by K. C. Crowne
“Not at all. I’ll be right there. I’m just leaving the office now.”
“Perfect. Thank you, Elle.”
We got off the phone, and I went into the living room to wait. I relaxed into the sofa, running a hand across my chin and beard. What are you doing, Jeremiah? Carl would kill you.
Would he though, I wondered? If I treated his daughter well, made sure she was happy and taken care of, would it really matter?
Of course I had no answer for that. Kind of hard to ask a dead man for permission to date his daughter.
Ooo000ooo
Elle was dressed down compared to her usual work attire. A pair of grey dress slacks, a light pink silk top similar to the one from a few days before, but with some lace detail at the collar and sleeves. The same pink and grey scarf was tied around her neck. A light grey wool coat completed the ensemble, along with matching grey hat and gloves since it was pretty cold outside.
“Brr,” she said, stepping into the house. “The snow is really coming down.”
“There’s a fire going,” I told her. “Come on. Let’s get you in the living room.
I helped her out of her jacket, hanging it in the hall closet. She removed her gloves and hat, and even though she’d just been wearing a hat, her blonde hair still looked as flawless as ever. I’m not even sure how she did it, but she never looked not put together.
Except she had bedhead this morning, I remembered. And God, it was so sexy.
I didn’t even scold myself for the thought. Instead, I smiled, and Elle smiled back at me, oblivious to the picture in my head of her naked, in my bed, her hair messed up from the sex we’d had the night before.
Elle took a seat in a chair close to the fire, I sat closer to the babies. I didn’t get them too close to the fire in case it got too warm for them. Elle warmed her hands on the fire.
“So what did you want to talk about?” she asked.
Always straight to the point. I loved it. Most of the time.
“So I was talking to Sam earlier today, and he thinks I need to appoint a guardian for the girls. Just in case I do end up seeing some jail time.”
Elle turned in her chair, no longer facing the fire. She stared at me with a dead serious look on her face. “You’re not going to see jail time, are you?”
“Of course not,” I said, brushing off the concern with a wave of my hand. Amelia dropped her pacifier and fussed, so I plopped it back in her mouth.
The two of them were in bouncy seats, and I’d been playing with them before Elle had arrived. But they felt the tension in me, like she’d told me, and had been fussy on and off all evening. I hated giving them pacifiers, but the little things seemed to calm them. And I wanted to do anything I could to make sure they felt calm and safe.
“So why are you bringing this up?” Elle’s eyes narrowed in on me.
“Just in case, you know. It’s probably a good idea anyway, just in case something happened to me or—”
“Nothing is going to happen to you.” Her voice cracked.
“Elle, we never know what the future holds.”
“I know, but you can’t— I mean, you’re not allowed to—” she stammered. I could see the tears welling in her eyes, imagining the worst.
I rushed to her side, wrapping my arms around her. She’d already lost so much. Her father had died unexpectedly, and he had been so young. It wasn’t right, but those things happened.
And it could happen to me. A lot could happen to me, making it hard to raise my girls.
Elle rested her head against my chest, relaxing into me.
“I just need to make sure my girls are in good hands. Just in case, Elle.”
She nodded, lifting her head. I wiped the tears from her cheek and stared into those deep, brown eyes. “Where do I come in with all this?”
“Well, if you’d be comfortable with it, I’d like to appoint you their legal guardian. You’re the only person I—”
“Yes, of course,” Elle interrupted, sitting upright to meet my gaze. “Of course, Jeremiah. You know I would do anything for those sweet babies. And you, of course.”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking you. I only trust you.”
I took her hand in mind and gave it a firm squeeze. She turned her attention to the girls. “Here’s hoping it doesn’t come to that, but you can count on me to take care of them. No matter what.”
“I know you will.”
She turned her face toward me again, and I lowered my mouth to hers, kissing those sweet lips. She kissed me back, and it felt perfect. The warmth of the fire against my back, the warmth of her body to my front, and my girls safe and sound beside us. Everything just felt right.
It was hard to imagine anything could go wrong.
“The roads must be getting pretty bad out there,” I stated.
“They are,” Elle agreed. “And I haven’t seen any salt trucks yet.”
I nodded, smiling sheepishly. “Well, there’s no way I’m going to let you drive in that weather.”
“Are you asking me to stay the night?” A small smiled pulled at her lips.
“I’m not asking, I’m telling you. You’re not leaving tonight, not with weather like that. I need to keep my girls safe. And that means all my girls.”
She hugged me, standing up to wrap herself around me. Her lips pressed against my cheek, then moved to my mouth.
“I need to feed the girls and get them ready for bed,” I told her.
“I can help. Then we can finish what we’ve started.”
I didn’t argue with her. What was the point? We both knew where this was headed, and I decided it was better to not fight it. Not where Elle was concerned. She would get what she wanted.
And I wanted it too.
