by Mj Fields
���Sweetness?���
I didn���t even know he had moved. He was on his knees in front of me wiping away my tears that I hadn���t realized I was shedding.
I looked up and Mom, Emma, and Brody were all standing in front of me. All looking at me.
���Are you feeling alright?���
I nodded and felt my heart nearly burst when let out a breath and visibly relaxed.
���I don���t want to wait Maddox.���
He cocked his head and looked at me curiously.
���I don���t want to wait to marry you I want to do it now. I want to wear the pretty dress and I want to walk down the aisle in the church I grew up in.��� I stopped and looked at Mom. ���I hope that���s alright with you- I mean if he agrees.���
���He agrees.��� Maddox nodded.
I looked at him and felt pure joy surround my entire body.
���Thank God.���
He hugged me and then sat back on his heels.
���Mom?���
���Of course, of course Harper.���
She looked truly happy.
���I still want a party at the Cape this summer. I just can���t wait okay?���
Maddox stood up allowing my Mom access to me. She gave me a big hug and then stepped back and smirked at Maddox.
She knew he didn���t like being away from me anymore than I did him.
���Good because I really didn���t like that dress. I want something that I���ll feel beautiful in when I become Mrs. Hines. Not something to cover the baby bump.���
���The what?��� Emma gasped.
I looked back at Maddox and he smiled and looked at the ground.
���I thought you had told her���just now I thought������
���Doesn���t matter.��� Maddox laughed and kissed my head. He looked over at Emma. ���Hey Mom! Harper is pregnant. We have an appointment tomorrow to confirm.���
Emma burst into tears and hugged him. Then she hugged me and Mom.
I watched her look to Brody and he held his hand out, took hers, and pulled her into his embrace.
Emma looked up at Body. ���You knew.���
���I slipped up Mom. Sorry but when we were talking I just������
���You wanted him to know Maddox. I���m glad you shared with me too. What a blessing. Congratulations to both of you.���
���And to all of us.��� Brody laughed loudly. ���Grandpa.���
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Acceptance
Maddox
Everyone seemed to be pretty emotional including myself. An almost overwhelming joy passed through the room. Harper couldn���t stop smiling. In her smile was a promise. One from her to me and then from me to her. Her promise was that she was ready to be my wife; the mother of my children, to love me regardless of what I had lived or done. My promise was that this moment, right now, would never pass. I would forever keep that smile on her face. Make her my queen and hold her heart as adroitly as I could from now until forever.
Harper yawned and smiled at her mom. Tessa looked so pleased. Almost like a breath of life had been blown back into her. Her baby was going to be a mother. How must that feel? I can���t say that Dad felt the same. I was never his baby because I was never anyone���s baby. I did know that watching how Emma and Brody parented not only London but myself, as well as Lexington, that I was well prepared to be a damn good father regardless.
But right now I was going to take care of Harper, my sweetness.
���She���s tired.���
I looked around and they all seemed to agree. We all said our goodbyes and exchanged more congratulatory hugs.
Harper looked over at me and smiled. That same smile as before, the one I would work forever to keep on her beautiful face.
���I am such a lucky man.��� I hadn���t meant to say it out loud but I���m glad I did.
Harper wrapped her arms around my neck and I bent to kiss her sweet lips.
���And I���m a lucky girl.���
She arched her back closing the gap between our bodies and let out a breath as she nuzzled her head into my neck. She smelled amazing. She always has.. I would describe it as if the wind lightly blew in a garden of roses; the smell that it would give off was Harper���s natural scent. A light fragrant rose with a touch of fresh clean country air. I would never get enough of her scent. It was home to me.
I inhaled deeply and she hummed as she nuzzled closer. I stood with my arms wrapped around her, smelling her hair while rubbing my nose and lips across the top of her head. Her body relaxed against mine.
I felt more relaxed than I had in months. I wasn���t sure what had happened to make me feel that way but there was a calmness settling inside of me. I could never get close enough to her before unless our bodies were connected completely, and normally that wasn���t enough to curb my need. Until right now.
���You are mine.���
She nodded against me.
It struck me in that moment that all the fear and angst I had let consume me for years, had just moments ago been diminished. Harper���s acceptance of my love while in Switzerland lessened that burn. Harper saying yes to my proposal of marriage reduced it even further, so that the burn was just smoldering ashes of the intensity of the inferno burning within me, from as far back in my life that I could remember. The events of today���Harper not being anxious about being pregnant and wanting to marry me, to become my wife sooner than planned, was lucky rain falling upon those ashes. Extinguishing years of pain, self-loathing, self-doubt, and hatred.
