Epilogue
Emma
Two years later
Can they tell? Are they going to figure out my secret?
I catch Kade’s gaze on me, and my cheeks burn white-hot.
The clang of silverware and the soft sounds of conversation fill the dining room as we all settle in our seats. This moment takes me back - sitting around the table at mom’s house, all of us together, talking and eating.
The smell of roast and the rich, earthy scent of mom”s famous gravy waft through the air, tugging at my senses. I glance around the table, at Alex”s animated face as he recounts his latest escapade, Lila”s gentle smile as she tends to her bustling toddlers, and there”s Mom, her eyes soft with contentment as she watches her children and grandchildren.
I’d come up with a plan - with Kade’s help, of course - to save the club without the help of a loan shark. Alex and I had discussed it and now the club is turning a profit, and we’re making money hand over fist. Which is great, because I’ll need a vacation before too long.
I almost don”t notice Kade”s hand sliding under the table until his hand rubs over my thigh and his fingers entwine with mine. The touch sends a jolt straight to my heart, and I throw a quick glance at him, loving the heat and hunger in his eyes.
It”s been years since we first sat down like this, yet his touch ignites the same wild pulse within me, like time hasn”t dulled any of the heat or spark between us. I know I never feel like I can get enough of him, and he seems to feel the same way.
“Pass the bread, would you?” Kade”s voice, low and husky, breaks through my thoughts and sends goosebumps up and down my arms and across my chest. His other hand reaches out across the table, but his eyes lock on mine, dark and warning me what he’s going to do to me later. I can hardly wait, but I don’t think a quickie would be possible here at mom’s house. We’d almost certainly get caught and I don’t want that. But his look speaks volumes, it tells me that he”s still just as affected by me as I am by him.
“Here,” I say, handing him the basket of still-hot rolls, our fingers brushing in the process. A shiver runs down my spine, and I pull back quickly, hoping no one notices the electric connection that seems to crackle in the air between us like we’ve rubbed wool socks on carpet until everything we touch sparks - but it only happens when we touch each other.
“Everything tastes amazing, Mom,” I say, trying to sound casual, even though my voice has a slight tremble, and Kade’s intense gaze has my cheeks flushing.
“Thank you, darling,” Mom says, unaware of the silent exchange happening right under her nose. “It”s always special when we”re all together.” There’s a sad note in her voice, as if this doesn’t happen enough, and I make a mental note to talk to my siblings about doing dinners more often.
“I’ll be right back,” I say in a calm tone, standing up and leaving the table. I head to the bathroom, feeling emotional at how much my life has changed in a few years. I think about how I’d gone from thinking I’d die in this house to half-owning a business with my brother and having my own place.
I feel like I’ve grown up, which is good, because life is happening fast, and I don’t want to miss even a second. Finishing up, I wash my hands, meeting my gaze in the mirror. I look... happy. Overheated. Maybe there’s a sparkle in my eyes that betrays how Kade riles me up.
A knock at the door has me speaking up. “Just a second.”
“Everything okay?” Kade asks, and I can’t hold back a smile.
“Yes, everything is perfect,” I say, opening the door and stepping out into his embrace. He holds me close, his heartbeat offering me a chance to relax and calm the wild slamming of my own.
“Come on,” he whispers, putting an arm around my shoulders and guiding me to the dining room once more.
The second we re-enter the room, all eyes are on us - except Lila’s kids, who have much better things to do than look at the adults. The attention and Kade’s touch have my cheeks burning. I’m sure they’ve all guessed already, but no one says anything as Kade leads me to my seat.
He gives my shoulders a gentle squeeze, grounding me, reminding me that among the chaos of family life, our bond remains a secret thrill.
The cool evening air brushes against my skin as we step out of my mother”s house. The kids are running around the yard, acting mad and racing for the swing set mom had gotten just for them.
Kade”s hand lingers on the small of my back, a touch that sets off fireworks beneath my flesh.
“Did you have a good time?” he asks, his voice low and intimate in the hush of twilight.
“Always,” I say, looking up into his dark eyes.
We”re alone by his car, away from the scrutiny of family eyes, and the pent-up longing in me grows and expands until I’m not sure I can contain it. His hand comes up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly across my skin and sending my pulse racing.
“Emma,” he says. There’s an undercurrent of emotion in that single word that tightens something deep within me.
“Kade.” My voice is barely a whisper, but he hears it all the same, his dark eyes capturing mine in a gaze that makes me squirm and double check that no one is watching us.
“Your cheeks are flushed,” he says, his eyes tracing my skin before his gaze ticks to mine, his face inching closer to me.
