Epilogue
Ace
We get back to Cologne late on a Sunday, the day before Shannon has to go back to work.
We packed a lot into the last twelve days, though.
Christmas with her mother, several days with my family, New Year’s with Chris and Aubrey, and then four days on a beach in Mexico having so much sex I’m willing to admit she wore me out.
I have a fantastic libido, but my girl, well, Shannon gave me a run for my money. Whether it’s because she went so long without sex, and never had any good sex before we got together, or because of how passionate things are between us, I don’t know and don’t care. I just know how good it is.
“I’m going to be exhausted tomorrow,” she says as we unpack, “but it’ll be worth it.”
“I’ll get the laundry done and pick up some groceries while you’re at work,” I tell her. “And hopefully we’ll both get some sleep.”
“For sure.” She gives me a happy grin as she disappears into the bathroom.
Things are pretty great between, and I haven’t thought about the CIA, Limaj or anything else related to being a spy since I quit.
We did a lot of talking and soul-searching the last two weeks.
Shannon is still harboring some frustration with her mother, but is determined to work through it, for her father’s sake if nothing else.
I want whatever she wants, and I felt like Samantha has been bending over backwards to make things right with her daughter.
We fall asleep early that night and when I wake up in the morning, Shannon is in the shower.
I have a lot to do today, both to help us settle into our new routine and on a personal end for myself.
I haven’t spoken to Erik in almost two weeks, and I owe Chains a phone call too.
I didn’t tell either of them that I quit my job, and I have a lot of things to think about in that regard.
Shannon and I decided we’ll live here in Cologne until school is out for the year.
She doesn’t want to leave her students, especially the seniors, in the middle of a school year, so she’ll stay until June and we’ll reassess at that time.
I don’t mind since I like it here and I’m close enough to Limaj to get there quickly if something happens.
My loyalty to Erik and his family goes far beyond the CIA. We’re friends, very much like family, and I’ll be there for him in an instant if he needs me.
I’m going to take Shannon there this summer, for Prince Sandor’s wedding and to meet everyone, see how she feels about the place.
I’d been thinking of settling there before she came back into my life, so I want to test the waters, see what she thinks about everything.
But she deserves six months to wind down her life and career here.
That’s only fair.
I walk her to work, since I have to go out anyway, and then stop at the bakery and the grocery on the way home. Once I’m back at the apartment, I put everything away and call Chains. I know he’s up, since it’s only midnight in Las Vegas, and he answers cheerfully.
“There you are. Been wondering when you’d appear. Happy New Year!”
“Happy New Year. How’s everything?”
“Right as rain. You?”
I tell him about leaving the agency and moving to Cologne with Shannon.
“Well, good for you. You were about done with them anyway.”
“For sure.”
“You looking for work?”
“Not full-time work. I just wanted to let you know if you need anything in this part of the world, I’m available.”
“You talk to Erik yet? Lot of changes happening over there as well.”
“He’s my next call.”
“Talk with him, think about what you want to do, but you’ve always got a job here if you want it.”
“Thank you.”
“Tell Shannon I said hello.”
“All my love to Emilie and the kids.”
“Cheers.” Chains disconnects, and I sit on the couch thoughtfully.
I have so many options open to me, but I can’t think of anything I want to do except make love to my girl and think about some romantic way to ask her to marry me.
It hasn’t taken me long to come to the conclusion that this is forever. We haven’t used the L word yet, not officially, but it’s written all over both of us. As Wayne said in his letter, sometimes you just know, and I definitely know.
She’s the one for me.
She wants babies, and while it makes me a little nervous, I want what she wants.
I need something more, though, like a job, but not yet.
Right now, I’m content being a civilian and getting used to my new life.
Maybe down the road I’ll work with Chains or help Erik get his intelligence agency off the ground, but until then, this is all I need.
Shannon is all I need.
* * *
She comes in the door a little before four, her hair windblown and cheeks red from the cold. She drops her things on the floor and straddles me on the couch.
“I missed you,” she announces, kissing me.
“I missed you too,” I laugh, cupping her ass.
“Let’s get naked. It’s been more than twenty-four hours.”
I snort in mock horror. “I’m sorry, my lovely nympho. I won’t make that mistake again.”
She’s leaning in to kiss me when she pauses and frowns. “What’s that?” she asks, noting the bulge of something stuffed behind the pillows.
“What?” I feign innocence.
“Andrew Ross, what did you do?” Her eyes narrow.
“You owed me forty-three pages.”
“Pages?” She blinks.
“For forty-three, and soon forty-four, orgasms.”
Her mouth falls open. “You counted?!”
“We had a deal.”
“That’s cheating.”
“Didn’t you count?”
“No!” Her eyes twinkle with feigned annoyance.
“Not my fault.”
“You can’t—”
I dig under the pillows and whip out her diary. “Told you I would find it.”
She bursts out laughing. “Not fair! Give that to me.”
“There’s a page that says, ‘People’ magazine has it all wrong—the sexiest man alive is Ace Ross.’” I hold it out of her grasp as she tries to take it from me. “Do you really believe that?”
“No.” She purses her lips. “The sexiest man alive wouldn’t read my diary.”
“Okay, you get credit for the pages I read when I searched your apartment the first time. I won’t read any more.” I hand it back to her and she stuffs it under the cushions.
Then she looks up at me.
“I thought you said you hadn’t read anything about yourself.”
I shrug. “I might have fibbed. A little. Because you were embarrassed, and I figured it would be even worse if you knew what I’d read.”
Her cheeks turn pink. “So you already read everything?”
“Not everything. But enough to know you never stopped thinking about me.”
“Oh.”
“But here’s the thing.” I twirl a lock of her hair as I stare into her beautiful blue eyes. “If I’d kept a diary, it would’ve been filled with my fantasies about you. So even though I didn’t because I couldn’t, where it counts—” I pat my chest, “—it’s all there.”
Her eyes burn into mine. “I love you, Ace. I always have.”
“I love you too, baby. And I always have as well.”
“Will you marry me?” She claps a hand over her mouth, as if she didn’t mean to say that out loud, but I just cock my head.
“You sure that’s what you want?”
“Yes.”
“I’m currently unemployed.”
“I have a good job.”
“I don’t know where we’re going to end up or what I’m going to want to do once the novelty of being retired wears off.”
“I already told you I don’t care as long as you love me.”
“I might need to do a little spy work once in a while.”
“I might need to do some tutoring once in a while then.”
“Sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“I have.”
“Then yes, I absolutely will.”
“And you’ll make a baby with me?”
“Yup.”
“Two?”
“Maybe.” I’m teasing her, and she knows it.
We grin at each other, and she wraps her arms around my neck. “Ace?”
“Yeah, honey?”
“You can read my diary. I have nothing to hide from you.”
“And that’s why I don’t have to. I already know everything I need to know.”
“Then you know what I want to do next.”
“Uh, well, yeah, you kind of told me the minute you walked in the door.”
“No, silly. After that.”
I arch a brow. “Shopping?”
She laughs with delight. “You are my favorite spy in the whole world.”
“I fucking hope so.” I kiss her pretty pink lips, and she lifts her shirt over her head.
God, I love this woman.
Thank you for reading Ace and Shannon’s story. Next up in the Royal Protectors is XANDER. Turn the page for the reading order.