Epilogue

AVERY

Two years later…

I shivered as I applied the lube to Creed's hole, getting even more turned on. The anticipation as I worked my fingers past Creed's sphincter muscles threatened to drive me wild.

I heard his gasp of pleasure and the way he pushed himself back, arching into my twisting fingers.

"Fuck. I need you Avery. C'mon! Stop holding back," he growled.

I grinned, excited at how turned on Creed was. I lined my dick up at his entrance with a hand on his hip to keep him steady. I pushed into paradise.

"Fuck," Creed's breath rushed from his lungs as I started guiding myself in. My heart raced faster from the pressure against his sphincter muscles. The way his body stretched over me stole my breath. My legs quivered as I slid in deeper, until my balls slapped against his ass.

"You're so fucking tight," I grunted, my eyes closed as I savored the feeling of Creed's ass gripping my cock in the best possible way. I withdrew a fraction of an inch, then eased myself deeper, repeating the motion with my hips moving fluidly.

"Ungh, Avery..." Creed's ass clenched around my dick. "Oh yeah… that's it! Fuck! Don't stop." His pants and moaning fueled my concentration. I murmured indecipherable words, my strokes fast and deep. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room as I bottomed out with each thrust.

Yes, fuck yes.

There wasn't a better sensation than my cock moving inside of Creed. The feeling was so hot, sexy and intense that it bordered on pain and perfection. The picture of Creed's hole as it stretched to accommodate my girth, moving against each other in sync, the friction, the warmth of our bodies as we connected in all the ways two men could possibly be joined, and the breathless moaning – it was perfect and made so much sense.

My fingers dug into Creed's thigh as I kept fucking him. Creed had long surrendered. Attacked by mindless pleasure, he let go of everything and gave up all control to me. When he opened his eyes to watch me, they watered and it was hard to tell whether it was from pain, pleasure, or a combination of both.

"Creed," I murmured, slowing just enough to catch his gaze. "Are you okay?"

A shaky smile broke through his bliss. "I'm good... more than good."

"I'm so close. Where do you want it?" I growled into his ear. The question—and the ever-increasing pleasure as my dick rubbed against all the right spots inside him—made my heart rate accelerate.

"Wherever you want." The overwhelming sensations torturing Creed made his voice ragged as the words tumbled from his lips. He dug his nails into my flesh, unable to take any more of what I was offering.

I spread Creed's cheeks wide apart as I continued to thrust into him. Goddamn. I wanted all his nerve endings to awaken. The gaping pink flesh of Creed's ass hole as it winked at me was my undoing. I shuddered hard, thrusting deep as muffled whimpers escaped me.

Unbearable pleasure hit me and raced down my spine, electrical currents coursing through my body and into my cock. My dick jerked as my orgasm traveled through me.

Creed shivered, jerking sporadically as an intense orgasm washed through him also.

I thrust into him again and again and again, and then one last time before pouring my seed inside his ass. I pictured how my cum had painted his insides. I slowed to a halt and pulled out, gasping as I did.

"That was amazing, Ave." He sighed.

"Just give me ten minutes, and we could go for round two."

"You're insatiable."

"I'm in love." I wrapped my body all around Creed, holding him like an anchor, my body sated for the moment and my heart full.

Creed opened his eyes then and our gazes collided as we lay in the bed of a luxury hotel room, the soft glow of lanterns flickering around us, I couldn't help but reflect on how two years ago, I was alone on a business trip in Japan, dreaming of a time when Creed would be by my side. Now, with his laughter filling the space between us, that dream had materialized into something real and beautiful.

Over the past two years, my life had transformed. I still spoke with my mother, but our conversations were limited to birthdays and quick check-ins as I distanced myself from the shadows of my past. Not long after I laid down the ultimatum, Nathaniel and Joseph were gone from Branson Resorts—and from my life. They hadn't taken my words seriously, undermining my authority at every turn and interfering with business goals and workplace harmony. But I meant every word. With them gone, a new clarity took root, and I've since reshaped Branson Resorts to reflect my vision and values.

But not everything had a happy ending. Carl was gone—out of our lives and out of Becca's, too. I never thought I'd see the day when she would walk away from her marriage, but even she couldn't ignore what he'd done. At first, Carl clung to his story, insisting he was just protecting me from making a mistake with Creed. Yet, as time went on, inconsistencies emerged, little details that didn't quite fit. Becca began to ask questions—hesitant at first, afraid of the truth about the man she'd married. But when she pressed, Carl's explanations grew shaky.

