Epilogue
SEVEN MONTHS LATER
Leia opened the front door to the condo to find Noah pacing the living room where she’d left him two hours before.
He caught sight of her and changed course, taking her in his arms the moment he reached her.
“Show me,” he demanded hoarsely.
“I’m still really sore, Noah. Can’t you wait till this evening?” She couldn’t resist a light tease.
He caught her left hand and meshed it with his. Her enormous square-cut diamond engagement ring glinted in the sun. “Oh, baby, did it hurt a lot? I chose that place because they’re supposed to be the best. Shit, I knew I should’ve come with you.”
“Noah!”
He grimaced. “Sorry. This no cursing rule is fu… messing with my head. Please show me. I promise I’ll be really gentle.”
Fighting laughter, Leia turned and headed for the bedroom. Dropping her purse on the bed, she faced him.
“Ready? ”
He nodded.
She slowly unzipped the blue and white summer dress and dropped it to the floor. Raising her arm, she angled her body toward him.
He fell to his knees and read the new words etched into her skin.
From a Broken Acorn…
…The King of Oaks and Owner of My Heart
He looked up, his eyes glistening. “Darling, it’s beautiful.”
He gently kissed the words, his mouth trailing his name over and over. She handed him a bottle of antiseptic. As he gently applied it, she watched beautifully turbulent emotions wash over his face.
God, she loved this man…
“So, the tattoo artist who did this was a woman, right?” he asked with deceptive nonchalance. Another kiss, this time on her hipbone. He capped the bottle and handed it to her.
Suppressing a smile, she spoke the word that would soothe her alpha beast. “Yes.” And then because she couldn’t resist teasing, “But she had these huge tattoos on her arms of women in various forms of undress. I may be wrong, but I think she’s into chicks?—”
His growl of warning made her dissolve into giggles.
“If you think that this unbelievable miracle happening in our lives”—he caressed a hand reverently over her four-months pregnant belly—“excuses you from punishment, baby, think again.” He kissed her stomach and Leia felt the tiniest kick, a fluttering, really.
Blinking back tears, she watched the man of her dreams shower their unborn baby with love.
When further exploration had revealed that her damaged tube was only partially blocked, they’d been cautiously optimistic about natural conception. And with her pill-taking regimen having bitten the dust amid the turmoil in her life, Noah had encouraged her to stop taking them altogether.
Leia had fallen pregnant two months after she’d come off the pill.
Noah’s happiness at the news had been incomparable and every day she grew more amazed at the depths of his love and devotion.
She slid her fingers through his hair and tightened her fist. His low hiss before his eyes connected with hers was music to her ears.
“I think the artist was heavily into girls. What are you going to do about it, Noah?”
Slowly, he rose to his feet, dislodged her grip and pulled both of her hands behind her back. Stormy blue eyes locked on hers. “You need me to remind you who you belong to. Is that right, baby?”
Breath fleeing her lungs, she nodded jerkily.
She took her punishment like a thoroughly loved and adored champ. Two hours later, they entered the living room to find Paddy in residence, his customary glass in his hand.
“Fuck. That’s it, baby. We’re moving,” Noah griped.
He earned an elbow in his ribs for swearing around the baby. He wondered how much it’d cost him to throw his PI over the balcony.
“Turn on the TV,” Paddy said. “Channel Four.”
Noah grunted. “You help yourself to my booze. Why not add watching TV? That way we can adopt you into this family.”
Leia laughed and found the remote. All laughter ceased as they watched breaking news of William Bouchard aka Warren Snyder being led away in handcuffs .
“He was found with an underage girl at the lake house in Maine. She’d been missing from her family home in Florida for the past six months and she’d been badly”—his gaze flicked to Leia—“manhandled. I called in a few favors and I’m fairly certain his trial will be held here.
If we can pull the right strings, he could end up in the same place as Willoughby.
I have a few friends on standby to give them both a reunion party they won’t forget. ”
Noah’s teeth bared in a savage grin, and he shook hands with Paddy. “I’ll foot the bill for the party streamers and any other entertainment required.”
A look of brutal understanding passed between the men.
Paddy left and she stared at Noah.
“What?” he asked, his voice soft, deep and filled with love again.
“On the day I complete my tattoo, we finally close the circle. Warren gets arrested. Ashley is already doing twelve years for stealing the embryos, her part in burning down my warehouse, and for embezzling from the art gallery in New York, and my stepfather won’t see the light of day for twenty years, minimum.
So”—she caressed his mouth with the tips of her fingers—“you get one free pass to get as sappy and swear-y as you want.”
He caught her fingers in his hand and stared deep into her eyes. “Leia, baby… I love you. I’ll always protect you and our baby. But I’m glad we don’t have to look over our shoulders anymore. So yeah, life is fucking A right now. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, Noah.”
Fucking A…