by Karen Deen
It’s just down to Jordan, Nat and Kane in the room as they say their goodbyes. Jordan offers to drive Nat home which she shyly accepts. I hear Xavier say to him quietly as he is leaving, “We need to chat about this,” to which Jordan just smiles and gives him the man nod of acknowledgement. The one that is part of the bro code.
Kane stands there, a little lost at the side of the bed. I’m not sure what is going through his head, but he can’t quite work out what he needs to say. Xavier senses he needs him, so he stands and wraps him in a tight hug.
“If we lost you today, not sure I would survive without you,” Kane whispers. “I need you more than you know.” It’s quiet and I can only just make it out.
“I know, man, I know. But we live to fight another day. Love you, man.” Xavier has really let it out with both of us tonight. Kane mumbles his reply into Xavier’s shoulder. Then as he does, Xavier lightens the moment. “Now get out. I need to be alone with my woman and you are cramping my style.”
I smack him on his arm as he sits on the side of the bed. Kane just chuckles and starts walking out the door telling us he will see us in the morning. I’m pretty sure it’s already morning, I just have no idea how early.
As he opens the door to the room, Lilly comes barrelling through it and runs smack into Kane’s chest, making her stagger backwards a little. He wraps his arms around her to stop her from falling.
“Oh, man,” she says as she tries to pull herself together.
“That’s right, gorgeous. All man and happy to show you that any time.” With that, he lets her go and keeps walking.
Lilly is left standing in a daze. “Damn, that guy is so hot. I need to get me some of that.”
Xavier and I just look at each other and start to laugh. It is the most beautiful sound.
Lilly looks confused. “What?” She waits for an answer.
I turn to Xavier and smile “And so it begins.” He knows exactly what I mean, we’ll enjoy the fireworks of Kane and Lilly.
***
The next few days Xavier and I were both told to rest and take it easy. No physical activity. Xavier embarrassed me by asking the doctor straight up if that meant sex. That man has no shame. Thank goodness it was Doctor Trudy. She just thought it was hilarious.
We spent hours in the police station with Kane and the FBI going over all the events that led up to the day on the mountain. It was hard to hear all the details over and over again as they make sure that they have everything perfect for the court case. Rocco told us that Dana and Bear will be lucky ever to be released with the amount of evidence they have on them, from the other attacks as well as ours. Xavier will have to testify at trial, but they will try to keep me off the stand if they can. Xavier is adamant that he doesn’t want me to have to go through that. He is still struggling with not being there to save me. No matter how much we’re talking it through, he agreed this morning that we need to talk to a therapist, both together and separately. I already have the names from Trudy so now it’s time to act on that.
Xavier is not the only one still struggling from what has happened. Mom is on the phone every five minutes, and not only to me but to my siblings, too. Dad is threatening to take her phone away if she doesn’t settle down. I get it, though. She almost lost one of her babies and then her husband and sons put themselves in danger looking for the people who hurt me. Mom is strong but not that strong. Dad just needs to give her time. She will get over it and move on but at the moment we just need to humour her.
We are all secretly laughing at Dad for chastising Mom about calling us, when he just does the rotation of visits between all of us. Every day. Just calling in for coffee or a chat. So obvious, but nobody cares. That’s what family does. We care.
***
Life has gone back to normal. Well, as close to normal as you can get with my family. Xavier and I are in a great routine. We never sleep apart. Neither of us can let go. I don’t care where we stay just as long as I sleep in his arms then I’m happy.
Grant and Zara have finally got their act together and he is so much easier to work and live with. It’s like she has brought out a whole side to Grant we never knew existed. People are probably saying the same thing about me with Xavier. He gives me confidence to do and say things I never would have imagined.
Like today, we are going motorbike riding with Kane. Something I swore I would never do, yet here I am climbing on the back of a motorbike with Xavier. Luckily, he has a leather jacket on. Otherwise, he would have ended up with fingernail claw marks all over his body. We get to a section of the highway and Kane keeps going while we turn off and head down the gravel road to the parking lot for the trails. I can feel my heartbeat picking up. I don’t know why we’re here, but I feel funny as we pull to a stop and he cuts the engine.
I swing my leg over the bike and try to get them working again as I stand hanging on to the seat. Xavier has taken his helmet off and is now undoing the strap on mine.
“Why are we here, Xavier?” I look to him for an explanation. I’m feeling confused and apprehensive.
