Epilogue

Rhodes

One Month Later

W hile I was shutting the house down for the night, Kyra decided to take a bath. She came off a three-day stint working twelve-hour days, which actually turned to a lot longer by the time coverage came to relieve her. The hospital she's working at now is short-staffed and hot fucking garbage. Her back hurts, her feet hurt, and after tonight, she'll be dead to the world. It'll take her all of tomorrow to rest and sleep. Even still, she'll only be coming up for food. The day after that, she will venture out, and still, she'll have circles beneath her eyes. Tonight, I about stepped in to say something when she spoke up and told me she put in her resignation.

Damn woman assured me she'd find another job and would still pull her part in paying the bills, had money set aside. The only way to shut her up was to kiss her. I did exactly that until she was breathless and damn near climbing my body. It didn't take long for me to lay it on the line—she'd been helping with groceries, doing odds and ends types of shit. Never once did I ask or expect her to do more. The house is paid off, my truck too. She needs a new set of wheels, and I told her if she does anything, it'll be buying a new vehicle. She tried to interject but didn't get far. I picked her ass up, tossed her on the couch, and convinced her in a different sort of way.

After a quick dinner of grilled chicken, asparagus, and mashed potatoes, I sent her upstairs to soak in the tub while I cleaned the kitchen and closed the house down for the night. I've got a ring that's burning a hole in my pocket. Trying to figure out the best time to give it to Kyra has been on my mind repeatedly. I had grand ideas, one of them being on the beach, but the timing has yet to be right. Another time would have been earlier today, except it didn't seem right; she needed to vent.

I round the corner into our bedroom and see my woman. She's standing outside on the balcony. The sliding glass doors are open, the ocean breeze moves the curtains, and there's Kyra in nothing but one of my shirts. It only takes a few moments to pull the ring out of my pocket, slide it on my pinky finger, and make my way toward her. I'm light on my feet even with the prosthetic, so Kyra hardly ever hears me coming, not like those first few weeks with a crutch.

"Rhodes." She says my name with a jolt of her body. My hands hold her hips. Just as I suspected, she didn't hear me coming.

"Sweetheart." My lips slide along her neck. She shivers, arching her ass back into my dick. "You feelin' any better?" The tips of my fingers pull up her shirt. Skin is the only thing that meets my hand. Exactly like I thought. Kyra detests wearing anything beneath my shirt when she goes to bed. Works for me. Makes her easily accessible when I want or need to feel her on my cock, my fingers, or my mouth.

"Yes." Her head tips back, allowing me more room to work my lips along the slope of her neck. I lick and suck as my hand slides to the front of her body to check if she's ready for me.

"Good. Gonna take you out here." I slide two fingers along the lips of her pussy, and fuck me, she's already dripping wet. "You been thinking about this, or were you playing with yourself in the bath?"

"Please," she moans, leaving me without an answer. I'll figure it out later, when she's on her hands and knees sucking my cock. I yank my shorts down in less than five seconds, my hand is around my cock, and I'm nudging her feet apart.

"Bend over, Kyra. Show me your gorgeous ass." I back up a moment, allowing her to bend over and arch her ass, hands going to the rail, and then I'm stepping toward her once again.

"Hurry, I need you." She lets out a whimper as I slide the head of my dick through her wet folds.

"I've got you, always." One thrust, and I'm seated. A sharp hiss leaves her sweet mouth. I hold still. In our current position, it's going to be damn hard to place my ring on her finger. "Up, back against my chest, sweetheart." I bend my knees, take one hand off the railing, and hold it in mine, bringing it to her chest.

"Oh god." She's pulsing around my length. She's already fucking there, and we barely got started. I'd bet my left nut Kyra was in the bathtub working herself up without me. A damn good thing, too, because I'm not going to last long.

"Marry me," I say, sliding in and out. My hand curves around her hip, heading straight to her clit.

"Yes, Rhodes, yes. I love you." I keep up my momentum, and less than a minute later, she's coming and pulling me right along with her. Kyra is everything. She doesn't care about the ring. She only cares about me.

"I love you." Her head tips back and to the side, my lips seek hers, and while her pussy is taking each stroke of my cock, she's kissing me.