Secret Destiny: Sins of Odyssey Book 1 (9 page)

Epilogue

Destiny slid her naked body into the swimming pool at Dark Odyssey. Floating on her back, she closed her eyes to block the bright sunlight and listened to the ocean waves beating against the dunes. A couple months had passed, but it could be a few more weeks before she heard the results of her bar exam. Would Paula have a career as a lawyer, or would Destiny continue her vocation with Dark Odyssey? Her life’s plans were up in the air at the moment. Nothing she could do about it now. She could handle anything that came her way.

The freedom of swimming naked in the warm water eased any remaining tension and old thoughts that had haunted her. After all the hard work of school, the pain of losing two parents so close together and the fear of losing her home, life was good again.

“You’re smiling.” Darius slid his hands over her breasts. They were the only two in the pool, and the only two in the back courtyard at the moment. “What are you thinking about? Did you finally stop worrying about your exam?”

“I won’t stop worrying until I get the results, but if I fail, I can take it again. It’ll be a royal pain and expensive, but I can deal with it. I like the job with Dark Odyssey, and it pays about as well as being a lawyer.”

“Might be more fun.”

“There’s that.” She stood up in the pool, wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. His hard cock rubbed between her legs and felt heavenly. “I remember one of Dark Odyssey’s rules: no coming in the pool. We could finish this on the lounger.”

“We could.” He stroked her pussy in small circles. Her legs felt weak. Darius glanced toward the house.

She laughed. “I never knew you to be shy. Are you worried someone will come out and catch us making love?”

“No, I love being watched. We have all afternoon, but I’m expecting lunch in a minute. Oliver said he’d have the Ellsworths’ chef bring something out for us.”

“Oh, nice. Do Bill and Geneva ever come to their home?”

“Rarely,” Darius said. “I’ve seen their private wing. It’s quite large and elegant. Oliver says they prefer to cruise the islands or stay in their Key West home, even though that house is much smaller.”

The sliding door from the house opened and closed. Destiny watched the chef in his white catering uniform push a serving cart containing silver trays and plates across the patio. Oliver held an ice bucket with a bottle of something alcoholic and two champagne glasses.

The chef set up a patio table with their plates, napkins and silverware. “Ready for lunch?” Oliver called out.

“Yes, and thank you,” Darius said.

“What a nice surprise, Oliver. Thank you.” Destiny dried off with a towel and slipped a beach cover over her head. Darius wrapped a towel around his waist. They both sat down.

“Why don’t you join us?” Darius asked.

“No, this is your celebration.” Oliver held up his hands.

The chef served the prepared dishes, and Destiny got a whiff of seafood. “Wow, it smells wonderful.”

“Crab cakes with rémoulade sauce, steamed asparagus, mixed green salad with mango vinaigrette and champagne. Dessert is strawberries dipped in white chocolate.” The chef was very formal, and obviously proud of his work.

“Lovely and sounds delicious. What are we celebrating?” Destiny asked.

“Your success and continued work with us at Dark Odyssey. Bill and Geneva would like to extend an offer to you. They want you to be their legal representation for any club matters, and to be available for any legal advice. The position comes with a hefty salary.” Oliver opened the champagne with a loud pop and poured the bubbling drink into their glasses. “After lunch, come inside and we’ll discuss specifics. I also have your schedule for the next couple weeks. You both have gained quite a reputation.”

Destiny loved the idea of finding her first legal client, especially ones like the Ellsworths, but it was premature. Picking up her glass, she took a sip. “Oh, that’s good. But Oliver, I can’t accept the Ellsworths’ offer yet. I haven’t heard if I passed the bar exam yet. I should hear in a few weeks.”

Oliver smiled. “You forget the connections we have here. Some acquaintances of Karl’s were able to find out your exam scores early. The pass list will be available publicly soon. But we do know you’re on that list. You did very well.” He held up the bottle of champagne then topped off their glasses.

“Oh my God,” she squealed, and hugged Darius. And then gave Oliver a hug. “Thank you. And yes, I’d love to have Bill and Geneva as my clients. This day couldn’t get better.”

Oliver laughed and set the champagne in the bucket. “I’ll leave you two and check back with you later to discuss business.” He winked at Darius.

“Enjoy your meal.” The chef nodded and left with Oliver.

They sat down and savored every bit of their lunch. “I guess I can’t announce that I passed yet,” she said in a teasing tone. “No posting on social media.”

“Probably not a good plan.” He leaned over and kissed her. “I’m proud of you. You’ve worked hard and you deserve it.”

The exam had been a huge weight on her. The stress drained from her. They sipped champagne, finished their lunch and talked about nothing special.

* * *

“Ready for dessert?” Darius asked.

“I don’t know if I have room, but I’m dying to try those strawberries.” Destiny leaned back in the patio chair, held up her glass of champagne and smiled. “I think I can take the night off. No studying, no classes, no scheduled meetings for Oliver.”

Darius cleared their plates, placed them on the large cart the chef left behind and brought the covered tray of strawberries over to their table. “I have some good news.”

“Great, tell me.” She reached for the dessert tray, but he held his hand on the cover, blocking her. “You’re not keeping them all to yourself.”

“I want to tell you my news first. I waited until it was official.”

