I slipped my tongue between her lips and pulled her closer to me, reveling in the feel of her breasts against my chest. It wasn’t until her muscles were loose and her body fluid around me like melted chocolate that I pulled back.

“Can I get a word in now?” I asked, tracing her bottom lip with my thumb.

She nodded silently.

“It won’t be impossible to work side by side, Evie. It’s going to be amazing, because now we can at least go out to lunch, and talk on the way in together, and stop hiding.”

Her eyes went wide. “W-what do you mean? Cullen—”

“Cullen knows everything. I went to the office before I came to find you, and I laid it all out for him.”

“Laid what out?” she asked breathlessly, her bottom lip trembling now.

“I told him that I loved you,” I replied, running a hand through her silky curls. “That I would like his blessing but didn’t need it, because we were meant to be together.”

“You . . . you love me?” she squeaked. Those green eyes that had finally gone clear filled with tears again, and they gleamed like liquid emeralds. “Are you for real?”

“I love you, Everleigh. I love your face, and that sweet smile.” I bent her back to expose the column of her neck, punctuating each declaration with kisses down her throat. “I love your brilliant mind and your artistic soul. I love the way you treat my niece and nephews like family when you’ve only just met.”

“What else?” she demanded, her fingers curling into my hair. “What else do you love, Smith?”

Her voice had gone husky, and my cock leaped to attention. “I love the way you call my name when you come,” I murmured, sliding a hand up to cover her breast. “I love the way your body squeezes mine when—”

“Hold that thought!” She gasped, tugging free of me and running a hand through her hair as her eyes burned into mine. “I’ve got you all alone in my place, and I’m not wasting this opportunity. Let’s go!”

She grabbed my hand, all but dragging me toward what I assumed was her bedroom.

“Wait, don’t you have something to tell me?” I half teased, pulling her to a halt while my cock stood at complete attention.

I knew it. I’d seen the words written all over her face. But, damn it, I wanted to hear them.

Her lips tipped into a radiant smile that warmed me straight to my feet.

“I love you, Smith Hamilton. Now, come on and fuck me before my brother catches us playing hooky.”

Epilogue

I peeked out the window to see Smith hoisting the last shovelful of snow off the driveway, and my heart did a little dance. I couldn’t wait until he came inside. I had freshly made hot cocoa from scratch, and a movie cued up on Netflix. Not to mention some amazing news.

I rushed into the kitchen and added a few marshmallows to our cups, grinning as I did. These were my favorite mugs. Cullen had given them to us as one of his wedding gifts. They said Mr. and Mrs. in beautiful calligraphy, and each could hold a cup of coffee big enough to choke a horse.

I took a long sip from my mug and let out a sigh. Smith and I had been married for almost a year now, and it had been the adventure of a lifetime so far. Our wedding day had been pure magic. Pam had graciously allowed the kids to share in the ring-bearer duties as Winnie didn’t want to be a flower girl. They’d all worn capes by request, except Mac, who had nearly worn nothing at all as he tried to strip off his miniature tuxedo pants halfway down the aisle.

I grinned at the memory. Cullen had been the best man, and Maggie had been my maid of honor. Whatever tension had arisen between Smith and Cullen over our secret had long since faded away, and Cullen’s sweet but funny best-man speech had solidified it. They were back to their old selves like it had never even happened. I couldn’t have lived with myself any other way, so I was thrilled about that.

The day after the wedding, we’d gone on a whirlwind trip to Italy, and had toured the countryside together. I’d loved traveling alone and with friends, but with Smith, everything seemed to take on a whole new life. Now, each new place we visited was tied to a memory. We were a family of two, and we were building the life I’d always dreamed of having.

Cullen was still hard at work, taking over the world, and the business was booming. It was especially sweet for me because I knew I was a part of the reason for that success. My advertising campaigns had been integral in building a new client base, and Cullen had hired two people to work under me so I could continue to assist in the expansion.

The front door swung open, cutting into my thoughts, and I carried the mugs into the living room with a smile. Smith stepped inside and stomped his boots on the mat in front of the door.

“It’s officially November in Chicago,” he said with a laugh. “There’s got to be about fifteen inches out there.”

He tugged off his gloves and stripped off his coat as I stepped toward him, his mug extended.

“Well, I’ve got something hot to warm you up,” I murmured, rolling up onto my tiptoes to give him a kiss.

He didn’t take the mug, though. Instead, he yanked me closer and I let out a squeak.

“I think I know exactly how you can do that,” he murmured, crushing his mouth to mine. The mugs were quickly forgotten as he slipped his tongue against mine.

His lips were cold, but I didn’t care. Even a year in, it still felt like a dream that I could kiss and touch and make love with this man whenever I wanted to, and I wasn’t going to squander it.