“No,” she croaked, then blushed as she nodded and smiled. “Yes,” she admitted. “I guess I am.”
My fingers tightened slightly on hers drawing her gaze up to mine. “You can’t be more nervous than me,” I confessed. “I used to dream about this moment for months—how it would be when we would actually meet. And then I thought I fuc—, I mean, messed it up. So having you sitting here with me, not hating me, is a dream come true.”
She sat in silence, her gaze never leaving mine, so I continued.
“Molly, I reacted badly…without giving you a chance to explain. I’ve always been a private person. I’ve never opened up easily to others, but you? You were different. I found myself wanting to talk to you, share with you. I looked forward to our emails and began to look forward to meeting you. But then…I suppose every article I’d ever seen about prisoners scamming money from pen-pals hit me and all I could think of was that I was being taken for a ride.” I observed her wince, and hurried to add, “But that was wrong…I mean, you never asked for anything. All you ever did was give.”
Her gaze stayed on their hands, clasped on the tabletop. Swallowing deeply, she nodded. “For me…you were the special friend I could have. The one thing in my life that wasn’t tainted by where I was.”
I gently rubbed her hand with my rough thumb, hoping she would look back up at me but her eyes stayed downward. “Molly…please look at me,” I begged. As her gaze hesitantly lifted, I observed pain in her eyes. “I am so sorry,” I confessed once more.
Her lips slowly curved as she offered a small smile across the table toward me. Opening her hand, she allowed my fingers to link with hers.
“So what did you decide to do after getting out?” she asked, her smile warming my heart.
“I got a job as a flight paramedic,” I said. “The company flies all over the world on medical missions with patients that are injured or ill and I fly with them.”
Eyes wide, she exclaimed, “Oh, my goodness! That’s amazing!”
Shrugging, I said, “It’s a helluva lot easier than what I did in Afghanistan. These planes are equipped like hospital rooms instead of us bouncing around in the back of a helicopter.” Smiling at her enthusiasm, I said, “Tell me about the bookstore.” Her smile shook slightly and I felt her attempt to pull her hand away, so I tightened my grip, not wanting to lose the connection. “You can tell me…whatever it is,” I begged, wanting her to trust me.
“When I…uh…was released, the restaurant I had worked in didn’t have any positions available…or at least that’s what they said.” Her shoulders lifted in a slight shrug, as though it didn’t matter, but pain flashed through her eyes.
“But I was out one day and saw an old bookstore. I wandered inside and it was incredible.” Her face brightened as she continued, “It was full of people, reading, talking, working, drinking coffee.” Sighing, she smiled at the memory. “I thought it was the most wonderful place in the world. The owner, Gus, was bustling around and appeared to be overwrought. A customer was trying to describe a book they wanted but didn’t know the name. I knew what it was and ended up helping out.” She beamed again, adding, “Gus hired me that day! He said my past didn’t matter as long as I knew and loved books.”
“Sounds like a good man,” I said, returning her smile.
“Oh, he is,” she gushed. “I ended up getting a little efficiency apartment nearby, so I can walk to work when I’m not in school.”
Our hands separated when the food was delivered and I missed her touch. But if I had my way, there would be many more times I would feel her next to me.
Walking back out to my truck, I hesitated before opening the passenger door. She turned her face up expectantly toward mine. I’d meant to take things slow. I’d meant to give her a chance to get used to me. I’d meant for us to find out more about each other first. But with her sweet face peering up at me, all thoughts rushed out except for the desire to see if she tasted as beautiful as she looked.
Cupping her cheeks with my hands, I gently pressed her back against the side of the truck and with my body protecting her from the chill, I touched her lips to mine. Warmth spread through me as she responded to my kiss. And I discovered the intoxicating taste and knew I was lost for life.
Chapter 12
(December – Molly)
I hustled into the bookstore, my arms loaded with holiday decorations I had made to hang around the counter, shelves, and candlesticks. The delicious scent of roasted coffee beans tempted me as I winked at Richie, knowing he would soon have a steaming cup for me. Gus, wearing a bright red, knit, Christmas vest, smiled as I hurried over.
“Slow down, slow down,” he said. “There’s no fire, thank God!”
Puffing my curly bangs from my eyes, I dropped the decorations down on the counter before turning to him, my eyes wide with nervous energy.
Gus took my cold hands in his, rubbing them briskly. “You forgot your gloves again. Now tell me about your holiday weekend.”
Grinning, I said, “Oh, Gus, it was wonderful. The Stevens were so kind and welcoming.” Closing my eyes in ecstasy, I added, “And Rachel looked amazing. So grown up in the past year.” A flash of pain flew through me as I admitted, “I missed last Christmas and her birthday. She’s now sixteen and beautiful!”
“Well, if she looks anything like you, she would be beautiful,” he said, pulling me in for a hug. “And what of your young man?”