I realized the man I could be months ago. It was a faint picture in my mind, but right now in this moment in time, the picture was crystal clear. Gone were the fire, the ashes, and the smoke. In this moment with my Harper, my Sweetness, swathed in my arms, my future was clear and untarnished by the past. It���s evidence gone and before me was a future filled with love, hope, and insurmountable happiness.
I looked down at the other half of my soul and smiled. She looked up at me and smiled back.
���Do you have any idea how happy I am going to make you for the rest of time?���
���I do.��� She smiled and yawned.
���Tired Sweetness?���
���Yes but this is nice.���
���Let���s go nap. You���ve had a busy day.���
���Let���s.���
I laid down next to her and she rolled to her side and smiled.
���I���m really tired but I wanna talk about your day. Your Dad bought land?���
���He did. It connects to your family���s������
���Our families,��� She bit her lower lip and smiled.
���Our families.���
���What else did you do?���
���Went for a run������
���A run?���
���Yeah with Dad.���
She yawned again and smiled.
���We talked about your finishing up school and what I would be doing.���
���You did?���
���Yes. I will be taking you to school and picking you up of course.��� I waited for her to argue but to my surprise she didn���t. She nodded. ���How do you feel about me becoming part of his band?���
���Is that what you want?���
���When he and I talked about it Harper, it made perfect sense. I think it would be flexible enough a schedule that we would be able to be together at all times. The majority of his concerts are centered on the g
irl���s school year. It could be the same with us.���
���You���re alright with not going back to school yourself?���
I wasn���t sure if that would serve as a disappointment to her but I was sure.
���Yes. But if you have any objections Harper, I want to hear them.���
I took her hand and held it against my heart and she smiled.
���It only beats like this for me Maddox������
���Of course.���
���And when you���re about to go on stage.���
She smiled and flattened her hand against my chest and I felt its beat accelerate.
���More for you.���
���You love singing������
���I love writing more.���
She giggled, ���You love to perform.���
���On stage, I enjoy performing. But my favorite performances are given to a crowd of one.���
���That caused a crowd of two.���
We both laughed and I pulled her closer against me.
���That will continue to cause more to join this crowd.���
���More? How many?���
���A dozen maybe two dozen.���
���I hope you���re talking in orgasms because������
I planted my mouth firmly over hers and she giggled as I kissed her over and over again.
When she started laughing I stopped kissing her to watch. It was beautiful to see her this happy.
���I don���t remember the last time I saw you smile like this and laugh like there was nothing holding you back.���
Her face fell and I immediately wished I could force the words back.
���Sweetness I didn���t���.���
���Maddox I got wasted in New York.���
Fear took over her eyes and I knew exactly what she was thinking.
���Sweetness the baby is fine.���
���How do you know Maddox? What if I caused ������
���I���ve read a lot. The baby will be fine. Our baby is fine.��� I held my hand over her stomach and slowly rubbed it. ���Stress is more harmful at this stage in a pregnancy than one night having drunk five or six drinks Harper.���
���Surly I had more than that.���
���No Sweetness. You didn���t.���
���You counted?���
���I did. I also think the reason you got sick and were so moody������
���Maddox Hines!���
���You have to admit it.���
She shook her head from side to side as if she was disagreeing with me and held her head against my chest. ���You���re sure?���
���Positive.���
The brief silence was interrupted by a yawn and then she scooted closer. Acceptance.
���Sleep now Sweetness.���
Harper drifted off into dreamland in my arms where I wanted her forever.
I didn���t want to let go but desperately needed to take a piss.
After draining my bladder I walked back into the bedroom and looked at her lying peacefully. Harper is, and would be, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. Her face was a masterpiece. A flawless piece that only God alone could have created.
God. Once an antagonist to me could never be more real for a girl like Harper. A girl who had people who loved her from conception throughout her life. Tessa and Collin Abraham were given an angel. They cherished, nurtured, loved and protected her all of her life. Then she met me. God was not her enemy, he was her creator.
I had been Harper���s antagonist for many years. I was the one who hurt her. A deeper hurt than she had ever known in her life. Yet she was laying here in a sweet slumber. She fell asleep in my arms; her eyes sparkled for me. Her lips were mine. Her body was mine. Her soul was mine.
