Unveiling Hope

by Jeannine Allison

  My mom’s soft laughter floated over the room like a balm, instantly calming him. “Relax, honey. Babies cry. You’re not doing anything wrong. Just give her head a little bit more support.”

  “Here.” He moved to give her back.

  “No way. You’re doing great.” She reached up and squeezed Mark’s wrist and then helped him. “There you go.”

  The baby quieted and Mark smiled down at her. “Hi there, princess.”

  “Oh man. You’re going to spoil her rotten.”

  We all looked over to see Naomi and Damien standing in the doorway.

  “That’s a father’s job,” Mark said absentmindedly before his head snapped up. Naomi froze for a second. “I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s okay.” She waved away his concern. “You’re right. Our biological father wasn’t a parent. He was just a sperm donor.” Naomi stopped beside him. “You’re more our dad than he ever was, and I do feel spoiled.”

  “She’s right, man,” I added. “You’ve done so much for all of us.”

  “Stop it,” Mark choked out, looking like he was about to cry.

  “It’s the truth.” Mom stared up at him. “You’ve saved this family. You saved me.” Her eyes welled with tears, sending Mark over the edge, and they both started crying.

  Damien tucked Naomi into his side and we all looked on, smiling at the happy couple and the new addition to our family.

  But despite my joy, I felt a hollow space beside me. The place where someone else should be. And not just someone else, but Sam.

  “I’m gonna step out for some coffee. Does anyone want anything?”

  They all briefly looked over before shaking their heads. I slipped out and walked down the hall, my hands tucked in my pockets and eyes on the ground.

  After walking down the stairs and past the coffee shop, I found myself outside. The whoosh of the automatic doors behind me, and the slap of cold air in front of me, had me stopping.

  I pulled out my phone and debated calling Sam. But before I could make a decision, it rang, bringing up Sam’s name.

  With a smile, I answered. “Hello?”

  “Hi,” she said quietly.

  “I was just about to call you.”

  “Were you? You didn’t look too sure.”

  “Yeah. My mom—wait, what?” I looked around, my grin growing. “Are you here?”

  I could hear the amusement in her voice when she answered. “Yes. Behind you.”

  My arm fell as I turned around and faced her. She was pocketing her phone and walking toward me with a smile. Then she stopped in front of me, and everything in my world felt right again.

  “How’d you know?” I asked.

  “Naomi called me. She thought you might want me here.”

  I brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, my hand lingering on her cheek. “That’s always a safe bet.”

  Blushing, she added, “I always imagined I’d be here too. I know I’m not family—”

  “You are to me.”

  “Ditto.”

  We continued staring at each other, smiling like idiots while we tried to figure out what to say. But it wasn’t like the coffee shop where we were scared and unsure, as if every word was a bomb ready to destroy us. This was pure excitement, like we were on the verge of something more.

  I examined her, and she looked even better than she had before. “Will it hurt if I hug you?”

  Sam’s eyes softened. “No, not at all.”

  Moving forward, I wrapped one arm around her waist and cradled the back of her head, holding it to my chest. “Thank you for being here,” I whispered in her ear.

  After a few minutes I pulled back, but still kept her close. “Did you want to come and meet my new sister?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I wouldn’t bother. They’re passed out.” Our heads turned in the direction of Naomi’s voice. She and Damien were walking toward us. “Mom and the little one were exhausted.”

  “Oh.” I frowned and glanced down at Sam. “Maybe you could come back with us tomorrow?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  I looked over and found Naomi grinning. “We’ll see you two later?” she asked, leaning into Damien’s side. We nodded and watched them walk away.

  “I’ve been thinking…” Sam began.

  “Yeah?”

  “I’ve missed Rory.”

  My eyes widened, but I tried not to show any other reaction than that. I didn’t want to scare her off. “Did you… did you want to stop by sometime?”

  “Actually”—she paused to clear her throat—“I was hoping I could stay there tonight. Gabe and Alara haven’t had much alone time and—”

  “Yes,” I cut her off. Both of us laughed at my eager reply.

