EPILOGUE
JACK
I pull up into the driveway and turn off the ignition. With a groan, I run my hand over my face. What a shit workday this has been. Everything I did went wrong in some way, leaving behind a feeling beyond frustration. But then I look over to the lovely two-story house that I’ve been calling home for a couple of months now, and thinking about what awaits me inside makes my lips stretch into a huge smile.
When I walk through the door, sounds greet me that, under different circumstances, would make me turn around again immediately. Emma’s frustrated groan from the kitchen is hardly audible over our son’s wailing.
“Daddy!” Finn screams.
“Your daddy will be home soon, but you won’t get a cookie from him either,” Emma tells him, and I know she tries hard to keep her voice down. They must have had a rough day then too.
I enter the kitchen, and forgotten is everything that went wrong. I can’t help but smile like a lunatic when I see the two people I love more than anything, even though Emma looks utterly exhausted with her hair messily piled on top of her head and some questionable stains on her sweater. And Finn must be tired too; his red, puffy eyes and tear-streaked face are a sure sign.
He’s about to sweep his drinking bottle from his high chair and throw it on the floor when he spots me. “ Daddy!” he screeches, and just like every time he calls me that, I feel insanely happy. I never doubted he would see me as his dad or that he would love me as much as I love him. He is my son, and I am his father. But hearing him say that makes my heart burst with love and joy every time, ever since he started saying a few words a couple of months ago.
“Hey, big guy.” I stand next to his high chair and ruffle his hair. He grabs my hand and reaches for me, wanting me to pick him up. But first things first. “Hey, babe,” I say when I grab Emma’s hand and pull her into my chest, and I enjoy the pleasant tingling I still feel when our lips touch in a soft kiss.
“Hey,” Emma says with a deep sigh and rests her head on my shoulder. “Thank goodness you’re here. Your son is driving me nuts today.”
I chuckle and look at the boy in question. He grins widely at me and jumps up and down in his seat. “Are you talking about our son?”
Emma puffs and rolls her eyes. She steps back as I pick up Finn, who instantly wraps his arms around my neck, giggling happily.
“No, he’s all yours,” Emma grumbles. “I’m not even sure I’m his mom. All day long, it’s ‘Daddy this,’ ‘Daddy that’ ! That boy loves you more than me.”
I shake my head and chuckle. “Oh, Em, that’s not true. What happened that put you both in such a horrid mood?”
“Finn’s been up since the ass crack of dawn and only napped for half an hour. He’s tired, cranky, and hungry but refuses to eat anything—except for cookies, that is. ”
With another sigh, Emma cleans up the mess in the kitchen. With Finn still in my arms, I stand next to her and wrap one arm around her waist. “No, stop that now,” I tell her, kissing her forehead. She leans into me and drapes her arm around my middle. Finn babbles something unintelligible as he places his arm on Emma’s shoulder and pulls us both into a hug.
Emma scoffs. “You sneaky little guy. You know I can’t resist you when you do that.” She steps back, and Finn moves over into her arms. With a happy giggle, he hugs her tight and rests his head on her shoulder. Emma closes her eyes and smiles, and looking at them feels like pure bliss.
“Why don’t you sit down while I fix his dinner?” I offer.
Emma opens her eyes and frowns. “No, Jack, you must be hungry. Sit down and eat.”
I shove her out of the kitchen. “No back talk! Sit on the couch and read a book or something. I will eat later.”
With a grateful smile, Emma does as I tell her.
One and a half hours later, Emma and I sit at the kitchen table, eating leftovers. Finn is finally sound asleep after we bathed him, read a story, and cuddled.
Blowing out her cheeks, Emma pushes her empty plate away. “Wow, I needed that. I’ve hardly had any chance to eat today. I love that kid to death, but some days, I’m more than glad when he’s finally in bed. ”
I give her a warm smile and cover her hand with mine. “I know. And it’s fine. He knows you love him.”
She grimaces, but then she lifts her finger and looks at me as if she just remembered something. “Oh, have you talked to your sister by any chance?”
