Epilogue
Brynn
“Does Ryan know you’re cheating on him?”
Addison gasps, dropping a handful of popcorn and looking over at me. “How dare you? I would never cheat on my husband, Ryan Gosling. He knows about my flirtation with Mark Wahlberg. It’s strictly casual, and it’s how we keep the spice alive in our marriage.”
Killian is on the other side of the couch with Toast curled up on his lap, his phone in his hand. “This probably doesn’t need to be said, but never take marriage advice from her.”
I glance over at him with a mild smile. “What? You don’t think I should have a flirtation should our marriage ever get a little stale?”
“I mean, maybe, if you want to see me kill a motherfucker. I suppose that could spice things up.”
“Death seems an extreme punishment for flirtation,” Addison says.
“You think that’s extreme? Wait ’til you see how I’d do it.” He looks up from his phone. “We should probably get going. Ryan said he’s almost there.”
I grab the remote to power off the TV while Addison closes her bag of popcorn. “We’ll have to see if Dusty gets his girl back later.”
“I bet he does. I know Dusty is clearly toxic and I do like what’s his name, but Sara doesn’t look at him the way she looks at Dusty,” Addison reasons.
“We need to have a Marky Mark night, give your side dish a little love, too.”
Addison nods. “I think that’s fair. What do you say, Killian? You want to watch Mark Wahlberg movies with us and your friend named Mark?”
“I don’t have a friend named Mark,” he tells her.
“Maybe you should get one.”
“Maybe you should mind your place as a third wheel and not invite me on movie dates with my own wife,” he shoots back.
“Did I miss my invite to the wedding? Last I checked, she’s not your wife yet.”
“Bold to assume we’re inviting you.”
“Play nice, you two,” I say, standing and walking over to grab my purse.
Killian follows me, grabbing my ass and hauling me against him for a kiss. “I don’t have to play nice. You already agreed to marry me and there are no take backs.”
I grin against his lips. “I wouldn’t want to take that back, anyway. I can’t wait to marry you.”
“You guys should do a destination wedding and get married in Paris,” Addison suggests.
“We might,” I say, taking Killian’s hand and glancing over at her as we all make our way out of the apartment. “I like the idea of eloping. I don’t have family to invite, so it will just be Killian’s family and all our friends at the wedding if we have one. But I like the idea of a more intimate ceremony, just the two of us—well, three of us,” I amend, rubbing my still-flat belly. “Then maybe we could have a reception to celebrate with our friends after.”
“We should totally look at dresses while we’re at the bridal shop.”
We’re on our way there now. Not for our wedding, but for Silvan and Sophie’s.
Technically, Sophie’s bridesmaids ordered their dresses before I would have been invited to be one, but since Addison and I wear the same size, Killian told her to order a second dress and he’d pay for it so that if things worked out in time for Silvan’s wedding, I could join the other Blue Blood WAGs in the processional.
It’s time for all the bridesmaids to get our alterations before the big day, so Addison came over and we’re going to the shop together to try on our dresses. I haven’t gained weight yet since I can barely keep food down and I’m not far along, but I’m still a tad nervous about the dress not fitting.
Ryan is one of Silvan’s groomsmen, so he’s meeting us at the bridal shop. Killian and I are having lunch with him and Addison after, so we expected Ryan to be waiting for us, but we weren’t expecting Hex.
“What are you doing here?” Killian asks, gripping my hand a little tighter on instinct.
We don’t have issues with him anymore since we got engaged and Killian is no longer risking the wrath of Roger Whitley to be with me, but we haven’t spent enough time with Hex for that instinct to hold me a little tighter when he’s around to subside.
I don’t mind it, though.
I like when Killian holds me a little tighter.
“Apparently it’s alterations day,” Hex says wryly. “Couldn’t be missed.”
There’s a smiling blond girl beside him, but I’ve never seen her before. Addison goes over to say hi to her, and they disappear inside the dress shop together like old friends, so I reason maybe she’s a Zeta.
I follow more slowly, with Killian, Hex, and Ryan, and Hex falls into step beside me.
“I didn’t know you were seeing anyone,” I say, looking up at him.
“I’m not,” he says casually, hands in his pockets.
“Oh. But you ordered her a bridesmaid dress? Is she your designated girlfriend duties girl?”
“No. I don’t have one of those. I just made sure the girl I’m fucking now was the same size as the one I was fucking when we did the dress shopping. Problem solved.”
