Epilogue

One year later . . .

Connor

I SAT ON the edge of the bed, letting my hand run through her vibrant red hair, and smiled when she made a little noise of approval in her sleep. She was so beautiful, and waking up early to watch her as she slept was still one of my favorite things.

Once we’d gotten back from the trip to Mammoth last year, everything had changed. Something about not hiding anymore had made my relationship with Maci change in a way I hadn’t known was possible. I’d craved her before, and had realized almost too late that I was in love with her. But now I felt like I couldn’t breathe without her, and every day there was something new that made me fall in love with her more.

Since she was in love with her apartment, and I loved using her showerhead on her, I’d moved into her place within a week of getting back, and had continued to pay rent on my apartment until my lease was up two months later.

Dakota, Dylan, and I had talked things out. I’d known they were trying to protect her, but it took us a while for me to get over the feeling of betrayal at how they’d reacted and what I’d let them talk me into . . . and for them to get over their own fear of me hurting her . . . well, and the fact that I was sleeping with their sister.

Honestly, I think the only reason they eventually got over that one was seeing their sister with me. Maci’s brothers had always been too overprotective, but in their minds they were watching out for her. Since Maci and I were no longer hiding, her tough exterior with her brothers had started slipping away, and she showed the Maci that I’d fallen in love with. Seeing her happy with me was all they needed to get over the rest.

Don’t get me wrong. She was still feisty and didn’t put up with anyone’s bullshit . . . and I f**king loved it. But she didn’t act like she was heartless—or didn’t care—anymore, and I think all four of her brothers loved having the real Maci around.

Letting my knuckles brush her cheek, I leaned in and kissed her soft lips. “Wake up, Maci.”

One eye cracked open before shutting again as she curled her body closer to mine. “Sleep.”

“It’s Christmas morning, you really want to sleep right now?” When she nodded her head, I laughed softly and made a trail of lazy kisses down her throat to her chest.

She moaned and turned onto her back, her hands going into my hair as she slowly opened her eyes to watch me. “Mmm, well if I’d known this was what you wanted,” she said as her hands traveled down my chest to my drawstring pants.

I wouldn’t be able to stop myself if she continued, so I pushed up off her, and laughed against her mouth when she tried to follow me with a growl. “Not right now, baby, I have a fire going upstairs, and no one else is up yet. Besides, I’m not having sex with you when your brother is on the opposite side of this wall.”

Her gray eyes were heated, and I almost tore off her clothes when she grabbed my hand, kissed my palm, and then ran it over her throat. “Well then maybe you should make sure I’m kept quiet.”

I thought back to the other night when we’d snuck out of the cabin, and I’d taken her right there in the fresh snow, as more snow fell all around us. She’d started getting loud from the combination of me torturing her by getting her as close as possible before backing off, and playing with her ni**les and clit with the icy snow. That night I’d had to keep her from making any more noises, and that had just made it hotter for both of us. But that was outside in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep, not in a room next to her brother when everyone would be waking up soon.

I kissed her thoroughly before pulling her off the bed. “Fuck, Maci, you’re going to be the death of me, I swear.” She started to pout, and I bit down on that perfect bottom lip. “Come on, let’s go spend some time together before everyone is up and it gets crazy in here.”

After we were upstairs, and I’d pulled her onto my lap in the big chair near the fireplace, she covered us with a blanket and lowered her head onto my chest as we watched the snow fall outside.

“Merry Christmas, Connor,” she whispered and played with my hand, which was resting on her stomach. The other was shoved into the side of the chair, feeling the box I’d stashed between the cushion and frame.

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” I had to swallow a few times before I could speak again. I tried to keep the tremor out of my voice, but I’m sure I failed. “I was thinking that when we get back, we can start packing up right away. We can take things over slowly, or choose a day and just do it all at once.”

“Wait, what?” She turned so she was straddling me, her eyebrows pinched together as she looked at me in confusion.

“I’m fine with whichever way you choose, but we’ll only have two weeks to get out of the apartment.”

“Get out of the apartment? Why? What are you talking about?”

Leaving the box where it was, I pulled my hand out of the cushion and grabbed the chain around my neck that I’d hidden with my sweatshirt, and slowly pulled it off. Maci’s eyes widened when she saw the key hanging on the end of it, and I smiled when they began darting between the key and me.

“I think it’s time for us to get a place a little bigger, don’t you?” I asked with a wink.

“Where does this key go to?” she asked breathlessly.

“Where do you think?” I nipped at her lips, and laughed when she gasped loudly.

“Connor, don’t f**k with me right now! Is this to the house I wanted?” I just smiled at her and she shook her head quickly back and forth. “They told us it had already been bought, I thought . . . wait . . . I don’t understand!”