Page 88 of No Control

However, just as I head to my room, Duke runs for the back door, whining.

“I just let you out,” I groan, my shoulders slumping as I make it to the back sliding glass door. He scratches at it with fervor, while I remove the extra lock in the track. I join him and pull back the curtain—and then gasp.

Holy shit.

Fear pulses through my body at the sight of a shadow on the other side. A sharp breath escapes from my mouth as I stumble backward, but then, as the realization settles in...

All the fear washes away and I nearly fall apart, hands shaking as I fumble with the lock and rip the door open.

“So, who goes first?” Henry eyes me as he steps into my living room, his face alight with amusement. “Shall we play it out like the book?”

I start to laugh softly, tears spilling down my cheeks as he clears his throat. He leans in to me, brushing his fingers across my cheeks to wipe them away. I open my mouth, but I can't get the words out. I can't even believe he's standing in my living room right now.

“Okay. I'll start then. Lydia,” he breathes out, letting out a chuckle. “I love you. I vow to always protect you, cherish you, fuck you, and to never let you walk this Earth alone again. Oh, and take care of the dog. And by the way, my birth name is Dexter Murphy—horrible, I know. And also, I can't live without you. Was that close enough to the line in the book?”

I grab the collar of his shirt and pull his lips to mine.

He’s never leaving again.

Even if I have to be the one who locks him in a bedroom.

Epilogue

Henry

“Do you think this looks okay?” Lydia steps out of our bedroom, wearing a black dress, clinging to the curvature of her hips and ending at her upper thighs. I take in the sight of her, including the sparkling diamond wedding band on her left hand. It only took me two weeks after showing back up at her place to put it there.

“You know…” My voice trails off. “I think it’d look better on the floor.”

She makes a face like she might smack me. “It’s my first girls’ night out in almost two years.”

“Yeah, I still don’t know if I should let you go.”

“You, Jude, Alex, and Luca were invited.”

“Yeah, but seeing them with their women grosses me out.”

“They probably say that about us, too.” She walks toward me, climbing into my lap and planting a kiss on my cheek.

I breathe in the scent of her perfume, wrapping my arms around her waist and leaning into her. I kiss her neck, tasting her. “You sure you don’t want to skip it, stay here, and let me steal your breath away? I’ll even let you leave the dress on,” I murmur into her ear.

She giggles, tipping my chin up to meet her gaze. “I think Emma would be disappointed. She’s still settling here in Oregon. And honestly, you always steal my breath away.”

“Yeah, but I mean in the literal sense.” I smirk, bringing her lips to mine. She sighs, kissing me heavily. I slide my hand between her legs, brushing against her underwear, already damp for me.

“Okay, maybe just a quickie,” she whispers as our lips part and our eyes meet. “But then I really need to go.”

“I’ll drive you if you let me have my way with you for the next twenty minutes.”

She flashes me a devilish grin. “Deal.”

***

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