He has a point, it might be fast by most standards but special is unusual for a reason.
Nate runs a hand over my back and down my thighs; comforting, inquiring, and claiming. “If you’re up for it, I think we’ve earned waffles and bacon.”
“Where?” I look around, half expecting a waiter to appear with a tray.
He snorts, “At a restaurant. The sex may have been magic but I can’t conjure food. There’s a little cafe on the cliff about a mile down the road.”
It takes a few minutes but eventually we manage to get out of bed and take a shower without getting dirty again. It’s Saturday so Nate doesn’t have to go into the office. After breakfast at the promised cafe we spend the day exploring his house, he has a telescope in a little tower room I didn’t even know was there. And the property is amazing, there’s an empty patch of lawn doing absolutely nothing that I can see spilling over with vegetable beds and flowers. I never thought I’d miss having to take care of a garden, but there’s something about the idea of one of my own that makes it more appealing.
And of course, there’s more sex. In the turret, on the patio, the kitchen counter after lunch…
I’m still not entirely sure about working with Nate too, but heck my current job is on the slow path to nowhere so he’s convincing me to give it a try. He’s promised to always prioritize our relationship so if work gets in the way we’ll figure something else out.
Epilogue
AUBREY
Today is my thirtieth birthday. Just a little over three years since we met, Nate is busy spoiling me rotten. He started by saying it was my day and I was in charge. You can imagine how long that lasted. But he’s having so much fun bringing out surprises and lavishing me with attention that I don’t mind. He started the day laying me out on the rock in the bathroom so he could ‘inspect’ me to see if anything had changed since I was twenty-nine (that would be yesterday…) Naturally, that led to a couple of intense orgasms— sex on the rock is always something a bit special.
Now he’s watching me open presents after lunch; an amazing spread of homemade pasta with fresh pesto and tomatoes from the garden we started together after I moved in. You can take a girl out of North Dakota but you can’t take the farm girl out of the woman.
Every gift I open seems to have something to do with the south of France. There's a guide book and a fancy sun hat and a shameless swimsuit. I eye Nate over this one. He may delight in my curves but he gets quite prickly if he thinks anyone else is enjoying them. “You’re okay with me wearing this in public?” I ask skeptically.
He shrugs. “It looked alright on the mannequin.” Yeah, the flat-chested mannequin that wasn’t moving. This should be interesting. And finally what everything was leading up to, plane tickets for late September just a few weeks away. I squeal, “You’re really taking the time off?”
He nods. “I know you know that’s the real gift. Ned is going to cover for me. He’s going to stay here too to take care of your other present.”
“What? The garden?”
Nate shakes his head with a smile and that’s when I hear the faint whimper coming from the garage. “Nate?”
“Go look.” His dark eyes are smiling as he sends me out of the small dining room. I race towards the door into the garage but open it slowly so I don’t startle whatever is in there. In the middle of the garage sits a large temporary crate with the sweetest puppy you have ever seen. She’s about three months old and it’s clear her parentage isn’t going to be broadcast at any kennel show. To me, that makes her perfect. Her eyes are bright with delight and her bubblegum pink tongue is hanging out. She’s mostly black with adorable tan eyebrow spots and a tail that just won’t stop. It’s hard to tell how big she’s going to get but I don’t care. I’m in love. Nate just moved down to second place. Okay, not really. I think.
“What’s her name?” I ask without turning my eyes away from my new darling.
“Your choice. She was found abandoned and they didn’t have her at the shelter for very long so she’s not used to a name yet.” Nate comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me pulling me close. “What are you thinking?”
“Cleo. She looks like a Cleo. And Cleo Bellamy has a nice ring to it.”
“Ready to hold her?”
I nod mutely. Nate picks her up out of the crate and hands her over. She’s about twenty pounds of wriggling love. I sink down into a squat on the garage floor so I won’t drop her. She’s so busy trying to wash my face, get her tummy rubbed, and dance, I’m surprised she’s still right side up. I can’t leave her to go to France. There’s no way.
“We’re going to France,” Nate says emphatically, reading my mind. “Ned will take good care of her. He’s been babysitting for the last three days so they’re already pals.”
“He won’t try to keep her will he?” I’m anxious. She’s my baby.
“Not a chance. They don’t allow dogs in his building. He’s happy to be an honorary uncle.” I sigh in relief and Cleo dives in for more kisses.
It’s hard to believe how my world has changed in three years, two months, and five days. If you said Nate came into my life via divine intervention I wouldn’t argue. He says it was all about seizing opportunity but I remember things a little more clearly. I know he’d have walked away rather than risk letting those walls down if we hadn’t kept being thrown together. Whatever the cause, I may roll my eyes at my over-the-top alpha husband but I love him to pieces. Every now and then I ambush him and tickle that spot just to keep him humble. It mostly works and I definitely get some really hot sex out of it. Every. Single. Time.
The End
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ABOUT
The Heroes of Alpha Corps
Each short story is a stand-alone with a steamy, sweet HEA, no cheating ever and lots of instant true love!
Tyler fell for curvy Sophie over email
Damon is instantly head over heels for an older woman
Luke rediscovers his best friend’s little sister, all grown up
About Olivia Sinclair
I live for happy-ever-afters and try to never let facts get in the way of a good story! I write steamy short reads to bring a smile to your face and a little bounce to your heart.
This is a work of fiction
Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons or animals, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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