Beginnings

by Yolanda Stokes

  Pierson stared after his grandson trying to ignore the slight chill that had snaked down his spine. He wondered what had happened and when he’d lost control of the boy he’d molded into a man.

  “Well I guess there was no need for me to come back home after all. It appears as though my grandson can handle himself quite well, but let me give you a quick word of advice. Leave my grandson alone or I will make the rest of your life a living hell. I let you put the weight of running the family business on him and he exceeded even what you’d expected and now this family is set for life and I want him to have a life of his own. Oh and yeah, if you try to get back at him through Regina my threat still applies.”

  Pierson sat behind his desk long after his wife had left him and for the first time in a long time he knew he would have to back down and let what he desired go. He knew that the threats he received from his grandson and wife, weren’t just idle threats.

  *****

  Ethan slammed into the house anger still riding him like a raging bull. He’d tried riding around to clear his head and work off the anger his grandfather had ignited within him.

  “Hey baby, how did it go?” Regina asked when he entered the kitchen.

  “It went,” he snapped. “What are you doing I thought I’d make dinner.”

  Regina didn’t like the way he brushed over her question she could see the anger blazing in his eyes and if he thought that she was going to walk on eggshells around him, he had another thing coming. “Do you want to tell me what happened that’s got you in such a pissy mood?”

  “No I’d rather not. Now what’s for dinner?” He asked.

  “Let me try it another way,” she commented stepping in his path, “now I’m not asking if you’d like to tell me what happened, I’m demanding that you tell me so that you can get this off of your chest before you explode.”

  “Damn it Regina, I don’t want to talk about, now will you just leave it alone.”

  “As you wish,” she said softly before she slammed out of the back door.

  “Fuck!” He yelled knowing that he’d totally screwed up and was letting the old man win by pushing Regina away. There was no way in hell he would let the old man win he needed to go to Regina and apologize and beg her forgiveness.

  *****

  Regina walked through the studio heading for the front of the house to lock up. If Ethan thought that the conversation was over he had another thing coming, but first she needed to lock up her place and set the alarm. She froze in the living room when she noticed Tiffany and Joe standing by her front door. “What in the hell are you two doing here?” She demanded and then she noticed the gun. Before either of them responded, she heard Ethan call out to her from the back of the house. Not wanting him to get hurt, she turned to call out to him, but before she could utter a word she felt a ball of fire radiating in her chest.

  Ethan thought his heart would stop when he heard the gun shot. He ran through the house and found Regina in the living room doorway lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. Looking up he spotted Joe standing there near the front door with the gun on the floor a few feet away. He looked as if he wanted to say something before he turned and ran out of the house. He heard the sound of a car starting and knew that the bastard hadn’t been alone. Ethan snatched off his shirt and pressed it against the wound with one hand and called 911 with the other.

  *****

  He paced the waiting room waiting for word on Regina’s condition. Reginald sat in one of the chairs his head bowed both waiting for his and Regina’s parents to arrive. He couldn’t lose her not like this and after a stupid argument over something initiated by his manipulative grandfather. He prayed that she would come through this and if she did he promised to do everything in his power to make her happy and to show her how much he loved her and needed her.

  “Any word yet?” Keith asked once they reached them. Stephanie taking a seat next to her son putting her arm around his shoulders. Ethan shook his head no in answer.

  “What happened?” Stephanie asked.

  Ethan quickly told them what had happened and what he’d told the cops and Reginald when he’d arrived. “It’s all my fault, if I wouldn’t have been so pig headed and talked to her about what had happened between my grandfather and I she wouldn’t have went back to her place and she would be at home with me safe.”

  “Son it’s not your fault, you didn’t put the gun in their hands nor did you pull the trigger. Regina is going to be fine and I know she is going to be pissed knowing that you are blaming yourself.”

  Anderson and Lola arrived a few moments later. Lola giving her son a quick kiss and hug before joining Stephanie to offer the comfort only another mother could. Madeline arrived a few minutes later going straight to her baby brother offering him comfort. “The girls wanted to come, but I convinced them that they could come and see Regina as soon as she was better.”

  “I can’t lose her sis,” Ethan whispered against her hair his arms wrapping around her. His voice broke her heart and she wanted to do everything in her power to make it better for him.

  “Who’s Ethan?” Everyone turned at the sound of a voice. “I’m Doctor Rosenthal and I’m the surgeon working or trying to work on Regina, but she is making that very difficult. She’s asking for Ethan, stating that she has to see him to make sure that he is okay.”

  Keith smiled, “That’s my girl.”

  “I’m Ethan, is she going to be all right?” He asked.

  “Not if she doesn’t allow me to treat her and it appears that the only way that is going to happen is if she knows you are okay. So if you will quickly follow the nurse so she can get you dressed appropriately for surgery we can assure her you are fine and get her calmed down enough for me to do my job.”

  *****

  Regina fought the drugs they were pumping into her as there was no way she was going to go under until she made sure that Ethan was okay. She thought she was dreaming when she heard Ethan call her name. She guessed the drugs were playing tricks on her fogged mind.

