by Force, Marie
“Do you want kids?”
His body goes completely still. “Do you?”
“Maybe.”
“Huh.”
“What does that mean?”
“It just never occurred to me that you’d want a family.”
“Why not?”
“You’re so focused on your career most of the time.”
“I have been in the past, but now I’ve got other things I want to focus on.” I smooth my hand over his muscular abdomen. “I didn’t really want kids until I had someone in my life to have them with.”
“You think I’d be a good dad?”
“You’d be a great dad. They’d be so lucky to have you.”
“What if I screwed them up or they got into trouble or found out about the shit I did when I was a kid?” He raises his head to look at me. “Are you laughing?”
“I’m not laughing at you.”
“Well, I’m not laughing, so you’re not laughing with me.” He pokes my belly, and I laugh harder.
I clear my throat and force myself to be serious because I know he’s legitimately concerned. “Do you honestly think that any kid of mine is going to be allowed to run wild and do the things that you did?”
“No, but—”
“No buts. We’ve got this, Seb. We’ll be great parents, and we’ll raise wonderful, well-behaved kids who’ll be so focused on school and sports that they won’t have time for anything else.”
“Are you sure we can do that?”
“I’m very sure we can do anything if we do it together.”
“You promise you’re not going to suddenly wise up and realize you could’ve done way better than me?”
“If you ever say that again, I have permission to stab you.”
His delicious lips curve into a sexy smile. “Such a badass.”
“And don’t you forget it. I love you. I will always love you. And the only thing you have to do to keep me forever is love me back.”
His dark eyes sparkle with happiness that looks so good on him. He kisses me, lingering for several delicious minutes. “Done.”
* * *
As a special THANK YOU to the Quantum Series fans, I’ve written a bonus epilogue to this book called PRECIOUS, that’ll take you to Kristian and Aileen’s wedding. To find the link, go to the FAMOUS page on my website at marieforce.com/famous and click on the link to PRECIOUS. We’ll ask for your email address to add you to my mailing list if you’re not already there (if you are, you won’t be added again), and then you’ll have immediate access to the epilogue.
* * *
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.7233 or visit their website at https://www.thehotline.org.
And that’s a wrap, as they say in show business. Eight books later, the Quantum family is set to live happily ever after as they continue to work and play together in Hollywood. I like to think of them at birthday parties and soccer games for each other’s kids and still doing what they’ve always done now that they’ve all found their bliss. I hope you enjoyed Marlowe’s long-awaited story and love her with Sebastian as much as I do. I always pictured them ending up together once they both were in the right place to see what was possible for them. Every time someone objected to my plan to end Quantum with Marlowe’s story and said WHAT ABOUT SEBASTIAN, I wanted to giggle. I always had a plan for him.
Make sure you check out the audio edition of FAMOUS, starring the amazing Sebastian York as our Sebastian and Emma Wilder as Marlowe. Join the FAMOUS Reader Group and the Quantum Reader Group.
Some of you have asked if I’ll revisit the Quantum world in the future, and all I’ll say to that is maybe. I never say never to anything, but I do plan to move on from here with more books in my other series and hopefully some new things coming down the road. I’m very proud of the Quantum series, which fell far outside my comfort zone and challenged me in many different ways.
Mostly, I’m proud of the epic romances contained in this series, which includes some of my all-time-favorite moments. Will we ever forget Hayden banging on the glass at Club Vice, trying to get Addie’s attention before she did something that couldn’t be undone? Or Leah and the butt plug or Fluff biting Flynn’s ass or Jasper fighting for the life he desperately wanted with Ellie or Aileen finding Kristian in the closet? Every moment with these characters was a delight for me, and I’m thrilled that so many of you loved them as much as I do.
I’ve also included the short story JOYOUS that was published as part of the Naughty & Nice anthology late last year for those who didn’t get to read it then. Turn the page to read JOYOUS. In the audio edition of FAMOUS, JOYOUS is done by Cooper North, who played the part of Flynn in the first three Quantum books.
