Page 56 of Forbidden Confessions, Volume 2 (The Forbidden Volumes #1)

Series Epilogue

Dallas, Texas

Havana

“Having fun, baby girl?” my husband asks, wrapping a possessive arm around my waist as we stand backstage at the packed concert venue, watching Sophie Larsen, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, sing her heart out for her screaming fans.

It’s a dream come true since I’m a fan myself…but I’m keenly aware of Ransom’s burning fingers pressing into my hip, holding me excruciatingly close—his silent communication that he aches to strip me down and sex me up. Despite really enjoying the show…I’m tempted.

Marrying Ransom Garrison three months ago was the most impulsive—and best—thing I ever did. We don’t care about the sideways, sometimes snide glances we get because of our age-gap. We’re beyond happy together.

Being related by marriage to the super-talented pop princess is a bonus. But Sophie is also an awesome person, friend, and sister-in-law. In fact, my husband’s whole family is amazing.

Life is almost perfect.

“Tons!” I shout in his ear to be heard over the music. “She’s so talented.”

“She really is.” Ransom turns to his grown son. “How’s this for a send-off, Ethan?”

My stepson—it’s weird to say that since we’re the same age—has been supportive of Ransom and me since day one. I’ll miss him once he leaves tomorrow. But it’s time. He’s a man, ready to begin his own life.

“Pretty fucking awesome.” He flashes his father a grin—but he’s eyeing a blonde a year or two older, standing with a group beside Sophie’s husband, Rand. “Thanks for including me.”

“Always.” I smile at him. “We’re family. Don’t forget that when you go to San Diego and become the awesomest Marine ever.”

Ethan grins at me. “You got it. I’ll see you two later. I’m going to go and…be friendly.”

When he bobs his head in the blonde’s direction and winks, I laugh, waving as he goes. My husband grips my hip tighter.

I turn to him. “Behave.”

He kisses me like a man who loves his woman, and I melt. “Why? You like me bad.”

Oh, I do .

“Hey, you two. No taking away from Sophie’s audience by putting on a show of your own,” Ridge, my husband’s youngest brother, teases as he wanders over, clutching his wife’s hand.

Those two are never far apart. They’re so obviously in love, like me and Ransom.

Ridge and Kristi got married on the same day, in the same venue, in front of roughly the same guests as Ransom and me.

That probably seemed odd to some of our attendees, but it was perfectly logical to us since we had the whole family gathered in Vegas.

Ridge and Kristi went first because they’ve got a baby on the way.

Sophie was kind enough to sing for both ceremonies.

“Shut the fuck up,” my husband grouses. “You two got checked in well before the show. Some of us were on a delayed flight and only got into our rooms soon enough to shower and hear you ‘resting up’.”

Kristi blushes and hides her face in her hands. “Oh, my god. I want to die.”

“It’s okay, Little Red. That’s not the first time Ransom heard us getting busy. He was next door to us the night Sophie and Rand got married.”

“I’m pretty sure I heard you two making junior there.” My husband points to Kristi’s swelling belly.

Kristi closes her eyes and shakes her head. “Never mind. I need to die. Now.”

“Ignore them,” I tell her softly. “They’re too busy slapping each other on the back to dwell on your embarrassment.”

“You’re right.” Kristi nods. “Thank you.”

Ransom’s fingers dig a little deeper into my hip, the tips all but burning my skin through denim. “We’ll be sure to return the favor later. I hope you weren’t counting on sleeping tonight.”

I tsk at my husband, but don’t say more because it’s likely to be a long, steamy night. Ransom might be thirty-four…but he doesn’t behave his age in bed. He’s on me constantly, and I love it.

Kristi pats her baby belly, watching Sophie in between songs, both glowing and vibrant on stage. “How does she have the energy for this? If I hadn’t napped this afternoon, I’d already be face-first in my pillow.”

Vanessa, my other sister-in-law, strolls up with careful nonchalance, blond hair mussed and cheeks rosy. Rush looks like a very satisfied husband, complete with a relaxed saunter and a big smile.

That explains where they’ve been…

His super-sweet wife rights her dress, smoothing it over her abdomen where she’s just starting to thicken around the middle.

A pang of envy tugs at me. All of my sisters-in-law are expecting.

Sophie’s pregnancy is the most high profile and the farthest along.

It’s also the reason for her concert tonight.

This is her farewell-for-now show. It sold out within minutes in all eight cities.

Then she’ll head home to nest with Rand—and think about whether she wants to continue a career in the public spotlight after the baby.

