I stopped breathing as she pressed a kiss on my cheek before dashing off to stand at the railings and watch Monte Carlo fade into the distance.
Pim found me speechless, rubbing my cheek in shock.
“Did she speak to you?” she asked softly, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles.
Surveying my home, my wife, my family, I spun her around and kissed her lips. “She speaks as loudly as you did when you were silent, little mouse. One day, she might use her voice, but if that day never comes, we can understand her just fine.”
Pim returned my kiss, adding a layer of heat that ensured thoughts of watching the city disappear and enjoying a drink in the setting sun faded in favour of a private bedroom.
Aria must’ve heard my intention and didn’t approve of me stealing her mother away. Dashing over with Spot chasing her with his little pink tongue hanging out, she took both our hands and dragged us to the railing to wave goodbye to our house on the hill.
We were free.
We were safe.
We were a family, and no amount of pennies and dollars were needed because I had the two most priceless things on earth and was officially the richest bastard alive.
* * * * *
That night, as Pim showered after putting Aria to sleep, I checked my emails quickly to find one from Mercer.
One that made my heart whir and future unspool.
From: Q Mercer
To: E Prest
Subject: How Is The Little Life You Saved?
Bonsoir, Prest,
Are you ready to save another?
Regards,
Mercer
As Pim opened the bathroom door and walked toward me with steam curling behind her and her stunning chocolate hair wet against scared skin, I closed the laptop and dragged my wife into my arms.
Mercer had another child needing a family, and I had a boat with hundreds of spare rooms.
I grew hard and hot and pressed kisses to her eyelashes and lips before unwrapping her towel and cupping her breast.
She moaned, hugging me close.
“I love you, Tasmin.”
“I love you, El.”
I kissed her deep, grabbing her wrists and placing them above her head.
She smiled, sultry and dark, believing she knew where my intentions lay.
But I had something else on my mind first.
Something extremely pressing.
Dragging my lips along her throat, I murmured, “I have another question to ask you, wife. A very, very important question.”
Final Epilogue
______________________________
Pimlico
DEAR NO ONE,
It’s been a while since I wrote to you. I hope you don’t mind.
I suppose I have no need to write when I live with you, love you, and get to see you every day. I get to see you become the most incredible dad. I get to witness you become the most selfless, amazing man. And I get to love you every day as my super-star husband.
You gave me everything I was missing.
You gave me everything I didn’t know I could have.
You don’t know this, but when I speak to my mother on the phone, I tell her every little thing you’ve done for me. I regale her with tales of how incredible you play the cello, and how you’re teaching Aria to master the same songs that once haunted me. I inform her of how patient you are with Rosie, our little black-haired daughter, and her quirks of hiding food around the house, unable to be convinced she’ll never be hungry again. And I can’t stop gushing about what an amazing role model you are to James, our newest son.
It’s funny that Aria chose the day James arrived to finally shed her silence and welcome her new brother to the Phantom. It’s funny how effortless our family works, sailing the seas, exploring, teaching our children life lessons, and being there for them through every nightmare from their previous worlds.
I also haven’t told you that your mother called last week. She asked me not to tell you so that’s why I’m writing you this letter. She’s asked me to arrange a family reunion of sorts, so I’m busy planning a route with Jolfer that will hopefully keep you in the dark for as long as I can.
She’s finally ready to meet her grandchildren and tell you what she’s always been too broken to admit. That she loves you. That she’s proud of you. That she’s sorry.
I think I’ll ask Jolfer to sail to Bali and arrange for her to join us there. What better place to bury unhappiness than in a place full of happiness and children’s smiles?
I don’t really have anything else to confess. I have no panic attacks to admit to. No nightmares to succumb to and that’s all because of you.
For years now, you’ve been more than just my husband and father to our children but also my protector and best friend. I owe you more than I could ever give and if I could go back to that first meeting when you pushed a penny toward me for my thoughts, I would claim it and look into your eyes and speak boldly.
I would say my thoughts are priceless because they are all of you.
I would say my life is blessed because I share it with you.
Our children might’ve been born to different people and learned first-hand what it is like to be hurt, but now they are ours. Their blood is ours. Their future is ours. And in return, we are theirs.
I love you, No One.
I will always love you.
Thank you for accepting my very first letters and for waiting for my first word.
Thank you for marrying me and giving me a dream come true.
Thank you for finding me, for saving me, for fixing me.
Thank you...for everything.
Yours forever and ever,
Tasmin Prest
THE END
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Once again, time to struggle with acknowledgements.
They’re a terrifying thing to write as I know I’m going to forget people. First, I’d like to thank the beta readers who helped give insight on this book. To my veteran readers: Yaya, Tamicka, Melissa, Melissa, and Vickie THANK YOU. I will never be able to repay your time and kindness in being honest and helpful.