Her smile faded and she focused her full attention on him. “Something’s wrong. I can see it in your eyes. You’re going away on a long trip this time. Another convention circuit.”

He shook his head. “Nope. I’ve been working out the details with my dad. We’ve signed several contracts to handle local events, conferences and conventions. I’ll be in charge of the local office. My parents love to travel, so they’ll continue with the out-of-town contracts.”

She shifted in her seat and studied him. “Are you saying you won’t be traveling for work anymore?”

“Except for a rare event if my dad needs help, I’ll be local and not traveling.”

She stood, put her champagne glass down and reached out to hug him. He stood and pulled her into his arms before she took a step. “Yes, yes, yes!” She jumped up and down.

“Hey, I’m not sure if you want to bounce around like that with all that champagne inside you.”

She laughed. “That is great news. We’ll have to have your parents over for dinner soon.”

“We can do that. So you can take your house off the market. I know you don’t want to sell it.”

“You’re right, I don’t want to sell it. I’ll let the Realtor know. I do have a job offer now. I can wait a few months and see if my finances are looking better.”

“I can help too.” He glanced at the tray on the table. “Ready for some strawberries?”

“I don’t think I have room.”

“Oliver and the chef will be disappointed if we don’t try them.”

“True.”

He stepped out of her arms and lifted the silver cover. Six large strawberries dipped in white chocolate sat on a white doily in a circle. In the center of the circle was a black velvet box. He let his breath out, relieved that Oliver had remembered. He picked up the box and held it between them.

She gasped. “What’s this?” She gazed at him, and he couldn’t tell if she was pleased or sad. God, had he made a mistake? Was this too soon? His heart would rip in two if she said no.

He managed an awkward smile and slowly dropped to one knee.

“Darius.” Her voice cracked. The moment he opened the box, the towel around his waist dropped onto the patio. He knelt before her completely naked. An odd sight if Oliver and the chef watched from inside.

“Hmmm. Hadn’t planned on that.”

Destiny covered her mouth with her hand and started laughing. Tears filled her eyes.

He held up the box and showed her the ring. He’d selected a princess cut with a simple vintage setting. The jeweler that Oliver connected him with said it was a popular style. She stared at the ring. “Oh, my,” she said in barely a whisper. “It’s beautiful.”

“Paula, I love you. I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?”

She nodded then finally let out a squeak of a yes. He stood and placed the ring on her finger, and she started giggling again. “I can’t believe this.”

“I guess we can’t tell anyone where I proposed. Dark Odyssey is a sex club.” He gave her a wicked smile as he slipped on a pair of shorts.

“Sure we can. This was perfect.”

He pulled her close and lifted her chin to kiss her hard and thoroughly. He could make love to her here with the sound of the ocean waves behind them and the sea breeze ruffling the palm trees, or he could take her home, their home, and make love to her all night. She gently stroked the nape of his neck and he closed his eyes, enjoying the pleasure of her touch. They had so much yet to explore. He was crazy with need, wanting to ravish her and push her beyond her sexual boundaries. He knew she trusted him not to go too far. He’d always go at her pace. But he intended to take her past those scorching limits one sweet moment at a time.

“Something about Dark Odyssey makes me horny,” she murmured. “A sensual energy electrifies this place. I wonder if Oliver would mind if we tried out one of the rooms right now. We can say we’re rehearsing or sharpening our skills for his clients.”

Darius grinned. “I think he’d go for that. I have a few suggestions.”

She slipped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. “As for our proposal, we’ll tell people you proposed while visiting a friend’s beach house. The naughty details will always be our secret.”

Secret Escort – Justin and Mariko

Start Reading SECRET ESCORT now!

More Romance by Kathy Kulig

Thank you for reading SECRET DESTINY. I would appreciate it if you would help others enjoy this book too. Please recommend to others by leaving a review.

Did you get your FREE Book?

Special Offer:

Click here for details on how to get your free romance book
and learn about Kathy’s latest news, contests and releases.

Visit the author’s website at:

http://www.kathykulig.com

Sins of Odyssey series – More titles coming soon!

SECRET DESTINY
, Book 1

SECRET ESCORT
, Book 2

SECRET SINS
, Book 3

FLC Case Files series:

RED TAPE
, Book 1

RED TAPE PROTECTOR
, Book 2

RED TAPE BETRAYAL, Book 3 Coming soon!

Single Titles

HIS LOST MATE

STEEL REFLECTIONS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathy Kulig

New York Times
&
USA Today
bestselling author Kathy Kulig is known for her sexy contemporary and paranormal romances that are passionate, intense and riveting. These emotionally-charged stories are full of heart and always have a happy ending.

She began her writing career in journalism, publishing articles in magazines and newspapers. Kathy has been featured or quoted in the
Chicago Tribune
,
Writer's Digest
,
Romantic Times Magazine
,
USA Today
HEA,
Bustle Magazine
,
Florida Weekly
, and appeared on several radio shows. She has spoken at national and local conferences, writer's groups and libraries.

When she's not writing, she loves to work out, travel, read good books, watch movies and have dinners out with her darling husband. She lives in Pennsylvania in a 100 year-old Victorian house with a garage built out of reject tombstones. You may read more about Kathy, her books, contest and upcoming projects by subscribing to her mailing list.
http://eepurl.com/FC_nP