Epilogue
ELLIE
“And how are you this evening, Mrs. Barlowe?” Jonah asks, his arms sliding around me from behind. I lean back against my husband, grinning. Hearing him call me that will never get old.
“I’m so happy it scares me,” I tell him.
He makes a disapproving noise. “I thought we decided we were done being afraid?”
“This is a good kind of fear,” I argue. “Like riding a roller coaster or jumping off a diving board.”
“I suppose I’ll allow it, then.”
I twist in his arms so I can look up at his face. “You’ll allow it, huh? It’s funny how you think you have the slightest bit of power in this relationship.”
He sighs. “Being under your thumb is just a burden I’ll have to suffer through.” Then he brings his lips to my mouth. “It’s a good thing the perks are so nice.”
“Are you guys kissing again?” Lucas asks, sounding disgusted.
“Buddy, we got married today,” Jonah says. “That calls for a whole lot of kissing.”
My son makes a face then runs off to rejoin the party.
I’ve seen the Low Bar more crowded than this but I’ve never seen it filled with so many people that I love.
All of the Barlowe boys are here, of course.
Trisha and her mom. My boss at the medical billing office and a few co-workers.
Nick and Jules and Arden. Most of the Low Bar staff.
They were all with us today when we got married out at a lakeside park at the edge of Solitude and they all followed us back here to celebrate with food, drinks, and dancing.
It’s not the fanciest wedding—the ring bearer insisted on wearing his Spiderman tennis shoes with his suit—but it’s absolutely perfect for our little family.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine having a family like this.
So many people who love us. So many people I can count on.
Most of the people in this room have been there for me in one way or another—it was especially helpful to have so many willing babysitters during Kevin’s trial.
Testifying against him in court was one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to do, but having Jonah’s face in the courtroom got me through it.
That and knowing that Lucas was being well taken care of.
Now my ex-husband is in jail, where he’s been sentenced to stay for a long, long time.
My fear didn’t disappear overnight. I still have those moments where I feel paralyzed with terror thinking of everything that happened. But I have Jonah to kiss me and comfort me when I get scared like that. Together, we get through it.
I know in my heart we’ll handle everything else life has to throw at us in the exact same way. Together.
“Will you come with me for a minute?” Jonah whispers in my ear. “I need to show you something.” He sees me looking to Lucas, who’s currently being held over the pool table by Lawson so he can take a shot. “He’s fine,” Jonah says. “My brothers have him.”
“I can’t believe I trust a whole gang of bar owners with my kid,” I mutter, and Jonah laughs.
“I promise they won’t corrupt him too much before we get back.”
I take my husband’s hand and allow him to lead me to the hallway behind the bar. We only make it a few feet down the hallway before I realize where he’s taking me and burst out laughing. “Jonah.”
“What?” he asks innocently. “I’m going to lose my mind if I don’t get inside my gorgeous wife right now. And what better place to do that then the scene of our very first time together?”
“You want our first time as husband and wife to be in a bar bathroom?”
“Fuck yes,” he growls into my ear. “I want to lift this pristine white dress up over your thighs and corrupt you, darlin’”
Well, when he puts it like that.
The second he locks the door behind us, he has me in his arms, lifting me up to sit on top of the sink.
I didn’t go with anything overly fussy for my dress, since I wanted our day to be pretty low key.
I’ve never been so happy for that decision than I am right now, when I see the ease with which my new husband is able to lift my gauzy skirt up to my hips.
“You have no idea how badly I wanted to do this that night,” he murmurs, running hot kisses along the side of my neck.
“No idea how badly I wanted to get my dick inside you.” I groan as his hand drags up my thigh, slipping the lacy fabric of my panties aside.
He groans with me when his fingers touch the wet heat at my center.
“The second I felt this sweet little pussy, I knew I had to have you. I knew nothing else would ever compare.”
“I barely knew my own name that night,” I pant against his neck. “You came at me out of nowhere, Jonah. You made my head spin.”
“Like a bolt of fucking lightning, baby,” he agrees. “That’s what it felt like. Everything changed in the blink of an eye and I didn’t understand why or how.” He slips a finger inside me, a greedy noise coming from deep in his throat. “I just knew I needed to have you.”
“You have me now,” I assure him.
“That ring on your finger tells me I have you forever,” he says, that note of rough possessiveness that I love so much taking up residence in his tone. “You’re mine, Ellie Barlowe.”
Ellie Barlowe. God, I love the sound of that. This family might be a little on the wild side, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything. “Thank you for that,” I tell Jonah, my voice rough.
His fingers pause in their good work and he looks into my face. “For what, darlin’?”
“For giving me a family,” I tell him. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted that.”
