EPILOGUE
“Elena!” I call her from the base of the stairs, “Are you ever going to be ready?”
“Fuck off,” She hisses back, and then a door slams and a frustrated groan travels down the stairs.
Here we go.
My boots are heavy as I take the steps up to the master suite, finding her sitting on the bed with her arms crossed beneath her perfect tits, but she’s glowering toward the closed closet.
“What’s wrong, Hellion?”
“Nothing fits,” She pouts.
My eyes drop to her growing stomach, and warmth overcomes me. She’s only five months and her body has been changing so rapidly, it’s hard to keep up.
Crossing the room, I kneel down between her parted legs, letting my palms run over her smooth tan skin until they stop either side of the small bump, and I lean forward to press a kiss to her stomach.
My baby. It was unexpected. We had planned for this, and yet when it came to the positive test, I’m pretty sure my heart dropped into my gut. I’ve raised baby animals numerous times, delivered foals and calves and hand reared goats, but not sure anything will prepare me for my son or daughter.
But it’s hope and happiness, two things I had been lacking before she stumbled onto my — our — ranch.
“You’re beautiful, Hellion,” I whisper against her skin.
“Nothing fits,” She repeats with a sigh.
“We’ll go shopping,” I promise her. “Tessa promised to bring in more maternity clothes for you.”
“Okay, but what about now? Do I show up in my underwear!?”
“You want to get someone killed?” I growl.
She glares at me. “I can’t go if nothing fucking fits, Knox.”
I huff a sigh and head to the closet, moving through the dresses until I find something stretchy that should go over the bump. It’ll mold to the shape, just the way I like, and with her boots…
Every cowboy’s dream.
“Try this,” I hand it to her.
With a grumble, she takes it from me and slips it over her head, pulling at the stretchy material until she’s able to get it down over her bump. It sits just above the knees and clings to her body like a second skin.
And I’m about to rip the damn thing right back off.
“Fuck me,” I groan.
A smile brightens her face, and she moves to pull on her boots. It’s only a town fair to welcome tourists for the summer; it started back up three years ago, and Elena loved it so much she has gone back every year since.
The town pretends not to know who she is and what she does, and she doesn’t bring business here. This is home, not work.
“You ready?” She asks now she’s dressed, but my hard cock says otherwise.
“Give me a minute.” I sit on the edge of the bed and shake my head. Here I thought it would get easier, but every minute with Elena is like the very first time.
She chuckles as she wanders back toward me, pushing on my shoulders to shove me down onto the bed before she climbs on top, widening her thighs to straddle me, “Do you need help, cowboy?”
“You offering, darlin’?” My hands fall to her thighs as I push the dress she only just put on back up, revealing the triangle of her lacy underwear right above my cock.
“It’s yours,” She purrs, rolling over my length.
I groan, tipping my head back, reveling in the feel of her before I flip us, my body falling into the cradle of her thighs and keep my weight off her.
Rolling my hips forward, I grind against her; the moan slipping from her lips only turning my blood hotter.
Never enough. Getting to my knees, I hook my fingers into her panties and pull them down her legs, tugging them over her boots to throw them onto the floor before I go for my belt and tug down my pants.
As I grasp my aching cock, I reach for her pussy with the other hand, pressing my thumb to her pierced clit, rolling it softly before I scissor my fingers through her, and spread her open.
“So fucking pretty,” I praise, leaning in to notch the head into her.
Her spine arches, hips bearing down, and I thrust forward, impaling her.
It doesn’t matter if she is very obviously pregnant with my child, it doesn’t matter that I put a ring on her finger and made her mine, I want to mark her in every single way, all the time.
She cries my name as I pull out and do it again, fucking her hard into the mattress, giving us both what we want.
Her heels press into my ass, attempting to keep me closer, but I need hard. I want to feel her in my bones.
“Knox,” My name is a plea on her pretty mouth, “Fuck.”
“Say it again,” I demand.
“Knox,” She obeys immediately, the sound of my name like a prayer.
“That’s fucking right, darlin’.” I growl and piston my hips, drawing all the way out before I thrust back in. “Play with that pretty pussy, Elena, make yourself come all over my cock.”
Her fingers toy with her clit, rolling it as I thrust purposefully, building us up.
She trembles beneath me, her whimpering spurring me on until I feel her begin to pulse around me, her orgasm coming on quick and violently.
She falls apart, squeezing my cock, and I drop down onto my elbows, burying my face into her neck as I now chase my own release.
It comes soon after, and I fill her up, my cock jerking, my groan muffled by her body.
I catch my breath before I lift and kiss her, stealing her breath to fill my own lungs, and then wince as I pull from her, immediately reaching for her panties. I help them up her legs and secure them into place, and when she stands, I tug her dress back down.
“You’re going to keep me there,” I grip the nape of her neck, “Walk around with me spilling from you. Every part of you is mine.”
“Putting a baby in me wasn’t enough, cowboy?” She teases breathlessly.
“When that one is here, I plan to put another one in you.” I admit.
A laugh bursts from her. “I don’t think so, we’re having one.”
“Three,” I argue.
“One,” She hits back.
“Two?” I compromise.
“One,” She doesn’t relent.
I concede, “Whatever you want, Hellion.”
She grins, “I know.”
Knox’s hand is in mine as we walk down Main Street in Sierra Valley, several tents and stalls set up selling farm fresh produce, from fruits and vegetables to fresh meats and specially produced jams, spreads and milk.
When it started up a few years ago, I only came to make sure the town was coming back and getting everything it deserved, but now it’s been three years, and I keep returning.
The community isn’t anything I’ve ever experienced before, and though they’ve welcomed me like I’m one of their own, I like to watch the way this town comes together and fights for each other.
And I quietly cheer all of them on as they get back everything they’ve lost. I don’t pretend to believe they don’t know my part in their downfall, but they don’t hold it against me.
It’s taken time to rebuild, to get back what was taken from them. Knox has worked tirelessly over the last four years, pouring money into the community and into his own ranch. No one missed Rossi after we destroyed him.
And now here we are, four years later, with a town thriving and both new and old ranches working hard all year round.
Sierra Valley isn’t just back, it’s better and stronger than it was before.
And it was all because of Knox.
I’m so fucking proud of him. Proud to be his wife, proud to be the mother of his child, but I’m also proud of myself. The ranch is my home, but I still run the De Luca Mafia. I still own the city. We are two sides of a coin, but we work.
We will always work.
I never thought this kind of love, this kind of happiness would ever find me, but it did anyway, and I will continue to fight every day for it.
Because we both deserve this.
“I love you, cowboy,” I press myself further into his side.
He leans down and presses a kiss to the top of my head, “I love you, Hellion.”