My Burning Desire by RK

Epilogue

Three years later

The warm South African summer air is filled with the mouthwatering scent of sizzling chops and boerewors on the grill, the clink of glasses, and the joyful, chaotic shrieks of children running across the lawn.

We’re hosting a massive Christmas barbecue at our home, surrounded by our closest friends and family. My brother and his entire family made the long trip down to spend the holidays with us this year, and watching them all gather together feels like a dream I never want to wake up from.

Near the patio, our two-year-old son—with his father’s stubborn dark hair and a laugh that steals my heart every single day—is currently chasing his cousins through the sprinklers, squealing with delight.

I’m standing by the kitchen counter, smiling as I watch the madness unfold, when a familiar, solid chest presses gently against my back. Large, warm hands wrap around my waist, sliding upward to cradle the heavy, unmistakable curve of my swollen belly.

Oliver rests his chin on my shoulder, his dark eyes softening as he looks out at our son before glancing down at me with that familiar, possessive heat.

When we first got married, he had made his intentions crystal clear. True to form, the man most definitely was not playing about babies.

"Penny for your thoughts, Mrs. Reed?" he murmurs, his deep voice vibrating right against my ear before pressing a soft, lingering kiss to my neck.

I lean back into his strength, resting my hands over his where they protectively cup our growing family, a radiant smile spreading across my face.

"Just thinking about how lucky we are," I whisper, turning my head to catch his lips in a sweet, unhurried kiss.

Oliver smiles against my mouth, his arms tightening around me as the festive laughter of our family swirls around us. The corporate empire, the boardrooms, the frantic days of the past—they all belong to a different lifetime now. Up here in our home, surrounded by the life we built together, I have never been more certain of one thing: he won, and so did I.