Beautiful Illusions Duet Bundle: Eighty-One Nights and Beautiful Ever After

by Georgia Cates

  “I have a feeling you won’t be back for another round.”

  Lou looks so happy that even her eyes are smiling when I approach her in the hallway. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m sorry to show up like this. I knew you wouldn’t be home until very late, and I’m too excited to wait because something wonderful has happened.”

  Is she pregnant?

  I don’t think so. She would consider that kind of news to be too special to share with me while standing beside a sports bar loo.

  Ned, one of the newer financial advisors, approaches the toilets and lifts a brow when he notices Lou. “Hello.”

  “Hi,” Lou says.

  The loo door closes and I whisper, “We can’t be seen together like this by Lochridge employees. Too many eyes and ears. Meet me behind the building in five minutes.”

  Her smile widens. “Okay.”

  I return to my seat and reclaim my beer. “I’ll take that back from you, thank you very much.”

  “What does the wifey want?” Brady’s voice is low.

  “I don’t know yet. We’re meeting out back in five minutes.”

  “Must be important for her to come here when she knows you’re surrounded by half of the Lochridge firm.”

  “I’m certain it must be.”

  “Good news, I hope.”

  “I believe it is. She used the word wonderful to describe it.”

  I finish off what’s left of my beer and casually exit the bar, finding Lou right where I told her to be. “What is it, love?”

  She reaches out and cradles my face, coming up on her tiptoes to place a kiss against my lips. “Listen to me with an open mind. Don’t jump to conclusions before I finish. Can you do that?”

  “Aye.”

  “As you know, I’ve been spending time with Bleu and the other wives.”

  “I’m aware.” And I’m pleased by the way the wives have been so welcoming to Lou. Rachel is a loyal friend, but she’s busy with Claud. Lou needs other friends.

  “You told me I couldn’t ask who or what the Breckenridges are, and I’ve honored that, but I have suspicions. And I knew that if I was right, they could help me—help us—and so I asked.”

  “You asked for what? And who did you ask?”

  “I asked Bleu for help with our Blair problem.”

  “Oh, Lou. I wish you hadn’t done that.” She doesn’t understand what they are.

  “You promised to not jump to conclusions. Remember?”

  “Aye, I know.”

  “Bleu and Shaw, well actually Shaw’s contact, hacked into Blair’s computer and phone.”

  “Oh fuck.”

  “We discovered awful things, Hutch. The things that she’s done are so much worse than either of us could have imagined.”

  Astonished, I listen as Lou describes Mina’s gullibility and Blair’s betrayal. And although I know both women well, it’s difficult to believe that Mina would be so easily exploited and Blair so vile.

  I’m sad for Mina. Even she didn’t deserve to be treated that way, especially in the last moments of her life. She must have been so hurt.

  “What do we do with this information?”

  “Nothing. I’ve already handled Blair.”

  “You’ve handled her?”

  “I turned the tables on that bitch. There’ll be no more threats. No more blackmail. Ava Rose belongs to us, and our marriage doesn’t have to be a secret anymore. The nightmare is over.”

  “It’s really over?”

  “It’s really over.”

  The timing… it’s almost as if she knew what I was contemplating and saved me from going through with it.

  I wrap my arms around Lou and pick her up, spinning her around in the air. “I am married to the most amazing woman in the world.”

  I return her feet to the ground and cradle her face in my hands. “Let’s go home, mo maise.”

  “What about the Super Bowl?”

  “Forget the Super Bowl.”

  Ava Rose is already asleep when we arrive home, but Lou and I go to the nursery and stand beside the crib looking at her. “She’s ours.”

  “Yes, she is.”

  “What do you think Mina would say about my being Ava Rose’s mother?”

  “I think she would be happy that her daughter has you as her mum.”

  “I obviously didn’t know Mina, but I think she’d choose me over Blair.”

  “Knowing what we know now, I’m certain that is the truth.”

