Homecoming

by Reana Malori

  Ethan came to stand next to Noah. “When are you going to marry her?”

  The question had been floating around Noah’s mind for a while now. There was no question about IF he would marry her. There was only a question about the timing. “As soon as we can arrange it. I want my parents in town and hers as well. When we do this, I want it done the right way.”

  “Do your parents know?” Tyler asked, joining the two men.

  “They do.”

  Ethan sighed. “Oh, boy. What did your dad have to say?”

  “Hell, I want to know how Mama Braddock responded. To be so small, your momma is a firecracker,” Tyler laughed.

  “Neither of them was happy with me, but once I sent them a picture of Janae and Nicole, they got over it. Now all my mom can talk about is her amazingly talented granddaughter and when she can see them in person. I think they’ll be making a trip over this way sooner than we expect.”

  Noah’s attention was pulled away by the laughter of Daniel, Stefano, and Tony. He thought about the life ahead of him and smiled at the picture playing in his mind. Weekend get-togethers with family and friends, laughter all around him, kids running around and playing, and their wives or significant others bonding as sisters should. He nodded to himself as he came to a decision about his future. He’d waited long enough. It was time he started down a new path. His retirement papers would be submitted next week.

  *****

  A few days later, Noah and Janae sat on the couch watching a movie. Nicole was down for an afternoon nap after returning from a playdate over at Ethan and Vanessa’s house. Grabbing her hand in his, he looked down at the woman lying in his arms. “Marry me, Janae.”

  Lifting her head, she had a look of shock on her face. “What?”

  “Marry me. I know you may think it’s too soon, but I know the time is right.” As she sat up, looking at him in silence, his neck began to warm with heat and embarrassment.

  “Wh-Wh-What about my parents? Your parents? Wait? When do you want to get married?” She was rambling, but he didn’t care.

  “Baby, you had to know this day was coming. I want to marry you. Nicole should have my last name. You should have my ring on your finger. We can arrange it whenever you want. I want both sets of parents there, and Heath, Stephanie, and the girls have to get here as well.” He watched as tears glistened in her eyes. “And as for a ring,” he reached behind him to the console table positioned next to the couch and picked up the box he’d placed there earlier. Sliding off the couch, he knelt in front of her and opened the box. “Marry me, Janae. You’ve given me the piece of my soul I’d thought was lost to me forever. I love you. I will be your protector, your lover, and the father of any and all children you choose to grace me with for as long as I live. Marry me.”

  “Yes,” she yelled, jumping into his arms. “Yes, I’ll marry you. You amazing, wonderful man! Oh, I have to call Adele and Vanessa and Monica.”

  “You can call them in a minute. First, I want my engagement gift. I just have to unwrap it.” Just as he began to peel her t-shirt from her body, his phone rang, and his blood turned cold. He had a special ring for his command. Whenever he got a call with the special tone, he knew exactly what it was for, so it could never be missed. But today was not the day he wanted this call to come through. He needed more time. They were too new. Things were too tenuous right now. Looking down at her, he hoped his eyes didn’t betray the feelings swirling inside him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to answer, Babe. It’s my command.” Standing, he went over to the table and grabbed up the phone, knowing this would be the greatest test of their relationship. He just hoped they could survive.

  CHAPTER 24

  Janae

  One month later…

  Janae was a bundle of nerves. Nicole was feeling her stress and acting out. It had gotten so bad, the ladies had begun rotating nights when Nicole would stay at their house. Adele took the most nights since she and Stefano had a full staff to help with the kids. Janae felt horrible about depending on them so much, but she was quickly finding out this was just how this family took care of each other. Tonight, since it was a Friday, Vanessa and Ethan had taken her, promising to give her a weekend of fun while Janae relaxed.

  After the call came in that fateful day, Noah had been gone within twenty-four hours. Just enough time to call his parents, inform the rest of their group, and spend some final hours with her and Nicole. Even though she was better prepared this time, she was still a nervous wreck. She’d been tempted to beg, plead, and bargain for Noah not to leave. But she didn’t let the words exit her mouth. This was the hard part of life when you loved a military man. Sometimes they had to leave at the drop of a hat, without notice, and without warning.

  She’d gotten a crash-course in what that meant for her and Noah. Within hours of his departure, she had a steady rotation of people at her door. Adele would pick up Nicole for a playdate. Monica would come to spend time with Janae, elevating her feet and telling crazy stories about her time in the Marines. Ethan and Vanessa came over to cookout—since, according to Ethan, he was a master chef—which somehow turned into a family event when Tyler called to check on her and Ethan picked up the phone. Monica’s father, who had a running competition with Ethan about who grilled the best, showed up with two slabs of ribs. Already seasoned and tenderized for some reason. Of course, Monica’s sister, Charity, came along as well, which was interesting since she’d never seen Charity and Daniel in the same space. The heat between those two almost set the house on fire. She still laughed at the conversation she had with Monica.

  “So, um, your sister and Daniel?”

  Rolling her eyes, Monica ate another spoonful of potato salad. “Don’t make me throw up my food.”

  “Oh, Gawd, not that!” Janae teased. “You want something to drink?” At Monica’s nod, Janae grabbed another bottle of water and handed it to the pregnant woman.

