Epilogue - Emory

A few months later

The room was quiet as I lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling. Vlad should be back home soon, and I was struggling against a familiar anxiety. I didn't like when he went out on "missions" like this, but it was his work. There was no stopping that.

I knew they'd upped the security protocol after what happened when Vlad got shot, though, and even more at the house since the Italians had taken me. There was a fancy new fingerprint scanner on the front door, a generator for backup power, and new deadbolts on every door, including the bedrooms.

As I sighed, the deadbolt on our door clicked over, and I sat up.

Vlad entered, looking a little worse for wear, and I smiled up at him. "Rough exit?"

He grinned, kicking off his shoes and tossing his bag to the side. Vlad crossed the room to the bed, crawling in with me and pulling me into his arms.

"A bit. Nothing we couldn't handle, though."

I curled into him, breathing in his scent, sweaty for sure but still comforting because it belonged to him.

"Well, good. I missed you. I like it when you come back home."

Lifting my chin so that he could kiss me, Vlad hummed against my lips before meeting my eyes.

"Me too." He kissed me again and then pulled me under his arm as he lay on his back. "Fuck, I'm so tired."

Closing my eyes, I remembered how late it was the last time I looked at the clock. Vlad used to insist that I try and get some rest on nights like this, but he'd quickly realized that it wasn't going to happen. I wasn't sleeping until he was home safe.

"Well, sleep is waiting. And you have an early appointment, so I imagine you should get at least a few hours."

"Hmm, I almost forgot."

Vlad went stiff next to me, and I could tell he was still finding it difficult to talk to someone about his past. I'd recommended my mentor, Dr. Kate Hamilton, and she was a pro, but Vlad had a hard time speaking in front of new people regardless.

"It's good that you keep going. And Kate won't pressure you, you know that."

He nodded, dropping his mouth to the top of my head. I could feel his breath warming my skin and ruffling my hair.

"I know. It's just…"

He didn't finish, and I took the opportunity to help because I felt I knew what he was trying to say.

"Hard? Talking to a stranger?"

Vlad nodded again.

"I get it, babe. I do. And you can still keep it just for those you trust in every other situation. There's nothing wrong with that, so don't guilt yourself. Kate's patient."

He chuckled through his nose. "Thanks."

"It's not perfect, of course, but it's not supposed to be. You're doing amazing, and you should take more credit for that. I'm so proud of your progress and thrilled that I can still help and provide support."

Vlad reached for my chin, pulling it up so that I would look him in the eye. "You're amazing."

I grinned, then leaned forward to kiss him again. I let myself melt into it and then leaned back to rest on my elbow, still looking at Vlad in his gorgeous golden eyes.

"How was your day?" he asked.

Shrugging, I turned the corners of my lips down. "Fine. Standard therapy stuff that you kind of know by now. My mother has finally decided to accept my apology for missing her party. And hey, it only took her like five months to do so. I haven't spoken to either of them since…well, the thing happened. I imagine I should at some point. But I'm waiting until I'm ready for that. So, all in all, it was slow but calm, and I will fully admit that I liked that part."

Laughing, Vlad scooted us up so that he could sit more comfortably while we talked. I knew we weren't going to bed when he walked in, but it was still funny that even after these past months, we still had to talk for a while before Vlad felt comfortable sleeping.

"I know you do. And I fully support you not wanting to break the news to them yet. I'm in no rush to ‘meet the folks' as it were, and you deserve to stretch your legs. Not feel so pressured by them."

Smiling, I nudged Vlad gratefully. "Thank you. It's totally that."

He smirked. "I've picked up a thing or two being in all these sessions. Oh, but before I forget. Adley texted earlier that she invited us to dinner with Ivan. What's that about?"

"Oh," my brows shot up, and I chuckled, "that. Well, we were chatting while Adley was feeding Grace. I told her that she needed a break, a date night. And Adley immediately made it a double date. Sorry."

Vlad shook his head, rolling his eyes before kissing me quickly. "It's fine. It's fine. I'm just glad that you two have become friends."

"We have," I replied with a smile. "I like Adley a lot. I see why Ivan likes her."

Cocking a brow, Vlad eyed me. "Should I be concerned?"

I laughed. "No, no. Adley and I are both very happy with our current partners. Still, if either of you kick the bucket, that's a different story."

Vlad laughed, and I still always melted at the sound. I pulled up into more of a seat, leaning against him, and began to idly smooth my fingers over his chest.

"I liked getting to hang out with Grace, too. She's a good baby. It's fun to see her discover things."

Narrowing his eyes at me, Vlad immediately clocked that this was the third or fourth time I'd brought up playing with Grace in the past week. I knew I was being less than subtle, but men could be really dense sometimes.

"I see," he dragged out. "So, is this a hint? Are you saying you enjoyed baby time and perhaps…want more?"

"Yes, you dummy. I've been trying to get that through your head for like a month now."

He laughed, but I could see the nervousness in his expression. Vlad had a lot of baggage associated with his parents, and I wasn't about to push him into something he wasn't ready for. I wanted a child, yes, but I wanted Vlad with me—safe and mentally sound and happy—more.

"Well," he scooted up farther, taking my face in his hand as he leaned forward to brush his lips over mine, "maybe someday soon, then. Still…"

Kissing me, Vlad's touch became more and more intense, and my entire body warmed. I was very okay with where he was taking this conversation.

As he pulled back and I looked up at him, Vlad smiled, the devilish grin lighting up his face and making my pussy weep with anticipation.

"Practice makes perfect."

I snuggled into him, smiling. "Hmm, that it does. You sure you're not too tired?"

I was flipped up off the bed and planted right back down on it in a blink, making me giggle as Vlad shoved himself between my legs and towered over me.

"You tell me."

As he rocked his hips against my core, I could feel the thick, hard length of his erection straining against his pants.

"Oh, yes. Very up for it."

He chuckled darkly, reaching for my throat and squeezing just enough as his other hand went for the loose neck of my shirt and began to pull it down. Vlad exposed me slowly, and the cooler air, combined with my growing arousal, made my nipples hard as diamonds.

"All right, precious, that's enough talking. Show me how quiet we can make this." Vlad gripped my breast, upping the pressure until I whimpered. "Bite that pretty tongue of yours while I make you fall apart."

I nodded, chewing on my lip so Vlad could see it. He groaned, rubbing his length against me again, and I smirked, so very ready for Vlad's unique form of exquisite torture. As Vlad squeezed my throat, he yanked my shirt down, and then his fingers were going straight for the hem of my leggings.

Need pooled in my core, and I tried in vain to clench my thighs. When he'd worked my leggings just past my ass, he went for his button and fly, freeing his erection. Vlad pressed his cock against me, teasing me with strokes across my slit. My eyes rolled back, and I did everything possible to stop the sounds that desperately wanted to escape.

"That's my girl."

*****

THE END