Epilogue Nick
One Month Later
Autumn was in the air now. I could smell the frost clinging to the grass in the morning when I left to check on the cattle.
As the sun rose, I could just make out the snow-capped peaks in the distance.
Each day the snow seemed to push just a little further down the mountain. It wouldn’t be long before it was here.
I watched the sun climb higher, turning the frost-dusted pasture into something that looked like it had been dipped in gold.
The cold air burned in my lungs in a way that felt cleansing after everything we’d been through.
A month had passed since the arraignment, since Dante had walked out of that courtroom a free man, since his father had banished him, and we were still adjusting to what that meant.
Marco had arrived the same day we got back, looking exhausted but relieved.
He’d moved into the bunkhouse with the other ranch hands, though Angelo kept trying to convince him to take one of the spare rooms in the main house.
My mother had taken to all three of them with the kind of maternal energy she usually reserved for injured animals, constantly making sure they were eating enough and staying warm.
And, as far as I knew, Angelo was under the impression he and Heather were officially dating.
I wasn’t completely sure if she agreed, but she was willing to let him take her out on nice dates and treat her like a queen.
She pretended she didn’t like it, but I knew better.
When Angelo wasn’t looking, she was smiling.
I had no doubt in my mind that they would be an item by Christmas at the latest.
Marco, on the other hand, was still figuring things out.
Leaving New Jersey had come as quite a shock to him.
He definitely wasn’t the ranching type, but he was doing his best. With Angelo at his side, he seemed to be adjusting well.
Angelo was still trying to get him on a horse, but Marco would have none of it.
He said he didn’t trust anything that big and grumpy.
And honestly, I couldn’t argue with that logic.
Taking one last deep breath of crisp morning air, I turned back toward the tiny house.
Dante was still in bed, and I was happy to let him sleep.
Paperwork didn’t need to be done at dawn anyway and we had enough help to cover chores thanks to his good management.
Sleeping in now and then was a luxury we could afford now.
I pushed through the door as quietly as I could, toeing off my boots and hanging my jacket on the hook.
The house was warm thanks to the pellet stove I’d had installed.
It didn’t fit the decor, but we both liked the ambience.
I moved through the kitchen, past the coffee pot I’d left on for Dante, and down the short hallway to our bedroom.
The sight that greeted me made my breath catch.
Dante was sprawled across our bed, the blankets tangled around his waist, one arm thrown over his head.
The morning light filtered through the curtains, painting golden stripes across his bare chest. His dark hair was messy from sleep, and his face was relaxed in a way it never was when he was awake. No tension, no worry, just peace.
I stood there for a moment, just watching him breathe. This man who’d saved entire families, who’d chosen mercy over violence again and again, who’d given up everything he’d ever known for a chance at something better. Who’d somehow, impossibly, made me love him despite our tense beginning.
My husband.
The word still felt foreign in my mouth sometimes, like a language I was learning to speak. But it was getting easier every day.
I stripped off my flannel shirt, letting it fall to the floor. My jeans followed, then my socks, until I was standing there almost naked in the morning light. The air was cool against my skin, raising goosebumps, but I knew I’d be warm soon enough.
I pulled the boxers off too, because I had plans for how I wanted to wake him up.
The mattress dipped as I climbed onto the bed, moving slowly so I wouldn’t wake him too soon. Dante shifted slightly, a soft sound escaping his throat, but his eyes stayed closed. I positioned myself over him, one knee on either side of his hips, and reached for the blankets.
I peeled them back carefully, exposing more of him. His stomach, the trail of dark hair that led down to where he was already half-hard in his sleep. My mouth went dry at the sight.
I ran my hands up his thighs, feeling the muscle beneath warm skin. His breathing changed, becoming less deep, but he still didn’t wake. I leaned down, pressing a kiss to his hip bone, then another to his lower stomach. His cock twitched, filling out more, and I smiled against his skin.
“Dante,” I murmured, my breath ghosting over him. “Wake up, baby.”