Elle
Jeremiah and I made a great team. I took one baby, he took the other. We fed them, bathed them, diapered them and had them in bed, passed out and happy, in record time. To think that he trusted me with his daughters meant a lot to me. To think that if the worst-case scenario became reality, I might be raising these girls alone.
I still lived with my mother. Not because I had to, but because I hadn’t bought a place of my own yet. It hadn’t been a priority. All my money, mostly inheritance from my father, went into the paper. The rest was tied up in some investments. I wasn’t rich, by any means, but I’d been able to stay on my feet and support the paper through some rough months.
But now I had to think about supporting two little girls.
As if Jeremiah could read my mind.
“You know I’m well-off. If something happens and you become their guardian, I would love it if you raised them in this house, and you would be taken care of. All three of you.”
His construction business, prior to him taking over his father’s position as mayor, had been highly successful. I didn’t know how well off he’d been, but I knew he didn’t have to struggle. He didn’t even take a salary as mayor because he didn’t have to.
His house was nice too. One of the nicer ones in the area, barring the ridiculous Holt mansion. He built most of the houses over by Violet’s and James’ homes; the entire neighborhood and development had been his doing. And it was exactly what the town needed - nice, comfortable housing that didn’t hurt the environment and that fit right in with Liberty’s current infrastructure. He was the type of developer we needed more of.
“We’ll figure it out when the time comes, but hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”
He nodded, staring down at Grace, stroking her cheek. “Yes, but in case it does, you don’t have to worry about anything. There’s enough money in the bank to take care of all three of you, to pay for both of them to go to college, everything.”
Like I said, I knew he’d been well-off, but that surprised me. He had more money than he’d let on. He never flashed around his money. No fancy cars or mansions. Instead, he’d put it away for his children’s future.
Even though I thought I’d known Jeremiah inside and out, some t
hings still surprised me. And it made me fall for him even more.
He walked over and put an arm over my shoulder, staring down at Amelia this time.
“They’re so precious,” I whispered.
“They are. I’d do anything for them.”
“I know you would. You’re an amazing father.”
“You think so? Sometimes I feel like such a screw up.”
“Jeremiah, seriously?” I stared at him to make sure he wasn’t pulling my chain. How could he think that about himself?
He shrugged. “They’re already in daycare, though not much, thankfully, and—”
“A lot of parents work and have to use daycare,” I reminded him. “It’s a fact of life, Jeremiah.”
“It’s not how I wanted to raise my girls, though. And had I not taken the mayoral position, I could have retired and—”
“Do you think you’d be happy in retirement?” I cocked an eyebrow. “Because I know you, and I think you’d get bored pretty easily.”
“Maybe.” He smirked. “But I could always act as an independent contractor, work on my own terms.”
That was a good point, and more Jeremiah. He was a business-owner, someone who liked to work on his own terms, make his own schedule. He worked hard but preferred to work hard for himself.
But being mayor was different. He wasn’t working for a corporation or CEO; he was working for the town. A town he loved.
I twisted around so I was facing him, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me close.
“You are the most amazing father, Jeremiah. Not just that, you’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Nah, that honor goes to your dad, Elle.”
“Maybe. But you give him a good run for the money,” I stated matter-of-factly.
Jeremiah’s lips pressed against mine, and it wasn’t the need-filled kiss from before, but one with something more behind it. Gentle and sweet. Just like the man he was on the inside.
“Come on,” he whispered against my mouth. “Let’s go to bed.”
It wasn’t even nine in the evening, way too early for sleep. But I wasn’t about to protest.
Besides, I had a feeling we wouldn’t be doing much sleeping.
Ooo000ooo
“One second,” Jeremiah said, chuckling as he pulled away from my kiss.
I cocked my head to the side but let him go. He walked over to the desk, turning the fishing photo face down. I giggled to myself, not blaming him for not wanting to see a photo of me as a child with my father while we made love.
He came back to me, wrapping those thick, strong arms around me and lifting me off the ground. I squealed as he carried me over to the bed, depositing me against the warm, down comforter as gently as possible.
“God, you’re so beautiful. I could just stare at you all the time.”
“Please do more than just look at me.” I giggled, holding my arms up.
Jeremiah smiled down at me, and that hungry look in his eyes returned. He fell onto the bed next to me, rolling us over so I was on top of him. We were both still fully clothed, to my dismay, but that didn’t last long.
I ripped at Jeremiah’s shirt, pulling the buttons free and likely breaking a few. He didn’t seem to mind. He yanked my shirt off over my head and made quick work of my bra too. My breasts fell free into his hands, just enough for a handful. His rough fingertips brushed against my nipples and caused me to moan and grind against him.
He took one of them into his mouth, his tongue circling it as I rode his body, cursing our pants for keeping us apart.
Jeremiah flipped us around, sitting on his knees and pulling at my pants, sliding both them and my panties off at once. He removed his belt and pants, sliding them down and kicking them off onto the floor.
With both of us naked, he rolled us over again. I was on top, and my breasts were in his hands. His mouth explored my chest and neck, nibbling gently on my flesh. I rocked back and forth on my knees, rubbing against him. The feeling of his hardness against my clit teased me until I was dripping wet.
