Billionaire Lumberjack’s Bargain (Lumberjacks in Love #5)

Epilogue

Four Years Later

CAMILLE

Dalton tightens his grip on my hand, leading me through the trees on the narrow, barely defined path. Sunlight filters through the canopy, bright spots illuminating what would otherwise be dark due to the lush spring cover the leaves provide.

Birds chirp from their perches above, and a light warm breeze occasionally flows between the trunks, lifting the loose strands of my hair that always seem to fall out of the bun at the back of my head.

As much as I love this little hike and time alone with Dalton, away from the kids, the fact that he’s being so secretive about today has been annoying me since we left them at the lake with Pops. “Are you going to tell me what we’re doing?”

He gives me that playful, boyish grin that always makes him look exactly his age. “You’ll see.”

I huff, allowing him to keep moving us forward. “You know I’m not the biggest fan of surprises…”

He pauses mid-step and turns back, tugging me up against him. His hard, lean body aligns perfectly with mine, and I press my hands to his bare chest and let them drift down over his rippling abs.

No matter how irritated I might be, I will never pass up an opportunity to touch him when he’s like this—open shirt, jeans that hang dangerously off his hips, and that sexy smirk that always promises something incredible is coming.

I know that look all too well.

Dalton kisses my neck, sending a shiver through me, despite the unseasonably warm spring day. His breath tickles my skin, and I shift restlessly against him. “You liked the surprise I had for you last night.”

Hell…

I sure did.

A wicked rush of heat floods my body, and my pussy clenches at the memory of how he showed up while I was soaking in the tub…

And then made me very dirty before he cleaned me up again.

The little needy sigh that slips from my lips as I tilt my head, giving him better access, is downright embarrassing. This man can so easily turn me into putty with a simple word, look, or touch.

There isn’t any use trying to deny it.

Or how much I enjoyed last night.

Four times…

“That I did, but that’s beside the point…”

He nips at my ear, then pulls back, and I instantly miss the press of his body against mine. His hand closes around mine again, and he tugs, leading me farther down the path that’s become so familiar over the years.

“Are we going to the meadow?”

Dalton peers over his shoulder, fighting a grin, but the way his green eyes dance with mischief might as well be confirmation. “Maybe.”

It’s a long walk. At least forty-five minutes. If I had known this was where we were heading when he led me away from the lake, I might have warned the old man.

“Should we have left the kids with Pops?”

He scoffs at my concern. “You know they’ll be fine. Now that Pops has his little ATV to get around the property, if he really wants to leave with them and head back to the cabin, he easily can.” His gaze meets mine over his shoulder. “Weren’t you the one who always used to tell me to stop worrying about them and not to ‘helicopter’ so much?”

Shit, he got me there.

And he’s become such an incredible father to them.

A natural.

Patient.

Kind.

Protective.

Loving.

Exactly who I knew he was once I let him onto my property that fateful day.

I don’t bother pushing the issue anymore, just allow him to lead me through the trees, stepping over several fallen logs on the familiar hike—though, I have no idea why we’re going to the meadow now.

It’s too early in the spring for it to be anything but an empty green space.

Or…it should be.

When the trees finally start to thin, Dalton pulls me up next to him and presses a hand at my lower back, urging me through them ahead of him.

We step out of the tree line, and my breath catches.

Thousands of wildflowers cover the clearing, swaying gently in the warm breeze.

Reds…

Yellows…

Pale blues…

Indigos…

Violets…

An entire rainbow spread out before me.

“Oh, my God, they bloomed early.”

He rests his chin on my shoulder and nods, wrapping his arms around me and tugging me back against him fully. “Yep. The unseasonably warm weather the last couple of weeks did the job.”

“How did you know?”

Dalton grins against my neck. “There’s nothing that happens on this mountain that I don’t know about, Camille.”

That’s probably true at this point.

Over the last several years since Hope was born, he and Pops have spent countless hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars ensuring our safety, making sure we have electronic eyes and ears covering as much of the property as possible.

