Page 24

epilogue

ADELE

“I refuse to let this count as a honeymoon. I’m thinking Cabo,” Gage said as he and Adele dropped their bags on the living room floor.

Adele lifted a brow at him. “When we take a real honeymoon, you’re not invited.”

“But…!”

“I second that. I love you, but I’m not having my kid tag along,” Kash said, wheeling through the doorway in his new chair. Lightweight with no armrests and a low back that allowed him to sit comfortably when he needed it.

And today was a day for it, Adele knew. His legs had been giving him trouble after the long hours on the road.

Adele walked over and leaned down to kiss him. “Exactly. I don’t need a walking, talking cock-block.”

“Disgusting. Oh my God, you’re sending me and my friends to Cabo or paying for my therapy.”

“I’ll take option B,” Adele said, “since I’m already paying for it.”

It felt good to be home, even if this wasn’t officially home. But the three of them decided to take a month off everything to recover from the chaos of the fire, the wedding, and everything else that had led up to those hectic weeks.

The rental was exactly the way they’d left it—familiar and yet alien at the same time—and Adele was ready to put his feet up on the table and maybe have a meal that didn’t come from a restaurant or a gas station.

“I’m gonna take off,” Gage said, walking back into the living room after dropping his bags.

Adele stared at him. “We literally just got home.”

“Yep, and a month with you two is plenty, thank you.” When Adele’s stare didn’t relent, Gage rolled his eyes. “I’m going to hang with Lucas. We’re doing college talk stuff, and also, he got the new map from Saffron and April.”

The couple that owned the nerdy game store. Adele couldn’t forget those two. Before they left for the Cape, Gage and Lucas had been either at their shop or over at their place gaming, and Gage almost decided to skip the trip.

But Adele was glad he didn’t. He needed that time away with his little family.

“Fine. Drive safe and make smart choices.”

“Love you,” Gage said, pulling his dad in for a hug, then dropping to the couch to pull Kash in for one too. And then he was gone, like a tiny tornado that only left a little damage on his way out.

“Well,” Kash said.

Adele grinned at him and stalked over, dropping to the couch. “Alone at last.”

Gage had given them plenty of alone time on the trip, but Adele was looking forward to being able to take his time with his lover. Gage was planning on staying in town. He was still dead set on becoming a firefighter, but he also wanted his own place, and Adele was willing to make that happen while he got his EMT certification at the community college.

And once their house was done, he’d have time to fuck Kash in every room.

The couch was a good start though.

“I have a surprise for you,” Kash murmured as Adele began to lick at his mouth.

“Mm?”

He heard something rattling and pulled back to see that Kash had pulled a prescription bottle out of his pocket, and he recognized the little pills instantly. His dystonia made getting an erection difficult sometimes, and these helped. They were a low dose and perfect for what two men creeping toward fifty needed.

Adele grinned. “When did you take that?”

“When we stopped at Royal Farms,” Kash said, pulling him in by his front. “It started working about twenty minutes from the house.”

“Ooh, poor thing.” Adele reached between them and ran the heel of his palm over Kash’s dick, making him gasp. “You must have been uncomfortable and needy.”

“Needy, yes. Uncomfortable…” He trailed off as his slightly stiff fingers began to work at the button on Adele’s jeans. “I knew the wait would be worth it.”

Adele stayed patiently still until Kash had him out, and then he kicked his jeans away and spread his legs in a standing straddle over Kash’s thighs. “Can you lift up?”

Kash managed it just long enough for Adele to whip off his sweats and boxers, and then he went for Kash’s shirt before removing his own. The window was open, but Adele decided he didn’t give a fuck if he gave his neighbors a show.

He rocked his hips forward, slotting his cock alongside Kash’s and taking them in a firm grip. Kash gasped as Adele laid his full weight down on him, then wrapped arms around his waist to pull him close.

“Like this?” Adele murmured, tipping Kash’s chin up with his free hand.

Kash nodded. “Harder.”

Adele obeyed, squeezing his hand tighter as he stroked up slow enough to torment them both. Kash’s eyes looked feverish and beautiful. His lover. His husband. He repeated both words aloud, and Kash shuddered.

“Say it again.”

“My husband. The love of my life.” Adele’s arm sped up.

“Half my heart.”

“Half my soul,” Adele whispered. He closed his eyes and took Kash’s mouth in a deep, possessive kiss. He was far too close, and he knew Kash was as well. They were racing for the edge of the cliff, and he was determined to jump together. “With me?”

