Page 136 of For the Love of Art

EPILOGUE

NATHAN

“Happy birthday to you!”

I always hated being sung Happy Birthday. It was always off-key, and my sister Victoria liked to scream the last word. Apparently, my forty-first birthday was no different. I still hated it, and I cringed when Victoria screamed the final you.

Except, everything about this birthday was different in the best way. It was the first birthday I celebrated with Isla. The way she lit up the room was impossible to ignore.

The lights on our Christmas tree sparkled. Our first Christmas was only a week away.

I loved seeing her in our home.

We hadn’t been together long, but a month ago, I finally convinced her to move out of the sorry excuse of an apartment to live with me in mine. Now, it was ours.

She smiled and laughed with my sister and her friends as she pulled the candles from my cake. She sucked the icing off one, and I felt myself stiffen. I wondered if she would suck my cock a second time after everyone was gone.

I closed my eyes and remembered the morning. Her pretty lips wrapped around my cock, her beautiful brown eyes on my face. I could still feel her silky hair between my fingers as her mouth and tongue worked me to one of my hardest orgasms yet.

God, she’s just perfect.

“Here you go.”

I had been so busy thinking about our morning I hadn’t noticed her placing a piece of cake in front of me.

“Thank you, baby.” I smiled up at her and she gently kissed my cheek before sitting next to me.

“So, you two flying off somewhere cool for Christmas?” Lianne asked before shoving a large piece of cake.

“Oh! If you are, can I come along?” Frankie chimed in taking a seat beside Isla.

“Don’t go somewhere cliché, like Hawaii or Mexico. Go somewhere cool. Oh! Like spend Christmas in a castle in Scotland.”

Isla laughed. “We’re sticking around for Christmas.”

“Yeah. I think we have other expenses to worry about this year,” I said.

Isla furrowed her brows. “Other expenses?”

“You worry about money?” Lianne asked.

I laughed. “Just because I have money doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be smart with it.”

“Well, I stand by if you’re leaving for Christmas, we should all leave for Christmas,” Frankie said. “It only feels right.”

Isla and I laughed, then looked at each other.

As I studied her beautiful features, I knew what I wanted to do for my birthday. I just had to find a way to get everyone out of the apartment.

I took a bite of cake as I tried to think of a way to get everyone to go. My phone vibrated in my pocket alerting me to a text. I smiled.

“I’ve got a call coming in,” I told everyone at the table. “One moment.”

“You shouldn’t work on your birthday,” Isla protested.

“How else am I going to afford taking everyone away for Christmas?” I winked and everyone laughed.

I stepped into the kitchen where I pulled out my phone. I ignored the text and called my town car service to order a car.