Epilogue
TRINITY
I wrapped my arms around my waist as I stood outside of the international arrivals at Terminal Five of Chicago’s O’Hare airport. It had been six months since I’d set eyes on Oliver. Six months since I’d felt the hard planes of his chest under my cheek. So much had happened in that amount of time.
Finally, the doors parted, and I caught a glimpse of his dark hair bobbing above a group of people. My mouth went dry even as my eyes began to water. What if things had changed between us over the time we’d spent apart?
But then he was there, standing in front of me, scooping me into his arms and twirling me around even as his mouth met mine. I clenched my arms around his shoulders, never wanting to let go. Passengers parted to go around us as we stood there for what seemed like hours, breathing each other in.
“You’re really here.” My words came out soft and breathy, which made sense since the sight of him pretty much knocked the wind right out of me.
His lips curved up into that grin I loved so much, and I lifted a finger to trace his smile. “Where else would I be? God, I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” The past six months had been hell without him.
I’d thrown myself into my business and thank goodness I had.
My sales had exploded, which is why I’d been able to justify bringing Oliver back on a full-time work visa.
Even though he’d been half a world away, it had been his advice, his business acumen coupled with my creative instincts that had resulted in the phenomenal success of No Limits.
There was no telling how things might take off now that we were actually in the same time zone.
“I can’t believe we’re really going to do this. Are you sure you want me around all day? Don’t you think we’ll get sick of each other?” He nudged his nose into my hair, sending goosebumps marching down my limbs.
“It’s too late now. I’ve got your visa, and you have a meeting with the historical development committee on Monday morning. They want to know more about the plans you have for the space next door now that Tapped moved out.”
His hand squeezed mine. “You have no idea how happy I am that I won’t be running into Wyatt on a daily basis.”
“Oh, we’re having dinner with him tomorrow night.”
Oliver pulled back, his brow furrowed. “Are you kidding me?”
“He wants to apologize. I told you we made peace.”
“Yeah, but I thought you meant you didn’t want to strangle him anymore. Not that we’d be joining him for beer and burgers.” Oliver shook his head.
“I think you’ll want to meet with him. He mentioned something about wanting to hire a certain freelance business consultant.” I bit back a smile. “One who can help him get that craft brewery started now that he’s in a space big enough to handle it.”
“I don’t know. He’s a snake. How would I ever be able to trust him?” He shook his head, dismissing the idea before he’d even had a chance to think it through.
“Keep an open mind. You don’t want to spend all of your time with me at the store now, do you?
” My shoulder nudged into his. Honestly, nothing would make me happier than to have Oliver with me every single moment of every single day.
But he needed something of his own. He had the same entrepreneurial drive that I did, probably even stronger.
He wouldn’t be happy to sit back and help me build my business without having something of his own to nurture on the side. “Just think about it, okay?”
“Later. Right now, the only thing I want to think about is getting you home, stripping these clothes off of you and not coming up for air for the next three days.” His palm clamped onto my hip, sending a jolt of heat right through me.
“I’m totally on board with that. But we’ve only got twenty-four hours to shut out the world. I’m a business owner now, you know.” I almost laughed at the way his face fell at that bit of news.
“Twenty-four hours? Couldn’t you find someone to take over the shop for the next week?”
I laced my fingers with his and tugged him toward the exit. “Why don’t you add that to the list of improvements we need to make? Hire weekend manager so we can spend forty-eight hours in naked slumber each weekend.”
“Oh, we’re not going to be sleeping.” He leaned close and pressed a kiss against my ear. “Sleeping is the absolute last thing on my list.”
I glanced down to check out the bulge in the front of his jeans. “I hate to tell you this, but we’re not going straight home.”
“Seriously?” He gave me a look like he wanted to make sure I wasn’t joking. “I’ve been sitting on a plane with a hard-on for you for the past twenty-four hours.”
“I’m sorry. Everyone wants to say hi. They’re waiting for us back at the shop. Macy, Mitch, some of my sibs.” I stopped as we approached the door leading outside. “Are you mad?”
“Uncomfortable, not mad.” He shifted his hold on the suitcase to the other hand and let his arm rest on my shoulders. “How long do we have to entertain them before I can take you upstairs and have my way with you?”
“Not very long, I promise.”
“Or maybe we can take care of things on the way? Did you bring Macy’s SUV to pick me up? I bet there’s plenty of room in the backseat.”
