Epilogue
EPILOGUE
LILAH - FOUR MONTHS LATER
I’m moments away from marrying Asher, but I still don’t believe it. I swear I’m going to wake up any moment now and all of this will disappear. No wedding dress. No ring. No nervous butterflies swirling in my stomach. I’ll be back in my apartment, the same Lilah I’ve always been. Financial life in ruin. My love life non-existent. And everything from the moment I walked into the Ridgeway Hotel would be nothing more than a fantastical figment of my imagination.
That’s the only explanation for all of this, right? But if all this ends up being one fantastic dream, I’d still be happy because for the first time in my life I felt what true love could be.
There’s a knock on the door, followed by a craggy voice. “Let me in, Lilah. I must see the beautiful bride.”
I laugh, unlocking the door for Josie.
“Heavens,” she says, fanning herself as she looks me up. “I’m not sure that dress is going to make it through the wedding in one piece.”
“What do you mean?”
She grabs my shoulder, glasses dropping to the tip of her nose as she stares at me seriously. “I’m afraid the moment Asher sees you, he’s going to tear that dress right off you.”
I laugh. She’s not far off the mark. I swear I’ve gone through more wardrobe changes these past few months than most people in their entire life. When Asher wants me, nothing stands in his way, especially clothes.
But I love it—how he’s so fiercely hungry for me that he can’t control himself. It can lead to some less-than-ideal circumstances when it happens at work. But it’s a lucky problem in the grand scheme of things.
I’d be sad to see this dress in tatters though. It’s gorgeous, and I love that my bump is noticeable. Our baby is going to be at our wedding.
“Asher can keep himself in check when the occasion calls for it,” I say, remembering his month of celibacy. Lord, that was hell for both of us.
“Specifically, when my wife calls for it,” Asher says from behind us.
His voice is deep and rumbly and I feel it all over my body. Wife? Holy hell, he’s never called me that before and it’s driving me wild. I forget all about tradition and superstition. The way he’s looking at me, leaning against the doorway in his tux is making me sweat. It’s wringing out all of my wedding day jitters and all I want to do is leap on top of him.
Josie leans in and whispers, “Good luck.”
She pats Asher’s arm on the way out, whispering something I can’t hear before she leaves. All the while Asher hasn’t taken his eyes off me, skewering me in place with a sizzling gaze. Finally, he moves, pushing away from the doorway and kicking the door shut behind him as he closes the gap between us.
“God you’re so fucking sexy,” he growls, hands fixed to my waist.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I say, smiling at him.
He drags his fingertips lightly across my collarbone, lower to the swell of my breasts before dipping them beneath the fabric. “I could rip this off without much effort,” he says.
“But then we’d have to call off the wedding. I don’t think you’d like it if I walked down the aisle in what I’m wearing beneath this dress.”
The tendons in his jaw twinge but the bulge in his pants grows. “And what exactly are you wearing,” he rasps, fingers toying with the swell of my breasts, “beneath this dress?”
“You’ll have to wait,” I breathe, my pulse thrumming.
His hand slides to my throat and then back down, flattening at the base of my neck. Thump, thump, thump. There’s no way he doesn’t feel that pounding. It’s all I can hear.
“You know I’m not a patient man when it comes to you.”
I swallow. “I know.” And that’s what I love about him. There’s not a single moment when we’re together that he doesn’t make it clear how much he desires me.
“Then you know I’m going to find out right now.”
I nod, a smile creeping onto my lips as he lowers himself to his knees before disappearing beneath my dress.
“Oh!” I gasp as I feel his palms slide against my thighs. “Are you sure— oh—ohhhhh,” I moan as he slips my leg over his shoulder.
“Mine,” he says, dragging his tongue along my slit. “This pussy belongs to me. Say it.”
“It belongs to you, Asher,” I breathe, barely holding on as he continues to work miracles beneath my dress.
“Good girl,” he rasps, swirling his tongue against me.
His hands grip my ass, pulling me closer to him as his tongue does sinful things to me. God, this feels so good. Asher knows how to work me up. Knows what I like. What I need. And right now he’s making me forget about my wedding day as my orgasm builds.
I grind against his mouth as he growls against me. His fingers dig into my flesh as he increases his pace. Grunting. Moaning. The air is filled with both of us but I don’t care if anyone hears.
“Right there,” I moan, bucking against him as I nearly topple over him. I shouldn’t be standing, but Asher is keeping me in place, gripping me as he devours me.
“Come for me Mrs. Blacke. I need my wife to come.”
My mind does somersaults as my heart leaps into my throat. Mrs. Blacke. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve heard from Asher’s mouth and it sends me over the edge and I come harder than ever.
“That’s it,” he moans, lapping me up. “That’s my wife.”
He slides my leg off his shoulder and then disentangles himself from my dress before collecting me in his arms. The way he’s looking down at me with such genuine happiness makes me melt.
“I love you, Lilah Elizabeth Blacke.”
I stare at him for a long beat. I can’t speak. Every emotion is welling up inside of me ready to burst out. I reach for his face, cradling it before pulling him into a kiss.
I’ve never been happier.
I found my soulmate and I’m never letting him go.