Epilogue
Waves crashed lazily against the beach. The cloudy sky almost seemed cheerful in its disposition. Seagulls squawked and crabs scuttled sideways.
Nala Nazarov perched on the hood of a luxury sedan, taking in the fresh, salty air.
It was the most at peace she had felt in so long that she almost felt like she was dead. A blissful, heavenly death. As she lay back and let her hair be whipped around by the sea breeze, she imagined rose petals cast around her body and candles burning on the ground. A fitting farewell to someone only a few people knew.
“They said if we keep going south, we’ll hit the caves soon enough.”
Nala turned her head and opened her eyes, finding Vincent leaning against his car. “Come sit with me,” she said. “It’s a beautiful day.”
Vincent stared at the white, somewhat gray sky before looking back at her. “You have a funny meaning of beautiful.”
“It’s beautiful to me.”
The car sank a little as he sat next to her, his jeans stiff but his cotton T-shirt flexible. The suit jacket he wore over the shirt had a habit of turning Nala on every time she looked at him. The stubble he had yet to shave off made him look dark and dangerous. She knew he was anything but.
“I think you’re beautiful.”
Nala smiled. Thanks for proving my point. “Did you bring me a maple bar?”
Vincent leaned his head back. “Forgot. Was too distracted by the waitress’s, erm, assets. She had a lot, and they were very pushed into my face.”
“Uh huh. Checking out another woman’s tits. I see how you are.”
“To be fair, unless I closed my eyes or put my hand over my face, I didn’t have a choice.”
“You saying mine are too small to have the same effect?”
“What? No way!”
Nala shoved his shoulder. “I’m joking.”
“You better be.”
“I am!”
It was one of many pranks she had pulled on him since life settled down again. In the several weeks since the raid at Xavier Crow’s house in the West Hills, Vincent and Nala had made strides to work more like a real couple and less like partners in crime. That meant more dates. And less espionage. And a whole lotta sex. She was afraid happy Vincent wouldn’t be as into the kind of sex she liked, but Nala had been pleasantly surprised at how often she needed to recuperate her ability to use her legs again.
Other, sometimes more personal things had transpired as well. Nala officially changed her address to Vincent’s. She also didn’t get a new job. Instead, she decided to live off her sugar daddy boyfriend’s money without any guilt and do something else with her life. Namely enroll in the local community college with the goal of eventually transferring to a four-year university. Her first classes started in two weeks. Until then, she was enjoying the time she had to go shopping, play video games, and go on driving excursions with her busy billionaire boyfriend.
Vincent was in a lull between projects again. Whenever this happened, he got the traveling bug, insisting on a weekend in San Francisco, a night out on the town that consisted of a ton of alcohol and a bunch of people nerdily arguing over different editions of D&D, or driving to the other side of the state to take in the natural sights. Nala was always invited. In fact, it was mandatory that she go.
Vincent didn’t have any new projects lined up for a good while. He said he was taking extra time off until Nala started her classes, knowing that she would be spending a lot of time studying since she was such a serious person. Yet when he asked what she wanted to focus on and she said, “Coding, so I can be better than you one day,” he had to punish her for insubordination. Found out that night how much this girl likes a sore ass.
Yet the craziest thing wasn’t that they kept up the Dom/sub shenanigans when the mood struck them, or that they were asked to submit official testimony against Xavier Crow and his henchmen, or that Nala felt comfortable dropping thousands of dollars on a shopping spree – to buy more video game equipment she knew Vincent needed for his nights off. No, what she was shocked to find out was that she and Vincent would keep up some of the more public qualities of a kinky sex life.
They found another club – a real one – for people like them and tested the waters by doing a trial membership. There was no pressure for them to do anything in front of anyone. They could enjoy the other members and their shows without fear of committing to anything they were uncomfortable with. There were leaders who kept things running smoothly, but they weren’t, well, sociopathic freaks. Nala was also able to cultivate her own personality that was more true to her, even when Vincent latched her Nightingale collar around her neck and told her to grind against him in a private room. She was more than happy to oblige.
They also stayed close with Lucian and Robin, the latter of whom continued to blow up Nala’s phone whenever the mood struck her. In a way, they were best friends now.
“What do you think?” Vincent asked, showing her a picture on his phone. “That’s the one I did at work yesterday. Think I should post it?”
Nala glanced at the weaving Vincent pulled off with a few ropes and silks he kept in a drawer in his desk. Since dating Nala, he had immersed himself in the world of artistic bondage, and often practiced during his brief downtimes. Sometimes he depicted scenes. Other times they looked like dark spider webs. This one was a large flower, like a daisy, spiraling out of control. Sometimes Nala modeled for him. In bed or in a chair, of course. She liked being his muse.
“Post it. Build that portfolio. You’re gonna do that demonstration at the club… next thing you know? You’re Vincent Lane, billionaire tech guru and that guy who makes art with women and ropes!”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s an Instagram account.”
“I keep forgetting you can do that with phones.”
“Sometimes I think you have to be kidding.”
Nala leaned her head against his shoulder with a pleasant visage. “I love you. You’re my favorite thirty-year-old.”
He snorted. “I love you too. I could love way worse twenty-one-year-olds.”
“I’m twenty-two now. Excuse you.” What a great birthday. Cake, orgasms, and video games. In that order.
“Ah, yes, huge difference.”
“Like our ages!”
“Would you stop bringing that up? It’s clearly not like that.”
“I’m practicing for what my mother says when she finds out.”
“Your mother?”
“Uh huh. Now get in the car. It’s a long drive to Nevada from here.”
“We are going to Nevada, huh?”
“Yup. You’re going to meet my mother. Then we’re going to Fresno so I can meet your mother.”
“Whoa, whoa…”
“Yup! And you’re going to introduce me as your fiancée so she knows how serious it is.”
“Whoa.”
“Relax. I’m not telling you to marry me.” Nala slid off the hood of his car and opened the passenger side door. “Yet. Let me finish school first, cradle robber.”
Sighing, Vincent joined her in the car and started the ignition. “The things I do for love.”
“I’ve thought that a lot over the past few months.”
He looked at her, fondly. “Me too.”
Nala met him halfway over the front seat of the car for a light kiss. She sat back, pulling on his seatbelt and giving him a wry smile. “Look at you. My hardworking, super hot boyfriend who likes cramming it in like he’s never gonna get the chance to again. However will I compete in the coding world with you?”
Vincent put the car in reverse and eased into a turnout. “I know. You’ll be spending most of your time in bed, so you won’t be able to.”
“That’s the only advantage you have over me.”
“The only one?”
“Why, yes. I come from a proud line of Nazarov women who kick ass at science and fuck Doms. It’s just my sister was smarter at the former and I was smarter at the latter.”
Vincent pulled his sunglasses on and turned onto the nearest roadway. “This is going to be a very interesting relationship.”
“Would you have it any other way?”
“Nope.”
He hit the gas and took them south. To California? Toward Nevada? Who knew. Furthermore, who cared?
The day was young and Nala was in love without a care in the world. This was what she was meant to do with her life – and it was only getting started.
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We hope you enjoyed THE NIGHTINGALE TRILOGY. Please enjoy this bonus preview of HIS DOMINATION, starring the characters Monica and Henry. Part 1, PURSUED, is presented here!