Page 36 of Rekindled

Epilogue

Aspen, Colorado - Christmas Day, 1 year later...

Kai and I stumbled into the cabin, filling the space with our laughter. With our bags in hand, we'd hopped on a private plane, chartering a flight up to Aspen, Colorado. Decided this would be the destination that summer when we were making plans on where we would spend the Christmas holiday.

"Kai, quit," I whined, pulling away from his grip.

"Didn't I tell you on the G550 that I would get my hands on you the second we touched the threshold of the cabin?"

It would only be he and I this time. Not a first since Kai and I have spent plenty of days alone in the cabin during and after Christmas.

"But I have to shower," I insisted.

"Perfect." Kai dropped his bags at the door, unbuttoned his wool pea coat and tossed it on the couch before moving on to his sweater, which he removed even quicker. "I'll join you."

Our friends Journee and Zyair couldn't meet us out here this time. My girl was due to have her and her hubby's first baby, a boy, any day now and couldn't make the flight. I would miss her for sure, but I'd been anticipating getting Kai alone in the cabin for months.

The zipper on my cropped puffer coat was in the grip of my fingers the moment I saw my man standing there with his torso bare and resembling my favorite chocolate treat. Things hadn't fizzled as I predicted since we got back together in this very cabin, one year ago. In fact things had gotten better between Kai and I.

With each item of clothing I removed, I made my way toward the guest bedroom, or should I say our room for the next few days. I left trails of my clothes along the way, peeking at Kai over my shoulder as I stripped.

"Mmm," he moaned when I got down to just my bra and panties. "I've been waiting all week for this."

I stopped at the room's doorway and turned to face him.

"Well, baby, wait no more," I purred, watching as he closed the space between us.

Kai looped his arm around my waist and pulled me even closer. His enchanting scent the moment I inhaled him almost curled my toes.

On my lips he whispered, "I look forward to my reward for being so patient," right before lifting me up into his arms.

Kai and I had been working like crazy these past few months, but we always made time to see each other between the gaps of being busy. Between traveling, studio sessions, award shows, and just plain maintaining what we'd built individually, we had no choice but to make work-life our focus. But things were different now that we'd given our love a second chance.

Beneath the sterling silver shower head, Kai and I French kissed like we had all the time in the world. And we did. Five days and four nights of it. Just he and I, no interruptions or intrusions.

He hiked my leg up by my knee, tongue still busy twirling with mine. The second he bent his legs at the knees and angled up, I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and gave him full control.

Control.

To say I'd taken a step back from trying to have a handle on everything in our relationship would be an understatement. To be honest, relationships weren't my thing before Kai. This right here, feeling the sensations of my man delivering his best to me between my thighs with long deep purposeful strokes, that wasmything. But somehow, I lost my way in our union previously. This time around, I opted to enjoy each day, no pressure. Not worried or preoccupied with thoughts of the future. I indulged in the now as if every day with him was our last. What resulted was better communication, realistic expectations, and a man who showed me my worth in his life every day without me asking him or me feeling a need to bring it to his attention.

Kai pressed his hand to the dewy tiled wall above my head and quickened his pace in response to my walls, hugging him tight. His brown skin glistened from the beads of water that slid down his arms and torso. The sight was enough to cause my body to jerk and inside me to flutter around the column of his hard-on.

For months, Kai told me not to make any plans for Christmas. Told me under every circumstance, I was to be only his this weekend.

"Yeah, love," he whispered in my ear while, grabbing my other thigh and hiking me up the bathroom's wall to wrap my legs around his waist. "Come with me."

And I did. I turned my head to the side, bit down on my bottom lip, leaned my head back against the tiled wall and gave in completely.

Kai trailed his tongue from my neck to my breasts, never faltering in rhythm as he drew in my wet nipple to suck. He grunted the last of his thrusts into me. The grin that pulled at my lips was unmatched. I truly wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else but here.

Maven gave into sleep after our shower. I was tired myself and would've curled up in bed beside her, but I had other plans. After chopping some wood out back and lugging the chunks into the house to light in the fireplace, I spent a little time preparing dinner. Nothing too major, just a little prime rib, roasted potatoes, and grilled asparagus. I knew she had to be hungry after our flight in, and I wanted to take the worry out of cooking. Plus, I had other plans.

Over the dining room table near the living room, I lit two hand-dipped ivory taper candles. Next, I balanced the silver wine corker over a bottle of Zinfandel, twisting the cork to open the wine to pour.

A year ago I received the best gift. A gift I almost didn't deserve. But a necessary reminder of when I was my happiest and the resurgence of a desire to maintain that happy.

After leaving the cabin a year ago, Maven and I did more than keep in touch. That same night we returned to New York, I spent the night at her place in Midtown. Much like the nights before our return to the city, she and I made love, caught up on what was new when we weren't humping and moaning all over each other. Our reconnection only grew stronger as we made time in our schedules to call one another, FaceTime when we were out of town, and meet up whenever we had the chance.