Epilogue
“Will!” I jump out of the booth and throw my arms around my big brother.
“Hi, Holly,” Will says, lifting me off the ground and giving me a little swing. “Holly, this is my girlfriend, Melinda.”
The petite, gorgeous blonde offers her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Holly,” she says, her Australian accent lilting. “Will has told me so much about you.”
“I love your accent,” I say warmly. “Oh—Melinda, this is Decker.”
Decker slides out of the booth, shakes her hand, then hugs Will. “Good to see you, man.”
We settle around the table, and Decker’s hand finds mine under the table. He’s nervous. Almost as nervous as the night he waited to find out if I chose him or Ken.
“So… this is a real thing?” Will asks. “My best friend and my little sister?”
“It is,” Decker says.
“What the hell, man? That’s my kid sister—”
“I’m in love with her.”
Will’s jaw drops as he glances between us. “What?”
“I love him, too,” I say.
We moved into a new apartment two weeks ago—both of our names on the lease. I’d worried a one-bedroom would be too cramped for us, but aside from a couple of minor adjustment moments, it’s been perfect.
“Is this a joke?” Will presses.
The question hits like a slap, and I lean back in the booth. “Will—”
“No, it’s not a joke,” Decker growls, sharper than I’ve ever heard him speak to my brother.
“I just… I’ve never… My sister…”
I frown. “Those aren’t real sentences.”
“I never thought Decker would say that to anyone,” Will says slowly, “and I definitely didn’t think it would be about my sister.”
“I think they look cute together,” Melinda chimes in.
I like her. A lot more than I like my brother right now. This was always going to be a bit difficult, but it feels like Will doesn’t think I’m enough to keep his best friend happy.
“We have a puppy,” I say, trying to prove to him that there’s a commitment there with us. “His name’s Rhys. Decker bought him for me because I used to talk about wanting a dog.”
Will reaches across the table to take my hand, but I move it under the table and into my lap. “Hol, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“You just find it hard to believe a guy like Decker could love your little sister.”
I can’t look at him. If I do, I worry I’ll cry. We’ve talked since Decker and I officially became a couple, and never once did I think he doubted us this much.
“Holly, you know Decker. How he—”
“Stop.”
“I don’t want him to hurt you.”
“Like you just did?” Decker snaps, his arm snaking around me. “Holly, you okay, baby?”
I nod, eyes down. “Excuse me. I need to use the restroom.”
I slip out of the booth and into the bathroom before anyone can say anything. Holding back the tears until I’m into the stall is something I’m proud of.
How can my own brother not think I’m enough for Decker? He just voiced the same fear I’d recently shaken, but it’s still a fresh scab. One that my brother just ripped off.
What if he’s right?
What if Decker gets tired of me and walks away?
He could decide one morning that he tried this experiment, but one woman just isn’t enough for him.
I’m not enough for him.
No. He loves me. He’s happy. We already had sex twice this morning. There’s no way a man who plans to check out wants me like he does.
I fix my makeup and step out of the bathroom, jumping when I see Decker leaning against the wall across from me.
“Stop it, Holly.”
“Stop what?”
“Going to that place where you think this isn’t everything to me.”
“It’s just… hard to hear my brother basically say he doesn’t think I’m enough for you. To make you want to settle down.”
He kisses me hard, pressing me against the wall. His hand cups the back of my head, his body firm and certain against mine.
“I’ve kissed women before and felt nothing until they were naked,” he murmurs against my ear. “But just thinking about you gets me harder than a rock. You’re the one, Holly Jordan. You hear me?”
“Hey, Decker?”
“Hmm?”
I lick my lips. “I love you.”
“I fucking love you.” He grins wickedly. “Now I gotta adjust myself before we go back—don’t need Will’s girlfriend getting all hot and bothered. As much as I’d love to see you fight, I prefer you as a lover.”
I swat his arm. He uses me as a shield as he readjusts, and I can’t help but smirk. Yep, I do that to him—at least twice a day.
Back at the booth, Will starts, “Holly—”
“No,” Decker says firmly. “Here’s the deal. I love your sister. She loves me. We live together, and we’re building a life. You can either be happy for us, or you can ice that jaw after I fucking break it.”
