her hands on my arms. She pulled me back up, wrapped her hands around my neck to bring my head down, then kissed me deeply while reaching for my belt.
She undid it, unbuttoned and unzipped me, freeing my aching cock in less than ten seconds flat. When she wrapped her fingers around my shaft, I hissed and nearly fucking bit her as pleasure spiked through me.
My hips rocked into her fist three times before I growled and pushed her back up against the door. Wrapping her legs around my hips, I lifted her up and guided my tip to her entrance. As soon as I felt her slick heat, I was a goner.
I sank into her with one hard thrust, then strummed her clit with my fingers when I felt her contracting around me. It was quick, passionate, and I doubted either of us would ever be able to wear these clothes again, but it was some of the best sex I’d ever had.
And I already couldn’t wait to do it again. For the rest of my goddamn life.
Epilogue
COLETTE
Three Months Later
It was a beautiful, sunny day, and Paxton was barbecuing burgers on his balcony while April and I threw a salad together in the kitchen. She was on a step stool beside me, helping me by adding cherry tomatoes I’d already halved.
In the three months since Brett and Tierra had gotten married, so much had changed that it made my head spin whenever I thought about it. For starters, Paxton, April, and I spent practically every free minute we had together.
It wasn’t official, but we might as well have moved in with him by now. We’d talked about making it official, and I was planning on telling him later that I was ready to take that leap. He hadn’t let me go splat with any of the other leaps I’d taken for him since he’d come back into my life, and considering how much he wanted this, I knew he wouldn’t drop the ball on this either.
His luxury high-rise penthouse had quickly filled with child-related items after the wedding. In fact, the step stool she was standing on had appeared—with her name on it—the first time we’d come over for dinner.
After the first month, Paxton had decided it was silly to keep carting things around from my place to his, and he’d gone out and bought doubles of everything she needed. Not only that, but he’d also bought up what appeared to be an entire toy shop and had kitted out one of his guest bedrooms as a playroom.
That would’ve been more than a clear sign that he was taking this thing between us much more seriously than I ever would’ve been able to imagine before the wedding. But he hadn’t stopped there.
The next time we’d come to his house, he’d turned his home gym into a bedroom for April so she’d have her own room when we stayed here. He’d told me he thought it was much better than the home gym, but I hadn’t believed him until I’d seen it with my own two eyes how much he enjoyed having her in his space.
Sometimes, April even came and stayed over here when I had to work late. The two of them had tons of fun together, and he’d taken to calling it “daughter time.” He’d gone so far as to block off at least one night a month for “daughter time” on the shared calendar we now kept online.
At the same time that he’d decorated her room for her, he’d also cleared out half his walk-in closet for me. The thing was big enough to house at least four people’s clothes, but he’d still gone through the effort of clearing out much more than just one drawer for me.
He’d given me the “hers” side of his bathroom and had printed pictures of us all together to put them up on his walls. Honestly, in three months, he’d made his place feel more like home to us than our town house ever had. And I still loved our little town house.
Paxton had even taken me shopping to choose new sheets, drapes, bedding, and knickknacks for “our” bedroom. The week after the wedding, he’d invited me over for a ceremonious burning of his previous bedding. He said he was cleansing the place before we spent our first night there.
My parents had returned from their trip, and April spent the day with them while we went shopping for new sheets and talked about where we wanted to go from here. It was cute that he’d burned his bedding as his final “adios” to bachelorhood, but I’d insisted on a proper talk instead of just a grand gesture.
Although, I couldn’t say I minded knowing for sure that I was the only woman he’d ever shared this bed and its sheets with. It had made me a little insecure sometimes when I saw his campaigns and the women he worked with, but whenever we’d visited his shoots—which he’d insisted on often once he’d realized how cool April thought it was—he’d gone out of his way to introduce me to everyone.
He didn’t even introduce me as his girlfriend. He called me his future wife. After I’d let it slide one time, he told me he was going to keep doing it. Apparently, it was part of the labors he’d decided to do to prove his love to April and me.
There wasn’t a single sign that he was embarrassed about me not looking like one of the models he worked with. He also regularly made a point of saying, and then showing me, how sexy he thought I was.
I didn’t think my self-esteem had ever been higher, and that was saying something for a curvy girl who was dating a male model. Seriously, he was built like a god, but I was the one who brought him to his knees. Literally most nights.
When I had agreed to give him that second chance, I didn’t think it would be possible for me to fall even more in love with him than I had been before, but I’d been proven wrong. I was way more in love with him than ever, and that feeling just kept growing by the day.
A big part of that was because of how good he was with April. He loved her like she was his own and fearlessly, openly showed it every day. One night, he’d even brought up formally adopting her.
It would be a process, but it was one I’d told him I’d consider when the time was right. Ever since, Paxton had been on a mission to prove to me that the right time would come and that he was in this for the long haul.