He’s made sure it’s safe for me and the kids to relax here, to live, and to just be in a way I could never find anywhere else.

“I wanted you to see this because it’s so rare that it happens this early in the year, and I know things have been a little rough lately…”

I let out a huffed laugh.

They definitely have been that, though. It has absolutely nothing to do with Dalton or the kids or this beautiful life we’ve built together.

His hands settle splayed across my still-flat stomach protectively.

“I’m too old to be having another baby, Dalton.”

He laughs, the sound making his chest vibrate against my back. “You are not too old. You don’t even turn forty for another few weeks.”

I turn my head and scowl at him. “Thanks for the reminder.”

“I knew I was getting myself a beautiful cougar when I locked you down…”

The humor and love in his voice help melt away those concerns that have been plaguing me as much as the morning sickness has.

I relax into him, and he kisses my cheek.

“This isn’t the full surprise.”

He releases me, slips out from behind, takes my hand, and leads me farther into the meadow and the wildflowers. “How long do you think Pops can manage those two alone?”

My laugh floats across the open space, the mountain accepting the sound as part of what just naturally belongs here. “Two hours tops.”

It took us forty-five minutes to hike over here, and it will be the same going back, which means we don’t have a lot of time for whatever Dalton has planned.

That playful grin pulls at his lips as he leads me toward the center, where some of the flowers are depressed to the ground. “That gives us time.”

“Time for what?”

I look down to find a plaid blanket spread with a small picnic basket settled on the corner. “How did you…”

Dalton smirks. “This morning.”

“You weren’t out in the barn?”

He shakes his head. “No, I was not.”

My gaze drifts to the basket. “What exactly do you have in there?”

The morning sickness has finally calmed down for the day—and hopefully won’t be returning later—and I’m actually hungry for the first time in what feels like months.

He grins. “Well…”

Slowly kneeling on the blanket, he pulls me down, facing him, his chest brushing mine. He takes my face between his palms and kisses me deeply.

The sweet, reverent brush of his lips draws a groan from my throat, and I tug at the sides of his open shirt to keep him close.

My body responds instantly.

The goddamn pregnancy hormones again.

I love to hate them and what they do to me, but I could never hate what this man does.

The way he owns me—mind, body, and soul.

By the time he finishes devouring my mouth and pulls back, the evidence of how I affect him presses into my thigh.

He shifts against me, ensuring I feel all of him. “I have all sorts of delicious snacks I thought you’d enjoy, but first, I thought I’d feast on you.”

* * *

DALTON

The little shiver of anticipation that races through her as I press her down onto the soft blanket makes my cock throb between us.

Camille is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. The most beautiful thing in my life, along with the kids. And now, knowing we have another one on the way, seeing how glowy she is pregnant, I can’t keep my fucking hands off her.

Or my mouth.

I raise a brow at her, grinding my hard length against her thigh. “How does that sound? I eat lunch, and then you do…”

She grins and loops her arms around my neck, tugging me down until her mouth brushes mine. “I wouldn’t want you to go hungry.”

Fuck yes.

I waste no time sliding down her body and dragging her jeans and underwear with me. But I don’t even bother removing them fully, leaving them stretched across her ankles.

Her eyes flare, the blue blazing the heat of need and confusion. “What are you doing?”

Lifting her legs, I drape her thighs over my shoulders. “We’re short on time, and I don’t want to waste a single second fighting with your fucking jeans.”

Not when her pussy already glistens with her arousal in the bright sunshine.

Not when my mouth literally waters to taste her.

I dip my head and drag my tongue through her slick core.

She arches into me, groaning, her fingers digging into my hair, nails scoring my scalp.

All thought of anything else melts away at the feel of her response to me.

So secure in her sexuality.

So willing to tell me what she needs.

I grasp her ass in my left hand, keeping her exactly where I want her, and glide the other between us to slip two fingers inside her.

