by Ciara Cole
Without hesitation, she got down beside him and threw her arms around his neck.
“Yes,” she cried. “Yes! A hundred times, a million times, yes. I’m yours, Johnathan—tonight, now, forever. In every alternate universe, I’m yours.”
Jonathan seemed to finally lose the tension in his shoulders and wrapped his arms around Tia’s waist, his face buried in the curve of her neck. “You make me incredibly happy,” he rasped.
“So do you, baby.”
He drew back and found the box again before delicately holding Tia’s hand as if worried it would break. He slipped the ring on and kissed it gently.
“My bride.”
No two words had ever made a soul feel more complete than hearing them on Johnathan’s lips. Tia felt the world could end in that moment and it wouldn’t matter. Everything was perfect.
“Can I tell you the reasons I want to be your wife? All the good things I love about you?” Tia asked long minutes later as they sat by the lake and watched the floating lanterns of all colors. Tia was cuddled against Johnathan’s chest, smiling as he kissed the top of her head.
“That would only be fair.”
Tia smiled at his humorous response and snuggled more into his side, combining their breaths as easy tremors escaped into the warm summer’s air around them.
“I almost gave up on you.”
Tia paused, lifting her head to smile at him reassuringly before she continued. “I simply felt I didn’t want to burden you more than you already were. Just the fact that you were starting a career and a new life made me feel you couldn’t be ready to add a family to the mix. You proved me wrong, incredibly wrong, and that’s one of the best things you’ve ever done for me. Each time, you prove me wrong.”
Johnathan closed his eyes and sighed, hugging her tight and feeling a world of fascination and color now taking over his body as her voice swirled through his head.
“You once asked me where home is,” Tia whispered. “Home can be a beautiful place with pictures and walls or it could be a cardboard box. But home feels better when it has a beating heart. You’re my home. My warmth, my strength, and my dreams revolve around you and our babies. And every adventure, all the ups and downs that await us.”
She shared a look with Johnathan and felt the heat of his gaze seep through her skin to her heart.
“I can’t wait to spend every single day decorating our home with beautiful pictures and sweet memories,” she whispered. “The emotional and physical manifestation of our lives, etched in our hearts and hung proudly for everyone to see.”
Tia smiled and placed the world’s most gentle kiss on the side of Johnathan’s head before whispering, “I love you.”
***
Tia slipped into bed naked next to her husband. For the past many months, she’d grown to crave closeness and touch and heat as the babies grew inside her. What she loved was nighttime with Johnathan being his most thoughtful and always getting beneath the covers to warm her side for her before she finished in the bathroom and joined him.
He rolled to his cool side once she slipped in beside him, and she couldn’t help but smile. He let her get her way too often, and she wasn’t complaining. She had all these unique cravings and needs that came with being pregnant, and Johnathan was doing a commendable job of adjusting too. He began a new learning of a woman’s body, watching as every new change overtook her from head to toe. And he told her everyday how she grew more beautiful, more alluring. Tia knew she needed to hear it often now that she felt twice her normal size.
The cool atmosphere in the bedroom already had her nipples hardening. Even with her mind half-muddled with sleep, Tia could sense her lover’s gaze on those proud tips. That intense look was followed up with touch as his hand cupped one breast.
Tia hummed in pleasure and she held his larger palm to her heart while her free hand reached for the back of his head, running through his hair. She slowly pulled his head down to meet hers, and they kissed. How slow, gentle, and soft this first kiss was, and it always began like this. The tasting, the testing. Almost as if they didn’t believe the other was real and these soft kisses were validation. That this wonder, this present, was truly happening and not just a dream.
Their bodies moved with ease, like an age-old ritual that needed no instruction. She rested on her side, and Johnathan’s solid body spooned her softer, fuller body. His member was already hard and throbbing with heat against her ass. She quivered at the sensation of him there and gently pushed her body back into his.
