Epilogue
Dani
ONE YEAR LATER
“Tell me why I thought going to law school was a good idea?” I whine from the desk in the office Gavin and I share in our new home.
He leans against the doorframe. “Because you’re incredible and seeking justice for all the people out there who’ve been wronged by the slime bags of the world.”
“Ugh.” I slam my head down onto the wood.
I took the LSAT’s back in October and did well enough to be accepted into San Diego College’s School of Law for the upcoming fall semester.
I start in a few weeks. But the amount of reading I need to do before I even step into a classroom is insane.
That’s what I’ve been working on for the last several hours.
I haven’t been in school in eleven years.
Why the hell did I think I could do this?
“I see you spiraling again,” Gavin chuckles. “Stop it!”
I look up and send a glare his way.
“Oh, put that face away. You know I’m right.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I wave him off. “Maybe Mr. White will take me back?”
“I won’t let him.” He grins.
I mock gasp. “Rude.”
“Now you sound like Emmett,” he laughs.
I resigned from KSSD a few months ago to get ready for school. Mr. White was shocked by my decision. He even tried to convince me to stay with a raise and a title change—Director of Special Projects. But eventually, he understood and respected my choice.
He and Gavin even let me help find my replacement, which ended up being one of the producers I’ve been working with for years.
It was nice that I got to train her for the new role before I officially left.
Let’s face it though, I’ll never actually leave.
I visit Gavin at work all the time, and I told them if they’re ever in a pinch and need an emergency fill-in, I’m their girl.
But I know this is the right step for me.
“Come on.” He walks over and gently pulls me up by my arm. “Let’s get you out of here. You’re surrounded by boxes, and that’s probably not helping.”
We moved into our own townhouse a few months ago and haven’t had much time to unpack. I got rid of the apartment pretty much right after Sam’s arrest and moved in with Gavin at the beach house. But we both agreed we wanted to find the perfect place that’s ours.
Speaking of Sam, he’s serving ten to twelve years in prison for his crimes with helping Tate.
It would have been a lot longer, but he got a plea deal with all the information he provided.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, that meant there wasn’t a trial, and I didn’t have to testify.
He also somehow negotiated into his deal that the military was not allowed to court-martial him.
It took prosecutors a lot of time to convince the JAG Corps to agree, but it was the only way Sam would hand over the information.
Tate was a different story. He tried to fight until the very end. And lost, badly. He’s going to spend the rest of his life behind bars. That’s what you get for messing with the military and buying votes.
As for Wilson, he’s enjoying the confines of a military maximum-security facility in Kansas. We weren’t allowed to get the full details, since they said it was confidential government information.
“Where are we going?” I huff behind him, frustrated that he’s making me move from my study hole.
He grins over his shoulder. “Can’t a guy surprise his girlfriend?”
“Am I dressed okay? Do I need to change?” I look down at my outfit—cuffed jeans and a white baby-doll shirt. I’ve been trying to up my style a little more, and Alexa has never been more excited to have a shopping buddy.
My therapist says I was using my clothes to hide from the world and escape into the background.
Clothes that blended in, nothing too loud, nothing that said look at me.
But lately, I’ve started to feel like I deserve to take up space.
To be seen. Gavin has been a big part of that.
Let’s face it, he started to crack that shell the day he walked back into my life.
So now I let Alexa drag me to boutiques I used to walk past. I try on things I wouldn’t have touched a year ago.
And when I catch my reflection, sometimes I actually like what I see.
And maybe that’s silly, changing your wardrobe and calling it growth, but it’s more than that. It’s me saying, I’m not hiding anymore.
It was one of the reasons Mr. White said I didn’t get the promotion.
I didn’t speak up for myself. But that was the old Dani.
Quiet. Careful. Easy to overlook. I thought I was being professional.
Trying not to make waves. Turns out, I was avoiding conflict, and it all stems from my relationship with Sam.
He’d twist my words, make me feel like I was overreacting or being too sensitive.
Eventually, I stopped trusting my own instincts.
Speaking up started to feel risky. So, I inadvertently started keeping quiet.
Who knew that followed me into the newsroom.
Not anymore.