“It’s time to take our life back. This is somewhere you have a lot of good memories and so do I. I love to stand on the peak and look at the view. They tried to take that away from us, but I think it’s time we took it back.” His words are full of determination.
“I don’t know if I can.” My voice is quiet and uncertain.
“I will help you, baby. Let’s make it fun again. I have a surprise for you when you make it to the peak. It’s hard and round, those are your only clues.” The sparkle in his eyes tells me I can’t disappoint him. With my hand wrapping around my bangle, I start to nod my head to say yes.
“Your surprise better not be your dick. I’m still sore from last night, wild boy.” With that, he swats me on the butt and we slowly walk hand in hand to the trail entrance. I just need to tell him before we start the hike, “I love you, Xavier. I will always love you.”
He stops and grabs my face. “Me too, baby, me too.”
***
Walking out into the clearing at the top of the mountain was hard. Xavier was coping far better than me, but as usual he gave me the strength to keep going.
We have been standing here cuddling for quite a while. No talking. Just sorting our memories out. The ones that plague us and the good ones we are making to bury the bad ones.
The sun is starting to slide down the sky so it will soon be time to head back down. I have managed to get through this but being up here in the dark is more than I can handle yet.
“Before we leave, there is one last memory we need to make on this ledge.”
“Xavier, I told you I am not having sex with you here out in the open.”
He turns me to face him. “As much as I would love to fuck you right here, that’s not what your surprise is.” Taking my left hand, he slowly drops to one knee.
I gasp and my legs start to go weak, the tears already pooling in my eyes.
“Ally, you took my heart the first day I saw you. You kept it safe even though I didn’t know I needed you to. Your sweetness made me want to be a better man for you. Your secret little sexy side made me want to beat my chest and go all caveman. But the greatest gift you gave me is your trust. You trusted me to know what was right for both of us in this relationship. You love me even at times I don’t deserve it, but you do it anyway. I can’t live another day without you, and I want you with me always. Marry me, Alesha Stevenson. Be my Ally forevermore.” The last time I cried in this spot, I thought I was going to lose him. This time, they are tears of joy as we prove that nothing can break us.
“Yes, a thousand yeses. We are the circle and we’ll never end.” I have no problems with words this time. I know now that words will never ever be a problem again.
He slips the most beautiful diamond ring on my finger then jumps to his feet. He kisses me with such passion, then lifts me off my feet and twirls me in circles like a crazy man.
He yells across the valley as loud as h
e can. “She. Said. Yes.”
“I love you, Ally. You’re mine, until the end. Of. Time.” He looks at me as he makes sure I hear every single word. He then sweeps me up into his arms. “Now I’m going to take you home and make sweet hot love to you, my fiancée. So, I hope you aren’t tired because there will be no sleep tonight, beautiful. “
“Why should tonight be different to any other night, lover boy?” With that, he groans, and we head off down the mountain both so happy and in love but, more importantly, stronger than ever. No matter what happens, we will always have each other and will fight never to lose that.
Our love is the circle, it’s strong, solid, and knows no end.
Epilogue
Alesha
“I SWEAR, Bronson Lane, if you don’t come back here right now and put on your pants, Mommy is going to take away all your toys this time,” I yell as I’m chasing our three-year-old son across the back yard.
Xavier is standing on the back deck laughing loudly while he pats our little four-month-old baby girl, Lucy, on her back trying to burp her after her feed.
“Stop laughing, this is all your fault. He is just like you. He needs to learn clothes aren’t an optional accessory!” I corner him near the back fence between the swing set and Xavier’s man shed.
“I’ve got you now, my cheeky little monkey.” He is giggling so much I can’t be mad at him anymore. Pouncing and scooping him up in my arms, I blow raspberries on his naked little belly.
Finally, after getting him dressed and strapping both the kids in the car, Xavier pins me against the side of it. “You didn’t seem to think the no-clothes rule was a problem last night, Mrs Lane.” He leans down and kisses me on my neck, then taking my mouth and sucking the air out of my lungs.
“You are insatiable, Mr Lane. Just because I’m finally healed up after giving birth and you just got your sex privileges back, that doesn’t mean I am here at your beck and call.” I smirk.
“Now, that’s where you are wrong. Three days ago, I seem to recall a certain little lady—who is standing right here getting me all hot and bothered—was screaming my name and telling me I could fuck her any time, any place. Isn’t that right, Mrs Lane?” After all this time, he still manages to make me blush. Just as he leans in to kiss me on the lips, Bronson taps on the window. Busted by our three-year-old.