“Ew.”
He smirks faintly. “Don’t be jealous. We’ll always have the masquerade… and our other memories.”
I shoot him a look, my cheeks warming a bit. “I never did return your mantle.”
“You can keep it,” he tells me. “I’m sure I wouldn’t want it back at this point.”
My cheeks warm even more remembering Killian fucking me in the woods while I wore that mantle. “No, probably not.”
Addison and the blonde are already waiting at the counter when we walk in, so I go over to join them. The lady pulls up the file for Silvan and Sophie’s wedding to see what we’re picking up.
“Okay, so we have Sloane, Avery, and Addison here to try on their dresses, correct?”
“Wow. No,” Addison says, shaking her head. “One for three. I am Addison.”
“I’m Brynn,” I tell her.
“Not Avery?”
“Not Avery.”
“Who even is Avery?” Addison asks.
“Andrei’s girlfriend duties girl,” Ryan says. “His friend’s little sister. She’s a freshman.”
Hex frowns. “Isn’t he dating Esme?”
“Yeah, but he wasn’t sure he still would be. Didn’t want to make long-term plans like Silvan’s wedding with a girl who might not be around, so he just had them size Avery for it.”
“Yikes,” Addison says.
“Bet Esme will love that,” Killian remarks, smirking.
Ryan shrugs. “I don’t think he cares. You know his relationships have the lifespan of an avocado. This one’s already running a little long for him. Avery’s sweet. You guys will like her.”
“But he isn’t fucking Avery, to be clear?” Hex asks.
“He’s not, and no one else is going to, either, so don’t get any ideas.”
“Hey, you said she’s sweet. I like sweet.”
It takes his blonde a moment to realize he’s already shopping for her replacement and she’s not even wearing the dress of the girl she replaced yet. When she does, her smile dims.
I exchange looks with Addison, but she offers a “she knew what she was signing up for” kind of shrug.
Once we get our names sorted out, the lady goes back to get our dresses so we can try them on. The blonde wanders off sadly, perhaps hoping Hex will follow her to see what’s wrong, but he doesn’t.
“Poor girl,” I say to Addison. “She seemed so happy when we got here.”
Addison moves a short white dress back on the rack to look at one behind it. “She knew she was coming here to try on some other girl’s dress. Maybe she needed to adjust her expectations.”
“Maybe, but it’s easy to get carried away with Hex.”
“He’s just looking for a warm body to feed on. If she wants more than that, she’s looking in the wrong place.”
“That’s not very romantic,” I murmur.
“You don’t hook up with Hex because you’re looking for romance,” Addison says with a faint smile.
“You don’t hook up with Hex at all if you’re sane,” I say lightly.
“I would fuck Hex.”
Shocked, I look over at her with my jaw hanging open. “Really? But he’s so…”
She nods. “Evil? Yeah, I know, but he’s also exceptionally hot and while it’s possible it would be a harrowing experience, I’d still like to have it. Just once, I wouldn’t date him or anything. I wouldn’t even stay the night, I’d just collect my clothes and quietly get the hell out of there once he was finished with me, but… I think I’d fuck him. For science. Just to see what it’s like.”
“What makes you think you’d be able to walk after I fucked you?”
Addison spins around, eyes wide in horror, as Hex comes up behind her.
Cheeks a bit rosier than before, her gaze snaps back to me. “Well, that’s embarrassing.”
Hex slides his hand around my waist, tugging me to his side. “See how it is for me, Brynn? They all want to fuck me, but no one wants to be there with me when I wake up.”
I wouldn’t want to wake up next to him, either, but I can’t stifle a reluctant tug of sympathy at the idea of him being lonely. “I’m sure that’s not true.”
It must be visible on my face or evident in my tone because he smirks down at me. “God, you’re a fucking delight. Look at those big eyes. That big heart. So easy to manipulate.”
I should have known he was playing me.
“You’re evil,” I tell him.
“But fuckable. Right, Addison?” he says, smirking at her.
Addison looks at her bare wrist. “Would you look at the time? I have a dress to try on. I better get in there.”
My eyes widen. “You’re just going to leave me here with him?”
“Sorry,” she calls over her shoulder before disappearing into a dressing room with her bridesmaid dress.
