by Kay Manis
Chapter 45
-RORY-
“Wow,” Hindley whispered breathlessly as she fell onto my chest.
I loved watching her body writhe in unbridled passion as she completely let go. According to her, I was the only man who’d ever offered her such an explosive release. And for that, I thanked fuck’s sake. The thought that another man bringing her more pleasure made me see stars.
I brushed back a strand of hair from her face. “For such an articulate person, that’s the only word you can come up with?” I rubbed her back, silently thanking God she was still here with me, to hold in my arms.
“Articulate? Well, excuse me, Mr. SAT Word of the Day.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have told you Luis bought me that calendar.”
She lifted her head and rested her chin on my chest. “I’m glad to hear you’re using it. Can you spell articulate?”
“No, but I can spell love. L-O-V-E,” I said. “And that’s what I do for you. I love you, Hindley.”
Her face went red with an emotion that I wasn’t familiar with. Was it embarrassment? God, I hoped not.
“I love you too, Rory.” She pushed up to plant a soft kiss on my cheek. “So, how many orgasms do you think a person can have in one night?” She giggled, her body quivering on top of mine as she ran her fingers over my chest.
I flipped her over so she was on her back, hovering inches above her. “I don’t know, but I’m willing to go through the grueling process to find out.”
“Well, let’s see, we’re up to...” she paused, counting silently in her head. “Five. Are you kidding me, five orgasms and, what time is it?” She glanced over her shoulder at the clock.
“It’s still early.” I grinned, rubbing my nose against her jaw. “We’re making up for lost time.”
“Well, in that case…” She wrapped her hands around my neck and leaned down so our lips were nearly touching. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not giving up on me.”
I stared at her like she was crazy. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m kind of a high maintenance girl.”
I laughed out loud at the lunacy of her words. “Hindley, I’ve been with high maintenance girls.”
She scowled. “Girls don’t want to hear about your exploits with other women while still in bed.”
“Duly noted.” I smiled.
She pecked me on the lips and pulled away.
“Trust me though, you’re not high maintenance, at all.” I lifted my head and brought her mouth down in silent reassurance, but as I fell back onto the mattress, I sensed my words still hadn’t appeased her. “Hindley, you’re the only girl for me. You know that.”
Her blank expression said she still wasn’t satisfied.
I gently rolled her off me and rose from the bed, walking to my duffle bag in the corner. I pulled out my journal. “I want to read you something.” I sat back down on the bed, my journal in hand.
“Ooo, this sounds serious.” She smiled.
I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s just a poem.”
Her eyes danced with excitement. “Did you write it?”
I nodded.
Her grin widened.
“Do you want to hear it?” I asked.
“Of course I do. Does it have a title?”
“Um, no. No title. I wrote it while you were in the hospital.” I opened the journal to the page I’d marked earlier and tried to avoid her gaze.
She pushed up. Sitting cross-legged and gloriously naked, her knees pressed against mine.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.” She nestled herself against me for what seemed like story time at the library.
Her excitement spurred me on. “Okay, here goes. Don’t laugh.”
“I’d never laugh at you, Rory.” She brushed my cheek with her hand.
“Yeah, right,” I snorted, leaning into her touch.
“Not for this.” She placed a reassuring hand on my thigh.
My dick twitched.
Shit. Not now One-Eyed Willie.
I drew in a deep breath, preparing myself, fearful of what she would think. I couldn’t allow my anxiety to stop me from revealing how I truly felt about her. I’d almost lost her, and I wasn’t going to waste anymore time on self-doubt, not when I knew how much she truly loved me.
“All the words are mine, but Luis helped me write them down in the beginning. Eventually, I’ve been able to go back and learn all the words. So, what I’m reading to you really is something I wrote.”
She nodded her head, smiling as she latched on to my arm. Her touch gave me the confidence I needed to read my poem aloud.
* * *
“I awoke to her voice, the sound so serene,
That she instantly drew me in,
Her heart was so pure, her face so bright,
True beauty shined from within.”
* * *
I paused, trying to steady my racing heart. I couldn’t fuck up the words or start crying like the pussy-ass punk I was. I didn’t want to stutter and sound like a complete fool. Not tonight. This was important.
“It’s all right, Rory.” Hindley squeezed me. “I love it. I love you. Take your time. I want to hear every word, no matter how long it takes you, because every word was written by you.”
She stared up at me, her face glowing with a kind of love I’d never known before.
I cleared my throat and smoothed out the page, reading the next line.
* * *
“How could I explain from the depths of my soul,
Just how lost and lonely I felt.
Knowing that one day she’d have to reject me,
To protect her heart from myself.
* * *
Now watching her pain and hearing her cries,
I realize we’re both just alike.
Maybe together is where we’re destined to be,
Despite all the tragedy in life.
* * *
They say love isn’t yours ‘til you give it away,
But I will never let her go.
Because sometimes it takes a broken person,
To truly make you whole.”
I sagged in relief, glad I’d made it all the way through without stumbling. I closed my journal and stared at her, surprised to see tears streaming down her cheeks. Oh, shit, she hated it.
