Epilogue
HAZEL
1 year later
I feel the soft, warm breeze dance over my flesh as I slowly wake up. The scent of plumeria is heavy in the air that’s tinged with the scent of salt. It takes me a moment to completely wake up and remember where I am.
Hawaii.
We’re on the island of Kauai, Princeville to be exact.
He proposed to me three months after he moved in with me. Granted, the move happened the week after our first night together. He just showed up one day with a bunch of clothes and that was that. Not that I’m complaining. From the moment we got together that night at the fundraiser, we just clicked. We’ve had our disagreements, don’t get me wrong. But in the end, we want to be together, and that’s what matters.
Our wedding had been held at their Shenandoah resort. We waited this long because I wanted to have enough time in between Silas and Georgie’s wedding and ours.
It’s been less than forty-eight hours since we were married. I snuggle deeper into Milo’s embrace. It’s not even dawn yet, but I have found that when I arrive here in Hawaii, I wake up before the sun does. It’s annoying but being that I love the reason for our visit, I’m not complaining.
Milo moves his mouth over my neck, kissing his way up to my ear. His cock is hard against my ass.
“Good morning, Mrs. Prescott-Darling. How are you feeling this morning?”
“Fine and dandy.”
He chuckles and the deep, happy sound dances through me.
“Is that a fact? How about if,” he says, slipping his fingers inside of me, “we start out with something to make you even happier?”
I hum because his fingers are pumping in and out of me. A year later, it’s still like this. All he has to do is touch me, and I want to jump him.
Before I can come, he pulls his fingers out, lifting my leg up and back over him, so that he can enter me from behind.
I moan because we have been doing little else other than making love since we got here. I’m tender, but I don’t care. Having his dick deep inside me is the best feeling in the world. He goes easy on me, apparently understanding, but it doesn’t take us long. He knows my body so well and can almost get me to come on command.
Waves of pleasure wash over me as my orgasm breaks free. Milo follows me a few seconds later.
Afterwards, we lay there, happy to just spend this time together. We have both been busy over the last year with work and with my charity. Darling Resorts is now a full partner in my Safe Haven Charity. It’s something so fantastic to work with the man I love on something so important. He is great at coming up with different ways to raise money using their hotels.
He has his arms wrapped around me and I have never felt this safe in my life.
“It’s hard to believe,” he says, kissing the top of my head.
“What is?”
“That you married me. That you’re mine forever and ever.”
I lean back and look up at him. “It was meant to be, Milo.”
His mouth quirks and it’s then I have to tell him my secret. I’ve been keeping it from him for two weeks, but with the wedding and everything else, I didn’t want to bring it up.
“You remember when we talked about kids?”
He nods kissing my forehead. “Of course.”
“How would you feel about having one in about seven months from now?”
“That would be kind of hard to do because you would have to be…”
He voice trails off, as he looks down at me.
Tears fill my eyes. “Yeah. Seven months.”
“How long have you known?”
“Just about ten days. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to tell anyone else first. I wanted it to be just us.”
He says nothing. He just continues to stare at me.
“Milo, say something.”
“Goddess…I…” he swallows, then his mouth curves into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. “You’re going to make me a dad.”
He kisses me then, through the tears that are now running down my cheeks.
“Don’t cry, goddess. I can’t take that.”
“They’re happy tears.”
“Still, I can’t have my woman crying, not when she gives me the best news of my life.”
He brushes the tears away before kissing me again, but he starts pressing kisses on my neck, urging me onto my back. He kisses, bites, and licks his way down my body. He settles his big body between my legs, pressing my thighs apart.
“Let me show you just how happy I am about it.”
* * *
MILO
We spend most of our days on our honeymoon in bed or on the beach. I’m at the family’s private residence on the island, and we opted not to have servants or cooks or anything. I gave them the week off with pay. Three days after she told me I am going to be a dad, we’re sitting on the lanai sipping our coffee. Well, I am drinking coffee, she’s having some decaffeinated tea. I’m just thankful she didn’t turn into the exorcist that Georgie did during her pregnancy.