“Too bad,” Hex murmurs, then he looks down at me. “I guess it’s just the two of us now. Are we browsing wedding dresses? I can pick one out for you. I’m sure Kill would love that.”
Killian must have already been keeping an eye on us because, before I even have a chance to respond, he comes walking over. “Hands off my property, fucker.”
I look up at Killian as he displaces Hex’s hand on my hip and replaces it with his own. “Wow. That could not sound sexy coming out of anyone’s mouth but yours.”
He leans in to steal a kiss. “Why don’t you go try your dress on so we can get out of here? I’m about to reach my limit on sharing you for the day, and we still have to go to lunch with Ryan and Addison. I’m starting to think Sophie and Silvan have it right; we should stay in more and see our friends less.”
“We probably shouldn’t have pre-gamed with the movie,” I admit with a smile. “That was a lot of sharing my attention for you when we knew we were also going to lunch. But you’ll have me all to yourself for the rest of the night, and you can do whatever you want with me,” I add enticingly.
“He’ll have you all to himself for the rest of his life,” Hex puts in wryly. “You’d really think that would be enough for the guy.”
“He doesn’t get it,” Killian says, shaking his head.
I shake my head with mock sympathy. “Poor Hex.”
“People in love are disgusting,” Hex states, then he goes off to find his wandering blonde.
I smile at Killian, then look ahead at the rack of pretty white dresses. “I know traditionally grooms aren’t supposed to see the bride’s dress until she’s coming down the aisle, but I also know you like picking out clothes for me, so… how should we do this?”
“I don’t need to be surprised. We should schedule an appointment and come in together. You can model them for me like you did in Paris.”
“We need to set a date. I want to make sure it’s before I start showing.”
Killian places his hand over my stomach. “You’ll be gorgeous, bump or no bump.”
I wind my arms around his neck and lean close, resting my head on his firm chest.
Unfortunately, that’s the moment the door opens and a couple we didn’t expect to see comes through the door.
Sloane and Aiden.
On instinct, I try to pull back, but Killian’s grip tightens. “Nope.”
My skin warms when I feel her gaze drift our way. “I’m trying to be considerate,” I whisper.
He shakes his head, leaning in to steal a kiss. “Nope. I’m not done holding you.”
I don’t want to look because I don’t want to make eye contact when Killian is basically hugging me, but once she approaches the counter and I know her back is to me, I give in to the urge to look over my shoulder.
Aiden wasn’t even going to be one of Silvan’s groomsmen given he wasn’t made a Blue Blood until very recently, but since Sloane had already ordered a dress when she thought she would be coming with Killian, she has one. And since she has switched fiancés and Killian is mine now, Aiden was added to the lineup of groomsmen. One of the Blue Bloods without a girlfriend stepped down to make room for him.
I haven’t spoken to Aiden since the night of the masquerade ball, but I’ve gotten updates from Killian. I know he and Sloane had apparently been hooking up in secret, but it’s unclear if he was ever actually interested in her, or… well, he just wanted the Sloane Whitley package.
I heard from Addison that he was only using her, that he blackmailed her into the engagement, and, of course, Killian helped push it along for his own selfish reasons. Now Sloane is in a new arrangement—this time with Aiden, and there’s no chance she’ll get out of this one because unlike Killian, he’s exactly where he wants to be.
I feel bad for Sloane, especially seeing her here, in a bridal shop. She’ll be getting married soon, and she doesn’t seem to even like the groom.
Not that I blame her.
I’ve seen for myself how ruthless Aiden can be, and when he sets his sights on something, he seems to go after it relentlessly until it’s his—no matter the cost or what stands in his way.
I hope for her sake there’s more to it than what people are saying, but we’re hardly friends, so I’ll probably never know.
They turn around, and her gaze skates right past us like we’re mannequins modeling dresses she has no interest in.
I’m certain I’m the one who should feel bad for her, but when she strolls past us as if we don’t exist, it’s hard to believe that.
I guess that’s the point.
Sloane has her pride, so she’s not going to show it even if she is sad.
Aiden could fall in with the guys, but he hangs over by himself to wait for her. It reminds me of the car ride we took together when he didn’t really speak to me, but feels at odds with the story he told me before the house fire that went something like, “I just want somewhere to belong.”
“I’ll be right back,” I tell Killian, gently peeling his arm off me so I can step away.
He probably lets me go because he thinks I’m going to try on my dress.
He probably isn’t happy when I approach Aiden instead.
