by Lisa Shelby
“I’ll go get the coffee started while you jump in the shower.”
He ends his sentence with a smack to my bare ass, pulls on his clothes and leaves the room happier than I recall ever seeing him.
Today has been such a great day, apart for the moment that I saw the hurt that I inflicted flash across Jonathan’s face. I didn’t mean to hurt him, but I am trying to be completely honest with him. The truth is, after a week of playing house, what then? We won’t be having sleep overs every night because I have Ireland. I need to keep things based in reality so that I don’t mess this up again.
The news that I hadn’t been with anybody since our time together in California seemed to get him over my other comment rather quickly. He was like a kid on Christmas and seemed giddy at finding out this little tidbit of information. What I thought would be embarrassing turned out to be just what he needed to hear. I know that it helped to ease his mind, but it wasn’t enough to take away my other comment about wanting this to be our new normal if the intense kiss that he left me with when he dropped me off is any indication. His goodbye kiss almost felt desperate, like he was trying to convey his feelings for me with this one kiss.
As I gather my things, I walk past Officer Blackburn who’s waiting to walk me to the front door of the school where he knows that Jonathan will be waiting. If only Jonathan could be waiting every day. The reality is he will have to go back to work once Mick is back, but I don’t want to think about that right now. Officer Blackburn does his daily check in with me as he walks me out. “How’s it going, Emily? Anything new today?”
“Nope, nothing today and if I haven’t said it, thank you. I know that getting stuck on my detail takes you away from your other duties around the school. I hope you aren’t bored to death?”
“Nah, it’s no problem. We’ll get this figured out soon and you can stop having me as your shadow. Until then, it’s no problem at all. You just be sure you tell me everything that could be a threat, or even a clue, and we’ll follow up on all of it.”
“I promise,” I assure him.
“Well, here you are. Looks like Kelly is out there waiting for you as usual. You guys have a good afternoon.”
“Thanks. You too, Carter.”
I can see him smile at the fact that I used his first name when most everybody in the department uses last names. Comes with the job, I guess. He’s probably surprised that I even knew his first name.
Carter opens the door for me and I see the new norm that I wish could become my reality. Not just for this week, but every week.
Ireland and Jonathan are waiting for me again, and as per usual my heart skips a beat at the sight. The thought that I may be hurting this amazing man, who is so beautiful inside and out, is not something that I can even fathom. I would be happy spending all of the rest of my days just making him happy, but I have a little girl to think of, and we can’t just move into a relationship like other people do. We have other factors to consider. I still plan on doing whatever I can to make him happy. To let him in. I just hope I’m able to do that as fast as he wants so he doesn’t walk away.
Please don’t walk away…
Chapter 31
Jonathan
We’re cooking dinner while Ireland sits on one of the barstools at the kitchen island. This little girl is something else. She carries on conversations with us just like she’s an adult and our equal. She’s very mature for her age, and I’m more and more impressed with her every day.
While we cook I can’t help but notice that Emily seems different then she has been the rest of the week. After picking her up at the high school, she was the one that reached across the cab of the truck to take my hand in hers, and she didn’t let go until we got out of the truck. Now, as we move around each other in the kitchen she’s touching me more than before. If she stands next to me she has her hands lightly moving up and down my back, or is touching me in some way. I’m not complaining at all, but I do tread lightly as her comment from this morning is still running around my head. I’ll take what she’s giving though.
The three of us seem to work together well, as we navigate our dinner routine smoothly. The only time that anything seems odd is when Emily gets a text that she doesn’t comment on or reply to. I’ve seen her do that once or twice, but she never says anything, and I don’t want to pry. Well, I really do want to pry, but I know that she would tell me if she wanted me to know, so I leave it alone for now.
After getting Ireland off to bed, Emily and I are sitting on the couch hand in hand, with her legs on my lap watching TV. At least she seems to be watching. I am blindly staring at the TV while my mind is running a million miles an hour with all of things I want to say and want to ask her. Next to me, Emily seems unaffected as she laughs along with the show she’s watching. She doesn’t seem to be losing her ever-loving mind like I am.
Thirty minutes later I can’t take it anymore; this feeling of not knowing where we stand. Feeling like we’re in some kind of limbo is too much for me. I mean, I already know she’s mine, but I need her to know that too. Shit, I want the whole world to know it!
I turn my body toward her and she has to move her legs off of me. She tucks them underneath her and we’re both facing each other now. I need to see her eyes for this.
“Gracie…do you only want this to last two more days?”
Silence. She just stares at me. She doesn’t say a word. God, she makes this all so damn hard.
“Because I want more…lots more. I don’t want just another damn week, Em. I want endless weeks. I don’t think I can take another week that just ends…”
More silence.
Could I really be alone in this? Am I the only one of us that wants more?