While I never thought I’d think so, I’d also come to realize that Paxton leaving me and joining the military to find himself was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. Without him leaving, I never would’ve had April, and that just wasn’t a life I ever wanted to live.
It had all happened for a reason, and it was all worth it now that I had both of them in my life. The journey to get here had been long and painful, but knowing now where it would lead us, I’d go back and do it all again.
I smiled as April hopped off her stool once the tomatoes had all been added to the salad. She raced outside to Paxton, who seemed to have developed eyes in the back of his head after all. He dipped down to scoop her up without even turning to look and without skipping a beat on the burgers he was flipping. I whistled and cheered for him, and he shot me a smirk and a wink over his shoulder.
April said something to him, and both their heads dropped back as they laughed at whatever it was. Times like these, I found it difficult to stop staring at them.
Absently assembling the salad, I kept my eyes mostly on my two favorite people. A few minutes later, two more of my favorite people arrived.
I walked past the dining room table I’d set earlier and opened the door for Brett and Tierra. “Look at you two,” I exclaimed. “You look like tanned, beautiful bronze statues. Welcome home.”
“Thank you,” Tierra said, flinging her arms around my neck to hug me before skirting past to hunt down her brother.
Brett grinned and opened his arms, and I walked into them without hesitation. I sighed when he pulled
me against his chest. “God, I’ve missed you. You’re never allowed to go away for that long again.”
His answering chuckle rumbled in his chest, vibrating against my ear. “Don’t pretend you’ve been busy pining for little old me when you’ve finally got the love of your life back.”
“I wouldn’t say pining,” I admitted as I gave him another squeeze before stepping back. “I’ve definitely missed you, though. How was your trip?”
“It was incredible,” he said as he followed me inside and I closed the door behind us.
“I’d say.” I gave him a look over my shoulder, rolling my eyes at the look in his. “You went on honeymoon for ten weeks. Obviously, it was incredible.”
“Yeah. I know we’ve only been back for two weeks, but I’m totally ready to head off again.” He sighed dreamily. “I wish you could’ve been there. Some of the places we visited were amazing. I’ve got so many pictures for you.”
“You wish we’d gone on the honeymoon with you?” I laughed, winking at him before we stepped out on the balcony. “I doubt that’s true.”
“You doubt what’s true?” Paxton asked, coming over to shake Brett’s hand with April still on his hip.
She squealed when she saw him, but it was a testament to how close she’d gotten to Paxton that she didn’t try and wriggle out of his arms to get to Brett. She hugged him from her perch on Paxton instead.
“Brett was saying he wishes we’d been with them,” I said.
Paxton snorted as he draped his arm over my shoulder. “Yeah, right. You’re just saying that now. If we’d have shown up, you’d have moved to a different destination on your super honeymoon. Seriously, guys. Ten weeks?”
“We’re both going for junior partner,” Tierra said as she smacked his shoulder. “It’s going to be a long time before we get away again, and we’ve been saving our vacation days practically since we started working.”
“Well, we were both going for junior partner,” Brett said, glancing at Tierra with stars in his eyes when she came closer to him. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen now.”
“Why not?” I asked, watching as Paxton went back to the grill to slide the hamburgers onto the tray he’d brought out for him.
“We’ll get all caught up in a minute,” he said. “Let’s go grab these while they’re hot and sit down. Do you guys want anything to drink?”
Tierra opted for a water while Brett got a beer. We sat down around the dining room table, and she looked around with her eyes lingering on all the evidence of April and me in the apartment. “Wow. You guys are living together?”
“No.” Paxton released a long-suffering sigh. “Colette refuses to say yes officially, but as you can see, they’ve pretty much moved in.”
I gave him a playful smack on the shoulder and laughed. “Says the one who’s gone out and bought doubles of nearly everything.”
“I like fooling myself into thinking you’re really living here,” he said, eyes gleaming with humor when they met mine. His large hand closed over my thigh under the table, and he squeezed tightly. “Besides, you know there’s no pressure. I just like feeling like you’re here.”
“Can I tell him, Mommy?” April asked, bouncing in her seat with excitement. “Please, please, please?”
“Sure, honey. Go ahead.” I’d planned on doing it later, but it was fine. It was as much her news to share as it was mine.
“We’re going to come live with you,” she squealed, and Paxton went so still I thought someone had found his pause button.
The next minute, he spun so fast he almost blurred and pulled me into his arms. April joined our hug while Brett and Tierra hung back until we broke apart to give us their congratulations.
“We’re sorry we haven’t had time to catch up properly before today,” Tierra said once we’d all dished up. “It’s been hectic since we’ve been back.”
“That’s what happens when you’re gone for almost three months,” Paxton teased, but his arm remained around me the entire time, his burger in his free hand.
