Epilogue - Zoe
“Mom!” Audrey yells, running through the front door. “Mom!”
I look over my shoulder at my daughter to see her beaming, brandishing a few pieces of paper in front of her.
“I did it!” She yells breathlessly, skidding to a stop in front of me. “I got 100% on my math test!”
I smile, wrapping my arms around her. “Congratulations, monkey. You worked so hard, you deserve it.” I pull away from her and brush her hair off her forehead. She looks down at her test and flicks through the pages, smiling.
“Look, I even got the multiplication questions right, just like we practiced!”
She shows me her test and my heart grows. I ruffle her hair and give her another hug. “Good work, Audrey. Didn’t I tell you that you could do it?”
She smiles at me and I see a glint in her eye. “Do you remember what else you said?”
I feign ignorance. “What did I say?”
“You said if I did well on this test, I could go with Ben and Rachael to go camping this weekend!”
I chuckle. “Did I say that?”
“Mom! I got a hundred percent! I can’t do any better than that!”
“I’m joking, Audrey,” I laugh. “Of course you can go. Ethan should be home any minute, he can help you get all the camping gear together. I called Ben’s dad today to organize everything.”
“Really?” Her eyes widen and she jumps from foot to foot. “I can go?”
“Of course, monkey,” I say as Ethan walks in the door. That elicits a squeal from Audrey, who runs to him and wraps her arms around his waist. He looks at me, confused, and I just laugh.
The next day, when I wave goodbye to my daughter as her friends’ parents drive her down our driveway, Ethan puts his arm around my shoulder and kisses my temple. I lean into him and inhale his scent, closing my eyes to enjoy the warmth of his body next to mine. He guides me back inside.
When we cross the threshold, Ethan closes the door behind us and turns towards me. He puts his hands on either side of my head, leaning against the closed door and caging me against it. A low growl rumbles through his chest and he presses himself closer to me, running his lips just above the skin on my neck.
“We haven’t had the house to ourselves in a while,” he says, and his voice sends a thrill through my body.
“No,” I agree. “We haven’t.” I run my fingers up his shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin under my touch. He presses his chest against me, crushing his lips to mine and my whole body is set alight.
When his fingers crawl up my sides, I shiver. He presses me harder up against the door and a moan escapes my lips. I curl my fingers into his hair. Ethan grabs me by the waist and lifts me up so that I wrap my legs around him. He holds me close, carrying me towards the bedroom.
“You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever known,” he says, his eyes betraying the fire of desire that’s burning inside him.
“Almost as sexy as you,” I say, grinding my hips against him as he groans. He throws me down on the bed and climbs on top of me, kissing every inch of skin that his lips come in contact with. I help him lift my shirt overhead and sigh as he runs his hands over my stomach. He kisses my clavicle and then moves down between my breasts and over my stomach, letting his lips brush over every bit of me.
I’m trembling. My desire is soaking my underwear and I claw at his shirt. He chuckles, helping me lift his top off so that I can see the hard planes of his body. My fingers trail over every ridge of his muscles and I bite my lip. Ethan looks at me with cloudy eyes, groaning as my hands explore his body for the millionth time.
When I unfasten his pants, his breath catches in his throat and he slides off me to take them off. Then, he undresses me slowly, tenderly, worshipping every inch of skin that reveals itself.
Every time he touches me feels like the first time. My skin is jumping under him, and my body is arching and quivering with every touch. He hooks his fingers into my panties, slowly peeling them down my legs as his eyes drink me in.
The way he’s looking at me is driving me wild. He utters a deep, guttural groan when I kick my panties to the side and timidly spread my legs for him. I trail my fingers down my stomach towards my mound as he watches me, his eyes flashing with animalistic urges.
Then, he takes me. He plunges himself deep inside me and we become one. He wraps his arms around me and whispers everything and nothing in my ear. He sinks his teeth into my shoulder as I leave deep scratch marks on his back, and the two of us fly into the abyss together.
Some time later, Ethan lets out a sigh as I run my fingers up and down his arm. Our bodies are splayed on the bed with every movement slow and languid. He opens his eye and turns towards me, throwing his arm over my stomach and pulling me close.
“Marry me,” he whispers in my ear. I pull my head back as my eyebrows arch upwards.
“What?”
“Come on, Zoe,” he says, shifting so that we can see eye to eye. “We’ve built a life together here. Audrey is happy, I’m happy. I think you’re happy,” he grins. “I want you to be mine forever.”
“Forever is a long time,” I say, smiling.
“Not long enough,” he responds, bringing his lips to mine. My fingers trace his jaw, wrapping around the back of his neck as I lean my forehead against his.
“Are you serious about this?”
“Completely.”
My heart is thumping and my eyes are misting up. I try to swallow, but a lump has appeared in my throat. “And Audrey…?” I say, not quite sure exactly what I’m asking.
“I love her like a daughter, Zoe, you know that. You two are my family.”
Tears are falling from my eyes and I laugh-snort as I curl my fingers into his hair. I lean my forehead against Ethan’s and lay a trembling kiss on his lips. When we pull apart, he grins at me.
“So is that a yes?”
“Of course it’s a yes,” I say, laugh-snorting some more as I try to brush the tears off my face. “I love you, Ethan.”
“Not as much as I love you,” he whispers, and then crushes his lips against mine. His arms pull me closer and I melt into his broad chest, crying and laughing and smiling and snorting all at once. He laughs with me, and we make love again, basking in the happiness that we’ve built together.
The End
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