by K. M. Scott
“You deserve everything good. Remember, good things happen to good people, and you’re one of the best people I’ve ever met, Tristan Stone. So no more talk about not deserving things.”
He kissed me and whispered in my ear, “Then let’s get this honeymoon started.”
Epilogue
Tristan
“Daddy, tell us the story about when you became a pirate!” Tressa squeals as she jumps onto the bed. “Dee wants to hear the princess story, but I want the pirate one.”
Diana, her twin sister, struggles to lift her leg to pull herself up onto the bed, so I reach over and take her into my arms. My reward is one of her adorable smiles, a better payment than anything I could ask for.
With a pout, she says in her tiny voice, “Daddy, Tressa pushed me out of the way. I want to hear the princess story. Tell the princess story, pleeeeeeease.”
Two pairs of brown eyes stare up at me, begging for their favorite stories and making the word no an impossibility. Both girls bounce on their knees as they wait for my decision on which story would be the one for the night.
“Diana! Tressa! Where are you?” Nina calls from the hall. “Are you bothering your father? He just got home from work.”
She appears in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest and her best “Mom” face on to let the girls know she isn’t happy they’ve done exactly what she told them not to. I’m more to blame than they are, though, since they know I love to see them after a long day away.
“Girls, your father’s tired and it’s time for you to go to bed.”
Diana turns to face her and quickly answers, “Daddy said he’d tell us a story. He’s going to tell us about the princess.”
Her sister isn’t going to be beaten on this, though. “No, he’s going to tell us about when he became a pirate. That’s my favorite story ever.”
“It’s okay, Nina. I like this part of my day best, so I think I’ll tell both stories tonight.”
In unison, my daughters throw their arms up in the air and yell, “Yay!” They take their seats next to me and wait for me to begin. Which story to choose, though? I prefer the princess story, to be honest.
Nina walks over to the bed and sits down on the edge, taking Tressa’s long brown hair in her hands to braid it. “You know what story I like.”
I smile at her playful jab. She prefers the pirate story, like Tressa, so now we have a standoff. After pretending to consider my choices, I announce my verdict. “I think the pirate story is the one I’ll tell first.”
Diana’s mouth turns down into an adorable pout much like the one her mother puts on when she’s disappointed, so I pull her onto my lap and whisper near her cheek, “But I promise to tell the princess story just for you, honey.”
Her pout turns into another of her gentle smiles, and she wraps her little arms around my neck. Kissing me on the cheek, she whispers, “Okay, Daddy.”
“One night, your mother and I were at the hotel in the city and she told me that she wished I was a pirate. I told her that I didn’t think saying ‘Aarrgh’ all day during meetings would work, but she insisted that she’d love me even more if I were a pirate.”
Tressa reaches out and points at the patch covering my left eye. “And that’s why you got an eye patch—because Mommy wanted you to be a pirate.”
“Exactly. So now, Mommy gets to say she’s married to a pirate.”
“Daddy, do the pirate voice!” Tressa squeals. “Please?”
In my deepest voice, I do my best pirate imitation. “Aarrgh, matey! Shiver me timbers!”
The ‘shiver me timbers’ part always makes her giggle, and she bounces on the bed again, excited her story has been the first one told. Nina just smiles, like she always does when I tell the story to explain why I wear an eyepatch. It’s far more interesting and less traumatic than saying I got beaten to a pulp when Karl tried to kill us. Five year old girls demand a far more romantic story than that.
“And that’s why you have your pictures on your arms,” Tressa says, motioning on her own body where my tattoos are.
“Yes,” I say with a smile, amused by the way she refers to them.
Diana touches just above my heart and says, “The snakes are for you and your brother, right?”
I nod. “My brother and I were twins like you and Tressa, so I got the snake tattoo to show we were forever together, no matter what, just like you two.”
“Let me see the one about us, Daddy,” Tressa pleads as she tries to push up the sleeve on my right arm to show the tattoo I had done right after the girls’ birth.
