by Toni Aleo
“Together,” he promised, but he’d never tell her he was hoping and praying that she would get knocked up again. He knew he needed to take this slow, to show her that he meant business. But he wanted it all. He wanted her, marriage, a kid, and a dog. Everything. It could be very naïve of him, but he felt good about them. Knew they would succeed, because he wasn’t giving up.
On him.
Or her.
Or their future.
Kissing her again, he slowly backed her under the hot water, and as her arms wrapped around him, his eyes drifted shut. Both the feel of her and the hot stream of water were almost too much to handle. He finally had everything he wanted.
He had Kacey.
“It’s very overwhelming,” she whispered against his throat. “I’ve dreamed and prayed that this would happen. That you’d come back for me.”
“Did I live up to the dreams?”
“You surpassed them,” she said as she looked up at him. “I never thought you’d be this guy.”
He smiled, cupping her face. “I never thought I would be either, but there is no going back.”
She grinned back at him. “You got that right. Because this is it, Jordie, your one and only last chance.”
He already knew that, and while it did scare him since he was prone to fuck up, he knew he was ready. He had been thinking about this moment since he watched her walk away. It was time to stand up and be the man he wanted to be. It was time to take what he wanted in his grip and never let go. It was time to love Kacey King the way she deserved.
And he wasn’t going to fail.
Meeting Jordie’s eyes in the mirror, Kacey gave him a satisfied smile. He was naked, as was she, but it wasn’t his muscular body or his thick cock that had her attention. All she could see was the grin he was wearing. His eyes were bright and full of love as he held her gaze. They’d spent more time groping each other than actually cleaning off the sweat they had worked up, but Kacey wasn’t complaining. She loved showering with him. It felt right. It felt like them. They had a long history of sex in the shower, and out of it, but this time was different. They’d talked while he washed her hair. They’d laughed when he almost fell on his face trying to get the shampoo and it was just perfect.
So perfect that it almost felt unreal.
And that scared her.
Was it so perfect that it would end? It would be so easy for it to. He could start drinking again, decide he didn’t want what she did, and that would be it. But she prayed it wouldn’t, because they just worked. Though she kept thinking that maybe she should have waited a bit longer. Thought it through a little more than she had.
But when she’d opened that door and saw his brown eyes trained on her, all she wanted was him. She’d always wanted him. She’d be lying if she said it was easy to live and breathe without him. Because it wasn’t. Watching each other, sending little grins, it all just felt so right. Like they were meant to do this. But was she in over her head? Was it too early to look at him and just know that this was forever?
“Did we rush this?” she asked suddenly as he brushed out his beard.
He shrugged, the comb stopping as his eyes held hers. “Do you love me?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“Then, no, we didn’t. There is no reason for two people who love each other not to be together.”
“But I didn’t even make you work for it. I just jumped you like a cat in heat.”
His grin grew. “Thank God,” he said with a wink, and she smacked him playfully on the arm.
“I’m serious!”
He chuckled, the sound swirling the desire in her belly as he laid his comb down before turning to reach for her. He pulled her into his arms, his deliciously naked body hard against hers as he nipped at her bottom lip. “You didn’t have to make me work for it, Kace. Don’t you know that I’ve been working to be with you for a while? I’ve been working on me, and I’m far from done. I still have growing to do, but I want to grow with you.”
All her previous fears always dissolved away when he held her gaze. Her heart thudded in her chest as she laced her fingers at the back of his head, and she couldn’t help but think that this could be it. “I loved the old you, and I’ll love the new you. I think it’s just the you part that has my heart.”
He grinned, dropping his mouth toward hers. She held her breath as his lips grazed along hers. “I’m not giving it back either.”
“I didn’t think you would. You don’t share well.”
“Got that right,” he said roughly before taking her mouth with his. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she melted into him as their mouths danced. Maybe she didn’t make him wait, maybe she didn’t make him work or grovel like some other woman would have but, in a way, she couldn’t. She had waited and wanted this for far too long. To be with the man she loved. To have her fairy-tale ending.
Jordie was her frog turned prince, and she wasn’t letting him go.
Pulling away, he kissed her nose. “I promise I’m gonna do right by you this time around.”
She smiled, her nose pressing into his, unable to say anything. Meeting her gaze, he squeezed his arms around her, pressing his lips to her nose.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m scared,” she admitted, her eyes holding his. “Scared this is too good to be true.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.”
“Is that normal?”
His lips curved as he lifted her off the ground. “It’s our normal, and I’m good with it.”
Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she whispered, “Me too.”
He smiled against her lips before she closed her eyes and kissed him. As their mouths moved together, she clung to him as he carried her into his room, laying her down and covering her body with his. When she ran her fingers up his back, he looked down at her, his eyes drinking her in, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“I had no chance,” she whispered, her fingers moving along his jaw. “I should have known I had no chance when I first saw you standing in the kitchen.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, leaning into her hand, his hand coming up to cup her breast.
“I mean, that once you had your mind set on getting me back, I had no chance.”
