EPILOGUE

Shea stretched, yawning, and he pushed the eye mask up onto his forehead, blinking, even though the lights of the airplane cabin were dim.

"Morning," Dom murmured.

"Morning." Shea glanced over as he pulled himself into a seated position.

Dom looked perfectly put together, like he hadn't spent a night on a red-eye flight to Paris.

"How'd you sleep?" Dom asked.

"Better than I ever have before on a plane," Shea admitted. "Shit, it's nice to actually have leg room."

Dom laughed. "I thought you'd enjoy that."

Shea probably should have expected Dom to buy them first class tickets. Honestly, he'd have been excited to sit in economy, even if it would have been hell on his knees.

But this was a whole new level of luxury.

There were seats that turned into a comfortable bed, incredible food, Champagne, caviar … Dom was thoroughly spoiling him and Shea was enjoying it.

Dom never acted like he thought Shea expected it, or like he was doing it because he thought he needed to buy Shea's affection. He seemed to do it because he liked to take care of the people around him, make them as comfortable as possible.

If Dom went broke next week, Shea would love him every bit as much. Although from what Shea had seen in the joint accounts they'd set up recently?

Yeah, that wasn't going to be an issue.

Shea leaned across the divider between their seats and kissed Dom's cheek. "Thank you. This has been amazing."

Dom smiled, holding him close, even when a flight attendant appeared.

After their beds had been converted back into seats and they'd been fed breakfast, the plane began its descent.

Shea watched out the window as they approached Charles de Gaulle airport, drinking in the sight of Paris spread out in the distance. The city still twinkled with lights, although the night sky was tinged pink and gold along the horizon, dawn fast approaching.

They were spending a whole week in Paris and Shea's skin prickled with anticipation.

They had plans to visit several of the major tourist attractions but Shea was also looking forward to wandering and exploring the city.

He wanted to stroll along the River Seine and coax Dom into taking selfies. He'd grumble but indulge Shea, kissing his temple like he was so fond of Shea he couldn't help himself.

Shea wanted to see Dom half-asleep in the mornings, sipping coffee across from him at a little café table, giving Shea a soft smile when he stole a bite of croissant or pain au chocolat.

Shea wanted to squabble with Dom about paying for their admission to the Louvre, because he'd promised him he would, damn it, and Dom had earned that A- in his art history course. He wanted to walk through the museum, the back of their hands occasionally brushing, Dom impressing him with little tidbits he'd learned.

He wanted to meet Audra after, for a cozy dinner at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, the three of them staying up late, laughing over bottles of wine as they talked about Audra's new job and the ridiculous number of weddings Shea and Dom would be going to this summer.

Shea wanted a thousand other things. A thousand million more moments with his prickly, retired hockey player.

Enough to fill a lifetime together.

"What are you thinking about?" Dom asked softly.

Shea glanced over, shrugging. "Our trip. Our future together."

Dom's face grew soft and he reached out, twining their fingers together. "Me too."

After the week in Paris was up, they'd take the train south to Burgundy. Dom had sounded a little nervous about visiting his mother and staying with her for another week but Shea had a good feeling about it.

Besides, she lived in a fucking chateau . If Dom needed some space, he should have no trouble finding it.

It turned out it wasn't an old, crumbling ruin either.

Or at least, not anymore.

Dom's rich French stepfather owned a winery and they'd spent over a decade painstakingly restoring the place. The pictures Shea had seen were magnificent.

The plane's landing was smooth, and from there it was a quick trip through customs before they were whisked off to the hotel in a private car.

Shea had nearly swallowed his tongue when he heard Dom speaking French for the first time. Although to a native speaker's ears he was probably clumsy and imperfect, to Shea, every word was thrilling.

This was going to be an amazing trip.

Shea spent most of the ride to the hotel staring out the windows, but at one point, Dom nudged him with his elbow.

"Hey, did you see this?" Dom frowned, flashing his phone screen at Shea. "They traded Webby yesterday."

"Damn. I was hoping he'd stay in Toronto." Shea took the phone. Jesse Webber had been traded to Boston, for one of their defensemen, a fourth-line forward, and a second-round pick. "He seems like a good kid, even if he got himself into a mess."

