Special Delivery by April Wilson
Epilogue
Eight Weeks LaterBeth McIntyre
“Are you sure you’re ready to go back to work?” Shane asks as I pull on a loose-fitting dress over a pair of leggings. He’s standing just inside our closet, watching me get dressed. He’s already dressed for work in his suit and tie. “There’s no rush, sweetheart. Maybe you should take a little more time off.”
I smooth my hands over the dress—and over my soft, squishy belly. I still have quite a ways to go to lose this pregnancy weight. I turn sideways to observe myself in a standing mirror. “Do I still look pregnant?”
Smiling, he comes up behind me, slips his arms around my waist, and kisses the side of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. “You look perfect.”
I laugh. “You didn’t exactly answer the question.” I turn and wrap my arms around his waist. “Yes, I’m ready to go back. I feel great, and I miss my bookstore. I especially miss Erin and Mack.”
“Honey, you can see Erin and Mack anytime you want. They live two floors down from us.”
He’s right. And I do see them pretty regularly in our building, at least a few times a week. They often come up to have dinner with us, or we go down to their apartment. But it’s not the same as spending the entire day at work with Erin. “It’s not the same. The three of us have a lot of fun at work.” Meaning Sam, Erin, and I.
Shane follows me out of the closet just as Cooper walks into our suite carrying Luke, who’s dressed and chewing on a piece of buttered toast. Ava is currently asleep in her bassinet, which stands at the foot of our bed. I’ve got their diaper bag packed, and at this very moment, Sam is carrying it downstairs to the Escalade.
I’m blessed to have a nursery attached to my office at the bookstore. Lindsey is our full-time nanny who will help me take care of the kids while I manage the store.
“The little man’s ready to go,” Cooper says as he wipes Luke’s mouth with a napkin. “He’s had breakfast, and I just changed his diaper.”
“Everything’s ready,” I tell Shane. I go up on my toes to kiss him. “Don’t worry.” I pat his firm chest reassuringly. “Everything will be fine.”
He’s been away from the office on paternity leave for the past two months, spending his time at home with me and the kids. I know it’s hard to go back to our normal work routine. I think he’s struggling with the idea more than he expected.
“Call me if there are any issues,” he says reluctantly. “If you’re feeling unwell, or if—”
Sam walks into our bedroom. “Joe’s here.” He takes Luke from Cooper. “I’ll carry the boy. You get the little princess.”
I’ve hardly seen Joe Rucker, my driver, since I’ve been on maternity leave. We have a lot of catching up to do.
“I’ll call you if there’s any problem,” I tell Shane, hoping to placate him. “I promise.”
Despite the frown on his handsome face, he nods. He’s not happy about the idea, but at least he respects my wish to return to work.
“Fine,” he says. Then he looks to Sam, my full-time bodyguard and best friend. “Don’t let her overdo it.”
With a grin, Sam salutes Shane. “Copy that, boss.” Sam winks at me as if he and I are in cahoots with each other, when we’re both just placating Shane. Get ready to party, he mouths to me.
Shane gives Sam a droll look that clearly proves he’s onto us.
We all head down to the garage. Joe is standing next to the Escalade, a big smile on his handsome face.
“Hey, big guy,” Sam says as he high-fives the six-foot-tall African-American former heavyweight boxer who’s built like a tank.
“Hello, Sam. Hello, Beth.” Joe gives me a gentle hug. He ruffles Luke’s hair and peeks in on Ava, who’s cooing in her car seat. “That is one mighty pretty baby,” he says.
As we pull away, I glance back at Shane. He and Cooper are standing beside Shane’s vintage silver Jaguar, watching us exit the parking garage.
Sam reaches back from the front passenger seat and pats my leg. “Don’t worry. He’s a big boy. He’ll be fine.”
I laugh. But I understand what Shane’s feeling. We’ve both been home with the kids since Ava was born, and it’s a bit unsettling to finally go back to our normal routine.
Luke’s in his car seat playing with his favorite stuffed kitty, jabbering to himself. Ava’s content in her car seat. The rocking motion of a vehicle always soothes her.
“It’s good to be back, isn’t it?” Joe asks in his deep baritone voice.
Relaxing in my seat, I nod. “It is.”
When we arrive at Clancy’s, Joe pulls up to the sidewalk outside the front doors. Sam helps me climb out of the vehicle. He releases Luke from his car seat, and I unfasten Ava’s car seat. Mack and Erin are both waiting for us at the entrance.
“Oh, my god, you’re back,” Erin cries as she runs out onto the sidewalk to hug me. After she hugs Sam, she holds her arms out to Luke, and he lunges into her embrace. “Hello, sweetie.” As she kisses his cheek, he wraps his little arms around her neck and squeezes. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Welcome back,” Mack says as he holds the doors for us.
