Epilogue 6 Months Later #3
Before I could ask what he meant, he slowly lowered himself to one knee under the New York City stars. My breath caught in my throat as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
“Hudson,” I whispered, my usual flood of words suddenly nowhere to be found.
“Mari Landry,” he began, his voice steady, “you are the most frustrating, brilliant, passionate, infuriating, beautiful person I’ve ever known.”
“You forgot ‘foul-mouthed, feisty, with an excellent taste in takeout food,’” I managed, my voice unusually high-pitched as I stared at the box in his hand.
“Yes, all those things and more,” he added with a smile. “You challenge me every day to be better, to be more authentic, to care less about appearances and more about what’s real. And nothing in my life has ever felt more real than loving you.”
He opened the box, revealing a stunning sapphire ring surrounded by smaller diamonds in a vintage-inspired setting that reminded me of starlight.
“I’m not asking because I think we need a piece of paper to validate what we have,” he continued. “I’m asking because I want to build a life with you. Messiness, arguments, and all. Mari Landry, will you marry me?”
For once in my life, I was completely speechless. My heart pounded in my chest. My throat constricted tight. Shit, was I having a heart attack? This would be the worst timing. God, he’d be so sad if he killed me by asking me to marry him.
“Mari?” he prompted, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice. “This is traditionally where you say something. Preferably ‘yes,’ but I’m open to creative alternatives.”
I found my voice at last. “Are you sure? Because I’m a lot. Like, a lot, a lot. I leave wet towels on the bed sometimes. I talk during movies. I have very strong opinions about how the dishwasher should be loaded, and I will die on that hill.”
“I know.” His smile widened. “I love all of it. Even the wet towels, though we may need to negotiate terms there.”
“And you’re sure you want to spend the rest of your life with someone who has a strange attraction to setting things on fire?”
“Especially that.” He remained patiently on one knee. “What do you say, Mari? Partners in everything?”
“Yes,” I said, the word escaping on a breath. “Yes, I’ll marry you. But only if you promise never to propose to anyone else, because honestly, you’re too good at it and it’s not fair to the rest of the dating population.”
He chuckled as he slipped the ring onto my finger, then stood to pull me into his arms. “I think I can manage that.”
The ring caught the light as I wrapped my arms around his neck, the unfamiliar weight already feeling strangely right. “I love you. Even though you’re still annoyingly perfect sometimes.”
“I love you too,” he said, then added with a hint of mischief, “I’ve been thinking,” he said, his thumbs tracing circles on my hips, “that when we get married, I might take your last name. Landry has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? Hudson Landry.”
“You want to take my name?” I stared at him, genuinely surprised. “But I thought—I mean, traditionally—”
“Since when have we done anything traditionally? Sweetheart, I gave you multiple orgasms before I even knew your name.”
“Right. Good times.” I hummed, beaming.
He smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “So you’d be okay with that?”
“Hudson Landry,” I tested the name, finding I liked the sound of it more than I’d expected. “It has a nice ring to it.”
“Good,” he said, pulling me close again. Hudson’s kiss was familiar now, but somehow still thrilling. Like coming home and embarking on an adventure all at once. When we finally broke apart, breathless and grinning, I glanced around the empty rooftop.
“You know,” I said, trailing a finger down his chest, “we just got engaged on a rooftop overlooking Manhattan. That’s very romantic. Almost rom-com worthy, one might say.”
“One might,” he agreed.
“It would be a shame to waste such a perfect setting.” I began backing toward a secluded corner of the rooftop, where a small garden area offered some privacy from neighboring buildings. “Especially when the venue is technically ours for another hour.”
Hudson’s smile turned predatory in a way that still made my knees weak. “Ms. Landry, are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
“Future Mrs. Landry,” I corrected, already working on his tie. “Or perhaps the future Mrs. Hudson Landry, if you’re serious about that name change. And yes, I absolutely am suggesting rooftop engagement sex. Consider it your first fiancé duty.”
“Well, I’d hate to fail in my very first duty.” He caught me around the waist, lifting me with an ease that never failed to thrill me. “Though I feel obligated to point out that this is probably against several city ordinances.”
“Rule-following is your past, Jones-soon-to-be-Landry. Public indecency is your future.” I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me toward the garden nook. “Better get used to it.”
His laugh muffled against my neck as he set me down gently. “As long as I’m getting used to it with you, I’m all in.”
He had condoms, of course. Always prepared. I was glad he was, because the moment he touched me, all thoughts of health and safety jumped straight off the roof.
We kicked off our shoes, laughing as we stumbled farther into the rooftop garden. I went straight for his belt, and to my surprise, he let me. Normally he was all grabby and “who is in control there, sweetheart?” I didn’t mind either way.
