Epilogue Don’t Get Gremlins Wet
RYLEE
TWO MONTHS LATER
“Hold him down!” Zander cries.
“I am!” I snap back. “You’re supposed to be shampooing him, not me!”
“He’s fucking wiggling too much.”
Gizmo screeches and fights as Zander and I struggle to give him a bath. It’s not something we do often, but he dug his way into the trash can and came out covered in old marinara sauce, so… scrub a dub dub.
“This is why you aren’t supposed to get gremlins wet!” Zander yells when Gizmo bites his hand.
I can’t help but laugh at the sight of Zander, T-shirt soaked, face scrunched up in determination, one hand clenching a bottle of pet safe shampoo.
It’s been two months since I moved to Colorado with him, and things between us are amazing.
I’ve been getting tons of remote assignments to keep me busy, because I still do want to work even though I have that trust from Dad at my disposal now; while writing isn’t my first passion, like photography is, I’m really starting to love it.
The Night Hawks have been killing it this season and there’s lots of buzz going around about a second shot at the Stanley Cup.
More than that, I love the life we’re building together.
I’m enjoying my pregnancy, and we’re looking for a bigger place for our growing family.
I have most of my best friends close, and my relationships with Dad and Aiden have been thriving.
Dad and Brigid are even planning on bringing Keira to Denver to visit when the baby comes.
Now that I’ve let go of my need to find a “perfect” man, I’ve gained a pretty perfect partner.
When we finally get Gizmo clean and I let him go, he bolts out of the tub and the bathroom, no doubt to hide or pee in our shoes out of revenge.
Chuckling, Zander helps me to my feet and turns the shower on.
“Your turn,” he grins.
“Oh?” I smirk. “I need to clean up too?”
“Yeah you do, you dirty girl. Now strip.”
I giggle. “I thought I was the bossy one.”
We both get naked and climb into the shower together. Immediately, Zander grabs me and pulls me into a rough, hot kiss. I gasp, slipping my arms around his neck and pressing my body tight to his. He’s so solid. So strong.
I feel so safe and secure when I’m in his arms.
He directs me under the water spray to soak my hair, then grabs my shampoo and massages it onto my head. He continues to work his fingers down my neck and across my shoulders, making the knots he finds melt away until I’m gooey and relaxed.
After rinsing out my hair and conditioning it, he grabs the body wash and loofa and starts to gently scrub my skin. He takes his time, dragging his hands down my arms and around to my chest to cup my breasts.
“Kodiak,” I murmur when he flicks my nipples with his thumbs.
“Yeah, Wildcard?”
“Don’t tease me… I need you.”
“You’re ready for me?”
One thing about pregnancy is that I’m horny all the damn time. My body is soft and wet and ready at the drop of a hat.
Reaching around, I wrap my fingers around his cock and guide him toward my pussy. Grunting, he hooks one of my legs around his arm and lifts it, then bends me forward slightly so he has a better angle to slide inside me.
“Oh, my God!” I cry out as pleasure explodes through me.
“Fuck, you’re still so tight,” he growls. “You feel so fucking good, baby.”
“Fuck me, Zander,” I whimper. “Fuck me hard.”
The man does not disappoint. He thrusts his hips, pumping in and out of me without restraint.
I grab the bar the shower head is attached to so I don’t fall over and slap my other hand against the shower wall.
I don’t bother to stifle the noises I make as he drills into me harder and harder.
The pleasure is so intense… so all-consuming…
nothing else exists to me but the man at my back and what he’s doing to me.
My man. My Zander. My Kodiak.
He’s everything I could’ve ever hoped for, and so much more I didn’t know I needed. I can’t imagine my life without him in it. Can’t even perceive a future without him.
“Fuck, Rylee… I’m getting close… ”
“Me too!” I moan.
He slips his hand down my belly and finds my clit, stroking it as he works me with his cock.
Within moments, I explode. My orgasm rushes through me, overwhelming me with such intense pleasure that my knees shake.
Zander lets my leg drop and wraps his arm around my chest, cupping my breast and squeezing it as he snarls against my neck and comes deep inside me.
We ride out the pleasure together until we’re both left shaking and panting, leaning into each other to stay upright.
“It gets better every time,” he murmurs. “How is that possible?”
I let out a breathy laugh. “I don’t know… but I’m not complaining.”
Chuckling, he kisses my shoulder before rinsing me off again and cleaning me between my legs. His touch is tender and careful, as if I’m delicate, which is a stark contrast to the way he manhandled me moments ago.
My beautiful Kodiak can be fierce and gentle, and I love him for it.
We finish our shower and Zander helps dry me off.
“You get ready for bed,” he tells me when he’s done. “I’ll go find Gizmo and see if I can dry him up too.”
“Okay,” I chuckle. “Good luck.”
He lets out an amused snort before leaving the bathroom. I go through my nightly routine, moisturizing my face and smearing eye cream on the corners of my eyes to battle my barely visible crows feet.
I lotion my body and comb out my hair, then walk into the bedroom to put on my pajamas.
Just as I finish getting dressed, Zander walks back into the room wearing his gray sweatpants that make me feral.
Gizmo is tucked beneath his arm, looking like a blow-dried furball.
I’m surprised to see a red bow around his neck.
“You found him,” I grin.
“Yeah,” Zander grumbles. “Wasn’t easy. He did not want to be found.”
Giggling, I move across the room to take Gizmo from him and lift his chin to look more closely at the bow..
“This is really cute, but why did you… ”
My words die on my tongue when I see there’s a ring hanging from the bow.
My jaw drops and I look up at Zander in shock.
“What… what… ?”
He lowers himself to one knee and takes my hand in his.
“Rylee, you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.
You’re smart and funny and infuriating. You’re my Wildcard, and I love everything about you.
Even the stuff that drives me insane. I might not be the perfect man, but I know we have the perfect love and I want to spend the rest of my life basking in it with you. Will you marry me?”
I squeal in delight. “Yes! Absolutely I’ll marry you!”
Laughing, he surges to his feet and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into another kiss.
I’m so happy, I don’t know what to do with myself.
This is the man I’ve always wanted, and together, we’re going to build an amazing life.
We’ll have the white picket fence and babies he’s always dreamed of, and I’m excited to share that dream with him now.
It’s all ours for the taking. Nothing can stop us from grasping our happiness with both hands.
He stops kissing me for a moment. “It’s about time for your prenatals, right?” he asks. “Stay here. I’ll go get you some water.”
“Okay.” I give him one more kiss before letting him go. Once he leaves the room, I hold out my hand to admire the ring, grinning from ear-to-ear.
At that moment, my phone buzzes, and I pull it from my pocket to peek at it. To my surprise, I see that I’ve got a message from Sutton.