“Yes, she called to tell me about her grand idea of throwing a huge birthday party for Finn and Grace.” I laugh—typical Liv. Of course she wants to celebrate my niece’s first birthday with Finn’s. “She’ll call you tomorrow,” I tell Emma as I clear the table. Emma picks up some toys that are scattered around the kitchen floor, but I put down the plates and walk over to her, taking the toys out of her hand and shaking my head. “Don’t tidy up. Leave the mess. Finn will make a whole new mess tomorrow. Go rest, and I’ll clean up in here.”
Emma frowns. “You don’t have to.”
“I know,” I interrupt her. “But I want to. You lie down on the couch. I’ll join you soon.”
I give her a quick kiss and shove her out of the kitchen once again.
When I walk into the living room half an hour later, I find Emma lying on the couch, eyes closed. I cover her with a blanket, but she stirs and opens her eyes. She narrows them at me and mumbles, “Don’t you dare let me sleep here.” She sits up and takes my hand to pull me down. “I need some adult time.”
I chuckle and drape my arm around her. She snuggles into me and rests her head on my chest. “Adult time?” I ask. “What did you have in mind? Talk about politics? Watch a horror movie? Drink some wine?”
Emma laughs. “Oh, wine sounds good right now. But no, that would only make me more tired.” She sits up and takes my hand in hers. “How was your day?”
“Exhausting. I had to sort out other people’s mess all day. But let’s not talk about that. I’m just glad it’s over.”
Again, she frowns at me. “You didn’t have to help me with Finn. You could have rested.”
“Are you kidding? Spending time with both of you is the highlight of my day. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Even if you two are cranky as fuck.”
“Hey!” Emma slaps my chest and glares at me. “I’m not cranky.”
I chuckle. “Of course not, babe. My bad.” I lean in and brush my lips over hers. She responds immediately by inching closer and fisting my shirt. Along with the soft moan that escapes her lips, the slight fatigue from earlier is gone. Instead, certain body parts come very much alive.
With Finn around, intimacy has become rare this past year, mostly out of sheer exhaustion. But my desire for Emma hasn’t lessened, making me feel like a horny teenager sometimes. All it takes is Emma’s soft moan, and I instantly go hard.
Sometimes, I think back to the time before I knew her, when I couldn’t bear to be touched and had no desire to touch anyone. All that changed with her, and now, I can’t get enough of physical closeness, especially from Emma or Finn. With lots of patience and therapy lessons, I am where I want to be—in the arms of my loved ones, free from anxiety attacks .
“Now, back to that adult time you mentioned earlier,” I murmur on her lips. “I have an idea or two that could lift your mood, Peach.”
She chuckles. “Peach? Oh, I might know where this is going.”
“Do you?” I breathe on her neck as I pull her onto my lap. Emma just nods before running her fingers through my hair and kissing me, deepening the kiss at once. Our lips and tongues move in sync, spurred on by hunger and ardor and, most of all, impatience to feel the other. My hands roam the soft skin under her sweater, and she shivers under my touch.
For some reason, a thought pops up in my head at that very moment—a thought that has been on my mind more and more often lately.
When I stop kissing her back, Emma narrows her eyes at me. “Are you okay?” she asks.
I nod with a smile. “Yeah, I was just thinking … I know you had a bad day with Finn, but there are so many good days, too, right?”
Emma blinks at me. “Um, yes …”
Her slight confusion makes me hesitate. But then I blurt out, “Have you ever thought about having another one?”
Her eyes widen. “Another baby?”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking about how great it would be for Finn to have a little brother or sister. Will and I are only fifteen months apart, and it was pretty cool while I was growing up. Well, most of the time.”
Emma averts her gaze. “Oh, wow. I’m not sure what to say.” She looks back at me, lifting her lips in a small smile. “Because actually, I’ve been considering it, too, but I thought it might be too early. ”
“Are you serious? I assumed I’d have to talk you into it more.”
She shakes her head. “No, you don’t. Let’s do it.”
I laugh. “Are you sure? You feel up to it?”
