“Why not say anything?” he asks, scratching his chin, not the least bit sorry.
“Because I get it.” At that, Ava looks up at me, remorse in her puffy eyes, but I shake my head, letting her know I’m not the least bit angry. “She’s your niece, Cap. You were just trying to protect Miss Perez here, not to be confused with a Perry. Good choice, though, on the last name change. It’s close enough that she wouldn’t mess up.”
“So, you’re not upset?” Ava asks, her tone hopeful.
“Not in the least.” Lowering my face to her, I kiss her lips once. A soft peck. “All that matters is that I have you and you’re safe. Everything else is inconsequential.”
“I do love you, Elijah.”
“With all my heart.”
“Looks like I’ll be giving you the talk her parents won’t be able to,” he says, and my eyes leave her sweet face and shift toward his. “It’s my duty, after all.”
“More like you’ll get a kick out of it, Tio.” Ava shakes her head, still wiping at the stray tears falling.
“So true...” he lets out a low chuckle “...besides, I trust Ford. I knew he would keep you safe.”
“Is that your way of saying you approve?” Perez nods at my words. “Good. Because I’m not going anywhere.”
“What about when she goes back to Lubbock?”
That makes me pause. It’s not something either of us has discussed or thought about. To be honest, we haven’t had the time to, but without a second of hesitation, I know the answer. “Where she goes—”
“My home is with him. Here or there...it makes no difference to me.” Her words pierce me straight in the heart. So much conviction. So much trust in me.
It also helps to settle some of my own nerves.
She wants this. Even after everything that animal put her through, my girl puts her faith in us.
Til death do us part. And even that wouldn’t be enough.
Ava is my everything. The piece of my soul I didn’t know was missing.
She was born to be mine.
Epilogue
Elijah
Six Months Later...
“Oh, God,” she moans, body arching back as her hips pick up their speed above me. She’s breathtaking every day, but when lost in her pleasure, Ava is ethereal. A motherfucking goddess. “So good. So close, baby.”
Her thighs shake on either side of me, tightening against my hips while a mouthwatering flush covers her breasts. Those blue eyes are on mine, heavy lidded and full of so much love that my chest aches.
That my cock throbs against her walls and my hands clutch her hips.
Her want mirrors my own.
Her hunger is felt down to my bones, and I crave it. That spark. That pulse that flows from our bodies, cocooning us in a battle of love and lust and happiness that I never thought I’d be a part of.
She’s mine, and I am hers. End of.
“Fuck, Ava. That’s it. Squeeze me just like that,” I hiss between clenched teeth, my hands guiding her movements. Faster. Harder. The sound of skin meeting skin is obscene in its beauty. “I can feel you, love. Feel how with each thrust you clench—tighten around my cock to keep me buried deep. Is that what you want?”
“Never want this to end.” It’s a breathy whisper. A low, keening sound that settles on the tip of my cock and causes my balls to become heavy. I want her full of my come. Soaked in my essence and hopefully soon, giving me a child.
She’ll be carrying my name. Attached to me for life.
Becoming the mother to my child.
The only woman I swear to love for the rest of this life and any that follow.
“Always.” Slipping my hand between us, I place my thumb over her clit and put pressure, just enough that she shakes and throws her head back, a needy cry slipping past her lips. It’s her tell. That sound gives her away; it’s a delicious warning I revel in each time we’re together. “Look at me.”
At my demand, those beautiful orbs snap to mine, and I see everything I will ever need in them. There’s not a single ounce of doubt in my body that this woman was made for me. A true gift.
My hand leaves her hip and comes up to grasp the back of her neck, pulling her down to me, chest to chest as our hips never cease their movements. As my finger circles that tiny bundle of nerves.
We share a breath, lips hovering. Eyes on each other.
“I love you.” Ava’s tone is just above a whisper before she kisses me, slow and sweet, with every ounce of the love I’m drowning in. “You make me so happy, Elijah. You’ve given me everything.”
“You’re wrong. Not everything.” Adding a bit more pressure, I circle her clit twice and hold still. Her walls pulse, she shivers, and I raise her off my dick until just the tip sits at her opening.
A tease. A wicked promise of what I’m going to do.
“What’re you...fuck!” Without a word I slam her down, giving my girl that last bit of pleasurable pain she needs to fall over the edge. My hips are relentless, fucking up into her with a steady and hard stroke.
“Please.” One word. Desperation. Her need.
A light sheen of sweat gleams across her forehead, and her brows pucker. Those lips I love part and she exhales; her warm breath is a caress across my mouth, and I take hers once more in a hard kiss.
Each swipe of my tongue over her bottom lip is an I love you. Each groan that leaves my chest my oath to always protect and cherish.
“Come for me, Ava.”
“I’m...shit!” she whimpers as my fingers tighten their hold on her neck, not letting her move an inch. She’s in my control. Taking what I gift her.