I hadn't been there when she finally confronted him, but I could picture it clearly in my mind. Not long after, she filed for divorce. When she called to tell me, her voice was steady, yet tinged with pain. "It's over, Avery. I can't stay with someone who thinks he has the right to control our lives."

Creed and I were focused on building our own life together now. I still ran Branson Resorts, honoring my father's legacy as best as I could, but big family get-togethers were no longer a part of the plan.

I couldn't help but reflect on the journey Creed and I had taken together. When we first started dating for real, the road had been bumpy. Creed had burned through several miserable jobs—each one more disheartening than the last—and I'd begged him to quit them all.

One time he looked at me, his brow furrowed, lines of worry etched deep into his forehead. "I'm not some trophy you can put on a shelf, Avery. I need to find my own way."

"You're not a trophy," I'd said, my heart aching for him. "You're a warrior, and I know how hard it is for you to adjust. Just take a breath. Give yourself a break."

He'd shot me a half-smile, a flicker of something grateful behind those stormy eyes. "It's not that easy."

Eventually, after a few more ridiculous arguments stemming from misunderstandings and Creed's feelings of inadequacy, we both realized our issues were clouding our happiness.

That's when we agreed to individual and couples therapy. In a rare moment of acceptance, Creed let me cover the costs. We both sought help to address our PTSD and other challenges. One of Creed's therapy exercises involved writing out his nightmares as stories, which became a surprising source of healing.

"I think I have a knack for this," he'd said one evening, his voice tinged with disbelief. "I wrote a story based on my experiences, and it actually feels... good."

"Good?" I chuckled, my heart swelling with pride. "It sounds like you've found your calling."

He had hesitated at first, nervous about sharing his work, but eventually, he took the plunge. He began fictionalizing some of those stories, publishing them online under a pseudonym. One thing led to another, and he was now writing and publishing military thrillers. He wasn't raking in Stephen King-level cash, but it was enough to live on—and most importantly, it gave him purpose. And I was his biggest fan.

The journey hadn't been easy, but watching Creed evolve filled me with pride. Every late-night writing session, every breakthrough in therapy felt like a victory, a testament to his resilience. He was thriving, not merely surviving, and I was grateful to be by his side through it all.

"Creed," I started, my heart racing. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

His brows furrowed slightly, and I could see the flicker of concern in his eyes. "What is it? You look serious."

I laughed lightly, trying to ease his nervousness. "I promise it's not bad. It's actually… really good." I surreptitiously swiped the box I had tucked under my pillow. He hadn't noticed, his eyes still fixed on me. "You know how much I love you, right?"

"Of course, and I love you too," he replied, his voice warm and reassuring. "What are you getting at?"

I opened the soft velvet box, revealing the engagement ring. I cradled the ring in my hand, feeling a combination of excitement and nerves. The band was smooth white gold—simple, yet solid, just like Creed. But what caught my breath when I found it in the store was the emerald-cut diamond at its center, sparkling with a clarity that reminded me of his eyes. Surrounding it were deep blue sapphires, their color reflecting the calm he brought into my life. It felt perfect for him, a blend of elegance and strength that captured everything I loved about us.

Creed's eyes widened.

"I wanted to wait until we got back home to propose where we first met, but I can't hold back any longer."

I heard his breath hitch in his throat, and for a moment, everything around us faded away—the world, the resort. "Avery…" he breathed, disbelief mingling with joy.

"Will you marry me? I want to build a life with you, share everything—my home, my heart. I want to face whatever comes next, together."

He stared at the ring, then back at me, his eyes shimmering with emotion. "You're the love of my life, Avery."

"And you're mine," I affirmed, my heart racing.

With a shaky breath, Creed reached out, his hand caressing my cheek. "You make me feel like I can do anything," he whispered, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Of course, I'll marry you."

I slid the ring onto his finger, and we both laughed, overwhelmed with happiness. "I can't believe we're actually doing this," he said, his voice a mixture of disbelief and excitement.

"Neither can I," I admitted, swelling with joy. "But I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else."

As we shared a kiss, sweet and savory from the dinner we'd had earlier, I realized that this was just the beginning. Our journey together had brought us to this moment, and I could already picture our future: love-filled holidays, laughter echoing through our home, and a lifetime of memories waiting to be made.

With Creed by my side, I knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, we would face them together, hand in hand, hearts intertwined, forever.