Epilogue
AVERY
To celebrate the release of The Realm of Storm and Shadow, Aiden and I, along with his siblings and their significant others, were all at One Night Stan’s. Back where it all started, except this time, it felt like we had come full circle.
Where some things were the same—like the fact that I was ridiculously attracted to Aiden, thought he had the most gorgeous eyes I’d ever seen, and I wanted to climb him like a tree—so much was different from the last time we were here.
The biggest of which was that his writing career was no longer secret.
By the time Aiden and I had returned from Germany, Addison had already managed to spread the news far and wide. Every resident in Starlight Cove—as well as hundreds of thousands outside our little pocket of Maine—knew exactly who Aiden was and exactly the resort he was partial owner of.
And, as she’d predicted, bookings skyrocketed. As for any prudish assholes who wanted to rain on his parade, she had no problem putting them in their place. In fact, I was pretty sure she lived for it. She certainly was tonight.
She was acting like Aiden’s personal bodyguard, verifying everyone’s intentions before they could get within ten feet of him.
Which meant the mayor’s wife and her cronies weren’t even allowed into One Night Stan’s tonight.
And when they complained about it, Addison told them—loudly—to suck her dick and then get lost.
Basically, my bestie was living her best life.
The other difference between tonight and the night we’d met was that I wasn’t sitting next to Aiden, dumbfounded at how fucking hot he was and planning to spend my evening with my battery-operated boyfriend while reading ridiculously smutty fictional situations.
Instead, I sat in his lap, his hand cupped possessively on the inside of my thigh, much higher than was probably appropriate for a public setting.
And while there may be battery-operated toys in my future tonight, it wouldn’t be the only way I’d be getting off.
I’d also have his tongue, his fingers, and that gorgeous, glorious cock doing wicked things to me before the night was through.
“So, Aiden,” Everly said, leaning toward him from her perch in Beck’s lap. “I know book three doesn’t release until later this year, but…”
When she didn’t continue, he raised a brow in her direction. “But?”
“Well, I mean… Do you think—” She cleared her throat, darting a glance away before returning her gaze to him. “Would you maybe consider…”
“She wants the book, man,” Beck said when she didn’t continue. “And I want it too, if you know what I mean.”
“Hey, if they get it”—Ford pointed to Beck and Everly before gesturing to himself and Quinn—“we do too.”
“I would definitely take it,” Quinn agreed with a nod.
Luna shrugged. “I mean, if you’re giving it out…”
“I’m not giving it out.” Aiden shook his head. “I can’t just give you the book.”
“But can’t you?” Everly asked, a bright smile on her face.
Brady shrugged. “If you did, I’d be willing to look the other way on your next speeding ticket.”
“I could build you something?” Ford said hopefully. “Anything you want. I’ll help with the lighthouse reno on my days off.”
Beck nodded. “And you can eat for free whenever.”
“I already eat for free.” Aiden rolled his eyes.
Levi’s brows shot up. “Shit, man. You’ve got all three of them begging for early smut? I’d maybe cash in on that.”
“Did someone say we could get book three early?” Mabel leaned toward us from where she was sitting with her girl gang in a nearby booth.
I laughed under my breath, knowing my boyfriend was absolutely, one hundred percent hating this attention. But so damn proud of him for what he’d accomplished. I placed my hand over top of his on my thigh, linking our fingers together and giving them a squeeze.
“Unfuckingbelievable,” Aiden grumbled under his breath, low enough that only I heard.
I glanced at him over my shoulder and smiled. “Apparently, men—and Mabel—will do anything if it improves their chances of getting laid.”
“She’s right,” Beck said, with Ford, Brady, and Mabel all murmuring their agreement.
Aiden shook his head. “I can’t give the book out early. It goes against my contract. So you guys will just have to get it up for each other the old-fashioned way.”
“Okay, but do you think you could put us out of our misery and let us know if Aurelia is alive or not?” Mabel asked, her tone hopeful. “How you left us on that cliffhanger was just cruel.”
“It’s a romance, Mabel,” Aiden said.
“So?”
“So, there’s always a happy ending, even if it takes a trilogy to get there.”
Mabel narrowed her eyes at him. “I’d rather hear you actually say the words. She’s alive, right?”
“I think I liked it better when no one knew who I was,” he said.
“Yeah, but then you’d be sitting here while we discussed the book right in front of your face, and it’d be like Thanksgiving all over again,” Addison said.
“But at least I wouldn’t know how much sex everyone’s having thanks to my words. It’s fucking weird.”
“It’d be weirder if we did it in secret,” Beck said.
Ford nodded. “Yeah, like some kind of underground smut ring.”
“Is that a no to spilling the beans?” Mabel asked. “Maybe you can toss us a bone this weekend at book club. We’ll be in the parlor…you can just pop on over.”
“When can we leave?” he asked me.
I breathed out a laugh and shook my head. “It’s your party.”
“Exactly. So the rule should be that I get to leave whenever I want.”
“In a hurry?” I asked.
Using the hand that wasn’t gripping my thigh, he reached up and cupped it lightly around my throat, tugging me back against his chest. He pressed his lips against my bunny tattoo. “Yeah, actually. I’d like to go home so I can fuck my girlfriend.”
Eyes wide, I reached around and slapped a hand over his mouth, too late, before glancing around.
“Yeah, we all heard that.” Ford nodded.
Aiden shrugged, unrepentant. “Payback for all the shit I’d rather not know about what you’re doing thanks to the fictional sex I write about.”
Mabel’s group shuffled out with waves and murmurs of excitement for Saturday’s book club.
The woman herself stopped at our table, hands braced on the back of Aiden’s chair.
“So proud of you, Aiden. And I can’t believe our little town produced two famous people!
A New York Times best-selling author and a pro hockey player.
Speaking of, did everyone see the news?” She dug around in her purse and pulled out a copy of the Starlight Cove Gazette, dropping it on the table between Addison and me.
The headline read: Hockey Pro to Return to Starlight Cove after Team Confirms He’s out for Season
Addison stiffened next to me, her body going ramrod straight as her mouth pressed into a flat line.
Just like she always did whenever Chase came up in conversation.
And I had to stop myself from reaching out and offering her comfort, because she’d hate every second of that. But I could give it to her silently.
Chase might’ve been Levi’s best friend and some big shot sportsball player, but he was also the man who’d had my bestie crying every night the first month of freshman year, and I hated him on principle.
So, no. He wasn’t going to get a warm welcome back in Starlight Cove from me, accomplished pro hockey player or not.
“Whoa,” Aiden murmured in my ear. “What’s got you all stiff, bunny?”
I jerked my chin toward the newspaper and turned my head so I could speak in his ear. “That motherfucker.”
Aiden’s brows flew up before he chuckled under his breath. “There’s definitely a story there, but you can tell me some other time why you hate my brother’s best friend. Right now, we need to get home so I can help you burn off some of this anger.”
I hummed under my breath and shot him a grin. “Always thinking of me, huh?”
His eyes grew serious then, even as conversations continued around us.
He squeezed my thigh and kissed me slow and sweet.
Reminding me of exactly who he was to me—the anchor to my wings, the calm to my chaos, the shelter to my storm.
My complete opposite, my perfect balance.
And forever giving me a safe place to land.
“Always.”
Thank you for reading Reckless Heart! A wedding is in Aiden and Avery’s future…