Epilogue
Mateo
“You can’t be serious?”
“Why not?” Chase stares into my eyes, a sparkle gleaming from the lights surrounding us. His adventurous spirit is one of the things I love about him, but this is a little crazy.
“Because it seems like something you wouldn’t want a person who was recently suicidal to do.” I counter, knowing I’m probably going to lose this argument but still giving it my all.
“Come on, it’ll be fun.”
Another scream of laughter comes from the pair of kids who have been tied into the swinging chair hanging forty stories up at the Rio. The man working the line makes sure they’re fully fastened and then releases them, letting them soar from the top of one building to the other.
After finishing dinner at one of Chase’s favorite restaurants, he had the notion that we should do something fun and crazy. But flying across two buildings while hanging from a wire isn’t my idea of fun. It’s just crazy. “I don’t know... It’s really high, and for the first time in my life, I can honestly say I don’t want to die tonight.”
Chase beams with pride.
I’ve come a long way in the past few months, and he’s the main reason I’ve become the new and improved man I am today. Sure, I still struggle with some of my past mistakes, but I’ve learned to not let them control me anymore. He pulls me in for a hug, wrapping his arms around me and placing a hand at the back of my head.
“I love you, you know that?”
“Yeah. I love you too,” I reply.
“Okay... So, we’ll skip the zip line. Let’s go to the strip and gamble then.”
Laughing, I nod my head. “What’s gotten into you?”
“You make me happy. When I’m happy, I want to do exciting things. Is that a crime?” He grins at me coyly. It’s that sexy smirk that makes my knees weak and my cock twitch.
“No.”
“Alright then.” Chase takes my hand in his and leads me back to the elevator banks where we ride down to the ground floor and head to his car. He drives us to the Venetian and we’re transported to the beautiful architectural stylings of Venice. I haven’t been to many casinos, but this is one of my favorites. The ceilings are painted to reflect an Italian sky while the walls are adorned with ornate and intricate beams and sconces. It takes my breath away every time I come inside.
Chase finds a slot machine on the main casino floor and starts to play while I settle in comfortably on the empty chair beside him. “You want to play?” He hands me a hundred dollar bill.
I take it before responding. “No, I’ll just watch you.” Then I tuck the hundred into my pocket. Chase looks at me, furrowing his eyebrows. “That was for you to play with.”
“You should have said that before you offered it.” I wink and laugh at his frown. It’s not that I need the money. Tanner bought me out of my contract, so I have all the money I could ever need. But far be it from me to turn down something that’s handed to me.
“Fair enough... Next time, I’ll make sure to tell you my intentions before I give you something.”
“Promise?” I ask, letting my voice become raspy and deep.
“Does that hundred buy me a night with you later?”
“Maybe,” I say coyly.
He puts that sexy smirk back on just as he pulls the lever of the machine he’s sitting at. After playing for several more minutes, the bottom row of mixed symbols eats up the last of the funds he’s been playing on. We walk through the casino floor and then find ourselves amidst the shops of the Venetian before stepping outside into the crisp night air.
The street is alive with tourist scurrying between casinos and shops on the Strip. Normally, I don’t like being around so many people, but having Chase by my side helps makes all the difference. He grasps my hand in his as we step into the crowd, following the flow of people while we enjoy the evening breeze.
The flashing lights surrounding us have an exhilarating effect. “What should we do next?”
Chase pauses, looking around. “Let’s just keep walking for a bit.”
“Okay.” I hold his hand tighter as we continue to walk. The volcano display at the Mirage is nearby, and I watch in awe at the mixture of lights and water that make it look as though a real volcano is spewing lava down its sides.
We walk a bit farther, not off the Strip, but down where the sidewalks aren’t as saturated with people. Chase directs my attention to a small building sitting right off the strip. “That looks like fun.”
Taking a closer look, I notice the bells above the doorway. “A wedding chapel? How is that fun?”
“We could get married,” he replies.
I chuckle, wondering if Chase has really gone crazy. “Married? Be serious.”
“I’m serious enough to know that I don’t want to spend a day without you in my life. My house was so empty before you came along. And now, you’ve made it a home by filling it with someone for me to love and to receive love in return.”
“You know this all sounds cheesy, right?” I glance over at him, expecting a smirk. But his expression is dead serious. “Chase... What if you get tired of me?”
“Never,” he says, shaking his head. “I’ll never grow tired of waking up next to you in the mornings and falling asleep by your side at night. I love you more than you’ll ever know.”
“I love you too, babe.” Now he’s making me feel romantically cheesy.
“So, what do you say?”
“Chase...”
“Marry me, Mateo. Make me the happiest man alive.”
I look between him and the chapel. He nods his head, encouraging me to say yes. Excitement builds within me as the words come tumbling out of my mouth. “Yes. Of course I’ll marry you.”
Chase’s eyes light up. He moves into me, kissing my lips passionately then pulls away, clasps my hand again, and drags me toward the building. A woman at the entrance greets us and we fill out all the necessary paperwork quickly before she leads us into the main room and marries us. It’s all so surreal as we say vows to one another. Vows that are hurried but no less true.