Blushing, I ducked my head. “He was going to go home to see his family for Thanksgiving, but said he didn’t want to go without me. And since I wanted to see my sister, he came with me.”
“He’s a good man, that one,” Gus nodded approvingly, patting my shoulder, before walking back to the counter.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I wondered, Yes, he is…but am I worthy of him?
I had just put the finishing touches on the roast when I heard the knock on the door. Throwing it open, I beamed at Brody before jumping into his arms.
“What have I told you about using the chain on your door before opening it?” he groused fondly.
“But I knew it was you!” I protested, cupping his cold cheeks and pulling him in for a kiss. Determined to warm his lips, I licked the seam and as he groaned, I thrust my tongue into his mouth.
His arms tightened around me as he walked me backward and kicked the door closed with his boot. My little efficiency apartment was one large room with only a screen dividing the bed from the living and kitchen area. Every time he had been there, we tried to ignore the bed, placed discreetly in the corner. But right now, the choice between heading toward the small sofa or the bed was no contest—I wanted him to take me to the bed.
As though reading my mind, he walked around the screen. He laid me down gently on my bed, our lips separating only briefly. Crawling on top of me, keeping his weight on his arms to keep from crushing me, he latched onto my mouth once more.
I grabbed his shoulders, pulling him down on top of me, wanting to feel his weight pressing onto me. Sliding my legs apart, I felt his hips settle between my legs, his erection against my core.
It had been so long I almost couldn’t remember the last time I’d had sex. My life became divided into before that fateful night and after. But one more taste of his lips on mine and I didn’t think about anything other than Brody’s body.
(Brody)
I rolled to the side to free up one hand, which moved to the bottom of her sweater. Hesitating, I looked down, needing to hear the word.
Smiling, she nodded. “Yes,” she breathed.
My hand slipped underneath the material, trailing feather-light touches up toward her breasts as I dragged the material along. It snagged at the bottom of her bra, and before I moved it further, she pushed on my shoulders rolling me onto my back.
Sitting up, she smiled down at me as she jerked her sweater over her her head, her breasts spilling out over the cups of her bra. Reaching behind her, she unsnapped it and with another flick of her wrist, tossed it to the floor as well. I
knew she needed to feel a sense of control and was more than willing to give it to her.
My eyes feasted on her beautiful breasts, gently swaying with her body’s movements. My hands spanned her waist before sliding up to cup them, tweaking both nipples.
Molly groaned at the sensation, throwing her head back which thrust them further into my hands. Dropping her chin, she moved her hands to my shirt, pulling it from my waistband.
With my cock ready to erupt, I moved quickly, my actions matching hers. We became a tangle of arms and legs, almost in a race to see who could undress the quickest. Just before I tossed my jeans to the side, I reached into the pocket and pulled out a condom.
As she lay back, her nude body completely on display, I knelt over her once more. “I’ve dreamed of seeing you like this, but the reality is so much more than the fantasy,” I vowed. My hands roamed from the valley between her breasts, over her tummy and the curve of her hips, to slip into the wetness between her legs.
Molly groaned as the sensations of my fingers moved deep inside her sex. Opening her eyes, staring at me pleasuring her, she confessed, “I won’t last long…it’s been forever.”
I grinned as I moved my fingers out, licking them before sliding on the condom. “Babe, same for me. How about we come together?”
“Oh, yeah!” she cried as I pushed inside her tight sex, moving slowly to give her a chance to accommodate my eager cock.
Thrusting deep inside, I balanced on my forearms, holding her face between my palms. Peppering her face with kisses to begin with, I then slid my tongue into her mouth, matching the movements of my hips.
Molly wrapped her legs around my waist, opening herself wider, allowing me to slide deeper. Tongues tangling, mouths vying for dominance, we clung to each other, not knowing where one ended and the other began.
“Close baby?” I growled into her mouth.
Her scream was my answer as her orgasm rocked through her. As her slick channel grabbed my cock I felt my balls tighten and then explode as my long-awaited orgasm powered into her.
Dropping down, I heard the air leave her lungs in a grunt and I rolled to the side, bringing her with me. We lay, panting as our hearts pounded erratically, neither able to speak for several long minutes.
As consciousness slowly returned, with her head on my chest, she smoothed her hands over my muscular body, as though she wanted to memorize every inch. My hand roved up and down her back as my heartbeat returned to normal.
Turning my head, I said, “Baby, I wanted to go slow and savor every moment but I knew I couldn’t. I’ve wanted you for so long, this first time was going to go fast.”
Grinning, she kissed my chest, right over his heart, and said, “No complaints from me.”
Moving so I was on top again, I gazed down into her face and said, “Well, don’t worry…the next time will last. And there will be lots of next-times.”
My plane had just touched down and I checked my phone. Seeing several missed calls from Molly, I dialed her back quickly.
“Hey, Molly, what’s up?”
