Epilogue #2
He sinks in further. My hands fist in the sheets.
"That's it. Take all of me."
The praise in his voice unravels something in my chest. I push back against him, wanting more, wanting everything.
He groans. Pulls out. Drives back in harder.
The rhythm he sets is deliberate—deep, controlled, exactly what I need and not enough all at once. His hand slides from my hip to between my legs, fingers finding me with the specific confidence of a man who's memorized my body.
"West—you feel so good—"
"Now, you’ll take me harder."
The dual sensation—him pounding me the way he knows I love while his fingers work tight circles—builds so fast I can't track it. My vision blurs. My breath comes in gasps.
"Right there—yes—uh—so good—"
His rhythm changes. Faster. Harder. His grip on my hip tightens enough to bruise and I want it, want the mark, want the reminder tomorrow when I'm sitting in client meetings that this morning happened.
"I'm close—"
The orgasm hits without warning. My whole body locks, clenching around him so hard he curses into my shoulder.
"Jane—"
He thrusts twice more and follows me over, his weight collapsing onto my back, both of us shaking.
We lie there. Breathing. His forehead pressed between my shoulder blades.
After a moment he carefully pulls out. Presses a kiss to my spine. Disappears into the bathroom.
I roll onto my back. Stare at the ceiling. My legs feel like overcooked pasta.
He returns with a warm washcloth. Cleans me gently—the specific tenderness that always follows when he's been rough. His hand smooths down my thigh.
"You okay?"
"I'm excellent."
He climbs back into bed. Pulls me against his chest. His hand slides up into my hair, smoothing it back from my face.
"Your blonde's coming back."
I groan. "It's a mess."
"It's lighter."
"It's roots."
"I like it."
I roll onto my side to face him. "If I fix it, I'll be way blonder than you're used to."
"I know."
"You do not."
He smiles—slow, deliberate. "I do."
"Oh yeah? How exactly are you so informed about my natural coloring?"
He laughs quietly, drops his forehead to my shoulder.
"Love."
"What."
"I'm aware." And proceeds to cup my pussy.
I smack his chest in embarrassment. "You're insufferable."
"That's why you love me."
“So, you wouldn’t mind if I went full blonde again?”
“Go get it done.” West shrugs. “Call Lily. Or Tara for a girls’ spa day, I’m sure this town has an opinion.”
“Mrs. Henderson absolutely has an opinion.”
“Then let her schedule it. Or direct traffic.”
I hesitate—just slightly. "If I go full blonde again... you won't think I look too different?"
He looks at me like the question makes no sense.
"You'll look like you."
"But—"
"Go get it done." He shrugs. "Do what makes you feel like yourself."
Simple.
Then he kisses me again — not heated, not urgent. Just sure.
The bracelet catches the light when I reach for my coffee — white gold, filigree, three diamonds, and an engraving I've read approximately four hundred times since January.
Jan 24, 2026. Us.
Not the island. The pool. The moment he caught me mid-stumble and everything rearranged itself permanently.
I smile at my laptop.
West and I have work to do.
And we'll do it from here. Together.
Building something that isn't temporary. For a future we both want.
Now…
West closes my laptop.
"Hey—"
"One minute."
"I was in the middle of a contract—"
"The contract can wait." He turns my chair toward him. "We need to talk to the reader."
I stare at him. "We need to what?"
He gestures just past my shoulder. Calm. Certain.
“West.”
“Jane.”
I close my eyes for exactly one second. Then I turn toward you.
“Hi. Sorry about him.”
“Don’t apologize for me.”
“I do what I want. And you love me.” I fold my arms.
West pulls me close. “Yes, I do.”
“Okay. You made it. You survived the fake dating, the lobsters, the laundromat, the Olympic arena chase, the penthouse… honestly? Respect.”
West leans forward. “Here’s what you need to know.”
“What he needs,” I correct.
“What we need you to know.”
His foot hooks around my ankle. I let him.
“Emma wrote over three hundred thousand words for this book.”
I wince. “She basically wrote a trilogy.”
“And delivered you this.”
“Which means she cut two hundred thousand words,” I add. “Devastating ones. Mostly West’s… ahem… maneuvers.”
West clears his throat. “I executed several highly effective maneuvers.”
I smile sweetly. “Your ego will recover.”
He looks directly at you. “They were impressive.”
“Anyway,” he continues, “this is Emma’s first rom-com.”
I press a hand to my chest. “Her first. She came in hot.”
“And now,” he says, looking at you again, “she needs one thing.”
“If our book entertained you,” I say, “an honest five-star review would help immensely.”
“It tells Emma,” he adds, “that we handled the launch successfully.”
“It also helps other readers find Cedar Falls.” I pause. “And the Cedar Falls Rookies.”
I gesture between us. “We’re the spin-off. Which means there’s a whole roster coming.”
“An entire AHL team,” West confirms. “And I’m coaching all of them.”
“Heaven help those men.”
“Heaven help me.”
“And more importantly,” I add, “it tells her to keep writing rom-coms.”
His hand slides over mine.
“If the lobsters made you laugh,” I continue, “or the laundromat made you fan yourself in public, or the Olympic confession made you stare at a wall for a minute…”
West nods once. “Say that.”
“And by the way — some of those Olympic details were very real.”
I glance at him, then at you. “We do real-time research.”
He coughs into his hand. “That’s why this book was late.”
I stick my tongue out at him. “Men’s gold-medal-level research.”
He grins. “Back to business. Ten seconds to tap those stars. Maybe a minute if you feel like telling people what you just witnessed. Or just brag about your excellent taste.”
I smack his arm. He catches my hand. Keeps it.
“Thank you,” I say, softer now. “For spending nine days in Anguilla with us. And for coming home to Cedar Falls.”
West looks at me, not at you this time.
“Worth it,” he says.
I smile — the real one.
“Yeah,” I agree.
Then I look back at you.
“Worth it.”
“And if you want more chaos, more heat, more Cedar Falls romances… or the entire Billionaire Protectors series, Emma Bloom’s full catalog lives right here.”
West’s arms come around me, steady and sure. “Or you can jump straight into the Cedar Falls Rookies series.”
I turn back to you.
“Thank you so much for being here. We’ll see you again in those stories.”
West presses a kiss to my temple.
We don't look back at you after that.
We're a little busy.