Epilogue
Maxim
Ava’s bent forward, one hand braced against the wall, the other clamped over her mouth to stifle the moans spilling out.
I hike her short skirt higher, just enough to watch my cock sliding in and out of her tight, eager hole, that greedy little slit sucking me in like it can’t get enough.
Even with her palm sealing her lips to save face, anyone passing the door could hear the wet smack of my balls against her ass and know exactly what’s going down in here. Not that I give a fuck.
There’s not much left to hide in this house.
But Ava hates the idea of anyone catching on that I’m fucking my fiancée.
My goddamn fiancée. Ever since I slipped that two-carat ring on her finger with some half-assed romantic gesture, my craving for her’s gone through the roof.
I swear, the second I come, one look at her has me hard all over again.
I never thought I’d get hooked on one woman. The idea of wanting only one used to sound like a joke. But here I am, completely gone for her. And I swear, even if every woman in the world stripped naked in front of me, I’d still track the scent of my own little vixen.
It’s not just her pretty face or that killer body that’s got me chained.
I worship every damn inch of this woman.
I admire the sweet hell she’s unleashed on my life.
And I’m grateful as fuck for the gift of Aurora.
There are times a man goes blind to what’s buried in his own bones.
I never thought I’d make a halfway decent dad, let alone get this much kick out of it.
But Aurora crashing into my world unannounced, it’s like someone flipped on the lights. Everything’s sharper, brighter.
I grip Ava’s ass hard and drive in those final thrusts, groaning low from the gut as I empty myself inside her, holding still till her shudders fade out.
I slide an arm around her chest and pull her up against me, cup her chin between thumb and forefinger, turn her face to mine, and kiss her deep and slow.
She nips at my lip and grumbles, “You’ve got the worst timing in the world, Maxim. I bet everyone knows why you suddenly had the urge to show me your favorite childhood book.”
I palm her breast through the fabric, flick my tongue over her earlobe.
“You didn’t enjoy seeing my childhood book, strawberry?”
She presses her hips back against me, answering with that wicked glint:
“Wait till after New Year’s, and I’ll read you my favorite book.”
I chuckle and kiss her again. My sexy little vixen wants me just as bad as I want her. What could be better than that?
I grab a few tissues, wipe her clean between her legs after tucking my cock back into my pants and zipping up. She smooths down her skirt and pulls out a small mirror from her purse to fix her makeup. I take her hand to lead her to the door when she stops me:
“Aren’t you going to give me back my panties?”
I dip a hand into my pocket and fish out the red lace thong.
“This one?”
She just arches a brow at me. I bring it to my nose and take a deep breath of that sweet, musky scent clinging to it. Then I shove it back in my pocket and head for the door.
“Nah, you won’t need it tonight anyway.”
Her laugh rings in my ear. “Pervert!”
When we rejoin the others, Ava heads straight for Emily and a few of the women, but something feels off. I scan the room. No sign of the kids, but their nanny’s still here, standing near a table. I stride over, crouch down, and lift the tablecloth that drapes all the way to the floor.
Just as I thought. My little carrot, hair tied in ribbons on both sides, is hiding under the table with Carlo’s two little troublemakers, playing house. The moment she sees me, her face lights up in a sweet smile, showing off her tiny, adorable teeth.
“Daddy, we’re playing house!”
My brows shoot up, and I eye Carlo’s boys, who are staring me down with dead-serious faces. Both look like miniature versions of their father, except Gabriel’s got a touch of Emily’s calm, while Luca is pure Carlo. I raise a finger at them.
“Hey, boys. Playing house with Aurora behind closed doors or long tablecloths is off-limits. Got it?”
I hear Carlo’s voice right behind me.
“My sons won’t turn into a pervert like you, Maxim. No need to worry.”
I glance over my shoulder at him with a smirk. “Yeah, right. Like you were some damn prophet before Emily, guess that makes your kids little saints, huh?”
I reach out and scoop Aurora into my arms, straighten my back, and turn to Carlo, who’s grinning at us.
“Besides, take a look at this doll! This kind of beauty could tempt a saint into sin. How could I not worry?”
I tickle her cheeks with my stubble, and she squeals with laughter, her pale skin flushing pink as she tugs at my hair. “Daddy, no!”
I hold her tighter, plant one last kiss on both her cheeks, and hand her off to the nanny to take her upstairs to bed.
We finish dinner and wine, then step out onto the mansion’s grand terrace near midnight to watch the New Year’s fireworks.
Ava rubs her bare arms. “I’m cold.”
Since I’m only wearing a sweater, I head back inside to grab something warmer for her, and that’s when I spot Aurora spinning in the middle of the room in her little blue pajama set.
When I call her name, she turns to me with sleepy eyes and stretches out her arms. I scoop her up, stroking her hair. “What are you doing out here, sweetheart?”
She just lays her head on my shoulder and doesn’t say anything. A glance at the clock tells me there’s no time to tuck her back in, so I return to the terrace and wrap the blanket around Ava’s shoulders.
Her eyes widen when she sees Aurora. “What’s she doing here?”
“Probably woke up from a bad dream.”
“She’ll get cold in those pajamas.”
I meet Aurora’s drowsy gaze. “Wanna be my baby kangaroo?”
She probably doesn’t understand, but she’s such a sweet kid she gives me a sleepy smile and nods. I lift the hem of my sweater and tuck her inside, letting her small head peek out from the loose neckline. Her warm breath brushes against my skin as she buries her face into the curve of my neck.
Her scent fills my lungs, and for a moment I’m drunk on it, can’t believe there was ever a time the idea of fatherhood used to scare the hell out of me.
Sure, being a dad isn’t easy, but it’s nowhere near as terrifying as I once thought.
There was a time I couldn’t picture myself tied down to a woman and a kid, and now...
life without them would be the end of my world.
Ava smiles at the sight and threads her fingers through mine as we both look up at the sky. The countdown begins, voices rising all around us, and when the night explodes in bursts of color, cheers echo across the terrace.
Aurora startles at the noise, lifting her head against my neck, her sleepiness gone. I slide my free arm around Ava’s waist and pull her close, then lean in and kiss her, deep and full of feeling.
“Happy New Year, my little vixen.”
Damn right. This gorgeous woman is officially mine now, just as I’m hers. Guess every wild stallion, no matter how untamed, finds someone who can break him one day.
She strokes my jaw and whispers, “Happy New Year, my handsome fiancé.”
I look at her, completely smitten, drinking her in until I finally pull back a little. Aurora’s still staring at the sky in awe, her tiny hand wriggling out from my sweater to point upward.
“Daddy, look! The sky’s on fire.”
Ava laughs, her bright face glowing in the shimmer of fireworks. I can’t tear my eyes off her as I murmur, voice low and steady, “As long as we’re together, no fire can burn us.”
Ava blinks slowly in quiet conviction, tilts her head to the sky, then presses closer to me.
“Not even the flames of hell,” she says softly. “As long as we have each other, we can survive anything.”
The End