But I can’t help it. I’m curious.
Aiden smirks faintly when I approach. “Hey, buddy.”
“I hear congratulations are in order.”
“Same to you.” His gaze drifts to my stomach before moving back to my face. “Double congratulations, in fact. Are you gonna name him after me?”
I roll my eyes. “Oh yeah. Definitely.”
He shrugs. “I think it would be appropriate. I’m the one who introduced his mom and dad, after all.”
“I think when we tell the story of how we met, we’ll leave the botched sacrifice out of it.”
“Botched. Okay,” he says, smirking faintly. “Little virgin standing here pregnant by and engaged to the man who was supposed to marry my fiancée, and you think you weren’t sacrificed.” His eyes glint with amusement. “What? Because you weren’t gangbanged in the woods? There’s more than one way to sacrifice your pawn, Brynn.” He nods in Killian’s direction without looking at him. “If your future husband didn’t look so tempted to kill me just for talking to you, maybe I’d show you how to play a little better. Unfortunately, I don’t think friendship’s in the cards for us.”
I frown at him. His words are malicious, but his tone isn’t. The way he looks at me does seem almost… friendly.
“I don’t think I want to play games the way you do,” I say warily.
“No, probably not,” he allows. “Too tender-hearted. That’s why you’d never have the life you wanted if I hadn’t hand-delivered it to you. It’s all right. It all worked out. Lucky for you, our paths crossed at just the right time. I’m sure you’ll be very happy with Killian, and even if he comes to regret all he let go to have you, I’m sure he’ll be much happier alive than he would have been dead.”
My wary frown deepens to a scowl. That queasy feeling is back in my stomach, but I don’t think it’s morning sickness this time. “What are you talking about? Why would Killian be dead?”
He shakes his head, watching me the way Hex does sometimes. “Come on, Brynn.”
My eyebrows rise and I shake my head.
“The trap was never for you,” he says softly, leaning in just a little. “You were the bait. I didn’t know you’d be such tasty bait, of course. Could have never predicted you’d be Killian’s kryptonite, but I guess at least Kyle did one thing right in his life. He picked the perfect virgin to sacrifice.”
“You wanted Killian to come there that night?” I ask skeptically.
“Why else would I have tipped Sloane off that it was happening? Killian likes to handle things himself, so I figured he’d come alone. I planned for him to die an unlikely hero, but Kyle couldn’t fucking aim his weapon. He was a nearly useless pawn. I liked you much more.”
I stare at him.
“It worked out, though. I only needed to take Killian out because he was engaged to Sloane and who would ever give up a loot like that? But then you caught his interest, and a better plan emerged. I didn’t have to risk killing a Blue Blood. I only needed to let you work your magic and help clear the way, so I did. Now you have what you wanted, and I have what I wanted. I think we made a pretty good team—even if you didn’t know the game we were playing.”
I shake my head. “Kyle… it was Kyle’s idea to… copy the Blue Bloods.”
“Was it? You really think Kyle Roarke did his research into the Blue Bloods’ founding ritual?”
That’s what Killian said…
But I guess Killian only knew what his “source” told him.
And if his source was Sloane, and her source was Aiden…
And if Kyle was a known copycat, and Aiden made the suggestion…
“You planned it and let Kyle… do what Kyle did and pretend it was his idea.”
“Now you’re getting it,” he says with a nod.
My gaze snaps to his. “I texted Kyle for help picking my costume for that night, but then when I got there, he didn’t know who I was.”
He nods once. “You texted me about the costume.”
My stomach drops because not for the first time, I’m reminded every interaction I had with Kyle where I actually liked him…
He was just trying to be—or actually was—Aiden.
Pressing my lips together grimly, I look up at him. “I think you’re right, Aiden. I don’t think friendship is in our future.”
“It was nice while it lasted, right?” He leans over, bumping my shoulder. “And hey, now that I’m a Blue Blood and you’re marrying one, we’re practically family.”
“The fucked-up family thing you said to make me feel bad for you…”
“Bullshit.”
I nod grimly. “Killian was right. Dammit.”
“It’s okay. There are worse things you could be than easily duped, and to be fair, I was pretty masterful.”
I roll my eyes. “Okay.”
“Pulling on all those strings. Watching the little puppets dance.” He nods in Killian’s direction. “The shoulder bump was too far. Your hubby’s coming.”
