Epilogue

Lawson —9 Months Later

“We’re moving,” I declare.

“No, we’re not.” Greer sighs, ignoring my irritation, folding baby clothes and putting them away.

“Yes, we are. I didn’t think this through. We need more security and safety. The city is full of crazies, including our families. Did you see my dad last night? He waltzed in here looking like a street bum, dirty as hell, and reeked of stench.”

“You’re exaggerating again. He came from work, looked perfectly acceptable, and smelled fine.”

“His fingernails were filthy!” I spit out.

She stops folding and points to the door. “Out. Now.”

I refuse to move, my eyes glued to my daughter sleeping, swaddled securely in her bassinet. If I could, I’d stay this way twenty-four hours a day.

“Oooowwwww!” I hiss when Greer pinches the skin below my ribcage and twists painfully. She takes no mercy, using her advantage and yanking me out of the room.

She stomps us into the living room before releasing me. “What was that for?” I clutch my side.

“You’re hovering, smothering, suffocating, and every other word in the English language! You have to lay off.”

“Not a chance.”

“This is ridiculous. I thought it was sweet at first, but she’s nearly twelve weeks old.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“I thought I was the one that was supposed to be neurotic after childbirth.”

“I’m not neurotic. I’m protective, and to be honest, it bothers me you aren’t a little more concerned about the riffraff that invade our home on a daily basis.”

Her face heats up and eyes narrow in warning. “Riffraff? Did you just refer to our family and friends as worthless human beings?”

I step out of her reach before answering. “Yes.”

Laser beams shoot straight at me until my skin actually starts to tingle.

She drops her head back and looks at the ceiling, taking a few deep breaths. When she looks back to me, her eyes have cleared but her cheeks are still flushed.

“Lawson, you have to stop this. It’s exhausting taking care of a newborn and a psycho.”

“That’s another problem. You’re overextending yourself. You need to take care of Jade and I’ll take care of you. That’s how this circle is supposed to work. Instead, you’re taking care of everything and everyone. Having guests all the time is wearing you out.”

“Correction, YOU are wearing me out.”

A tinge of guilt rolls in my gut as her words sink in. I step back into her space, pulling her to me. “Baby, I’m not going to apologize for loving you beyond reason.”

“No, I didn’t think you would. But think maybe you can lighten up?”

“Probably not,” I tell her honestly.

She lifts her face to mine, and like always, my heart skips a beat at her radiance. Even fatigued, weary, and functioning on little sleep, she’s the most gorgeous woman in the world. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her, and she knows it. I stare into her eyes and sigh in defeat, giving in. “I’ll try to lighten up.”

She nestles into my embrace, wrapping her arms around my waist. “That’s all I can ask for.”

“After I speak to your dad about additional security to the building.” I amend my statement.

“Of course, because that’s all we need is Dad involved,” she grumbles, aware that her dad is almost as overbearing as me when it comes to her and Jade.

I hold her tight, kissing the top of her head an inhaling deep. The scent of all things baby fills my senses and instantly calm my overactive nerves.

“Are you sniffing me again?”

“You smell like Jade.”

“So do you.” She laughs.

“I love it.”

“I know.”

My eyes roam around our living room, skimming over the corner of baby items, and land on the built-in bookcases. I zone in on the center shelf and notice it empty. My senses go on alert as I scan the other shelves, looking for the photo I purposely placed there so I’d see it every time I entered the room. Greer is constantly moving it, only for me to come behind her and place it back.

“Baby, where’s our wedding picture?”

“Which one?”

“The only one that matters.”

“That’s rude, considering we have pictures covering the house.”

“Don’t play coy. Where is it?”

“Last time I saw it, Sandy was dusting it.”

Irritation spikes in my bloodstream. Sandy has been working for the Palmer family for over a decade. She’s efficient, trustworthy, and excellent at her job. Greer adores her, and Sandy is wild about our family. I liked her until this minute.

“The picture is missing, Greer. We need to call Sandy immediately.”

“I’m sure it’s not missing. Quit being ridiculous.”

She lets out a little yelp when I hoist her up, forcing her legs around my hips, and stalk to the middle of the room to inspect closer. Several pictures are rearranged, but none of them is the one I care about most.

“Lawson, look at me.” She balances her elbows on my shoulders and cups my cheeks, bringing my face to hers. “It’s not missing,” she reassures me.

“Where the hell is—”

She cuts me off, placing her lips on mine and slipping her tongue inside. All thoughts of the picture fly out of my head as she kisses me, curving her body into mine. Electric sensations start low in my stomach, unraveling and shooting through my veins. Every nerve ending comes alive as our tongues tangle and swirl together in rhythm. This morning seems like a lifetime ago since I had her writhing under me, calling my name as she flew apart.

I grip her ass, backing her into the shelves and deepening our connection. I kiss her like a starving man, unable to get enough. She grinds against my dick, and I growl down her throat, thrusting up.