Still without a word, she climbs onto my lap. She looks me in the eyes and then slowly closes hers when she softly brings her lips up to caress mine. After several minutes of her kisses and her rubbing herself on my—growing harder by the minute—cock, I can’t take it any longer and I stand up with her attached to me. Her legs naturally come around my waist and I carry her to the bedroom. It’s not the answer I was looking for, but I’ll take it…for now.
I’m dreaming about the morning in California when Emily woke me with a special wakeup call. Only in this dream it isn’t her hand that’s waking me up, but that sweet little mouth of hers. Fuck, if this isn’t the best dream I’ve ever had. It feels so real that I feel myself growing harder and harder until I slightly wake and move my hand down to try to adjust myself, but I’m met with a road block. An amazing road block, one in the form of Emily’s beautiful head while she takes me into her mouth.
When she realizes I’m now fully awake she pops me from her mouth and gets a devilish smile on her face and says, “Morning, Georgia.”
“Morning, baby. Whatcha doin’?” I ask not able to hide my smile.
“Just wanted to give you something to think about while I’m at work today.”
“Oh baby, I’m always thinking about you. You don’t have to do this.”
“Trust me I do. I was dreaming about tasting you, and I need to have you in my mouth. Now sit back and let me enjoy this.”
With that she wakes me up in the most glorious of ways, and starts my day off with a fucking bang.
I spend the rest of my morning floating around them as they rush to get ready. I help with breakfast and taking care of the dogs. I love feeling the organized chaos of their morning routine. I’m learning to love all of the domestic routines that come with these two lovely little ladies. It’s a feeling and a routine I never knew I wanted, but I do and I hate that it’s about to end.
Chapter 32
Emily
It’s Friday, our last full day and night together before Mick comes home. I’m sitting in my classroom impatiently watching the seconds tick by so that I can get out the door to Jonathan. The last two days have been so great. Last night was another night of exploring each other for hours and lounging in each other’s arms. He didn’t bring up the d
iscussion of our status again. Instead, he peppered my body in kisses and brought me to amazing highs over and over and over again.
I think the clock has frozen in time, because the bell just will not ring. How can this class not be over yet? I already have all of my things gathered and am ready to bail the moment I hear the shrill sound of class being over. I feel like a senior on the last day of school; counting down the last seconds of high school and then cheering as the clock strikes that golden hour.
No cheering today, but I do bolt the moment the bell sounds and nearly run over Officer Blackburn. He has a hard time keeping up with me as I navigate down the hall. The kids are just sauntering about, without a care in the world. Not caring at all that I have only a matter of hours left to spend in fake domestic bliss with Jonathan. In my mind, I shove past them all and they go sprawling to the ground as I make my way through the halls and to the doors. I’m clearly losing it, but I don’t care. I cannot get out of this building and out the front doors fast enough.
With Officer Blackburn only steps behind me, I finally push my way out to the front doors with a little wave to him over my shoulder and I scan the parking lot for Jonathan’s truck. I don’t see it. Where is he? I feel my heart start to sink and wonder if he forgot to pick me up?
Walking down the steps, I hear a car horn and see him pulling up in Matt’s jeep. Our jeep. My heart skips a beat and I freeze mid-step. It’s only when I see him jump out and walk around to open the passenger side door for me that I move my feet in his direction.
“How?”
“Later, baby,” he says stealing a quick kiss.
I get into the car and so many memories start flashing back through my mind. I also notice, as he walks around the front of the jeep, that he isn’t in his usual t-shirt attire. He has on a white button down shirt with rolled sleeves, dark jeans and not his usual heavy boot, but more of a dress shoe. What is happening here?
He hops back into Scarlett and gives me a wink and a smile. As I’m about to ask where Ireland is, he explains that she’s with Cami and that we’re in no rush today.
“Where are we going?”
In reply to my question, he just smiles and turns on the stereo and Justin Timberlake comes blaring out of speakers just like the last time we were in Scarlett.
For October, it’s a beautiful day but not warm enough to take the top down on the jeep. Jonathan holds my hand the entire journey but doesn’t say much. I cannot figure out what he’s up to just yet, but I have a feeling I will soon enough. He seems so pleased with himself right now, and it’s kind of cute. I don’t want to ruin anything for him so I don’t ask too many questions.
It’s mid-day, so the traffic is light, and in a little over thirty minutes we’re over the bridge and in Vancouver. As Jonathan navigates through the streets he finally speaks.
“Here we are.”
I pull my eyes from his devastatingly handsome face and look to see that he’s pulling into the parking lot of a restaurant called Beaches. I get it now…Scarlett…JT on the stereo… he’s wearing almost exactly what he wore the night we went to dinner…and now a restaurant called Beaches. He’s trying to recreate our time in California. Shit, he’s good.
“I know it’s not the actual beach, but I didn’t know if you would want to be that far away from Ireland, so I figured we could fake it. It’s not the fanciest restaurant, but the beach reminds me of you. I thought it was fitting.”