Every movement teased my opening and made me crave him more. Finally, when I couldn’t take it anymore, I gripped him in my hand and guided him inside. Lowering my body, I gasped as he filled me. I was in control of how deep he went, but I needed all of him. I slid all the way down, as if my body was made for his.
Jeremiah gripped my hips, and I fell forward. His mouth found my nipple again as I bounced on top of him. It was like a nerve went straight from my nipple to my clit, sending sensations down below that were unbelievable and brought me to the edge immediately.
I came once, rocking back and forth on top of him, my clit rubbing against his pelvis and my nipple in his mouth. Jeremiah kept me moving on top of him as my body writhed and flailed from the pleasure.
As my orgasm subsided, I continued riding him. I moved up and down, grinding and rocking. I felt him against every inch of my insides, and I loved it.
Jeremiah released my nipple and cupped my face in his hands, bringing me closer to him. I fell forward and we kissed, deeply and passionately. His tongue moved in and out of my mouth much like his cock was moving in and out of my pussy.
My hands were on his chest, my nails digging into his flesh as another orgasm hit me hard. My thighs cramped up, but Jeremiah helped keep me moving, prolonging the pleasure for as long as possible.
Then he held me close, rolling us over together, his cock never leaving my pussy. He hovered on top of me, plowing in and out of me, kissing me and touching me in ways I never thought he’d touch me. His rough hands moved over my body, exploring and savoring it beneath him.
I knew he was close.
Remembering how it felt when he came inside me, I was brought to the edge again. Thinking about him filling me with his seed, and maybe one day putting a baby inside me, brought to climax. I tightened around him as he throbbed inside me. We came together, our bodies rocking and writhing with pleasure until every last drop of his cum was spent.
Jeremiah lowered his head, resting his forehead against mine. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, staring deep into mine. He kissed my lips and remained sheathed inside me.
We stayed like that for a few moments, kissing and touching, our bodies joined together.
If there was any regret left inside him, I didn’t see it.
Ooo000ooo
I awoke the next morning, fully planning on staying in bed as long as possible. It was Sunday, and even though I spent many Sundays at the office, I’d planned to spend this one with Jeremiah and the babies.
I woke with Jeremiah that morning. He hopped out of bed, ready to prepare breakfast for the girls. I threw on some clothes, ready to help him. I grabbed my phone out of my pants pocket, making sure it hadn’t been damaged in last night’s activities.
There was a missed call and a voicemail. I recognized the number right away.
Jeremiah saw the look on my face. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, just a work thing. I’ll check it later.” I moved put the phone away, but Jeremiah must have read my expression, seen how badly I needed to take the call.
“I’ve got this,” he said. “I’m used to making their bottles in the morning by myself. It’s all good. Take the call, Elle.”
“You sure?”
“I am.”
He popped over to my side of the bed and gave me a kiss before leaving the room. My lips were still tingling with the warmth of his when I called Lauren Holt back.
“You wanted to speak with me?” she said dryly.
“Do you mind meeting me at my office later this afternoon?”
“I’d rather do it now,” she said. “I have a family gathering later today.”
I was surprised by how willing she was to meet with me, and I didn’t want to press my luck. I hated leaving Jeremiah, but he was used to this. And besides, this was for him. I wanted to clear his name, and I thought maybe Lauren could help with that. Maybe she’d be wil
ling to talk to me. After I witnessed what had happened at her parents’, I thought perhaps she’d be more talkative than when the police had questioned her.
“Yeah, sure, give me about fifteen minutes or so to get into the office.”
“I’ll be there.” She hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
God, I hated her. But I needed her. I had questions for her. I didn’t want to upset Jeremiah by telling him the plan, so I told him it was a work thing. Not a complete lie.
Jeremiah kissed me goodbye at the door, a baby in each arm. I had to laugh at the sight, something I never thought I’d see, but he looked so natural.
And I was happy that I could be part of his little family.
I rushed into town, the roads having been cleared. Lauren was standing outside the office building when I got there. She was leaning against the wall, staring at her phone and tapping her fingers against her jacket impatiently.
“Finally,” she muttered.
“I got here as quickly as possible,” I said, unlocking the office door.
She hustled in as soon as the door was open, not so much as a thank you for holding the door open for her.
We walked into my office, and I shut the door even though no one else was there. Just a habit, especially since we were going to be discussing something very personal.
I took a seat at my desk and Lauren sat across from me.
“So I’m assuming this is about the interview the other day, and I can explain. I—”
I held my hands up. “It’s not about that, actually.”
She snapped her mouth shut in surprise and stared at me.
“I have a few questions about James Fitzhenry.”
Lauren reached for her purse and began to stand up. “I already told the police and the Feds that I don’t know anything.”
“But your car was outside his place that night.”
She stopped, putting her bag back down in her lap. She returned to a seated position. “What? That’s not possible.”
