She’d left the en suite door open. Kicking off his shoes, he walked across the carpet to the bathroom, drawn to her the way a moth has to fly into the light.
Ari was his light.
His breath caught and his mouth dried up as he stepped inside. Steam rose with the fragrance of lavender. She’d wound her gorgeous blond hair into a knot and secured it with a clip on top of her head.
“Your tub is so big I feel like I might float away.” Water frothed all around her, the jets rumbling, heat rising.
“Champagne,” he said, handing her a glass.
Her smile was as luscious as the curves hidden beneath the water. She sipped the champagne and made one of her delicious noises that tightened everything in his body.
She eyed him, sultry and sensuous. “Why don’t you do more than watch? Get in here with me.”
He shook his head. “I’ve been dreaming about what you do in that tub since the first night you moved in. This time,” he said with a devilish smile, “I need to watch.”
She wriggled down into the water, her body just an outline as the jets shot everything into a swirl around her. She gazed up at him with a wealth of wickedness that set him on fire. “Tell me what you want me to do.” She draped one slick, bare arm out of the water. “And I’ll do it.” She gave him a look full of heat and boundless love. “Anything you want, Matt.”
Despite his wealth, there were so many things he’d still wanted. Love. More happy children. The chance to wake every morning and fall asleep every night with the woman he adored in his arms.
Ari gave all of those things to him—and he would do everything in his power to give her just as much. Whatever she wanted, whatever she needed, he would always be there for her.
“I love you,” he told her, his words reverent. Full of all the awe he felt whenever he realized she was truly his.
“You gave me my brother. You’re letting me love your son as if he’s my own. And you risked your heart for me. I love you so much.”
He couldn’t resist kissing her, and she reached up to grab his shirt, leaving wet fingerprints, as their mouths came together passionately.
“Now…” Her voice was breathless with need. “Tell me what would please you most.”
He told her. And as she did exactly what he wanted, what he’d dreamed of watching her do all those long nights, he gave silent thanks that they’d have so many long—and beautiful—nights and days to come.
They had forever.
Epilogue
Laughter and voices rose to the high ceiling of Matt’s living room. A piano player was tinkling away on the baby grand while a bartender refreshed Evan’s glass.
He could hear Paige in an animated discussion with Charlie, asking how Sebastian’s fiancée came by her inspiration for the incredible metal sculptures she built. Evan wasn’t surprised by Paige’s enthusiasm—she always wanted to know why people did what they did.
She hadn’t wanted to attend the family Thanksgiving, not after the fight she’d had with Whitney over the Halloween party. But with Whitney in the south of France—she claimed it was to take the warm air and waters, but Evan knew it was mostly to get away from him—he refused to leave his wife’s sister alone in her condo on Thanksgiving Day. So here she was, lovely in a blue dress that made her eyes sparkle.
Daniel and Matt were arguing about the appetizers. “What do you mean, there’s nothing to nibble on?” Daniel said, disgust layering his voice.
“After slaving all morning, Cookie said she didn’t want a bunch of appetizers to spoil the meal.” Matt wore a tailored suit that made his muscles look huge. He’d come a long way from the scrawny kid the Mavericks had to rescue. They’d had to rescue Evan too.
“I bet you just forgot to ask Cookie to make any,” Daniel drawled. He wore his usual khakis and jacket, as if he’d just driven down from the mountains. Which he probably had.
They usually celebrated the holidays in Chicago at Susan and Bob’s house. But this year Susan claimed the house was in an uproar preparing for the wedding, and she didn’t think she could pull off a Thanksgiving dinner too. So here they were at Matt’s.
Ari settled the good-natured battle between Evan’s food-obsessed friends by sliding her arm through Matt’s. She was beautiful in a purple and white dress. Evan was happy that Matt had come to his senses and made the right move.
“I told Cookie there was enough to feed a herd of dinosaurs,” Ari said, “and we were all going to be overstuffed if she cooked any more.” She leaned into Daniel. “She’s gone home to be with her family, but if you want me to sneak into the kitchen and grab you a drumstick or a wing, no one would be the wiser.”
Daniel laughed as he threw an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll go fish around for myself, thanks.”
As Matt pulled Ari closer and kissed her, something inside Evan’s chest tightened at the look of love and adoration on the big dope’s face. He truly had his family now.
Evan had meant every word at the barbecue when he’d said that Matt was crazy to let her go. Matt had everything with Ari. And Evan was finally starting to accept that he had nothing at all with Whitney.
Just then, Lyssa walked into the room and wrapped him in a hug. “Why are you standing here all by yourself?”
Holding her away, he smiled. “You finally made it. Thank God they let you go for the holidays. We all thought that new job was going to be the death of you.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m toughing it out.” Daniel’s little sister had the same dark curly hair—though Lyssa’s fell past her shoulders—and the same dark eyes the color of chocolate. She knuckled him. “The really nice thing is flying out on Daniel’s jet. No waiting in long security lines or hanging around airports.”
“There are advantages.” He wrapped his arm around her waist. “How’s my girl?”
She laughed, a pretty sound he’d loved since the first time he’d heard it all those years ago when Lyssa had been a happy, gurgling baby. “I’m not a girl anymore, Uncle Evan.”
“Right. You’re becoming a pain in the rear like all women,” he quipped.
Lyssa gave him a look. He hadn’t meant to sound bitter. It was supposed to be a joke. Yet something dark had entered his voice. The same darkness that was starting to leach into his heart.