Epilogue - Laila
Laila had a smile on her face before she opened her eyes. She woke up wearing one every day since she and her mate rekindled their romance. There was nothing like basking in the warmth of Tolliver’s arms first thing in the morning. She felt cherished and safe.
Shuffling in his arms, she twisted her body around to look at him. He looked peaceful and in his sleep. His eyelashes fanned his chiseled cheekbones, and a lock of glossy chestnut hair fell over one eye. He looked so adorable, and she couldn’t help touching him. She lifted a hand to trace a finger over his lower lip. He inhaled deeply, and then his eyes opened.
Staring into the most intense pools of green, she smiled. “Hi.”
“Morning. Were you watching me sleep?”
“Uh-huh, but in a non-creepy, non-stalker-ish way.”
Tolliver laughed. That was the joy Laila brought into his life—laughter from the moment he woke up. “I’m not ashamed to say I wouldn’t mind having you as my stalker. I mean, you’re wicked hot, Thomas.”
She blushed and swatted his arm. She couldn’t get enough of his praises. After she gave birth, she was self-conscious about the few extra pounds she’d put on, but Tolliver wasn’t having it. He made her feel like the most beautiful girl in the world.
“Oh, so it’s all right to be a stalker if one is hot?”
“If she looks like you, I’d never complain.”
“Oh, my gosh.” Giggling, she shuffled out of his arms. “You’re crazy.”
“Crazy about you.” He snagged her wrist. “And where do you think you’re going?”
“To make breakfast.”
“I’d rather have you for breakfast.”
“Tolliver…” After last night’s activities, she thought he’d be exhausted. He was insatiable… not that she minded.
Wearing a devilish smile, he pulled her back to him. “You’re not leaving this bed until we’re both satisfied, woman.”
“Don’t you woman me,” she said, but her words came out as more than a pleased moan rather than a reprimand. Her back was pressed against his chest, and his hand was already slipping between her thighs. It was easy for him to reach his goal since neither of them had a stitch on. She sucked in a breath when his fingers brushed her sensitive spot. He knew exactly how to touch her to drive her wild.
Laila moaned and moved her hips, trying to get closer to his skilled fingers.
“Do you still want to leave to make breakfast?” he asked with his lips pressed against her ear.
His breath caressed her skin, making her shiver with delight. “Gods, no. Don’t you dare stop.”
Chuckling wickedly, Tolliver slipped a finger between her wet folds, making her gasp. “So wet,” he purred. “I love how easily you get ready for me, mate.”
She moaned in response. He didn’t have to touch her to get her aroused. All he had to do was walk into the room, and she was ready to offer herself to him. She was so weak to him, and she had no shame about it. She arched her back, silently begging for more, and he obliged by applying more pressure to her clit.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, his voice husky with desire.
She peeked up at him to see him watching her closely. She used to find it daunting having him stare into her soul like that while he drove to the brink of ecstasy, but now she liked it. She stared back at him, allowing him to see the pleasure flickering across her face.
Laila’s body was on fire, her senses overwhelmed by the sensations Tolliver created. She was desperate to touch him, too, so she reached behind her to tangle her fingers in his hair as she tugged him down for a kiss. Their lips met in a feverous kiss that heightened her pleasure. His fingers never stopped teasing and stroking until heat blossomed in her core and spread throughout her body. Her orgasm hit her hard, and her body trembled beneath Tolliver’s touch.
She felt as though she was floating on a cloud of ecstasy. Before she made her way back to earth, Tolliver had positioned himself between her legs. She welcomed him eagerly, pawing at every part of his hard body she could get her hands on. He entered her swiftly, driving the breath from her lungs. Every cell of her body had been excited by her first orgasm, so each of Tolliver’s thrusts sent shockwaves of pleasure surging through her.
Laila clawed at Tolliver's back, relishing the way his muscles flexed beneath her touch. Her walls clenched around him, urging him to go faster. Her surprised shriek bounced off the walls when he flipped them over without warning.
She blinked down at him as she straddled his hips. “Ride me, Laila. Take what you want,” he encouraged.
Heat seared her cheeks and spread down to her neck. No matter how long she was with Tolliver, she’d always blush like a virgin when he was unabashedly verbal during sex. He palmed her hips and guided her movements until she caught the rhythm and moved on her own. His gaze roved over her body with such intensity that she felt like the most desired woman in the world.
“You look incredible on top,” he groaned as he cupped her breasts. She threw her head back, moaning at the sensation of his fingers teasing her nipples. Every touch from him set her skin ablaze all over again, and she was dangerously close to another orgasm. She knew he was close too by the way he thrust up into her with urgency.
The familiar tension in her stomach grew tighter and tighter until she was ready to explode. Once more thrust sent her tumbling over the edge. Tolliver followed soon after with a growl that rumbled in his chest. For a second, his eyes flashed gold before flickering back to green.
Laila would always love the fact that she was the only one who could get him to lose his valued control. She collapsed on top of him, panting and spent. Tolliver's arms were tight around her as he fought to catch his breath. Lying with him like that, skin to skin felt so good that she didn't want to move. They stayed intertwined for a while—longer than she had planned.
Finally, when her strength returned, she stirred. “We should get up before Nate wakes up.”
“Mm-hmm,” he hummed into her hair.
“I thought you were going into the office this morning.” She lifted her head to look at him. “Aren’t you going to be late?”
“Work can wait. I might not even go in today.”
Laila’s eyebrows elevated. “Oh no, I think I broke you. I turned the obsessive workaholic into a slacker.”
Tolliver grinned. “But you love me anyway, right?”
“I sure do.”
Just as he threaded his fingers in her hair to pull her in for a kiss, a baby’s gurgles carried down the hallway. With their acute hearing, it was loud and clear.
“And there goes our morning peace,” Tolliver said. However, his tone was affectionate because he loved the chaos their baby created in the mornings as much as she did.
Chuckling, she scrambled off him. “We have two minutes before the crying begins.”
“I’ll get him while you head to the kitchen,” Tolliver said.
“Sounds like a plan.”
And they were off.
Later, when Tolliver walked into the kitchen with Nate in his arms, Laila took one look at them, and her heart almost exploded with sheer joy. Tolliver had captured her heart—well, recaptured it—and she couldn’t imagine a life without him. He had given her everything she wanted, and she had never been happier.
*****
THE END