Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“Because you don’t cringe away from me when I’m all sweaty from a workout,” he chuckles. “Most women would.”
“I like you when you’re like this,” I whisper, turning to him and standing on my tiptoes, bringing my lips to his in a fusion of lust and love. “In fact…”
He grins, a feral note entering his expression. “I like the sound of that. Come on.”
He takes my hand and leads me from the study-slash bedroom, the room I chose to combine my two passions in life, my writing and my daughter.
But my other passion requires our bedroom, with our four poster bed and silk sheets.
His touch lingers on the small of my back, burning against my skin the same way it did the first time he claimed me.
Extended Epilogue
Ten Years Later
Miller
“Daddy, I get to be the giant,” Freddy says, grinning up at me as the fire dances across his face.
We’re sitting in our large living room, the curtains drawn against the winter cold, the fire flooding the room with warm orange light that whispers over the furniture and the large display cabinet at the back, glinting off the glass. I love to study that cabinet, drinking in the sight of my woman’s books, all of them bestsellers, two of them made into Blockbuster movies.
I’m prouder and prouder of her every single day.
Freddy does his mock-glare, looking so much like his mother I almost feel a tear rise to my eye. My five year old is one hell of a troublemaker.
“Daddy.”
“Nah uh,” Keira says, reaching down to ruffle his hair. “I’m the biggest. I’m the giant.”
“You didn’t even want to be in the play,” Alexis says, strolling up next to her twin brother.
Alexis has the same deep brown hair as her brother, with a smattering of freckles across her cheeks. She wears her hair in a braid over her shoulder, and she’s very proud of the fact she can do her braid all by herself. That’s how she always says it.
“All by myself, Daddy.”
And it fills me up with more and more love each time.
“So you see,” Alexis says, “I am the giant.”
I chuckle and glance over their heads, looking at my wife on the couch with Jasper in her arms. Our newborn is sleeping peacefully, making soft cooing noises as Macie rocks him softly.
Beside them, Lily sits with her legs tucked beneath her, her eyes focused on her paperback, flickering from one side of the page to the other as though she can barely wait to get to the next line. Of all our children, Lily is the most likely to grow up to be a writer like her mom.
Macie glances up, catching me watching her, and a warm smile spreads across her perfect cheeks. The years have only made her more beautiful, more full-figured, more confident and sassy and all the other things I knew she could be.
“Daddy, you’re doing it again,” Alexis says.
“Yeah, come on. So gross,” Keira adds.
“Doing what?” I chuckle.
“Looking at each other,” Freddy grins. “But all lovey-dovey. Lovey-dovey like two loved-up doves.”
He laughs, proud of himself like he always is when he says this.
Even if it’s become one of his favorite catchphrases, I never get tired of it, and I never will.
“Mommy,” he goes on, spinning on her. “No more looking at Daddy. He needs to choose who the giant is.”
“But how can he choose, huh, when you all want to play the part? You’re putting him in a very difficult position.”
Freddy laughs and steps forward, straightening his shoulders and thumping his chest proudly in a way that makes my heart melt. “Nope. It’s the easiest choice in the whole wide world. It’s—”
“Me,” I suddenly roar, leaping to my feet and making my monster voice that always drives Freddy and Alexis into hysterical laughter.
Keira rolls her eyes like a true over-it ten year old, but even she can’t stop laughing when I start chasing the three of them around the living room, growling, and grumbling. Not for the first time, I’m relieved Jasper has been the most chilled, laid-back of our babies.
A bomb could go off and that beautiful little man would sleep peacefully.
I grab Freddy in one arm and Alexis in the other, wrestling them to the ground and then lifting them over my head.
They giggle and smile at each other, true twins, and Keira drops down next to Lily and smooths her hand through her hair. Macie smiles at me, and I think there might be tears in her eyes, but it’s difficult to tell with the firelight reflecting off her full gorgeous cheeks.
I love you, she mouths in between the mayhem.
I mouth it right back. I love you.
Freddy uses the moment to dive-bomb me, hugging onto me as his sister goes to work clambering onto my head.
I laugh as waves upon waves of love move through me, unbelievably thankful Macie walked into my office that day, unbelievably thankful I get to call this heaven my life.