Epilogue
Clay
Six Months Later
Leni isn’t in bed when I wake up. It’s a Saturday morning and we’re supposed to be doing our weekend ritual of sleeping in and snuggling until one of us breaks down and we make love. Only she’s not here, and I’m not appreciating the deviation in our routine.
She’s finally back on her own two feet, using a walker on the bad days.
A cane when she’s feeling better. Her arm is healed.
The neck brace is long gone. The worst break by far was her pelvis.
It’s taking its sweet time healing, but she’s almost well enough for us to move back into the cabin.
I know she’s itching to get out of here.
I joked that we might as well stay until the house is built. The contractors plan on breaking ground in the next couple of months, and we will hopefully have our own house by winter. She didn’t laugh, her fierce independence is hating relying on everyone else for help.
Light seeps through the bathroom door, the muffled sound of a shower running behind it. She’s supposed to shower with help, preferably mine, if she can wait until I’m around.
Letting myself into the bathroom, I take a minute to appreciate my girl. She’s standing under the spray, her head tipped back, body on full display. I can’t believe she’s mine. Can’t believe we’re really here, finally together.
I thought we’d have a tougher time getting back into the family’s good graces after that first family dinner, but it turns out the Kanes had a harder time working out Brooks’ new situation than dealing with ours.
Things are still awkward with Mercer at times. We aren’t the same as we used to be, but at least he hasn’t tried to punch me again. He might be a romantic, but the dude can throw down as hard as any of them. I’m hoping to never repeat that again.
Slipping out of my boxer briefs, I let myself into the shower as quietly as possible. Leni gasps when I grab her hips, eyes flashing with surprise before they fill with heat. I duck my head to find her neck when she swats me away. “No marks today. We have the magazine shoot!”
That’s right. My Leni and her mama are going to be featured in Ranch Life Magazine.
Turns out, you can make a living from blogging, and people have been eating up Leni’s monthly articles about cooking with her mom.
The extra posts on her mom’s business page have become so popular that the magazine reached out and asked to start photographing their sessions.
Today is their first professional shoot.
Ma is over the moon excited, even if Pa grumbles about having camera crews in his house.
I know he’s really proud of his girls. Just like I am.
“No marks,” I promise. Keeping my teeth to myself, I pepper kisses down her neck before dropping to my knees. “At least not where they’ll see.” I grin at her with a devilish smile before I sink my teeth into her inner thigh. She moans, fingers digging into my hair to stabilize herself.
“Such a naughty girl. You’re not supposed to shower alone,” I murmur as she spreads her legs further apart, giving me access to exactly what I want. “What kind of punishment do we think you deserve today?”
“You can spank me later. If you’re going to use that wicked tongue of yours, you’d better do it quick. I have a schedule to keep.”
I chuckle, then swipe my tongue up her slit, teasing her.
“Yes,” she mutters, her nails digging into my scalp. “More, Clay. Please make me come.”
“See? Now you’re being such a good girl, Eleanor.” Carefully, I haul her closer to me, dipping my tongue inside of her for a taste, before I pull it out and find her clit. My fingers dip inside of her, fucking in and out as she begins to ride my face.
“God, yes, keep doing that,” she cries, using my hair to keep my face flush with her core.
My tongue laps up everything that seeps out around my fingers.
When her walls start to flutter, I press my tongue back into her clit, crooking my fingers inside of her in just the right spot.
She doubles over top of me, legs shaking as she chants my name.
When she comes back down, I stand to my full height, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.
“Better get going, baby. You don’t wanna be late for your big day.”
“Uh-huh,” she mumbles, rinsing something out of her hair before smacking my ass and slipping out of the shower.
“You’ll pay for that!”
“Hopefully.” She winks at me from outside the glass doors before heading to the vanity to start getting ready for the day.
Some days, I still beat myself up for waiting so long to claim her.
For pretending that I didn’t need her as much as I do.
But every kiss, every touch, makes it all worthwhile.
Because regardless of whatever we’ve gone through in the past, we’re in this for the long haul.
The sparkly princess cut diamond that’s sitting in my underwear drawer proves it.
Leni Kane is going to be my wife.