I thought back to when I had read the Bible as a younger person. When my angst for him began. I knew then I was not worthy. I knew that I was not one of his chosen people��� like Harper.
When I looked at her now; when I finally allowed myself to feel and receive her love, it was then I finally realized I was in fact chosen. The feeling coming over me was overwhelming. The burn in my chest making its way to my throat and now heating behind my eyes was one of realization. I was in fact chosen.
Needing to be closer to her, as always, I sat on the bed as I felt a tear fall.
Her eyes blinked and then opened. I wasn���t able to look away fast enough and she looked scared.
���Maddox I������
I kissed her, stopping her from talking. Her hands cupped my face and she pulled away.
���Talk to me.���
I kissed her neck and pulled her up so that she was on my lap. ���I love you more every day Harper.���
���Maddox.��� Her hands held my head and she pulled me back gently.
The look of concern evident.
���Sweetness.��� I kissed her again. I kissed her check and moved across to her lips. ���I need you now.���
���I need you always.��� Her hands found my hair.
As she tugged gently at my hair she leaned her head back. Her breaths came quicker now. I looked up briefly, needing to know she was here with me, not just accepting but wanting. I received a faint moan as my hand drifted up under her shirt. Acceptance again.
���You are so beautiful Sweetness.��� I lifted her shirt and her arms rose above her head. Acceptance.
Her shirt was off. I pulled her white lace bra down and her plump breasts fell slightly. I wetted my lips and dragged them across her nipples back and forth until I felt them stiffen. I peered up again and she was biting her bottom lip, her eyes laden with lust for me.
She arched her back up, asking me with her body for more. My tongue dragged slowly, lazily, across her taut red nipple and she whimpered. I circled it and she pushed into me farther.
I continued slow heavy licks, stopping and moving to her left breast to do the same. I reached behind her and unsnapped her bra. Harper pulled up my shirt and I lifted my arms so that as soon as it was removed as I pulled her bra straps down her arms.
As soon as they were free she grabbed ahold of me and I her. That brief moment we were not touching was as torturous for her as it was for me. I grabbed the back of her head and held it against mine as I laid her down on her back.
I sat back and looked at her blond hair fanned across the pillow. Her blue eyes full of need, her swollen lips as she licked them.
���Maddox.���
���You are mine.���
���Then take me.��� She reached up to pull me down.
I held her arms and leaned forward pinning them down.
���You are mine Harper.���
She nodded and looked at me, confusion taking over lust and need.
���God made me for you. He made you for me������
���Maddox������
���Sweetness listen to me. God doesn���t hate me������
���Of course he doesn���t Maddox������
���No, he gave me you.���
���Okay.���
���He made the Egyptians walk around for forty years in a fucking desert Harper������
���So you know now that he loves you.���
���If he gave me you I absolutely do.���
���And that���s why you were������
���Upset.��� I didn���t want to hear her say I was crying. I was a man.
Her man.
���Maddox?���
���What is it Sweetness?���
I leaned down and sucked on one of her nipples and she gasped.
���You can���t have a come to Jesus moment when you���re about to screw your pregnant unwed girlfriend. It messes with me.���
I tried not to smile, I really did but I couldn���t stop it.
Harper freed her hands and smacked me in the stomach. Then she pushed me over on my back and mounted me.
���You can���t wake me up needing me either unless you���re going to do something about it.���
I laughed again, ���Sweetness I was working on it.���
���Not fast enough.���
I flipped her on her back and pinned her hands above her head and she smiled and bit her lip again.
���You ready to be had Sweetness?���
She nodded her head. As soon as I released her hands she was shoving my pants down.
���Easy Sweetness. Put your hands above your head and let me take care of you. Can you do that?���
���Yes.���
I grabbed her pants and pulled them down as she lifted her hips helping me.
���Harper, I got this, you just lay back and let me touch you Sweetness. I need to touch you.���
Gone was the confusion and the amusement. The look in her eyes now was what drove me out of my mind with need.
I moved up to her lips and kissed them lightly. She pressed her lips to mine harder.
I moved back and she grabbed me again.
���Sweetness just let me love you.���
���I���m trying.���
She grabbed ahold of my hair again and pulled me down. I chuckled and she pulled my hair tighter.
���Not funny Maddox.���
���I���m not joking���and I really want to. I should tie you up.���
���Either that or���.���
Fuck! I wasn���t joking around. ���I���m gonna tie you up.���
