Piercing Eyes (The Perfect Man #2)

8. Epilogue — Rory

6 MONTHS LATER

I can’t imagine a more perfect honeymoon.

I’m lying on a ridiculously comfortable lounge chair, watching palm fronds sway against the bright blue Hawaiian sky. It’s day three of our ten-day trip, and I still can’t quite believe this is my life right now. The beach stretches out in front of me, a postcard-perfect view of white sand meeting stunning turquoise water. Talk about heaven on earth.

“Here you go, gorgeous. One virgin strawberry daiquiri.” Aiden appears beside my chair, fresh from the hotel bar. He hands me the drink, his eyes crinkling with a smile that makes my heart skip, then leans down to press a gentle kiss against my baby bump before claiming the lounger next to mine.

“Thanks, hon,” I say before taking a sip of my drink. The deliciousness of the drink barely registers because I’m distracted by watching my husband as he stretches out on his chair. I blame the pregnancy hormones for making me extra mushy, but damn , my husband is handsome. I exhale a sigh as I lose myself in the sight of him. “God, you’re pretty.”

He laughs, those infinitely gorgeous eyes of his turning warm as he looks me over. “You should check out a mirror, Rory. You’re the gorgeous one.”

I make a face at him, but I love how he looks at me like that. Six months of being together, and he still manages to make me feel like I’m the only person in the world. The whole assistant-to-girlfriend transition should’ve been weird, but it wasn’t. Turns out we make a pretty incredible team when we’re not trying to pretend our relationship is purely professional.

And yet, even with things going as well as they were, I wasn’t prepared when Aiden proposed to me during another visit to Pier 39. One evening he insisted we take a walk there, and I didn’t think anything of it until we rounded the corner to the sea lion viewing area. The whole spot was filled with flowers, and the sunset was turning the bay this impossibly perfect shade of gold. Before I could even process what was happening, he was down on one knee, telling me how in love he was with me and how he couldn’t imagine any other future than one where we were making a life together. When I said yes and leapt into his arms for a kiss, the sea lions erupted in a chorus of barking like they were cheering us on.

“Aiden? Is that you, man?”

We both look over to see Jackson King walking toward us, his big frame casting a shadow across the sand.

“Jackson, hey!” Aiden sits up straighter, grinning. “What are the odds? What are you doing in Hawaii?”

“Just needed a vacation. Finally decided to check Hawaii off my bucket list.” Jackson grins, his eyes moving between Aiden and me with barely contained curiosity. I can tell he’s wondering about seeing us together but trying not to jump to conclusions this time.

Aiden laughs. “I can tell what you’re thinking, man. A lot has changed since we last saw you. Rory and I got married last week. We’re actually expecting a baby, too.”

Jackson’s expression completely softens. “Are you serious?” His eyes actually get a little watery, which is endearing coming from someone as big as him. “That’s—wow. That’s really beautiful. I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Thanks, Jackson,” I say, genuinely touched by how emotional he is about our news.

“Hold up.” His eyes widen. “You said you just got married—am I interrupting your honeymoon right now?”

“Yeah, we’re three days in,” Aiden says, looking as content as I’ve ever seen him.

“Oh man, I’m totally in the way.” Jackson shakes his head. “What are you doing talking to me? Get back to enjoying paradise. Seriously, congratulations—you guys look really happy together.”

We watch him disappear down the beach, and I can’t help laughing. “What are the chances of running into him again?”

“Right?” Aiden is quiet for a moment, then turns to me with a thoughtful expression. “Hey, you don’t have any single friends who might be good for Jackson, do you? He’s been single for ages.”

“Not at the moment.” I take another sip of my drink. “But if any of them become available, I’ll keep our favorite big softie in mind.”

We finish our drinks and gather our things as the sun starts its descent toward the horizon. The temperature has dropped just enough to make me grateful when Aiden wraps his beach towel around my shoulders.

“So,” he says as we walk along the path back to the hotel, “how many little baseball players are we planning on?”

I laugh. “Bold of you to assume they’ll all play baseball.”

“No pressure.” His eyes sparkle with amusement. “But I’m just saying, with those Edwards genes...”

“You do remember that any babies we have will be getting my genes in the mix too, right?” I laugh. “And in case you’ve forgotten, I have exactly zero athletic ability.”

“Maybe we should have four then,” he says. “You know, even out the odds of getting at least one baseball player.”

“Four?” I stop walking to stare at him. “You’re really planning ahead there.”

He grins. “What can I say? I love the idea of having a big family with you. Though maybe not all at once.”

“How generous of you to space them out.” I start walking again, shaking my head. “You know they might want to do other things, right? Like paint or play chess or—I don’t know—write children’s books?”

“Even better.” His voice goes soft in that way that makes my heart flutter. “As long as they’re happy. That’s all that matters.”

I lean into him as we walk, loving how he can shift from playful to sincere in an instant. Even though Aiden is always joking around, he has this way of knowing exactly when to be serious, when to really listen.

“Hey.” He stops suddenly, nodding toward a restaurant nestled against the shoreline. “That place looks nice. Want to check it out?”

I’m about to point out that we’re not exactly dressed for fine dining, but he’s already leading me toward the entrance. The hostess smiles as soon as she sees us. “Mr. and Mrs. Edwards? Right this way.”

I shoot Aiden a look, but he just gives me his most innocent expression as we follow her through the restaurant. She leads us to a corner table on the outdoor terrace, positioned perfectly to watch the sunset over the ocean. There are fresh flowers on the table and a bottle of sparkling cider already chilling.

“You planned this,” I say once we’re alone.

“Maybe.” He reaches across the table to take my hand. “Or maybe I just got really lucky with the timing. And the reservation. And the flowers. And?—”

“Shut up.” I’m trying not to smile but failing completely. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Make me fall more in love with you every day.”

His expression softens in a way that makes my chest ache. “Just trying to give you the life you deserve, Rory.”

After dinner, we head back to our luxurious honeymoon suite—which I’m still getting used to, even after spending two nights here. I tried to talk Aiden out of it when he first showed me the reservation, insisting it was too extravagant, but he wouldn’t hear it. Now, watching the moonlight spill through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the plush white carpet, I have to admit the view alone is worth it.

While Aiden changes, I take the opportunity to pull out my phone for a quick check of my work email. I know it’s our honeymoon, but I can’t help myself.

His protest is immediate. “Don’t even think about it.”

“It’ll take two seconds,” I promise, swiping the screen. “I just want to make sure there aren’t any urgent emails for you.”

“Everyone can wait.” He crosses the room in three long strides, leaving his shirt half-unbuttoned. He plucks the phone from my hands and sets it on the nearby table. “I’m officially forbidding you from checking your email for the rest of this trip.”

“You can be really bossy sometimes, you know that?” I tilt my chin up at him, trying to look annoyed even as heat pools in my stomach at the commanding tone in his voice.

“You like it.” His hands find my waist, backing me up against the wall.

“Oh, you’re telling me what I like now?” My words come out breathy despite my attempt at indignation.

“I know exactly what you like, sweetheart.” His hands smooth over my hips as he dips his mouth to mine, his eyes alight with heated desire. “Your body tells me everything I need to know.”

When his lips meet mine, everything else disappears completely. There’s only Aiden, only this kiss, only our endless affection for each other. With this man, I’m happier than I ever thought possible. I’m loved, protected, and exactly where I’m meant to be.

And I know that decades from now, when he looks at me, it will still make my heart melt.

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