Epilogue
MALLORIE
I wanted my husband, and I wanted him now.
That was my only thought as I entered the cabin where he’d lived alone the day I met him. Next door was one of Memphis’s logging crew buddies and his wife. They’d met and married around the same time and we’d both gotten pregnant within a couple of months of each other.
Our neighbors were four months along, and she’d announced to our friend group a few weeks ago that they were expecting. I had only gotten the confirmation from the doctor a couple of weeks ago, so I was still keeping our pregnancy a secret.
“I’m home,” I called out.
It had been a long night. We’d gone to the new sports bar in town, then to the Mexican restaurant—mine and Cassady’s longtime hangout. But these days, our friend group included a lot of women who’d moved to town like we had after falling for hunky mountain men.
“How’d it go?” Memphis asked.
He was in the kitchen, standing at the counter. He had his guys’ night last night. We would have coordinated, but half the guys he hung out with had kids. And half the women I was meeting up with were their partners. That meant someone had to stay home, which also meant staggering our nights out.
“I think they suspect I might be pregnant,” I said, stopping at the counter that separated the living room from the kitchen. “I ordered a water with lemon instead of a drink. I told them we were trying, but there were a couple of exchanged looks.”
He shrugged. “Let them talk. It won’t be official until we tell them.”
I had always heard you should wait until at least the second trimester to make the announcement. But I was dying to tell our friends. I would be marking off the weeks on my calendar until we could.
“So, what did you do tonight?” I asked.
“The neighbor and I ordered a pizza. Split a six-pack of beers.”
I frowned. “What are you doing in the kitchen?”
I rose on tiptoe and peered over the ledge that separated the kitchen from the rest of the cabin. On the counter in front of him was a cookie sheet.
“Oh, and I made some cookies,” he said.
“You baked cookies?”
He laughed. “Don’t give me too much credit. I used the pre-made cookie dough from the fridge.”
He’d bought that the last time we went to the grocery store together. I told him I could make cookies from scratch, but he seemed to know there would be a time when he’d be here alone, craving cookies. And clearly, he’d been right about that.
“I’m craving something else,” I said.
He picked up a cookie and held it out to me, but when I spoke, he started to pull it back. I reached out, making it clear that I wouldn’t turn down a chocolate chip cookie, even when something else was on my mind—something a little racier.
“So what is it exactly that you’re craving?” he asked.
“You. Naked.”
I would blame it on the pregnancy hormones, but I’d been like this every day since I met Memphis four years ago. We got married just three months after we met, and every day with this man had been better than the last. And that was saying something.
I’d been right about my future. Memphis had never gotten in the way of me achieving my dreams—not for a second. I’d gotten my law degree three years after we met. I passed the bar on the first try, and now I worked for a law firm out of Charlotte, which meant I sometimes traveled, but not all that often.
“What do you think?” he asked.
I’d sunk my teeth into the cookie while I was thinking through what I wanted to do to him. But at his question, I nodded and shoved the rest of the cookie in my mouth, truly taking the time to savor the flavors.
“Perfect,” I finally said once my mouth was empty again. “You were right. It’s almost as good as homemade.”
“Almost. But nothing’s as good as your cookies.”
I tilted my head and eyed him flirtatiously. “Is that a euphemism?”
“No, it’s fact. But it holds up for everything about you. Nothing’s as good as Mallorie Rogers.”
Hearing my first name with his last name never got old. It gave me a sense of belonging.
And now, we had a little one on the way. I was finally getting the family I’d never had growing up—a dad who worked hard but also made time for his wife and the kids we’d have someday. We planned on having at least three, which meant we would have to add on to this cabin. Neither of us wanted to move.
“So, what’s this about getting me naked?” he asked.
In answer, I dropped my purse to the floor and walked around the counter, taking in my super-handsome lumberjack. How had I gotten so lucky? It was no wonder I was turned on pretty much around the clock. There was no sight on earth more beautiful than Memphis—his jaw clenched, his stare intense as he slammed into me. Whether we were doing it on the kitchen table, the counter, the sofa, the bed, or anywhere else in this cabin—or outside of it—he was always my biggest craving.
“I’ve been thinking about putting this chopping block to use,” I said, looking at it.
We’d recently added a kitchen island that had a wooden top, ideal for chopping vegetables and other items. It sat lower than the other counters, so it was perfect for what I had in mind.
“Get over here,” he said.
With a big smile, I closed the remaining distance between us, pressing my body against his as our mouths met in a passionate kiss. I’d been hungry for his kiss all night, my body reacting every time I thought about it.
