Epilogue
THREE YEARS LATER…
nicolas
Zo?” I asked, straightening my tie as I cleaned up a bin of our toddler’s toys off the living room floor, just getting home from my day at the office.
“In here!”
I poked my head into her office, which also functioned as her library and reading room, finding her sitting in front of her computer, face furrowed in concentration.
“Hi.” I pressed a kiss to her lips. “What are you working on?”
“Finalizing the contract for the venue for this fundraiser. It needs to get done before end of day.”
While some days I missed Zofia being my assistant, I had to admit she’d thrived in her position planning events for our company, and our community outreach had greatly improved since she’d started it.
Even better was that she got to be home with our son, making her own schedule and working part-time hours.
Of course, she still came in to the office when she wanted to—or for any important meetings—and her parents were more than happy to babysit Alexander when that happened.
In fact, I think they wished Zo would come back full time, if only so they could have more time with their grandson.
Though as much as she loved planning events, I’d never seen a role that made her smile more than being a mother.
I watched her as she finished up, a look of concentration as she finished typing, and then slid her chair back, looking up at me. “All done.”
“Perfect. Where’s Xander?” Our house was too quiet.
She chuckled. “My mom came and picked him up to take him to the park. Before they left, he asked if you would read to him tonight.”
I smiled. “He takes after you more and more every day.” I loved that our son was already a little bookworm, three years old and adoring when we’d read to him.
“Good. We don’t need to have a little heartbreaker on our hands if he takes after you.”
Crossing my arms, I pouted at her. “Hey. Not fair. You love me.”
“Of course I do, honey.” Standing up, she wrapped her arms around my neck. “But that doesn’t change the past.”
I kissed her again, deeper this time. “I happen to love our past.”
She hummed against my lips. “Me too.”
“Smartest thing I ever did was asking you to marry me.”
It was our fourth wedding anniversary next week. Four years since we’d eloped in Vegas, and though we’d had a ceremony on the same day, a year later, we both preferred our private, intimate ceremony, because it was when we’d began.
Even after all this time, I’d never gotten over how much I loved calling her my wife.
She laughed. “Is that how it happened? You’ll have to remind me.”
“Oh, you love being reminded, do you?” I slid my hands under her thighs, lifting her up into my arms. “Do you want me to remind you how you’re mine?”
Her eyes fluttered. “Yes, boss.”
Fuck me. Even after all this time, something about that still drove me wild. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” I told her as I carried her to our bedroom. “Thank God you agreed to being my assistant.”
“It had its perks. Mainly, I got to work with the most handsome man every day. And he was constantly reminding me just how much he needed me.” She smoothed a strand of hair back off my forehead as I set her on our bed. Carefully, delicately—she was carrying precious cargo.
“I followed you around like a puppy back then,” I admitted, pressing kisses to her cheeks. “It was so hard to stay away from you even before Napa.”
She smiled, no doubt thinking of our trip this spring. We took a long weekend off work to explore, leaving Xander with his grandparents. It was our first non-work trip away from him since he’d been born, and they’d insisted we needed some alone time for just us.
I was pretty sure it was all just an ulterior motive for them to get another grandchild, but neither of us had complained.
And somehow, neither of us had been surprised when the pregnancy test was positive the next month.
I slid my hand up her leg, resting it on her thigh. “So we’re completely alone for the rest of the afternoon?”
Zofia bit her lip. “Yes.”
“Mmm.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “Good.”
Tugging her blouse off, I exposed her pretty lace bra. She’d long since stopped nursing, but I swore her tits were already huge again.
I cupped her bump, pressing my lips to the swell of her belly, loving that she was already showing. “How did our girl treat you today?”
“You don’t know that it’s a girl yet,” she said, furrowing her brow at me. “It could be a boy again.”
I grinned. We’d had this conversation ever since she’d gotten pregnant. “I just have a feeling, Gorgeous. She’s a girl.” And even if it was another boy, I’d love him just as fiercely. “So fucking pretty, carrying my baby again.”
Her eyes heated, and I knew what she needed. I stripped out of my top, loving the feeling as her eyes roved down my torso. Even as a dad, I stayed in shape, if only because I loved the way Zo ran her fingers over my abs, practically drooling over my naked body.
She lifted her hips, helping me remove her pants, and I dropped to my knees in front of her. Pressing my face against her entrance, I nuzzled against her inner thigh, pressing soft kisses to the sensitive skin.
“Nicolas,” she whimpered as I delved my tongue through her entrance, lapping up her arousal.
“Shhh, baby,” I said, spreading her legs wider for me. “You deserve a reward for working so hard all day. And I’m going to give it to you.” I gave her a wicked grin before I sucked her clit into my mouth, giving her the stimulation I knew drove her wild.
After all the years together, I loved how I knew every inch of her body, how I could make her climax hit fast or drag it out, bringing her to the edge over and over before finally letting her come.
Today, though, I wanted to feel her fall apart as I was buried deep inside of her. I slid a finger inside, feeling her warmth surround me. “So fucking wet for me.”
She groaned as I thrust my finger into her, sliding a second one in as I twirled my tongue around her clit. Zofia let out a cry, and I unzipped my pants, pulling out my cock before plunging inside her. She spasmed around my length, both of us letting out a groan as I filled her.
“Feels so good,” she said, wrapping her legs around me, forcing me in deeper. “Don’t stop.”
“Never,” I promised her.
Zo’s head fell back as I started fucking her in earnest, both of us needing it fast, hard. With a toddler, alone time was practically its own form of currency in our household, and I was not going to waste a single moment.
“Come for me, Gorgeous,” I groaned against her ear, feeling her tighten around me. “Come all over my cock, and I’ll fill you up.”
