by Scott, S. L.
“You reckoned all right, I reckon.” I wink.
“Funny girl.”
An arm tightens around my waist when he brings me even closer. I’m never more at ease than when I am with him. I even let him lead.
He spins me around until my feet come to an abrupt stop with my back to him. My breath catches, and my mouth falls open. “Bennett, what have you done?” Rushing forward, I stand in front of the small cart stacked with the books I collected when I was here in Paris, books that kept me company when I was so alone.
Picking up The Resistance, I hold it to my heart. Being able to escape to another world, to other characters’ lives rather than my own, kept me alive in some ways. These gave me moments of joy in a very dark time.
I can’t ever say this to Bennett because he might take this the wrong way, but I had a serious crush on Johnny Outlaw. Seriously hot book boyfriend material. And I remember thinking I had met my very own Jack Dalton as I walked back to the apartment the night I met Bennett. He may not be a rock star, but he’ll always be a movie star to me. “This is the book I was reading when we—”
“Were on our second date.”
“You remember.”
“Every minute,” he says.
My eyes fill with tears as happiness fills my heart. He wraps his arms around me, and I finally ask, “How did you get my books?”
“The trial is over, and they weren’t held as evidence, so they let Lars in. Was there anything else you wanted from the apartment?”
“No, this is more than I thought I’d ever have.”
“You’re more than I thought I’d ever have, Winter.”
When the next song begins to play, he kneels on one knee in front of me. I try to cover my mouth as it hangs open, but he takes my hand before I can. While “La Vie En Rose” drifts around us, he says, “We’re not atop the Empire State Building and it’s not Valentine’s Day, but I wanted to tell you that I love . . . God how I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
“I was captivated by your beauty when I first laid eyes on you. Drawn to the free spirit who showed me her Paris. I fell in love the first time we kissed because I’d never tasted love before. And I knew then that your soft lips were the only lips I’d ever taste again. I found my home in you.”
He kisses my hand and then brings out a ring box. “I once heard, from a very wise and beautiful woman, that if you make a wish, you’ll receive what you need.” He lifts the lid to the Tiffany blue box and then holds my hand. “I’ve made my wish, Winter. Will you do me the honor and spend your life with me, ma chérie?”
I sit on his bended knee, hug him, and tuck my face into the crook of his neck. Staring down at the stunning ring—classic with a diamond befitting a giant’s wife—I reply, “You had me at Tiffany’s.”
Under a chuckle, he says, “So that’s a yes?”
“I don’t need the Empire State Building on Valentine’s to know that you’re the only man I want to spend the rest of my life with. So that’s most definitely a yes. Yes. Yes.” Dragging my hand down my throat, I teasingly moan, “Oh, God. Yes.”
Popping to his feet, I’m also set down on mine. He readjusts his pants. “On that note, I’m ready to head back to the room. Did you pack the French maid’s uniform?” He’s so fun to tease.
“No. How do you feel about spies?”
As we walk to the door to leave, he asks, “Good spies or bad?”
“Always good.”
“Do you think you can handle great?”
Stopping me, he pulls to him. “I can handle anything thrown our way.”
I wrap my arms around him, and say, “Good because this is just our beginning.”
Epilogue
Bennett
“How do you feel?”
“Like a million bucks,” she replies.
“How about four?”
My joke makes her laugh—the best sound in the world. She really did get the last laugh. After Ethan bought Nobleman Inc. from her, she walked away with a cool four million, which she negotiated for shares in Everest Enterprises. With the last three deals I’ve sold, those shares are already worth more. Under the buyout, all Nobleman employees were absorbed into ours and given raises since they were underpaid. Everyone came out a winner.
Except for her father and brother.
Winter fulfilled her goal. She wore her mother’s broach or the locket every day of their trials. Fifteen years for attempted murder, ten years for kidnapping, another five for blackmail, and fifteen for money laundering. Who knows if they’ll live or die behind bars. It doesn’t matter because good always prevails in the end.
One week after the sentencing and in a private ceremony with our closest friends and family, we exchanged our vows at the library.
Even though my net worth is over seven hundred million these days . . . I mean our net worth; we skipped a prenup. I mean, the woman is worth millions, so I totally scored. I give her a wink.
Just a few hours later, Winter rolls to her side, and asks, “Is this real life?”
“It’s our life.” I take her hand and kiss it.
“I love our life.”
“Me too. I have to admit I was surprised by your choice of honeymoon locations, but I’m really digging it.”
“I thought you might.” Getting up, she straddles my waist and wiggles. When she bends down to kiss me, she says, “There’s no place like home. Are you tired?”
“I’ll never tire of you.”
“You know . . .” She reaches over and hits a button to make the blinds close followed by the curtains. “It’s only noon, but I’m always up for another round. How about you?”