  “I hope Rory is as excited.”

  My smile softened and I stepped away before holding out my hand. “Let’s go home.”

  I kept to myself for thirty minutes, which I thought was pretty damn impressive given the circumstances.

  After we’d gotten back to the apartment, Sam spent a good fifteen minutes playing with Rory before we cooked dinner together. It took twice as long as it should have because we kept sneaking glances at each other.

  We took our plates to the couch and ate. The TV was on but I wouldn’t be able to tell you what was playing, what they said, pretty much anything beyond the fact that I knew it was on. I was solely focused on Sam.

  Our bowls were empty on the coffee table in front of us and Rory was lounging in her dog bed across the room when Sam announced she was going to take a bath.

  “O-okay,” I stuttered out, trying to act like I wasn’t affected by the knowledge that Sam would be in our apartment naked. I was still ruffled when she came out a few minutes later, wearing nothing but a towel. She held it to her chest, lifting her breasts up and pulling it higher on her thighs.

  Was she trying to drive me crazy? I was trying to take it slow, ease into it and be a gentleman. But damn, she wasn’t making it easy.

  “Did you need something?” I asked.

  “Could you help me wash my hair?”

  “Umm…” There was zero chance I could keep my hands to myself. Was that what she wanted? I tried to get a better read on her, but she wasn’t giving anything up.

  “I had a busy day at work and my arm is kind of bothering me.”

  “Oh.” I instantly stood up and grabbed the bowls. After I set them in the sink I walked back to her. “Of course. Sorry I was so weird… I didn’t know what…” I trailed off, still kind of swept up in all of it. “You don’t mind?”

  She shrugged. “You can’t see much with all those bubbles, right?”

  “No.” I didn’t mention how that really wasn’t going to be much of a deterrent.

  “You’re sure you don’t mind?” she asked.

  I swallowed roughly. “Nope. Just let me know when you’re ready.”

  She nodded before retreating down the hallway, throwing me one final glance before shutting herself in the bathroom.

  I immediately started pacing, running my hands through my hair until I had two fistfuls of it.

  What the hell am I doing? How do I think I can be in the same room with her naked and keep my hands to myself?

  Sam turned on the faucet and I continued wearing a hole in our carpet. Rory was sitting by the door, her head tilted as she studied me. I stopped and took a deep breath, my hands fisting at my sides.

  There was nothing to be anxious about. Everything was going to be—

  “I’m ready.” Her sweet, soft voice floated down the hall, encouraging me.

  Pausing outside the bathroom, I braced myself before I took a deep breath and stepped inside. I expected to be hit with memories, to be hit with the same things I felt when I walked in on her in the bathtub all those months ago.

  That wasn’t what happened at all. Obviously I could still appreciate how beautiful she was. Obviously my dick still stirred. But it was so much more than that.

  This was a v
ulnerable state for her to be in while we were “technically” broken up, but she was still trusting me enough to see it.

  Sam smiled softly and ran her hands over the top of the water. Her legs and arms were submerged, with green and blue bubbles floating above.

  The pear-scented shampoo she favored was sitting on the edge along with a cup. A towel was placed on the ground to cushion my knees.

  “Do you want to listen to some music? I forgot to put some on,” she said before I lowered myself.

  “Sure.”

  “My phone’s on the counter.” She nodded toward it.

  I picked it up and tapped the wake button. “Password?”

  For a second she seemed slightly embarrassed before she rattled off numbers—a date. The reason I knew it was a date was because it was the exact same code I had on my phone.

  1004.

  October 4.

  The day we first kissed. The day we decided we wanted more—even if we hadn’t known all that entailed.

  My gaze lifted to hers, finding her eyes intent on mine… wondering. And with a slight lift of my lips, I confirmed her question. We both smiled wider.