Her hands slide into my hair, fisting as she moans, the sound vibrating against my tongue. She rocks, back and forth, up and down—moving urgently as the friction builds between us. The soft fabric of my sweatpants feels like sandpaper as my dick strains to be set free.

“Sofa,” I say into her mouth, twisting us.

“No.” She tears her mouth away and rests her forehead on mine. “Don’t stop.” Burning desire glows from her eyes, demanding more.

I crush my hipbones upward. “Right here?”

She gives me a short nod before tossing her head back and pressing down with such force an ache shoots down my dick. Her breathing speeds up as she rides me. I soak in the vision, ignoring the searing need pulsing through my veins.

I’m a lucky son of a bitch, I think to myself, watching Greer in awe. Her body tenses, her thighs constrict, and her fingernails dig into my flesh as she bucks and whimpers into the air. A surge of pride courses through me, awakening the possessive beast inside at the sight in my arms.

She comes down to earth, bracing her back to the shelves and spearing me with her satisfied gaze. “That was fun.”

“Fun?”

“Completely unexpected, but you never disappoint.”

“Why am I suddenly suspicious?”

“Because you’re a controlling nutcase that asks too many questions and needed distracting.”

“Dry fucking you against the bookcase is your form of a distraction?”

“It wasn’t planned, but I had to think of something quick. You were getting way too curious.”

“I’m not following you, but right now, all I want is you naked.” I decide we’ll get to the bottom of this later after I’ve fucked her on the sofa.

Right as I turn, the doorbell rings and I freeze. “Don’t these motherfuckers have jobs? It’s the middle of the day. I don’t care who the hell it is, they are not coming in this house.”

“Lawson, I’m expecting a delivery. Calm down.” She tries to hop out of my arms.

“No fucking way you are answering the door looking like you do.”

“Well, there’s no way you can answer it.” She makes her point by bouncing on my rock-hard cock.

“I’m coming with you.” I reluctantly let her down and plaster myself to her side, dragging her to the door.

The delivery guy takes one look at us and hurriedly hands over the package, leaving without a word.

Greer spins to me, her eyes now twinkling as she holds the box to her chest. “I have a surprise for you.”

Before I can respond, she’s dragging me down the hall on the other side of the kitchen that leads to the only unfinished part of the house. The area is sealed off with a temporary construction wall until she decides what she wants to do with the space.

I look between her and the wall skeptically. “What’s going on?”

“The wall is coming down today.”

“Have you decided what to do in here?”

She nods, her face begins to beam. “Open the door.”

I do as she asks, lights coming on as we enter. The area has been transformed into a studio space similar to Greer’s office at Blakely’s. There’s a table against a wall with her computer station, a large hanging rack already lined with clothes in the corner next to a three-way mirror, and accessories cover the surface of another smaller table to the side.

The room is large but not nearly the square footage of the space. It’s then I notice the enormous barn door hanging on the far wall.

“Obviously, this is mine, but I think you’ll like what’s on the other side,” she says softly.

My first thought is a separate nursery. Somewhere for Jade to play while Greer works so she can still be close. My feet move, taking me to the door, knowing my baby girl will have only the best. When I slide it open, all the air rushes out of my lungs and my legs threaten to give out.

It’s not a princess room, decked out in sparkles and shine. It’s masculine and powerful, outfitted in everything I could ever need. A drawing table is placed against the wall under the large window, giving it perfect light. More bookshelves are already filled with binders I recognize as my own. The room is a contrast to Greer’s office, yet it flows perfectly.

“How did you do this?” I finally find my voice.

“I had to get creative. Your dad helped immensely. Thank God for Janice keeping you late a few nights this week. I was beginning to stress it wouldn’t be done by today.”

I hear what she says, but my eyes are scanning the room, taking in everything. They fall on the piece of furniture in the middle, and waves of nostalgia slam into me. “Is that?” I don’t finish, walking to the desk.

“It is. I found a man who specializes in antiques. He stripped it and then stained it in a rich shade of mahogany. I think it turned out beautiful.”

“I haven’t seen this in years.”

“When I told Jarod what I envisioned, he immediately knew it would fit. When he explained it was your mother’s, that made it all the more perfect.”

My heart thunders in my chest, and my knees finally give out as I sink into the chair. Emotions bubble in my chest, and I fight to catch my breath. Then I see it.

Sitting on the edge of the desk is the picture. My picture.

Greer and I on our wedding day. Her lips sealed to mine. My hand on her stomach feeling my daughter kick as Greer officially became my wife. The moment was flawless and permanently etched into my brain. But the picture serves as a reminder of how far I’ve come, and there’s one person responsible for that.

As if she senses I need her, she’s by my side, slipping into my lap and placing a hand over my heart.

“Do you like it?” she asks cautiously.

“I love it. When did you decide to do this? I thought you didn’t know what you wanted to do with this side of the house.”

“We discussed doing an office.”

“This is more than an office; it’s a suite. It’s also larger than three-quarters of the apartments in this building.”

