Epilogue Keats

EPILOGUE: KEATS

8 MONTHS LATER

T ossing my suit jacket onto the corner chair in the hotel room, I'm relieved we can hit the mattress. Turning my head, I see Esme throwing her shoes carelessly onto the floor. She lost the heels already two hours ago while dancing at Liam's wedding.

"I'm not sure who was drunker, Liam's uncle or Ava's cousin." She has a bewildered face.

"The Irish always win, so Liam's uncle for sure." I unbutton my shirt, my entire body feeling heavy. "At least we kept it together."

She walks to me and presents her back as my cue to unzip her dress. Knee-length and turquoise were a solid choice, and the lack of bra even better.

Esme snickers. "Alcohol-wise, but our feet will be killing us tomorrow."

I place a soft kiss on her shoulder as her dress pools at her feet. "Luckily, brunch for out-of-town guests isn't until 10:30, so we can sleep in. "

We explored Sage Creek yesterday when we arrived in Colorado and grabbed a coffee at Smokey Java's over on Main Street this morning. So we'll feel no guilt on our part if we skip tourist activities tomorrow morning.

I unbuckle my pants as Esme circles toward me, and I'm rewarded with the view of her near naked body, with her breasts pert and nipples peaked, and her sly smile is hot as hell. Stepping closer, I encase my arms around her with a sound rumbling in my throat.

"Am I your prize since you didn't catch the bouquet?" Doesn't matter. I'll ask her to marry me anyway very soon.

She lifts her finger and plants it on my lips to shush me. "It seems I've gotten something better."

One step closer and I break away from her finger. I kiss her lips long and smooth while I walk us to the foot of the mattress. As soon as the back of Esme's knees hit the bed, I lie her down, hovering over her and settling between her open thighs.

"We're going to be so tired tomorrow," I whisper, though I'm not deterred as I tug on her panties.

"Worth it," she rasps and bucks her hips up to help me remove the last scrap of fabric on her body.

I nuzzle into her neck, smelling the faint remainder of her perfume, and my teeth graze her skin. "I love you," I murmur into her body.

"Imagine that, I love you, too."

We made it quick that round before we both fell victim to our sleepy slumber, tangled around one another. But waking up is a different story .

Slow kisses and hands roaming for minutes, our eyes locked, and we said nothing with the sun brightening the room, as we forgot to close the second curtain. Esme has a beautiful glow. Especially when we end up in the middle of the bed, both sitting up and her body on top of my lap as I piston up inside her.

I hold her hips firm, and her hands rest on my shoulders. Our heavy breathing fills the room, and a scolding warmth radiates from our skin. I guide her to continue to bounce on top of me, her breasts pressed against my bare chest. The white sheet that was wrapped around us is now a knotted mess somewhere near my feet.

"Esme, I'm almost there," I say against her lips.

Her breath trails from my mouth down along my cheekbone and then right to my ear. "Me too."

I can feel her tighten, and I move fast, more robust as I thrust into her. If the room next door doesn't hear us orgasm, then they should fucking check their hearing.

Esme and I move together until we both find a release that has been building since the moment she sat on my lap, taunting me with her tits and her hair thrown behind her shoulders. Such a beauty.

With my heart about to explode as I remain inside of her, attempting to return to a normal breath, I'm surprised I don't fall back. But I always like it when Esme falls apart then rests her cheek against my shoulder as we take a few moments to return to earth.

"Marry me," she asks, exhausted.

Guess I'm not returning to earth quite yet.

Blinking my eyes, I'm not sure I heard her right. "Say what?"

She doesn't move an inch. "Marry me."

Now I'm wide awake. I set my hands on her upper arms to encourage her to create space. Our eyes meet, and Esme is completely unreadable.

"Marry me." Her tone has turned anxious.

I blankly stare at her. "You've mentioned."

She balks at me, eyes wide.

"No."

Her face falls. "W-what?"

"No. You have impeccable timing. Really? You can't ask me while my cock is still inside you."

"That makes it all the better," she says, and her voice squeaks.

I splay my hands against her back to keep her in place as a smirk begins to draw on my mouth. "And no, you can't ask me."

"Why not?" she protests.

"Because that's my role, and we are going to do it my way."

Her jaw drops. "I ask you to marry me and this is what you say?"

Esme slides off of me, and I follow her off the bed. Standing up, we face one another, completely naked. This isn't how Sunday was supposed to go. "I'm saying that I'm saying no to you."

She points her finger at me. "So you don't want to marry me?" She looks like she is about to burst into tears.

I don't step forward in a flash, choosing to stay in place to watch my beautiful Esme about to go from fearful to elated. "I do want to marry you. That's why I had planned to ask you when we got back. So yeah, you can't ask me to marry you. We are going traditional, and I'm the one to ask."

Her eyes flutter as she stares at me. "Really?" She seems to doubt me .

"Yeah, really." I grab a fresh pair of boxer briefs from the open suitcase as it sinks in for her.

"You're not just saying that? I mean, we are at a wedding, so maybe we are both wrapped up in the wedding fever."

"Is that why you asked?" Now, I'm a little concerned.

She shakes her head frantically. "No. It's just the words rolled out of my mouth. Maybe this weekend has been a little confronting… for what I want. Which is you, a future, you as my husband, babies one day."

I pause and take a breath. "Esme," I grit out because I'm kind of annoyed that she's taken away the element of surprise in our future.