A huge thank-you to the team that supports me every day: my husband, Dan, as well as my HTJB team, Julie Cupp, Lisa Cafferty, Holly Sullivan and Nikki Colquhoun. Thank you to my awesome publicist, Jessica Estep, my fabulous editors Linda Ingmanson and Joyce Lamb, and my longtime beta readers Anne Woodall and Kara Conrad. A special thanks to the Quantum beta readers: Katy, Heather, Tammy, Molly, Marla, Sherri, Julia, Phuong and Mona.
Finally, to all the readers who’ve embraced this series from the second Flynn met Natalie in a New York park in 2015, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have made this such a rich, rewarding ride for me, and I’ll be forever grateful for your support.
Much love,
Marie
Keep reading for JOYOUS, A Quantum Christmas…
JOYOUS
A Quantum Christmas
Christmas has never been my favorite holiday. Probably because it’s also my birthday—a year of buildup for one big day that’s over in a blink. When I was a kid, I’d get so excited for my big day only to experience massive letdown on the twenty-sixth, knowing I had a full year to wait for my big day to come around again. I also hated that my sisters got presents on my birthday. Sure, I knew it was Christmas and everyone got presents, but I didn’t think it was fair that there wasn’t one day that belonged only to me like their birthdays belonged to them.
I know, I know. I sound like a spoiled brat, but that’s how I felt back then. And I love my sisters. Always have, even if they’re royal pains in my ass most of the time. They’re the reason the fame and success I’ve had as an actor never made me into a world-class jerk. They wouldn’t have stood for it, and I’m thankful for their influence on me even when they’re driving me nuts.
As an adult, Christmas and my birthday have been just another day—especially since my nieces and nephews began arriving and the day became even less about me. This is the first year in forever that I genuinely care about Christmas, but it’s not because of me. Nope, it’s all about my beautiful, sweet, sexy wife. Now that I have Natalie in my life, every day is like Christmas, and I want to put in the effort to make sure she has the best holiday ever. She was separated from her family when she was only fifteen, so it’s been nine years since she had a family to spend the holidays with. I want her to have the most amazing, special Christmas of her life, but I’m stumped as to how to pull that off.
Because I suck at this crap, I’ve brought in the expert—Addison York Roth, my faithful assistant, the little sister I never had and my business partner Hayden Roth’s new wife. Addie is the most organized human being on earth, and she loves Nat almost as much as I do. She knows all about the nightmare Natalie endured at fifteen and the resulting estrangement from her parents and sisters, so Addie will fully appreciate my desire to give my beautiful wife a Christmas she’ll never forget.
“I don’t give a flying fuck about my birthday,” I tell Addie. We’re in my Los Angeles office at Quantum Productions, the company I founded with Hayden, one of the top directors in Hollywood. We’ve since added superstar actress Marlowe Sloane, cinematographer Jasper Autry and producer Kristian Bowen as partners in the company—and in life. The people I work with are also my closest friends. “Don’t let a
nyone make it about me. I want this Christmas to be all about her.”
Addie, still tanned from her three-week honeymoon in the Adriatic, has her iPad ready to take notes. “What do you have in mind?”
“I don’t know. That’s the problem. I want it to be amazing for her, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what that should entail. That’s where you come in.”
“I need consultants on this one.” She gets up to use the office phone. “Can you come into Flynn’s office? Bring Leah, too.” After a pause, she nods. “Thanks.”
“I assume that was Aileen?” She’s engaged to Kristian. My sister Ellie is having a baby with Jasper, and Leah is hot and heavy with Emmett, our general counsel. It’s been one hell of a year for the Quantum family, and we need a Christmas that does justice to the changes we’ve undergone. I want it to be perfect, which means it’d be a total clusterfuck if I tried to do it myself. With Addie overseeing the plans, however, there’s reason for hope.
