Thank you so much reading Indefinite & Infinite. Quinn and Ashton are one of my favorite couples and I loved every second with them. Since this is the final book in the Salvation Series, I wasn’t able to leave them so easily. I had to hold on, give the guys their final farewell, and I wanted to share it with you. Love, Corinne
Bonus Extended Epilogue Scene
Quinn
“Ugh, I’m so tired!” I yell at Ashton as she glares at me.
“You’re tired?”
Then I realize my mistake. Yes, I’m tired. Very tired. However, my wife is exhausted. She’s been up with Gabriel for the last three nights while he’s been sick. I’ve gone to work, napped at my desk, which I will never admit to, while she has been home with him all day.
In fact, I’m pretty sure Ashton hasn’t slept since he came home a year ago.
“Not as tired as you, but . . .”
“But?”
“But nothing. There was no but there. It was a mistaken but.” I try to backpedal before she launches something at my head.
She’s done that twice already. Both times were deserved, but the last one she almost got me. I had said we should cancel the party for today, and that is when the water bottle almost nicked my head. She’s planned our son’s first birthday relentlessly and has spent more money than I care to know to make sure he had the party of the year. Not that he’ll remember a damn thing of it, but it makes her happy, so I’ve learned to just go with it.
“I’m glad to hear it. Now, go watch your son and make sure nothing wakes him up so I can shower for the first time in four days before all our friends start arriving.”
“You know you look beautiful even without the shower,” I compliment, really meaning it.
Ashton’s lips turn into a smile. “You’re a charmer, Quinn Miller.”
“And you’re perfect, Ashton Miller.”
She touches her hand to my cheek. “You’re not going to play golf tomorrow.”
Damn it.
Her father must’ve already asked her mother, who let Ashton know of our plan. Pops is all about golfing when he’s down here. Since Gabriel is spoiled rotten with attention by his nana, there’s no reason the boys can’t go and have fun.
“You know your father will guilt your mother . . .”
She shrugs. “My father is free to go golfing, but you’re going to have to take Gabriel with you because I plan on not leaving my bed. I’m exhausted, I look like shit, and I need a break.”
Hmm, take the baby with me? I could do that. He’s one, what possible trouble could the kid cause?
A plan starts to form, and Ash laughs through her nose as if she knows exactly what I’m thinking. “You’re an idiot.”
“You know, I consider that a term of endearment.”
“It’s not.”
“Semantics.”
Ashton rolls her eyes and then heads into the bedroom to shower. Gabriel is asleep on the floor, I swear the kid is narcoleptic, except at night. No, that’s when he wakes up thinking the world is his to explore. We’ve tried everything. He’s completely determined to ensure no one in this house ever sleeps.
I look down at him, so sweet and quiet, and wonder how I ever thought I knew love until him. Ashton and I couldn’t be any luckier. He’s a good kid—minus the sleeping. He’s happy, smiles all the time, is starting to walk, and I swear he’s saying Dada. I don’t care what the hell Ashton says.
He’s also the spitting image of my wife. If I didn’t know for a fact he was mine, I’d think she did it all on her own. He has blue eyes, deep auburn hair, and her nose. I swear I’m in there somewhere—just haven’t found it yet.
My hand pushes his hair back as I smile at him. I stand here for I don’t know how long, just marveling at the miracle of my son as he’s quiet.
“He’s really sweet when he’s sleeping,” Ashton says softly from behind me.
I turn and when I do, my heart stops. She’s breathtaking. Sometimes I forget just how perfect the woman I love is. We go about our days, working, trying to function in the chaos, and then moments like this take me to my knees. Ashton stands there, towel just over the swell of her breasts and one on her head. She’s flush from the shower, but it only adds to her beauty.
“God, you’re gorgeous.”
Her lips turn up into a smile. “You need your eyes checked.”
I start to move toward her. “You have no idea how much I love you, do you?”
She stands there, a seductive smile tugging on her lips. “Maybe you need to remind me.”
Oh, I’ll remind her, all right. “How would you like me to do that, wife?”
I don’t give her a chance to answer before I fuse my lips to hers. Her body melts into mine, as passion flows between us. Our tongues meet, both giving and taking as my arms hold her close. I love the way she feels against me. No amount of time will diminish what we share.
I love her.
I need her, and I’ll never let her go.