“Was it that bad?” I asked.
“Oh, God, Rory, no. It was beautiful,” she said. “You wrote that?”
I nodded. “Luis helped me spell some of the words. We added them to my sight list.”
“You still have your list?” she asked, seeming surprised that I’d kept up with my lessons.
“Of course I do. I mean, no offense, Hindley, but with or without you, I wasn’t going to give up on reading.”
She threw herself into my arms, toppling us both over. “I’m so proud of you, Skater Boy.”
“I’m glad you like it. It’s for you, Drunk Girl. It’s about you.”
“God, it better be.” She smiled, wiping her eyes with the sheets. “Can I ask you something though?”
Her body sunk into mine as she lay naked atop me. I was finding it harder and harder to resist her as my dick grew firm with desire.
“Anything. You can ask me anything, you know that.”
“You said you’d never let me go.”
Her face was adorably contorted and I tried not to laugh out loud at her confused expression. She was falling right into my trap.
“Yes,” I said flatly, as if I didn’t understand.
Her eyes narrowed and I knew she might kill me if I didn’t come clean.
“Hold on.” I shoved off the bed and walked toward my duffle bag again, bending down and rummaging through until I found the package at the bottom. I pulled out the thin oblong box wrapped in Hello Kitty paper and made my way back to the bed. I’d gone shopping for her when she was still in the hospital and had been completely surprised at how much Hello K
itty shit there was out in the world. Tonight though, I was thankful for it.
“Here.” I held out the package to her.
“Another Hello Kitty present?” She giggled.
God, I loved her laugh. I loved her, period.
“Of course, you know I’m addicted to your hello kitty?” I rubbed her thigh.
She swatted at my hand. “Not yet.” She winked with a side grin. There was hopefulness in her eyes of things yet to come.
I watched with anticipation as she ripped off the paper. I loved that she wasn’t one of those kind of girls who was so careful with wrapping paper. I panicked, wondering what her reaction to my gift would be. My heart beat wildly out of my chest and my hands broke out with sweat. What if this wasn’t what she wanted?
“Come back to me,” she whispered, caressing my face with her fingers. Her voice instantly set my mind at ease. I knew her better than anyone in the world. This was exactly what she wanted.
“Oo. Nordstrom’s,” she admired, showing me the box.
“What, were you expecting, Tiffany’s?” I snorted.
She smirked and hit my arm. “No,” she said, but I saw a spark of disappointment.
After listening to my poem, I knew she expected to see a ring-sized box, but that’s not what I had in mind for her. Tiffany’s would never be my style.
“Open it,” I coaxed.
Slowly, she removed the lid. Her eyes were bright with wonder as she tried to figure out what was inside.
“What? You don’t like it?” I tried to sound disappointed.
“It’s a Hello Kitty bracelet.” She admired it with about as much enthusiasm as someone preparing for a root canal.
I was afraid I was going to bust out laughing. “You don’t want it?”
“No, no,” she tried to assure me, “I love it, it’s beautiful.”
God, she was such a crappy liar, but I guess I should be thankful for that.
“Do you want me to put it on you?” I was surprised she hadn’t noticed the shit-eating grin on my face.
“Sure.” She held the box out.
“Take it out first.”
Her brows furrowed, but she complied. As she lifted the bracelet out of the box, the ring dangled from the last link on the chain and swung in the air. Her eyes grew wider than I’d ever seen when she realized this was no ordinary Hello Kitty bracelet. The box fell to the floor as her free hand clasped over her mouth.
I slipped off the bed and came to kneel in front of her gloriously naked body. Removing the ring, I held it in my hand as I fastened the bracelet around her wrist. I lifted my eyes, focusing on her beautiful face, her eyes now overflowing with tears.
“Rory,” she whispered.
“Hindley, I lost you once and barely survived. I don’t ever want to lose you again. I can’t exist in this world without you. Marry me.”
She remained stock still and I feared what she was thinking. Was it joy or panic, maybe fear? I mean seriously, if I stopped to think about it, what did I have to offer this girl?
She tilted her head and stared at me for a long moment. “What you said sounded an awful lot like a command, not a question.”
I sat back on my heels to gauge her reaction. The sparkle in her eyes and the devious smile lighting up her face assured me she was screwing with me. I guess I deserved it.
“It wasn’t a question, Miss Hagen, it was a demand. Marry me.”
Her eyes searched my face and again, I was overcome with a vulnerability I’d never experienced before.
“Okay,” she whispered, nearly bouncing off the bed. “I’ll marry you.”
“Well, thank fuck for that!” I shouted, pushing off the floor and crashing into her as our bodies fell onto the bed.
“So, can I get the ring now?” She giggled.
I held it out to her.
“Oh my God, Rory, it’s beautiful.”