Who said kids were a good idea? Oh, that’s right, no one did. Xavier’s super sperm decided on our wedding night that we needed a mini-him just to keep our marriage fun.
Xavier’s parents say Bronson is payback for all they put up with when he was little.
I’m not sure why I have to be punished, though. I love both my kids more than anything, even though Bronson is such a handful most days. But then he comes up and grabs your cheeks and squishes your face while planting the biggest, sloppiest kiss on your lips. Then he tells you he ‘lubbs you’. My heart swells every time.
Xavier
Driving into work with my whole family in the car has me smiling. Life is exactly where I want it to be. I am married to the love of my life. We have the two kids and, if I have my way, there will be a third on the way before we know it. I keep trying for twins so maybe next time we will get lucky. Not sure Ally would agree but she’ll love them regardless.
Watching her with Bronson and Lucy brings me so much love and joy. She is the most amazing mother and through all of the hard work, she’s still the most beautiful sexy woman I know. Her first pregnancy was a challenge for us both. Ally needed to know everything about every little step. She was reading every book she could get her hands on. It got to the point she was driving herself insane with worry. Instead of it helping her anxiety over the unknown, it was feeding it. So I had to play the bad man and take the books away. We had regular doctors’ appointments and we talked a lot. I had her lean on Emily and talk to her for advice. They’re close and Ally listened to her. I even spoke to the doctor about my concerns, but he just rolled his eyes and said you will just have to keep supporting her and take your punishment in the delivery room.
Wow, he wasn’t kidding. I am a big, strong, muscly guy and I left that delivery room with scratches, nail marks, a few teeth marks and a new level of deafness from the screaming when the pain hit. So, I guess that was what the doctor called my punishment. Lucy was a far nicer pregnancy and delivery, thank goodness. Because I think if Ally had had another labor like Bronson’s, I would have zero chance of another baby.
We pull up outside the gym I own with my sister in one of the Stevenson developments down near the water. After we announced our engagement, Mitch took me for a beer one day and asked what he could do to help his future son-in-law to find his dream. I was too proud to take any handouts, but he let me borrow the money from him and Sophia with a written-up loan agreement for Nat and I to pay it back. I still needed to feel my worth in supporting my wife and family.
So, Hard Circle Gym was set up in the floor space we purchased off the family company. It works for all of us.
“Say goodbye to Daddy, kids, you will see him tonight.” I lean over and kiss Ally just how she likes it, soft to begin with and then hard to leave her panting. She crawls over the console in the middle to take my seat on the driver’s side while I say goodbye to the kids.
“Meme and Gruffy will pick the kids up from me at work this afternoon for a few hours, and you better not be late for date night.” She gives me a wink and gets ready to pull out of the parking spot.
“No chance in the world I’ll miss date night without the kids. You can bet on that, sexy lady. Now, get moving or Grant will be complaining you’re late for work. Although Lilly still holds the record for that.” I give her a last peck on the cheek through the window and then I am heading inside to work.
Alesha
“How long have we got until the kids get dropped off?” Xavier is pulling at every piece of clothing I have on, trying to get me naked.
“Two hours, so stop talking and wasting time,” I tell him as I shimmy out of my work suit.
“Every single time you take my breath away, Ally.” He groans.
“Date night is the best invention ever,” I tell him, letting my own groan out as he starts playing with my tits.
“But I swear, Xavier Lane, if you knock me up again with another horror like Bronson then all future date nights are cancelled.”
He just laughs, lifts me up and lays me on our bed, ready for him to have his way with me.
“So, you don’t want this then?” His hand is wrapped around his hard cock and he is slowly pulling it while I’m watching.
“You’re such a pain. Just make love to me already before I change my mind.” I smile at him, happy to give him the go-ahead.
My sassiness and his cockiness leaves both of us and we make sweet passionate love and enjoy the small amount of alone time we have.
***
I open my eyes and look at the stick. Two lines.
“Xavier Lane, you better start running and make it fast,” I yell from the bathroom.
Welcome to the family, Scotty and Archie Lane.
Universe, please let them take after me!
THE END
LIST OF TITLES
Available Now
LOVE’S WALL #1
LOVE’S DANCE #2
LOVE’S HIDING #3
LOVE’S FUN #4
Coming Soon
LOVE’S HOT #5
COMING 2019
LOVE’S HOT
(Book 5)
Add it to your TBR list today!
Goodreads: LOVE’S HOT
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
/> Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