“Well…” She shared a look with Brett as she trailed off, then brought her gaze back to Paxton’s. “It’s a little more than that. We kind of did something crazy while we were away.”
Paxton and I both leaned in. So did April.
He frowned at his sister. “What did you do?”
Excitement shimmered in their eyes before Tierra broke out into the widest grin. “We’re pregnant.”
“I’m going to have a cousin?” April shrieked, somehow the first one to get something out. She flung herself into their arms, and they giggled as they held her tight.
My heart stuttered, then filled with absolute joy as I jumped up to join in their hug. Paxton was the last to move, but without a doubt also the most overjoyed about this announcement.
Our lunch was filled with excited chatter from there, and after I cleared the table, I stole a moment in the kitchen to process. Once more, I was struck by how much all of our lives had changed in the last three months, and I was so grateful that I ended up shedding a few tears.
I didn’t hear him coming in, but Paxton sneaked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. His chin rested on my shoulder, and I laid my head back against his.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, kissing one of my salty cheeks before turning me around in the circle of his arms to wipe away my tears. Concern clouded his beautiful blues, and his brows were pinched together. “Are you okay? What happened?”
I smiled through the tears and shook my head. “Nothing’s is wrong, babe. I promise. Everything is exactly right. That’s what this is about. I’m so unbelievably grateful for where we all are right now.”
He looked at me for a moment while his eyes cleared, and then he tipped his head toward Tierra and Brett. They were still laughing and joking with April at the table.
“Do you think that will ever be us?” he asked.
It was my turn to frown. “What do you mean?”
Paxton’s lips kicked up into a smile as a low chuckle came out of him. “Do you think we’ll ever make a sibling for April?”
I couldn’t see myself, but I could feel my face turning bright pink. “I’ve always wanted to have another baby when the time is right, but I’m not going to pressure you into anything.”
He pressed the sweetest kiss to my mouth, whispering his response against it. “I can feel it in my bones that the time is coming. I’m excited for that adventure with you, love. You can’t pressure me into something when I want it more than you do.”
Poking him in the sides where I knew he was ticklish, I waited until he laughed and released me. When he did, I shot him a grin and raised my left hand. “Ring first, my love. Then the big wedding, then the baby. Haven’t you ever heard the rhyme? First comes love, then comes marriage. You know the one.”
He lunged for me, hauling me into his arms as he started tickling me right back. “Oh, you think this is funny, do you? We’ll see who the real funny one is later once April is asleep.”
“We will?” I managed between bursts of laughter as I fought against the iron grip he had on me. “How’s that?”
He pulled me back against him, still as playful as always, even when the words he whispered next knocked me clean off my feet. “If it’s a ring you wanted, you should’ve said so earlier, baby. I’ve got one in a drawer upstairs with your name on it.”
I sagged into his chest, staring up into those sparkling eyes as I tried to find the truth in them. “Wait a second. Are you serious?”
He waggled his brows at me, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Fuck waiting until they leave and April’s asleep. If you’re so eager to find out, let’s race upstairs. First one there gets to ask the other to marry them.”
I didn’t stand a chance, but it turned out he’d never intended for me to. When I got back up to our bedroom, I found it transformed from the way I’d left it just this morning. Not totally transformed, but the bed was made at least, and there were flower pe
tals strewn everywhere.
Having beaten me by only a few seconds, Paxton was already there by the time I stumbled breathlessly into the room. He was kneeling in the center of a heart made out of flowers, a ring box open on his palm.
“What do you say, Dr. Colette Wynne? Will you finally be my wife?” he asked, and just like before, there was really only one answer I wanted to give him.
“Yes.”
We’d waited a long time for our happily ever after, but it was finally here, and I wasn’t missing out on another moment of it. “Yes. Of course I will. Yes to everything, Paxton. As long as it’s with you, I want it all.”
The End.
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He’s promising to marry this girl, but he’s running away with me.
The entire City of Angels is hung up on the latest season of their favorite reality show and its star, Rhett Roberts.
The cocky jerk has women throwing themselves at him in every episode, and it looks like he’s loving it.
Well, good for him.
He’s a cocky player with a wild streak ten miles wide.
The man defies death for a living as a stuntman, for heaven’s sake. Well, when he’s not too busy being fed champagne by fifteen different girls on a yacht or breaking the hearts of the ones he sends home.
No thank you. That’s a hard pass from me.
All I want to do is make a name for myself by making sure the flowers on the finale are the best they can possibly be.
Until I meet him.
He’s famous for his gorgeous eyes, daring personality, and doing stunts for some of the biggest celebrities the city has ever seen.
People love this guy.
Men want to be him and women want to be with him, but one wrong move makes him the most hated man in the whole country.
He’s the runaway groom, and his sidekick?
Me. The girl that isn’t supposed to be in love with him.
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