His lips touched her neck and he slipped an arm underneath to pillow her cheek. She felt him reach for her outstretched right hand and linked their fingers together, while his left remained filled with her firm, rounded breast. He grazed the tip with his thumb and her fingers gripped around his.
“Tia,” he whispered with his teasing tongue at her ear.
“Yes, baby, what is it?” Tia half-turned to plant a soft kiss on his jaw.
“I just like saying your name, that’s all. Tia. You. Always you.”
“There’s six of us now,” Tia said in a suddenly hushed tone. “Johnathan, can we really do this?”
She’d let it out now, and it felt like saying it in the open would make it drum in better. Only just that morning, they’d had their ultrasound like normal—but they were greeted with not so normal results. Tia wasn’t sure how many expecting mothers got to find out at seven months of pregnancy that they were having not triplets, but quadruplets.
From the atmosphere in the bedroom that night, Tia knew that they were both still in shock over it. And about the fact that her doctor warned them that since this was a rare pregnancy, some problems could arise. “The possibility of developing complications increases with each additional baby a woman carries during pregnancy,” he’d said.
Tia remembered hearing words like preterm labor, low birth weight, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, but now all she could think of was that she was having more to love, more to look forward to. She wasn’t worried about herself. She believed in keeping a positive mind and hoping for only the best with her babies, but . . .
“You’re not afraid, are you? That I’ll revert to my old ways and run?” Johnathan growled softly in the dim silence. “We’re married now. I gave a vow and I’m sticking to it. You know how I love to surprise you and prove you wrong.”
Tia felt slightly guilty that Johnathan would think she still needed him to prove himself. He’d done enough of that in the past months, having them plan a lavish wedding in barely a month and then spend another four weeks on their honeymoon in Abu Dhabi. It had been just like experiencing their very own desert romance. What a decadent, evocative and majestic splendor Tia had gotten to share with Johnathan, who promised her many more indulgent travels, not just to savor true Arabian luxury, but all over the world.
Well, that enticing round trip would have to wait, maybe for many months and years yet, because Tia could just see herself settling far too comfortably into motherhood. Knowing Johnathan, though, he’d never let her forgo the adventurous spirit he’d instilled in her. And yet, maybe they both already knew that being parents was a lifetime adventure that they wouldn’t need to supplement anytime soon with luxury travel.
The only minor hitch was the company that Johnathan now headed and which required much of his time. Knowing how involved he was going to be with business was one of the reasons Johnathan had gone ahead with a hasty though extravagant wedding. Another reason he gave was to ensure that Tia didn’t get a chance to change her mind about marrying him!
That night, he made love to her with a gentleness that left her breathless.
First, he slid that hand from her breast to her big belly mound. Somehow, it seemed even bigger now that they knew she was carrying four, not three. It still felt like magic. What more surprises did life had in store?
Feeling more and more heated from his touch, Tia took Johnathan’s hand lower, setting it between her legs. He stroked her softness, her fi
ngers following his. Both of them touching her center together was so erotic. “Do I feel different?” she asked a little uncertainly. She constantly worried about still being sexy enough, desirable enough.
“You feel like velvet. You always do,” he rasped.
“You too,” she replied. “Your lips, the head of your manhood . . . velvet.”
Johnathan chuckled darkly. In response, his member pushed against her, slipping through the globes of her ass. As that ready tip probed her from behind, his fingers slid alongside hers in front to cup her sex. He circled her clit with the heel of his palm while his fingers curled over her petals. Her hand covered the back of his, feeling him holding her quiet center that grew turbulent as lust broadened within her depths.
No words needed to be said. Their bodies understood each other’s silence, read between the sighs and ragged breaths. Johnathan separated her legs just so and rode the crease of her buttocks with his shaft, letting her feel the burn.
Her soft moans wove enticements and endearments into her lover’s mind. His thickness stroked long lines between her thighs, teasing her within that small gap until she arched her back, jutted her ass, and bucked his crown into contact with her moist opening. With a groan, he sent his maleness driving in the rest of the way inside her sheath.