Sam takes Ava’s car seat from me and carries her inside. There’s a small crowd of employees waiting to greet us, including Lindsey. It’s her first day back to work, too, as I gave her two months of paid time off while I was on maternity leave.
I say hello to everyone. Naturally, they all want a peek at Ava, who’s still sound asleep in her car seat.
While Sam and Lindsey take the kids upstairs to the nursery, which is in the administrative wing, Erin walks me around the store, pointing out new displays, new releases, and the new fall merchandise. It’s hard to believe that it’s November already, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Everything looks absolutely perfect—as I knew it would. Erin’s a fantastic assistant manager.
I don’t miss the fact that Mack is following us around the store. His gaze never wanders far from Erin. I need to get her upstairs to my office so we can dish about Mack and how things are going between them.
When we eventually make it up to my office on the second floor, I peek in at the kids. Lindsey’s seated in a rocking chair with Luke on her lap. She’s holding a child’s board book in her hands, and Luke is cuddling a stuffed elephant.
“I took him to the children’s section to let him pick out a book,” she says, nodding to the elephant. “He picked that out instead. You should have seen the way his eyes lit up when he saw it, Beth,” Lindsey says, grinning guiltily. “I didn’t have the heart to tell him no. I hope it’s okay.”
“It’s fine.”
Luke holds the elephant up to me and grins.
I check on Ava, who’s sleeping in one of the two cribs. “Let me know when she wakes up,” I tell Lindsey. “She’ll be hungry.”
“Will do.”
When I return to my office, I find Erin and Sam seated on the sofa in front of the big picture window overlooking North Michigan Avenue. That sure is a sight for sore eyes. I’ve missed this so much, just hanging with them.
Sam puts his arm around Erin’s shoulders and draws her close. I know he’s missed this too. “So, come on. Tell us how it’s going,” Sam says. “Tell us everything.”
Erin grins. “Are you asking about the store or about my personal life?”
“Both,” he says. “But mostly about your personal life. Spill the tea, sister. How’s the big guy treating you?”
“Mack’s great,” she says, her dimples appearing as she smiles. “Everything’s going really well.”
Sam laughs. “We need details, girl,” he says, winking at me.
“You know he loves to tease you,” I tell Erin.
While those two are catching up, I boot up my computer and start the daunting process of wading through two months of unread e-mails. Despite my overflowing inbox, it feels good to be back at work.
After making a valiant dent in my backlog of e-mails, I take a break so I can peek in at Luke and Ava. Luke and Lindsey are seated on the rug, playing with Luke’s new stuffed elephant toy. Ava is just starting to stir in her crib.
Not surprisingly, Shane calls me mid-morning to see how things are going. “Everything’s fine,” I tell him. “Ava has slept most of the morning. Luke’s having fun playing with Lindsey. I think he missed her. How is your day going?”
“It’s fine,” he says. “Truthfully, it’s been a bit boring. I’ve been reading through a stack of case reports all morning, trying to play catch-up. The reason I called is because I miss you. I miss seeing your face and hearing your voice. And I miss the kids.”
“We miss you, too.”
* * *
When I leave the nursery, I find Sam seated alone on the sofa, playing a game on his phone. “Where’s Erin?”
He nods toward the door. “She went downstairs. Said she needed to get back to work.”
I sit at my desk and resume wading through my backlog of e-mails until something catches my ear—a loud, belligerent voice that sounds like it’s coming from downstairs.
I meet Sam’s gaze. “Did you hear that?”
Nodding, he shoots to his feet and opens my office door to listen. We hear a man shouting at someone.
“What in the world?” I say as I jump out of my chair.
“Stay here,” Sam says as he bolts out the door.
I follow him. Once we’re out of the administrative wing and on the upstairs sales floor, we can hear the irate man more clearly. I peer over the wrought-iron railing at the customer service desk down below on the main floor. Erin is standing behind the counter, with Mack planted firmly at her side. Across the counter from her is a pissed-off customer.
Oh, no. No way.
“What the fuck do I have to do to get decent service around here?” the man shouts at Erin.
“Oh, hell no,” Sam mutters as he takes off down the stairs. He glances back at me. “Wait in your office.”
I am not staying back and hiding in my office while he and Mack deal with this guy. I’m right behind him.
A small crowd of curious onlookers has already gathered around the customer service desk.
The irate customer, an elderly man wearing baggy gray trousers and an oversized red plaid jacket, is practically screaming at Erin. “I ordered that book over a month ago!” he yells. “Why isn’t it in yet? What’s wrong with you people?”
