Epilogue
M cKenzie woke the next morning wrapped up in Duke’s arms, her eyes aching from the lack of sleep after a night spent celebrating their engagement.
She was engaged.
To Duke Sullivan.
Her unicorn. Her one-in-a-million. The love of her life.
McKenzie Sullivan.
She liked the way that sounded.
His hand moved from her hip to cup her breast, his thumb moving back and forth over the nipple that immediately stood at full attention.
“I had the best dream last night,” he said in the gruff morning voice that sent a shiver of delight down her spine.
“Is that right?”
“Uh-huh. The gorgeous, smart, sexy, funny, bossy, delightful McKenzie Martin agreed to marry me.”
“She did? I don’t remember that.”
In a matter of seconds, he was on top of her, looking down at her fiercely.
She laughed.
“Don’t fuck with me.”
“Why not?” She raised her hips to press against his erection. “It’s my favorite thing to do.”
“You think you’re so funny.”
“I am funny. You just said so—gorgeous, smart, sexy, funny ?—”
He kissed her so thoroughly that she couldn’t remember what’d come after funny. Oh, right. Bossy . She liked that one.
“Duke?”
“What, honey?”
“I was thinking about how I’m rebuilding the cabin.”
“What about it?”
“Do you know how much the insurance company gave me?”
“How much?”
“Four hundred.”
“What? Wow.”
“I know. They emailed me yesterday to tell me the check is in the mail. With everything else that happened yesterday, I never got a chance to tell you that.”
“You can build a hell of a house for that.”
“I could, or I could build a nice little cabin that we could rent out and use the rest to add on to this place to make room for all those kids you say we’re going to have.”
“Or we could move next door to the brand-new fancy house.”
“I don’t need brand new or fancy. This house already feels like home, and you love it here. Your garden is here, among other things.”
“I do love this place, but the only way I’m letting you pay for the addition is if I’m allowed to make you the co-owner.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“I’d do anything for you. Don’t you know that by now?”
She smiled up at him. “Speaking of doing anything for each other… I was thinking about getting a tattoo. Do you know anyone who could?—”
He kissed her as fiercely as he ever had. “Yeah, I know someone. What do you want to get?”
“A unicorn for my unicorn.”
“MK… You stop my heart.”
“I want your heart beating at all times.”
“It does. It beats for you and Jax.”
“So yes to my unicorn?”
“Yes,” he said, kissing her. “Yes to whatever you want. But there’s one other thing I need to tell you…”
“What’s that?”
“Sierra told me it wasn’t right that you don’t know the whole story about my childhood and what it was really like.”
“Is it something you feel I need to know?”
“It’s the thing I try the hardest to never think about.”
“Then there’s no reason for you to think about it now when you’re happy, unless you want to talk about it.”
“Fuck no, I don’t, but she said I needed to tell you. That it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t.”
“And now you have.”
“That’s all I need to say?”
“Unless or until you want to say more. I’ll always want to hear anything you wish to tell me, but I’d never make you talk about something that hurts you just to check a box with me. Okay?”
He nodded. “Thank you for not making me talk about it.”
“A wise man once told me to focus on the positives, and the way I see it, there’s a whole lot of positive to focus on around here these days.”
“Sure as hell is.”
And then he was inside her, loving her the way only he could as he continued to kiss her as if his very life depended upon the connection they shared.
She’d had more orgasms with him than in her entire life before him, and as he drew yet another from her, she was filled with the peace that Tiffany had described. This man, this life, this love were all she’d ever need.
“Morning,” he said when they’d caught their breath.
“Morning.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Are you really going to marry me?”
“I really am.”
He dropped his head to her shoulder. “Thanks.”
“Thanks for asking me.”
“Sweetheart… You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“Likewise.”
A loud squeak came from the next bedroom.
McKenzie and Duke shared a smile before they disentangled from each other to begin the first day of the rest of their lives.
Turn the page to attend a Gansett Island wedding…