Epilogue

Six Years Later

Tara

I glance at the clock for what must be the tenth time in an hour, tapping my feet impatiently. David is usually home by now, but he must have gotten stuck in traffic or something. I keep finding myself throwing eager glances to the doorway. I'm just dying to share my news with him.

In the last six years, I started my job at MicroBot, working with the engineering team to develop new fuel processing procedures and spending everyday collaborating with the love of my life to make the world a cleaner, more sustainable place. At the same time, I worked on completing my PhD in environmental sciences, which I finished last spring.

Over the course of my PhD program, and through mentoring new engineers at MicroBot, I realized my passion for education and decided to pursue lecturing at my alma mater, the University of Washington. It was a long process, but today I received the news that I got the job!

It still feels like a dream and sometimes I wonder if I would have gotten this far without my husband. He has been my biggest supporter, always encouraging me to pursue my passions and never giving up on me, even when I doubted myself. I can't seem to remember my life before him, nor can I imagine my life without him in it. He has become my everything.

I just wish he would get home already.

Just as I'm about to pick up my phone to call David again, the sound of keys jingling in the lock interrupts my thoughts. My heart skips a beat as I rush to the door, excitedly throwing my arms around his neck.

His hands instantly come around my waist, the warm sound of his laughter filling my heart with indescribable happiness.

"Now, this is what I've been looking forward to all day," David says, pressing a tender kiss to my forehead, then my lips. "How's my lovely wife?"

"Better, now that you're here," I reply, nuzzling my head on his chest and just basking in the reassurance of his presence. Just this… having him around me, is the best feeling in the world.

After a while, I pull back to smile up at him. "I have a surprise for you, baby."

"Really?" He asks, his eyes glinting with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "Let me guess, you want me to guess the surprises?"

"Don't spoil the fun, darling," I say, rolling my eyes playfully at him. "Now, guess."

He chuckles, then tilts his head, pretending to think about the answer. "Did Emily come back from Greece?"

I laugh and shake my head because of course he thinks my joy could only be from my best friend returning after years of exploring the world. We video chat and text as much as we can, but I'm dying to have my best friend back in the city. Hopefully, she'll be back for good soon.

David groans, raising his hands playfully in defeat. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to tell me, baby. I'm stuck."

"I got the job," I say, grinning from ear to ear.

David's face lights up with excitement. "My God, that's amazing, Tara!" He exclaims, pulling me into another tight hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

I laugh, feeling a rush of joy at his enthusiastic response. "Thank you, baby," I say, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "But that's just the first surprise."

His eyebrows shoot up in amusement. "There's more?"

"I had my IUD taken out," I say, watching his face closely for his reaction. I've always known that David wants kids, but he's never pressured me since we got married and I've always appreciated him for that.

David's eyes widen in astonishment, a mixture of joy and disbelief dancing in their endless blue depths. "You... you really had it taken out?"

I nod, feeling a surge of nervousness mixed with excitement. "Yes. I want us to start trying for a baby," I say, my heart pounding in my chest as I wait for his response.

For a moment, there's silence as David processes my words. Then, without warning, he sweeps me off my feet, twirling me around in a joyous whirlwind of emotion. "That's incredible, baby!" he exclaims, leaning forward to capture my lips in a short passionate kiss. "You're incredible."

I step back a little, tugging my robe apart to reveal the matching red lacy thong and bra underneath. They're new and I bought them specifically for this purpose; watching his eyes darkening with that staggering lust that always seizes my breath.

"Now, now, what do we have here?" David drawls, his voice husky with desire

I feel a rush of exhilaration at his reaction, knowing that I've ignited the same passion in him that he evokes in me. With a coy smile, I step closer to him, closing the distance between us. Then I rise on my toes and place my mouth against his ear.

"How about we skip to the part where we make babies?" I whisper, laughing out loud when he roughly jerks my body to his and slams his mouth to mine.

The kiss is hot and hard, and he takes as much as he gives. I open my mouth to his and let myself lose in the taste of him, in the sweep of his tongue as he explores my mouth. My body aches for him and so I run my hips shamelessly against the bulge in his pants, desperate to relieve some of the ache building up inside of me.

David's hands roam my body, his touch, leaving a trail of fire that burned me from the inside out. Then he drags his mouth away from me, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down my neck to my chest until his mouth closes over my breast. He sucks and bites through the material of my bra, making me squirm in helpless need.

He slips his free hand between our bodies and pulls my thong down. Then he slides his fingers into me, letting out a hum of satisfaction as I clench around his fingers. He withdraws his fingers and pushes them in again, slowly this time.

I cry softly as my pleasure ripples through my entire body.

"Now," I moan, fumbling with the buckle of his belt. "I want you inside of me now."

"I'll do it," David says, and gently pushes me to the couch, bracing himself on one arm as he lays over me and releasing himself with the other.

In one long, slow plunge, he drives into me. I grip his shoulders, letting out a choked gasp as my body stretches to accommodate him. I shift slightly, bringing my knees up to accommodate him. He lets out a deep moan, burying his face in my neck. He starts to move faster, pushing deeper and deeper into me with every stroke. My body is strained with pleasure, drawn taunt and ready to snap at any moment. Contractions wrack my body in violent waves, causing me to feel dizzy and lightheaded with pleasure.

Then, his movements slow down. He slides his hands beneath my hips to lift me even deeper into his long, deep thrust. "I love you, Tara," he mutters, looking deeply into my eyes.

My heart stops and picks up again at a dangerously fast rate as butterflies spring alive in my stomach. How can he be so rough yet so gentle? Hard yet soft… How can a man be so perfect?

"I love you too," I reply as tears slide down the corners of my eyes. I feel so incredibly blessed. How did I get so lucky?

Suddenly, he slams into me in one deep, brutal thrust and I come apart. I scream his name, my back arching of its own violation as a heavy orgasm wracks my body.

David wasn't far behind. He throws his head backward, his face frozen in a feral expression as a powerful climax tears through his body.

His seed, hot and full, erupts inside of me, filling me up and I almost weep from the sensation, overwhelmed by the feeling that this lovemaking could lead to the start of our family.

I hook my legs around him, holding him in place, rocking my hips into him, greedily taking all that he has to give.

"I love you," I whisper, over and over again.

A long time after, we lay on the couch in a tangle of sweaty limbs, spent and sated. And there's no place I'd rather be than here, wrapped in David's arms.

"Do you think we made a boy or a girl?" I ask him, reaching up to plant a kiss under his jaw.

"I think both," David replies, kissing the back of my head. "A girl with my hair and a boy with your eyes."

"That would be perfect," I murmur, snuggling closer into his warm body.

This is perfect.

~The End