Epilogue
DALLAS
Valentine’s Day - One Year Later
I watched for a few moments as Ace peered out of the hotel window, looking out at the Atlanta skyline.
My gaze roamed their body, taking in the sight of them, their long legs, their perfectly shaped ass, their strong back.
Over the past few months, they’d let their dark hair get a little shaggier, but I liked it. Something to hold on to, we joked.
They turned to me, letting the curtain flutter. “How much fun is this? Traveling together to share our project with history educators and at the curators conference, too? And on Valentine’s Day? Nothing could be better.”
“It’s going to be great. I’m really proud of you.” I continued unpacking my suitcase, tucking my shirts into the middle drawer of the hotel dresser.
“I’m proud of us. You did a lot of work for this project. Don’t discount yourself.”
“Fine,” I conceded. “I’m proud of us.”
“And hey, at least we didn’t get our luggage switched this time. And if we do, it won’t matter, because we’re going home together, too.”
My heart beat hard and a lump formed in my throat. “Right.” Now, my brain screamed. Now is the perfect opportunity. I took a slow breath. “Actually… I did find something in my suitcase that didn’t belong to me.”
“You did?” They frowned and came over to me.
Yes, perfect. “I did.” I reached into my pocket and withdrew a small box. Before Ace could catch on, I sank to one knee and held the box up for them to see.
Their hands went to cover their mouth and they gasped.
I’d wanted to prepare a whole speech. I had a lot I could say about how they’d taught me to loosen up and brightened my life. But in the end, it all felt unnecessary. “Will you marry me?”
“Really?” They were practically squealing when they spoke.
I chuckled softly and nodded. “Yes, really.”
“Of course I will.” They leaned forward and pulled me close for a kiss. When we parted, Ace took my hand, the one with the ring box. “Let’s see!”
I handed them the box and they removed the ring I’d selected, a simple, dark metal band with an inset ring of brilliant red Brazilian cherry wood.
After admiring it for a second, their eyes grew glassy and they slipped it on. “It’s perfect.”
I stood and pulled them close for a tight hug. As I wrapped my arms around them, I whispered into their ear. “I love you.”
“I love you,” they said with a watery laugh. When Ace pulled back to meet my gaze, there were tears in their eyes. “I can’t believe this.”
“Which part?”
“The part where I get to marry that stuffy stick in the mud I met on an airplane a year ago.”
“How is Erica going to feel?” I teased. Ace had actually kept in contact with her and they’d become casual acquaintances who had lunch on occasion.
“Oh, Erica’s already bummed the ‘I’m not interested’ guy fell for the ‘I don’t date’ enby.
Now that we’re getting married? It’ll send her over the edge.
” Ace laughed, their body shaking against mine.
From what I knew of Erica, she’d pretend to be outraged at first before being genuinely happy for us.
A moment passed and Ace cupped the back of my neck to pull me in for a kiss.
I teased them at first, pulling away for a second to watch them pout. “We have dinner,” I said gently.
“Fuck dinner,” Ace muttered.
I let my hand slide to cup that perfectly shaped ass I’d been marveling over earlier. “Actually, I have a better idea.”
Ace groaned and rocked their hips against mine. “Yes, please.”
“That’s what I thought.” We kissed for a long few moments, deep and slow, before I moved my hands between us and began working open their jeans. “What would you like?” I murmured as I moved my mouth to their neck.
Ace groaned again. “I want you inside me.”
“That can be arranged.” I chuckled and scraped the spot under their ear with my teeth. Ace shivered and I pulled away. “Clothes off and get on the bed.”
“Is this what being married to you is going to be like? Because I’m just saying, I don’t hate the bossy thing.”
I just grinned and pulled my shirt off. “Get on the bed,” I repeated.
Ace did as I asked, stripping quickly and scrambling onto the bed, waiting for me. I took my time removing my jeans and boxer briefs, enjoying the tortured look on Ace’s face as they waited.
Their hand went to their erection and gave it a few lazy strokes. “Come on,” they murmured. “Don’t make me wait.”
“Did you bring lube?” We’d long since stopped using condoms.
“Who do you take me for?” Ace asked. “It’s in my toiletries bag.”
It didn’t take long for me to find what I was looking for, climb onto the bed, and uncap the lube bottle.
Ace watched, their normally pale blue eyes going dark as I coated my cock, taking a few moments to tease the crown with my thumb, spreading my slowly leaking precum across the tip.
As I did, I let out a few heavy breaths, my body aching to touch theirs, lust ratcheting up and pulsing through me.
“Please,” Ace begged. “Hurry.”
I smirked slowly. “Someone really wants it, don’t they?” I hadn’t gotten around to freely using dirty talk yet, but I managed a few sentences here and there.
“If you don’t get that cock in me right now…” They spread their legs wide, dropping their knees apart and inviting me in.
“Do you need any prep?”
They shook their head. “Not tonight. I just want to feel you. Please.”
“Roll over.”
Ace groaned again and rolled onto their stomach, ass in the air, cock thick and heavy between their legs. I made my way forward, spread their cheeks apart, and lubed their hole gently, teasing at the entrance with my fingers until they were rocking back, panting and seeking penetration.
“Ready?”
“Dallas,” Ace said, their tone between a whine and a warning.
With that, I surged forward and breached their opening, slow and steady, until I was buried in them fully.
I listened carefully to Ace’s breathing and once they relaxed a little, I pulled out, gripped their hips, and thrust back in, the tight heat of their body setting me aflame.
Soon, I was driving into them again and again, drawing desperate groans from their throat with every stroke.
Ace reached between their legs and stroked their own cock in time with my thrusts and soon, the heat banking in my groin was nearly unbearable.
“Come inside me,” Ace pleaded. “I’m close.”
“Soon,” I murmured. I tightened my grip on their hips and fucked them harder as my orgasm neared.
I let my gaze travel the length of Ace’s body, reveling in every detail.
The sheen of sweat on their back, the way their muscles flexed and pulled, and the tight grip of their fists in the sheets.
I caught a glimpse of the ring I’d just given them a few minutes ago and that was what it took.
I spilled inside of them, letting out a long, guttural moan, wave after wave of my orgasm crashing through me.
I pounded them harder as I came, trying to keep a steady rhythm, dirty thoughts coursing through my mind about how I was marking them, claiming them as my own.
Just then, Ace gave out a stuttered cry and rocked back, fucking themselves on my cock as I lost my ability to keep pace, splattering their release onto the sheets below them.
Their hole clenched around my cock, drawing the last vestiges of my orgasm out, causing me to hiss with pleasure.
When we were both spent, I pulled out slowly and moved one hand to stroke their hole with my thumb. Ace moaned softly into the pillow and their entrance tightened and relaxed under my touch a few times.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, hurrying to the bathroom to get a washcloth to clean us both up. Once we were clean and we’d put a dry towel over the wet spot, we lay together, arms around one another, enjoying the afterglow. We held each other silently for a long time before Ace spoke up.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Anything.”
“Miller or Williams? Whose last name are we taking?”
I kissed the top of their head. “Whatever you want.”
“You’re going to let me pick?” Their tone was incredulous.
“If it makes you happy.” Honestly, I would have given Ace the world if they asked.
“I say we go with a combo. Milliams? Willer?” They scrunched their nose. “No, those are both dumb. Never mind.” They were quiet for a second. “We’ll figure something out. Together.”
“Together,” I echoed, kissing the top of their head again. “Always.”
The End
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