“Best honeymoon ever.”
“Your only honeymoon ever is more like it.”
Flipping her over, I settle between her legs, definitely ready for more. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“All the time,” she replies with a soft giggle. “But tell me again.”
I kiss her chest. “I thought I had everything and then you came along and turned my gray days blue.” I continue to recite the vows I wrote for her while kissing between her breasts. “I promise to give you all my truths and nothing less than my best.”
Kissing her stomach, I say, “To spoon you at night and feed you all the carbs you desire.”
She sits up and pinches my ass. “And cheese,” I add, chuckling.
“You are so ridiculous, Ben.”
“Fine, I’ll get back to the real vows now.” When she falls back, I go lower and drag my tongue around her belly button. “I promise to love you. God, how I love you. To cherish you. To treasure you always.” Goose bumps cover her skin, and I palm her breasts until I reach her sweetest spot. She sucks in a breath. “In sickness, health, and even under gunfire, I vow to not just stand by your side, but shield you with my life.”
Her fingers slip into my hair, and she tugs, her signal that she wants more. I flatten my tongue and slip a finger inside her, causing her back to arch and sending that sweet moan to my ears. It’s like a lightning rod to my dick, hardening even more than it already was. I can’t help but start to rush the words we once exchanged. “To love you morning, noon, and night. I, Bennett, give you my heart for eternity.”
I need her—to lose my mind inside her.
With deep tongue kisses, I’m able to elicit the start of her orgasm. Coaxing it, I hold her still and focus on the delicious torture between her soft lips.
“Oh God, Bennett.” Her legs tense, squeezing my head between them. She tugs my hair. I push deep, so deep, I can taste the blue skies of her heaven inside. Her body gives me everything, and when her mouth falls open from the ecstasy, I move back up and kiss her again. She says, “I take you. All of you and give you all of me in return.” As I sink into her, her body embraces my erection and holds me tight.
When her breathing catches up with her, we start making love as she recites her promises. “I didn’t know I needed a movie star until you walked into
my life. I’d lost hope until you slowly and purposely restored it.”
Kisses are scattered over her neck and mine. “I promise to always stand by your side as your best friend, lover, your wife, and your forever. I give you my heart for eternity.” I lick and then suck the soft spots where she loves me. She deviates from her script. “Thank you for walking me to the corner of that street. If you hadn’t shown up when you did . . . ” Cupping my face, she says, “You’re six foot three of solid gold insides, Bennett Everest.”
“Built to love you, and love you I do. With all of me.”
“I love you. Every last inch of you.” She kisses me, and I start moving again. Gentle soon turns erratic as I start to lose the rhythm to chase the finale. “Fuck,” I groan, just out of reach of the utopia I seek.
Slowing, I drag my hands over her shoulders and down to her wrists, then move her arms above her head. I start off slow again, wanting her to feel every part of me loving her. Her legs wrap around me as I thrust harder, her moans encouraging me to go faster.
My elbows rest on either side of my beauty. Her hair tangles around her head. With every thrust, my name comes off her tongue like a sweet melody. Too soon . . . too soon, I’m lost in the depth of her starlit abyss.
I push.
I push.
“I do.”
“I do.”
I push . . . until . . . I find the relief, feeding my needs. My breath escapes, and I drop my head next to hers. When my body calms, and my mind eases, I turn and kiss her cheek. She whispers, “You are everything to me.”
I lean back and look into her eyes while her hand still caresses my cheek. “You are everything to me. The sun, moon, and stars. My Winter’s night. You’ve taught me what love is.”
“And that is?” she asks softly.
“Love is seeing someone and realizing they’re your soul mate. We weren’t just two people attracted to each other. We were two souls drawn together.”
Winter kisses the tops of my cheeks and then my forehead. “Love is marrying the man of your dreams and not wanting to be anywhere else but in his arms and our own bed.”
Pushing to the side of her, I bring her back to my chest and spoon her how she loves to be held while whispering in her ear, “Love is Winter Renee Everest.”
An alarm goes off. Worst timing ever. Angling back to look at me, she says, “What’s the alarm for?”
“Brownies are ready.” I hate leaving this bed, but for what I have planned, it’ll be worth the trip.
She laughs when I grumble as I sit up and then lies with her arms spread wide. “You wore me out.”
“You have time to recover. I’ll get the whipped cream.”
When I click on the TV, an old black and white movie plays. She fluffs the pillows under her head, and says, “This is my favorite movie.”
“Casablanca?” I still love learning everything about this amazing woman.
Her nails trail lightly down my arm. “Of all the bistros in Paris, you walked into mine.”
“And I’d do it again.” Taking her hand, I kiss each finger. “I’ll always be there when you need me.”