“Now, baby. Give me what’s always been mine.” No sooner have the last words slipped past my lips than she tightens, and she chokes on a silent scream. Her orgasm rocks me—a vice-like grip so hard and warm that my own release quickly follows. It’s hard and messy, and I don’t stop thrusting as she milks every last drop from my cock.
Not even after she lies on my chest completely spent and satiated do I pause. Not until I feel the last tremor pass through her tired limbs and her pussy eases its hold.
Then, I close my eyes as we just lie there in her small bed back in Lubbock, surrounded by boxes and memories of her old life—a life she’s transferring to San Diego to build a new one with me. No more rentals while my apartment sold. No more never-ending searches for the perfect place to start this new stage of our lives in. Now, we get it all. I will give her that fairytale life she deserves and then some.
There’s no denying that the road here has been difficult, full of complications and tears.
And while I wish we might’ve met under different circumstances; we both agree that it’s the ending that matters.
After Jason’s death, Ava dealt with a hurricane of emotions and guilt—regret and total despair—but through it all, she never pushed me away. I was her constant.
She chose me. Always.
And I was there for her through each therapy session and then the tears. Through all the hurt and the years of anger she let go of.
It was hard. Still brutal at points, but it has brought us closer together. We both have had to deal with the aftermath and have come out stronger because we have each other.
For better or worse. In sickness and health.
I don’t know how long we lay there with her body on my chest before I feel her stare. And fuck me, it’s hard to hold in my smile when I hear her impatient huff.
Cracking open one eye, I watch her watching me. “Something on your mind?”
“You could say that.”
“Speak up or forever hold your peace.” Yeah, I’m baiting her.
Ava’s eyes leave mine for a split second to look down at her left hand. “Funny you should use those words.”
“Funny that you’re making me wait for that three-letter word.”
“Is there a question I’m missing?”
“No.”
“No?” She cocks her brow and purses those succulent
lips, yet I see the hint of the smile there.
“Yes.” My mouth quirks up into a cheesy grin, and she rolls her eyes. “You know I’m right.”
“So cocky.”
“Exactly.”
Ava’s eyes fill with unshed tears, and her lips tremble while stretching wide into a smile. “Then in that case, who am I to argue. Yes.”
“There was never a doubt, baby.” Rolling us over, I thrust deeper, causing her to let out a low moan. I’m hard again. Always for her. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life worshipping you. Loving you. Making sure that you never doubt just how important to me you are.” Taking her hand wearing my ring, I kiss it while never taking my eyes off hers. “Thank you for trusting me with your heart, beautiful. It’s a treasure I will always keep safe and protected. I love you, Ava. Always will.”
“Ditto,” she says, voice thick with emotion before arching up to kiss my lips. This kiss is different than all the rest; it’s the start of a new beginning—of our family, and as I pump my hips slowly, another warm thought comes to mind.
I’m not waiting another second to start this next stage of us.
Not when I can fly us to Vegas tonight and make her fully mine.
Not when I can fall asleep tonight with her as my wife.
“How do you feel about getting—”
“Yes,” she moans out, eyes rolling back when I tilt my hips, changing the angle of my thrust. “I don’t want to wait either.”
“Tonight.” That’s all I say before getting lost in my fiancée’s touch. In her scent. Her love.
Because the next time I take her, she will bear my name.
She will be my wife.
Ava
Two Year’s Later...
I’m nervous.
Excited.
Scared out of my mind in the best possible way. The room around me is abuzz with people talking and eating, enjoying the fruits of my labor, and still I can’t focus on the task at hand.
I’ve been standing at this counter for twenty minutes now watching the door and waiting. Sure, I give the occasional smile or make small talk with those perusing the display case, but I’m on autopilot, just repeating what flavors are new, the weather, and the latest trends of tourism.
Tourism—something that when you live near water changes with each season. You go from snowbirds to internationals to convention season in the blink of an eye. We get them all, and I’ve come to love each one.
It’s made my eight months in business a challenge, yet fun. My menu changes with them, and I’m known around here for the eclectic yet posh little tastes of heaven my shelves sell out of each day.
“I need three servings of you with extra sugar,” a voice I’m all too familiar with whispers against my neck before placing a kiss there. His strong arms encircle my waist and pick me up, turning me toward his handsome face. “Hi.”
My smile matches his. Cheesy and goofy. “Hello, handsome. Long day?” And like every day Elijah comes in, I find myself lost in those beautiful eyes and the way his broad shoulders feel beneath my fingertips as I smooth his dress shirt.
He’s my hot detective. Mine.
And now I’m going to gladly share him with someone else for the rest of our lives. Someone that will grow and learn and know that they’re loved unconditionally by us.
“Any time away from you is hard.” He punctuates this by subtly pressing his hard length against my back. No one pays us any mind, especially not my staff or the regulars who know I belong completely to this wonderful man. “How are you feeling today? Have you eaten yet?”
“She hasn’t had lunch yet,” Margot, one of my baristas, calls over her shoulder as she walks toward the coffee machine.