She whimpers and clenches around me, her body pulsing in time with my tongue and ministrations. “Have I ever told you…how fucking good you are at this?”

Yes.

Hundreds of times.

But it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy hearing it each and every time I put my mouth on her.

I chuckle against her warm flesh, then probe my tongue around her clit, not giving her the direct contact I know she so desperately seeks.

It’s so much better to watch her squirm.

To build her into a frenzy before I finally let her have it.

I always worried that I wouldn’t be enough for Camille, that my inexperience and naivety when it came to relationships and sex would disappoint her. But she’s grabbed that bull by the horns and used them to direct me and mold me into what she calls her “perfect weapon.”

And that’s what I have become.

After four years of learning every inch of this woman’s body, I know exactly what to do to get her off—whether it be slow or fast. A long, drawn-out night of sex that leaves us exhausted and sated or a fast release up against the back of the new barn when we manage to sneak away for a few moments.

No matter how…it’s always like this.

The desperate, thrumming need that consumes both of us.

I curl my fingers into that spot deep inside of her, swirling them in a circle and gliding back and forth as I suck her clit between my lips, and pulse . Her hips do the same, rolling against my face, and my cock strains against my jeans, eager to be where my fingers are now.

Patience is a virtue, but not when what we both seek is so easily attainable.

I graze my teeth across that tiny, sensitive nub, and Camille goes completely rigid.

Her thighs tightening around my head.

Her body twists violently, like she’s trying to break my neck as she comes.

I continue to suck and lick and drag those fingers in that spot she loves so much, drinking down her release as my body begs for my own.

By the time she starts coming down, I’m already swinging her legs up over my head and unbuttoning my fly. Her hands brush against mine, frantic in the same scramble I am to free my cock. The warm breeze hits my bare ass as I shove the fabric down enough to get the job done.

I lean over her, bracing myself on one hand, as I align the throbbing head of my cock with her heat and sink into my favorite place in the world.

“Fucking hell, Camille.”

The words come out on a low growl, and she mewls and clenches around me, trying to lift her hips. But pinned in place, restricted by the fabric still at her ankles, she’s stuck under me, completely at my mercy.

There was a time I would have worried that I was going to hurt her or the baby, but I learned my lesson quickly never to underestimate this woman.

I drag my hips back and thrust into her again, bottoming out deep enough to draw a gasp from her parted pink lips. She arches to meet the next one, frantic to move, to find that perfect position.

Unlike the orgasm I just gave her, I want to savor this one slowly, watch her build again, absorb the pleasure, and relish the way ecstasy flickers across her face until it finally brings her to that place where the world disappears.

The place only I can take her.

She squeezes around me with each retreat, her body clinging and trying to keep me inside, and I lean back slightly, altering the angle so that the head of my cock catches on that spot deep inside of her.

Her throaty moan confirms I’ve found it.

Soft hands and sharp nails claw at the back of my neck.

Her hips roll, trying to get the friction she needs.

And her eyes flutter open and meet mine—a carnal need shimmering across them.

“We don’t have much time, Dalton. Stop toying with me.”

I grin at her, stilling my movements. “But I love to do that so much.”

She digs her nails into my skin and pulls me down to her, brushing her mouth to mine. “You’re not going to love it if Pops and the kids come looking for us because we’ve been gone for too long.”

“Shit.”

I mutter the word against her mouth and redouble my efforts, grinding down and pressing my pelvis against her already engorged clit. Her hips rock against mine, and a frustrated whimper slips from her lips.

No more waiting.

I slide my free hand between us to give her the direct stimulation she needs.

“Oh, God…” She gasps, her head dropping back, neck straining. “That. Right. There.”

“I know, baby. I got you.”

A sharp pinch and twist later, her body trembles beneath me, her pussy clamping down and rippling along my cock as she comes again, which allows me finally to unleash what I’ve been holding back.

