Savage Beauty (The Arrow Tactical Series Book 5)

Epilogue

Sloane

Three Years Later

“Sloane?”

Max appears in the doorway wearing an unbuttoned flannel shirt over a t-shirt that hugs his muscles in all the right places. He’s not as muscular as he used to be, but he’s still book-cover-worthy. He spends hours in the gym, which balances his newfound love of cooking. To ease some of his joint pain, he’s transitioned from triathlons and crazy extreme races to rowing. As expected, he competes when possible, and often wins. When he can’t get out on the water, he jumps on his rowing machine and competes virtually against folks all around the country. Some days he’s up at four a.m. to get his workout routine in.

His mom once asked me if his competitive nature bothered me, and it was the strangest question. He never complains that I don’t care for most food. Why would I complain about his habits? As long as he’s healthy, there’s no reason to complain.

That seems to be his take on me too. He’s constantly leaving chopped-up cheese or mini pizzas on my desk. He sets out vitamins for me every morning, and he’s perfected my all-time favorite morning smoothie.

He’s not even a scientist, but he’s become my favorite person.

For my part, I learned how to massage him, both with a handheld machine and my hands. I have cold compresses in the freezer and heating pads in the closet. He still goes regularly to a professional masseuse, but he says no one kneads his muscles like I do. We both get a lot out of his massage sessions.

His gaze falls to the present I’m attempting to wrap. The pale-yellow wrapping paper has little rubber duckies all across it. I had hoped the ducks would allow me to cut a straight line.

“Are you using a ruler?”

I’m wrapping presents for Sage and Knox’s baby shower. Max told me I didn’t need to buy everything on her gift registry, and I didn’t. But I did make a habit of checking it periodically and purchased everything others did not purchase within the first week. I’m her sister, and I’m allowed to do that.

It’s imperative she have everything she asks for, although I strongly disagree with her decision to wait to learn the gender. That makes absolutely no sense to me.

“I’m not good at wrapping presents.” It’s not something I typically worry about, but there will be a lot of people at the shower, and I don’t want these gifts to look like a child wrapped them.

“You did a good job on those.” He points to two presents I didn’t wrap.

“The one without a bow is from Tristan and Lucia.”

“Why’d they ship it here?”

“Because it’s a surprise baby shower.” I’m throwing the shower for Sage, and it’s the first party I’ve ever thrown. Knox handled the guest list.

Tristan and Lucia plan on coming to the States after the baby is born. Max and I are going to meet them in Asheville and then travel with them for a long weekend in Napa. Sage and Knox won’t be able to join us because they’ll have a baby.

Sage’s life is about to change. I still wish she wasn’t doing this to herself, but I have accepted it and support her.

“Oh. I almost forgot. Another present arrived. It’s already wrapped.”

“What company is it from?”

“There’s no return address. No shipping label.” He leaves and returns with a box wrapped in shiny silver paper.

I frown at the box. “I have no idea what that is.”

“You’ll be surprised at the shower. As it stands, I’d say Sage is going to be thrilled with everything you’re doing.”

“These presents need bows. I was thinking I would add them when we get set up.”

Sage believes she’s coming to eat dinner at Edison’s, a restaurant at The Grove Park, to celebrate the publication of my research study. When they enter, they’ll walk into a room filled with balloons, presents, and friends. Knox and Jimmy invited almost the entire school. It was hard to get Edison’s reserved, but it has a great view of the mountains, and it’s a place Sage once told me she likes.

“When are your parents getting in?”

“In a few hours.”

Max’s parents are driving up from Florida and staying with us. I wish his parents could have met mine, because I think they would have liked each other.

I can’t stop looking at the silver present. “Where’s the box that came in?”

“Already broke it apart and put it in recycling.”

“Max, there has to be something in there that will tell us who it’s from.”

“I promise you. There wasn’t anything.”

He grins his sexy grin. It’s what he does when he needs me to chill out. And then he steps closer, and his pupils expand, which is what happens when his mind is on sex.

“If we’re going to do that, then you have to wrap the rest of these presents.”

“Getting tired?”

“I have five paper cuts.”

“Hmm.” He presses his lips to one particularly sore reddish cut. “Poor baby.”

I lift his hand and press a kiss above his wedding band. We got married in Vegas over a year ago.

Marriage isn’t something I ever wanted. It’s not something I ever thought I’d agree to. But Max had a friend’s bachelor party in Vegas. He convinced me to join him by telling me I’d love the hotel and I could spend time in the Canyon Ranch spa. I went mostly so I wouldn’t be away from Max for too long. And we were walking by a chapel, not one with Elvis but another, normal-looking chapel without a line, and he asked me if I’d spend the rest of my life with him.

And I told him I hoped to. And he asked if I’d be willing to wear his ring.

And I told him only if he’ll wear one, too.

And he said excellent.

He tried to guide me into the chapel, and I reminded him I’m an atheist. And he said he understood, but that it would mean the world to his parents if we took this step, and without him saying it, I understood. They mean the world to him.

An hour later, we were in the chapel. He told me we could do a big ceremony later if I wanted. But I don’t want to. What we did was perfect, between us, and we have it on video, and his parents are happy. And so is Max. I want Max to be happy.

When Sage got married, she had a million images on Pinterest boards. Thankfully, I’m a spreadsheet queen, and in half a day we had her wedding planned and budgeted. On the day of her wedding, I kept thinking it was just like Mom and Dad would have wanted. We left spots for them in the family row, and lit candles for Mom, Dad, and Sam.

Marriage didn’t make much sense to me, but I wanted it to be perfect for my little sister. And now that I have a husband of my own, I understand. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of seeing that platinum band on his ring finger because it means he’s mine. He’s my person.

His lips press against my throat, then find the spot right below my ear.

“Is everything ready in the guest room?”

“Yep.”

I tug at his shirt as he backs me up to the wall.

Neither of us is working today. I never took vacation days before, but Max makes them worthwhile.

“Are you thinking up against the wall?”

I like it when he presses me against a wall and takes me. I like it on a table. The kitchen counter. The sofa. Shower. Anywhere with Max.

He doesn’t answer, just gives me a lazy smile. And then he claims me. In the most savage way possible. And I love it.

The End

Up next is Tristan’s story, in Sinful Beauty.

When he lures the girl, it’s just another day undercover until the unthinkable occurs…

She steals his heart and disappears.