Whatever. As long as I’m with Natalie, it’ll be perfect. The rest is just details. Or so I tell myself. I’m not sure why I’m so stressed about a holiday I normally don’t give two shits about.
“Are you listening to me?”
Addie’s question cuts through the nonsense in my always-busy mind.
“Of course I am.”
She gives me a skeptical look. “I was saying we should go to Aspen.”
I toss the idea around in my mind. Natalie and Ellie, both of whom are pregnant, are safe to fly the two hours it takes to get to Colorado. The house is huge. It would easily accommodate the Quantum crew as well as Nat’s sisters, my sisters, their families and my parents—all the people we’d need to make this the perfect Christmas for Natalie. “That could work.” I just hope that everyone else will agree with the plan.
Aileen comes into my office. “What could work?”
Addie fills her in. “Christmas in Aspen. Flynn’s house there is enormous and close to skiing, shopping, five-star restaurants and anything else we could want or need.”
“Ohhhh.” Aileen’s expressive eyes glitter with excitement. “Sign me up. The kids would love to have snow at Christmas. It was so hit or miss when we lived in New York.”
The more I think about Aspen, the more I love the idea. Could it really be that simple? Leave it to Addie to cut to the chase.
Aileen, who was Nat’s friend in New York, offers a shy smile. “I don’t mean to imply that we’re invited.”
“Of course you are. It wouldn’t be Christmas without everyone there.” Aileen and her kids have made Kristian so happy. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her or the kids. They’re family to me now. That’s how it works with us.
Addie frowns. “Do we have to invite Rafe?”
Leah comes into the room, scowling at the mention of Rafe. “Don’t you mean he-who-shall-not-be-named? Maybe he’ll go home to France for Christmas and we won’t have to invite him to whatever we’re doing.”
“Christmas at Flynn’s place in Aspen,” Addie tells her.
Leah plops down in a chair. “Hell yes. That sounds awesome, but Marlowe will want to bring him.” As Marlowe’s assistant, Leah has the 411 on her boss.
“Ugh.” None of us can stand the guy that Marlowe is crazy about, which puts me at odds with one of my best friends for the first time in the nearly fifteen years we’ve been close. None of us get what she sees in the smooth-talking Frenchman. Natalie tells me I don’t need to get it. According to my wife, Marlowe is the only one who needs to get it. Which is fine—until I have to spend Christmas with him.
“Time with my love in Aspen, sign me up.” Leah blinks and seems to snap out of her fantasies of alone time with Emmett in Aspen. “But it’ll be fun to have everyone else there, too.”
Addie cracks up laughing. “Nice save.”
Leah smiles. “I can be diplomatic when I need to.”
That makes me laugh. Diplomatic is the last word I’d use to describe Leah, one of the funniest people I’ve ever known. She’d been Nat’s roommate in New York when I first met them, and it’d been Natalie’s idea for Marlowe to hire Leah as her assistant. And now Leah is madly in love with Emmett, who walks around with a dopey grin on his face these days, all thanks to Leah.
Love has been in the air in the Quantum Productions office this year. Each of my friends and partners has ended up with someone I would’ve hand-chosen for them, except for Marlowe, that is. I keep hoping she’ll see the light with Rafe and dump his pretentious ass. I swear he’s dating her more for what she can do for his career than because of the magnificence that is Marlowe. He works for the company that distributes Quantum films in France, which is how she met him.
There’s just something about him that seems off to me, and I know Hayden, Kristian, Jasper and Emmett feel the same way. If I can prove he’s using her to get ahead, I swear to God I’ll bury him. Maybe the time in Aspen will give me more info to build my case. Not that I want to be the one to clue her in, but I’d rather it come from a friend who loves her than the media or someone who’d be looking to exploit her celebrity for their benefit.
As the women discuss the details of Christmas in Aspen, I ponder the added benefit of a few days with Rafe and the chance to look for a crack in the armor. It’s there. I’m convinced of it.
“Flynn.”
Addie’s exasperated voice snaps me back to the meeting. “What?”