He took her deep and long now, filling her heat with more heat from his hard, thrusting length. “Feel me, Tia. Feel me now,” he demanded with each rampant stroke.
“Ah, Johnathan, I feel you. So hot, so hard. Take me, stretch me. Oh! That’s it, that’s it. Nearly there, baby,” she gasped, shocked at how soon she could taste the peak. “So close. Oh, fuck, Johnathan.”
“Soon?” he asked, urging her on, slamming against her ass with those rugged thrusts she loved. When he lost control, he made her feel so wanted. So alive.
“Oh yes, soon, baby. Soon,” panted Tia. Her arm reached above her head to grip on the hair at his nape as his lips sank into her shoulder from behind. His hand molded her flesh, her breasts, thighs, and ass, imprinting her. The sensory banquet of feeling his urgency building along with hers had her spine arching more sharply. Ah, Christ, her vaginal walls were twitching wildly, readying to capture his seed as she felt her lover swell along with her.
“Yes, baby, now,” she sighed, balanced on that perfect plateau. “Come for me, Johnathan. I’m ready. Let me feel you spill into me. All of it, baby, so wet and hot inside me. Ooh, there it is. All of your cream, only for me. Oh, it feels good.”
With a long groan, he jetted his come within her wanton core, his throbbing length feeling the milking sensation of her pulsating muscles as she too came, succumbing to her sensually vivid words just as Johnathan had.
***
Tia was in labor.
The obstetrician had thought it best for Tia to spend the last month before she was due in hospital to monitor her for any complications with her higher-order pregnancy. Tia felt glad now that they’d taken no risks, and now that the babies were coming, there was everything in place for a safe delivery. She was dilating at a satisfying rate for the specialists on hand. Her blood pressure and heartrate were being observed thanks to the various machines she was hooked to, and she tried not to panic. Why isn’t Johnathan here? Oh, God.
The past month had been even more stressful, with him having to be gone more and more for business. Since Theo had to leave for London all those months ago, Johnathan had done his best to make enough time to keep the New York branch well on its feet while also being there for Tia. She knew he kept up a hectic schedule, but lately, she began to worry . . . what if work was just another way of him avoiding the pressure of the pregnancy?
She’d hoped he’d have had more time with her since she’d been in hospital, but sometimes, he was almost never there. Why on earth would he have to be so busy when she needed him most?
Her hospital room was swirling with people, but Johnathan’s face was the one she longed for the most—and yet, he couldn’t be found. That had never happened before. No matter what, he was always accessible irrespective of what part of the world he had to go on business. But then he’d returned a few days ago from his trip, and he had to know how highly probable it was that she’d go into labor any day now. Well, it was happening this very moment, yet he’d managed to make himself unavailable. Why? How?
Tia felt terrified and heartbroken but was determined to fight for the lives of her babies. She already loved them with her whole heart and being. She’d be strong for them if no one else could. She could feel them moving inside her, feel them readying. Tia’s brow grew sweaty and she closed her eyes, trying to shut out everything.
Until she felt a gentle hand wiping her forehead with a towel, and something about the touch made her pop her eyes open.
“Hang in there, my darling,” Johnathan said, standing there beside her bed. “Doctor says they’ll be out soon.”
She almost couldn’t believe he was here! Was she dreaming him? She felt mentally closed off from every other noise or occurrences for those brief moments that she stared into his loving brown eyes. She could see the panic and joy in them, and they reassured her as much as his gentle smile. “Sorry I couldn’t be here earlier. I rushed over as soon as I could. My love, don’t be mad at me, okay?” He kissed her temple softly. “Because I have a surprise for you.”
“I hate surprises!” she half-wailed, angry and happy at the same time and feeling stronger and more positive now. It was going to be okay.
