Epilogue

Two weeks later - New Year’s Eve

Snatching up and placing his sunglasses on, Hawk left by way of the patio door and stepped out onto the hot sand beneath the Caribbean sun. He only bothered with a button-down shirt to help with the sunburn that had occurred on his shoulders a week ago. The wind caught the unbuttoned shirt in the breeze as he walked across the sand toward the water.

It was beautiful here, more gorgeous than he remembered, and he didn’t regret renting the place for a few months.

Mostly, though, he didn’t regret what waited for him at the water’s edge.

The tall, slender blond turned and the mouthwatering skintight dark blue swim trunks turned Hawk’s throat dry. He wouldn’t have thought it possible to want Sky more with each passing day, but he did. He could still remember the fear he’d had waiting for word that Sky would actually leave the States and join him. All he had riding on it was the connection and their last hours together. When Jaxon had sent the text with Sky’s flight itinerary, Hawk had stared at it for hours.

The wind picked up Sky’s hair and blew it around his head like a halo, and Hawk found it suddenly hard to swallow. Sky smiled at him and turned to walk slowly through the sand toward him. Where he tended to burn, Sky tanned all over. The darkened skin made the man’s eyes even more startling.

Hawk stopped walking and Sky drew closer until they were chest to chest, and then the man slipped his arms up around his neck.

“Yes,” Sky whispered and the air left Hawk’s lungs in a huge gulp.

That was the answer to the question Hawk had asked Sky when he took him to dinner that very first night here. Would you stick around and see if this works? I’m years older than you.

“Are you sure?” he now asked roughly.

Sky drew back and held his gaze. “I needed you to know that I’m serious about us, so instead of blurting it out like I wanted to that first night, I took the time to give it some serious thought.”

Hawk let out an amused huff, trying not to choke. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had someone to call his own.

“And you know what?” Sky said with a cheeky grin.

“What?”

“My decision wasn’t hard.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because my Hawk needs his sky.”

Hawk laughed at the cheesiness of that and clutched Sky in his arms. Dipping his head, he kissed the man soundly, feeling a freedom he’d never felt before.

Whatever time they had left, Hawk wanted to spend it with Sky by his side.

The End