“I think that sounds perfect,” I murmur back.
He arches an eyebrow. “Want to give the pap some amazing photos?”
I grin. “Hell yeah.”
And we do.
Epilogue
Jake
“You’re going to be late,” I call over my shoulder, tightening the lid of the flask I’ve just filled with ice and water.
“No, I’m not,” Waverly insists, hurrying into the kitchen. She takes the flask, smacks a kiss on my cheek, and reaches around me to snag a triangle of the Vegemite toast I made for her while she was showering. “I don’t start until seven-thirty this morning.”
“Ah, in that case…” Pivoting, I cup the back of her neck, lower my head to hers, and kiss her.
She moans and kisses me back.
Many pounding heartbeats later, she pulls away, face flushed with pleasure, lips curling. “Okay, now I think youwantme to be late.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “No way do I want the head keeper to be late. The quolls would fret.”
Eyes twinkling, she threads a hand into my hair and draws me closer to her. “Well,” she whispers, rolling her hips to mine, “the quolls might. But the kangaroos wouldn’t care at all.”
“The kangaroos are morons,” I whisper back with a grin.
She laughs. “Hey, don’t diss my roos, Conroy.”
She’s been head keeper at Secret Creek Wildlife Sanctuary for the last six months. A day after graduating with her zoology degree almost two years ago, she was offered a position at the small but vital sanctuary that helps conserve and rehabilitate native wildlife on the Blue Mountains. The next day, she moved in with me.
I was ready to move wherever she went after finishing her degree. That turned out to be the Ridge.
The day after she moved in, we got married.
“Thank you, husband,” she says around a bite of toast. “Do you have any thoughts about dinner tonight?”
Leaning my hip on the kitchen counter, I fold my arms over my chest and rake a hungry look over her. “Oh, I have plans.”
“Do they involve clothes and eating out?”
“They donotinvolve clothesorbeing out. In fact, they involve the completeabsenceof clothes.” I rake another look over her. “But trust me, there will be lots of eating.”
She bites her bottom lip—fuck, I love how she does that—and meets my gaze. “So we’re celebrating our second wedding anniversary with wild monkey sex?”
I nod again.
“My favorite way to celebrate,” she says, her voice husky as she snakes her arms around my neck and rolls her hips to mine. “Wanna start now?”
Bonus Epilogue
TonyGibbo
“No, Conroy’s not in tonight. Sorry.” I shift the phone from one shoulder to the other, frowning. Even after all these months, the station house still gets the occasional call from someone wanting an inside scoop on Jake’s reluctant time in the spotlight. Tonight, it’s some writer from a film website I’ve never heard of who doesn’t want to take no for an answer. “It’s his wedding anniversary, and I’m pretty bloody certain he’d rather spend it with his wife than talking to you.”
I disconnect midbut, but, but, let out a breath, and return my attention to the long-range multirotor drone I’d been working on before answering the call.
“You kept your cool tonight, Gibbo.” On the other side of my work counter, Damon Riggs—the brigade’s resident joker—grins. “Who’da thought you were such an old softy.”