“Because you’re the hero of my very own fairy tale.”
“And you’re the queen of mine.” I steal a kiss from her lips before hopping out of bed. I detour to the bathroom to clean up before I rush to get the brownies out of the oven.
This goes to show that I have absolutely no game when it comes to sex with my wife. She makes me come too fast every fucking time. I grab the homemade cream I whipped up earlier and then check my emails while the brownies cool on the stovetop.
The third email gets my attention. Kurt is being extradited to the States. No more Brie and champagne for that motherfucker. He’s about to have a rude fucking awakening. They are going to love him in prison.
He should also be thankful for those bars that protect him because if he ever walks free . . . I’ll be waiting for him.
I close my computer and turn on some music, forgetting that fucker while thanking the stars for the life I have the pleasure of living with my wife. “Just Breathe” plays through the speakers, and I think about the journey Winter and I have taken to get where we are now. It’s something I think about a lot.
The locket sits on the counter next to where we stripped off our clothes earlier. Knowing her mother watched over her and provided for her is helping to heal her loss after a life of feeling abandoned. This necklace has given her great comfort over the years.
It still infuriates me to think about how her own father and brother treated her. She’s the flower that grew from the rubble. The rainbow that broke through the storm. She’s extraordinary.
Needless to say, I’ve lost no sleep over hearing the news of Braden having a run-in the first week of prison. I didn’t bother to ask what was meant by “run-in” because I’m okay with any version of it. The bastard.
Her father certainly hasn’t been receiving any preferential treatment that we feared either. Men in prison don’t take kindly to hurting children. He never got to correct them on her age. That he tried to kill his daughter was enough to have him convicted by the prisoner’s jury. Karma’s a bitch and has doled out her punishment.
Winter calls me her destiny and her wish come true. Despite how often I tell her the same, she insists she’s the lucky one.
She just doesn’t understand the depth of my feelings. This woman has become everything to me—everything good in the world, everything worth living for.
“Hey there,” she says, wrapping her arms around me from behind. When I turn around, she’s wearing one of my favorite concert tees—The Crow Brothers band—who also happen to be good friends. I can’t wait to introduce her to them. “I got lonely in there by myself.”
Bringing her against me, I say, “C’mere and let me keep you warm.”
“What should we do while we wait for the brownies to cool?”
“Your wish is my command.”
“Remember when we were practically strangers?”
Running my hands over her hips and under the shirt, I say, “I sure do, but I prefer wife now.”
“Me too.” She kisses my chin. “I was thinking I could put on a football costume I bought the other day and you could try to score a touchdown.”
“I don’t need to role play when it comes to you and me.” Lifting her onto the island counter, I roam my hands from her shoulders and down her arms. I find the hand with her ring on it and kiss her palm. “I already scored.”
She spreads her legs, welcoming me while resting her arms around my neck. “Are you always going to be this romantic?”
“Every day and every night for as long as we both shall live.”
“What about any tough times ahead? I get moody sometimes. Do you think you can handle those?”
“Thorns and all, cactus flower.” Waggling my hand, I add, “This ring binds us for life.”
Her heels push against my ass, and I move in as close as I can. Our lips meet, and I savor every second I get doing exactly this with this stunning woman. Parting breathless, she says, “I’m shooting for eternity.”
“A woman after my own heart.”
“I’m not after it. Remember, I already have it. You gave me yours, and I gave you mine.”
“How could I forget? Maybe you need to remind me.”
She hops off the counter. “Happily. Get the brownies and meet me in bed, movie star.”
“And we live happily ever after.”
THE END.
The Rumors Are True
The Everest Brothers and Winter have excellent taste in books and friends. Both of these bands were mentioned in their story. Now it’s time for you to meet these rock star legends.
Johnny Outlaw/Jack Dalton - Winter’s Book Boyfriend, and dreamy rock star, can be found in my New York Times and USA Today Bestseller, The Resistance. CLICK HERE
The Crow Brothers have a fantastic bestselling series that is now available for your reading pleasure. Rise to fam
e with these charismatic and incredible rock stars that will have you swooning and falling in love. The Crow Brothers: CLICK HERE
Thank You
Thank you so much for reading The Everest Brothers. Reviews are love and matter so much to the success of a book and author. If you love this series, please consider sharing that love with friends and family, posting on social media, and leaving a review on Goodreads, Bookbub, and where you purchased the book.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
S.L.
About the Author
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Also by S.L. SCOTT
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Audiobooks on Audible - CLICK HERE
FORCE OF NATURE AUDIO
The Everest Brothers (Stand-Alones)
Everest - Ethan Everest
Bad Reputation - Hutton Everest
Force of Nature - Bennett Everest
The Crow Brothers (Stand-Alones)
Spark
Tulsa
Rivers
Ridge