Epilogue
CHARLOTTE
Outside, the Caribbean sky is a bright blue that almost matches the dazzling blue of the water. A sugary beach stretches out below the balcony of our beachside suite, the salty breeze tangling my hair as I look out, enjoying the sound of the lapping waves and the scent of the sea air and tropical flowers.
Behind me, I hear the pop of a cork as Ivan opens a bottle of champagne, the sound of him pouring it into glasses following shortly after. He walks up behind me, handing me a mimosa as he leans on the railing next to me, looking out at the beach below.
Zoe and Jasmine are already out on the beach, laying out on towels, enjoying the attention of the men who walk by and gawk. Sarah, I’m sure, is sleeping in—as she always has on every vacation we’ve ever gone on.
“To new beginnings,” Ivan says softly, tapping his mimosa glass against mine. Our fingers brush as he does, and I feel a spark tingle over my skin, lighting me on fire even though we only got dressed an hour or so ago. We enjoyed a lazy evening in bed last night after dinner, and he woke me up the same way this morning, sliding under the sheets to tease me to a slow, sleepy orgasm.
“And all the adventures we can imagine.” I sip my mimosa, looking out at the sand. “We should go join them soon. We invited them on this trip—we can’t stay in the room the whole time.”
“I know.” Ivan chuckles. “Maybe I should have waited. I still want you all to myself. But I also wanted your friends to get to know me. We got off on the wrong foot, after all.”
“You mean the whole kidnapping thing? Yeah, Zoe is going to take a while to get over that. And Sarah. Jaz is—” I laugh. “Jaz is the adventurous type, herself. She thought it was exciting. And she trusts my judgment.”
“The others don’t?” Ivan asks curiously, and I shake my head.
“It’s not that. It’s just—Jaz and I were always the closest. I’m not super close with my family, and she’s estranged from hers. It’s different. Sarah and Zoe are just more protective. But after last night, they like you a lot more,” I promise.
Last night, we had a beachside dinner with plenty of wine flowing, private for just the five of us. Ivan paid for all of it, and it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. We laughed and drank and talked, and by the end of it, I could tell that my friends had warmed up to him much more. They’d been skeptical, when he’d proposed us all going on a vacation. But none of my friends are the type to turn down a free exotic trip, and Ivan can be convincing.
I know that firsthand.
“I love you,” I say softly, leaning my hip against the railing and smiling at him. “That’s what matters. The rest will come in time.”
“I hope so,” Ivan agrees. “Because I wouldn’t want anything less than for all of your best friends to agree to be in your bridal party.”
“What?” I blink at him, confused. “My?—”
I gasp as he drops down to one knee on the balcony, slipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out a small black box. When he opens it, I see the most stunning engagement ring that I’ve ever laid eyes on.
It’s a kite-shaped salt-and-pepper diamond, with a black diamond on either side, on a platinum band studded with smaller white diamonds. My mouth drops open, and for a moment, I can’t speak.
“I love you, Charlotte,” Ivan says softly. “And maybe this is too soon—I’ll understand if it is. But you know I’ve been obsessed with you since the day I saw you. I knew since that first moment that I couldn’t live without you. And if you feel the same way, I want to be yours for the rest of our lives—just as much as I want you to be mine.”
Tears well up in my eyes, and I nod before I have the ability to speak again. “ Yes ,” I whisper finally. “Yes. It’s crazy, but—yes. I’ll marry you. I love you, too, Ivan, I?—”
His eyes are misty, too, as he slides the ring onto my finger, the diamond glittering in the bright sun. He stands up, pulling me in for a kiss as his mouth seals over mine, and then he picks me up, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carries me back to the bed. He spills me back onto it, dragging me to the edge where he’s standing and tugging my leggings down as I feel him grind against me, already rock-hard.
“Once more,” Ivan murmurs, his mouth already descending on mine as he strips us both naked. “One more time, and then we’ll go down and find the others.”
My answer is a kiss, as I wrap my arms around his neck and drag him down to me, hooking my legs around his hips as I feel him slide inside of me that first inch, teasing me with what we both need so badly.
“One more time, for now,” I whisper, as he slides into me, groaning as his lips find my neck and he starts to thrust. “And after that—for the rest of our lives.”
Ivan's thrusts are slow and deep, each one sending waves of pleasure through my body, pushing me closer to the brink. I arch my back, pressing myself closer to him, wanting to feel every inch of his skin against mine. Nothing has ever felt as good with anyone as it feels when I’m with Ivan. It was easy to say yes to this forever. I never want anything else.
“I’m yours,” he breathes against my skin, his voice thick with desire. “And you’re mine.”
I moan, arching into him as his teeth graze the side of my neck, so close to the edge. And then, just as I can feel my orgasm on the verge of tipping over, there’s a knock at the door.
“Hey, lovebirds!” Sarah’s voice calls out from the other side. “Are you coming down to the beach?”
Ivan freezes, and I bite my lip, trying not to laugh. “We’ll be right out!” I call, trying to keep my voice from sounding strained.
“Don’t wait on us,” Ivan adds, his hips rocking against mine, and I press my hand to my mouth to stifle a moan.
I hear Sarah laugh, and her footsteps fade away. Ivan picks up his pace again, pushing me further up the bed as he climbs onto it with me, his thrusts leisurely now, building the pleasure again.
I wrap my legs tighter around Ivan's waist, urging him on, pulling him deeper inside me. The interruption only heightened my arousal, and now I'm desperate to come. Ivan thrusts harder, his hands pinning my wrists above me as he grinds his hips against mine.
“Look in the mirror,” he murmurs, nudging my head towards the huge mirror atop the dresser next to the bed. “Remember that night?”
“How could I forget?” I pant. “It wasn’t all that long ago.”
“I made you mine that night,” he growls. “And now you’ll be mine forever. My little dove. My obsession. My wife .”
Every word pushes me closer to the brink. Ivan groans as I tighten around him, and I arch upwards, panting. “Please—” I rock against him, desperate for a little more friction, for a little more of him . He feels so good, and the feeling of his fingers around my wrists, the sight of him, muscled and gorgeous, stretched over me as he fills me again and again, is intoxicating.
“Come for me, little dove,” he whispers, and I can feel him starting to shudder, on the edge along with me. “Come on my cock, and I’ll come for you, too.”
The tide of pleasure washes over me, pulling me under as I moan his name, and I hear him cry out mine. His fingers interlace with mine at the last moment, locking us together, my ring brushing against his skin.
I feel every thrust, every hot rush of his cum inside of me, and Ivan presses his mouth hard to mine, the sounds swallowed up in our kiss until we both finally go still, lying intertwined on the white sheets.
“I’m glad you found me,” I whisper softly, as the sunlight streams over us both, still connected as I look down at the diamond sparkling on my finger. “For better or worse, I’m glad.”
“Good,” Ivan whispers, and he leans in to kiss me again. “Because, little dove—I’m never letting you go.”
Thanks for reading! I hope you loved the Endless series!