Loud cries, kicking limbs, and first soft breaths . . . finally, the babies were born, and they were small but healthy. Every inch of them was miniature perfection, and it seemed incredible that they could be so tiny and so perfect at the same time. Tia reached for them, one by one, and Johnathan watched in awe as she pulled her two sons and two daughters to her breasts. In an instant, she was instinct, she was mother—and the sight was full of magic.
“I can’t believe it,” Johnathan breathed the moment he was allowed to hold hands with his babies the first time. It swelled his heart that they each had strong, tight grips for such little hands.
“They’re bliss, Johnathan, pure bliss,” Tia said with cascading love as she stroked each child’s head. “Come here, my love. Come here to me.”
It took a moment for Johnathan to realize she was talking to him. He still looked astonished that he was even a part of this. He moved closer and closer, and soon, his arms found their way around his family. And somehow, they all fit, all of them, like a miracle. A slow, deep, mythic laugh of joy rumbled in his chest and his embrace tightened. Tia gazed into his face and knew he’d be strong too, strong enough for all six of them.
Later, when her suspense could hold no longer, Tia made Johnathan tell her about his surprise. Johnathan finally revealed that he’d been getting their new home ready for them—and that was the real reason he was gone so much over the last weeks. Tia felt bad for thinking that he’d kept himself so busy with work instead of focusing on her in hospital. He told her it was okay, that it was his fault for wanting it all to be a surprise.
“Well, it’s a fabulous surprise,” she said, beaming.
“I love you,” he said. “And every one of our beautiful babies. You all make me a better man, a better person. Every day.”
“I love you too. For everything.” For their yesterdays, their todays, and their tomorrows, she’ll always love him.
But most especially for this moment, this deliriously happy moment as they held their beautiful, healthy babies. Tia felt grateful, joyous, and the calmest she’d felt ever since she found out she was pregnant. She cherished every part of her new family—Johnathan, their tiny babies, and their new home waiting for them. All of this love, all of this happiness waiting to be cultivated and reaped, was lovingly offered and accepted. Tia couldn’t wait to set out with Johnathan and their babies for their grandest adventure of all—the future.
THE END
CLICK HERE
to subscribe to my newsletter & get EXCLUSIVE updates
on all offers, secret previews, and new releases!
ANOTHER STORY YOU MAY ENJOY
Italian Mobster’s Black Baby
By Mya Black
CLICK HERE
to subscribe to my newsletter & get EXCLUSIVE updates on all offers, secret previews, and new releases!
Italian Mobster’s Black Baby
By Mya Black
All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2016-2017 Mya Black.
CLICK HERE
to subscribe to my newsletter & get EXCLUSIVE updates on all offers, secret previews, and new releases!
Chapter One
Talia sat in her editor’s office while the woman with the severe ebony bun and a love of food read her latest piece. She loved listening to Mara rave over her reviews. It would be a lie to pretend she didn’t get some small measure of satisfaction, considering how hard she’d worked to make a name for herself in this competitive industry. It hadn’t been easy to turn an unknown blog into a nationally syndicated column that every restaurant in America wanted to appear in.
“The creamy risotto melted like butter in my mouth and the addition of the sorrel mushrooms and black garlic were an inspired choice. Chef Sabrina is the face of New Italian cuisine.” Mara sighed wistfully and turned to Talia. “This is why I’ve gained twenty pounds since you started working for me. The Mathers Report is too well-written.” She smacked the extra padding on her hips with a smile.
“I’m glad you liked it, Mara. Cliffside is an amazing restaurant, and Sabrina really is a talented chef. When you go, make sure you save room for the raspberry tiramisu. It will change your world.” There was still a piece sitting in her fridge, next to a half-empty bottle of Cabernet-Merlot.
“Where are you going next?”
Talia gave a coy smile. This was her favorite part of meeting with Mara each week. She tried to get the scoop on the next review while Talia pretended she hadn’t chosen a spot yet. “I don’t know, Mara. Do you have any suggestions?”