If I’m serious about changing the world, then my voice has to show up with me. And this time, it will.
He turns and eyes me with the smile I love so much. “You look perfect, sweetheart. Just like always.”
Gavin’s phone dings in his pocket and he quickly pulls it out, giving the screen a once-over. His nose scrunches up, causing his forehead to wrinkle. But just as quickly as it appeared, it passes, and his smile is back.
“You okay?” My eyes keep scanning his face, trying to figure out what that was about.
He slips the phone away with a shrug. “Yeah, just Emmett being an idiot again.”
I narrow my eyes. “Didn’t look like nothing.”
He tilts his head slightly, giving me a look that he knows does things to me. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I smile.
“You’re so beautiful. You know that?”
“I think you’re just trying to distract me from whatever was on your phone.”
He shifts closer. Just enough to make me catch my breath. “Nope. I just needed to tell you that. In fact, it makes me want to forget our plans all together and do something else entirely.”
I step backwards towards the desk, secretly hoping he will follow. “And what did you have in mind?”
“I can think of a few ideas.”
Before I can respond, his hands slide behind me, lifting me so I can wrap my legs around his waist. I cling to his shoulders, letting out a breathy laugh as he carries me the rest of the way to the desk. The way he carries me so easily will never get old.
Gavin lays me down, keeping every inch of his body pressed against mine. His eyes darken, the stormy blue drawing me in, and his lips crash against mine. My hands weave into his hair as his roam over my body.
“I love you,” he breathes against my lips.
“I love you, too.” Though the ache between my thighs makes it hard to think straight. I need him inside me, now.
I reach for his pants, but he gently places his hands over mine. “Wait. You first.”
He presses a quick kiss to my nose before sitting up, hovering above me.
The way his muscles stretch under his shirt makes my fingers itch to tear it off.
His hands move to my jeans, undoing the button with care, and in a single motion, I’m bare from the waist down.
A low moan escapes his throat at the sight, and I shiver, knowing exactly what’s coming next.
“Look at you, sweetheart. So ready for me.”
Oh, God.
My stomach flips, my pulse spiking just from hearing the gentle possessiveness in his voice. My body reacts before my brain can even process it—heat pooling between my thighs, nipples hardening under the light touch of his hands.
“Please, Gavin,” I whimper.
He grins. That slow, teasing grin that makes my knees weak and my mind foggy.
“Because you asked so nicely.” Every word drips with intent as he pulls down his pants in a torturous, deliberate motion, exposing himself fully.
My breath catches. My heart pounding against my ribs, threatening to escape.
His cock is already hard, glistening and waiting for me. I can’t stop the shiver running down my spine.
I sit up, grabbing him by the shirt, pulling him closer, desperate to feel every inch of him against me. I line myself up with him, letting our bodies connect.
He thrusts inside me, and the fullness makes me gasp. I feel whole. As if every part of me has been waiting for this, for him, for us to finally come together.
His hips snap back, hard, then find a rhythm that makes me melt.
I lift my hips instinctively, pressing against him so his movements rub me just right, and the fire ignites, sending sharp, electric shocks up my spine.
My hands grip his arms, desperate to anchor myself as the sensations threaten to overwhelm me.
Moans and gasps spill from me uncontrollably, each one matched by the growls escaping him.
“That’s it,” he pants. “God, you feel so good.”
He grabs my face, pulling me into a fierce kiss. Our tongues connect, driving us both to the edge again. The pleasure is blinding, sharp, and tender all at once, and I cling to him as if letting go isn’t an option. We come together, trembling and gasping.
For a moment, we just lay there. I can feel his heartbeat against mine. Gavin presses one last soft kiss to my lips.
“Okay, you. Time to get cleaned up. We have plans.”
Gavin parks his truck in the lot of our favorite beach with the Mexican food shack. It’s become a date tradition for us, and I love it.
“Burritos on the beach?” I turn to face him. “It’s like you know me,” I giggle.
“I aim to please.”
I get out of the cab and start to make my way over to order food, but Gavin stops me. “Actually, I already took care of it. Follow me.” He takes my hand and leads me to the beach.
We walk, fingers laced together, until I’m stopped by the sight in front of me.