The Recluse

The feel of her body next to mine.

The heat coming from her.

My love for her.

I continued to rub her feet with my free hand, running my fingers along the arch, over her little toes. Her nails were painted this peach color, almost the same shade as her skin. If I could marry this girl again, I would in a heartbeat. But we’d had one hell of a wedding, a massive gathering that had brought everyone I knew, everyone I was connected with to the celebration.

Her side had been small and intimate, and although I wondered if that bothered her, she never told me otherwise, never looked anything less than happy to be surrounded by people who were genuinely happy for us.

I spared no expense for the wedding, wanting the very best despite her saying she didn’t need anything fancy or big.

I’d scoffed.

I’d give her the moon—the world—if that’s what she wanted. And now a year later, we were starting a family.

Our family.

Before she’d gotten pregnant, I’d taken a step back from the business, because I wanted to spend more time with her. Now that we were going to have a baby, I’d taken an even further step back. Although I still handled all the important aspects of Hawthorne Oil, these were the truly important moments in my life.

Spending time with her. Watching as she grew big with our little one. And of course telling her I loved her a hundred times a day.

I’d never sell the company, and in fact hoped that one day I could pass it down to our children to run. But being as hands-on as I had been wasn’t an option anymore. It wasn’t even a desire for me.

“I love you so much,” she said.

I looked over at her just as she lifted the corner of her mouth in a sweet smile. “Not as much as I love you.”

She lifted an eyebrow in challenge and rose up, leaning toward me so she could place her lips on mine.

“That might be up for debate,” she whispered against my lips, and I chuckled softly before gently wrapping my hands around her hips and hauling her onto my lap.

She had her legs on either side of my waist, and I felt no shame that I was already hard for her, my cock digging into the soft valley between her thighs. She started seductively rocking against me, her pupils dilating, her mouth parting as a soft moan left her.

I knew my woman was just as insatiable as I was. And like I did every single time I held her, as I looked into her eyes, I fell in love with Kitty all over again.Epilogue ThreeKittyKitty

Ten years laterA decade. That’s what we were celebrating. Ten glorious, wonderful years of marriage with the man I loved more each day. He was not only our provider and our protector, but also the stealer of my heart, the lover of my body, and the father of my children.

In a decade, our life had grown exponentially. We had three children—two boys who were spitting images of their father, and a little girl, who had my eyes but her father’s stubbornness.

Hawk, our oldest, was already so invested in the family business that I knew one day he’d run Hawthorne Oil.

Theo, our middle son, was so smart he could solve problems grown men couldn’t even wrap their heads around.

And then there was Ivy, our baby girl who played the piano and had an affinity for wildlife and all the creatures that inhabited the world. She was our gentle soul, our animal whisperer. And boy did she have the men in her life wrapped around her little finger. All she had to do was look at them with those big, blue, puppy dog eyes and they were putty in her hands.

Our house was full and happy, the sound of our babies’ laughter something I woke up to every morning and fell asleep to every night. Of course there were ups and downs, arguments and disagreements, but it made us all stronger.

Because the man who currently held me was what I was truly thankful for. Without him, I’d have none of this.

I closed my eyes and let the soft sway of the boat rock me into contentment.

Fin had planned an extravagant ten-year anniversary trip for us. My parents were watching the kids, and he’d swept me away to the Mediterranean. For two weeks, we’d been sailing from coast to coast, visiting little villages and towns, eating exotic foods, and sunbathing on the beaches as we listened to the waves lapping at the shore.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought this would be my life. But it wasn’t about money or notoriety. It wasn’t about status or power. It was about having this man by my side, creating our family, and watching our children grow.