Page 188 of Candy Hearts, Vol. 2

EPILOGUE

BEN

One Year Later

I paced around our shared apartment, waiting anxiously for Cody to get home from running errands so we could get going. I had a big date planned for us, complete with a visit to the restaurant where we’d first met and an evening stroll along the lake. When the door finally opened, I startled and shoved my hands into my pockets, trying not to look suspicious as I toyed with the box I was holding on to.

"Ben?" Cody called as he entered. He stopped and narrowed his eyes at me. "What are you doing?"

I glanced around, trying to look innocent. "Uh…"

"You’ve been really weird lately." He bit his lip for a second. "Look, if you’re trying to break up with me or something–"

"No," I practically shouted at him. "I mean, no. I’m not trying to break up with you."

"Then what’s got you acting so strange?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I’m not acting strange."

"Are you cheating on me? Because I told Sophia you were acting off lately and she said guys always start acting off when they cheat."

"No. God, no. Look, I’m not trying to act strange. I’m sorry if I’ve been a little distracted lately. It’s just… work."

"You love your job."

"That doesn’t mean it’s never stressful."

"But–"

I put my hand on his upper arm. "Babe. Listen. I’m not cheating, I’m not sick, and I’m definitely not breaking up with you."

"What is it then?"

I pulled him into my arms and kissed the side of his head. After a moment, I slipped my hand in my pocket and pulled out the little box. Holding it up for him to see, I took a step back and dropped to one knee. Before I could speak, Cody’s eyes widened. "You’re not serious."

Chuckling weakly, I nodded. "I am serious." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Cody, I’m so glad I dialed that wrong number. It’s been a little over a year since we’ve met and we’ve been inseparable ever since. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you so, so much. Will you marry me?"

He inhaled shakily and then chuckled. "I can’t believe you’re proposing to me in the living room."

"Hey." I held my hands up in surrender. "I was trying to save it for later, but then you had to go accuse me of being weird."

"You have been weird," he countered.

"To my credit, I’ve been weird because I’ve been trying to keep this proposal a secret."

"Fair." He reached down and pulled me to my feet, into an embrace. "I love you, too."

"So is that a yes?"

He squeezed me tighter, his body shaking with laughter. "Of course it’s a yes." After another moment passed, he pulled back. "Do I get to see the ring?"

I opened the box and handed it to him. Inside was a silver band, a dark cherry wood stripe running across the center.

He took it out of the box and slipped it on his finger.

"Is it okay?"

"It’s perfect." He kissed me, deep and slow, for several long moments. When we parted, he leaned back and met my gaze. "Why are you all dressed up?"

I chuckled. "I was going to take you out. On a date. We were going to go to dinner at our restaurant. A walk around the lake. It’s almost a full moon, so I thought it would be beautiful out. And then I was going to propose."

Cody melted against me a little, leaning his head on my shoulder. "Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too. Do you still want to go out?"

He shook his head. "I have a better idea." He turned his head to face me, pressing his lips to my neck. When I groaned, he smiled against my skin and then opened his mouth to scrape his teeth along my skin. "You okay?"

"I’m great," I said, a little breathlessly. "Super." My cock responded almost instantly, thickening in my slacks, pressing against Cody’s thigh.

He kissed my neck again, sucking lightly. "You sure about that?"

"Fuck," I hissed.

"That’s the idea."

With that, I stepped back just a bit, far enough that I was able to scoop him into my arms and carry him to the bedroom, Cody screaming with laughter. I tossed him onto our bed and he scrambled back until he was against the pillows, spreading his thighs wide. The outline of his erection was evident through his jeans.

Without hesitation, I stripped my clothes off, tossing them aside. Cody watched, eyes glazed with lust, humming and stroking himself over his jeans as I discarded my shirt, slacks, and boxer briefs. When I was naked, I climbed onto the bed and unfastened his jeans before yanking them off, along with his underwear. He took his own shirt off, flinging it to the floor before pulling me into a deep kiss.

I reached for the lube on our side table, clicking the cap open and pouring it onto my fingers before spreading Cody open and sliding a finger into him. He arched his back and groaned as I pushed inside, putting a hand on his leaking cock and stroking slowly. I eased a second finger in, twisting and spreading them to stretch his muscle.

"Please," he groaned. "I’m ready."

I thrust my fingers into him again. "You sure?" Cody groaned and nodded frantically and I pulled out, slicking up my own leaking cock. For a long moment, I kneeled above him, both of us stroking ourselves, my breath catching in my throat–a combination of lust and joy.

"Come on ." His voice was desperate, his brows knitting together as he bucked his hips.

I grinned and nodded, lining up my cock and pressing into him slowly, teasing him. When I bottomed out, my pelvis flat against his ass, I held steady, dropping down to kiss him, fucking into his mouth with my tongue before nipping his bottom lip. He moaned into the kiss and between us, his fist flexed and tightened on his erection, which was trapped against my stomach.

Finally showing mercy, I pulled out and thrust back in, fucking him hard and dragging another moan from his throat. His ass clenched around me, pure heat as I moved into him, over and over, hitting his prostate and causing him to moan and writhe beneath me. Cody put his free hand on my shoulder and squeezed as I pounded into him, watching his face as I took him apart.

He groaned on every exhale, his body rocking every time I thrust into him, his fist working between us. Cody moved his hips up into his fist and down onto my cock, over and over. My climax barreled toward me, heat banking in my stomach and my balls drawing tight against my body.

"Fuck," Cody muttered. "So close." A second later, heat pulsed between us, his orgasm spilling out onto his stomach and splattering on my chest at the same time. As he finished, the muscles of his ass tightened on me, over and over again. The heat and pressure of his body sent me reeling and I lost control, coming deep into his body and stuttering to a stop.

I dipped down and kissed him again, slowly, as he rode the waves of his aftershocks, his hips bucking against me.

When we were both spent, I pulled out and rolled to the side, collapsing next to him with a deep, satisfied exhale. With his clean hand, Cody reached down and entwined our fingers. I glanced at our hands, feeling the press of his new ring. A different kind of heat rushed through me, enveloping me as I squeezed his fingers.

I knew we should get up and clean ourselves off before things started to dry or get sticky, but I couldn’t bring myself to break the moment. Not yet.

"Hey," I murmured.

Cody turned to look at me. "Yeah?"

"I love you."

A radiant smile broke out over his face. "I love you too."

The End