Epilogue

6 months later

Snap!

Smoke rises from the ground inside the little square bamboo basket full of rice, flowers, and incense, an offering to the gods that's part of their daily routine like brushing teeth is for us in America.

As soon as I've taken the picture, I find another and another. But that's Balinese culture as I've come to discover this week. It's unobtrusive and definitely not as in your face as some people can be on my side of the world. Their religion and spirituality permeate everything. It's hard not to feel at ease. Not to feel at home walking the streets of Ubud. There are smiles everywhere. Friendliness at every step. Of course it helps that he's beside me.

I turn my camera to Keaton, and he flashes that grin that's been melting my heart since day one.

"Stop!" he says when I take more than one picture.

He knows better than to put his hands on the lens, but he still pushes my hand away.

I can't say I blame him. We've had enough cameras in our faces since all the shit went down. We became the hot topic for over a month in all the gossip rags before things calmed down, but even then, our story put us into the social zeitgeist.

Which means I'm a fucking celebrity. I would roll my eyes at the thought, but I've done it so much that I'm afraid of dislocating something. It's a good thing we have each other because I couldn't handle this crap on my own.

So I let him push my hand and, by proxy, the camera and give him a kiss instead.

"Better?"

He puts his hand on the small of my back and pulls me against his stomach with a happy sigh.

"So much better," he whispers and unites our lips again.

I melt in his arms. Thank God I've got the camera on a neck strap because I would have dropped it.

Goosebumps flutter all over me and even my cock joins the party by getting hard as a rock, which I'm not mad at.

Yeah, Keaton's kisses still have that effect on me. Sweeping me so completely off my feet that I lose my senses and mind.

And his taste? If anything, it's gotten more addictive. I always find myself gravitating back to his mouth when he lets go, and what do you know, that's exactly what I do when he ends the kiss, but I manage to compose myself before I look like a fool.

God, when did I turn into such a sap? Before, I'd been…well…a slut. Sex was my language. And don't get me wrong. It still is. But since I met him, I've become…bilingual. Sex and romance. It's an earth-shattering pair. Ten out of ten. Highly recommended.

"Are you hungr?—"

"Yes!" I say before he even finishes his sentence.

Keaton laughs and slides his hand down to my butt.

"Not that kind of hungry." He slaps my butt cheek, and I pout.

"As if that helps," I tell him, but he knows exactly what he's doing. The bastard.

I pull myself away from him because I know how dangerous this can get. And the last thing I want is to get arrested for public indecency.

I walk up the street with Keaton on my tail and turn a corner. There's a small temple in the middle of the road like it's no big deal, and it just fits perfectly with its surroundings. One with nature and civilization. God, I love this place.

An elderly woman walks up to the temple with a new offering and eyes soothingly half-lidded, and I waste no time. I bring the camera back up to my face. My chest fills with air and I exhale so slowly you'd think I was afraid of being caught, but it's not that. I just…I feel so lucky to be able to witness all of this, to be able to be here with Keaton.

I capture this soft, delicate moment and feel like I've trapped a little holiness inside my device.

There's been so many of them since we became official. Moments while traveling and meeting new people. Moments in different cultures, different settings, different time zones. Because yeah, of course, he still uses his money to jet-set us across the world. And you know what? After knowing who he is, what he means to me, and what he means to a lot of people, I don't mind. I don't mind in the slightest.

But it's not those moments that make me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. It's the other, more personal moments.

Moments in bed, in his arms, reading the news on our phones. Moments at home or in public enjoying a tasty meal. Moments with friends. Moments with my queen. Obviously, she still doesn't know who I am half the time, but every time she sees Keaton and me, her face lights up, and she goes on flirting with my boyfriend like there's no tomorrow.

It's those moments that count. That tell me he's not just right for me right now, but right for me forever. He's my twin soul. The man I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

"So…" he starts as he catches up to me. "Lunch?"

My stomach grumbles in response, and I raise an eyebrow.

"That answer enough for you?"

Keaton laughs and rubs my belly. "Let's feed you, Mr. Tummy."

I grimace.

"Yeah, no. No pet-naming my belly, thank you very much."

He laughs again—which makes me want to slap his butt—and takes me by the hand.

My phone pings, and as we navigate the streets to find appropriate sustenance, I check my notifications.

Nova Bank: You've got money. *flying money emoji* Elite Connection sent 8 million dollars.

I stop, and Keaton almost falls back into me.

"What?" he asks.

I look from him to my phone and back to him.

"Sweetie?"

"Huh?"

"Why the fuck did you just pay me eight million dollars?"

He winces back and blinks several times before he speaks again. His eyes light up with recognition and a smirk appears on his face.

"Oh my God. I forgot to cancel our original contract. Elite puts the money in escrow, so they automatically transferred the rest of your pay."

I scoff.

"Is that it, or are you just trying to buy me again?"

"Never," he says and pulls me into him.

I sigh after he kisses me and roll my eyes.

"I'm sending it back to you."

I don't need it. I don't really have to worry about finances anymore. The money I made at the beginning of our contract has been more than enough to see me through the last year, and it won't run low any time soon.

"No. Keep it."

"You are trying to buy me." I gasp and slap his chest affectionately.

He stares back at me with his silvery gaze, and I wonder for the billionth time how I ever got so lucky.

"I want you to have it. I want you to have everything I have. To share everything."

"Okay," I answer because I don't know what else to say or how when my mind seems to have run off into the abyss of his eyes again.

"What's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine. Always. And forever."

A sigh heats my mouth as I blow out a breath while making swoony eyes at him.

"Careful, Mr. Sinclair. That sounds like the start of wedding vows."

He licks his lip and grins.

"And what if it is?"

"Ar-are you proposing to me? Here? In the middle of the street?"

He shrugs.

"If I was, what would be the answer?"

I swallow the lump in my throat, but it does nothing to ease my racing heart.

"It'd be…yes. Always yes."

I can't believe this is happening. A year ago, I wasn't thinking about weddings, marriages, or forever afters, and now…

"Then yes. I am," Keaton answers, and it takes me a moment to realize he means he is proposing to me.

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed."

I take a breath. Two.

"Does that mean we're engaged now?"

"Oh yes," he replies.

"Fuck! I'm gonna marry you?"

He smirks.

"You are."

"I'm gonna marry you so hard, mister."

"You better."

And our lips unite once more.