Kissing him was like that first sip of an expensive cocktail. I needed more. However, he broke apart and spoke against my cheek as he bunched my dress up in his hands.
“Probably best to keep some clothes on in case someone comes up.”
“As long as little Hudson comes up, I don’t care if you keep the shirt on,” I said, giggling and palming him through his trousers.
“Oh, I’m up, sweetheart.” Hudson’s appreciative noise sent a jolt straight to my core. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his fingers tracing the curve of my hip. “So damn beautiful.”
“So are you.” I drew him closer and ground against him. “Always so perfect.”
He laughed, his thumbs hooking into the waistband of my panties. Pulling them down, I used his shoulders to steady myself as I stepped out of them. Hudson pocketed them. “No such thing. Far from it, in fact.”
“Well, you’re perfect for me.” I lifted onto my toes to nip at his earlobe. “Tonight, right now, this is perfect.”
“Yeah.” He kissed me again. “This is exactly where I want to be.” Hudson shrugged out of his jacket and laid it on the roof. Instead of telling me to lie down, he took a seat there and pulled me down until I straddled him.
I looped my fingers through the belt loops of his slacks.
“These have to go.”
“I can’t argue with that logic.” He lifted his hips, and I tugged the slacks down, leaving him in just his boxer briefs.
His erection strained at his underwear, and I did my due diligence and set it free.
God, he had a perfect penis. Not too veiny, but not too smooth either.
Perfect length, perfect size, perfect everything.
And it was going to be all mine for the rest of our lives.
Damn. Marriage really was the best.
He handed me the condom he’d taken out of his inside jacket pocket. I unwrapped it, rolling it down his length. Slowly, I lowered myself onto him. He groaned, his fingers digging into my hips, but he didn’t rush me.
“Are you actually letting me take control for once?” I murmured.
“For now, yes.”
I smiled, lifting until only the head of his dick remained inside me. God, I don’t know who I was torturing more. Him or me. I lowered myself again, rising and falling in a slow rhythm. “I love you, you know.”
He made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. “Could you perhaps save the sweet declarations for later when you aren’t riding me?”
“Why? Seems like the perfect time.” I leaned forward, bracing my palms on his chest as I picked up the pace.
“Because it’d be nice if this lasted over thirty seconds.”
“Aw, do words of affirmation do it for you, babe?”
“I’m going to take back control if you’re not careful.” Hudson’s fingers dug into my ass cheeks and I grinned down at him.
We moved together under the night sky, our bodies building a familiar tempo.
Hudson didn’t close his eyes like I had a tendency to do when he rode me.
Instead, he stared up at me with those gorgeous green eyes that sparkled in the lights of the surrounding city.
How was it that this man had been my rival almost a year ago?
How was it I had fallen for the perfectly imperfect man with an infuriating smirk that liquefied my lady parts and stoked some sort of raging fire within me?
How was it I was going to marry this man who had wormed his way into my life until removing him would’ve killed me? How could I love a person so much?
Hudson’s hands moved to my breasts beneath my dress, his thumbs grazing my nipples that formed peaks under the thin fabric. “God, how is it possible I still can’t get enough of you?”
“I was thinking the same thing,” I gasped as he pinched gently, my entire body bowing backward with the sensation.
“Oh yeah?” With a growl, he surged upward, filling me more deeply. My head fell back, and I moaned as he took over. Up and up and up he thrust, and up and up and up I went, pleasure pulsing through me. He moved faster, and I braced myself on his chest, nails digging into his shirt.
“Fuck, Hudson, I’m going to… Oh fuck, fuck, fuck.” I came, seeing more stars through my closed eyelids than were in the sky above us. Beneath me, Hudson groaned, his grip tightening as he followed me over the edge.
We rode out the waves of pleasure, my body continuing to pulse around him as we clung together.
Finally, breathless and sated, I collapsed against his chest, listening to the wild pounding of his heart beneath my ear.
His arms came around me, holding me close as our breathing slowly returned to normal.
At last, he spoke, his voice a warm rumble against my ear. “I’m thinking you should ride me more often. Although next time it’ll be some place without a rock digging into my vertebrae.”
I laughed, raising my head to look down at him. “I definitely recommend saving a horse and riding a business man.”
He smiled up at me. “I love you, Mar.”
“Love you too, Hud.” I wrinkled my nose. “Actually, I’m never calling you that again.”
“Yeah, please don’t.” He rubbed circles on the sides of my thighs as he stared up at me.
I caught a glimpse of the sapphire ring on my finger. A spark of blue fire in the dim light. It felt right. He felt right. Everything, despite all odds and against my own expectations, felt utterly and completely right.
Not rivals. Not enemies. Not even just colleagues or lovers.
Partners. In every sense of the word.
Hudson and Mari. Partners. Always.