“I’m ready to be your full-time wife. I’ll move in with you this very minute. I’ll check every fear and doubt at the door and make sure our life together is incredible—if you still want me to.”
“I’ve waited to hear those words from you every day and night for months. You’re all I want, Christa. You’re everything I could ever want. I’ll send movers to your apartment to pack your things and deliver them to my place. I’m afraid you’ll come to your senses and change your mind if you have to be there when your apartment is empty. But if it makes you feel better, we can go house hunting and find a new place that’s ours.”
I had to laugh at that, because he knew I’d feel sorry for my tiny, empty apartment. “House hunting? Does that include furniture and interior décor shopping?”
“Anything you want.”
I leaned across the center console and kissed him. He turned his head slightly, trying to keep his eyes on the road while I kissed his cheek, his lips, and his neck. “I love you so very much, Aaron. I don’t care where we live or what we have. As long as I’m with you, that’s enough for me.”
Endings—and New Beginnings
Aaron
“I still don’t know how you convinced me to go along with this. Or why. Or why I’m even going through with it.” Christa stomped through the condo, ranting in my general direction, though she was still getting dressed.
“Because you need it, sweetheart. I know you say you don’t, and you’re extremely adamant about it, but I was with you that day. You can’t hide your feelings anymore.” I helped her into her long wool coat and used that as an excuse to wrap my arms around her. ”I thought you trusted me.”
“I do,” she conceded. “You’re the best man I know, Aaron.”
“I’ll be with you. Every step of the way.”
She tried to stall as long as she could, but eventually she caved and got in the car. I’d talked her into having a memorial service for her mother. It’d be a small gathering, and she’d likely be the only one there who even knew the woman. In the few days after her death, the state had held her body until they ruled out any foul play. Every day of waiting in limbo affected Christa more than she wanted to admit.
But I knew her. I saw through her bravado. I felt her.
The click of her heels echoed down the vacant hall of the funeral home, and I expected to find we were alone in the sanctuary. My entire family was there, including my brother, with Allie on his arm. Jared and his family were also there. Though I wasn’t thrilled with his presence, I was grateful for how his family supported my wife.
She introduced me to the entire Miller family as her husband, and I was positive I was a couple of feet taller than when we walked in. She spent time talking to everyone to avoid approaching the casket. Not that I blamed her, but I could feel her anxiety ratcheting up inside her with every tick of the clock. When she’d made her rounds and her avoidance became obvious, she dropped her purse in a chair and squeezed my hand in her dainty one.
“Stay with me, Aaron.”
“Forever.”
We approached the casket together, and she remained stock-still while staring at her mother. “She’s lost so much weight since the last time I saw her. Aaron, the what-if’s flying through my mind are killing me.”
“You couldn’t have saved her.” Another man’s voice interrupted our conversation, and both of our heads snapped toward his direction. Christa stepped backward into me, her back against my chest, and I instinctively wrapped my arm around her.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“My name is Chris Lanes. I’m Christa’s father.”
She molded into me more. My other arm wrapped around her, protecting her, shielding her. “I’m here,” I murmured into her ear. “No one can hurt you while I’m here.” Her nod was almost imperceptible, but I felt it. I felt her relax under my guard. I looked back up at Chris. “What did you mean when you said she couldn’t have saved her mother?”
“Janice was never what you’d call stable, but she became worse over the last several months. She was mixing several kinds of drugs—crack, meth, heroin—you name it, she was addicted to it all. She’d called me, too, asking for money several weeks ago. I went to see her and took an application for a detox facility with me. The deal was I’d give her the money she asked for if after she completed the full program. I even offered to pay for it, if she’d just get clean.
“Even I couldn’t save her, Christa. If she wouldn’t do it for you, me, or the money I’d promised her, she wouldn’t get clean for anything. You can’t blame yourself or think you let her down in any way. You didn’t, and if you’d given her anything, she’d just keep coming back for more and break your heart every time. Her addiction was too much for her to stop.”
“You still loved her,” Christa whispered, the pain in her voice palpable. “After all these years, you still loved her.”
“I love her still. I’ll never stop loving her. She wasn’t always what you remember. She was the love of my life, and she captured my heart the day we met. She never gave it back.”
“Why did you leave me?”
“I started using with her. It took a while, but I eventually saw how my life was spiraling out of control. She and I had a long talk about getting help, and she convinced me to check in to the hospital first so she could stay with you. When they were processing my paperwork, it triggered some outstanding warrants I had. So, the court ordered me to complete a one-year inpatient rehab stint or face up to seven years in prison. By the time I graduated from the program, Janice had taken out a restraining order against me and was in the process of having my parental rights taken away. I stopped that part, but I still couldn’t come near her or you.”
“How could she do all of that if she was abusing drugs and had no money to spend on a lawyer?”
“Her dealer had her selling for him. The longer she kept me away, the more control he had over her. It was a vicious cycle I never could break. I’m just so sorry you were caught in the middle of it, Christa. I tried to see you, I even tried to get custody of you, but nothing worked. My past never seemed to stay behind me.”