He nodded. “Basically,” he joked, biting her jaw. “I knew from the beginning you’d be mine again.”
He flashed her a huge grin, waggling his eyebrows, and she laughed. Dropping his face to hers, he grinned against her jaw, both of them knowing that wasn’t the truth.
“You’re full of shit,” she accused and he scoffed, pulling back to look at her.
“What are you saying? That I didn’t think I’d be lying on top of you naked, declaring I loved you, when we were at dinner earlier?”
“Exactly.”
“Well, you’d be right, but those are just details. Shut up and kiss me,” he demanded and she laughed before his mouth took hers in a heated assault. Closing her eyes tightly, she prayed that it wasn’t too good to be true. That, from then on, it was going to be easy for them. It was so easy to love him, to be completely engrossed in him, and she really didn’t want any hiccups. But as quickly as she thought that, she knew that they’d have hiccups.
One big one being Karson.
Pulling back, she looked up at him and said, “Karson is gonna kill you.”
Jordie laughed, shaking his head. “No, we’re good.”
“Um, not when we tell him we are together.”
“I promise, sugar thighs, we’re good. I talked to him earlier and told him that we talked, and he’s good with it.”
Her brows came together. “Really?”
Jordie grinned. “Don’t sound so surprised.”
She laughed. “I’m just saying, Karson isn’t good with anyone being with me, especially you. Did you forget where you got that busted lip?”
He smiled, rolling his eyes. “No, I didn’t forget, but I promise, he’s good with it.”
“Okay,” she said skeptically. “I’ll take your word for it, but if he swings at you, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.”
“So what, you want to hide us?” he asked, and she could tell he was testing her.
“No, dork, I’m just worried he’s gonna flip. And ugh, my dad would join in. You know how he is. He loves drama just as much as an old lady does.”
He gave her a look before hopping up and pointing to her. “Get dressed. We’ll go tell him now.”
She looked at him like he was crazy, scoffing. “Shut up and come here. Don’t be silly.”
“No, really,” he said, glancing at the clock. “They’re all up, we can tell everyone.”
“Are you serious?” she laughed, looking at the clock herself and seeing that it was only seven. Her family was up, but still, he was crazy! “You don’t want to get used to the idea of us before we tell my family about it?”
His face scrunched up. “Kacey, I’ve been used to the idea of us. What, you’re not?”
She sat up, holding her hands out. “Whoa, now, that’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then what are you saying?”
She grinned. “I’m saying I’d rather stay in here and have sex all night than go talk to them and be questioned. At least, if we wait till tomorrow, I can be good and relaxed.”
He shook his head. “You are like a cat in heat.”
She kicked his thigh and he cried out before jumping on top of her as she laughed. She tried to get away from him, but she didn’t get far before he started kissing her, his arms holding her hostage.
Pulling away, he kissed the side of her mouth before saying, “I want to tell everyone and anyone that will listen. I’m ten seconds from changing my relationship status on Facebook.”
She feigned shock, but her heart did skip a beat. “No way. The horror all your little hussies will suffer.”
“No one matters but you, baby. But will you approve my friend request? I mean, you did delete me.”
She laughed. “Because you broke my heart and wouldn’t talk to me. I was mad.”
“Touché, but do you know how hard it is to Facebook-stalk someone that blocks you?”
Her face hurt from smiling. “I imagine pretty hard. That’s the point of the block.”
“Yeah, you imagine right. I had to log in to Karson’s account and do it.”
She almost choked on her laughter, smacking him in the chest. “Creeper.”
“Whatever. You know you like it,” he said, nibbling on her chest, and she did. She loved it to no end.
“Maybe, but whatever, it’s all in the past.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “So you’ll approve my friend request?”
She giggled as she turned her face to look at him. “I guess.”
He grinned before biting her tit. She cried out, arching her back as he laughed. “Get dressed.”
“Seriously!” she cried as he crawled off her and went to his dresser.
“Yes,” he said without turning to look at her. As he reached for a pair of shorts, she couldn’t believe he wanted to go right now.
“But I’m naked.”
He looked over his shoulder and nodded. “And you’ll get that way later too.”
“You’re impossible!” she complained, sitting up and climbing off the bed. Heading toward her room, she was almost to the bathroom when his arms came around her waist, stopping her.
She looked back at him and he dropped his mouth to hers. “I changed my mind.”
Turning her in his arms, he lifted her up, her legs and arms wrapping around him as he carried her to what she assumed was the bed. But she was wrong. When her ass landed on the cool surface of his dresser, she hissed out a breath against his lips. But then she gasped for one when he smacked her thighs open, dropping to his knees.
With his eyes full of lust, he said, “Just sit back and relax.”
And then his mouth was between her legs.
Arching against the mirror on his dresser, she grasped it with her fingers as his mouth moved along her wet lips. After scooting her to the edge, his mouth dove into her and she brought her legs up onto his shoulders as he devoured her. Letting her head fall back against the mirror, she gasped as he took her wet lips between his own. When he tongued her entrance, she opened her legs wider, holding her ankles to give him full access.