It hadn't taken insider information for there to be a huge spread in JockGossip about Jesse's post-playoff debauchery. There were pictures and videos of it plastered all over social media.

The kid had drunk his weight in alcohol, made out with every available person in the greater Toronto area, and then stripped naked to swim in the fountain near city hall.

The team was not amused.

"He is a good kid, just … a little wild at the moment. I get the head office's frustration though. They've had one too many scandals."

"Well, now that Jesse is going to be Boston's problem, they don't have anything to worry about," Shea pointed out, handing the phone back. "Pretty much everyone is settled down."

Dom laughed. "Like us?"

"I think we were settled down before either of us knew it," Shea admitted, brushing Dom's hair out of the way so he could kiss his cheek.

Dom smiled and took his hand. "I think you might be right."

The hotel was even more opulent than Shea had imagined.

A porter whisked their suitcases up to a suite on an upper level of the ancient building, and once he was gone, Shea stood by the window, dazzled by the view of the city spread out before him.

"This is beautiful, Dom," Shea said with a shake of his head. "But we didn't have to go for a five-star hotel, you know?"

He could see the fucking Eiffel Tower from where they were staying.

"I know." Dom shifted closer, pressing his lips to the top of Shea's shoulder. "But it's your first time in Paris, right?"

"Yeah." Shea leaned against him with a contented sigh.

"Then I want you to enjoy it. Besides, I've never had anyone to spoil like this before." He kissed Shea's neck.

Shea smiled. "For what it's worth, I'm not complaining . I just want you to know."

"I know. And please tell me if I ever go overboard at some point."

Shea's heart thumped a little harder at the easy way Dom spoke about their future. "I will."

They stood there a little while, Dom's arms around his waist, watching the city wake up, the twinkling lights disappearing as the sun rose higher in the sky.

After a little while, Dom cleared his throat and stepped away. "Hey, uh, speaking of spoiling you … I planned to wait until later in the trip but I have something for you."

"Yeah?" Shea turned to see Dom reach for something on the table. He held out a small gift box.

Shea's heart rate suddenly kicked into high gear. "Uh, Dom?"

He smiled as if he knew exactly what Shea had been thinking. "I'm not asking you to marry me. We haven't talked about it and I've got—I've got more stuff to figure out yet."

Shea nodded, glad Dom had committed to seeing a therapist Felix recommended once they returned from their trip.

"But I do love you. And I do want to spend my life with you. And I wanted to show you that."

Shea swallowed, suddenly emotional. He pulled at one end of the ribbon and the bow fell away, drifting to the carpeted floor. He lifted off the lid of the box, blinking at the delicate oyster shell inside.

"It's beautiful," he said, running his fingertip along one furled edge.

"Open it."

There was gold along the rim and a tiny gold hinge so Shea carefully lifted the shell out of the box and set that aside before he cracked it open.

Inside lay a single pearl drop earring.

After the momentary wonder about an engagement ring, Shea had decided the gift was probably going to be a simple chain or something.

He'd never expected this.

"You … you heard me talking to Charlie at the baby shower?" he whispered.

He'd had no idea Dom had paid any attention to their conversation.

Dom nodded. "You don't have to wear it if you feel like it doesn't suit you. Only, I … I kept thinking about the oyster thing and about how closed off I've been in the past. About the way you've made me open up. And when I heard you talk about the pearl earring, it seemed so fitting, I—"

"I love it," Shea whispered, his eyes swimming a little. "Dom. It's … I love you ."

Dom stepped closer and cupped his cheek. "I love you too. And I never want you to feel like I'm ashamed of you. Or that I'm hiding you."

Shea rubbed his thumb across the cool, glossy surface of the small pearl, his throat thick.

Dom had come so far.

While a man wearing an earring was symbolic of nothing more than a man who liked to wear earrings, they were both aware of how it would look to most of the world. If Shea wore it when he and Dom were together, people would assume certain things about them.

Shea reached up and touched his right earlobe. "I guess I'll have to find a piercing place soon."

Dom smiled. "We're in a five-star hotel. I am sure they can bring someone here."

