Epilogue
H udson-six weeks later
The Spring air is crisp, the kind of chill that bites at exposed skin but melts under the warmth of a good fire—or in this case, the fire burning in Palmer’s eyes as she steps off the ski gondola at the peak of the mountain.
My mountain.
My wife .
Damn if she doesn’t steal the breath right out of my lungs.
She’s wrapped in white, layers of silk and lace draping over her curves like they were designed just for her. Sunlight catches in her hair, loose waves tumbling down her back, and her eyes lock onto mine like they know exactly what I’m thinking.
Which is mostly get through this ceremony fast so I can take you home and make you mine all over again .
Palmer smirks, like she can hear every dirty thought running through my head. And knowing her, she probably can.
The crowd hushes as she walks toward me, her boots crunching in the snow—because of course my woman wouldn’t wear heels up a damn mountain.
Ridge, Zane, and Slate stand on one side of me, looking more like a crew of outlaws than groomsmen, and Grady, Fox, and Liam are on the other, grinning like idiots.
Fox leans in. “You look like a man about to pass out.”
I grunt. “Nah, just ready to get this done.”
Grady chuckles. “That’s love, brother.”
Damn right it is.
Palmer finally reaches me, her hands slipping into mine, cold from the air but warming fast against my skin.
“You showed up,” I tease, my voice low enough just for her.
She rolls her eyes. “Didn’t have much of a choice. You’d probably come track me down if I didn’t.”
I smirk. “ Definitely would’ve tracked you down.”
Her smile softens, and I can see the shimmer of emotion in her gaze.
The officiant clears his throat, and the ceremony begins.
The vows are simple. Honest.
Palmer’s voice is steady when she speaks, but her fingers tighten in mine like she’s holding onto something unshakable.
“I spent my whole life searching for a place that felt like home. And somehow, I found it in the most unexpected place. In you .”
My throat tightens, and I swear my damn heart swells to twice its size.
I squeeze her hand, my voice rougher than usual when I speak.
“I told you I’d keep you safe, Treasure. And I meant it. But I also meant that I’d keep you forever.”
Her lips part, her breath hitching, and I can see the moment the words sink in.
The officiant announces us as husband and wife, and I don’t hesitate—I haul Palmer against me and crush my mouth to hers, claiming her in front of the whole damn town.
The crowd cheers, and I swear I hear Zane make a bet with Ridge about how fast we’re getting knocked up.
Not that he’d be wrong.
The reception is in the massive ski lodge at the top of Devil’s Peak, strung with twinkling lights, the smell of pine and woodsmoke thick in the air. It’s warm, packed with our family and friends, everyone talking, drinking, and celebrating.
Palmer’s jewelry business is thriving—she just signed a contract with a chain of Colorado-based jewelers, thanks to a friend of mine who owns part of the company. She fought me on it at first, but when she saw how much they loved her work, she knew it was because she’s damn good, not because she’s my wife.
Now she’s practically glowing, standing in the middle of the room, holding up her left hand to show Indie and Emma the custom wedding ring I had made for her.
A thick gold band with a canary diamond in the center, wrapped in a design that mirrors the twisting branches of the trees outside.
It suits her.
Wild. Untamed. Beautiful.
I step up behind her, sliding my arms around her waist, pressing my lips to the shell of her ear.
"Having fun, Treasure?"
She hums, leaning into me. "Best day of my life."
I smirk. "So far."
She turns, eyes narrowing playfully. "Is that a challenge?"
"More like a promise."
Before she can say something smart, the music changes, and the first notes of an old country song start playing.
Our first dance.
I lead her to the floor, one hand gripping her hip, the other laced with hers, keeping her close.
The crowd watches, but I don’t care.
Palmer is all I see.
"You’re finally mine, my precious treasure,” I murmur, pressing my forehead against hers.
She grins, her voice soft and full of something I’ll never get tired of hearing.
"And you’re mine, mountain man."
The song swells around us, and I swear, in this moment, with her in my arms, her heartbeat against mine, and the mountains surrounding us, I’ve never been more at peace.
The reception winds down, the guests trickling out, leaving just a few close friends behind. The fire is still crackling in the giant stone hearth, and Palmer and I stand outside on the balcony, looking out at the mountains that belong to us now. This woman has captivated me, made me want love, not just a wife to secure this land for the next generation. She’s made me think about things like building a legacy.
The snow sparkles under the moonlight, the wind whispering through the trees, and I tug her closer, wrapping my arms around her from behind.
She sighs, tilting her head back against my chest.
"Did you ever think this would be your life?" she asks softly.
I press a kiss to her temple. "Not in a million years."
She turns in my arms, looking up at me. "And now?"