“It”s your fault,” I whisper softly, though the accusation holds no weight. It”s true – the mere proximity of him stirs a warmth in me that I”ve never felt for anyone else. And I wouldn”t want to. What we share, it’s... perfect.
“Guilty,” he says, the corner of his mouth lifting in that half-smirk that has always done strange things to my insides. “But you can”t say you don”t like it.”
“I can”t,” I whisper. “I won’t.” We’ve been careful to keep our promises, and we’ve grown good at being honest and seeing the heart of what the other says... or doesn’t say.
“Good,” he says before his lips press gently against mine in a kiss that sears straight to my soul.
It”s a taste of what”s to come tonight, a reminder that the passion between us hasn’t faded with time.We pull apart only slightly, our breaths mingling, sharing the silent affirmation of what we feel.
“Get a room!” Lila’s son, Dean, shouts at us. His little sister, Grace, pops up beside him, nodding her little head, and I look at Kade before we both share a laugh.
“Let”s go home,” I say, not enjoying being on display and watched. Besides, I want to get home where there are no prying eyes so he can make good on the silent promises he’s been throwing my way all night. I’m ready for it to be just us and the undeniable connection that refuses to be ignored.
“Of course,” he says, his gaze telling me that still, after all this time, he feels lucky I’m going home with him. I’ll never tell him, but I think I’m the lucky one. He’s doting and kind, loving and handsome, and amazing. He opens the passenger door for me, and I sit down in the seat, exhaling a deep breath.
The door closes with a click, sealing me away from the world. A moment later, Kade joins me as he slips behind the wheel. But instead of putting the keys in and turning the engine over, his hand finds mine and our fingers lace together. Without thinking about it, he lifts my hand to his face and kisses my fingers. Then he releases me, and we drive home.
The second we cross the threshold and the door closes behind us, I’m pulled in close and pinned to the wall. Kade”s hands find my waist, pulling me against him in one swift, deliberate motion. His eyes, dark and full of intent, lock onto mine, and I feel every defense melt under his gaze.
“Did you feel it?” he growls, his low voice a rumble that vibrates through me and makes me shiver.
“Feel what?” I pretend to misunderstand, but the flutter in my stomach betrays me.
“The pull. It”s always there, Emma.” He leans down, his breath hot against my ear. “Between you and me.”
I nod, because denying it is pointless. Every nerve ending in my body fires up, and I feel so very alive. We”re magnets, drawn together by a force we can”t see but can”t ignore, either. His lips trail a path from my earlobe down to the sensitive skin of my neck. A shiver dances down my spine, and I tilt my head to give him better access.
I let out a soft, stunned gasp, my body and mind ready to surrender.
“Tell me to stop,” he says, even as his fingers deftly untie the back of my loose, flowing dress.
“I don”t want you to,” I whisper, and that’s all the permission he needs.
Our clothes become a memory, discarded haphazardly around the room as we explore each other with a hunger that has been simmering and growing for years. He lifts me onto the kitchen counter, my dress pulled down around my ribs and lifted up to give him access.
He shifts, his body pressing into mine with a delicious slide that I welcome. His thumb finds the bundle of nerves between us and begins a teasing circle that has my head falling back and my body ready to give him what he wants.
“Emma,” he groans, and his voice is thick with desire. “You feel so damn good.” He pulls back and slides home in me again, the soft sounds reaching my ears, the scent of us invading my nose, and the overwhelming sensation of him filling me and teasing me all at once as I sit on the quickly-warming countertop.
His movements are purposeful, each thrust leaving me weaker, every rotation of his thumb pushing me closer and closer to the edge.
He was my first. My second. My third. And I have no doubt he’ll be my last. My only. Because this man knows how to play my body like an instrument, and I’ve never once been unsatisfied or unhappy.
I cling to him, my hands digging into the sinewy muscles of his back, urging him closer, deeper. He ducks his head, his lips finding one of my nipples and teasing the spot to a point as I arch my back to give him better access. He growls his approval, still filling me over and over in a rhythm that scatters every thought in my head and leaves me breathless and teetering on the edge.
My whole body begins to tighten as he drags out the pleasure. “Kade, I—” Words fail me as pleasure crests, washing over me in rippling waves, and I can only hold on as he groans and pushes harder into me. A moment later, I’m rolled onto my belly and he’s pushing into me from behind, every frantic, hungry motion leaving me feeling so delicious, so desired, so damn sexy. I love it when he can’t hold back.