  “Gina baby, I’m here and I’m fine. You have to let the doctor do his job, sweetheart, because I can’t lose you.”

  “Ethan you’re okay?”

  “Yes honey I am. Now I need for you to let the medicine work so the doctor can get to work.”

  She nodded as her eyes began to droop, “I love you Ethan.” She whispered before she succumbed to the power of the drugs.

  *****

  Madeline was surprised to see Frank Jr. and Jerry striding into the waiting room, both of them with worried looks on their faces. “What are you two doing here?” She demanded.

  “We heard about the shooting and when we saw that it was Regina’s address we got here as soon as we could.” Jerry responded.

  “Do you guys know anything yet?” Frank Jr. asked.

  “No, only that she wouldn’t allow the doctor to work until she found out that Ethan was okay.” Stephanie answered.

  “Why am I not surprised.” Jerry commented chuckling.

  An hour later Ethan joined them in the waiting room, “The doctor says that everything went well and they are moving her in to the recovery room before she will be moved to her own room. Luckily the bullet passed straight through, but it hit an artery and caused her to lose a lot of blood, but the doctor assures me that she’s going to be fine.”

  Everyone jumped when Frank Jr. let out a loud whoop at the news. “I knew that she was too ornery to let a mere bullet keep her down cuz. I told you that you got a great woman there and it’s time you made that move and make her a permanent part of this family.”

  “How would you know that?” Madeline asked.

  “Well since she helped us realize that granddad had set us up to use us against Ethan, we knew that she was not only beautiful, but she has a very quick mind.” Jerry answered shocking not only their cousin, but also their aunt and uncle.

  *****

  Regina slowly came awake and knew immediately that she wasn’t at h
er place or Ethan’s and then it all came back to her. Ethan?” She whispered

  “I’m right here baby” he said standing next to her bed taking her hand in his.

  “You’re okay, oh God I thought that she was going to shoot you also,” she said tearfully. Ethan looked over at Reginald who in turn looked over at the officer standing just inside the doorway.

  “Ms. Coleman, I’m Officer Daniels and I’m one of the officers investigating your shooting, can you tell me what happened and who shot you?”

  “Yes, I’d gone over to my place to lock up because I knew that I’d be spending the night at Ethan’s. I’d used the entrance through the studio and when I reached the living room there was my cousin Tiffany and my ex-boyfriend Joe standing just inside the door. I’d asked them what they were doing there before I noticed the gun that Tiffany had in her hand. When I heard Ethan call out to me I was afraid that she would shoot him so I was about to warn him when I felt the burning pain in my shoulder. Before I passed out I saw Tiffany drop the gun before she ran out the front door.”

  Ethan helped her sit up and held the cup of water to her lips, “Drink it slowly baby,” he instructed. The officer thanked her before he left in search of his partner to round up their suspects.

  “I want the two of you to promise me that you will let the police handle this and that neither of you will go after Joe or Tiffany.” She demanded of her brother and the man that she loved, but neither of them said a word. “I mean it guys, either you promise me or I’ll get up and walk out of here right now.”

  “You can’t just walk out if here, you are still recovering from a damn gun shot wound” Reginald snapped.

  “Try me.”

  “Damn it Regina, you know we can’t allow the bastard to get away with it. He may not have pulled the trigger, but he knew what was going to happen. And if you think we are going to just let this shit slide, you have another thing coming.”

  When she reached for the IV that was in her arm, they both gave in because they knew that she meant what she’d said and wasn’t just making an idle threat. “We promise that we will let the police handle it baby, now we want you to lay back and rest so that the doctor can give the okay for you to go home.”

  “I’ll go to sleep if you’ll sing to me.” She knew that he wouldn’t deny her just as he knew that he couldn’t. His beautiful voice filled the room and she let out a contented sigh and drifted off to sleep. Ethan kissed her forehead before laying his head beside hers and allowed his eyes to drift shut.

  Both of their parents stood in the doorway staring at the couple each of them with a smile on their face. “I think we will be planning a wedding pretty soon.” Stephanie commented as they backed out of the room.

  “I think that we should start hunting up caterers and decide the color scheme that we think they would want” Lola suggested. Keith and Anderson looked at each other and could only shake their heads at their wives.

  Chapter 18

  Regina didn’t protest when Ethan insisted on carrying her into the house even though she was more than capable to walk on her own two feet. Nor did she protest when he refused to allow her to go over to her own place to gather clothes and necessities even though the police had removed the crime tape. He’d volunteered to go and gather everything that she needed. But when he stated she needed to lie in bed she’d had to put her foot down and stood firm.

  “Ethan I have been lying in bed for more than three weeks and the doctor said nothing about being on bed rest when I got home. Only that I didn’t need to over exert myself. Now if you would please carry me into the family room where I can relax on the huge leather sofa and watch the game that is due to start in seven minutes.”

  Ethan knew this was one of those battles that he needed to concede so he carried her into the family room and placed her on to the leather sofa. “What would you like to eat? I’ll make you a snack before I go over next door to get the things you need.” She quickly told him what she wanted to eat and waited until she was sure he was busy in the kitchen before she raced upstairs to take a quick shower.