Since he warned me, I turn just in time for Killian to approach. I place a gentle hand on his stomach and slide the other around his back to give him a little sideways hug.
“Remember that time I stabbed you?” he asks Aiden. “Touch my wife again, and we might have to revisit that.”
Aiden smirks. “We’re not allowed to fight anymore, remember?”
“No one needs to fight,” I say, absently rubbing Killian’s back. “We’re all on the same side.”
I guess.
“Now we are,” Aiden agrees, his gaze briefly meeting mine before drifting back to Killian. “Anyway, I was just offering my congratulations. I hear you’re gonna be a daddy. If you’re ever looking for a godfather…”
“You’d be last on the list,” Killian says with a nod.
“Hey, at least I’m on the list now. Progress.”
The dressing room door opens, and I expect Sloane to come out in her bridesmaid dress, but she comes out wearing her regular clothes with the gown draped over her arm.
Aiden scowls. “What are you doing?”
She shrugs. “It fit fine. I don’t need any alterations.”
“And you didn’t think I might want to see you in it?”
She smiles at him sweetly. “I knew you would. That’s why I didn’t come out.” Looking away from her intended groom, her cool gaze flits to Killian, then to me.
Without acknowledging either of us, she steps down from the platform and starts toward the register to pay for her dress.
“I should probably go,” Aiden says.
“Probably,” I agree, trying and failing to bite back a smile.
Aiden leaves to go after Sloane without another word, and I look up at Killian. “I was going to wish her good luck with him, but maybe I should have wished him good luck with her.”
“I’m pretty sure he can handle her.”
I am, too.
I feel a little better about everything now that I’ve talked to him, honestly. It’s been a while since I talked to Aiden myself, and only hearing what other people were saying about him made me forget some of what I remember when I’m actually in his presence.
Sloane may hate him right now, but I hated him on Halloween night when I thought he was going to murder me, and he still managed to convince me to go to a ball with him a couple of months later.
And I don’t think he ever gave more than half-effort to move me around the board.
He’s marrying Sloane, so I expect he’ll put in more effort to win her back to his side.
“I think they’re both going to be fine,” I agree. “My only concern is, I’m not sure Aiden should have access to all the money and power he’s going to inherit from her dad.”
Killian shakes his head. “Probably not.”
“I’m glad he’s on our side now. I know he’s not your favorite person, but I think he’s a better friend than a foe. And honestly, I know you won’t want to hear this…”
He locks his arm around my waist, pulling me against him. “Then you don’t have to say it.”
But I do, anyway. “I think you two have more in common than you want to admit. I think you should be friends.”
“He kissed the woman I’m marrying,” he reminds me.
“And you kissed the woman he’s marrying, so really, you guys are kinda even. He never liked me,” I tell him, shaking my head. “He was just using me. And you were right about the sob story being bullshit.”
Killian smirks, letting his lips linger near mine. “Told you. The guy’s a manipulative asshole.”
“Yeah. But so is Hex, and you like him.”
“I’d say if you like him so much, you be friends with him, but…”
“I’m not allowed.”
He kisses me. “No.”
“Well, you should take it into consideration.”
“I will. And you should get your pretty little ass in that dressing room so we can leave. I don’t want to have lunch with Addison and Ryan anymore. A different lunch menu has caught my interest.”
“Oh, really?” I tease, smiling as his lips make their way down my neck. “And what’s on that menu?”
“My wife’s perfect pussy.”
His words send a thrill of electric shooting straight down my spine and I suck in a breath. “I guess they wouldn’t die if they had to eat alone.”
“If they do, it was nice knowing them. Either way, I’m taking you home. Eating that pussy. Burying my cock in it.”
I swallow, a knot of lust sinking through my body. “You know what? I’m convinced.” I tear myself away and drift toward the dressing room. “I’m going to try on this dress so fast, you won’t even believe it.”
“You better show it to me,” he says, his eyes flashing with satisfaction.
“I would never dream of denying you,” I assure him sweetly as I back into the room.
“Damn right you wouldn’t.”
I make quick work of trying the dress on, and sadly, it does need a bit of alterations. That means the lady has to come in with me to take measurements and make notes, but when she’s finally finished, I’m free to return to Killian.
He’s talking to Hex and Ryan, and Addison is hanging off to the side.
“Where’s Hex’s date?” I ask.
“She left,” Addison says.