“I know what you mean,” Christa replied pensively. “Can you…come by the café sometime? I’d like to have a cup of coffee and chat with you.”
His smile split his face in two, and the nearly broken man I saw a second before instantly transformed into a hopeful one. That was what my girl did to a mere mortal man. That was what she did to me.
I extended my hand toward him while keeping my other one wrapped securely around my wife. “I’m Aaron Rivers, her husband. It’s good to finally meet you, though I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.”
“Aaron, if you’ve earned Christa’s love and respect, I have no doubt you’re a good man. What you’ve done for Janice is more proof.”
Friends and family gathered around us, and Chris did his best to remember all the names thrown at him. He was especially grateful to the Miller family for taking care of his daughter when he couldn’t be there for her. He and my father had an instant connection and were acting as if they were long-lost brothers before the funeral service was over.
After the burial, Christa and I were in the car, heading back to our condo, when she turned in her seat to face me. “Aaron?”
“Yeah, babe?”
“Why did you never give up on me? If you’d tried to push me away as hard as I did you, I don’t know that I would’ve kept trying. I would’ve thought, if he wanted me in his life, I’d be in it. I wouldn’t have to keep fighting for a spot. But you never gave up. Why?”
“You should never give up on someone you love. If you love them, they deserve a second chance, regardless of how many second chances they’ve already used. If I’d walked away without fighting for you until my very last breath, I would’ve regretted it for the rest of my life. I’d already learned my lesson about regrets, and you weren’t going to be a repeat.”
“There’s something I need to do
tomorrow morning. Will you come with me?”
“Of course.”
“You’re not going to ask what I need to do before committing?”
“No, because it doesn’t matter. I’m in this for life. There is no you, no me—there’s only ‘we’ now. We are one, so what makes you happy makes me happy. It’s as simple as that.”
She was deep in thought for the rest of the ride, no doubt reflecting on the emotionally draining day she’d had. When we walked into the condo, we headed straight to the bedroom and changed into our pajamas. I took a seat on the couch in front of the fireplace, and she immediately crawled into my lap. My arms circled around her, and I buried my face in her neck.
“I wrote down every text you sent me, and I kept every letter you sent me. I reread all of them every day. I’d wait for your text to come in and stare at it for the longest time, willing you to appear out of nowhere. Now you’re here with me, and I’m never letting you go again.”
I leaned down and gently kissed her. She knew how deep my love for her ran. She knew there was nothing I wouldn’t do for her. Saying the words again was pointless. My actions proved it time and time again.
“I watched my father today when he wasn’t looking. He stared at her lying in that casket like he wanted to crawl in there with her. After all this time, after everything she did to him, he still loves her. He’d rather die with her than live without her.”
“I know exactly how he feels.”
“I do too. That’s what I was thinking about on the way home. So, from this second until the end of our life—notice I said life and not lives—we have no time for holding back. Every second of every day will be the best we’ve ever known. Even through hard times, even through all the fights where I’m right and you’re wrong. Nothing can steal our happiness or take away our love. Promise?”
“Cross my heart.”
Soon after we settled into a comfortable silence wrapped in each other’s arms, she fell asleep, exhausted from the trying day. I stood with her in my arms, carried her to the bedroom, and undressed her for bed, all while resisting the urge to wake her with my tongue on her clit and my mouth devouring her pussy. As much as I needed to feel her body wrapped around mine, she needed to rest and recuperate.
But tomorrow. Tomorrow, she was all mine.
I slid in behind her, my skin against hers, and wrapped my arm around her. Sleep took over before I even realized how tired I was. When I awoke, it was to the most incredible feeling in the world. My morning wood was being put to good use by a warm, wet mouth hidden under the covers. I could barely open my eyes, but my body knew exactly what it wanted. And my cock was saying to take her right then before he exploded.
I reached under the covers to pull her up to ride me, but she resisted. “Baby, I’ve been holding back while we’ve been dealing with life. But right now, your mouth feels so fucking good, if you don’t stop, I won’t be able to stop.”
Damn if she didn’t work me harder, her actions showing me what she wanted. My hips bucked involuntarily, matching the rhythm of her mouth and hand working in tandem. My head fell to the pillow, my eyes rolled into the back of my head, and I took a flying leap over the edge while she swallowed every drop. My cock grew even harder when she crawled up my body and straddled me. Then she lowered herself down on me while I watched my dick disappear into her, one inch at a time.
Her hips undulated, first rocking back and forth, then up and down, while her fingers dug into my chest. My hands slid up her legs, clenched her hips, and helped guide her movements. As she came down, my hips surged upward, and her soft moans turned to feral screams. Sweat-slickened, her body glided against mine when she leaned over, her chest against mine. The sensation was too fucking much to handle, and I barely held on until she came one last time.
She collapsed on top of me, our bodies still joined as one in every possible way. If she moved in the slightest bit, I’d be ready to go again, though I wasn’t sure she would be by the way she panted in my ear. Fuck, everything she did was so damn sexy.
