Extended Epilogue - Two Years Later
Presents? Check! Suitcase? Check! Amazing dress I found for this year’s masquerade ball? Also, check! I look over the bags waiting to be brought to the car, then out the window where the typical Seattle drizzle clouds the sky. It might only be raining here, but it’s been snowing at the cabin for the last two days. I’m excited to get out of the city and reset with the family. It’s been months since I’ve seen my parents and even longer since I’ve spent time with my Oma.
“Cole!” I yell through the condo. “We’ll be late if you don’t hurry up.”
“We could have been on the road already if someone hadn’t distracted me in the shower,” He deadpans, leaning down to kiss me. “For someone who just had an orgasm, you’re looking a little stressed, love.”
My cheeks heat at the reminder of the wicked things he did to me only an hour ago. “Well, when you put it like that. It’s not like we’re really on a time schedule since we rented our own place this year.”
“Are your parents still mad about it?” he asks, collecting most of the bags.
“They’re disappointed but understand we weren’t willing to share a twin bed for a week.”
“I was more than willing. You’re the one who can’t keep quiet sheathed on my cock.”
He throws me a wicked smile and locks up the condo. He’s not wrong. There’s not a quiet bone in my body when Cole fucks me. I didn’t think anything of it, until I moved out of the apartment I rented when I first moved here and overheard a neighbor talking about finally getting some peace and quiet on my way out. Cole’s place, well, our place, now offers better soundproofing, we’ve noticed. Or maybe his neighbors don’t mind.
The traffic out of the city is thick, but as we get closer to the mountain's base, we’re the only ones on the road for as far as the eye can see.
“Zach’s coming up this week, right?”
Cole’s sharp gaze leaves the road long enough to stare me down. “Yes.”
“That’s good,” I throw out carelessly, trying to rile the man up to stave off my growing boredom from the long drive.
“Is it now?”
“He missed last year.”
“He did,” he confirms, his patience slowly unraveling. “He went to his girlfriend’s family’s place.”
I hide my chuckle at his blatant reminder that his cousin is now very much in a relationship. I’ve yet to meet her, but Cole went to Zach’s graduation right before we reconnected, and she was there.
“He promised me he’d be here,” I say wistfully.
“She’s coming with him this year.”
“Oh, right. I forgot about that?”
“Dakota,” he bites out with clenched teeth.
“Yes, baby.” I turn in my seat and run my fingers over his thigh.
Zach isn’t a sore spot for us. When we started dating, Cole made it abundantly clear that Christmas was a one-time thing and we were in a closed relationship. He didn’t have to convince me. I’d been head over heels in love with the stubborn asshole when we finally made our relationship official. But after the last two years, if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s push his buttons.
“I didn’t think I’d have to bring this up again, but there will be no repeat of that Christmas. Do you understand me?”
“But what if she’s into it? Does that change anything? It could be fun.”
The car swerves off the narrow two-lane road, parking us nearly in a ditch. I squeal when we halt to a sudden stop. My body bounces off the seatbelt as it locks. His hand shoots out, and a rough grip around my neck hauls me inches from his face.
“No, sharing. No other men. No other women. None.”
I love when he gets like this. I’m about to agree, but his lips slam into mine, marking an unnecessary claim on me. Even if he gave me the option wrapped in a bow this weekend, I’d refuse. He’s the only person I want, and I’d probably commit murder if another woman laid hands on him. As possessive as Cole can be, I’m worse; it just never has to come out to play.
I’m breathless when he pulls back and locks his heady gaze into mine.
“No sharing,” I whisper, a smirk pulling at my cheeks.
“That’s my girl.”
It’s freezing. I tuck the blanket around me and roll over, but Cole’s not on his side of the bed. I call out for him, but I don’t get an answer. The fire must have died, and since it’s the only heat source for this tiny hut—I thought would be romantic—my toes are about to fall off. I push open the curtain that stands in for the bedroom door and look around, but Cole’s nowhere to be seen.
What the hell.
I notice the empty firewood stack and the stove dwindled down to the embers. That must be where he’s disappeared to. Night clings to the circular windows around the hut, but the clock on the wall confirms it’s only four-thirty in the morning. Officially, Christmas, but way too fucking earlier to be awake. Especially when we got back from the ball around one.
The front door pushes open with a thud, and I tighten the blanket around my shoulders, trying to hide from the added chill.
“What are you doing out of bed?” Cole asks when he sees me standing in the middle of the living area.
“It’s fucking freezing in here,” I throw back as if it wasn’t apparent by how my teeth chatter.
“I’ll get the fire going again and come back to bed. Grab one of the extra blankets in the closet and get back in,” he orders.
It’s not like I’ll be any help making the fire, so I do as he says and snuggle back into the still-warm bed, watching him work from the bedroom.
The fire crackles back to life, and he closes the stove door. He disappears from my view, and my eyes grow heavy by the time he appears next to the mattress. He climbs in, pulling me into his chest as he leans against the headboard.
“Merry Christmas, love.”
“Merry Christ…” But I can’t get the rest of the word off my tongue.
Cole’s hand hangs open between us, a diamond ring perched in the center.
“Oh my god.” I shift from his side onto my knees, facing him, the cold cabin air long forgotten.
His face lights up, unfocused behind my tear-stained eyes.
“Dakota, you tore into my life completely unexpected. I thought I’d gotten you out of my system, but the moment I saw you in that coffee shop, I knew one week would never be enough. These last two years with you have been thrilling, little liar, and now I know I’ll never be able to let you go. So, what do you say, love. Will you marry me?”
I sniffle and wipe the tears tracking down my cheeks. “Of course, I’ll marry you,” I tell him, flinging my body into his.
The ring gets jostled and falls into the blankets, but I don’t care. It’s gorgeous and I can’t wait to fit it on my finger to show off later today, but the only thing I can think of right now is pressing my lips to his.
His groan vibrates his chest as I lick into his mouth. It’s a frenzied kiss filled with excitement for our new chapter. His strong hand grips a fist full of my messy locks and drags me back so we can both breathe.
“Find your ring. I want it on your finger, not the floor.” His command makes me giddy.
We’re engaged, and it’s Christmas. I pause, my fingers glide across the round metal, hidden in the layers of blankets, and I pull the ring free, handing it back to him. He slides it on my finger, holding them tightly as if I’ll change my mind.
“I love you, Cole.”
“I love you, too. Merry Christmas, little liar.”