Lucius (Acquisition 4)

“Thank you.” I kiss between her breasts, then lick off the water.

She runs her fingers through my wet hair. “Why are you so good at that?”

“I’m good at everything that pertains to you.” I kiss her again lazily, our tongues doing a slow dance with each other.

“You really are.” She nods, then takes my hand in hers. Her engagement ring is covered in droplets, yet still sparkles even in the low light.

“What are you—” I stop talking when she places my hand on her stomach.

“You’re so good at loving me that it looks like we’re going to have to have a shotgun wedding.”

I stare.

I keep staring.

I stare even more.

Mini explosions fire inside me, most of them in my chest. I can’t breathe. Can’t form rational thought.

“But I thought you were on birth control?” That’s all I can think to say.

She laughs, and it squeezes my half-mast cock teasingly. “I don’t know if you remember, but I was in a coma. No meds. And then—” She shrugs. “Then I just didn’t start them up again.”

“A baby?” My eyes feel like they’re watering, but I’m sure it’s just water from the shower spray.

“Our baby.” She squints. “Are you happy?”

“Are you kidding?” I thrust all the way inside her again. “I’m going to be a father. I’m fucking ecstatic!”

She laughs again, sending my cock into full-on fuck mode. I pull out and slide all the way inside her. “A baby?” I kiss her again and again, unable to stop.

She wraps her arms around my neck and holds on tight as I start a slow rhythm, loving her. “I love you, Lucius.”

“I love you, and I already love our baby.” I kiss her ear. “I hope she’s smart like you.”

She nibbles my hear. “I hope he’s just as lovable as you.”

I lean back and thrust deeper, hitting that spot she loves. “Oh darling, I think we both know no one is more lovable than me.”

Epilogue 2

Evie

“Now I’m wishing I got some watercolor ink done on mine.” Stella runs her fingers down the vine tattoo along my spine. “This is so pretty.”

“You can always add to yours.” I smooth the skirt of my dress for the millionth time. It hasn’t had a wrinkle in it at any time.

“No, I think these look perfect on you.” She smiles at me in the mirror and picks up the veil beside me. “I hate to hide it under this.”

“If you think I shouldn’t—”

“Oh, you definitely should.” She smiles and affixes it in my hair with a diamond comb. “I’ve got fifty bucks that says Lucius is going to cry when he lifts it and sees you.”

I laugh. “Who’d you bet?”

“Sin.” She keeps fussing with it until she’s happy. “There.”

I peer at myself in the floor-length mirror. My baby bump isn’t showing yet, but I still cup the little roundness at my waist.

“I may have already bought about fifty monogrammed things. Just with the ‘V’ of course, since we don’t know what it is yet.”

“Fifty?”

She blushes a little. “I may have gotten carried away. It’s just so exciting. I didn’t think I’d ever get a sister, you know? I’m always stuck with these Vinemont men. Not that I don’t love them. I do. But you know how they are.”

“Teddy is definitely the most tolerable.”

“Yeah, he’s named perfectly. A total teddy bear.” She wraps her arms around me from behind, hugging me carefully. “This is going to sound weird and probably kind of creepy, but you make me feel a little bit like the old me sometimes. In a good way. I guess I lost a little bit of that after …”

I turn and meet her gaze. “All I can say is thank you. Thank you for welcoming me …” I smile. “Eventually.”

“Eventually.” She agrees. “I’m just protective.”

“Makes sense. You’ve got a lot to protect.”

“Including you.” She steps back and looks me up and down. “You look … Breathtaking.”

“Thank you.” I try not to cry, but I still tear up.

“Not on my watch!” She darts to grab a tissue as I take deep breaths.

Renee and Rebecca babble to each other in the corner by the fan. They are absolutely adorable in their little pink flower girl dresses.

“Here.” She hands me the tissue. “It’s almost time. I’m going to go check. You okay?”

“I’m great.” I smile. “Started with a bullet, ended with a shotgun wedding.”

She nods. “That pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“That’s my girl. Just one more look. Spin for me.” She stares as I slowly turn. The dress has a beautiful lace overlay that covers my arms, and a bodice with a deep V in the front. The lace continues to the waist, and then a tulle skirt fills out the bottom with a modest flare. To me, it’s like something out of a dream. I hope Lucius loves it as much as I do.