Her smile widens. “Tessa just announced her pregnancy, so our kids wouldn’t be too far apart. So yeah.” She studies me, biting her lower lip. “Does that mean I can skip the pill tonight?”
“Yes,” I say with a grin. “Trash it.”
Emma chuckles. “My mom will freak out! Another child without being married? Living in a house that we only rent and not own?”
“Are you saying you want to get married and buy a house?”
“To appease my mom? Fuck no!” She laughs and lowers her mouth. “Speaking of fuck—are we gonna do that now?”
“Hmhmmm,” is all I manage to utter before we become one tangled mess—touching, stroking, and caressing everything within reach. Our mouths only separate when her sweater goes flying to the floor, right along with her bra. My shirt follows next, and her greedy hands touch my bare chest. A low growl forms deep within my throat when she uses her nails to stroke over my pecs, and the impatient whimper that escapes her makes me shudder. My hungry gaze falls on her already hard nipples, and I can’t help but take them in my mouth one at a time.
Emma throws her head back and moans. “Ah—yes—that feels so good.” She rotates her hips and grinds her core against my cock, making me groan and dig my fingers into her ass. I feel dizzy with desire for her, with my erratic breathing and my heart that is close to bursting.
With a desperate moan, Emma cups my face and tilts my head up to find my lips for a deep and sensual kiss. “Get those damn pants off, Peach,” I grumble when we come up for air. I’m surprised we manage to do that without shredding them to pieces, but I couldn’t care less about anything but her being wrapped around me. When she finally sinks down onto me, taking all of me in, we both groan in relief. I grab her hips and move her up and down my dick, and with all the pent-up lust, I’m close to coming way too soon.
“Damn, Peach,” I pant. “I’m not gonna last long.”
“That’s okay,” Emma replies, picking up the pace. “Come, Jack. We have all night to do this over and over again.”
“Oh no!” I grunt before I lift her off me and throw her onto the couch next to me. “You first.”
I don’t give her any time to protest before spreading her legs and burying my head between them. I run my tongue along her wet heat and suck on her swollen clit—something that makes her squirm and writhe underneath me. I still love how I can do that to her. I love how she moans my name again and again, how she grabs my hair, and how I know she’s seconds away from her climax. I slide two fingers inside her and increase the pressure just a little, but it’s enough to send her over the edge.
I run my lips all over her quivering body, up to her parted lips, and we spend the next minutes kissing—slowly and sensuously, but no less passionately .
When I pull back to look at her, I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Emma gives me a silly smile. “I love the things your mouth does to me,” she whispers.
I laugh softly and give her another tender kiss. “Me too.”
“And I love you, Jack.”
“That’s good because I love you, too, Peach.”
Her smile turns into something more seductive, and a second later, I feel her hand between us. She grabs me and guides me to her entrance. “Now fuck me, please.”
With a gentle push, I accept her request, and soon, we move together in the best way possible. She wraps her legs around me, taking me in even deeper. As usual, she completely undoes me, and my love and desire for her consume me. When I come with her name on my lips, she takes me to my favorite place, where there’s only her and me.
But our moment is interrupted too soon for my liking when Finn’s wail echoes through the baby monitor. Emma tenses up and is about to push me off her, but I keep her pinned down with my body. “No, wait a sec. He’ll go back to sleep.”
Emma digs her nails into my biceps, painfully so, but if that keeps her underneath me, I’ll endure it. And sure enough, a minute later, we don’t hear any more from Finn.
Emma lets out a long breath. “Sorry, I’m so used to jumping at any little noise.”
I smile at her. “He sensed that we’re making him a little brother or sister.”
That sexy smile is back on Emma’s face. “Good. Because I want a little more of you. ”
“Oh, I’ll give you more. Lots more.”
So we spend the night making passionate and intense love, and I realize once more how lucky I was to have found Emma. She brought light into my life and pulled me out of my gloom. I’ll forever be grateful to her for giving me a sense of purpose with Finn, our son, and I already can’t wait to hold another baby in my arms that I can call my own.