I love this man. And I know he loves me. And anyone who can love me...the real me...knowing all my flaws, my faults, my past sins, yet still would do anything for me deserves every bit of love and happiness I can give him.
“I do.” I repeat the words Chase just said.
“Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husbands for life.” The words seem to echo from the rafters as Chase pulls me into him and kisses me.
***
When we walk into the house later, everything feels different. “Welcome home, Mateo.” Chase pulls me into him once again. It’s a feeling that I’m becoming used to. But this time, Chase’s kiss is needy. There’s a lust behind his passion that has my skin burning. We barely get to the couch before he’s stripping of my shirt and rubbing his hands down my lean muscles.
The light touch of his fingertips against my skin causes it to prickle. Each stroke stoking the fire building in my center. I find his lips with mine again, devouring his mouth. It’s like I need him to breath and can’t get enough of him.
I move my hands behind his back and tug at the hem of his shirt, loosening it from where it’s tucked into his pants and pulling it free. Then I lift upward. Chase obliges, raising his hands above him so that I can pull the shirt free and expose the newly tanned skin underneath. He’s been spending a lot more time in the pool with me, and it shows.
He practically growls as I rake my hands down his chest, stopping at the top of his jeans. The tips of my fingers barely get below his beltline before he’s meeting me there as his hands undo his button and pull at the zipper. His thick erection is begging for release. With enough space to reach inside his pants now, I finish dipping my fingers deep into his boxer shorts, kneading his massive girth with my hand.
Chase’s cock always amazes me. It’s thick, with a perfect mushroom head and long shaft. No wonder he’s able to make me feel so good when he’s inside me. I stoke his length a few times. Chase practically falls into me, breathing deeply in my ear as I play with is rod.
“Fuck, yeah. Like that, baby.” My body reacts to his raspy voice with another shiver as I push his pants to the ground and lower my body. With his ass pressed against the edge of the couch, I playfully lick at the tip of his cock. A bead of moisture glistens at the head, so I lick it up, enjoying his taste.
“Mmm, you taste good.” I take him into my mouth, letting his expansive cock fill every available inch of space. I work up and down his shaft, slipping his cock in and out of my mouth as I use my hand to stroke his dick with each movement I make. Chase squirms then grabs the back of my hair and pulls my head against his cock, forcing me to swallow even more of him down my throat.
His dominance is a turn on as I allow him to hold me in place, his cock resting inside my throat, pulsing as he cuts off all the air from my lungs. Just when I don’t think I can take anymore, he releases me, and I gasp. Trails of spit between his cock and my mouth begin to fall, but I quickly use my hand to wipe my mouth and stroke his cock with the excess lubrication.
Chase moans, which encourages me to pull on him faster, letting the slick coating move my hand above his tip before moving my grasp back down along his shaft. His hands grip the edge of the couch, and I’m preparing for him to blow his load at any moment. But he doesn’t. Chase moves his hands from the couch to under my arms and lifts me up, kissing me passionately.
His body is warm as our chests touch. His hands begin to fumble with my pants, which are tight from the erection pushed against the fabric. Once he has me free, he strokes me a few times, but then grips my shoulders and turns me around, thrusting me against the couch. I lean over it, finding purchase on the cushions as Chase lines himself up to my hole.
Chase’s cock is sufficiently lubricated with my saliva, but his size is still something I’m getting used to. The first thrust inside me makes me cry out as his tip breaches my tight ring of muscle. As always, his thick shaft presses against my prostate, causing a burst of pleasure to coarse through me. The knot at my core begins to form again as he thrust in and out of me, pushing my body against the sofa.
He’s never been this controlling with me before, but I enjoy every minute of it. Because, unlike when I was at The Vault, I don’t have to worry about making him happy. I know I am already. And with this knowledge, I’m able to escape from my thoughts and let him control me, let him take me, let him satisfy me.
Chase begins to moan, which lets me know he’s getting close to his climax. My body is rigid with anticipation as my core releases and the all too familiar feeling flows to my shaft. “I’m going to come.” Chase’s words are thick with desire as he pulls from my ass and turns me around. He’s just about to come on my chest when my cock erupts.
His eyes alight when he notices the heavy stream of come erupting from my slit when I’m not even touching myself. “Fuck, that’s so god damn hot.” Chase moves his hand up his shaft once more and his first wave of an orgasm mirrors my own as thick, creamy milk blends together against my stomach with my own.
I grab my cock, milking the last of my orgasm out as Chase continues to unload on me. Before he’s finished, he kisses me again. “I love you, Mr. Chase Ryan.”
The largest smile I ever remember having in my entire life bursts onto my face. “I love you too, Mr. Mateo Lopez.”
He pulls away and laughs. “Maybe Ryan-Lopez?”
I chuckle and give him a wink. “Or maybe Lopez-Ryan.” Chase just smiles at me with a huge grin. Because either way, the point is that he’s mine and I’m his. And for the first time in I believe either of our lives, we finally have the one person who loves us...no matter what.