It was a two-carat square cut diamond in an antique setting, surrounded by a shit-ton of smaller diamonds and positioned atop a diamond-covered band. I’d taken Kara with me to choose the ring when Hindley was still in the hospital. As soon as I’d seen it in the local jewelry store in downtown Austin, I’d known it was Hindley through and through. The look of adoration in her eyes proved I was right.
“You like it?”
“Like it?” She extended her arm into the air, twisting her hand back and forth, watching the diamond catch the light. “It is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. How did you know? It’s perfect.”
“Because I know you.” I ran my finger over her jaw, down her neck, making my way to one of her breasts. Leaning down, I took one pert nipple into my mouth, sucking hard.
“Oh, Rory,” she moaned.
I peered up and saw her attention was still stuck on the ring.
“Hindley,” I growled, flicking her nipple with my tongue.
“Hmm,” she buzzed.
“Do you want to make it six?”
She wrapped both hands around my cheeks and lifted my head. Her eyes were bright with joy…and love. For me.
I’d never felt so cherished or admired in all my life.
“I want to make it forever, Mr. Gregor.” She smiled, her thumbs caressing my cheeks.
“Your wish is my command, Miss Hagen.” I leaned down and worked my mouth lower on her body.
“It won’t be Miss Hagen much longer,” she corrected.
I smiled against her smooth, soft skin. “I can hardly wait, Mrs. Gregor. I can hardly wait.”
Chapter 46
-RORY-
I took a small sip from the steaming cup of coffee as I stared at Hindley, sitting beside me at the dining room table.
We’d barely slept the night before but she had an early doctor’s appointment this morning, which meant the alarm clock had rung entirely too soon for either of us.
I stared at my plate of pancakes and bacon, my mouth watering.
She’d awoken early and made breakfast, knowing the smell of bacon would be the quickest way to get me out of bed. She’d been right. I could never resist her pancakes.
“Promise me something,” she said, handing me the syrup.
“Anything.” I shoved another fork full of pancakes in my mouth.
“Please promise me that you won’t treat me like I’m some delicate flower, like you think I’m going to break or hurt myself again.”
I swallowed the contents in my mouth. “I can’t promise you that, Hindley. You are delicate to me, and I will always protect you, even from yourself if I have to.”
“Good God, you’re so overprotective.” She fell back in her chair. “Is this how you’re going to be with our kids?” She laughed.
Kids? Holy shit.
I’d never wanted kids, had never even thought about having them.
“What’s wrong?” Her brow furrowed.
I shook my head, not knowing how to respond. I pushed my plate away, my appetite suddenly gone.
“You don’t want kids, do you?”
I swallowed hard, praying this wouldn’t be a deal breaker for us.
“Tell me the truth, Rory. You never want children?”
I didn’t want kids, but I didn’t want to lose her either. We’d agreed that we would never lie to one another again, about anything. Basically, I was fucked.
“Honestly, I’ve never thought about kids,” I said.
She sat up straight in her chair, crossing her arms on the table. “Well, now I’m asking you to think about them.”
I shrugged, trying to figure a way out of this mess. “Do we have to talk about this now?”
“Yes, we do.”
Fuck.
I raked a hand through my hair. “I don’t know, Hindley. I mean…”
“What?” she asked, her voice soft and reassuring.
“It’s just,” I stumbled to articulate my feelings. “I didn’t have any role models growing up.”
“What about Jack?”
Jack was a good man, a wonderful husband and father
. But he’d come along later in my life, after my bad habits had already been formed. I didn’t know how to express that in a way she could understand.
She reached across the table, her hand covering mine. “Just say it. I won’t judge.”
“I don’t want to fuck up a kid, especially your kid. Not the way I was.”
“Rory, how can you ever think you would fuck up your own child?”
“Look at me, Hindley.” I waved a hand up and down my body. “I fuck up everything I touch.”
I pushed the chair back from the table, screwing my eyes shut. Visions of the countless times I’d fucked up in the past—with people I loved, with Hindley—swirled around in my head. I knew I’d do the same thing with a kid, only that would be worse, way worse.
My eyes opened when I felt her press into my lap.
She gently placed her hands on either side of my face and stroked my cheeks. She spread feather-light kisses across my face and down my jaw. Hindley made it nearly impossible to concentrate on anything but her love for me.
“You are my Skater Boy. You are not a fuck up. And you don’t fuck up everything you touch.”
I stared at the pale skin of her neck, trying to let her words soak in.
“Look at me, Rory,” she commanded.
I lifted my gaze, staring into her dark chocolate eyes.
“You saved me,” she said.
“What?” I laughed.
“I was lost without you.”
“When?”
“The two weeks we were apart, it was like I was missing my other half. Then, I opened my eyes in the hospital and there you were, and I knew. I just knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That no matter what, you’d always be there for me.”
“God, Hindley, you know I will.” I pulled her against my chest. “You know I’ll do anything for you.”
“And you will for our babies too.”
“What?” I half shouted. “Babies?”
“Umm hum,” she whispered in my ear. “Babies. As in more than one.”
“Hindley,” I shook my head, “I don’t know.” My breathing became shallow as I fought back a full-blown panic attack.
