I clear my throat. “There’s something more. Look again.”
She takes out the two folded pieces of paper and looks at the first one. “Holy smokes! Tickets to Paris!? Logan, this is entirely too much. Today is your birthday, and you’re giving me presents. You already got me that fancy thousand-dollar kitchen mixer for Christmas.”
“Yeah, and you’re going to need it. Look at the second page.”
She gasps, her hand going to the center of her chest while her fingers grip the paper so hard it crinkles on the sides. It shakes in her hand. “Is this…” She lifts her eyes in disbelief. “No, Logan…I-I can’t accept this—”
“You can and you will,” I cut her off, lifting her chin with my finger, needing to look into her eyes.
She scrunches her nose like she often does when annoyed with me. “A forty-thousand-dollar tuition at the most prestigious pastry school in Paris? There is no way I can ever accept this; it’s the equivalent of my rent for two freakin’ years—”
I cut her off again, earning a huff in response. “I might not have Kaiden’s money, but I’m loaded. And you’re the woman I love and want to spend the rest of my life with. Get used to it because I plan to spoil the fuck out of you for the rest of our lives. Plus, you’ve been talking about wanting to go to a baking school almost every day now, and that chocolate truffle cake you made for Em and me tonight was the most delicious thing I have ever eaten in my life aside from your pussy.” I wink, and then my expression turns serious. “It’s already been paid for, and it’s nonrefundable.”
She sucks in a sharp breath and brings the envelope to her ear, rattling it like she’s expecting something else to be inside.
I lift a quizzical eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to figure out if I’m supposed to also find a ring in there.”
“There’s no ring,” I say, and she visibly deflates, like one of those helium balloons left for days in the sun. I roll on top of her and pin her to the mattress. “Make no mistake, Ava. I meant everything that I said. I plan on spending the rest of my life with you. I’m just not proposing tonight. And tonight is the keyword here.”
“Now I’m going to be a nervous wreck, waiting at every turn for you to drop on one knee. That’s just plain cruel.”
I can’t restrain myself from showing her just how cruel I can be; I dip and suck on her nipple. “You’ll live,” I breathe against her skin.
“Can’t you at least drop some sort of a hint on when or how you’re going to do it?”
“Of course not. It’s a surprise.”
“Fine.” She takes a deep breath in, biting her lower lip to stifle a moan when my fingers find her soaked slit. “So, how is this going to work? I mean…if I attend the pastry school, and that’s a big if, the program lasts for two months. What about the pack and our responsibilities here? I’ve just adjusted somewhat to being their Luna, and you’re the Alpha. And then there’s the Conclave.”
“I rented an apartment in Paris near the school, and I’m going to spend half a week there with you, and the other half I’ll fly back home. Then we’ll both be flying back for the full moons. Emily will step up and be here full-time for these two months. She’s taking a break from the bartender gig for a while since Marnie sold the bar anyway.”
“Aren’t you going to be tired spending so much time on a plane? You have so much on your plate…I just don’t want you to resent me. And all those expensive plane tick—”
“Money is not an issue. Plus, I have never taken a vacation since I became Alpha. It is long overdue. With the children being cured and the pack back to its strength, we don’t have anything to worry about. It’s only two months. We’ll manage it just fine.”
“You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
“Mmhm,” I mumble against the column of her neck, licking at the spot that I know drives her crazy.
“I-I’ll p-pay you back somehow,” she stutters through sharp breaths.
“Sure you will. You’ll pay me back in orgasms. Yours,” I say, my voice thick with lust as I roll onto my back and position Ava on top of me. I thrust my hips and enter her in one swift motion as my fingers collar her throat. “Start moving, baby. I want to see you fall apart while riding my cock.”
Eyes at half-mast, cheeks flushed, and lips parted, Ava sets a maddening pace, looking like a goddess on top of me. She loses herself in pleasure and me in her until the first rays of the sun break through the sky.
Epilogue
Ava
The happy trill of birdsong fills the air, and the sun radiates golden rays from a cloudless sky. It warms my face as I take in everyone in attendance. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect spring day. Since coming back from Paris, I’ve been stressed to the max, trying to get everything ready for the opening of my bakery, Silver Moon Sweets, while obsessing over every single detail and driving Logan up the wall with my craziness. He’s been amazing through every single one of my mental breakdowns, and when I was too much to handle, he knew exactly how to calm me down.
Everyone from our pack is present. Chloe and Knox arrived a few days ago in Ashville, and surprisingly, my mother and her boyfriend Ben are here, too. Our relationship is not fully mended, but we have come to some sort of a truce, and she wants to be part of my life again.
A light breeze ruffles my hair, and goosebumps spread across my skin when I realize it carries a trace of Tony’s cologne.Somehow, I feel his presence and know he is here with me, supporting my dream. It’s the first time this has happened, but I know it’s him because his spirit envelops me like a warm embrace. My throat burns while I send my thoughts to him.I miss you so much. I take a deep breath in, trying to keep the tears threatening to spill from my eyes at bay.
Nervous energy blooms in my stomach, but it’s the good kind, even if my fingers tremble slightly on the scissors as my gaze flits to Logan, who’s standing a few feet to my right. I wanted him to be next to me, but he said that this is my day and that I deserve to be in the spotlight all by myself. He winks, making my pulse scatter. He looks incredible in a button-down and cigarette pants that fit him like a glove. As I look back at the scissors, a ray of sunshine catches the oval moonstone in my engagement ring, making it sparkle. The day Logan proposed to me was brilliantly bright.