God, this woman infuriates me most days with her smart mouth and unwillingness to make anything easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
She’s strong, resilient, and determined, which is exactly what makes me love her.
Ashton moans into my mouth and I rip the towel away. I push her back into the bedroom, unable to stop myself. My hands cup her breasts, and her fingers grip my ass, pulling me closer to her. It’s been over a week since I’ve had her. Seven days of keeping my hands to myself and being jealous of a toddler as he nestled against her boobs while he slept.
That is my spot and Gabriel is definitely not between us right now.
“I want you.”
“I want you too,” she admits.
I bend down, lifting her up so her legs wrap around my waist and start to move her toward the bed, but before I can plop her down, I hear banging on the door. And then the sound of Gabriel yelling fills the house.
Great.
“That would be my parents,” Ashton says as she closes her eyes.
A bunch of cockblockers. All of them.
I look down at her, lips swollen, eyes filled with lust. “Tonight, there will be no interruptions. I’m going to fuck you—hard.”
She grins up at me and wiggles her brows. “Well, now I’m just excited.”
“You should be.”
I release Ashton’s legs and wait for her legs to steady. She bends to grab the towel and I slap her bare ass. She looks up at me with a sultry look. “I’ll take some of that tonight too.”
Killing me. She’s killing me.
I head to the door, opening it so her parents can come in, and then move to get Gabriel. He’s already crawling his way toward me as I get close. “Hey, pal, you have a good nap?”
He rubs his little eyes and nestles his head against my shoulder.
“Gabriel!” Mama C exclaims as she enters with her hands out. “Come to Nana.”
He goes without hesitation. Even though Ashton’s family technically lives in New Jersey, you wouldn’t know it considering how much time they spend down here. I give it another two months before they announce they’re moving in next door.
I shake my father-in-law’s hand, and he grins. “Golf?”
“She’ll kill me.”
He snorts. “Son, stick with me and you’ll learn that managing the Caputo women is all about finesse.”
“I heard that, Daddy!” Ashton exits the bedroom wearing a blue dress and she has twisted her hair into some weird knot on her head. “If Mom hears you, you’ll need to manage her kicks and punches.”
He smiles at his daughter. “Hi, my sweet girl.”
“Yeah, don’t sweet girl me.”
But there she goes, folding into his embrace, and he winks over the top of her head. The man is a freaking genius, and I will now call him Yoda.
***
“Well, well, the gangs all here.” I smile as we get to the tent set up on the beach in front of Liam’s house. Ashton, Natalie, and Gretchen went all out. There is food lining the one side, a cake that we’re going to be eating for a year on the other, and a full bar—for a one year old.
My wife is a force of nature.
“Look who decided to show up to his own kid’s party,” Mark quips.
“I’m surprised you’re able to be out here without your cane, grandpa.”
Anger flashes in his eyes, but he covers it up quickly. “I’ll take your confession tomorrow, my child.”
Here we go. Someone needs to find out how to nullify online ordainments.
“Jackson,” I say as I shake his hand. “Glad you could make it.”
“Like Catherine would have it any other way?”
True. “Glad we’re all being dicked around by our wives.”
All of us chuckle, knowing it’s true.
“Not me,” Mark cuts in. “My wife knows who is boss.”
I scoff. “Charlie owns your nuts, buddy.”
“Maybe so, but I’m in charge.”
Liam raises a brow. “Really? Want me to call her over for confirmation?”
“I’m not scared of her. Go ahead . . .”
Ben shakes his head. “This is going to be so bad.”
Mark is a stupid man. Charlie will eat him alive, but it’ll be fun to watch. At least we don’t have to worry about entertainment at this rate.
“Hey, Char—” Liam is cut off when Mark punches him in the arm.
“Are you trying to get me killed? That woman will shoot me.”
So much for his whole being-in-charge thing. In the last year, my friendship with these men has only become stronger. We’re a family more than a company. Ben, Mark, Liam, Jackson, and I understand each other in a way that makes things run smoothly. There are days where we want to strangle each other, but for the most part, it’s all brotherly love.
The only dark spot in our unit is Aaron. He’s struggled with his choices and felt that it was best to go his own way. It breaks my heart for Aarabelle, who doesn’t seem to understand her father’s disappearance, but Liam and Natalie do their best to explain it. Jackson heard from him a few months ago. He said he was doing okay and was happy that he moved on and started over.
