Epilogue
Hunter
One year later
“ S ora climbs the tower, each stone biting her fingertips, but she doesn’t stop. Blood slides into her palms but she ignores it. When she finally reaches the ledge, she pulls herself over and heaves deep, heavy breaths as quietly as she can,” Cassidy reads aloud to an empty room.
I come around the door frame to see her laid back on the chaise, a pillow under her feet, and another atop her stomach. Her book is set on top of that, but one hand is under the pillow. I assume she’s rubbing her round belly; she’s been rubbing that thing like a magic lamp since she found out she was pregnant.
Cassidy continues to read, unaware she’s being observed. I find her in the library on the days she doesn’t greet me in the kitchen or outside. She’s too lost in her books to recognize time. She reads and rubs, and I witness her loving and growing life.
“She’s stabbed in her left leg and unable to crawl any further. Tristan stands over her, his dagger drips with her blood. He stares at her for what feels like an eternity before the sound of a drop of blood hitting his boot pulls him back to reality. ‘I didn’t hit an artery, lay still and it will be a minor wound,’ he tried to coax her.”
I chuckle and Cassidy’s head snaps up to see me. Her head whips over to the clock and then back at me.
“Oh shit, I didn’t realize it was already time for supper. Sorry, love.” She places a mark in her book, sets it aside, and then slowly rises from her seat, letting the pillow fall to the floor. A tank dress hugs her curves, exaggerating her pregnant middle.
I’m about to step into the room to help her up, but a look that is as sharp as the dagger in that book is shot at me.
Stubborn as ever.
Once she’s next to me she steps up to her tippy toes and kisses my stubbled jaw.
“Harrison is bringing a guest for dinner, better go wash up,” she tells me. This is news to me. We work together, how could she know my brother is bringing someone to dinner before me?
“What are you reading to our unborn spawn?” I inquire, dodging the subject of Harrison, for now.
“Love Sheathed in Rivalry,” she says dreamily. I roll my eyes and she laughs. “Baby spawn sleeps best to enemies-to-lovers romance. Erotica wakes them up.”
I shake my head and she laughs harder. “Come on, Country Charm, you need a shower and I need to throw dinner in the oven.” Cassidy starts to walk past me, but I scoop her up into my arms and she squeals with delight.
“Shower with me,” I say against the flesh on her neck. She shivers and tries to push away from me, but I hold her tight.
“No, we have guests coming,” she argues.
“What time are they coming?”
“Seven thirty.”
“Cassidy, that’s an hour from now,” I pout.
“And I have to set the table and throw dinner in.” She crosses her arms under her swollen breasts and over her belly. Stern looks so damn good on her, it will be hard to not pull her into a room for a quickie after she starts running this house like a boot camp.
“I will set the table and do the dishes after,” I offer. I always do the dishes after anyway, but that's only because she hates them. The threat that I won’t is enough to convince her to do as I want.
She sits straighter in my arms and quirks her lips to the side. “Fine, but no funny business, we’ll start the oven and hop in. Quick washes and one orgasm,” she counteroffers.
“Quick washin’ and three orgasms; two from you, one from me.” I parry.
“Quick washin’ and no orgasms,” she drawls and scowls.
“Two, please I am dyin’ to have you.” I push myself into her neck and take a deep breath.
“Then wait until they leave,” she argues.
“I can’t, I’d rather cancel plans I didn’t know about altogether than wait.”
“Absolutely not!” she barks. She looks at me and can see that I am determined to have her over dinner with my brother and his mystery guest.
She knows I’ll cancel for alone time with her.
“Fine two, now hop to. Start that oven and meet me in the shower. I’ll get myself started.” She wiggles out of my arms and starts for the master bath.
“We agreed on two, but I get to give you yours.” She freezes and looks over her shoulder, giving me a devilish grin.
“I know what we agreed on, Mr. Hill,” she quips.
“Then abide, Mrs. Hill.” She gets visible goose pimples on her arms and takes off down the stairs.
I’ll never forget the look on her face when I found her in that flower field. She makes that same face whenever I walk up the porch and pull her into my arms. I’ll keep that bewildered look on her face until the day I die.
Every emotion that woman has gives me life. Her laughter fuels me, and I know the minute I see her hold our child in her arms, boy or girl, I will become putty in her hand.
Until then, I will do what I can to affirm some kind of dominance in our home. So off to the shower I go, to attempt to show Cassidy who is boss.