Erin is pale as can be, but she keeps her calm. “Sir, I’m sorry, but your book is on backorder with our distributor. As soon as it’s back in stock, they’ll send it to us. We’ll call you—”
The man slams his fist on the counter. “That’s bullshit. You probably forgot to order it, didn’t you? Well, hell. I might as well go somewhere else.”
Erin shows him an order sheet. While her hand is visibly shaking, she doesn’t falter. “We did order the book five weeks ago, but as I said, it’s on backorder. The publisher is behind schedule—”
Sam takes a step closer, preparing to intervene. Mack is standing right beside Erin, his arms crossed over his impressive chest as he glares at the customer.
“You’re incompetent,” the man sneers, making Erin wince. “Get the manager. I want to speak to the manager, now.”
As I take a step forward, Sam catches my eye and shakes his head. “Let us handle this.”
“That’s enough!” I say as I approach the man. “You can’t talk to my employees like that.”
The man looks dismissively at me. “I want to speak to the manager. Right now!”
“You are speaking to her,” I say. “I’m the manager.”
He scowls. “You are? Please. Who’s really in charge here?”
Fed up with this jackass, I look to Mack. In a calm, measured voice, I say, “Would you please escort this gentleman out of my bookstore?”
“Gladly,” he says.
“You can’t do that!” the man yells as Mack comes around the counter and takes hold of his arm.
“Oh, yes I can,” Mack says as he hauls the man toward the front doors. “You heard the lady.”
I walk around to the other side of the counter and put my arm around Erin’s shoulders. She’s shaking, but she has a determined look on her face. She shows me the copy of the order form. “I did order the book, five weeks ago. The publisher is behind on printing.”
“Of course you did,” I say as I give her shoulders a squeeze. Then I lean close so no customers can overhear me and whisper, “He’s an asshole.”
As Erin laughs, the tension leaves her body.
The customers standing around watching the debacle start to drift away. Sam comes up to the counter and reaches across it to take Erin’s hands in his. “You were awesome.”
Erin smiles.
Then Sam looks at me. “And you were magnificent. I love seeing you all riled up and acting like a mama bear.”
“No one yells at Erin like that,” I say. “No one yells at any of my employees.”
Mack rejoins us. “I told him he’s banned from the store. He can find his damn book somewhere else.”
“Fine with me,” I say.
Erin’s color has returned to her cheeks, and she looks pretty darn proud of herself. I’m proud of her too.
“I’ve missed this so much, you guys,” I say, leaning my head against Erin’s. “It feels so good to be back.”
“I think this calls for a coffee break,” Sam says as he nods toward the in-house café. “Come on. I’m buying.”
* * *
The kids and I, along with Sam, make it back to the penthouse just a few minutes before Shane returns from his office at McIntyre Security.
Sam and I are seated on one of the sofas in the great room, and Ava’s sleeping in my arms after a marathon nursing session. I think she’s going to have as big an appetite as her brother.
Luke’s sitting on the rug at our feet playing with his toys.
When we hear the elevator doors chime, Luke climbs to his feet. He’s learned what that sound means. Someone’s home. He rushes toward the foyer door. “Dada!”
Shane walks through the door and scoops Luke up into his arms. “Hey, buddy.” He kisses Luke’s cheek.
It’s a bit of a shock seeing Shane in his customary charcoal gray suit and white shirt. He looks so handsome, just like he did the day we met.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he says as we meet halfway for a kiss. He bends down and kisses Ava’s forehead. “How’d she do today?”
“She was an angel,” I say.
When Luke starts squirming impatiently, Shane sets him down and takes Ava from me. “How’d your first day go?”
“She kicked ass,” Sam says from the kitchen as he refills his water bottle and takes a long gulp. “We had an irate customer in the store today, yelling his fool head off at poor Erin, and Beth put the jackass in his place. She had Mack throw him out of the store.”
Shane looks to me. “Is that so?”
I smile. “It was very cathartic. I won’t tolerate anyone yelling at my employees that way.”
“Good job,” Shane says as he wraps his free arm around me and pulls me close. “The most important job of a manager is to look out for her employees.”
Luke returns, carrying his new stuffed elephant, which he insisted on bringing home. He holds the toy up to Shane and jabbers something unintelligible.
Shane hands me Ava so he can pick up Luke and admire his new acquisition.
Luke rests his head on Shane’s shoulder and says, “Eat.”
The elevator chimes once more and Cooper comes through the door.
“Hoop!” Luke says, squirming in Shane’s hold.
Shane puts Luke down, and our son rushes off to see Cooper.
Cooper’s holding a sack from the grocery store. “I bought burgers to grill tonight,” he says. “I thought we should celebrate you two going back to work.”
* * *
After a wonderful meal up on the roof and an evening spent in front of the fireplace, chatting with our closest friends and laughing over Luke’s antics, my eyes are so heavy I can hardly keep them open.
