Epilogue

EPILOGUE

ISAAC

Three Months Later

"When are you leaving?"

"I just got in, Zye. I've barely had my coffee. The bridezilla can wait five minutes for her invitations."

Zye spins slowly around, his finger tapping against his lips. "This isn't about—I'm talking about you. And Simon. Leaving to live in a beautiful palace." He tries to keep the anxiety from his eyes, but I've known this man a long time.

"We're not leaving for a while. Don't kick me out yet." I pull the invitations out of the box, inspecting them for damage. Zye is quiet. Too quiet. "Or does your old receptionist want his job back?" I'm joking, trying to break the sudden awkwardness, but his eyes shift away. "Are you f—kidding me? After deserting you?"

"There are no children or royals here. You can cuss." At my continued stare, he huffs. "Jesse didn't desert me. I couldn't pay him after the whole Zyegate disaster. There's a difference."

I take a sip of my coffee. Captain Kirk fades—transports out—thanks to the hot liquid making him disappear. Simon loves this cup. Most days, I wish transporters existed. Being in a relationship with Adrian is easy. And hard as fuck. Because he's in his country fulfilling his duty. I'm here fulfilling mine. Taking care of my son is the most important thing. This is the way it is for now. And I wouldn't trade my time with Adrian. But still, a transporter would be nice.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes. Jesse didn't desert you. Got it. But he did run off to your biggest competitor."

"Not the point, Isaac. I just…want to be prepared."

I'm not a hugger, mostly. But I can tell when one is needed. I stand and wrap my arms around him. "We decided to wait at least six months. Maybe even a year. Simon just started school again."

"He's only in first grade."

I return to my desk and hand him a box of invitations. If he's going to be out here bothering me, he might as well be useful. "Simon doesn't need any more changes right now. Visits with his mom are scary enough. He still asks me after every one if she'll be back. But the truth is, I want Simon to have this chance with Jane. If we move, it will be harder for him to see her."

He shakes his head as he sits in the chair across from me and opens the invitations. "Won't that always be true?"

"If she's still doing well when we're ready to move, she can visit Simon in Lutiana, and it won't cost her anything." Sometimes, it's nice to have a boyfriend with a private jet at his command. "And she'll have her own room in the palace. That's a big incentive for her to be okay with all this."

"So I have a year or so to figure this out?"

"Yes. Now, can we get back to work? If you finish checking the invitations, I can get the Fry estimate done before lunch." The last shipment had a black line down the middle. And the bride's name was wrong. That was a disaster. Zye had raised hell about it, reminding me to never get on his bad side. Or, if I did, to hide his purple gel pen.

"Fine." He waves his hand. "Spreadsheet away."

Zye teases me about my love of spreadsheets, but they make his life easier. I shake my mouse awake, smiling at the new pictures next to my computer. One of Adrian, Simon, and me at the zoo. And another with Simon and Reginald. Simon insisted on putting that one on my desk. He has one of his own at home.

The bell rings, and I don't look up right away. Zye is there. He's better at greeting customers since he's the one they actually want to see.

"Welp. No work getting done now."

My head whips up because the smell of expensive cologne alerts me before Zye's words even register. Adrian stands inside the doorway and stares at me like I'm the most precious thing in the universe. That never gets old. "Adrian? What are you doing here?" I stand and maneuver past my desk and the boxes. "I thought you had meetings for the next several days."

"He does." Reginald shakes his head, but he can't hide his smile.

"He does," Adrian agrees. "But since those meetings are by video conference, why do I need to be at the palace to do them?"

We meet in the middle of the room, and I wrap my arms around my man. My prince. He hugs me as if it's been years instead of days.

"They weren't all by videoconference," Reginald mumbles.

"They are now," Adrian says with a laugh, and then he kisses me, keeping it short and sweet but still managing to knock the wind out of me. I love this man so much. He brushes my hair back and winks. "And don't pretend you aren't happy about this decision, Reggie. You wanted to be here for Simon's Christmas program."

"I did promise him."

I stare at my handsome prince. "I love seeing you, sweetheart, but I have to work."

"I'll stay out of your way, promise. And Reggie will keep me busy. As long as I get to be here…have tater tot casserole, see Simon's Christmas program, steal kisses from you, and"—his voice lowers—"wake up next to you, that's all I need."