“Ohmygod,” she cried as I pressed my thumb against her clit, rubbing it in a circle as I gave her the pressure she needed.
As if it was the catalyst she needed to finish, she came, clenching around my length.
It set off my own, releasing every spurt inside her.
When we both came down, breathing roughly, we were still holding on to each other.
Pulling out, I watched as my cum dripped out of her before scooping it up with my fingers and pressing it back inside her. “Where it belongs.”
She gave me a heated look that had me wanting to take her again. “I should ask my mom to watch Xander more often if that’s the result,” she said, letting out a small giggle.
I nipped at her ear. “It’s only going to get harder once we have two.”
“Bring it on,” she smiled. “More chaos, maybe. But also, more love.”
Brushing her hair back from her face, I pressed my lips to her forehead. “More happiness.”
“I can’t imagine being any happier than I am now,” she admitted. “You’ve given me everything I’ve ever wanted, Nicolas. A job I love, that brings me so much fulfillment. A family to cherish. A husband who dotes on me and treats me like a queen.”
“Because you are.” I picked her up, carrying her towards our bathroom.
She gave me a look. “We don’t have time to go again before mom brings Xander back.”
I smirked. “Wanna bet?”
zofia
“There’s my big boy,” I said as Xander ran straight towards us, his dark brown hair flopping in the wind. “I missed you so much.”
“Amma!” He wrapped his arms around me, and I hugged my son, before he attacked Nic. “Appa!”
My heart was so full as my husband lifted him up into his arms, tickling his stomach.
“Did you have fun today, buddy?” Nicolas asked our son as he pulled tugged on his Star Wars t-shirt. It was his favorite, and we practically had to fight him to get him to wear anything else.
I looked up at my mom, who was carrying his backpack. “Thank you again for watching him.”
“Of course, Kutti. You know how much I love spending time with Xander.” She stepped forward, ruffling my son’s hair. “Anytime.”
I hugged her, and we chatted a bit before heading back inside. Nic headed to the kitchen, and I got Xander cleaned up before getting him set at the table with a coloring book and some crayons.
Then, I slid into the kitchen, wrapping my arms around my husband’s waist.
“Smells good.”
He grinned. “Thought I’d make your favorite.” Over the years, he’d had my mom teach him how to make more traditional Tamil and Indian recipes, and I loved how much he wanted to bring my heritage into our home—and to ensure Alexander learned it too.
“You’re the best.” I kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you.” He turned around, giving me a soft pat on the ass. “Now go sit down and let me cook. You deserve to rest.”
I grumbled. “It’s not like you weren’t also working all day.”
He glared at me. “I’m not three months pregnant, either.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I pouted at him. “I’m barely pregnant. And besides, the first trimester nausea has finally gone away. I feel better than I have in weeks.”
He poked my forehead, softly pushing me out of the kitchen. “Sit down. I want to take care of my family. Let me.”
With a sigh, I finally relented, sliding onto a barstool at the island, watching Nic’s back as he stood at the stove, the familiar scents of beloved spices filling the room.
Duchess jumped up on the chair next to me, letting out a soft purr as I ran my hands over her spine. “Such a sweet girl,” I whispered to my cat—the cat who had been through everything with me. “My pretty princess kitty, huh?” I scratched under her chin.
Nic chuckled. “She’s so spoiled.”
I raised an eyebrow, looking at Cooper, curled up under Nic’s feet—waiting for him to drop any morsel of food. “You were saying?”
He shrugged. “No comment.”
I shook my head, laughing. “You’re going to spoil our little girl just as much, aren’t you?”
My husband’s face transformed. “So you admit you think it’s a girl?”
“I didn’t say that.” But I loved the idea of a little girl running around our house—especially since I’d no longer be outnumbered. “I’m just saying, it’s too early to know.”
“Not if we do one of those blood tests.” He leaned against the counter. “Didn’t Matthew and Noelle do one when they were pregnant with Penelope?”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Well, yeah. But sometimes they’re wrong. And I kind of liked how we found out before at the ultrasound.” Turning to look at Xander, who was quiet as he focused on the coloring page, I turned back to Nic. “But if you want to… let’s do it.”
“Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “What’s changed your mind?”
“Honestly, the idea of proving you wrong,” I laughed. “If it’s a boy, I’m holding it over your head forever.”
“And if it’s a girl?” He raised an eyebrow.
I bit my lip, thinking. “Then… you can pick her name.”
“Deal.” He grinned. “But I’m right, Gorgeous. Just you wait and see.” He pulled me out of my chair, twirling me into his arms and swaying me slightly in the kitchen. “And you’re right. She’s going to be so spoiled.”
“What if it is another boy?” I asked. “Do you want to keep trying until we have a girl?” I knew how badly he wanted one, but as much as I loved our family, I wasn’t sure I wanted more than two.
He shook his head, cupping my bump. “We got pretty damn lucky with the first one. Two boys or a boy and a girl, I’m happy. But if you want to, you just say the word.”
I shook my head. “Two kids is perfect.”
Nicolas laughed. “Good. Because I’m not sure I could keep up with three.”
“You’re still young,” I teased him, patting his six-pack. “You should have more energy.”
My husband rolled his eyes. “I’m only two years younger than you,” he grumbled. “And you never let me forget that.”
I stepped up onto my toes, kissing his cheek. “Who would have thought I’d fall in love with my younger, attractive boss?”
He just rubbed his nose against mine. “Everyone, Zo. Because contract or not, we were meant to be.”
“I love you,” I whispered against his mouth.
“I love you more, gorgeous.”
Contractually mine, and I never once regretted it. Because all of that brought us here.
Right to this moment, in the kitchen with our son—and, as it turned out—our daughter in my belly.
Because of course he was right.
He always had been.
I’d just had to give him a chance.