I slide my hand down, resting it over her stomach, over the place that will one day carry my children. "Now, I wouldn’t trade it for anything."
She smiles, wrapping her arms around my neck, and whispers, "Good. Because I’m not going anywhere."
I slide a folded envelope out of my pants pocket and pass it to her. She grins, sliding a finger under the seal and opening it. I watch as her eyes scan the single sheet of paper, and then her lips round in a soft O. “Really?”
I nod, smiling as emotions well in my chest. “What’s mine is yours. Forever.”
She wipes at happy tears, folds the deed to my land and tucks it back into the envelope. I knew adding her name to the paperwork would be an emotional moment, watching her tear up in front of me now proves that—but it also makes my heart throb with love for this woman that’s rooted herself inside of my soul. And as I kiss her, long and slow, with the mountains standing witness, I know she was always meant to be mine.
My hands lock with my wife’s as I drag my lips across the soft skin of her neck. I guide her into the shadows of the trees as my fingers find her damp core. She’s soaking wet for me, our bodies already slipping and sliding together in the moonlight. “I need a taste of you.”
I press my broad chest against her body. I plunge my tongue in and out of her mouth, relishing the sweetness only she can give. “You know it makes my cock leak to think of you all soft and full with my babies.”
My hard erection tents my suit pants, anxious to touch the promised land. I’ve never been able to get enough of her, but when Palmer said I do, all bets were off.
“I’m glad to hear that,” she coos at my neck, “because I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh yeah?” I grin.
She nods. “I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday, he said…we’re going to have a baby.”
“What?” I husk, hands dropping to her waist and pulling her a little tighter to me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she giggles and steals all of the air from my lungs.
Palmer pregnant is another level of beauty I can hardly fathom. And now that I take her in, the mother of my children, I notice her skin glows and is dewy, the dips and hollows of her waist will soon turn into gentle curves and soft edges that beg for my hungry hands to eat, suck, and devour all of her. Her breasts are already heavy, and my mouth waters as I think of cupping them in my hands as they grow full with milk to feed my babies.
My grin crooks to the side. “You don’t know what you just said to me.” I slip a palm along her lace-covered waist and over the curve of her breasts, nipping at her lips to elicit a small squeak. “You’re so beautiful, and all mine.”
“I want to please you–right here, right now.” Her eyes hood over before she slides to her knees, pulling my zipper down and taking my throbbing cock in her dainty little hand and licking her lips eagerly.
“No, no, no, Treasure.” I pull her into my arms, melding our bodies together, lips first. “I can’t stand to see you on your knees when you’re dressed like a princess and growing my babies inside you.”
“But I love the feel of you in my mouth?—”
“That’s the hottest thing I think I’ve ever heard you say.” I lift the layers of silk and taffeta around her waist and nudge my cock at the vee of her thighs, running out of patience. I lift her in my arms, careful of her sexy belly, the home to my children.
“You’ve been so needy for me, baby.” I slide into her tight body, our breaths syncing as we rock in tandem. “Let me hear how hot my thick dick makes you.”
Her tiny hands trail up my biceps, curving around my neck and pulling my ear to her lips. “I can’t get enough of you, Hudson. I wake up soaking wet because I can feel you beside me.”
I swirl my fingers between us, grazing her aroused clitoris and licking the curve of her neck.
“Oh, Hudson, Hudson,” her thighs buzz, her neck arching back and giving me the perfect opportunity to latch and suck.
I suck deeply and slowly at her juicy skin while I fuck her deeply with my cock, my hands holding her waist securely as we move with practiced strokes. “I’ve never been able to get enough of you, baby. From day one you consume my mind and steal my thoughts like a thief.”
The way her delicate pussy flutters around my dick lights me on fire, my lips roaming her skin as I swirl and suck at everything I can find.
“One look and you nail me, Treasure. I never see you coming. I should punish you for taking me by storm like that.”
“Punish me then.” Her voice is whispery and pleading. “I love your punishments.”
I feel the cum rocketing up, gathering momentum with every one of her decadent little huffs. Tension burns through my muscles when her orgasm unleashes and she pants an incoherent string of pleases in my ear.
Cum spirals out of the tip of my cock, burying my seed deep inside her—the only place it belongs.
“Baby, you don’t know what you’re asking when you beg me to punish you like that.”
“Try me,” she pants, her eyes heavy with desire for me.
I duck, doting attention on each of the soft little peaks between my words. “You’re fragile cargo, my love—I can’t go punishing you right now. You’ve got the quarterback, running back, and tight end of my little football team in there.”
“Is that so?” She catches my lip in a kiss. “Guess that means we’ll have to keep practicing until we have a whole offensive line.”
“I like the sounds of that, sweet girl.”