“I’ve decided to bring my work here. It’s been—”

“Wait,” I interrupt. “When did you make this decision, and why didn’t you tell me?”

“Let me finish. I knew me returning to work was stressing you out, and honestly, it began to weigh on my mind as well. I love my job and have no plans to quit or slow down, but that’s the beauty of having my own business. I call the shots, so I set the plan in motion. First thing I had to do was discuss it with Dad because he’s my business partner, and Hayley because she’s my employee. As suspected, neither of them had a problem and were thrilled with the idea. There are a lot of moving parts, but my idea is to be in Blakely’s a few days a week and work from home the other. It may take some time to work out the kinks, especially when my clients have evening or weekend events, but we’ll figure it out. Hayley has done an excellent job keeping the business thriving during my maternity leave. She’s flexible with coming here if needed. As far as Jade goes, she’s with me until we have to make a decision on a nanny.”

“All of that sounds fantastic, but what’s with this?” I jerk my chin to indicate my office.

“This is because my uber-talented husband, whom also happens to the be the Vice President of Architecture at the most sought-after firm in New York, needs a space to design.”

“I have an office.”

“Yes, but you also have a possessive, protective, and controlling streak that’s seeping into the business.”

I jerk my chin, narrowing my eyes and feeling the rumbling low in my gut. “Who got to you?”

“Do you need the list?”

“People need to keep their mouth shut. I’m handling it.”

“No, you’re not. You turned down another RFP last week. That’s unlike you.”

“No, that’s unlike the old me. Now, my priorities are different.”

“No, that’s the controlling Lawson Hall, the man who hasn’t found his replacement and refuses to appoint anyone to take the load off his shoulders.”

“Morris is doing better than it has in a decade. Our profits are skyrocketing and business is booming. We can afford to skip over a few RFPs. If we bid on all the projects coming in, I’d be working twenty-four seven and I’m not prepared to do that. That side of me almost lost you, and I’ll never go back there.”

Her eyes soften, and she brings her hand to wave in front of my face. The radiant diamond set sparkles. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t actually lose me.”

“Greer, my personal life is not going to be jeopardized for the sake of business. Grandpa, Rob, Dad, and everyone else knows how I feel. They knew it when I took the promotion.”

“Nothing is going to be jeopardized. That’s why I’m stepping in, taking my own control, and making decisions. You’re not going to fight me on this.”

“I’m not fighting you on anything.”

“I know how much you love me and Jade, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be the powerful business executive, too. You don’t have to choose. You can actually have it all.”

I want to argue with her, but there’s a buzz of excitement that through my bloodstream. It’s not lost on me that I’ve made some decisions that affect the company based on my fear of the job taking away from my family. Rumblings around the office are that I’ve gone soft, my drive disappearing. At her words, I realize how the fire that once fueled me still lives inside. Only now, it’s stronger than ever because I have her.

“Have it all, huh? You gonna be able to live with that?”

“Hell yes, I miss the cocky arrogance and egotistical asshole that was once known as Lawson Hall. I heard the stories and I think it’s hot.” She emphasizes hot in a seductive whisper and leans in, pulling my bottom lip between her teeth. “I chose to marry that man for a reason.”

She backs away before I can react, bouncing in my lap. “Before we get to the last part of your surprise, open this.”

I take the package from her and rip it open, freezing at the picture frame inside. Staring back at me is a photo of Greer and Jade, both wearing NYU shirts, and Greer in my favorite ragged hat that she loves.

Their green eyes shine so bright, so blinding, my throat starts to close. It wasn’t long after she was born that Jade’s eyes started to transform into the same shade as her mother’s. It was something I’d hoped for but immediately knew would haunt me later in life, because they are a mesmerizing crystal green that will one day attract attention from assholes like me.

Every time I look at her, I’m reminded of my purpose in life, something I tell Greer every day.

“It’s beautiful.”

“We took it yesterday and I thought it would be a perfect addition to your new office space. Maybe it can replace your obsession with the wedding picture.”

“Not sure it’s a replacement, but it’s a runner-up.”

“Fair enough.” She takes it from me, twisting to place it on the far side of the desk. When she turns back, her eyes start to glow in a way that sends a direct message. “Time for your last surprise.”

My heart beats faster, knowing this look well. “There’s more?”

“We have approximately thirty minutes until Jade wakes up…”

She doesn’t have time to finish her thoughts before I’m out of the chair, placing her on her feet, and stripping us both. Her eyes travel over my body, landing on my dick, and she licks her lips appreciatively.

“My husband is fucking hot.” She accentuates the word as she did earlier, reaching out and scaling a finger down my chest.

The untamed beast inside emerges, and I growl, crushing my mouth to hers. Like always, she forms to me, wrapping me in her arms and giving herself over.

It may make me a bastard and an evil son of a bitch, but it’s moments like this that I don’t ever regret lying my way into her life.

Because Greer Hall will forever be mine.

•∞•∞•