My eyes widen, and I stare up at him. “Decker—”
“No, he made you doubt not only us but yourself. He made you cry. No one makes you cry. Not if I can help it.”
Will stands, meets Decker’s glare, and I worry I’m in the middle of the fight that will end a lifelong friendship. Instead, Will extends his hand.
Decker takes it, and they shake. Tension eases, and Will hugs me tightly.
“I’m sorry, Hol. I’m protective, but it looks like someone else has stepped into that role for me.”
“I really love him, Will,” I say. “It hasn’t been perfect, but it’s right. I just want you to be happy for me. For us.”
“I am. It’s just a shock. My best friend has never been worthy of my sister. But I guess love changes a man.”
“You have no idea,” Decker says. “I was celibate while waiting for her to choose me.”
Melinda waves us down. “Choose you? Tell me everything!”
I launch into the PG version of my Fairy Tale app adventures. Everyone laughs—while Decker’s hand slides up my thigh, fingers toying between my legs.
“We should go to the apartment,” Melinda says. “My boxes should be arriving soon.”
Decker lets me go, and I stand, buzzing with need. “That was not fair.”
“Just giving you a taste of your own medicine.”
“What medicine?”
He pulls me towards the bathrooms, checks to make sure no one’s paying attention, then pulls us into the men’s room and locks the door. His hand takes mine and rubs it against the bulge still present in his jeans. “This.”
“We’re going to get into trouble.”
“Only if we get caught. Quick and quiet—we can take the edge off before walking Rhys. Then I plan to spend the rest of the night naked with you to remind you how much I fucking love you.”
God help me.
Decker doesn’t waste a second and rubs his body against mine, his breath hot on my neck. There’s no way I can say no. There’s no way I want to say no.
His hands quickly unbutton and lower my shorts, the cool air on the wet skin between my thighs making me shiver. He turns me around, his fingers digging into my hip as he frees himself from his jeans while I brace myself against the wall.
My heart pounds in my chest. It’s not the first time we’ve had sex in public, but it is the first time we’ve had sex in such a public place. It’s exciting, and I feel a level of trust I’ve never had with anyone else.
The sensation as he enters me is all-consuming, and I gasp as he thrusts hard and fast into me. The sound of our bodies colliding met only with our heavy breathing and quiet moans.
Decker’s hand snakes around my front, and his fingers find the spot between my legs that makes me see stars. He knows just how to twist and rub in the right ways with the right rhythm to turn me to putty in his hands.
He rubs in time with his thrusts because he makes it his mission to never come before me. To take me along with him every time. He’s nothing if not an unselfish lover.
Turning my head, I bite on his bicep to muffle my moans. I’m so close I’m bordering on whimpering at this point. Something he knows better than anyone else. His ability to read my body astounds me.
“Come, baby,” he whispers in his ear. “Come hard on me.”
His teeth find my shoulder, and the small amount of pain from his teeth pushes me over the edge. The climax comes quickly, a wave crashing over us both. It’s intense, and we’re both left breathless and shaking as we take a moment to regroup.
Decker holds me, his hand still between my legs but unmoving. His forehead rests against my back, and our breathing matches the other as we come down from our high.
“God, I love you,” he says, his voice low and husky. “Tell me you know that. That you don’t doubt it.”
“I don’t,” I promise, smirking when he pulls out of me. “I love you, too.”
Turning me around, he cups my face and kisses me, his tongue sweeping into my mouth. His tongue ring hits my teeth, but I like the feeling. It’s not hard. Nothing that will cause damage.
I step into the stall to clean up, and he pulls his jeans back into place before peeking out to make sure the coast is clear. He waves me out, silently promising to use himself as a shield in case anyone happens to glance at us.
I give in to him so damn easily because I know—absolutely—that he’ll protect me. He’s the one who’d run into fire for me, and I love him for it.
“Let’s go walk Rhys,” Decker says, kissing my hand.
“Sounds perfect.”
“It does, doesn’t it?”
And it really, really does. Who needs a Fairy Tale to find their happily ever after? Not me.