  I cleared my throat and looked down, selecting the first song she had up. “Paradise” by Coldplay filled the room. Then I walked over to kneel in front of the tub. Sam’s eyes focused on my arms as I rolled up my sleeves. They lifted to mine when I opened the shampoo bottle and squeezed some in my hand.

  Our gazes stayed locked as I began working the shampoo into her already wet hair. My fingers massaged until white suds appeared. Sam closed her eyes and tipped her head back. When I lightly scratched my nails against her scalp, she sighed and scooted closer.

  I watched the column of her throat as she swallowed roughly. And then the way her chest heaved as her breathing picked up. My eyes traveled to her left shoulder and I counted every freckle my lips had missed kissing.

  “Derek,” she whispered, bringing my attention back to her face. Sam grinned, having caught me. “You can look.” Then she grabbed one of my hands and dragged it down her throat and into the water until I was cupping one of her boobs. “You can touch me.”

  I closed my eyes and cursed, squeezing her breast even though I’d told myself to pull away. My fingers tightened in her hair, and she moaned when I pulled her head further back.

  That broke the fog and I immediately snatched my hands back, breathing heavily and bracing myself on the edge of the tub. Eyes still pinched shut, I felt Sam’s lips on my neck as her wet hands slid under my shirt.

  “I’ve missed you, Derek.”

  How much temptation was I expected to walk away from?

  He grabbed my wrists, stopping me. My hands were shaking—it was slight so Derek may not have even noticed. I pulled back and his eyes opened—dark and full of need. Nostrils flaring and jaw clenched, Derek looked ready to snap. It gave me the courage to lean forward and continue.

  Moving my lips back to his neck, I softly kissed my way up until I was at his jaw. I felt a shudder go through him and I grew more confident. I paused, removing my hands from his, and started unbuttoning his shirt. He hadn’t commented on the fact that I was getting water everywhere or that I probably looked ridiculous with the suds left in my hair.

  “Sam,” he whispered. His arms were taut, braced like he was restraining himself. “I can’t…” he began again. But he didn’t need to finish. I knew what he was trying to say, because I’d felt the exact same way. I couldn’t stay away from him any longer.

  “Then don’t.” The words were barely out before he was moving. He reached for me, grabbing my cheeks and pulling me until I was on my knees. The lip of the porcelain tub was cool against my stomach. That plus the air hitting my back had me shivering.

  I had been expecting his eyes to dip to my breasts. Or for him to take my mouth in a hard kiss.

  He did neither.

  Instead his gaze roamed over my face, touching on every part of it. Almost as if he’d forgotten what I looked like.

  Then he slowly brought his lips closer to mine and kissed me. It was soft, gentle… sweet. It brought tears to my eyes and relief to my aching chest. At one point I hadn’t been sure we’d be able to get back to what we once were.

  “God, I’ve missed you too,” Derek said, voice hoarse, when he pulled back. Before I could respond, I was being hauled against him. My feet dangled as he wrapped me in a tight hug. His hands were resting on my bare back. And despite wanting to hold on to this tender moment, I knew it was slipping away from us. Lust was quickly taking its place.

  I couldn’t help it. My naked breasts were pushed up against his muscular chest. The water was seeping through his shirt. I felt his bulge through the sweats he’d changed into.

  I could tell the exact moment all of it registered with him. Derek’s hands moved lower, massaging my lower back until I was panting in his ear.

  Then slowly—oh, so slowly—his hands dipped down and he cupped my ass, his fingers digging into my flesh until I squirmed.

  “Derek… please…” I whimpered.

  “What do you want?” His low voice was laced with desire, so consuming it sounded like a threat.

  “You. I’ve always just wanted you.”

  With a growl, he pulled away and braced himself against the counter. My brows bunched in confusion until he ordered, “Rinse. Get all that shit off.”

  I eagerly nodded, pulling the drain from the tub and switching on the shower. I rinsed the shampoo from my hair and carefully washed the bath bomb residue off my skin. I’d barely turned off the water when Derek was ripping back the curtain and lifting me up.