He shakes his head, his expression turning disbelieving. “Are you kidding me right now? I’m the one who should be thanking you. You gave me our son, Ellie.”
It’s not the first time he referred to Lucas that way, but God, it hits me straight in the heart. I will never stop being grateful that my son will have this man to guide and teach him as he grows up.
Something flashes in Jonah’s eyes, the corner of his mouth tilting up. “And if I have anything to say about it, you’re going to be giving me plenty more sons.”
I lift my eyebrows at him. “I am?”
He shrugs. “Or daughters. I’m not picky.” He resumes his ministrations between my legs, his fingers pumping deeper, harder, making me cry out. “All I know is I want babies with you, Mrs. Barlowe. Lots of babies.”
“I don’t know about lots,” I begin, but he silences my protests with a kiss. And when he brings his thumb to circle around my clit, I forgot what my argument was going to be anyway.
“In that case, we should probably practice,” I tell him, bringing my hands to the button of his trousers.
“You better be careful, wife,” he says, brushing my hands away to deal with the button and zipper himself. “You keep talking about getting pregnant and I’m gonna get real out of control, real fast.”
“I happen to like you out of control.”
He doesn’t disappoint. It takes him about three seconds to get his pants pulled down enough to free his cock.
He doesn’t bother removing my lacy bridal panties, merely yanking them to the side to make room for himself.
“Fucking need you,” he says, the moment before he thrusts deeply inside. “God damn, Ellie.”
“Yes.”
He doesn’t take the time to warm up. Instead he starts pumping at a rapid pace, pressing my legs further open so he can thrust deeper and deeper.
“You have any idea how insane it makes me?” he growls. “Thinking about filling you with my seed? Putting my baby inside you? Claiming you forever?”
I can’t do anything but whimper. He feels so damn good. Somehow better every time we do this.
“God, look at you,” he continues, and I force myself to look down at where we’re joined. There’s not much to see from this angle—my skirt is bunched around my waist, legs spread obscenely wide on the sink while Jonah stands between them, taking me hard and fast.
“So pretty in this sweet white dress,” he pants. “Not so sweet when I fuck you like this, are you?”
“I’ll be sweet for you,” I promise. “Or not-so-sweet. Whatever you want, Jonah.”
“I just want you, baby.” His thrusting is getting more erratic and I know he’s getting close. “Look at me, Ellie.”
I look up and my breath catches when our eyes meet. If I ever had any doubt that this man loved me, it would disappear in this instant. He looks at me like I’m necessary for his very survival.
“I love you,” I tell him. “So much.”
His eyes snap closed, something very near a whimper escaping him. “I need you to get there, baby. I won’t last.”
Then, just like he’d done the first night we were in this room, he brings his fingers between my legs, his thumb rubbing my clit while he continues to fuck me like our lives depend on it.
I glance down and see a flash of white gold.
Jonah’s wedding ring. It’s pressed against the lower curve of my belly, his palm outstretched over my white dress while his thumb works my clit.
I come without warning, something about that sight ripping right down into the deepest places in my heart.
Jonah’s wedding ring. My husband. Glinting under the neon light of this crummy bathroom while his hands and mouth and cock work together to make me feel so good.
That ring on his hand while he makes me come is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
“Fuck yes, sweet girl,” he groans against my forehead. “You feel so damn good coming on my cock. Jesus, Ellie, I can’t—I won’t—I—” He releases a hoarse cry I’ve never heard from him before as he buries his face in my neck, his entire body shuddering as he erupts deep inside me.
I don’t know how long we stay like that, my husband slumped over me on that sink, his slowly softening cock still twitching every so often deep inside me.
He keeps his face hidden in my neck, his shoulders continuing to tremble.
I wrap my arms around him, rubbing his back, my fingers coming up to sift through the hair on his neck. “You okay?” I finally whisper.
He lets out a shaky breath and when he lifts his head, there’s an expression on his face I haven’t seen. He looks tender and loving and possessive—all very familiar after our love making. But there’s something else, too. Something much more vulnerable.
Vulnerable. This big tough man who stood between me and danger, this man who protected me and my child. This man who slayed all my dragons. He doesn’t look so tough right now—he looks completely overwhelmed by the depth of the emotion pulsing between us.
And I understand. Completely. Loving someone like this can be terrifying.
It’s so big. So wonderfully, frighteningly life changing.
Several months ago I walked into this bathroom with this man and just like that, nothing would ever be the same.
What force on earth is powerful enough to do that? Only love.
“I’m so glad to be married to you,” I tell him.
He shakes his head, his eyes softening, as the most beautiful smile spreads over his face. “Darlin’, you have no idea.”
The End