I unbutton my shirt at my wrist and slide the fabric up my arm to show the bottom of a tattoo that depicts an intricate pattern symbolizing both Diana and Tressa. Like the one on my left bicep, it’s a tribal design but this extends from my right shoulder down my arm to just above my wrist.
As Tressa runs her fingers over my arm, tracing the tattoo from the crook of my elbow to my wrist bone, Diana whispers in my ear, “Now the princess story, Daddy. Tell the princess story.”
“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess. She had long brown hair and the prettiest blue eyes. When the prince saw her for the first time, he saw nothing but those blue eyes staring at him. He took her for a ride in his carriage and got to talk to the princess, and he felt like he’d never felt before. She was sweet and gentle and just the kind of princess he wanted.”
Nina rolls her eyes and smiles. Diana whispers near my cheek, “Say her name, Daddy.”
“And then he found out the princess’s name was Nina.”
“The same as Mommy’s name,” Tressa says as she looks back at her mother.
“Yes, it was. So the prince asked the princess to come live with him and help him make his castle more beautiful. Thankfully, she said yes and she became the princess at his castle.”
Diana whispers again, “And then she painted the prince a picture, right, Daddy?”
“She did. And she made the prince very happy. Then one day the prince and princess had two little princesses.”
“Tressa and Diana!” Tressa screams, throwing her arms up in the air. “No fair, Daddy. That story’s about you and Mommy. That’s why the pirate story’s better.”
“Time for bed, girls. Say goodnight to your father.”
Nina picks Tressa up and carries her out of the room to the bedroom she shares with her sister. “Goodnight, Daddy!”
Diana remains silent on my lap, staring up at me. Looking down into her soft brown eyes, I ask, “Ready for bed, sweetheart?” as I lift her off my lap and place her feet on the floor.
“Are we princesses, Daddy?” she asks in the cutest little voice.
I look down at her beautiful face and see so much of her mother in her, far more than I ever do when I look at her sister. Tressa is a true Stone—much stronger than Diana, who is gentle and kind, like her mother. She’s also very much like Nina with her questions. Tweaking her on the tip of her nose, I nod. “Yes, you’re my princesses.”
“Will I be a pirate like you when I grow up?” she asks, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Picking her up, I hold her in my arms and kiss her cheek. “No, you won’t be a pirate, honey.”
She presses her forehead to mine and studies me before she says quietly, “That’s because I’m a girl, right?”
I have to laugh at her logic. “No, it’s just because there can only be one pirate in the family and I’m already one.”
Diana tightens her hold on my neck as I begin walking toward her room. “I love your stories, Daddy. Do the prince and princess live happily ever after?”
We reach her room and I gently place her on the floor in the doorway. Her little face turned up toward me, she waits for the answer to the question she asks me every night. With a smile, I nod. “Yes, they live happily ever after, honey. Night, night.”
I opened my eyes to see Nina next to me curled up like she always was in the morning. Rubbing the sleep away, I marveled at how real my dream had b
een. I almost wanted to walk down the hall to see if we were the parents of two little girls. As I struggled to remember the fine details that were already beginning to slip away, I shook my head as if to answer my own doubts.
Nina snuggled next to my side. I wrapped her in my arms and kissed the top of her head, still thinking about the children in my dream. Twins, just like my brother and me, they were as different as night and day.
“Hey, what’s up? You’ve been tossing and turning all night,” Nina said quietly. “You okay?”
Looking down, I saw her smiling up at me as she laid her head on my chest. “I’m fine. Just had a wild dream.”
“What about?”
“Well, we had twin daughters named Diana and Tressa, for one thing.”
Nina smiled a big grin. “Two little girls? I’ve always dreamed of having a little girl, but two would be even better. And twins? Wow!”
“Not feeling too rushed, are you? We’re still on our honeymoon and I’m already talking about kids. Or at least my dreams are.”
“Wait until I tell Jordan. Twins she can be an aunt to. She’s going to love it.”
“How do you feel about it? That’s the important part.”
She thought about it for a moment and smiled slyly. “I like it. I guess only time will tell.”