My eyes widen. “Oh no. Are we down a bridesmaid?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll find another one,” Hex assures us.
“What is this I hear about you bailing on our lunch date?” Addison asks.
“Oh, yeah. Killian has reached his friend limit for the day. He only wants to hang out with me.”
“Inside of you, technically, but…”
I shoot him a wide-eyed look. “Are you trying to mortify me?”
He slides his arms around my waist, then lets his hand cover my belly. “You’re having my baby. I think they know we fuck.”
“All right. I guess we can go to lunch without them,” she says, glancing at Ryan, then at Hex. “You wanna come?”
“Maybe,” he says, his mouth tugging up in a fairly wolfish smile that hints at what he overheard earlier. “What are we having?”
Leaning in, I whisper to Killian, “Actually, maybe we should go with them.”
“Addison can handle Hex and Ryan,” he assures me.
“Yeah, but… both at the same time?”
He smirks, hearing it before I do.
I grimace. “That actually is what I’m worried about, so it may have been Freudian this time.”
He shakes his head, taking my hand and hauling me toward the door. “Addison can make her own decisions. I’m taking you home.”
“Addison can make her own decisions,” Addison agrees, only overhearing that part of the conversation. “What are we talking about?”
“Your double Ken lunch date. I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
She waves off the guys. “We’ll be fine. But wait, I did want to run an idea by you. I planned to at lunch, but since you’re bailing…”
“What do you want?” Killian asks, impatient to get me out of here.
“Are you guys doing anything after the holidays but before school starts back up?”
I shake my head. “We’re going home to meet Killian’s family for Christmas and share our big news, but we’ll be leaving right after. He doesn’t want to hang around.”
“Perfect. We should do a couples’ vacation and go somewhere fun.”
“That would be awesome.” I look to Killian. “I wanted to travel a bit before I get too pregnant.”
He nods. “We could do that. Ryan, you free?”
Ryan is waiting with Hex for Addison so they can leave when we do, but he looks over at us. “Not for the holidays, but yeah, I could go somewhere after.”
“Where should we go?” Killian asks.
“Barbieland,” Addison says, making a rainbow-shaped arch in the air in front of her.
“Somewhere real,” he specifies.
“I don’t know. We’ll figure that out later.”
“What are we figuring out?” Hex asks.
“We’re planning a couples’ vacation,” I tell him.
“Sounds fun. Am I invited?”
“You’re not in a couple,” Addison points out.
“Neither are you,” he reminds her.
“No, but I have Ryan for boyfriend duties.”
“Just not the holidays,” Ryan says. “We both have families who want us to come home if we don’t have real significant others.”
“Must be nice,” Hex says, leaning toward Addison. “I don’t have anyone to spend the holidays with.”
She shoots him a look. “If you’re looking for a soft-hearted sucker, you leaned the wrong way. Maybe Brynn and Killian will take you home for the holidays, but you’re not going home with me.”
Hex smirks. “Why not? Don’t think your parents would like me?”
“My mom might, but not as my boyfriend. And my dad would spend five minutes in your presence and then lock me in a basement and no one would ever see me again.”
Hex laughs. “Overprotective?”
“Yes, and he has weird family history with manipulative psychopaths who prey on soft girls. He would hate you so much, he would ruin my life to keep us apart.”
“Sounds romantic.”
“No.”
“Well, I guess Christmas is out, but I can easily find myself a girl to go on vacation with. Where are we going?”
“We’re still deciding,” Addison says, looking over at me. “All right, nobody say no immediately. Stay with me. I have a vision.” She pauses. “What if we did Disney?”
I nod. “Immediately yes.”
“Actually, I might be busy that week,” Hex says.
“Oh, come on,” Addison says. “I’ll buy you a Mickey pretzel.”
“We also need your jet,” Ryan states. “Unless we’re roping Dare or Silvan into this trip.”
I look up at Killian. “It’s weird how many of your friends have access to private jets.”
He smirks. “Weird, or convenient?”
“We could just fly on a regular plane,” Addison points out, and they all look at her as if she grew another head. “Or not, I guess.”
“I suppose one week in the happiest place on earth won’t kill me. God knows none of you will have any fun if I don’t go.”
I crack a smile. “That’s right. We need you, Hex. Please.”
Killian drapes an arm around my neck, pulling me in to murmur, “Never, ever say those words to him again.”