I increase my tempo, driving into her, needing it, needing this more today than I could have ever anticipated. When I finally come deep inside her and sag onto her warm, pliant body, she cradles me against her, kissing me gently against the temple.

“Well, that was a great lunch.”

Chuckling, I brush my lips over any skin I can get the them on.

She shivers. “But we need to go back to the lake.”

I nod. “We do.”

As much as I would love to lie here with her, soaking in the first truly spring day we’ve had this year in this beautiful meadow, real life is calling.

And Pops doesn’t deserve to be left to wrangle those two alone for long.

I reluctantly climb off her, my cock slipping out with a groan, and I tug my pants back up.

She does the same, wincing slightly. “Didn’t exactly think this through.”

I smirk. “I did.” Kissing her again, I cup her pussy through the stiff fabric. “And I love the thought of you walking around with my cum inside you until we can get back to the cabin and you can shower.”

“Jesus, Dalton…” She shakes her head, but the grin she offers tells me she isn’t offended in the least. “Keep talking like that and we’re never getting back to the lake.”

I slide back and get to my feet, then hold out a hand and tug her up. “Don’t tempt me.”

The walk back is quiet, peaceful, both of us content in a way that makes the beauty of the mountain explode tenfold. And by the time we step out into the clearing the lake sits in, I’ve almost forgotten how rough the last couple of weeks have been with her morning sickness and exhaustion because she seems more full of energy and life than I’ve seen her in a long time.

Pops’ voice carries to us as we approach him from behind. “Will you two knock it off?”

I drop my head closer to Camille’s, squeezing her hand. “Is he talking to us?”

She laughs. “I don’t think so. Probably the little terrors.”

Davey runs around the edge of the lake, with Hope chasing after him, trying to grab the string of fishes he holds high.

“Daveeeeeeey! Let me have them!”

She’s no match for his speed or agility at her age, and he’s taking full advantage.

We approach, and Pops glances over his shoulder. “Oh, thank God. These two are full of piss and vinegar today.”

I raise a brow, watching Davey continue to taunt his little sister. “When are they not?”

He smirks. “Good point, but we at least we have dinner.”

“Excellent.”

Hope runs up to me, her bottom lip quivering the way I know is about to spell tears, and I scoop her up. “What’s wrong, Princess?”

“Daddy…he won’t give me the fish.”

Davey offers an annoyed raise of his brows, as if to ask if he was supposed to. “I’m the one who caught them.”

Camille fights a grin but doesn’t move to intervene.

I motion toward the catches of the day. “That may be, but maybe you could let her carry them back to the house.”

He issues a reluctant sigh, then stalks over and holds up the string. “ Fine. Here.”

The attitude of a nine-year-old…

We haven’t even hit the hormonal teenage years yet, and already, I’m dreading it.

Hope smiles. “Thank you, Daddy.”

I let her back down to her feet, and she accepts the string from Davey and immediately starts racing back toward the path that will lead her to the cabin.

Pops pushes up from his spot on the rock and slowly lumbers toward his new toy—the ATV that helps him get around the property and actually be able to keep up with the kids. “I’ll meet you guys up there. Seems she doesn’t want to wait.”

He turns the machine and takes off after her, leaving Camille, Davey, and me on the shore.

I squat in front of him. “Thanks, buddy. That was a very nice thing to do, letting your sister help.”

He scowls slightly in a way that’s so much like his mother that I have to glance up at her.

She hides her smirk behind her hand, but she gives me a nod.

Confirmation that it’s time to do the thing we’ve been holding off on for the last few months.

“I know being a big brother is tough sometimes.” I reach out and squeeze Davey’s shoulder. “But you’re the best one there is, and you’re going to be with a new baby, too.”

His eyes widen. “New baby?”

He looks to his mom, and she drops her hand to her stomach and nods.

“Yes.”

Instead of being upset like I thought he might be, he grins. “It better be a boy this time. I can’t handle another sister.”

* * *

I hope you enjoyed Billionaire Lumberjack’s Bargain .