Epilogue
Sorinah didn’t like the scrutiny of her husband’s watchful eye.
They were in the walk-in closet of their home in Trinidad, and yes, she dragged her feet to pack for their trip, but they weren’t leaving until the morning.
Should she have already been packed? Eh, Aldrich wasn’t the boss of her.
Just because he reminded her yesterday, and again this morning, to finish packing for the five-day trip because they would leave at first light, didn’t mean her suitcase should be in the corner beside his.
When he pushed off the door frame, she knew he was going to say something to get under her skin.
“You know…” he began, a surefire sign he was going to be annoying. “The island of Tobago didn’t get you pregnant. It was me, and I have been snipped. So your fear of the island is irrational.”
“I’m not scared of anything.” She placed her hands on her hips. “I was pointing out that the last time we went there I ended up with the beautiful gift of Myles.”
He looked so much like his father, though his complexion was only two shades lighter than Sorinah’s. He had a head of dark blond curls, and, like his older brother, he inherited his mother’s amber coloured eyes. According to his father, unlike Mars, he inherited his mother’s temperament.
“Kitten, it’s been two years since I got snipped.
We are in the clear.” Aldrich timed his vasectomy perfectly.
While she was recovering from pushing out an eight-pound, twenty-three-inch long baby, he was recovering from being snipped.
He had followed every instruction, including going to his follow-up appointments.
“All I am saying is there is documentation that vasectomies can be reversed,” Sorinah pointed out. She wasn’t really worried about it happening; she was putting the information out there.
Aldrich looked at her thoughtfully, a sly light in his eyes.
“Would you like me to suit up while we’re on our anniversary getaway?”
“Would you?” she asked, hopefully.
“Nope.” He laughed, shaking his head.
“Why are you still such a dickhole?” she teased, even though she knew the answer.
“Because my wife loves me exactly the way I am.”
“I don’t know about that,” Sorinah insisted, crossing her arms.
“I happen to have recorded proof. It was in your vows.”
Well, she had said something to that effect, but it was an emotional time in her life.
“Need I remind you I was hormonal because I was pregnant?” she countered, then stuck her tongue out at him.
“If you say so, besides, we both know how you love riding my dick raw. What kind of husband would I be to deny you the pleasure?”
She rewarded his comment with a cheeky grin. “Fine, I think we should use this trip to practice orgasm denial,” she suggested.
Aldrich’s smile widened knowingly. He was better at reading her than anyone else.
“If you say so, but we both know how that’s going to end.” His voice lowered to a whisper, sending a shiver down her spine. He leaned a fraction closer, warmth radiating from him, the pulse at his throat steady and inviting.
Sorinah would not admit it out loud, but he was right. It didn’t matter where they went; they were long overdue for a trip alone.
Their first anniversary had been a family trip.
She hadn’t been ready to be separated from Myles.
For this one, she felt better prepared. The family had all celebrated Thanksgiving at Dinah’s house; she volunteered to host and did an amazing job without help from either of her sisters.
Then they’d flown to Trinidad. Myles was spending the five-day getaway at Aldrich’s parents’ house.
Sorinah wasn’t sure how her mother-in-law managed to be such a hands-on grandmother and the CEO of a chain of luxury hotels, but she did. She adored her three grandchildren. Nakinah and Ambrose had two beautiful girls.
Although her mother-in-law was phenomenal at her career, she started hinting that she was ready to step down. Aldrich was her chosen successor as CEO. They were negotiating about when that would happen.
It would mean more responsibility for him, though he already had a lot on his plate.
It would also mean more time in Rotterdam.
Sorinah was more than willing to pay it forward and relocate to make his job easier.
Mars was away at university, and a European office would bolster her business expansion.
Life would change for them soon. She should let go and enjoy their trip.
Besides, she had loved Tobago. This time Aldrich hadn’t scheduled activities for their trip.
They planned to go to the villa, and the rest they would play by ear.
Which was the perfect way to celebrate the last two years of their marriage.
They had a small ceremony over the Thanksgiving weekend after he had proposed. Her sisters and his mother had tried to push for a bigger, more elaborate wedding.