“Jonathan, it’s perfect,” I lean across the front of the jeep, and give him a quick kiss on the cheek before I reach for my door handle.
“Wait! I’ll get it!” He says, almost sounding panicked.
Wow, chivalry really isn’t dead. He runs around the front of Scarlett and opens my door for me. This service includes a little bow to go along with the hand he’s holding out to me.
“Milady.”
With a little giggle, I take his hand, thank him and hop out. As we walk towards the door of the restaurant, I can’t help but look over my shoulder at Scarlett and say, “It sure is good to see her.”
Jonathan gives my hand a squeeze and leads me into the restaurant. They have our table ready for us, and we’re led to our window seat with a gorgeous view of the Columbia River. The restaurant is fairly casual and decked out with a beach theme complete with starfish and seashells for decoration. It’s a cute place, and I’ve never been here, so I can’t help the smile that’s on my face as we take our seats.
Lunch is great, but not anything like the dinner we had at Carbonara’s in California. But who cares? I can’t believe he’s doing all of this to set the mood and take us back to when we met. If only he knew that our time together is forever etched into my memory. I don’t need any reminders. I could never forget our time together. But I do love that he’s gone to so much trouble, and I’m having a great time.
When our server comes back he offers us a dessert menu, but Jonathan says no thank you and that we have other plans.
We do? What in the world is he up to?
After lunch he takes my hand, and we walk out of the parking lot and down the street. It’s a cute little street, lined with little shops on the street level and condos above. I can’t imagine how great those views must be with the river and the mountains in the distance. As we walk past the store fronts, the wind is starting to pick up a bit so he wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into him. I put my arm around his waist and we cuddle tight to one another. I’m sure we look like one of those annoyingly in love couples that have always made me a little sick. I think I get it now because this doesn’t feel sick at all.
Soon he’s opening the door to a small ice cream shop, and when I look up at him he just gives me a wink. I start to look at the list of flavors when I hear Jonathan order a chocolate cone and a vanilla caramel swirl cone. I spin around to look at him with my mouth hanging open. He has a smart ass ‘yep, that just happened’ grin on his face. A grin that also says, oh yes, I thought of everything. They aren’t the same desserts we had in California, but they are the same flavors, and he knows exactly what he’s doing.
He pays for our cones, hands me mine and leads me to the door. When we leave the shop and start to head back to the Beaches parking lot the wind is howling and it’s even colder. The ice cream certainly isn’t helping things. We jog as quickly as we can without losing our ice cream, and find sanctuary inside Scarlett.
I can see the disappointment on his face when he says, “I had planned on taking you for a walk down along the water, but we can just eat these in here if that works for you?”
“Of course, this is all so great, Jonathan. Thank you so much for everything. This was so thoughtful of you.”
“My pleasure, baby,” he says and a smirk pulls up on one side of his mouth and I can tell he has another question for me. “You still don’t like chocolate ice cream, huh?”
“Nope.”
He angles his body so that he’s leaning against the jeep door and I do the same so that we’re facing each other.
“Really? I have this memory of you saying that it wasn’t so bad once? Am I not remembering correctly?”
He’s trying to embarrass me. He thinks the memory of me kissing him, after he made a mess of me, with his precious chocolate ice cream, is something I would be embarrassed of. It’s not embarrassing…it’s actually a very fond memory. One I have thought about many times over the years.
“No, your memory serves you correctly, but I was not of sound mind at the time. Doesn’t count,” I say unfazed and take another lick of my cone.
Still trying to embarrass me he tries again. “And what was it that caused you to not be of sound mind at that particular moment?” I know that he thinks I will turn a thousand shades of red and turn shy at his question, but I don’t feel shy around him anymore. In fact, nobody makes me feel more myself than he does.
“You, Georgia. You had just given me one of the best orgasms of my life and I was a bit incoherent. Is that what you're looking for? Confirmation
that you rocked my world that night? I think you know you did?”
He takes a lick of his ice cream, and then leans over to me, pulls me to him and gives me my first real kiss since he picked me up from work. Once again, I can taste the offending chocolate ice cream, but mixed with the taste of him and his expert tongue, it’s more than tolerable. “How about now?” He asks, as he pulls away and leans back against the door looking oh so proud of himself.
I shrug my shoulders and reply. “It was okay. Not too bad.”
“I guess I’ll have to rock your world later and ask you again.”
He sounds determined.
“I guess you will.”
I can’t wait!
We’re both finishing our cones and he explains that he has another spot to take me to. As we drive along the river, the view just gets better and better. It feels so good to be alone with him. I love Ireland, but it’s great to just focus on each other and not worry about what we say or do in front of her. This is some much needed adult time for me and I’m sure for Jonathan too. This kid thing is brand new for him.
A short time later, Jonathan pulls down a little road that leads down to the river’s edge where there is a No Trespassing sign posted. He assures me we are fine, and that he cleared it with a friend that works for Vancouver Police as he puts the jeep in park.