He pulled slightly back from me as he continued kissing me, going for the buttons on my blouse first. He wanted me topless. He loved looking at my breasts while he made love to me. It was his thing, and I was all too happy to give him exactly what he wanted.
I helped him remove my blouse and bra as he fumbled with the fastening on my pants. They were a little tight on me, even though I didn’t feel like I was really showing just yet. I couldn’t wait to switch to maternity pants.
I was fully naked within seconds and up on that island, my legs spread. I watched as he kissed his way down my body, running his tongue over each nipple, watching me as my breathing intensified. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, the sight of him between my legs as he moved over my belly, running his hand over it and giving me a smile.
It was the same smile we shared when we were in groups of friends. We had a secret. Nobody would know that secret until a little later.
He made his way to my pussy, his tongue teasing me by licking my folds, then centering on my clit. He knew what I liked, sliding a finger inside me to increase the pressure and intensify the sensation of his tongue sliding over that swollen nub.
I flattened my palms against the wooden surface, tilting my head back until I was staring up at the drop lights above me. Eventually, I moved my hand to my breast, fondling my nipple, pinching it between my fingers and thumb. I knew exactly what felt good, thanks to Memphis. He’d opened up my sexuality, helping me figure out all the things that turned me on.
Within just a couple of minutes, my orgasm was racing through my body, and this one was even better than usual. Maybe because I’d spent most of the night thinking about what I was going to do with my husband when I got home.
Once the baby was here, we wouldn’t have the luxury of doing it anytime, anywhere. But we’d find a way. We’d always find a way.
I’d barely come down from my orgasm when Memphis was on his feet, pulling his pants down and yanking his T-shirt over his head. He kept his jeans at mid-thigh, his hand wrapped around his cock, a bead of moisture glistening at the tip.
He was dead set on being inside me, and who was I to argue with that? I settled my finger on my clit as he slid in, his gaze fixed on what I was doing to myself. My body still hummed from my last orgasm, but I knew I could get there again with him inside me. He would hold back until I did, so I may as well get started.
By the third thrust, my body was heating up again, already beginning that slow, steady climb. His gaze lifted to meet mine, and we held that stare, communicating so much. Our marriage was a true partnership, and it would only get stronger once we were parents. It was hard to believe there were twelve years between us. We were truly soulmates.
Finally, his eyes closed, and I knew he was having trouble holding out. I didn’t close mine, though. Watching him turned me on. I’d get there faster that way. The sight of him, jaw clenched, hips thrusting as he buried himself deep inside me, then pulled out again…
“Oh God, that feels so good,” I said, my voice sounding raspy.
We’d quickly overcome the pain I’d felt from my first time. My body had stretched to accommodate him. His length was impressive, but when he was inside me, it didn’t matter. He filled me up in every way possible.
“That feels so good,” I said. “Ohhhh.”
I barely recognized my own voice as the sound came out. It was a long, drawn-out moan, and it seemed to come from somewhere outside of my body. I threw my head back again as I began vibrating, every cell alive, all focused on this one man.
“Oh yes, yes, yes,” I finally cried out, gasping and moving my finger faster and faster.
As I came down, I realized just how hard it was to catch my breath. I removed my finger, still trying to recover, and wrapped my legs around his waist. I used my feet to nudge him faster and faster. That was when he opened his eyes, his gaze landing on my breasts. They already seemed bigger, and I didn’t think there was much room to grow. I would definitely have to buy new blouses if this was what pregnancy had in store.
But Memphis wouldn’t mind. He couldn’t get enough of them. In fact, he reached out and cupped one as he closed his eyes and grunted, a low, guttural sound that went straight to my core.
When it was over, I sat up and hugged him, pressing my face against his chest. This was home. Wherever we were, as long as he had his arms around me, I was where I needed to be.
“Another cookie?” he asked, pulling back to look down at me.
I smiled. “Is there ice cream in the freezer?”
He nodded. He knew exactly what I wanted. He pulled out, fastened his pants, and, still shirtless, went to the freezer to grab my ice cream. I headed to the bedroom to get my robe, and when I returned, he had made me a bowl with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and a chocolate chip cookie on either side. He’d even drizzled some chocolate syrup over it.
Yes, my man knew the key to my heart—and my stomach.
We settled on the couch with a plate full of cookies for him and my gourmet treat in my hands. He fired up a movie we’d been planning to watch.
I loved our movie nights. And they would only get better once we had kids to share them with us.
Joely arrives in town for Mallorie and Memphis’s wedding and meets Hunter. See what happens in Book 2 in the Seduction Summit Warriors series. Get it here .