Epilogue
EPILOGUE
GILBERT
Four Months Later
There are pros and cons to dating an early riser.
Pro: You get bribed with coffee in bed every morning.
Con: Their early rising habits start to rub off on you after a while.
No, scratch that last one.
I wake up to the sound of gentle rustling of sheets as Ashlynn stirs beside me. Sitting up, I watch her for a moment, still amazed by the love and resilience we’ve built over the last few months. Lying next to me, she looks peaceful, so naked and vulnerable. The morning sun filters through the sheer curtains of our bedroom, casting a warm, golden glow over her.
It’s a quiet, peaceful morning, one of those rare moments where everything feels just right. It’s also our first night in our New York City penthouse apartment. Fall semester at Bayard starts tomorrow, so moving this close was cutting it. Having an in-home dance studio was a must, and since it’s not a common feature in penthouses that had to be added. And she didn’t want to live in a construction zone. Plus she bought the two apartments below us for Russ and Melissa — whom she convinced to make the move with us — with a third one in escrow for Bonnie to use whenever she visits. Ashlynn might not realize it yet, but she has a knack for real estate. Her idea of rebelling is buying commercial real estate. She claims doing so beings her joy, but the properties she buys are not random. More like diamonds in the rough. With time, she’ll double our portfolio and our net worth.
For now, she needs her beauty rest.
I can’t help but smile as I stare at her sleeping figure. She won’t be pleased that I woke up before her, but having the opportunity to make her breakfast for a change isn’t one I’m going to pass up on.
I slip out of bed quietly, careful not to wake her. I grab a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before heading to the kitchen. As I prepare breakfast, I think back to where we were four months ago, and how much we both agree that we don’t want to go back to that place. Being away from each other is hard enough — like when she spent three weeks with Wynter in Paris — but that was by choice, not because one of us kept something life-altering from the other.
It hasn’t been easy, but we face our demons together everyday. Since then, we’ve worked hard to create a space where honesty and vulnerability are always welcomed. We talk openly, sometimes painfully, about our fears and insecurities. I’ve shared more about my past, about the darkness of my family’s history that I had tried so hard to keep hidden. I also told her about my father’s conviction — but I left out Everett’s involvement in that.
She, in turn, shared with me more of what happened between her and Leland — who, to no one’s surprise, got shot dead by the mother of another student at Bluegrass High School he was stalking. She also shared with me what went down with many of her ‘friends’ after the first lawsuit, the one she got rich off of. It broke my heart to hear, how closed off she had to become because she couldn’t trust who her real friends and the users were. It wasn’t until after things went down with Principal Richardson that she realized she had a handful of genuine acquaintances at Bluegrass, students who were in similar situations as she was. Maybe those will blossom into friendships, or maybe not. But she was ready to close the chapter on high school the minute she walked across that stage — after which she lept into my arms, kissed me in front of everyone, and asked me to marry her . Again.
So, yeah. I have a fiancée now.
And in five years, I will be Mr. Gilbert Crane.
We’re waiting until after Ashlynn’s twenty-third birthday to get married, for reasons that have to do with the Blackwell settlement. If Bonnie had her way, it would be longer than that. I don’t think she will rest until Clement Blackwell has been disinherited by his family. I might not agree with how she’s going about it, but I also know that people like Clement will never learn unless you hit them where it hurts the most. In his case, it’s money. And since his parents love having Blackwell name attached to Ashlynn’s accomplishments, so they pay.
As the water for our tea boils — I only drink coffee in the afternoons now — and as the smell of bacon, freshly made orange juice and pancakes fills the air, I think about how far I’ve grown, not just as a partner but as a person. The shadows of my past will never go away, but they no longer have a hold over me. I don’t have to hide them from her. With her by my side, I’ve faced and acknowledged them. All I can strive to be is a better man, for her.
As the tea steeps, I hear her soft footsteps behind me, and I turn to see her standing in the doorway, looking as radiant as ever.
“Good morning, sleepy head,” I saw, smiling as I take her in.
She’s wearing one of my old t-shirts with nothing underneath. Her hair is slightly messy, and there’s a softness in her eyes that makes my heart swell.
“Morning.” Her voice warm and breathless and sleepy as she approaches.
She stops to take in the scene before her, and by the time our eyes meet, I can tell breakfast is the last thing on her mind.
“I don’t like waking up alone,” she whips off the t-shirt and tosses it aside, her delectable body on display, “but since you made breakfast, I’m willing to make an exception. As long as we get to christen the kitchen island now .”
“Deal.”
I turn off the burners and I stalk toward her and pick her up. Our lips lock together immediately, and she wraps her legs around my waist. The kiss turns wild and carnal quickly as my tongue caresses hers. She drags her nails in my scalp and I groan into her mouth.
“Which do you want first, my tongue or my cock?” I ask, even though I know what her answer will be.
“Both.” Her lips stretch into a mischievous smile. “Before breakfast gets cold.”
Of course. “Your wish is my command.”
I spread her out on the island and bury my face in her sweet folds. She chants my name like a prayer as I feast on her pussy like it’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted, because it is. Using my fingers and tongue, I attack both orifices and her clit with a frenzy, and it only takes thirty seconds for her to drench my tongue and face with her sweet juices.
She’s barely down from her high before I climb up her body and thrust into her. Her legs grip me tightly, and I trail my lips across her throbbing pulse at the base of her neck before taking her lips in a searing kiss.
Granite and knees don’t play well together, but none of that matters when I’m balls deep inside her. She’s so tight, so hot and wet, like silk wrapped around me. It’s the best thing that I’ve ever felt in my life. She’s the best thing that has ever happened to me, and right now it sure feels like she’s trying to suck the life out of me through my dick. I can feel my orgasm already starting to brew inside me. I grit my teeth so I don’t come too fast, but she has other ideas.
“Faster,” she groans, even as her walls clam tight around me.
Meanwhile, I want to make love to her, to take things nice and slow with her. Then again, I did say her wish was my command, and I live to satisfy her every need. Bracing myself on the harsh, unforgiving surface, I play with her clit as I angle my hips to hit her g-spot with each thrust. Our bodies are slick with sweat, the wet sound of flesh on flesh fills the room.
As she comes, the cry that falls from her lips is rapturous and matches my groan. My balls go tight and I claim her lips once more, emptying out inside her. I fuck her through both of our releases, my name tasting like heaven on her lips.
She whimpers as my dick goes limp and slips out of her. I don’t like it either. I love how greedy she always is for me, and if I could live inside her twenty four seven, I would. My knees scream in protest as I climb off the island. But seeing her body spread out on the island, looking every bit the delectable treat she is — thoroughly ravished with her hair fanned out around her and my come dripping out of her still pulsating core — it makes it all worth it.
She reaches for my hand and lets out a breathy sigh, smiling almost drunkenly at me. “It reheats fine, right? Breakfast, I mean.”
Yeah… I forgot all about that.
I swallow past the lump in my throat as I stare down at this woman who’s changed me in so many ways. An overwhelming sense of love and contentment courses through me. Leaning over, I press my forehead to hers and let out a breath. My hand finds her stomach, and my fingers trace her tattoo. Reminiscing on what it means for us.
“What’s going through that shrinky brain of yours?” she asks, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
I scoop her off the island and carry her back to our bedroom.
“Just thinking about how lucky I am,” I say as I lay her down on our bed and cover her body with mine.
She smiles, a soft knowing smile. “Me too.”
We both sigh as I enter her. I bring her hands up above her head, our fingers curling together.
I lean down to kiss her forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replies, and her warm breath feathers my lips.
My lips claim hers once more, and then I spend the rest of the morning showing her just how much.