I kiss him again because I've missed him, and it's only been days.

Later, after one of many meetings, we sneak a few private minutes in the storage room. Reginald watches the desk with a roll of his eyes while Adrian and I "check stock."

Adrian kisses my face. My nose. My jaw. The edge of my mouth. Until I growl and surge forward to capture his lips. Adrian loves to tease me, but I can only take so much. I wrap my arms around his neck and push him against the shelves. His hand moves to my ass, squeezing and pulling me closer. His hard cock pokes my hip, and fuck, this was a bad idea.

"Adrian, sweetheart?—"

He sucks on my neck, and I forget what I'm saying.

The door swings open, and we jump apart, breathing heavily as we stare at Miles.

"Really?" He folds his big arms across his chest, shaking his head. "Zye, get over here. I found them."

"We weren't lost." I brush out the wrinkles in my clothes just as Zye peeks in.

"No making out in the storage room."

"Yeah," Miles says. "This is our storage room. Get your own."

As I lead Adrian by the hand out of the small area, I give Zye a curious look. "Your storage room?"

"What he means is—we've never—just shut up."

Laughing, I return to my place behind my desk and glance at the pictures of my family. My life has changed so much. I get to work full-time at a place I love. Be with a man I love. My son is happy and thriving. It's almost too good to be true. Like a fairy tale. My very own fairy tale and my very own prince charming.

Adrian clears his throat. "What happened to being the lookout, Reggie?"

Reginald shrugs. "I gave the signal, Your Highness. Perhaps you were too distracted to hear it."

The bell jingles, and I put on my professional face, hoping it's not the bridezilla or paparazzi. There was a scandal with some Hollywood actor, and I'm glad they're focusing on someone else for a change, but I've learned not to let my guard down.

But it's not a reporter or a bride standing just inside the door and glancing back like he's thinking about leaving again. It's Rainn, Zye's brother.

They look nothing alike. Rainn is built like a muscled jock. But his light-brown hair and the freckles across his nose give him more of a boy-next-door vibe. In contrast, Rainn's dad—Sheriff Harding—has dark hair, dark eyes, and a dark soul. Do either of them look like their mom? It's not likely I'll ever find out. She's been gone for over ten years, and I'm fairly sure Zye burned all her pictures.

"Rainn?" Zye puffs up as he moves toward him, and I wonder if I'll need to intervene.

"Hey, Zye." He gives him a shy smile.

"It's been four months," Zye says, poking a finger at him. "What the hell, Rainn?"

"It's not like we haven't texted. And I had school." Rainn is in medical school, which surprisingly came in handy during his non-wedding to Cher.

"We…? Right," Zye says with a scoff. "I've texted. You've given me one-word answers. Fine. Everything is fine."

"Everything was fine." He gets louder and throws his hands out but then stuffs them in his pockets. In a lower voice, he says, nodding at Adrian, "Besides, you guys have been busy."

I make introductions. No sense in being rude. Once that's done, Rainn's gaze returns to the floor. Something is definitely up.

"What's going on, Rainn?" Zye puts his hands on his hips as if preparing for a fight.

"I—need to tell you something." He gives him a half-smile. Rainn's good at charming people, and I suspect it gets him out of most jams. I don't think it's going to work this time. "I'm not sure how you're going to react, to be honest. Miles? Does he have his sparkly gel pen?"

"Nope. It's in his office."

Zye gives his boyfriend a dirty look.

"Isaac, can you move the giraffe pen holder?"

I move it just out of Zye's reach. Never can be too safe.

Zye makes a frustrated sound. "I can be calm." But his voice gets louder, and he stomps a foot. The light catches on his shiny silver-and-gray shoes. "Is this about your time in Vegas? Everyone has been acting strange, and no one's talking."

"Sort of," he says, shifting his feet, his hands still stuffed in his pockets. "While we were in Vegas, something happened?—"

"Oh my gosh." Zye covers his mouth with his hands. "Did you and Cher get married?"

"Better not have," Miles mumbles.

Rainn flushes red. "No—God, no."

"I was joking. Mostly. Just tell us."

"Fine," Rainn says, his body tense as his eyes go to Zye's face. "I found Mom."