  “Sweetheart, we are out of…”his voice trailed off as soon as he noticed the room was empty. His first thought was to panic, but he took a deep breath and listened and heard the faint sound of water running upstairs. With a slew of curses he made his way up the stairs to confront his bullheaded woman.

  Regina let out a startled gasp when the shower door was pulled open, “Ethan?”

  “What in the hell are you doing up here in the shower instead of down in the family room resting?” He demanded through gritted teeth.

  “Well I was dying for a shower honey and I needed to wash my hair, so I figured I’d run up here and do it quickly before you missed me.”

  “Damn it Gina, do you know what went through my mind when I walked in there and you weren’t there.”

  “Love I know you are only worried, but I am well enough to perform normal every day things. The sponge baths they gave me in the hospital just weren’t enough I really needed to take a shower. Just like I need other things,” she purred. “Do you realize that it has been close to a month since we made love and I am in desperate need of some lovin’ and you are the only one qualified to fill that need.”

  His cock immediately hardened at her words and he was powerless to deny her or himself. He quickly removed his clothes and joined her in the huge shower capturing her mouth with his. Ethan lifted her and wrapped her legs around his narrow waist, opening her core for his invasion. Without hesitating he impaled his rigid cock deep within her burying himself to the hilt.

  “Oh God Ethan I’ve missed you,” she confessed as he began to move deep within her.

  “Missed you too baby. God I thought that I’d lost you,” he groaned against her ear.

  She heard the fear and anguish in his voice and it pulled at her heart.

  “Never baby, you’re stuck with me my love,” she whispered in his ear tightening her legs around waist taking him deeper. Neither one of them uttered another word until their screams echoed around the room when they climaxed.

  Ethan dried their bodies and then carried his woman into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. With her left hand she pulled him down onto the bed beside her.

  “I’m sorry for scaring you by coming up here without telling you, but I knew you would have insisted on carrying me up here. You have to realize that I was shot in the shoulder and the doctor has given me a clean bill of heath, which means that I am capable to do normal every day things. Don’t get me wrong, my love I don’t have a problem with you catering to me like you normally do, but I don’t want you worrying that I’ll do anything to put myself in jeopardy, by doing something stupid.”

  Ethan sighed, laying his forehead against hers, “I know baby, its just I can’t shake the fear of almost losing you and because of it I guess I’m not thinking rationally. I will try and curb my over protective tendencies, but I need for you to be patient with me while I make the adjustment.” The smile that she gave him filled him with so much warmth that it made his heart fill with pleasure. It also filled another part of his anatomy with hunger.

  Regina felt his cock swell and thicken and her body reacted immediately, without giving him a chance to think she straddled his hips, worked her hips raking the head of his thick cock with the moist folds of her pussy. Ethan groaned and arched into her driving his cock deep.

  “That’s it baby, ride my cock,” he demanded when she began to move her hips moving in tandem with his. Their bodies moving in time like a well choreographed dance. Ethan leaned up capturing a taunt nipple laving and sucking it drawing deeper moans from his woman. Her sounds were music to his ears and he felt his arousal rise even higher as his cock thickened even more.

  “Ethan, I’m going to come,” Regina screamed breathlessly. In a flash Ethan pinned her onto her back beneath him without breaking their rhythm.

  “Come for me love,” he commanded and she did, effectively pulling him right along
with her. Ethan continued to pound in to her riding out the climax making the pleasure last. He lay on top of her panting trying desperately to catch his breath. He gently kissed the scar where the bullet tore through her flesh.

  “Does it bother you? I know it’s ugly and all…” he halted her words with a kiss.

  “No, baby it’s not ugly and the only thing that bothers me is the pain I’m sure it caused you along with the fact that the police still haven’t found Tiffany.” He answered and leaned down and kissed the scar again. “Nothing can make any part of you ugly in my eyes” he declared. The tears spilled down her face at his words and he quickly kissed them away. “Baby, why didn’t you tell the police officer the truth, that you and I were arguing before you left my place?”

  Regina frowned wondering what he was talking about, “Love I didn’t lie to the police, I went to lock up my place because I knew that it was going to take some time to wear you down, before you spilled the beans about what happened with your grandfather.”

  “So my pigheaded refusal to talk about it didn’t push you away?”

  Regina cupped his face in her hands giving him a kiss, “No baby, you can’t push me away that easily.” He captured her mouth with his for a deep drugging kiss, which ended when her stomach let out a loud rumble causing both of them to laugh.

  “Why don’t you use the shower in here and I’ll use the one down the hall, because if we use the same shower, we’ll end up making love again and I need to feed you to build up your strength.” With a final kiss he pushed her towards the bathroom.

  They ate before the television in the family room Ethan having had the foresight to record the game. He left the room to take their trays back to the kitchen and when he returned he found his beautiful love dozing. He caught her before she toppled over and gently laid her down, placing her head in his lap. Regina let out a contented sigh and slept.