Dinah was the most vocal. “Come on, Mars’ party was bigger than the wedding you’re planning. So many people want to be there to see you guys get married.”
“Too bad they can send their well-wishes. Our wedding is an immediate- family-only event. We’re going to the beach at sunset, then we’re having a small reception at Aldrich’s parents’ house. It’s our day and we don’t need more.”
Her sister had been persistent, but Aldrich had shut it down. Sorinah got exactly the wedding day she wanted, and no one got a say in how she should have it.
It was difficult not to heap praise on him when he was being such a supportive, amazing partner. Sorinah did what she could to keep him from getting a big head.
Dinah pouted, but Aldrich wouldn’t budge. Yet he did reach a compromise of sorts, winning praise from both her sisters and his mother. “I’d say she can’t control any event you throw for her.”
That’s how Sorinah ended up with a bigger, more elaborate bridal shower and a co-ed baby shower, far beyond her wedding. It turned out she was content with that.
The perfect start to their new family. The four of them shared a beautiful bond. Aldrich was a present, giving father not only to Myles but Mars too. Right before Myles was born, Mars started calling him Dad. “I mean, it would be confusing for the baby if I was calling him Uncle Aldrich.”
Aldrich had teared up. He hadn’t taken for granted the significance of the gesture. He loved their eldest son. Sorinah had to adjust to Mars wanting to confide in his dad about girls and the challenges of his first year instead of her. What softened the blow was how Aldrich showed up for Mars.
Having Aldrich in her life meant he was always her champion.
Her husband didn’t take kindly to anyone messing with her.
Albert had learned that the hard way. During his divorce and child-support proceedings, he’d hidden his assets.
The team of forensic accountants Aldrich hired helped unearth the hidden assets and shared them with Albert’s ex and the new baby mama.
Somehow, both cases ended up before the same judge, who had a reputation for punishing men who tried to deceive the court and defraud their children.
In another twist of bad luck, the Canada Revenue Agency had also caught wind of questionable accounting and audited Albert and his company.
He’d avoided jail time, but the government had claimed the arrears they were owed.
The Canada Revenue Agency had gone after Albert’s father as well, severely depleting what would have been Albert’s inheritance.
Albert had thought it was a good idea to confront Aldrich about his financial woes, but not before he asked Mars for a loan.
The latter had resulted in Aldrich kicking Albert’s ass.
Albert’s ribs and Aldrich’s fist had felt the brunt of Albert’s mistakes.
The upside was that Albert had disappeared from their lives.
Apparently, Albert hadn’t been the only one to face Aldrich’s wrath. A week before Thanksgiving, Veto Panger had been waiting outside Sorinah’s office when she was leaving. He had been nothing like the man she had met years earlier at Carner. Long gone was his arrogance.
“Sorinah, if I could have a moment of your time.” Veto hadn’t dared to make eye contact with her.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she took a moment to listen to the man.
“I’ve had a lot of time to take stock of my life. It took me a long time to pinpoint where it fell apart. Then a longer time to figure out your husband had me blacklisted.”
That had been news to Sorinah. She’d heard the man had fallen on hard times, but Aldrich had never said a word about what he did.
“I wanted to apologise for what I did to you and the other women, and I want to let you know I would never use my position to make life difficult for anyone again. It was important to me that you knew I had learned my lesson. If you could share that with your husband.”
Sorinah had no sympathy for the man; she told him he should reach out to her husband himself.
Although she couldn’t resist addressing the Veto situation with Aldrich.
As usual, he didn’t deny what he had done.
“Veto should have kept his advances to women who welcomed them, in appropriate situations, and not tried to use his position of power to get laid.” He’d kissed her temple and started dinner.
There hadn’t been a point in pushing the issue with him. Aldrich never backed down when he felt she was wronged. It was just who he was. Yes, she could fight her own battles, but it felt good to have someone who was always on her side.
The decision to trust her heart again had not been easy for Sorinah.
God, she had fought it, but Aldrich challenged her to stop letting her past shape her future.
Her reward was a life she never could have imagined.
She was loved, supported, cherished, and yes—well fucked—by a man who proved that, even if he could be a dickhole, he was exactly what she needed.
The End