His eyes fluttered open, unfocused and confused for a moment. Then he saw me, saw where I was, and his pupils dilated.
“Nick?” His voice was rough with sleep. “What are you—”
I wrapped my hand around his cock, stroking slowly, and whatever he was going to say dissolved into a groan. He was fully hard now, hot and thick in my palm, and I felt my own cock respond, pressing against his thigh.
“Morning,” I said, grinning at him. “Thought you might want to sleep in a little longer.”
“This doesn’t feel like sleeping,” he managed, his hips lifting into my touch.
“No,” I agreed, reaching over to the nightstand for the lube we kept there. “It’s not.”
Understanding dawned in his eyes, followed quickly by heat. “Nick, you don’t have to—”
“I want to,” I interrupted, slicking up my fingers. “I’ve been thinking about it all morning. About you inside me, filling me up while the sun comes up.”
He groaned again, his hands coming up to grip my hips. “You can’t just say things like that.”
“Why not?” I circled my hole with one slick finger, watching his face. “It’s true. I want you, Dante. I always want you.”
I pushed the finger inside, and his grip on my hips tightened.
I was already loose from last night, when he’d taken me against the kitchen counter after dinner, but I took my time anyway, adding a second finger, then a third.
His eyes were locked on where my hand disappeared between my legs, his breathing getting heavier.
“Fuck,” he breathed. “You look so good like that. Getting yourself ready for me.”
“Wait till you see this then,” I said, pulling them out and positioning myself over him. “This is gonna blow your mind.”
I gripped his uncut cock, lining him up, and started to sink down. The stretch was intense, even with the prep, and I had to pause halfway, breathing through it. Dante’s hands moved to my thighs, rubbing soothing circles.
“Take your time,” he said, his voice strained. “We’ve got all morning.”
I did, lowering myself inch by inch until I was fully seated, his cock buried deep inside me. We both groaned at the sensation, and I gave myself a moment to adjust before I started to move.
Slow at first, just rolling my hips, feeling him drag against my hole. The angle was perfect, hitting that spot inside me that made my toes curl. Dante’s hands slid up to my waist, guiding my movements but letting me set the pace.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said, his eyes roaming over me. “The way you look riding me, the sun in your hair. I could watch you forever.”
His words made heat pool low in my belly, and I picked up the pace, rising and falling on his cock with more urgency. My own cock was hard and leaking between us, and when Dante wrapped his hand around it, I nearly came on the spot.
“Not yet,” he said, stroking me in time with my movements. “I want to make this last.”
But I was already close, the combination of him inside me and his hand on me pushing me toward the edge faster than I wanted. I leaned forward, bracing my hands on his chest, changing the angle so he hit even deeper.
“Dante,” I gasped. “I love you so fucking much.”
His eyes went dark with emotion, and his grip on my hips tightened almost to the point of pain. “Say it again,” he demanded, his voice rough.
“I love you,” I repeated, my movements becoming erratic as pleasure built in my spine. “I love you, I love you—”
He surged up, capturing my mouth in a kiss that was all desperation.
His hand worked my cock faster, and his other arm wrapped around my back, holding me close as he started thrusting up into me, fucking me with reckless abandon.
The change in control, the way he took over and claimed me, sent me spiraling over the edge.
I came with his name on my lips, spilling between us as my body clenched around him. He followed seconds later, burying himself deep and groaning into my mouth as he filled me with his heat.
We stayed like that for a long moment, both of us breathing hard, foreheads pressed together. My legs were shaking from the exertion, and I could feel his heart hammering against my chest.
“I love you too,” he said quietly, his hand coming up to cup my face. “More than I ever thought possible.”
I kissed him again, softer this time, trying to pour everything I felt into it. When we finally pulled apart, I could see moisture in his eyes that matched my own.
“You okay?” I asked, brushing my thumb across his cheekbone.