I will admit that this book was not easy to write. I don’t enjoy endings, which is strange to admit. I find them harder to write than the darker elements I’m known for. I never know if I’m doing the story justice. I panic that I haven’t tied up loose ends or the ending doesn’t live up to the expectation of the reader. I hope I’ve given a conclusion that is at least acceptable and want to thank four new beta readers who helped make this book stronger: Jill, kjd aksjdf kasjf.
Thank you to Nina for running Social Butterfly and helping with blog tours etc. Thank you to Selena for running my groups so I don’t have to be online. Thank you to my hubby for letting me ignore him for long hours while deep in the Dollar Series world. And thank you to you, the reader, for once again coming on a journey with me. I can promise you that I have something pretty big coming next and I’m BEYOND excited to announce it.
Thank you for all the friends I’ve met online and in the horse world and thank you to all the authors who I’m lucky enough to look up to and call friends.
Finally, thank you to Sonny (my horse) for giving me another element to life and ensuring I stay fit and active after sitting on my butt writing all day. He reminded me to never forget about living and it’s a privilege to look after him.
&nb
sp; xx
PLAYLIST
Indebted by Blue Boy Jack
Rag'N'Bone Man - Human
Rag'N'Bone Man - Skin
Clean Bandit - Symphony feat. Zara Larsson
Sia - To be human
Ed sheeran - Shape of you
Alessia Cara - Stay
Martin Garrix, Troye Sivan - There For You
Shawn Mendes - Mercy
Scars to your beautiful - Alessia Cara
Don't Let Me Down- The Chainsmokers ft. Daya
Rag'N'Bone Man - Life In Her Yet
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an multiple #1 iBooks bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotica Thriller. With 20 books currently published, she has hit the bestseller charts twenty-eight times in three years.
Pepper is a Hybrid Author of both Traditional and Self-published work. Her Pure Corruption Series was released by Grand Central, Hachette. She signed with Trident Media and her books have sold in multiple languages and audio around the world.
On a personal note, Pepper has recently returned to horse riding after a sixteen year break and now owns a magnificent black gelding called Sonny. He’s an ex-pacer standardbred who has been retrained into a happy hacking, dressage, and show jumping pony. If she’s not writing, she’s riding.
The other man in her life is her best-friend and hubby who she fell in love with at first sight. He never proposed and they ended up married as part of a bet, but after eleven years and countless adventures and fun, she’s a sucker for romance as she lives the fairy-tale herself.
For more information on Pepper and her work please follow:
Facebook: Peppers Books
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Website: www.pepperwinters.com
OTHER WORK BY PEPPER WINTERS
Pepper Winters is a multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today International Bestseller.
All Pepper’s books are available in e-book, paperback, & audio.
UPCOMING ROMANCE 2018
The Body Painter
Add to Goodreads HERE
DARK ROMANCE
New York Times Bestseller ‘Monsters in the Dark’ Trilogy
“Voted Best Dark Romance, Best Dark Hero, #1 Erotic Romance”
Start the Trilogy FREE with
Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1) CLICK TO BUY
Multiple New York Times Bestseller ‘Indebted’ Series
“Voted Vintagely Dark & Delicious. A true twist on Romeo & Juliet”
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Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) CLICK TO BUY
GRAY ROMANCE
USA Today Bestseller ‘Destroyed’ CLICK TO BUY
“Voted Best Tear-Jerker, #1 Romantic Suspense”
SURVIVAL CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
USA Today Bestseller ‘Unseen Messages’ CLICK TO BUY
“Voted Best Epic Survival Romance 2016, Castaway meets The Notebook”
MOTORCYCLE CLUB ROMANCE
Multiple USA Today Bestseller ‘Pure Corruption’ Duology
“Sinful & Suspenseful, an Amnesia Tale full of Alphas and Heart”
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Ruin & Rule (Pure Corruption #1) CLICK TO BUY
SINFUL ROMANCE
Multiple USA Today Bestseller ‘Dollar’ Series
“Elder Prest will steal your heart. A captive love-story with salvation at its core.”
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Pennies (Dollar Series #1) CLICK TO BUY
EROTIC ROMANCE
Brand New Release ‘Truth & Lies’ Duet
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Crown of Lies (Truth & Lies #1) CLICK TO BUY
ROMANTIC COMEDY written as TESS HUNTER
#1 Romantic Comedy Bestseller ‘Can’t Touch This’ CLICK TO BUY
“Voted Best Rom Com of 2016. Pets, love, and chemistry.”
UPCOMING RELEASES
For 2017 and beyond titles please CLICK HERE
RELEASE DAY ALERTS, SNEAK PEEKS, & NEWSLETTER
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SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE
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THANK YOU FOR READING!
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