  Now naked, he spun us until my back hit the wall. The impact was rough and took my breath, but I hardly noticed. Too many other things were happening. Derek’s hands were on my bare hips, rubbing me against his hardness.

  He pulled back and he knelt before me. I froze when I saw myself in the mirror. My skin was red and my chest was heaving, my tits begging for his mouth.

  The aching spot between my thighs had other ideas. I grabbed a fistful of Derek’s hair and directed the kisses he was dropping along my hip to my center. He wasted no time, immediately pulling my clit into his mouth.

  I stood on my tiptoes so I could see more of Derek as he ate me out.

  “Oh God… Derek…” I moaned. His fingers dug into my hips as he licked and sucked until I was thrusting against his face, begging to come.

  He paused. Looking down at him, I panted out, “Are you crazy? Why’d you stop?”

  “What changed?” he asked, his eyes black with desire.

  I shook my head, too turned on to understand his question. “I don’t…” I trailed off, my eyebrows dipping into a frown.

  “I want to know what I did that you liked so much you started clawing at me.” With wide eyes I looked at his shoulders. Sure enough, my nail marks were there. I hadn’t even realized I’d moved my hands from his head. “Then you moaned and lifted your hips against my face.”

  “Oh…” I swallowed, my eyes inadvertently going to the mirror. At the sight of him before me, my hips unconsciously pushed forward. He followed my stare, and when he looked back at me his eyebrows were raised.

  “You like to watch?” he asked.

  “I hadn’t realized it before. But yeah… I guess so.”

  Derek’s lips curved into a wicked grin before he murmured, “I’ll remember that.”

  Then he returned his mouth to my throbbing center, this time with even more determination. His tongue plunged inside and we both groaned.

  Derek grabbed one of my legs and pulled it over his shoulder, opening me up to him even more. My head thrashed against the wall as the tension built. His mouth moved back to my clit as he slid two fingers inside me, making a c’mere motion that had my toes curling and legs shaking.

  Seconds later, I was coming, shuddering against his mouth as he continued the delicious torture. My eyes fluttered closed and my head tipped back. I cried out at the intensity, every cell in my
body brought to life by this man in front of me.

  Breathing heavily, I was still coming down from my orgasm when he stood up and kissed me. His tongue slipped inside and I moaned as I tasted myself on his lips. Too soon I had to pull away, still trying to catch my breath.

  “I want to make love to you now,” he whispered against my neck. My heart stuttered. Part of me wanted to smile at the fact that Derek had said make love. But I didn’t think he’d appreciate that.

  “That sounded as cheesy as I imagined it would.”

  At his words, I looked up and found him smiling, zero shame in his expression.

  “You don’t want to fuck me?” I teased.

  “Oh, I’m going to fuck you, don’t worry about that.” My bottom lip was caught between my teeth as he tilted his head and continued whispering, this time in my ear, “I’ll fuck you with my fingers and my tongue until you’re begging for my cock.”

  I was close to begging now.

  “Then I’ll fuck you until you can’t stand, until you’re convinced you can’t handle another orgasm. It’ll look like a war zone when we’re done. Your nail marks down my back, your teeth imprinted on my shoulder, my lip bleeding from you biting down so hard.”

  “Derek…” I whimpered, fearing I’d orgasm from his words alone. He grinned.

  “But first… I wanna love your body like you deserve. I want to kiss every beautiful inch of you, and I want to whisper how much I love you with every kiss I give. I want to slowly slide inside you and feel you clench around me, desperate for me to go faster… harder… to give you more. And I will because I love you and I’d give you anything. I’ll make love to you until we collapse, out of breath and so tired we fall asleep with me still buried inside you.”

  He dragged his mouth away, trailing his lips down my jaw. When he reached the corner of my mouth he paused before giving my lips a light kiss. Then he continued until he reached my other ear. “Then, when we wake up that way, that’s when I’ll fuck you.”

  I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Well then, take me to bed.”

  “GOD, THAT FEELS GOOD,” I moaned.