My phone buzzes and I ignore it until I see Theo’s message.
Theo: 911
Fear hits me first. Ever since my father’s heart attack a few years ago, we promised to keep each other apprised of what is going on with our parents. Apparently, my father had had several “issues” before the heart attack that almost killed him.
I call him right away on video.
He answers immediately. His face is red, and murder darkens his eyes.
“You have to fire her.”
“Hello to you too,” I say sarcastically.
“Quit being a dick. You have to fire her.”
I don’t have to ask who he’s talking about. He and my food and beverage manager still haven’t learned to get along.
“No. Now, I’m going back to my honeymoon.”
“Then I quit.”
“Okay.”
“Wait, what?”
“Listen, Theo, you are almost thirty. You need to learn to play nice with others.”
“Why do you like her so much?’
“Because she has increased our profits by fifty percent. Just last month I caught the Brandon Resorts trying to poach her.”
Irritation is replaced by rage. “What the fuck?’
“Yes, they know how good she is. She turned them down because she’s loyal.”
I don’t miss the way he relaxes once he realizes she isn’t leaving. “She’s horrible.”
I roll my eyes. “Did you really just call me on my honeymoon to complain about a woman?”
“She’s not a woman.”
“She’s not?”
“You know what I mean. I don’t see her that way.”
I actually think he’s lying. He sees her that way and it drives him crazy.
“And I did wait until the sun was up there.”
Hazel gets up to get into the shot. “Hey, Theo.”
His frown softens to a mini scowl. “Hey sis. How are you feeling?”
We told our families a couple of days ago about the baby. We thought about waiting until we got back to the mainland, but we just couldn’t wait.
“I’m feeling fine, but apparently you are still having problems with Allegra.”
“She…let’s just say she has to go.”
“What is this really about?” she asks as I urge her into my lap.
“I…well, she said horrible things about my cooking.”
I almost laugh, but I don’t. I know that Theo’s whole identity is wrapped up in his ability to cook. He’s been in the kitchen since he was five. It just came naturally to him. So, hitting him there is definitely picking at his ego.
“I bet you two were in a fight,” I say, knowing that I am stating the obvious.
“That is the perpetual state of our working relationship.”
“You need to learn to work with her.”
“No.”
Just that. No. And rudely said to my goddess.
“I think you need to dial back your attitude, Theodore.”
He makes a sound of disgust and I know it’s the name again.
“Theo, just get to know her. She’s a little bossy,” Hazel says gently. She is so much better at this than I am. I just want to tell him to fuck off and act like an adult.
“That’s the understatement of the decade.”
“But it comes from her upbringing. Did you know she is the youngest of five kids and all the others are boys?”
“Yeah.”
“And her father was a bit of a terror, she said.”
His eyes narrow. “In what way?”
“Just, rules. They had a very structured life as a Marine family. So, it’s probably hard for her to deal with sharing responsibilities, especially with a man. Being the youngest and only girl, she has her issues with fitting in.”
He grumbles but I can’t make it out.
“What was that?”
“Fine. I won’t quit.”
“Good,” I say. “You have any other problems; they can wait until we return next week.”
I end the call without waiting for an answer.
“Milo,” Hazel says with a giggle. “That was mean.”
“So is calling up to bitch at me about a woman while I’m on my honeymoon. I wish he would just give up the fight.”
“Oh, so you see it too, right? I mean, those two definitely have the hots for each other.”
He shrugs. “I don’t care. All I care about is you, and that bed,” I say, slipping my arm beneath her legs and rising from the chair. I step into the bedroom.
“Yeah? What about that bed?”
I nibble on her mouth as I make my way over to it.
“I want to test out those springs again.”
She’s laughing as we fall together on the bed and ignore the world outside of the room. Together forever and always.
* * *