Page 37 of The Replacement Fiance

When Logan kisses me again, I taste myself on his lips. His erection feels like a hot and hard rod against my thigh. A few blocks away, someone is setting off fireworks, each explosion seeming to match the beating of my heart as I watch Logan retrieve a condom from his wallet and roll it on his cock.

He interlaces my fingers with his, pinning my hands above my head as he teases me with his long hard length pressing against my entrance. I moan as he enters me, pausing to allow me to get used to his size before pushing deeper.

"Look at me, Mariah." I open my eyes, allowing myself to get lost in Logan's intense gaze as he fills me slowly. My breath comes in short gasps as he begins to move. It feels so good I never want it to stop. It's as if we were meant to fit together.

Logan kisses me again, one hand releasing my fingers so he can bring it lower, pressing on my clit. I moan against his mouth, losing myself again as I feel myself buffeted against the tide of sensations engulfing me. It ebbs and flows, making me forget where I am but in his arms, safe.

When my release comes, it's overwhelming and I cry out, not caring who hears me. It's just Logan and me and that's all that matters.

Logan buries his face in my neck, his breath warm against my skin as he welcomes his release. I love the way he claims me like this, as if I've always been meant for him and no one else. And him, just for me.

"That was amazing, Mariah," he murmurs, resting his forehead against mine as we catch our breath.

"I just might be in the mood for more later."

He chuckles. "I'll be ready. Will you?"

"Of course." I kiss the tip of his nose. "Happy New Year, Mr. Garrison."

"Happy New Year, Miss Peters." He kisses me on the lips, grinning. "Come here."

As Logan pulls me toward him and plants a kiss on my forehead, there's nothing else I want to do to greet the new year but this, moving on together as the world turns on a new leaf, a new year... a new me.

Epilogue

Mariah

Snow coversthe ground when we arrive at the Soraya Lodge two months later. Ski season is in full swing and the parking lot to the main lodge is full, the sign at the front window indicating that there are no vacancies.

It's times like these when Mom and Dad enjoy the influx of visitors to the lodge, regaling them with stories about the area or in Mom's case, about the efficacy of certain crystals depending on their current need. Love? Try rose quartz to heal old love wounds first and then follow it with malachite or Amazonite. Need clarity? Why not try amethyst or citrine?

I probably have enough rose quartz to last me a lifetime as well as a wire-wrapped malachite pendant that Mom sent me as soon as she heard that Logan and I were seeing each other a month after we left the Soraya.

"For real this time?" she'd asked over the phone, doubt evident in her voice.

"Yes, Mom," I reply. "I promise I won't lie to you ever again about that or anything else for that matter. We've been officially dating since New Year's Eve."

That's when she sent me the malachite pendant the following week and for Logan, a bracelet made of hematite and malachite beads. And he's worn it ever since he received it, removing it only when he's working with engines so it doesn't get dirty.

We're actually on a date, four straight days of doing nothing but relaxing. It's one of the things Logan has wanted to do since we officially started dating—to come back up here so we can face my parents and show them that this time, it's real. No more lies, no more charades.

There's no work, either. No phone calls from the shop for the next four days, not even to check the sales numbers. That will be Harper's job, now that she's part of the flower shop, too.

Still, there’s no denying how nervous I am to see my parents again, not after what happened and how disappointed they were when they learned the truth about my engagement. But what’s done is done. What matters most is what's happened since then and I couldn't be happier. While our businesses have both exploded ever since the New Year and getting together has often been a challenge, our return to the lodge marks a chance for a do-over. We even get our very own cabin.

Except for Harper who's holding down the fort in LA, everyone else has come down for a mini-reunion of sorts. They all greet us the moment we arrive at the house at two in the afternoon. Over coffee and freshly baked cookies, we talk about what everyone's been up to, from Emily and Brad who are trying for a second baby to Forrest who's busy leading snowshoe hikes along the Royal Gorge.

Afterward, the men head to the garage to talk about Dad's truck while Mom and Emily pull me aside to quiz me about the New Year's Eve wedding that put my small flower shop on the map after the bride raved about it to a major lifestyle magazine. That's why Harper is manning the fort while I'm gone, because business pretty much ballooned and I can't handle everything alone anymore. It helps that she's not exactly alone either. Cooper is with her.

"So what are your plans now that everything's real?" Emily asks after all the business questions have been answered. "Everythingisreal this time, right?"

"Of course, it's real, Em. But right now, we're just dating," I reply. "We've only been officially dating for two months."

"So what?" Emily asks. "It's not like you guys haven't known each other for years before you officially started dating."

I sigh. No, marriage is not on the table. Not yet. With business at the shop booming and the Garrison brothers going on a sponsored road trip along the coast for three weeks that's appearing soon on their Youtube channel, we've barely spent enough time together the last two months. "Whatever you're thinking, Em, it's too soon for that."

"Nothing is ever too soon," Mom says, grinning. "After all, you guys were already kinda engaged during the holidays."

---