My mouth tightens, and I bite my bottom lip, but I grabbed her attention and now she's trying to read my face.

"What?" she wonders

"I was going to ask you to marry me next week." Her eyes grow and her lips part, but no words come. "I even have the ring ready. My sister helped me pick it."

Her mouth goes slack. "W-what?"

I walk toward her slowly. "I had this whole thing planned. I was going to leave the ring in the mailbox for you to find. We would have a family BBQ to surprise you. I mean, we can still have the BBQ since I have a sandbox in my yard, and it needs my nephew to play in it… maybe one day our own kid too."

She stammers for a second but then rushes to me, cups my face, and slams her lips onto mine. "Yes." That was the most overzealous answer I've ever heard, and it causes my grin to appear.

"I didn't even ask."

She swats my shoulder. "Then why the hell tell me that tidbit of information? So, yes."

My eyes squinch at her. "I can't even actually ask? "

"No. I say yes."

I have to laugh now. Stubborn Esme is one of the best things to experience. Or at least when we are not disputing about the shopping list for the week.

"Well then, looks like I have gained myself a fiancée." I pull her close to bring our bodies flush, and her warm smile invites me in for another kiss. It's a sensual kiss until it's broken.

Her face sours. "Wait, you didn't just feed me that spiel about a ring to ease me, did you?"

Rolling my eyes, I hope we don't go in circles. "I'm marrying you, so deal with it."

She studies me for a few seconds. "Fine. We can get married," she theatrically agrees.

I pinch her sides which draws out a giggle, and I yank her close only to toss her back onto the bed. I join her by lying on my side to face her.

My fingers feather down her cheek. "A wife. Babies. We'll have it all."

"I'm your fiancée," she whispers.

"Yeah, you are."

She shimmies closer and nuzzles into my body. "Will you still ask me again? With the whole mailbox proposal. I'll pretend you never asked yet."

"But I have asked." Now, I'm just messing with her. I'll do it all for her. She pinches my side. "Ouch."

Esme kisses me. "This calls for congratulations sex. But we are on a schedule and have to get to brunch."

I smirk at her. "Brunch might have to wait." I flip her to her back. "I would like to remind you that you're everything I wanted."

Esme hooks her leg over my hip. "I might have a few minutes to spare."

She shakes me off as I kiss the base of her neck as we walk into the elevator. We have ridiculous giddy grins, and I can't stop touching her. She'll look even better when my ring is on her finger.

"We'll be only a few minutes late for brunch, so we're fine." She presses the button for the lobby.

But our eyes lift when the sound of someone rushing to join us causes me to hold the door from closing.

Oliver steps in and seems to be acting strangely. "Good morning, you two."

"Wait!" The sound of Hailey's voice prevents us from hitting the button to close.

She too joins us. Hailey gives an odd look to Oliver before she smiles at Esme and me.

The doors close, and the quiet is unnerving.

Oliver and Hailey are intent on looking forward. Esme watches them then throws me a puzzled look.

"Seems we all had eventful mornings," I comment and slyly smile.

Oliver shoots me a death stare.

"I hope there are waffles. I'm dying of hunger," Esme says while she no longer takes notice of the rest of us.

Hailey nervously rolls her lips in and seems to study the numbers lighting up above the door.

"I bet Oliver has worked up an appetite."

"Keats," Oliver growls.

Hailey zooms her gaze to Esme. "You told him?"

"You told her?" Oliver accuses me.

Esme raises her arms. "Told who what?"

We all look at one another, but most of all, Oliver and Hailey stare at each other before both of their shoulders fall .

"I told Keats," Oliver deflates.

Hailey shrugs. "I told Esme."

Esme begins to chuckle under her breath. "Ah, classic. You think Keats and I told one another that you two might have… well… built up an appetite due to your roadtrip adventures."

I laugh with Esme, but Oliver and Hailey don't find it humorous.

"Can we just not talk about this? It's Liam's wedding weekend, and I just want to focus on omelets." Hailey huffs.

"I kind of feel I need to have a bet going for how long it will be before Liam figures out that you two, well…"

"It was one night!" they shout in unison.

Esme winces. " Yeah … I'm not buying that." The elevator dings open, and I follow Esme out who stops to glance over her shoulder at Oliver and Hailey standing motionless in the middle of the elevator. "Hailey caught the bouquet last night. If you two are looking for a discussion topic." She grins cheekily.

We both walk away, leaving them behind.

I wrap my arm around Esme from the side and kiss her cheek. "We didn't tell them our news."

"Meh. You can wow them later in the week after your other proposal. How is that going to go again?"

"Geez, no element of surprise."

Ending up in the same bed with my brother's best friend during an unexpected road trip to my brother's wedding was never part of the plan. Yet, Oliver and I got stuck overnight at a hotel with one bed on our travels, temptation got the best of us, and what was meant to be a one-time thing was only the beginning. Because now he's secretly my husband.

For convenience, of course… I think.

You see, I have my eyes set on a business venture, but it's only possible with a husband by my side due to logistics. He swept in to help me, and there wasn't much protest from me. Okay, none. But we want things simple and don't want my brother to lose it or our friends to grab the popcorn and watch our situation unfold. Because Oliver is the guy that I've fantasized about for years, and it turns out the feeling is mutual. But we're stuck in a marriage that wasn't supposed to be real, and I might just run, because how could I be so lucky that Oliver and I may just be everything I dreamed?

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