  I wrap my arms around Lou from behind and kiss the side of her neck. “I’m ready to try for another one whenever you’re ready.”

  Lou twists and looks at me over her shoulder. “Are you talking about what I think you’re talking about?”

  “She turns one this month. If you got pregnant in a few months, they’d be two years apart. Isn’t that what we said we wanted?”

  “That’s what we said.”

  “Then stop your birth control and we’ll start trying in May.”

  Lou turns and wraps her arms around my shoulders. “I think we should practice making a baby before trying the real thing. You know, just to be sure we know what we’re doing.”

  “I think that is an excellent idea.”

  She places a quick kiss against my mouth and tugs on my hand. “Come on. I’m going to give you your very own halftime show.”

  Fuck yeah. “I like the sound of that.”

  Once we’re in our bedroom, Lou places her hands on my hips and walks backward, pulling me toward the bed. She sits and glides to the center. Lifting her foot, she curls her toes around the waistband of my jeans. “Take ’em off. Take everything off.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  My jeans and Y-fronts drop to the floor and she moves to the edge of the bed. At first, I think she’s going to stand and undress but instead she moves to her all fours and reaches into the drawer on the nightstand.

  Condoms? She wants to use condoms? Why? We just agreed that we both wanted to try for a baby soon. “There aren’t any in there.”

  Lou laughs. “I’m not looking for condoms, goofball.”

  She smiles and sits back on her haunches, holding up my wedding band. “This is what I’m looking for.”

  She reaches for my left hand, slides my wedding band on my finger, and kisses the top. “You can wear this for everyone to see now.”

  “And I will, mo maise. With pride.” Because I am proud to be her husband.

  I wrap my arms around her and press my mouth to hers, tongue gliding against tongue. I think I could devour her here and now.

  I grip the front of her dress. “Take it off. Take all of it off.”

  “Yes, Mr. Hutcheson.”

  Lou grips the bottom of her dress and tugs it upward, pulling it over her head and dropping it on the floor. The bra and knickers go next and she’s bare, except for the ring on her left hand.

  She slides to the center of the bed and lies on her back. Using her index finger, she beckons me. “Come here, husband. It’s time to practice making a baby.”

  Crawling up her body, I take my time, leaving a path of kisses up her belly and chest. When we’re face-to-face, she grasps the back of my neck and pulls me down, bringing our mouths together.

  Tongue against tongue, my mouth makes love to hers. Slow. Deep. Loving. But possessive. Always possessive. Because this woman is mine.

  “I love you, Caitriona Hutcheson.”

  Her hazel eyes stare at my blue as I hover above her. “And I love you, Maxwell Hutcheson. I love our family. I love our life.”

  Her legs part and I nestle my body between them until my hard cock is against her warm, inviting entrance. “We get to do this for fun for a while longer, but it’ll soon have a special purpose behind it.”

  “I know. It scares me but in a good way.” Her body trembles as she says the words.

  “I feel the exact same way, mo maise.”

  My cock is pressed against her, ready to enter. All it will take is one
thrust and I’ll glide inside her slick canal. But I don’t get the chance. She impatiently lifts her hips, forcing my tip to slide into her entrance. “Eager much?”

  “You know I’m always eager.”

  That’s one thing I can say about my wife. She has never been guilty of lying beneath me, praying for sex to hurry and be over. “You’re never at a loss for enthusiasm.”

  Her ankles dig into my arse, forcing me deeper inside of her. “I want it. Give it to me.”

  “I’m going to give it to you.”

  Reaching behind her, I wrap my hand around her lower back. Lifting her hips off the bed, I sink into her as far as possible before pulling back and doing it again.

  I place my free hand over her lower belly. Right there beneath my palm is where our child will grow. And it will soon if things go well.

  And what if things don’t go well? What if Lou’s previous pregnancy was some kind of flukish miracle and I actually do have an issue with sterility?

  I can’t think about that right now.