“Bedtime,” Shane says as he picks up Luke. “I’ll get him ready for bed,” he says to me. “You get Ava ready.”
Once both kids are tucked into their respective beds, Shane and I rendezvous in our private suite.
He turns the lights down low, puts on some quiet blues music, and pours himself a shot of whiskey. I opt for a Coke instead. No alcohol for me right now.
The suit came off a long time earlier. Now he’s wearing a pair of gray sweats that ride low on his hips. He removes his T-shirt and sits back on the sofa in our private little sitting area.
I disappear into the bathroom and change into a sheer, silky nightgown that barely covers my ass. And I mean barely. I’m also not wearing any panties.
I had a check-up yesterday with my obstetrician, and she gave me the green light to resume regular activities. And that means sex is back on the table.
It’s been two long months.
I join Shane on the sofa, sitting sideways so I can lay my legs over his lap. He skims a hand up my leg, over my thigh, and keeps going until it disappears beneath the hem of my nightie.
I’ve been waiting for this night for a whole week now, and I’m ready to enjoy it.
“You forgot your panties,” he observes, the corners of his lips rising in a grin.
“Oh, I didn’t forget.” My pulse is racing in anticipation. I just want him to touch me.
But to my disappointment, he doesn’t. His hand meanders back down my leg to caress my ankle.
“Would you like a foot massage?” he asks as he takes one of my feet in his hands. He begins kneading my sole.
“Um.” How do I say this politely?
No, I want you to fuck me?
I think if I used that word right now, he’d flip. In a good way.
“A foot massage isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” I say.
His eyebrow arches. “Really?”
“Yeah, really.” I pull my foot from his grasp and run it along the length of his very large erection. “I was thinking of something else.”
His expressions tightens and he swallows hard. His chest rises with a strong, deep breath, and I realize he’s holding back.
He’s worried about hurting me.
“Shane?”
His nostrils flare. “Hmm?”
“Dr. Shaw said it’s fine.”
His bright blue gaze meets mine. “I know, but—”
“No buts.” I stand, slip off my nightgown, and move in front of him, naked.
His heated gaze methodically skims my body from head to toe with a hunger that steals my breath. “Are you trying to kill me?”
I laugh. “No. That would defeat the purpose.”
He grins. “And what’s the purpose?”
“You fucking me.”
His eyes widen, as I knew they would. He’s not used to hearing me talk like that. Shane shoots to his feet and shucks his sweats off, leaving himself naked too. His erection is thick, lifting in the air as it defies gravity.
“You’re playing with fire, sweetheart,” he says, his voice a low growl. “It’s been a very long time.”
“Tell me about it,” I say as I run my index finger down the center of his chest and to his erection. I wrap my fingers around him and squeeze, relishing in the heat of him as he throbs in my grip.
Without warning, he bends and scoops me into a fireman’s hold. I shriek in surprise as he carries me across our room to the bed. He lays me on the bed and gazes down at me, his expression fierce. “I will try my best to be gentle this first time,” he says.
I reach for him and pull him down onto me. “I don’t want gentle. I want you.”
When he finally gets around to sliding into me, after seeing to my pleasure first, he is gentle, and so attentive that my heart swells with emotion.
This man is my everything.
And we are his.
* * *
Thank you so much for reading Special Delivery! I hope you enjoyed this installment in the McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series. Stay tuned for news about more books in this series.
My next release is Search and Rescue, which is Hannah McIntyre and Killian Devereaux’s thrilling romance that takes place in a small mountain town in the Rocky Mountains. This is the first book in my spin-off series called “McIntyre Search and Rescue.”
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If you’d like to sign up for my newsletter, download my free short stories, or locate my contact information, visit my website:
www.aprilwilsonauthor.com
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For links to my growing list of audiobooks, visit my website:
www.aprilwilsonauthor.com/audiobooks
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I interact daily with readers in my Facebook reader group where I post frequent updates and share weekly teasers. Come join me!
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Books by April Wilson
McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series:
Vulnerable
Fearless
Shane – a novella
Broken
Shattered
Imperfect
Ruined
Hostage
Redeemed
Marry Me – a novella
Snowbound – a novella
Regret
With This Ring – a novella
Collateral Damage
Special Delivery
McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series Box Sets:
Box Set 1
Box Set 2
Box Set 3
Box Set 4
McIntyre Search and Rescue:
Search and Rescue (coming 2021)
Tyler Jamison Novels:
Somebody to Love
Somebody to Hold
The British Billionaires Romance Series:
Charmed
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Audiobooks by April Wilson
For links to my audiobooks, please visit my website:
http://www.aprilwilsonauthor.com/audiobooksbooks
