I can’t live without her. Not anymore. She’s like air in my lungs. She’s food for my soul. I’d die without her.
“I think we should wait.”
She sighs. “But what if there are complications with my pregnancy? What’s going to happen when I have to bring our baby in for a checkup? Or create a birth certificate for them? What are they supposed to put under the mother’s name? To be determined??”
I put my hand on hers as she starts getting worked up. My touch calms her for now, but she’s right. We have to get this going. Everything should be in place by the time the baby comes.
“I’ll get it started,” I tell her. I’ve been planning this for months and I have every detail thought through.
“You being pregnant will be a good thing,” I tell her. “It will make it easier to fool people. They won’t question an adorable soon-to-be mother smiling at them across the counter.”
She nods as she thinks about it. “I’ll be all smiles and kind words.”
“Then we’ll start in January,” I tell her. “Let’s enjoy the Christmas holidays worry free.”
“Okay,” she says as she smiles at me. “We can do this right?”
“We can do anything.”
She pulls my hand until I’m climbing on top of her. She wraps her legs around me and I grin as my stomach hits her swollen belly.
I love seeing her like this. Once this kid is out, I’m going to stuff her with another one and then another one and then another one. I’ll keep going until she throws in the towel.
And until the day I can impregnate her again, I’ll just have to practice…
Starting now…
EPILOGUE
Anna-Marie
* * *
Thirty-Six Years Later…
* * *
Today is the day I was supposed to get out.
It’s the day that Kennedy Ripken’s sentence was finished. The day I was supposed to be free.
I shiver just thinking about it. Thinking about all the life and love and happiness I would have missed.
I never would have met my strong sexy mountain man. I never would have had my six adorable babies and watched them grow up into wonderful adults that I’m proud to call my family. I never would have had my nine grandkids and counting.
I never would have experienced life.
But I did.
I changed my name to Anna-Marie and took on her identity. She was my age and from a different state. She died tragically in a boating accident. I still think of her and the life she didn’t get to live. It always makes me sad. I hope I’ve done her name justice, but as I look around at all of my happy family and friends gathered around at our lake house, I know she would be okay with what I did.
“Hey sexy,” Declan’s deep voice rumbles as he walks into the bedroom. Even after all these decades together, that sexy voice still gives me shivers. “What are you doing up here? The party is downstairs.”
I turn away from the window and smile at my husband. He’s still a hottie. He’s a silver-haired fox now and his frame is as large as ever. He hasn’t lost one ounce of muscle with age. I seem to be turning into a prune with time, while he’s turning into a fine wine. It’s not fair.
“I just needed a second,” I say as I turn back to the window and watch all of our guests chatting and having fun at the party we’re throwing. Our youngest, Angela, is getting married and we’re throwing her an engagement party. “Today was my release day.”
“I know,” he says as he walks over and wraps his big arms around me. He kisses me on the cheek as I squeeze his arms.
“I still can’t believe how my life turned out,” I tell him as my eyes start to well up with tears. “Going to prison was so horrible, but you know, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Good,” he says as he begins kissing my neck. “I wouldn’t change a thing either.”
I turn around in his arms and slide my hand up the back of his neck as I gaze into his dark brown eyes. His hard cock hits my thigh and it makes me gasp.
“Don’t get all worked up,” I warn him. “We have sixty people downstairs.”
“But the only person who really matters to me is right here,” he says as he starts kissing my upper chest. I want to fight him back, but it feels so good. His hands slide down to my ass and I moan as he picks me up.
“No! Bad Declan!” I tease as he carries me to the bed. His face is buried in my cleavage and I’m getting wetter and hotter as he tosses me onto the mattress.
He’s standing over me with his hands on his belt, taking it off with a ravenous look in his eyes. I know better than to pass this up.