Epilogue

EPILOGUE

JUNE - ONE YEAR LATER

Warm wind tugged at my hair as I stared out across the open expanse of black water. Nighttime on a cruise ship at sea was a beautiful sight. The stars weren't stunted by light pollution the way they were in port, and they reflected off the rolling waves like a living blanket doused in glitter.

No matter how many times I'd come out on the suite's balcony over the last six days, the wonder never faded.

A familiar scent enveloped me. Strong arms wrapped around my waist as Sutton's big body pressed against my back. "I knew I would find you out here," he said, kissing the side of my neck.

"I had to see it one more time," I admitted.

"Are you not ready to go back?"

That was a simple question with a not so simple answer. "I'm not ready for our honeymoon to be over, but I am ready for whatever comes next."

He slid his rough hand along my forearm until he reached my hand. When he took it, instead of lacing our fingers together, he gently rotated the platinum wedding band on my ring finger. I wasn't a diamonds and gems kind of girl, never had been, but I did love the way the moonlight glinted off the silvery metal.

"You know, there is one thing we haven't checked off our honeymoon bucket list," he said, his voice dipping into that sexy, low timbre that always managed to send a shiver through me.

He guided my left hand back to the railing, and with his right, slowly slid the fabric of my little black dress up. He sucked in a breath. "Mrs. Rafferty, have you been without underwear all night?" There was a warning in his voice, a sizzling threat that made my insides clench in the best way.

"Mmhmm," I hummed, buzzing with anticipation as he nudged my feet wider and unbuckled his pants behind me. The sound of his zipper clicking down made my knees weak. And when he slid the thick head of his cock through my wetness, I had to bite my lip to hold in my moan.

That momentary pleasure was a flicker compared to the fire that licked along my nerve endings as he pressed inside me. It was delicious torture the way he drew it out, until he'd buried himself to the hilt. With the way my legs were already trembling, I wouldn't last long, and I was pretty sure he knew it.

His left hand closed over mine on the railing, anchoring me in place as his matching platinum band caught the shimmer of the stars and cast it back out into the universe. When his other hand slipped around to my front, zeroing in on my sensitive clit with unerring accuracy, the cool ocean breeze washed over my exposed skin.

Something close to a whimper escaped me.

Then his lips were next to my ear. "You know I love you, right?" he whispered, pulling back, leaving me aching for him.

"Yes," I breathed.

He drove back into me, slow and controlled. "I would move heaven and Earth for you."

"I know," I groaned.

Sutton loved like the world was burning. Fiercely. Completely.

It took me a long time to realize that was part of what scared me about him in the beginning. I'd made the biggest mistake of my life slipping out after our first night together. Fear nearly cost me happiness I didn't even know I was missing, but now, I couldn't imagine my life without him.

He eased his hips back, chuckling low when I pressed back chasing the sensation. He circled my clit gently and I nearly buckled.

His teeth nipped my neck. "Tell me what I want to hear, babygirl."

I gripped the railing tighter, bracing for what was coming. "I love you."

My reward was another electrifying brush of my clit followed by a hard thrust that had me clenching my jaw to keep from crying out.

He retreated again. "For how long?"

"Forever."

"Forever," he echoed, slamming into me hard. He did it again and again, with a barely contained need that fed the ache inside me until it morphed into an all-consuming fire.

When I broke, he broke with me, his teeth digging into my exposed shoulder to smother the sound of his release. That bite was possessive as hell, but it caught the flame of my orgasm and spun it higher, until my legs trembled so violently, I couldn't hold myself up.

Sutton was there to catch me, just like he always was. He held me close, my back to his chest, and walked me back a few steps to one of the plush lounge chairs. He could have sat me down on my own chair, but that wasn't how he worked. Whether we were snuggled on the couch watching a movie or sharing dinner on date night, he always wanted to be touching me.

A year ago, the thought of that kind of closeness made my fight or flight instinct twitchy, but now? I adored it, because I adored Sutton.

He didn't smother. He knew when to give me space, but the longer we were together, the less space I wanted. In twelve short months, I'd gone from running from my craving for him to embracing it every chance I could.

When I was situated between his legs, laying with my back on his chest and his fingertips trailing lazy lines up and down my arm, I let out a sigh that felt like it was a lifetime in the making.

His wandering touch stilled. "Everything okay?"

"Almost," I said, grabbing his other hand and pulling it around my waist so I was surrounded by the man I loved. "That's better."

I woke up a while later to him carrying me to bed and snuggling in close behind me, whispering for me to go back to sleep.

We had a lot on our to-do list for when we got back to Colorado. The closing date on our house was coming up fast, and we were looking at a boatload of renovations once it was officially ours. That meant months of hard, dirty work that would undoubtedly test us from time to time.

In the end, though, I knew in my heart it would also bring us closer together.

We were building a life together. Whether it was in a one-bedroom apartment above a bustling motorcycle shop, or a century-old brick home that was on the verge of condemnation, as long as it was with Sutton, I wanted every single second of it.

Thanks for reading Faking It at Sea! I hope you enjoyed June and Sutton's story.

Are you hungry for another short and steamy vacation romance?

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