I grin. “I was joking.”
He kisses the side of my face. “I don’t care.”
“I just wanted to make him feel included. I can’t tell if he’s joking about being lonely sometimes,” I whisper.
“I don’t care,” he repeats more slowly.
I laugh softly, then I kiss him. “I’ll make it up to you as soon as we get home.”
His devious hand slides down to cup my ass. “You bet your pretty little ass you will.”
He makes it hard to even wait until we get home.
In the car, he holds my hand for a few minutes, then he reaches over and guides it between my legs.
I touch myself because that’s what he wants me to do, and I moan and sigh as the tension inside me builds.
When he feels like it while he’s driving, he reaches over to touch my tits through the fabric of my shirt. It’s always unexpected, but also always anticipated since there’s no rhyme or reason to when he touches me.
“Slide your hand beneath your dress,” he commands, and I do.
I rub my pussy through my panties, letting my head fall back against the headrest.
“Slide a finger beneath your panties. Spread that pussy for me.”
I sigh with pleasure as I spread myself open, feeling the cool air against my skin.
“That’s perfect. But no more touching. You have to wait for me now.”
I sigh, this time with displeasure, but I keep holding my pussy open, waiting for him to fill it.
“Mm, such a good fucking girl. I’m going to pound that pretty pussy so hard when we get home.”
My heart pounds and I grip the seat with my free hand, praying for the light to turn green.
By the time he gets me in the house, I can’t get my clothes off fast enough.
We don’t make it to the bedroom.
He pushes me down on the couch, spreading my thighs and kneeling on the ground between them in one smooth movement.
I scoot my ass close to the edge without even having to be told. Excitement shoots down my spine as I drape my legs over his powerful shoulders, then he spreads me open and finally puts his mouth on me.
His mouth is fucking paradise.
I’m so worked up from being teased in the car, I come hard, bucking against his mouth, after maybe a minute of being eaten out.
I sink bonelessly against the couch, but he moves my limp legs off his shoulders and pulls me up, grabbing my waist to support me and hauling me to the bedroom.
“That was just the appetizer,” he reminds me. “We still have the main course, and I think I’m in the mood for dessert.”
He’s seldom satisfied with only making me come once, and I don’t complain at all as he positions me on the bed on all fours with my ass in the air, my pussy wet and waiting for him.
He sinks his cock into me, and it feels so right to be so full of him.
He fucks me hard and fast like he told me he would, and when I’m a sweaty, whining mess tangled in his arms, he starts playing with my pussy while he fucks it.
God, I love when he does that.
I’m so weak for this man, but he doesn’t give me any other choice.
He plays my body like an instrument he’s spent his whole life studying, and when he tells me, “Sing for me, songbird,” I do.
I cry out as I come for him, my body drifting on a wave of ecstasy as I squeeze him, greedily taking every bit of cum he’ll give me.
God, I love him so fucking much.
He sinks down into his spot on our bed and wraps me in his strong arms.
I curl closer, wrapping an arm around him and sliding my fingers through his hair. I hear our hearts beating along to the same rhythm, and I can’t resist telling him, “I love you, Killian.”
“I love you too, baby. More than you’ll ever know.”
I smile softly as he kisses my forehead, but he’s wrong.
I do know how much he loves me.
I feel it every day. I’m reminded of it every moment, by his constant touches and kisses, even by the memories of all he’s done to make this life with me possible.
When he says he loves me more than anything, I know he means it because he’s proven it.
When I feel safe in his arms, I know it’s because I am.
This man would destroy anything and anyone to protect me without batting an eye, and I’m not scared by that anymore.
I’m grateful.
For the first time in my life, I feel protected—and it’s not some bullshit story I have to tell myself. I really am.
And if he’s willing to protect me with his life, I know he’ll protect our baby the same way.
He’s going to be the best daddy.
My heart fills up, and I curl closer to him as I yawn.
Carrying his baby is exhausting, but it makes me so happy.
I situate myself so my tummy is pressed against his torso. I know the baby is far too little to feel move, but I like the idea of snuggling her between us.
Well, I hope it’s a girl.
I don’t think I’m prepared to have a little boy with Killian’s eyes and charm running around just yet.
I also know in my bones that seeing Killian love and protect our little girl the way no one ever loved or protected me will make me fall even deeper in love with him. I don’t know where I’ll put it all, but I look forward to finding the space.