Keep Me (Sinful Manor #1)

Epilogue

Epilogue

One year later

“Lorna’s dead.”

The words pull me out of a dreamless sleep, and I peek one eye open to stare at my husband just to make sure he really said that.

He has his phone in his hand, and he turns toward me with alarm in his features. Quickly I sit up.

“Wait. You’re serious?”

“Dead serious.”

I snicker. “Killian.”

“The old hag is gone. Dec just texted me.”

Leaning over, I glance at his phone, and there it is. A single text from his younger brother.

Aunt Lorna passed away in her sleep last night.

“Holy shit,” I mutter. “What does this mean? For the house.”

Killian shrugs. “I’m guessing she left it to Anna. She sure as hell didn’t leave it to me.”

“Not that you’d want it…right?” I ask, looking up into his eyes.

Killian and I have made a home here in New York. Sure, we haven’t exactly set down roots yet, but we do have a nice life at the moment, enjoying this honeymoon phase we’re in.

But I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been thinking about what the future holds for us. I’m not even from Scotland, and I’m itching to go back. He says he’s fine where we are, but if we had the opportunity to live in Barclay again, would we take it?

“Nah,” he replies with a confident shake of his head. “If I go back there, I’m afraid I’d fall right back into the same old routine. Here, I finally feel alive.”

Turning toward me, he gives me a charming little smirk. My love for him swells in my chest like a tiny little bomb that goes off every time he smiles at me.

“Besides, I don’t need a big house to do this,” he says as he drops his phone and tackles me down to the pillows. Burying his face in my neck, his thick beard scratches my skin as he kisses and nibbles the sensitive flesh.

I squeal in delight as my legs wrap around him. And then just as our laughter turns into moans, his phone rings.

“Och,” he groans. “Fuck off.” He flings his phone off the bed and resumes kissing his way down my neck and across my collarbone.

“I’m willing to bet my left tit it’s your sister,” I say as he inches his way down.

“Well, at the moment your left tit is mine,” he replies with a groan, his teeth gently closing around the sensitive bud. My back arches as I dig my fingers in his hair.

But only moments after the buzzing of the phone stops, it starts back up again.

“She won’t stop,” I say breathlessly.

“And neither will I.”

He continues to kiss his way down, but just as he reaches my belly button, the phone rings for a third time.

“Fucking cow!” he bellows as he reaches down to the floor to quiet the incessant device. With irritation in his eyes, he lies back between my legs as he hits the Answer Call button. “I’ve got my mouth just inches away from my wife’s pussy, so you better make this good.”

Letting out a laugh, I cover my mouth as I listen for Anna’s response. I can’t make out her words, but I can hear her shrieking at him.

“Aye. I know she’s dead. Good riddance.”

Anna screams at him so loud it echoes through our bedroom.

Then, she continues on and Killian’s demeanor changes from annoyance to intrigue.

“She what?”

Anna continues on and Killian’s gaze travels up to my face.

“What is it?” I whisper.

“She left it to me?”

“Left what?” I ask.

Killian listens intently to what Anna is saying, and after a moment, he lets out a heavy sigh. “All right,” he says with resignation. “I’ll think about it. Thanks for the call.”

After he ends the call and sets his phone down, he gazes up at me with concern. “The bitch left me the fucking house.”

“Why would she do that?” I ask. “After all the trouble to take it away from you?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know, my wee little wife.”

Hugging my body closer, he rests his cheek on my stomach, using my body as a source of comfort. I stroke his shoulders and his hair. Feeling the tension in his muscles, the answer is immediate and easy.

Lifting his face, I force him to gaze into my eyes.

“We don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to go back to the house. We don’t have to go anywhere. If the thought brings you any stress, we’ll never return. We have everything we need right here.”

His brows relax and the lines of his forehead disappear. “You’re right. But what about the house? I can’t let it out of the family.”

“You have brothers, Killian. Let them deal with it. You’ve gone through enough.”

Finally, with a sigh, he nods. “You’re right.”

“I know I’m right,” I reply astutely, making him smile.

“I have everything I need right here.”

Lifting up, he stares down at my naked body, pressing his lips to my belly. But instead of moving his way down like I expect him to, he picks up his phone and types out a message.

“What are you doing?” I ask, running my nails along his scalp.

“Sending a text to my brother.”

“What did you say?”

The phone blares a whooshing sound as the text is sent. Then, Killian shows me the screen. The words in his reply have me feeling suddenly at ease.

Barclay Manor is all yours now.

“I’m proud of you,” I say, tugging his mouth to mine for a kiss.

Finally, he pulls away with a wicked smirk. Then he glances down the length of my body as he says, “Now, where the fuck was I?”

I let out a giggle as he works his way down and presses his lips between my legs.