“I have a surprise for you today.”
“More than waking me up with the best damn blow job in the world?”
She giggled, and the ripples through her body hit mine. My cock began to harden inside her again, and then I thrust my hips upward. She sucked in a sharp breath and began to move with me. So, I rolled her over and fucked her with everything I had one more time. When we were both spent and breathing heavily, she gave me a lazy grin.
“I still have another surprise for you today. Do you think we can make it to the shower?”
I cut my eyes at her and raised one eyebrow in mock challenge. “Do you doubt my stamina? Do I need to prove it to you again?”
“No!” she yelled and laughed at the same time. “I believe you, I believe you. We have to leave the condo soon, though, so we’ll have time for everything afterward.”
“Get your fine ass up and shower, then. You have until the count of three, or I’m rolling over and fucking you again.”
She found a sudden burst of energy and sprang out of bed. “If you do, we’ll never get out of here!”
Showered, dressed, and in the car, she insisted on driving so I wouldn’t know where we were going until we got there. She was so excited over the surprise, I couldn’t deny her the pleasure of keeping it secret for a few minutes longer. When we pulled up outside the courthouse, I turned and gave her a puzzled expression.
“I thought we’d go in together and formally withdraw the divorce petition. There are some papers I have to fill out to stop the proceedings, and I want you to be there with me. It’s symbolic of our new start.”
“I’d love to, Christa.” With my hands on her face, I pulled close to her and gave her the hottest, most X-rated kiss I could possibly give with our clothes on. “Mrs. Rivers.”
“Forever,” she replied earnestly.
With the papers completed, signed, and recorded, the sense of relief I felt was incredible. The last six months had been the longest of my life, every minute hanging on her decision to stay or go.
She looked up at me as we exited the building, love beaming from her eyes. I reached into my pocket and retrieved the small velvet bag that hadn’t left my person since that day in Lance’s office. When I stopped walking, she looked at me questioningly. Then I knelt on one knee and slid the rings back onto her finger. Where they’d always belonged. Where they’d always stay.
I raised my eyes to meet hers, and tears of happiness shimmered like diamonds. She smiled as I stood, still holding her hand in mine. “With this ring, I’m not only giving you all my love, but every part of me. Mind. Body. Heart. Making you fall in love with me all over again every single day will become my life’s ambition.
“If the day ever comes when you give these rings back to me, I’ll know you’re throwing my love away, tossing us aside. I’d never be able to love anyone again after that. Hold on to us no matter what the future throws at us. Our love, our marriage, and our life together are all that matter. Never give up on me, Christa, and I’ll make you the happiest woman who ever lived.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she took my hand in hers, fingering the wedding band that hadn’t left my hand since the night I put it on in Vegas. Even sitting in Lance’s office, a strong foreboding and sense of profound loss wouldn’t let me take it off.
“Before I met you, I never believed in love. I thought it was a fairy tale I’d only read about and could never happen to me. You took everything I held true and ruined it in the best way. The love you’ve freely given me opened my eyes, my mind, and my heart. The fears that held me captive disappeared when I found you.
“With this ring, I’m forever yours. I promise to love you more every day. To walk by your side, even when no one else will. To stand behind you and help you achieve your dreams. To be whatever you need when you need me the most. I’ll never give up on you. I’ll never stop loving you. If the day ever comes when you’re no longer with me, I’ll never love anot
her. I’ve found the other half of my soul in you and only you.”
“The wedding vows you wrote for me,” I replied, equally shocked and thrilled.
“I still mean every word of them.” She rose up on her toes and kissed me, sealing our commitment yet again.
“You’ve completely captivated me, Christa.”
Epilogue
Delilah
Love is a funny thing, isn’t it? People could be so fickle, never knowing which paths their lives should take. Sometimes they just needed a good, swift kick in the ass to make them see. Like my sweet Christa and her handsome man, Aaron. Now that their future was finally on the right road, it was time to turn my sights on another who had lost her way.
I stepped into the café, and the chimes over the door alerted her to my presence. Christa and Aaron were finally on their two-week honeymoon in Maui. Aaron tried to talk her into going somewhere more “exotic,” but she was adamant to see Hawaii. Their absence left one person there to deal with me.
“Christa isn’t back yet,” Allie said, effectively dismissing me when she turned her back to me.
No matter. I didn’t become the woman I was by backing down from insignificant challenges. “I’m not here for Christa today, and you damn well know it, young lady.”
She turned slowly but deliberately, cutting her hostile eyes at me. “I’ve tolerated your presence for Christa’s sake, because she loves you and because I know you’ve been secretly helping her. She told me she refused the money you’ve been saving for her since she and Aaron have enough to make the world go ’round a few more times. But she doesn’t know everything about you. She didn’t grow up under your thumb, always made to feel irrelevant and like an outcast. Until Christa gets back, you can get your coffee somewhere else.”
Completely Captivated Page 26