“Is that right?”
“Waiting on you,” I say, looking up at him from beneath my lashes.
“Hmmm.” He gives a mock sigh and then I’m airborne, being carried toward my office. “Let’s get you fed.”
“Aren’t we heading in the wrong direction for that?” Looking behind us, I lock eyes with his mother and smile. Outside of Elijah, she’s been my rock in the aftermath of Jason and his obsession. Has become a second mother to me and a confidant—understands without judgement.
She held my hand during the trial and sentencing of my ex best friend and their accomplice. They got a life sentence, and to me, that still isn’t enough. Not after how many lives were destroyed due to their sickness.
She hugged me as I fell a part due to the stress and then celebrated when it was all over.
It’s because of her that I was able to process internally what happened. She’s the reason I wrote that tragedy out in the form of a book that I’ll never publish, but the process was cathartic. I was able to get my emotions and thoughts down on paper. Admit and deal with the survivor’s guilt that still lingers, but I know and accept now that the blame isn’t on me.
I’m a victim. I’m a survivor. I’m alive.
Nodding, she does an excited jump/shake while giving me two thumbs up.
“We’ll use the office delivery service,” Eli grumbles, a little bit of impatience coloring his tone. “Need my woman alone for a bit.” It’s hard to not roll my eyes or smile at his mom when he says that, but I do, and it’s a good thing because within seconds we’re inside my office with the door closed. The last thing I want to do is ruin this surprise. I want him completely caught off guard.
Elijah walks around my desk and sits down with me in his lap. He also doesn’t say anything at the two plates with dome lids already atop them.
Or the fact that the one closest to us has a balloon attached.
“Well,” I hedge, looking at him with a mock impatient look. “Aren’t you going to feed me?”
“Food first, or my cock?”
“So scandalous.” I laugh, slapping his chest while seriously considering the latter. Having some fun first wouldn’t be a bad idea. “But—”
“I will after.” Elijah winks at me and then proceeds to lift the ballooned dome. “Something you want to tell me, wife?”
There’s a small cake inside. It’s his favorite; a triple layer dessert all in chocolate. There’s no fancy decorating or anything that would give away the purpose, unless you open the small note sitting in front of it.
Something he does without prompting. He tears it open, and when he reads the line written in my chicken scratch, happy eyes meet mine.
Happy Baby Day!
“Are you saying...are we?”
“You’re going to be a daddy,” I whisper, the tears I’ve been fighting spilling down my cheeks as his own get watery. This is something we’ve wanted. Talked about.
And to finally have this blessing... No words.
“I love you so much, Ava.” Strong hands cup my face and pull me toward a hungry mouth. His kiss is full of love and devotion. Of need and our shared happiness. “Thank you...thank you for giving me your heart. For starting a family with me. For making me the luckiest son of a bitch to walk this earth.”
“I’m so thankful for you. For us.” My bottom lip trembles as I take one of his hands in mine, pulling it down to my still flat stomach. “You and this baby are my everything.”
“Ditto,” he says, and then he’s kissing me again. Loving me. Showing me with tender touches and whispered words just how much I mean to him.
Filling every inch of my soul with his essence.
His mark.
He always says he’s keeping me for life, but the truth is…
I’m never letting go.
About the Author
Elena M. Reyes was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She is the epitome of a Floridian and if she could live in her beloved flip-flops, she would.
As a small child, she was always intrigued with all forms of art—whether it was dancing to island rhythms, or painting with any medium she could get her hands on. Her first taste of writing came to her during her fifth-grade year when her class was prompted to participate in the D. A. R. E. Program and write an
essay on what they’d learned.
Her passion for reading over the years has amassed her with hours of pleasure. It wasn’t until she stumbled upon fanfiction that her thirst to write overtook her world. She now resides in Central Florida with her husband and son, spending all her down time letting her creativity flow and characters grow.
Find My Books Here:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elena-m-reyes
Also by Elena M. Reyes
BEAUTIFUL SINNER SERIES
Each book is a standalone.
SIN
COVET (Oct. 2019)
MINE (Early 2020)
YOURS Summer 2020)
(Marked Series)
Marking Her #1
Marking Him #2
Scars #2.5
Marked #3
(I Saw You)
I Saw You
I Love You #1.5
Unseen Heart: Part One
Unseen Heart: Part Two (Coming Summer 2020)
Dark Romance
(Voyeur Series) Co-Author
Taken
Tied
Broken
Damaged
Freed
(Teasing Hands) Re-Released
FREE Teasing Hands #1
Teasing Hands #2
Teasing Hands #3
SAFE ROMANCE:
Taste Of You
Doctor’s Orders
Back To You
STANDALONES:
Craving Sugar
Stolen Kisses
24 Roses
Hell
There are many more books in this fan fiction world than listed here, for an up-to-date list go to www.AcesPress.com
Keeping Ava Page 13
