Holy shit!
My body clenches in surrender.
That wave of absolute bliss has to be Lincoln emptying himself inside me, his masculine force vibrating through me like thunder.
My fingers, my toes, my everything curls.
I抦 airborne梙opelessly in love梐nd even when the convulsions subside and I抦 back in my body, I just know.
Now that I抦 wearing his ring, I will never, ever come down.
揕ove you,?Lincoln whispers, still catching his breath. He twirls my ring between his thumb and forefinger.
揧ou love that I抦 wearing your ring.?
揌ell yeah, I do.?
揋ood. Because so do I.?Bringing his hand to my mouth, I kiss the palm, and then each finger.
揑 thought you were scared??
揑 am, but I was also being stupid. You抣l never leave me, and I know it.?
揧ou抮e mine for life. My only regret is not shoving a ring on you sooner,?he says, taking my hand and kissing it in turn.
We lay there spooned together for a good long while. Eventually, we move to the bed, where Lincoln Burns reminds me just how easily he guides me into the inferno.
I wake up to frigid air and pull the blanket up, snug around my shoulders.
I move to snuggle into Lincoln, but he抯 not there.
Weird. I slide out of bed and throw on the oversized white bathrobe I found in the bathroom and leave the room.
揕incoln??
揑n here, sweetheart.?
I抦 smiling before I find him in the kitchen. Through the glass door, I can see how right he was yesterday. The whole mountain gleams with fresh white powder, the same beautiful sight that抯 right outside the cabin.
揇o you think we抮e snowed in??I ask.
揙ne can only hope.?
I laugh. 揧ou want to be snowed in??
揥ith you? Sure.?
I pad into the kitchen. 揥hat抯 for breakfast??
揊rench toast.?
揌mm, nice, but what if I prefer French kisses??
揕et me get this off the stove first, brat.?He presses his lips to my cheek.
My toes curl happily against the cool floor, a question hanging on my tongue.
?so, um how soon do you want to get married??I ask shyly.
He chuckles. 揂s soon as you抮e ready. Looks like you抳e gone from wanting to elope to looking forward to the wedding in the space of one night, huh??
Blushing, I nod.
揑抦 so sorry for the way I reacted. It wasn抰 fair to you or us. I love you more than anything.?
He moves the French toast from the pan to a plate before he hooks an arm around my waist, drawing me close.
揊or a split second, you scared me. You don抰 have anything to apologize for, though. I put you through hell once. I know that.?
揑t抯 behind us,?I say eagerly, pushing my nails gently into his shoulders.
揥hat changed??he asks, his eyes searching mine.
揥hen we were on the floor last night, I just realized how very much you love me.?
With a smile brighter than the sun-splashed snow outside, he nods vigorously.
揇amn right. I抦 just glad I抳e got the rest of my life to prove it,?he says, finishing with a kiss so brilliant it抯 almost blinding.
26
Evermore （Lincoln）
Three Months Later
I fumble with the tie, which is knotted and lopsided.
Groaning, I untie it, clenching my fingers around both ends to try again.
揈asy, tiger. It抯 already dead.?Wyatt moves closer, a shit-eating smile plastered on his face. 揕et go. I抳e got it.?
揥hoever tailored this suit should have left more room for the tie. It抯 too damn long.?
He laughs. 揑sn抰 this your brand??
He removes the tie from my neck, lines the ends up, restrings it, and ties it.
揌ell, I didn抰 design them personally. I just market them.?
揇on抰 say that too loud. Bad publicity.?He sits down on my couch. 揧ou know the tie isn抰 what you抮e fussing about, right??
My eyes dagger him.
揥hat, now you抮e my shrink? Okay, Doctor Emory. Enlighten me.?
揃urns, you抮e a nervous wreck. You抮e gonna be fine. Raven棓
揥ill you ever call my wife by her name??I grumble.
揜aven sounds cooler, but maybe I抣l reconsider once you get through your vows without barfing all over that sweet outfit. She loves you, idiot. You抳e got nothing to worry about.?His words are the usual Wyatt crap, but the brotherly slap on my shoulder doesn抰 lie.
He means well, and he抯 also the closest thing I抣l ever have to a brother.
揧ou got cold feet??he asks gently.
I look at him flatly.
揧ou抮e worried she does??
?or that she抣l outgrow me,?I admit harshly.
揃ut you抮e willing to risk it??
揙bviously. I need to know she抯 mine.?
揕isten, man, everybody freaks out about starting a new life till one day they wake up, and they抮e already living it. You抣l be fine, Burns.?
揃ut what if棓
揘o. Don抰 even. You抮e not me, and she抯 damn sure not Olivia,?he growls.
I check my watch.
揥e抳e got to get the hell out of here. If I抦 late, Dakota might keel over, and I can抰 do that to her.?
Wyatt follows me outside to the limo. Louis waits with a bright-red boutonniere pinned to his lapel, holding the door for us.
揑抦 sure you抣l want privacy with your new lady,?Wyatt says in the car, leaning in. 揝o I抦 taking Meadow camping for a few days while you抮e starting your honeymoon.?
I roll my eyes at him.
揟here抯 practically an acre between the guesthouse and mine. It抯 not like you抣l be interrupting anything. Besides, our flight leaves the next day.?
揕incoln, this was never meant to last forever. I抦 back on my feet, and you might need a place to put up your in-laws for a few days if they want to go sightseeing after you抮e gone,?he says.
揘evermore won抰 let them stay in the guesthouse. She wants them in a spare room in my house.?I shrug. 揑t works. We have plenty of space.?
Wyatt laughs and punches my arm. 揝ince I抣l be gone by the time they get here, maybe you can convince her.?
揌ow are you liking the mailroom, anyway??
揑t抯 a decent living. I have grunts to boss around. Everything抯 done neat and wrapped up at the end of the day. It抯 nice feeling useful again. Meadow got a job too.?
揘ice. Where at??
揂 daycare. Turns out she抯 really good with little kids.?
More good news for Wyatt. I smile.
揌as she met Micha yet??
He shakes his head. 揘ah. When school breaks in the spring, he抯 coming for a couple weeks. They抣l meet then.?
揧ou抮e doing well for a change, Emory. I抦 happy as hell to see it,?I say.
揧eah, no shit, because I owe it all to you.?
I laugh. 揔arma repaid. I抦 only alive on my wedding day thanks to you.?
We both look away like we抳e said too much. It抯 one of those awkward man moments where you抮e so damn happy it抯 hard to keep a lid on anything.
My phone buzzes, and I take it out of my pocket to glance at the screen.
Dakota: Where the hell are you?
Lincoln: Still early and on my way, Nevermore. No need to worry.
The phone rings a second later and I swipe the green icon.
揟alk to me,?I say, expecting my girl.
揗y new daughter is freaking out. Where are you, son??Ma practically screeches in my ear.
揂bout five or ten minutes out. Can you put her on??
A pause.
揌ello??Dakota抯 voice quivers.
揂re you crying, sweetheart??
揘o!?she lies with a sniffle.
揥hy are you freaking out??
揧ou wouldn抰 elope, and you抮e not here yet.?
揇akota, if the town car gets hit by a bus before we get there, I will crawl out of the wreck and carry Wyatt on my back.?I nod at him. The look he throws back says he抎 totally be the one carrying me.