"I'm sure they can," Shea agreed, still feeling a little stunned by the gesture.

"You like it though?"

"Yeah. I love it." Shea turned it over. "It looks so much like the one in the photoshoot. How did you—"

"I spoke to Charlie. He helped me track down an identical one."

"You're incredible," Shea whispered.

"No. Just in love. C'mere. Please."

Shea carefully tucked the earring into the oyster shell, then closed the lid. He set it aside and went into Dom's arms, kissing him.

Dom kissed him like he'd never stop, slowly and deeply, so thoroughly Shea could feel it in every part of his body, like Dom was imprinting himself on Shea.

Like he was making sure every cell in Shea's body was tuned to him.

The kiss quickly turned heated and Dom fumbled with Shea's trousers. He dragged Dom across the room and they stumbled toward the bed, falling onto it in a less than graceful heap, laughing as they tried to strip each other.

"I thought we were supposed to stay awake," Shea said still smiling a few minutes later as Dom pressed him down onto the mattress, their bodies bare.

Expression light and happy, Dom kissed his jaw. "Who said anything about sleeping?"

Shea laughed again and threaded his hands through Dom's hair, tilting his head so they could kiss some more.

But a thought popped into his head and he drew back, licking his lips. "Hey, wasn't there a pearl necklace in that photoshoot too?" he teased.

Dom laughed and nuzzled his throat, pressing a kiss to his collarbone before giving him a filthy look. "I'll give you a pearl necklace any time you want one."

Shea laughed and swatted him. "Not that kind. I mean, yes, that kind too but …"

"Well, I've gotta save something for our first anniversary." Dom kissed Shea's pec. "And what about the fifth. And the tenth …"

Shea smiled, feeling content and secure, their future laid out so hopefully in front of him. "And all of the ones to come …"

Dom awoke slowly, head a little muzzy with sleep and jet lag but deeply content.

The light spilling in the window was honey gold, the same color as Shea's skin above the crisp white sheets.

They'd had sex. The kind of slow, lazy sex they'd never had time for before. Slow touches and sweet kisses. Whispered words and Shea's mouth on his cock, working him over so slowly he ached.

Shea's tongue in his hole and then his cock, filling Dom until he couldn't take another moment of the slow, sweet pleasure.

Crying out Shea's name and then watching him lose control too, lips parted, face slack with heady pleasure.

Skin damp with sweat, sliding together as they basked in the afterglow, staring at each other in wonder.

Now, Dom wasn't sure if it was still morning or if they'd slept until late afternoon. Hell, for all he knew, they'd slept through the night and it was the next morning, though he doubted it, because his stomach wasn't rumbling with need.

But it didn't matter, did it? They had plans for the week, but nothing that couldn't be rescheduled.

All they had to do was be here together.

All they needed was each other.

Shea rolled onto his stomach and Dom reached out, settling a hand on Shea's back. He slept on, lips parted, his breathing still slow and even like he had no intention of waking any time soon.

Dom watched him sleep, his heart full, his eyes stinging a little. This was all so much. More than he ever thought he'd have.

He let his gaze trace over Shea's body, so solid, so beautifully honed. But Dom loved him for so much more than that. Shea was so much more than a handsome face and a beautiful body.

It was his heart, his spirit that made Dom fall in love with him. No one else would have waited for the Dom the way Shea had. No one else would have risked his life, his career, his reputation for a man as closed off as Dom had been.

Just Shea.

Dom smiled, thinking of the moment they'd met in the apartment at High Park Towers, the halting, "Hi, I'm S—Sawyer Barnett," that had fallen from Shea's lips and the feel of their hands clasped together for the first time.

He'd never thought—never dreamed—that it would lead to this.

Some people might resent Shea's past, his history with other people, but Dom could only be grateful for it. It had brought them together, made Shea who he was.

How could Dom ever begrudge him that?

"I love you," he whispered reverently and Shea smiled in his sleep, like Dom's words had slipped into his dreams.

Dom let out a contented sigh, draping an arm across Shea's back and pulling him close.

Hockey was over, but for Dom? His life was only just beginning.

THE END