Page 95 of The Hero
“Yeah,” he agreed.
“And you totally grimaced,” she said. Bob could feel her lips curl up in a grin against his chest.
He wasn’t surprised. Every orgasm with her felt as if he was being turned inside out. It hurt in the best way. “Whatever,” he fake grumbled.
Marlowe giggled, and the sound went straight to Bob’s heart. He’d do anything, give anything, to hear that small giggle every day for the rest of his life.
She yawned and sighed sleepily.
“I’ve got you, Punky. Sleep.”
“I don’t want to dream.”
“I know.” And he did. “But if you do, I’m here.”
“Yeah, you are.”
He felt her breaths get slower and deeper against him, and by the time his cock softened enough to slip out of her body, she was asleep once more. Bob shifted her so she was lying against his side, and he pulled up the covers that they’d kicked off in their lovemaking.
Usually when he lay in bed, his mind wouldn’t shut down. Visions of his past flickered through his brain like a movie. But tonight, it wasn’t his past that kept him awake ... it was his future. The house Marlowe described. Their kids running around, shrieking like little hellions, laughing with Chappy and Cal’s children.
He fell asleep with a smile on his face. He had no idea what their future would actually hold, but whatever it was, he’d be with Marlowe. He had no doubt whatsoever about that.
Epilogue
Five Months Later
Marlowe smiled as she watched Chappy, Cal, JJ, and Kendric unloading the moving truck. It had taken a while to find the perfect place, but as soon as she’d laid eyes on this house, she knew it was the one. It needed some work, but Kendric promised to make it shine, and she had no doubt he’d do just that.
He seemed content. Sometimes she worried that he’d get bored and want to go work for Willis again, but he’d assured her over and over that he was done with that. That he was satisfied being here in Newton with her and his friends.
He worked a lot, but Marlowe didn’t mind. He needed to stay busy, and if chopping trees and leading people on hikes on the Appalachian Trail kept him occupied and satisfied, she would never tell him to stop.
Ian’s trial was still pending, and while that was frustrating, Marlowe knew it was for the best. He was being held without bail, at least, and the lawyers were doing their due diligence, covering all their bases so he wouldn’t ever get out of jail. All the money he’d hidden in offshore accounts had been confiscated, and customs, Homeland Security, and the FBI were still tracking down some of the artifacts he’d stolen before he’d gone to Thailand.
So with Ian in jail and Kendric settled ... things were going great in Marlowe’s life, and she couldn’t be happier.
She rubbed her growing belly and smiled as Carlise and June came over to stand next to her.
“Look at us, the three fat little pigs,” June joked.
Marlowe laughed. She’d gotten pregnant surprisingly quickly. Less than a month after she’d started getting her period again. It was as if her body had just been waiting for Kendric’s sperm or something. Chappy had also finally knocked up Carlise, and Marlowe was thrilled that all their children would be born around the same time, only a few months apart.
Cal’s house wasn’t too far from the one that Marlowe and Kendric had bought, and while Chappy and Carlise were still living in their apartment in town, they were building onto their cabin in the mountains.
“I’m so happy for you,” Carlise said, resting her head on Marlowe’s shoulder—and bending awkwardly to do so. The other woman was so much taller than her and June, she frequently joked about using their heads to rest her elbows.
“This house really is perfect,” June added.
“Yeah,” Marlowe agreed.
“Should we feel guilty that we’re just standing here watching our men do all the heavy lifting?” Carlise asked after a moment.
Marlowe laughed. “Ha. I tried to help, but Kendric yelled at me. Told me to ‘go eat some pickles or something.’”
The other women chuckled.
“Right?” Carlise said. “It’s as if they think we’re completely helpless, simply because we’re pregnant.”