“I got a call,” Molly rushed, her voice breathless.
I narrowed my eyes in alarm as I jogged down the plane’s ramp, not understanding. “You got a call? From who, sweetheart?”
“The attorney. The one who’s working with me and Rachel. She wants to meet right now so Gus is letting me go of course, and I know you aren’t here so you can’t come too but I’m nervous and wanted to let you know so you can be thinking about me.” The words came out in a rush and she finally took a breath as she finished.
Looking at my watch, I cursed the timing. “I’ll get there as fast as I can, but I’m at least an hour and a half away.”
“It’s okay,” she assured. “I just wanted you to know. I’m at her office so I gotta go now.”
“Good luck, babe,” I said. “Love you.” She had just disconnected but I halted on the tarmac. Love you? Damn, the words just slipped out! But I knew in my heart, they were true. I wasn’t sure if she heard them or not. Panicking, I wondered if she would be upset at the throwaway manner in which I said them. She probably didn’t hear them. Smiling, I jogged toward my truck, hoping to get to her as soon as possible.
(Molly)
He loves me? Wondering if I had heard him correctly just as we disconnected, I had no time to process his sentiment before entering Ms. Cordone’s office. Clarice and Rachel were there waiting for me. Rushing over to hug my sister, we were soon ushered into the conference room. The meeting was a bit anti-climatic since it was just to inform us that a sympathetic judge had read the petition and was granting us a hearing in a month. She went back over the written statements from both Rachel and me and with no new comments to be added, the meeting was soon over.
After sharing a cup of coffee at a small diner across the street, I hugged Rachel and Clarice goodbye on the sidewalk. Heaving a sigh, I began walking, no particular direction in mind. My thoughts were swirling as I finally allowed Brody’s words to settle deep in my chest. The sound of a horn honking next to me startled me out of my musings. Jerking around, I saw a big, black truck pull up next to me, Brody’s wide grin beaming at me from the driver’s seat.
He parked and jogged around to assist me up, placing a kiss on my lips before shutting the door. As soon as he was settled, he turned to me, “So how did it go?”
“We have a court date next month.” My words were blandly informative but I finally allowed my nerves to show as I heaved a huge sigh.
Taking my hands, he said, “It’ll be fine. I’ll be right there.”
“But what if—”
“Don’t go there, babe. No matter what happens at that hearing, you’re free now. That’s what counts.”
I held his gaze for a long moment, sucking my lips in, before speaking. “Brody…did you tell me you loved me earlier?”
“Oh, man, yes, but that’s not how I meant to tell you,” he moaned. “It should have been in the moonlight with a song playing from my speakers. Or in bed when we were holding each other. Or—”
Grinning, I shook my head while placing my fingers on his lips. “Nope,” I argued. “It was perfect. It just came out because you were worried about me and wanted me to take a piece of you into that meeting.”
“I do love you,” he said, his dark eyes melting me.
“I love you too,” I replied, leaning forward to gently kiss him.
Chapter 13
(January – Brody and Molly)
Walking out onto the steps of the courthouse, Molly looked up into the bright blue sky, breathing the cold, crisp winter air deeply. Susan stopped next to her, offering a congratulatory hug. Thanking her former social worker, she held her tightly. Next came Rachel and her counselor, both hugging her as well. Rachel came through with flying colors, her testimony strong and sure, and with her counselor’s assistance and the care of Clarice, she would be fine.
Thelma followed the group, stepping up to Molly as well. “I don’t usually go for the expulsion of criminal records, but you were a special case,” she said, her usual brisk manner lightened by her smile. “Congratulations…you are truly free.”
As the others made their way to their vehicles, Brody stepped back to her side, clasping her hand in his. Kissing the top of her head, he escorted her down the steps. At the bottom, he reached inside his coat and pulled out a small box, wrapped in brown paper with a red ribbon.
“What’s this?” she said, beaming her smile up at him.
“Open it and see,” he laughed.
She took the package and unwrapped it, revealing a small, older book entitled Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hahn. Taking it in her hand, she looked back up at Brody as he explained, “It’s not a mystery, but it’s a signed copy and one of his quotes is in the front.”
Curious, she opened the front cover and read, “In true love, you attain freedom.” Her chin quivered as silent tears fell down her cheeks.
Taking her face in his hand, he wiped her tears with his t
humbs. “Baby,” he said, his breath warm against her skin. “We were both prisoners in our own wars. But our love has given us freedom.”
With a soft, gentle kiss, one full of promises of years to come, they wrapped their arms around each other, walking forward together.
If you enjoyed Freedom of Love, please leave a review!
Letters From Home Series
Bond of Love
Class of Love
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Other books by Maryann Jordan
(all standalone books)
All of my books are stand-alone, each with their own HEA!! You can read them in any order!
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Freedom of Love (Letters From Home Series Book 2) Page 8
