Epilogue
ASHER - FIVE YEARS LATER
So much has changed since Delilah and I married. We’ve had two kids, a son and a daughter. Both of them have changed my life. They made me step back and reevaluate my priorities. I don’t have to spend every day chasing money. New deals. Innovation. I’ve achieved more in the past decade than most could accomplish in multiple lifetimes.
The streaming empire Adrian and I built has delivered far more than I expected, thanks in large part to my gorgeous wife who kept me on track and sane through it all. But as much as I’ve accomplished over the years, the one accomplishment I’m proud of most of all is my family.
And I’m at a place in my career where I can slow down, focus on my family, and let Adrian take the reins. You’d think I’d be bored in my mini-retirement, but I’m finding that my wife and kids are more than capable of keeping me sharp and on my toes.
My Delilah. My Josephina. My Giorgio.
Josephina was first. We named her after Josie, who passed not long after our wedding. It was difficult, but she passed with all of us around her. Giorgio came a few years later and has been a tornado since birth.
I love them both dearly. Every day I spend with them is a blessing. I’m a lucky man, and I wouldn’t change a thing. The hole that opened up when my father died has been filled by the love of my family.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Lilah says, gazing out at the sunset over the vast savanna.
We’re staying at a lodge in the middle of the Serengeti. It has been on Lilah’s bucket list for years but she was adamant about paying for the trip in its entirety. Same with much of the list. My girl’s determined and driven and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
There are wild animals all around us, but I’ve only heard their calls. I’ve already fended off a wily giraffe this morning when he got a little too frisky with Lilah on our wildlife tour. If a lion were to waltz up to our balcony, I’d be ready—my kids have trained me well enough to handle any situation.
It’s the first time since Giorgio was born that we’re alone. The kids are with my mother and sister at the family’s villa in Ravenna. It’s strange to have this much alone time with Lilah again, but I’m going to take advantage of every second I have with her.
I walk slowly to her, my eyes never leaving her slender curves, accentuated by her silk robe. I swear she grows even more beautiful by the day, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to call her mine. I wrap my arms around her, hugging her as I slide my head next to hers, and whisper, “Fucking gorgeous. And the sunset isn’t bad either.”
I feel her chest rising and falling against me as she laughs. I savor the warmth. I breathe in her scent. I fucking love it. Her. No one in this world understands me better.
She spins around slowly and looks up at me as I cage her beneath me. “Kiss me,” she says.
I smile. I love how demanding she’s become. Bossy.
“You’d think I’d get used to that,” she says, sucking in her bottom lip.
“To what?”
“To your kisses leaving me breathless.”
“If that left you breathless,” I say, picking her up and carrying her to the bed. “Then what I’m about to do will destroy you.”
I lay her on the bed, pinning her underneath me as she smiles up at me.
“Promise?”
I slide off my underwear as I spread her legs, slipping into her moments later. She gasps and I catch her breath with my mouth, sealing my promise on her lips.
I’m yours.
Forever.
Thanks for reading!