“With you,” Kash gasped against his lips.

His arm ached, and his fingers struggled to keep them pressed together, but it didn’t matter. His orgasm was racing through him, his vision whiting out. He and Kash panted into each other’s mouths, hips writing, chests heaving.

Adele was so fucking in love. He was so fucking obsessed. He wanted to crawl under Kash’s skin and live there because there was no other way to be close enough. He’d never say that aloud, but in his moment of ecstasy, he pressed as close as he could, like he was willing to give it a try.

He felt himself spilling, Kash quickly following. The mess pooled between them and smeared as Adele collapsed against his husband’s chest. It was terrible and perfect all at the same time.

“We’re going to need a shower,” Kash murmured.

“Best I can do is a cold, wet rag.”

Kash laughed and yanked on Adele’s hair until he was looking up. “Kiss me, then.”

Adele did. Kash tasted like gas station coffee and Skittles—the weirdest, most perfect mix. A bit like them. He licked along his tongue, then finished with soft pecks over his chin and down the side of his neck.

“Give me five seconds.”

“I’ll give you all of my seconds. They’ve always been yours.”

Adele didn’t know if this was going to last. Someday, they might settle into a comfortable monotony—not the worst fate when it was with the best friend he was in love with. He only hoped that Kash could find contentment too.

Snagging more sweats from their drawers, Adele wet a cloth and wiped himself down, then ran the tap until it was warm before walking back to the couch. He bent over to clean his husband up, and Kash laughed softly, grabbing his wrist.

“You couldn’t resist, could you?”

“What can I say? I’m in love,” Adele said.

Kash held his cheek as he kissed him, and then together, they dressed and settled in for the night. Kash put on some documentary about the history of American chocolate, and Adele lost himself in a book on his Kindle app, and he did his best not to get distracted by the fact that this was his life now.

It was his.

He got to keep it.

There was a ring on his finger to prove it.

Bzzt Bzzt!

He jumped half a foot and realized it was a text from Ridge. Kash peered over as he swiped it open, and the first thing on there was Adele’s mostly naked body. He blinked, waiting for the pain to set in because this had been the day it had all gone to hell.

He was there—edited, of course, for the shoot—covered in paint, eyes closed, looking up at an artificial sun. He chanced a look over at Kash, waiting to see if there was pain on his face, but he was smiling.

“You really do take gorgeous photos.”

Adele sighed. “But never again, right? I never have to do that again.”

Kash cupped his cheek. “You’re a married man now. So yeah, never again.”

“This is why I love you,” Adele said, snuggling in.

Kash lifted a brow. “That’s why?”

“And a million other reasons more. Want me to start listing them now?”

Kash laughed once more and held him tight. “Nah. This is enough.”

And he was absolutely right.

It was.

Preorder Saving You and get ready for the Ridge and Oz’s happily ever after .

“I managed to acquire both my kid and my cat while on the job. Any chance you guys want to get into arson as a hobby so I can maybe find a husband too?”

When Ridge was the new guy in town, he didn’t mind being the single one. After all, he’s had his job and raising his daughter to distract him. But now that three years have gone by, he’s starting to wonder if maybe something’s wrong with him. Everyone else he knows has tripped and fallen into love.

So why hasn’t there been even a hint of romance for him?

Then his daughter’s very hot, very straight Deaf mentor comes to him with a proposal: Pretend to be his date at a family get together to get them off his back. Ridge quickly learns that while Oz isn’t as opposite-sex oriented as he’d thought, Oz’s experience with men is limited to one hookup in his last year of grad school.

Oz quickly confesses he’s interested in Ridge for more than just the single afternoon in front of his family, but Ridge isn’t ready to take a risk with his heart. Not until he’s sure the hands holding it are both steady and willing to protect it.

Ridge has spent most of his life saving people, but soon he’ll learn if there’s a hero waiting to save him too.

Saving You is the sixth book in the Words We Never Said series. It features a friends to lovers, age-gap romance with a happily ever after. In this book you will find an exhausted single dad with a hero complex, a first-year teacher trying to find the balance between work, personal life, and a family who won’t stop meddling, the merits of public make out sessions when your ex is watching, a “perfect date” list, why orange is better than chocolate, and knowing that if it doesn’t come from the existential crisis region of France, it’s just sparkling anxiety.