  Her legs are bent on each side of my hips and I grasp them, pushing back. Opening her up to take more of me.

  I slip my hand between our bodies and feel for that point where we connect. No beginning. No end. So close it’s as though we’re one being.

  I find that spot—the one that drives her crazy every time I touch it—and I stroke the tight nub with my fingertips. Her breath quickens and she grasps my back, pulling me against her tighter, grinding her hips against me.

  “That’s it. Just like that,” she says in that breathy voice I love so much.

  She grinds harder and I know what comes next. She does.

  Her inner walls squeeze around my cock, contracting in rhythm. Once. Twice. And then again and again until I lose count because I’m lost in my own world coming apart.

  Exploding.

  Flowing.

  Spilling inside her.

  I push her legs back and apart, thrusting deeply one last time, and holding steady. This is how I’ll do it when we actually try.

  I lower my upper body and hover above her, my elbows pressing into the mattress on each side of her head. I pepper kisses across her forehead, nose, cheeks, and finally her mouth—her mouth that is now grinning. “What is it?”

  “I’m amazed by the changes in you. You’ve done a complete one-eighty.”

  “That’s what happens when you meet the right woman.”

  Mina wasn’t the woman for me. It may sound crazy but I almost feel as though my failed marriage has played a hand in preparing me to be the best husband I can be for Lou.

  “I’m no fool. I know a good thing when I see it. And from the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew there would be something special between us.” I remember telling Brady I wanted to feel a connection when I saw the right inamorata. And I did.

  She smiles. “I didn’t know what it was, but I felt something too.”

  “I never imagined myself loving a woman the way I love you. And I damn sure never imagined myself wanting to have children.”

  She strokes the sides of my face. “I hope they have your eyes.”

  “Two can have my eyes and two can have yours. But I want all of them to have these adorable little freckles scattered across their noses.”

  “I want them to be tall like you. Being short sucks.”

  “Short happens to look very cute on you.”

  “I can assure you it’s only cute to those who aren’t short.”

  I kiss her and pull out slowly. “If we were trying to get pregnant tonight, would you want me to pull out or leave my cock in for a while like a stopper to prevent my sperm from leaking out?”

  She laughs. “I haven’t given it that much thought, but I see you have.”

  “Aye, I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

  “You haven’t said much about it.”

  “There was really no point in talking about it until our lives were on a steady course.” I’ve allowed the Lochridges to dictate so much in my life. But those days are over. “I’m giving notice in the morning.”

  “That makes me so happy.”

  “I don’t know what I’ll do for a job yet, but I’ll figure out something.” Maybe start my own firm. I’ve always wanted that.

  “Nothing is holding us to Edinburgh.”

  “Are you thinking we should make the move to Glasgow?”

  “I am. One hundred percent. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for Ava Rose and our other children to grow up near your family?”

  “They’re our family. You’re a Hutcheson now. And yes. I would love for our children to grow up near our family.”

  “I’ve never had a real family, and I want that in my life on a daily basis. I don’t want to be closer to them just for our children. I want it for me too.”

  If Lou wants to be near the family, then I want to give her that. “I think that’s what we should do. And I think we should begin working on that very soon.”

  “We can’t move before the semester ends. I’m so close to being finished.”

  “We’ll stay long enough for you to graduate. That’ll give me time to finish tying up loose ends with my clients. And it’ll give us time to find a new house.”

  “Do you think any of your clients will want to leave Lochridge and come with you?”

  A lot of them don’t care for Thomas. “Possibly although I would never encourage that. It would be entirely up to them.”

  “I’m not worried. There’ll be plenty of clients in Glasgow. And if there aren’t, it’s okay. I don’t need wealth to be happy. All I need is you and our family.”

  “You never have to worry about money, Lou. I have enough funds invested and put away to sustain us comfortably for the duration of our lives and our children’s lives.”

  “I figured as much.”

  “I know how strong and independent you are, but with me your fight is over. I’ve got you, mo maise. I want to take care of you. And I want you to take care of me and our family.”