My stomach warmed at the idea of me and Oliver squeezing in a quickie before we headed back to Newbridge. But there was no time and there definitely wasn’t any room in the vehicle I’d driven to pick him up at the airport. “I’m not sure that’s an option.”
Nodding, he propelled me out the door and into the blustery cold of a Chicago winter. “Damn, I forgot how much I hate the cold.”
“Suck it up, you’re a Midwesterner now.” I gave him a playful jab as I dug my mittens out of my coat pocket. “And I didn’t bring Macy’s truck. I bought my own car. Business has been good.”
He followed me into short-term parking and stopped as I popped the trunk of my brand-new Mini Cooper. “How the hell are we going to be able to get it on in that?”
“Patience, my love.” I palmed the front of his jeans before I reached for the driver’s side door. “I promise all of the waiting will be worth it. Now get in the car so we can get to the good stuff.”
* * *
Oliver
Four hours later, I peeled a very tipsy Macy away from Trinity and ushered her out the door behind her fiancé.
I’d been awake for almost thirty hours, and the only thing I wanted to do was burrow into Trinity’s arms and fall asleep.
After I got her naked. And made her scream my name at least once.
Maybe twice if I could keep my eyes open long enough.
“That wasn’t so bad, now, was it?” She smirked at me as she gathered a few empty wine glasses in her hands.
“It was horrible.” I stood next to her and faced the wall behind the checkout counter. “I was doing okay until I walked in and saw your mural.”
“Oh yeah?” Her eyes sparkled, and I wanted to snag the glasses out of her hands and lean her over the antique counter in front of us.
“Does anyone else know those are my ass prints up there?” I glanced up to the giant canvas she’d stretched across the brick wall. “Remember the night you painted that?”
“How could I ever forget?” She walked back to the small kitchen area she’d had installed and dunked the glasses into the sink of soapy water. “I sure hope you’re better at business than you were at painting.”
I stifled a laugh. “So that’s how we’re going to start our joint venture? By flinging insults?”
Shrugging, she turned around to face me, her hands full of bubbles. “I suppose I could fling bubbles instead.”
The cluster of soap suds sailed through the air between us and caught me by surprise when it landed on the side of my cheek. Neither of us said a word. Then Trinity burst into laughter.
“That’s it.” I squared my shoulders and advanced with only one goal on my mind. “You’re going down, babe.”
She fluttered her lashes. “No problem. As long as you go down on me after I’m done going down on you.”
“You’ve got a deal.” I caught her around the waist and spun her to face me. She lifted her palm to my cheek and wiped the bubbles away.
“Thank you for coming back.” The humor left her eyes, and she glanced toward her feet. “I know it must have been hard for you to leave your family again.”
“Hey”—I nudged her chin up to meet my gaze—“Isla was over the moon when I told her she was going to be in charge. She can’t wait to partner with you on the designs you worked up.”
“And your mom and dad aren’t mad that I stole you away?” Her mouth turned down into a frown.
I leaned forward and tried to kiss her unhappiness away. “They’re not thrilled, but it was my decision to come back. And once we start importing their wool, I’m sure I’ll be back and forth enough that they’ll get their fill of me.”
“I just don’t want you to regret it. You left your whole family behind…for what?” She shrugged and gestured around the small space.
I took her hands in mine. “For us. I love you, Trinity Ryan. To me there’s no more my family, your family. There’s only us and the family that surrounds us both. You’re my family now, and once I get enough saved up, I want to make it official.”
“Oh yeah?” That brought on a smile. “And I’m supposed to wait how long until you get enough saved up?”
“Here.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a length of yarn.
“What’s this?”
Holding her hand in mine, I wrapped the yarn around her finger and tied it in a knot. “It’s a promise of what’s to come.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need a ring. All I need is you.”
“Good. Then can we finally go upstairs? I’ve got something else I want to show you.”
“Something else in your pocket?” she asked.
Tired of waiting, I scooped her up in my arms. “Something in my pants. Now let’s go. I don’t want to fall asleep on my feet before I get to show you exactly how much I missed you.”
“I love you, too,” she mumbled into my neck.
How I’d managed to get so lucky after almost screwing things up for good, I’d never know. But for the first time in my life, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
With the person I was meant to be with.
And I planned on never letting her go.