Rolling her over, I slid over her body and kissed her on the lips. “Time may tell, but I think for now, we should see what we can do to help it along.”
As she looked up at me with love in her eyes, she nodded. “I like the way you think, Mr. Stone.”
For now, it was just the two of us, but maybe someday we’d be blessed with those little girls I dreamed about. Until then, Nina was my princess and I was her pirate.
And we’d finally found our happily ever after.
THE END
Note To Readers
When I began to write Tristan and Nina’s story, it was after Tristan had made a home in my mind and in his typical way made it clear he wasn’t leaving. The man is stubborn, to say the least, but you know that already. Before I’d even begun the first chapter, he’d given me enough story for all three books. For that, I can’t thank him enough.
I never dreamed you’d fall in love with these two characters like you have. I’m touched by the emails and messages I receive that clearly show how close they are in your hearts. It was with that in mind that I began writing this book, and I knew the trust you’d placed in me. You’d read two full length books on the promise of a happy ending in the third book, and I had a responsibility to deliver that happily ever after.
The dedication to this book is made out to Tristan and Nina because of how wonderful they’ve been to me. This note is for you, the reader, to thank you for also being wonderful. You opened your heart to them and me. You gave me the chance to tell their story and nearly 1000 pages later, Tristan and Nina have finally found the life they both deserve.
I’ve been asked if there will be any more to Tristan and Nina’s story. I’m not ruling anything out. Perhaps they may show up in Jordan and Gage’s story, or perhaps there may be a future novella to tell the story of what happens next in their lives. For now, their story has come to an end, but I won’t say it’s forever.
Thank you for joining me in Tristan and Nina’s story. It’s been a genuine pleasure telling it. I’m onto my next books, the Club X series, so I hope you’ll come along for those stories and fall in love with those characters too.
All the best,
K.M.
Club X—a private club where all your fantasies can come true
Meet the gorgeous men of Club X…
Cassian March, the face of Club X, the most exclusive nightspot in Tampa. One of the most eligible men in town, he can have any woman he chooses—and he does as often as he likes. Beneath his cool facade lies a desire for something more, but will his new assistant Olivia have what it takes to fulfill his darkest fantasies?
Stefan March, the manager of Club X, loves the single life. Women are his playground, and this man lives to have fun. Committed to never settling down, he may have met his match in Shay, a bartender at Club X who seems immune to his charms. Stefan loves nothing more than a challenge, though, so let the games begin!
Kane Jackson, half-brother to Cassian and Stefan, he handles the members’ fantasies at Club X. Big, bad, and dangerous, his style is hard, like the life he’s led. But you know what they say—the bigger they are, the harder they fall and Kane might just fall for Abbi, the one woman able to get beyond his hard exterior to the heart he hides from the world.
Look for Book One in the erotic Club X series coming soon!
Be sure to visit K.M.’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/kmscottauthor for all the latest on her books, along with giveaways and other goodies! And to hear about Advanced Review Copy opportunities and all the news on K.M. Scott books first, sign up for her newsletter today!
Other books by K.M. Scott:
Crash Into Me (Heart of Stone #1)
Fall Into Me (Heart of Stone #2)
Love sexy paranormal romance? K.M. writes under the name Gabrielle Bisset too! Visit Gabrielle’s Facebook page and her website at http://www.gabriellebisset.com/ to find out about her books.
Books by Gabrielle Bisset:
Vampire Dreams Revamped (A Sons of Navarus Prequel)
Blood Avenged (Sons of Navarus #1)
Blood Betrayed (Sons of Navarus #2)
Longing (A Sons of Navarus Short Story)
Blood Spirit (Sons of Navarus #3)
The Deepest Cut (A Sons of Navarus Short Story)
Blood Prophecy (Sons of Navarus #4)
Blood & Dreams (Sons of Navarus Box Set)
Stolen Destiny
Destiny Redeemed
Love’s Master
Masquerade
The Victorian Erotic Romance Trilogy
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Note to Readers
More Books by K.M. Scott