Still, no matter what hell he caused in our lives, I hate seeing a brother struggle.
Liam slaps my arm. “What about you, Quinn? Is your wife the owner of your balls?”
“What do you think?”
We look around the party and start to laugh. No guy would do this crap. If it were me throwing the party, I’d give Gabriel a cardboard box—since that seems to be the only “toy” the kid shows interest in anyway—and call it day.
“Speaking of . . .” Jackson says beneath his breath.
“What are you jackasses doing?” my gorgeous wife asks as she eyes us.
“Nothing, fragolina. We’re just admiring the party.”
“And the women who threw it,” Liam adds on.
“Right.” She crosses her arms over her chest.
“We were actually talking about how lucky we are to have women like you all,” Ben says.
Ashton eyes all of us. “Well, all of you need to wrangle your children up so we can eat.”
“Anything you say, sweetheart.” I step forward, pulling her against my side and press a kiss to her temple.
“Awww, look how cute you are.” Mark clasps his hands in front of him and bats his eyes. “You’re like a sweet little couple who love each other so much.”
Ashton flips him off as she walks away, yelling, “Suck it, Twilight,” over her shoulder.
“And there’s the reason I love your wife, Quinn. She’s full of piss and vinegar.”
“Don’t I know it.” I laugh.
All of us head down toward the water where the kids are playing. Aarabelle is “watching” them since she’s ten and feels she is old enough to babysit. Of course, it’s just the illusion she has since my mother-in-law, Liam’s father, and Jackson’s mom are all there as well. None of us would let her and those kids down at the water without supervision.
We’re not that dumb . . . most of the time.
Jackson yells for his girls, and they don’t even hesitate to come running out of the water. I swear, his kids are the most behaved out of all of them.
Liam does a loud whistle that has his kids come running. His kids think he hung the moon, so they always try to impress him.
Ben’s kids just follow them, but then there are Mark’s two. His daughter rushes toward him, her arms wide as he scoops her up. There’s nothing that can corral his son, though. I watch Cullen as he does a fakes right and then left. Right before Mark catches him, the kid is taking off up the beach laughing.
He puts Makenna down and yells back at us. “A little help?”
Liam yells back. “We’re good, you got this!”
All of us chuckle, but Ben goes forward to help Makenna up to where we all stand.
My mother-in-law brings Gabriel up to me. “Here, take him so I can help Ashton.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
I hold him close as we all watch Mark. I knew we’d have dinner and a show.
“Ten bucks says Cullen heads into the water,” Liam bets.
“Twenty that Mark has to go in after him,” I raise it.
Jackson laughs. “Fifty says Charlie has to go in after both of them.”
Ben takes that bet and raises him one. “A hundred bucks says Cullen outruns him the entire time.”
Sure enough, Cullen beelines to the water.
“Fuck!” Mark yells. “Really, Cullen?”
And then Mark is in the water.
My joy is cut short when Charlie appears at my side. I’m going to buy the woman a bell and make her wear it—wait. No, that’s a terrible idea. “Are you all just standing around watching this?”
“It’s my son’s party, I’m not going in the water.” Hell no. My wife will kill me if I get wet before we take photos. I’m not even allowed to sweat too much because it isn’t summer and I can control it, but still, Ashton demanded it.
Charlie groans. “I swear, the men in that bloodline are all hard-headed and pains in my ass.”
The rest of the women descend to where we stand. Ashton wraps her arms around me from behind. Her chin rests on my shoulder and she giggles.
“Seriously, our friends are insane.”
“That they are. Still, they keep it interesting, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“Me either. I’m glad this is our life.” I turn my head just slightly, and she kisses my cheek. “Really glad.”
“Me too.”
“Good,” Ashton says with a sigh. “Since we’re stuck with each other for eternity, we might as well be happy about it. This is living our best life.”
I nod and look around at the people gathered around us. I have my wife, my son, a family, and friends who I would give my life for. “Yeah, fragolina, this definitely is, and I’m glad I’m living it with you.”
Damn glad because without her, it wouldn’t be a life worth living.
Thank you so much for reading Quinn and Ashton’s books. I hope we’re still friends after that one. If you enjoyed this book, Quinn appears in several more series. I just wasn’t ready to let him go completely. He is very prominent in my newer Rose Canyon series.