“Yeah.” He smiled, and it reached his eyes in a way that still made my breath catch. “Just thinking about how different things are now. A year ago, I never would’ve imagined this. Waking up in Montana with my cowboy husband, on a ranch, living a… well, normal life.”
“Is it what you wanted?” I asked, suddenly uncertain. “I know you gave up a lot to be here.”
“I gave up a life I hated for a life I love,” he corrected, his hand sliding into my hair. “There’s a difference. Besides, I got you out of the deal. That alone makes it worth it.”
I felt my face heat at his words. Even after everything, he could still make me blush like a teenager.
“We should probably get up,” I said, even though I made no move to do so. “Marco and Angelo will be wondering where we are.”
“Let them wonder,” Dante replied, his arms tightening around me. “I want five more minutes of this. Just you and me and nothing else.”
I settled against his chest, feeling his softening cock slip out of me. There was a mess between us, but I didn’t care. This moment, this peace… It was worth it.
“We should really get up soon,” I said, finally forcing myself to move. “I promised Dad I’d help him with the shipment heading out today.”
Dante groaned but let me go, watching as I climbed off him and headed for the bathroom. “I’ll make breakfast,” he called after me. “Those chocolate chip pancakes you like.”
“You’re trying to bribe me into more morning sex, aren’t you?”
“Is it working?”
I laughed, turning back to look at him. He was still sprawled on the bed, completely naked and gorgeous in the morning light, a lazy smile on his face that was so different from the guarded expression he’d worn when he first arrived.
“Maybe,” I admitted. “But you’ll have to wait until tonight. I’ve got work to do.”
“Tonight then,” he agreed, finally sitting up. “Out under that endless sea of stars. I’ll make it worth the wait.”
I believed him. Dante always kept his promises.
By the time I was cleaned up and dressed, the smell of coffee and something sweet filled the house. I found Dante in the kitchen, wearing nothing but an apron, flipping pancakes with the kind of concentration that made me smile.
“You know,” I said, leaning against the doorway, “you’re pretty domestic for a former mob enforcer.”
“Former mob enforcer,” he corrected without looking up. “And I’ll have you know my Nonna would be rolling in her grave if I didn’t feed you properly. That woman thought the entire world could be fixed with some good pasta and a gun.”
“A gun?!”
“Yeah,” Dante said, glancing my way. “Where do you think my father learned the family trade?”
I pictured an old biddy with a walker and a shotgun, which was simultaneously hilarious and horrifying. The Valentis sure were an interesting group of people.
“Do you think your Nonna would’ve approved of us?” I asked, wrapping my arms around him from the back. “We’re not exactly traditional.”
“She would’ve loved you,” he said, finally turning in my arms to look at me. “She always said I needed someone who wouldn’t take my shit. Someone who’d call me out when I was being an ass.”
I grinned against his shoulder. “Well, I do have a lot of practice calling you out. Remember that time you tried to reorganize the feed schedule and nearly starved half the herd?”
“That was one time,” he protested, but he was smiling. “And in my defense, I was still learning.”
“You’re still learning,” I pointed out, stealing a piece of pancake from the plate he’d just finished. “But you’re getting better.”
He swatted my hand away, but not before I managed to pop the bite into my mouth. The chocolate chips were still melting, and I made an exaggerated sound of appreciation that made him laugh.
“Get out of my kitchen,” he said, turning back to the stove. “Before I decide to withhold breakfast privileges.”
I pressed a kiss to the back of his neck and reluctantly let him go. “Fine. But I’m holding you to the date under those stars tonight.”
“Wouldn’t dream of breaking that promise.”
I grabbed my jacket and headed for the door, pausing to look back at him one more time.
He was humming something under his breath, some Italian song his grandmother probably taught him, and the morning light caught in his hair just right.
My chest felt too full, like my heart was trying to expand beyond the space my ribs allowed.
This was it. This was the life I’d been so afraid of wanting. The life I’d fought against tooth and nail when he first showed up with his expensive suits and his family’s money.
And now I couldn’t imagine wanting anything else.
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