“You’re daydreaming today. I asked if we’re in agreement about Aspen? If so, we’ll take it from here and make the plans.”
“Absolutely yes to Aspen.” A week in the mountains with my love and our favorite people? Suddenly, I can’t wait for Christmas.
Natalie knows we’re going away for the holiday, but other than telling her to pack for cold weather, I haven’t given her any info and have asked the others to help keep the secret.
“It’s not fair that everyone else knows where we’re going, and I don’t.”
“I love that pout, love, but it’s not going to break me.”
She gives me a sly, sexy look. “I have other ways to break you.”
And I’m hard. That’s all it takes when it comes to her. “Is that right? I’d love to see you try.”
She rubs her hands together gleefully. “Ohhh, a challenge. I love a challenge.” Before I can gauge her next move, she’s up and out of bed—and with the growing baby belly, she’s been moving slower lately. But that doesn’t stop her now. Before I know it, she’s standing on my side of the bed, her dark hair shining after a shower and blow dry, her lips soft from the balm she applies at bedtime and her curves more luscious than ever as she incubates our baby. I can only stare at my lovely wife.
Mine. Forever. Best words ever.
“Sit up.”
Those words are pretty good, too. “Is my little sub trying to dominate her Dom?”
“Nope. In this case, she’s after information.”
Amused and aroused, I sit up, swing my legs around so my feet are on the floor. “Give it your best shot.”
She grabs a pillow off the bed, puts it on the floor and drops rather inelegantly to her knees.
“Nat…” I worry constantly now that she’s pregnant, and some of the biggest fights we’ve had have been about my overly gentle treatment of her. She’s gotten used to the dominant sex I introduced her to and is constantly annoyed with me for insisting we take it easy while she’s pregnant.
“No talking unless you’re going to tell me what I want to know.”
“I’m not going to tell you.”
“Then be quiet.”
God, I love her. I love that she couldn’t care less about who I am to the rest of the world. She’s the first woman who truly loves me for me, not for what my parents or I can do to boost her career, not for the money or the adulation that’s such a big part of the celebrity culture. For Natalie, it’s never been about any of those things, which make her different from everyone else from the beginning. It’s so fucking real with her and has been fro
m the first second I saw her when she crashed into me during a shoot in a New York City park—and then her old wildebeest dog, Fluff, bit me. Best day of my life, hands down.
Fame, fortune and Oscars have nothing on winning the love of the most extraordinary woman I’ve ever met.
At the moment, my extraordinary wife is out to wreck me as she runs her hands up the insides of my legs, setting every nerve ending in my body on fire as I wait to see what she has planned for me. I’m so hard, I’m leaking copiously, but she ignores that part of me to focus all her attention on other parts of me, making me burn for more.
“Natalie.” My teeth are gritted, my hands are curled into fists and my heart is beating so hard, I can hear the thundering echo of it ringing in my ears.
“Shhhh. You’re not talking, remember?”
I want to tell her revenge is a bitch, but she knows that. She loves my form of revenge, which is another reason I love her. She accepts every part of me, even the part that needs dominant sex. But I’m not the Dom right now. My sub is making me her bitch as I fight the urge to explode all over her pretty face. I wouldn’t do that to her, no matter how much she tortures me. And dear sweet baby Jesus, her tongue on my balls is pure torture.
After nearly a year together, she knows all my hot spots, and she exploits every one of them as she tries to drive me crazy.
With a hand on my chest, she pushes me back so I’m lying on the bed. Then she arranges my legs so they’re splayed open, my feet propped on the edge. Christ have mercy… If she so much as breathes on my cock, I’m going to lose it.
“Are you ready to tell me where we’re going for Christmas?”
Right about now, I’d sign over my entire fortune to her if it meant she’d put me out of my misery and suck my dick. But I can’t be that easy. “No.”
“It’s not fair that all my friends know, and I don’t.” Her lips are so close to my shaft that I can feel her hot breath wash over my sensitive skin.