  “We do take care of each other, don’t we?”

  “We absolutely do.”

  Lou is my partner in life. My love. My everything.

  I walked into that Inamorata gala seeking a sexy female companion for the summer. Instead, I got a beautiful wife for a lifetime. A loving mother for my daughter. A woman who opened my heart to the child that I didn’t know I could ever want and love.

  She is my beautiful ever after.

  67

  Caitriona Hutcheson

  It’s official. I’m a graduate of the University of Edinburgh. I have earned my degree in English language and literature.

  Gus and Clarissa. Sara, Adam, and the boys. Ian, Shannon, and Pearl. Rachel and Claud. And my heart—my Hutch and Ava Rose. Everyone I love is surrounding me at this restaurant tonight to celebrate my accomplishment. And it feels amazing. I thought I might never have people like these in my life.

  While it’s incredibly satisfying to know that I have finally accomplished what I set out to do, I find that it is my life with Hutch and Ava Rose that brings me the most joy and satisfaction.

  Everyone has a calling in life. I can’t say what mine will be five or ten years from now but today, my number-one calling is to be a wife and mother. That’s where my heart is. It’s where my loyalty lies.

  The writing will come when it comes.

  Hutch reaches for my hand, bringing it to his lips. “My wife, the graduate. You did it, mo maise. I’m so proud of you.”

  “I think I’m proudest because being finished means that we can finally move to the new house in Glasgow.” School has been delaying the start of the rest of our lives for too long.

  Hutch and I bought a house on thirty acres near his parents’ home on the golf course. He insisted that we have plenty of acreage to build a barn and bring the horses. Sol, Prissy, and Nevan are our family too.

  “I’m excited about our new lives in Glasgow.”

  “I am too.”

  Gus stands and
clinks his wine glass with his knife. “A toast to my bonnie daughter-in-law.” Everyone around the table quietens and Gus continues, “We’re so proud of your accomplishment today but even prouder of the wife you are to Max and the mother you are to Ava Rose. We love you dearly.”

  “What a lovely thing to say. Thank you.”

  Murmurs of love and congratulations come from around the table, the words overlapping at once, and tears pool in my lower lids. Because these people love me.

  They’re happy for me. Proud of me. Want the best for me.

  And I’ve never had that in my life.

  It’s an amazing feeling. Everyone should feel this way at some point of their life.

  Dinner is exceptional as it always is at this restaurant. It never disappoints.

  I sit back, placing my hand over my lower stomach. “I ate too much.”

  Hutch leans close and lowers his voice. “No worries. I have some vigorous baby-making exercise planned for you when we get home.”

  “You do, huh?”

  “Indeed, I do, Mrs. Hutcheson. I’ve been reading up on the best positions. They look like a lot of fun.”

  “You’ve been doing research, huh?”

  “A wee bit.”

  “I’m excited to see what you’ve come up with.”

  “Are you ready to go so I can show you?”

  “I’m ready if you are.”

  Clarissa and I make a visit to the loo on the way out, and I’m sitting on the toilet when someone tries to open the door from the outside. “Sorry, occupied.”

  I rush to finish my business but go still when I hear the women on the other side of the stall talking.

  “I just saw Maxwell Hutcheson out there. Is that his new wife?”

  “You saw Max?”

  Shit. I think that’s Blair’s voice.

  I might wonder what the odds were of running into her here, but it wouldn’t be unusual for her to frequent a restaurant like this one. It’s damn fancy.

  “He’s sitting with ten, maybe twelve people out there. The woman beside him has long brown hair. Short. Petite. Very pretty.”

  “That sounds like his nasty bitch wife who won’t let us see Ava Rose anymore.”

  It’s true. She doesn’t see Ava Rose anymore but not because I’ve had anything to do with it. Blair is the reason that Blair no longer sees her niece. She lost all interest in Ava Rose once she found out that Hutch wasn’t going to marry her.