I feel him swell, feel his hands tighten on my hips as he pulls me into him and pushes home in one sharp, forceful motion that leaves a pool of warmth between my hips. I can feel us dripping onto my thigh, and I gasp in an attempt to catch my breath. He’s quick to gather me up into his arms and look me in the eyes, worry darkening there.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“I’m ready to go again,” I whisper, and he chuckles.
In the aftermath, as our breathing slows and our sweat-slicked bodies still, there”s a sense of peace that blankets us. Kade”s eyes meet mine, soft now, vulnerable in a way that I’ve never seen him share with anyone else. And I know, without doubt, that this is where I belong.
“Stay with me tonight,” he whispers, the words a tradition now that extends from the present to all the nights to come.
“Always,” I promise, because home isn”t a location; it”s wherever Kade is.
I’m on the brink of sleep as he scoops me up again. I’m carried out onto the porch and to the swing. Looking up, I see through the clear plastic roofing to the stars above. The cool night air surrounds me, but Kade wraps me up in my fuzzy blanket.
The porch swing creaks gently as I snuggle into him. Stars scatter across the inky sky like diamond dust on velvet, and the world feels quiet and safe.
“See that cluster there?” Kade”s voice rumbles low, his breath a warm tickle against my ear. “Orion. The hunter.”
I tilt my head back, following his finger as it traces invisible lines between the glittering points of light. “Tell me his story,” I whisper, already lost in the timbre of his voice.
“I’m not talking to you,” he says playfully, and I can’t hold back a laugh.
Kade shifts, bringing his lips closer to the swell of my belly, hidden beneath the layers of fabric and affection. “He was a warrior,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his words. “Fearless, strong. But his true strength came from his heart. Not unlike someone else I know.”
He presses a soft kiss through the blanket to my stomach, a gesture that sends a flutter through me. “And little one, you should know, your mom is the fiercest warrior I”ve ever met.”
I laugh, a sound that bubbles up from a place of pure joy, and I rest my hand atop his. “And what about dad? What”s his story?”
“Ah, he”s just a man who got lucky,” Kade says, as the fierce protectiveness in his eyes I”ve come to adore leaves me breathless. “Lucky enough to win your mom”s heart, anyway.”
“Kade,” I whisper. His gaze moves to mine. “You didn”t win my heart. You were always its rightful owner.”
“Emma,” he says. “You can”t say things like that and expect a man to be capable of thoughts.”
“So don’t think,” I whisper.
Kade shifts closer, the night air crisp around us. His hand finds its place on my stomach, a gentle pressure that sends my heart racing. The world falls away, just him, me, and the life we”ve created together.
“Have you told anyone yet?” he whispers, his fingertips tickling me.
I shake my head - it’s still just our secret. I know I should tell my family, but it’s so early. I want to just enjoy this time between us for a little longer before everyone decides they have to step in and take care of me.
“I can”t wait to be a dad,” he says, and a mental image of him playing with a chunky little baby fills my mind. I can hear the giggles and see his expression.
The excitement in his tone shines through, wraps around me, and fills me up. I”m lost in this moment, in the intensity of his gaze, in the future we”ve been building together - just like we promised.
“And I can’t wait to be a mom,” I whisper back.
“Be right back,” Kade says before disappearing inside.I watch him go, wondering what he’s up to now. Turning my attention back to the stars, I smile and think about the little one growing within me. “Orion,” I whisper.
I think I’ll ask Kade if that’s a good name for our baby.
He returns, cradling two glasses filled with a sparkling amber liquid. My stomach does a little flip—not from nausea, but from a sudden worry about what I can and can”t have now.
“Here,” he says, handing me one of the glasses. His fingers brush against mine, sending that familiar jolt up my arm.
“Is this...?” I ask, nervous as I study the glass from an arm’s length away.
He arches an eyebrow at me. “Oh, come on. It’s a mocktail.”
I can’t hold back a laugh at that memory, the moment that kicked off this thing between us. “Oh, my gosh, you’re back on that?” I ask, amused that now he has a whole new reason to tease me about working around alcohol.
“What makes you think I ever stopped?” he asks as I take a sip of my drink. It’s fruity and delicious and I smile at him.
It”s not just these small gestures, these little moments, that I see the depth of Kade”s love—I see them in every joke, every teasing comment, every gentle touch. And I love seeing the bad boy exterior melting away to reveal the man beneath. “What are you thinking about?” he asks, studying me.
“Orion,” I say.
He nods. “I love it.”
And just like that, we’re one step closer to ready for this baby.A baby that is going to be so loved and cherished. A baby that we can show all the love in the world. I can’t wait.
THE END