Leaning back, he shook his head as he drank her in. “So hot, so fucking hot,” he muttered before dropping his mouth onto her. Squeezing her eyes closed tightly, she dug her nails into her ankles as he swirled his tongue around her clit, his other hand holding her open while his fingers slid in and out of her. As he sucked her clit between his lips, she cried out, her body seizing as he fucked her with his fingers and assaulted her with his mouth. Her belly clenched, her heart slammed into her chest, and soon it was too much to handle as she came hard against his mouth, coming completely undone beneath his talented lips.
Gasping for breath, she looked up at the ceiling, filling her lungs and letting the air out in a whoosh. Her heart was pounding in her ears, but before she could even regain any kind of composure, he slid his hands between the opening her arms and legs made, taking her by the waist and lifting her off the dresser, suspending her in the air.
She cried out in shock, but he said, “I got you. Put my cock in that fucking hot pussy of yours.”
Breathless, she almost came again at his demand. She loved when he talked to her like that. It was very primal of him and made her shake with need. Letting go of her ankle, her hand shook as she took his cock and directed it inside of her, both of them groaning as he disappeared into her. As her head fell back, she grabbed hold of her ankles again as he pulled out of her, only to thrust back into her and then pull out again, her breasts bouncing with each thrust. He was going slow, drawing out of her in such a delicate but perfect way.
But he was driving her crazy.
“Harder.”
When he slammed into her, she cried out as he lifted her and she raised her head up to look at him. “Harder?”
She could only nod, speaking not an option as his mouth turned up in the most sinful way. Taking her mouth with his, he pulled out of her, almost all the way before slamming back into her and repeating each thrust harder, leaving her breathless. She cried out against his mouth, her orgasm rattling her soul, her body clenching his as his nails bit into her hips. Soon he was fucking her so hard, her whole body was shaking from his thunder-like thrusts. The smacking sound from her ass hitting his thighs was almost as loud as her heartbeat, but the best sound was the three words he growled in her ear.
“I love you,” he said roughly in her ear as he thrust one last time, a harsh moan leaving his lips. “So fucking much.”
Letting her ankles go, she wrapped her arms and legs around him as his cock pulsated inside her, filling her. He took a few steps back and then sat down, her ass hot against his thighs as he took hold of her face and kissed her swollen lips. Threading his fingers in her hair, he squeezed a fistful of her hair as he deepened the kiss and her belly fluttered with desire for him.
With love.
Pulling away only a breath, he kissed her lips once more before she opened her eyes to look at him. His eyes were full of such tenderness, such need, it left her fighting for her next breath. Reaching up, her fingers traced his lips and she couldn’t feel anything but utter completion. Before, when he’d been gone, waves of missing him and yearning for him would drown her. But now, she was drowning in her love for him.
He was really there.
He was really hers.
And nothing could take him away from her.
Not even him.
She is finally mine, Jordie thought as he watched Kacey dress. His body was still shaking with the aftershocks of their amazing lovemaking but also with the deep-down, life-altering connection he had with her. Sitting on his bed, he couldn’t believe it. When she said it was too good to be true, she wasn’t lying. They just fit. It was like they wen
t right back to how they were. Except now, he wasn’t denying his feelings. No, he wanted to scream them, not only at her but also to the world. He was with the girl of his dreams. His everything.
He still worried though. What if he relapsed and hurt her all over again?
No. He couldn’t think that way.
This would work. They were meant to be.
“You’re thinking too hard,” she called from the bathroom. “This was your idea, mind you.”
He smiled. “Just thinking.”
“About?”
“You. Us.”
“Good things?” she asked, putting her hair up in a little ponytail before turning the water on.
“I just want this to work.”
She looked over at him and asked, “Is there a reason it wouldn’t?”
He shrugged. “I could fuck up again.”
She nodded. “But you could not.”
He smiled, hopeful. “True. Hoping I don’t.”
“Me too. I’m invested, remember?” she said with a grin, but her eyes were serious.
“Me too, Kace,” he promised before standing up and grabbing his phone off the dresser.
As he opened his Facebook app, she said, “Then we are good.”
He grinned as he sat back down, praying to sweet baby Jesus she was right while he typed her name in. But before he could ask for her to be friends, she was there, pushing his hands apart and climbing into his lap, her legs wrapping around his waist. Threading her fingers through the hair on his jaw, she smiled as she met his gaze.
“Do you know what I love about you?” she asked, her thumbs grazing his bottom lip.
“Everything?” he teased and her grin grew.
“Well, duh,” she laughed. “But I love your drive, your tenacity. You won’t give up on anything.”
He gave her a deadpan look. “I gave up on myself though.”
She nodded. “Everyone does at some point in their life. It’s about getting back up, and you have. Am I worried you’ll hurt me? Yeah, but that’s only because I want this to work so damn bad. I’ve wanted you to be mine for the rest of my life for a very long time. But for so long, you were unattainable. But still I loved you because I know you, and I know what you are capable of. When you want something, you go for it. Hence why you are sober now and also why you are with me.”
