Summer Time Sweets by Alexa Riley

Epilogue

Honor

Six months later

Ibounce on the edge of the seat of our SUV about to burst with excitement. “Sweet pea. Calm down.” I glance over at Washington, who is driving us home. He’s smiling at me. He’s let his facial hair grow a touch. I can still feel the reminder on my thighs right now. He’s looked so much more at ease since we left the White House.

“We're going home,” I remind him. I’m smiling so big I know my face is going to hurt tomorrow, but I don’t care. We’re free. No more people watching us all the time. We can touch and kiss each other whenever we like.

The fallout from the pictures wasn’t as catastrophic as I expected. You really couldn't see anything, only us kissing, which the press turned into some love story that made the world swoon over. I was happy it didn't get twisted with people saying hurtful things about Washington. But while everything was positive, now people were watching our every move. They wanted to know everything about our love story and well, it wasn't something that I cared to share with the world. I’ve shared a lot of my life already and this is mine and Washington’s.

“I’ve been home for a while,” he says, and I know he means I’m his home. I lean over and kiss him on the neck. I trail kisses up to his ear.

“You’re my home, too, but now we have a space where you can have me when and wherever you like without worrying about anyone catching us.” I drag my teeth along his earlobe. The hand he has on my thigh that’s been drawing lazy circles for the last hour tightens.

“Sweet pea,” he growls. I lick my lips, thinking about how we’ll get to do the small things, too. Even make out in our car. It might not seem big to some, but to me it’s a whole new world.

One thing I’ve come into over the past few months is my sexuality. I’m no longer shy at all when it comes to my body or sex. Washington makes me not only feel free with what I want, but sexy. How could I not feel sexy when I have a man like Washington always trying to get at me every free moment? The man is insatiable. We are making up for lost time, though.

I have to fight a giggle when I think about all the times I’d barely get out of a meeting with someone and he’d be pulling me back towards my room to fuck me. Not that I’d call it fucking to his face. That makes him mad. We make love, he says, no matter how dirty it might be. It’s always making love. Who knew my fierce man could be so romantic.

It didn't matter if my meeting had been with a woman or man. He got jealous over my time. If I gave it to one person for too long, he’d want to come in and make his claim.

It would put him on edge and the only thing that could calm him down was me flat on my back with him inside me as I screamed his name. He said he got jealous of my time now because he waited so long to be able to have any of it at all. Now he wanted as much as he could get. God, I love him.

Which was easier once my dad came to terms with everything. Washington stayed on my duty. We weren't allowed to say he lived with me, but everyone close to us pretty much knew he did. He was in my bed every night. One way or another. Oddly my dad was okay with all of this. It made me wonder if he might have known this was coming. My dad isn’t a stupid man.

“We have a whole house to break in.” I kiss his neck again before dropping back into my seat.

“Oh, I know.” He turns the wheel. Coming around a bend, I see a white fence running along the road. “And we’re here.”

It’s hard making your dream home without ever stepping inside it or being there, but somehow we did it. More Washington than me. Working first with a real estate agent and then contractors. Oh, and let's not forget the security people he's worked with to make sure it’s a safe place for us to be as well.

All I really did was pick the house and tell Washington what-all I wanted to be done. Well, it was more showing him pictures from magazines, but he did it. I kept track of progress via photos as the home came together, and today we finally get to live in it.

He pulls up to a gate and hits something on his phone. The gate swings open and before long we’re meandering up the long driveway. The yellow house comes into view. My eyes start to water. This is it. Our dream.

“It’s perfect,” I whisper. It’s a two-story home with a wraparound porch on each level. Rocking chairs sit on the front porch. It isn’t huge, but it’s not small either. It sits on enough land for us to be left alone, but not too far from my dad. Actually, our land touches his at the back.

When the SUV stops I go to jump out, but Washington squeezes my thigh. “Wait for me to come around.”

“I can't wait that long,” I plead, looking at him like he’s lost his mind. He only laughs. He throws open his door and pulls me out with him on his side, his hand resting on my stomach.

“Sweet pea. Calm down. You’ll make yourself sick.” I want to roll my eyes at him, but I know he’s right. Our little one is starting to show and does have a habit of making me throw up.

Washington swings me up into his arms. “Besides, I have to carry you over the threshold.” I wrap my arms around his neck.

“We aren't married yet,” I remind him. He gives me a hard look. I press my lips together to fight a laugh. This is a sore spot for him. He’s been wanting to get married for months, but I wanted to get married here. In secret. Something small, really.

“You have a month,” he tells me as he walks towards our home.

“You’re giving me a whole month to plan it?” I’m a little surprised.

“I love you, so I’ll give you a little time. I know you and July will want to do it right,” he sighs. He’s right. July and I would want the time but we’ve already used it. We ascend the steps to the porch.

“Well, I can’t wait a month.” He opens the front door and I lean up to kiss him. “It’s already been planned. We get married in five days.”

Washington’s face lights up, and he gives me one of the smiles that he always has lately. No more stone-cold looks. It’s all warmth for me.

“Then I guess we better celebrate.” He walks into the house and kicks the door closed behind him. He goes straight up the stairs, taking them two at a time. My eyes stay focused on him. I forget about our new home and fall into him. He lays me down on our bed.

“Welcome home, sweet pea,” he says sweetly against my mouth before he rips my clothes from my body.

Home couldn't be more perfect.