Her husband takes a lot of good-natured ribbing as a small-town police chief for his high-profile wife, but like all of my husband’s brothers, he’s completely smitten.

Ridge raises a brow at them. “Did you have trouble finding the bathroom, Vanessa?”

She turns rosier. “A little.”

“Rush ‘helped’ you, huh?”

Vanessa fidgets even more. “A little.”

“For the last twenty minutes?”

Finally, her embarrassment gives way to laughter, and she whirls on her husband. “I told you they would notice.”

Rush gives her a devilish smile. “Oops.”

As Sophie begins the last song of the show, Rand heads over, shepherding a teenage boy and his guy friends in our direction. The blonde he came with is deep in a flirty conversation with Ethan.

“I didn’t get to introduce y’all earlier,” Rand says to his brothers and the wives. “This is Dustin. He helped Sophie and me escape the parade after shots were fired. We promised him an up-close-and-personal payback for his help.”

“Thank you for everything.” Ransom automatically extends his hand.

Without Dustin’s assistance, Sophie and Rand may not have made it out of the crowds and chaos alive that fateful Fourth of July.

Thankfully, they got to safety, and the police caught the shooter Sophie’s former manager hired to kill her a few days later.

The evidence the investigators dug up among Dorinda’s effects helped to convict him.

Dustin shakes with my husband, looking at me a little longer than Ransom will like. Sure enough, the minute he pulls his hand free, he slides his arm back around my waist, fingers pressing urgently into my hip. The gentle bite of his grip will likely leave a faint bruise.

I suck in a breath. My husband knows I love his marks on my body, so he leaves them every chance he gets.

There’s an important, nine-month mark he’d love to leave on you …

So far, I’ve put Ransom off. I’m only eighteen. We just got married. We have plenty of time for kids, right?

But he wants more children. You want them, too. Age is just a number .

Ransom introduces me as his wife. I know the expression on Dustin’s face. He wants to know why I married someone so much older. But Dustin doesn’t understand. Most people don’t—and that’s all right. We do. That’s what matters.

Rand makes the rest of the introductions. The blonde with Dustin is apparently his sister, who’s a huge fan of Sophie’s…but she must like something about Ethan because she hasn’t taken her eyes off of him since he sauntered in her direction.

After some chatter, Dustin, his pals, his sister, and Ethan listen to the end of Sophie’s final number, then head out in the limo she hired for their fun.

“Wish you were going with them?” my husband asks.

I know they’re all my age, and they’re going to have a blast, but… “I’m right where I want to be. How soon before we can go upstairs so I can show you?”

“You’re playing with fire, baby girl.”

I merely smile as Sophie exits the stage with one last bow and heads straight into Rand’s waiting arms. Rush and Vanessa both hug her next and commend her on a great set. Ransom and I join in, along with Ridge and Kristi.

It’s one of those shimmering moments of happiness that makes me know I’m exactly where I should be.

“X is already saying how amazing you were,” Kristi tells Sophie. “People are losing their minds. I’m reposting some of this stuff. It’s gold!”

“Thank you.” Soph flashes her a bright smile, arm still curled around her husband’s. “If you’re serious about changing jobs and becoming my assistant, you’re hired.”

“Tania really isn’t coming back?”

Sophie shakes her head. “She loves being a mom. In fact, she loves it so much, she’s pregnant again. So…she’s decided to stay home with the kids. And I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have on my team more than my best friend.”

“Yes!” Kristi says so loudly the backstage crew turns to stare. “Seriously yes.”

The pop princess looks stunned. “I wish. But you’d have to move here…”

Ransom looks at Ridge, who stares back. They both nod. Now is the time.

“Funny you should mention that…” my husband says.

“Ridge and I have been talking. Now that Ethan is out of school and leaving for basic training, there’s nothing holding us in Vegas.

In fact, we’d both like distance between us and the remnants of Donzelli’s organization, even though Sal is going down for decades and Donzelli himself for much longer.

The rest of the organization has scattered to the dark corners like the roaches they are.

But we’d rather not tempt fate, and it was never really home for either of us. ”

Ridge nods. “So we’re relocating and setting up shop here.”

Rand looks stunned for a moment, then his grin widens. “That’s the best fucking news I’ve heard in…well, since Soph told me she was pregnant. I’ll have two of my brothers nearby. Mom will be thrilled, and the kids can grow up together.”

Sophie takes Ridge’s hand. “Thank you for not separating me from my bestie.”

He sends her a rare expression of softness. “She didn’t want to leave you, either. How could I say no?”

This party just keeps getting better.