  Monica glanced at her sister and Daniel trying to play coy with each other. Shaking her head, she sighed. “I’ve tried to tell her that man plays for keeps. She keeps saying how she has it under control, but I don’t think she does.”

  Janae looked over her shoulder at the two. “From what I can tell, she seems to have his nose wide open. That man is not letting up. At least she’s smiling. Is she interested in him the same way?”

  Taking a few more bites of her food, Monica looked across the room at the couple and nodded. “I think she is. My sister and I are of the same ilk. We saw how our mother’s death impacted our father, and we both swore to never love someone that much.” She turned her face to Janae and smiled. “That didn’t work out so well for me since I love Tyler’s crazy ass as if he were meant for me.”

  Janae’s heart twisted. She felt the same way about Noah. What if something happened to him while he was over there? Now that she better understood the situation, she was filled with fear and worry that this time, he wouldn’t come home. Getting her mind back on the conversation, she smirked at Monica. “You two are made for each other. He’s crazy and you’re mean. It’s a perfect match,” Janae teased before jumping out of the way.

  “Woman, get over here so I can pinch you. You can’t call me mean, Janae. Adele!” Monica called out to the other woman for help.

  Janae laughed at the disgruntled look on Monica’s face since they both knew there was no way she could lift from the couch in her current situation.

  Janae danced out of her reach, “If you can get up and catch me, I’ll let you pinch me.” Knowing the woman couldn’t move faster than a snail at this point, Janae felt safe. Until Vanessa came up and pinched her on the butt. “Ow!”

  Laughing at Janae’s pouting face, Vanessa made her way outside to Ethan. “That’s what you get. Don’t tease our oompa-loompa. We love her, even if she is mean.”

  The ding of the microwave brought her back to the present. Her leftover dinner from earlier tonight was ready. Thinking of t
he women, she couldn’t help but laugh at their antics. These people made life a little bit easier for her to deal with. Looking back, she felt ashamed of her thoughts when Noah initially wanted her to meet his friends in Virginia. The fear of being rejected was a real thing, but she knew most of it stemmed from her experiences back home.

  Virginia was now her home and she was glad she’d made the move. After two weeks of Noah being away, he’d called to check-in. During their conversation, he’d demanded she make the final move to Virginia. Told her when he came home, he wanted to know his family was waiting for him. No matter how many arguments she had, he always countered with something else. The man had an answer for everything. Of course, she had to give a cursory protest, but she wanted to be waiting for him at their home just as much he wanted her there. Stefano, magic man that he was, had her home in Jacksonville packed and moved within five days. Her house was on the market, and she’d given notice to her employer that she was relocating.

  Everything happened so fast, her head was spinning. Her parents were upset at first and wanted her to slow down, to think about what she was doing. She thought they were more concerned with not seeing Nicole each week more than anything. Funny how strict, tough parents became mushy, gushy softies when it came to their grandchildren. According to her dad, they planned to take a trip to Virginia next week ‘to see what all the fuss is about.’

  Standing, she looked at the clock and noted it was just after seven in the evening. She wanted to call Vanessa and check on Nicole, but refrained. Nicole was well cared for, and Janae never had to worry. Noah had been right when he’d described the people he claimed as his family. They took care of each other. Their kids were all taken care of by the others. The men protected and cared for their women. No matter where in the world Noah was called, Janae knew she and Nicole would be in good hands. Her finger twisted the engagement ring sitting on her ring finger. That motion made her feel closer to Noah and wetness pooled in her eyes as she prayed for his safe return. She just wanted her man home, in her arms, or playing with their daughter, or cutting up in the backyard with his brothers.

  She wanted Noah home.

  Just as she moved to grab another glass of wine, she heard a sound at the front door. No one should be entering their home. Thinking quickly, she slid across the kitchen floor to the hidden space under the cabinet. Pressing her fingerprint against the readers, she heard the small door click open and reached inside. Janae grabbed the .45 she’d been trained to use in the past few months. Keeping the gun safety on, she knew Ethan and Tyler had trained her well. She could remove the safety and fire within a millisecond. As she waited for bated breath, she heard a thump on the floor, as if something dropped. Then heavy footsteps moving in the direction of the kitchen.

  “Who the fuck—”

  “Janae, sweetheart—”

  They spoke at the same time, and Janae let a small scream escape. “Noah,” she cried, placing the weapon down and running into his arms. “You’re home! You’re home,” she repeated while kissing him on every inch of skin she could see.

  “Baby, I’m home. I missed you so fucking much.”

  She felt his embrace tighten. Her heart constricted with joy. Noah was safe, alive, and home. “I was so worried about you. I’m so glad you’re home.”

  “Where’s our baby girl?”

  “At her auntie Vanessa’s for the weekend. Wait a minute! Did they know you were coming home?” Legs wrapped around his waist, arms on his shoulders, and her hands cradling his face, she gave her man a stern look. “Did you plan this?”

  Noah began walking them up the stairs to the master bedroom. “I’m not telling. All I know is, I’m home where I belong, my woman is happy to see me, and my daughter is being spoiled by her aunt and uncle. Did you hear that?”

  Jumping, she twisted her head in different directions. “No. What is it?”

  “Exactly. Nothing but silence. It’s time for you to give me a homecoming present.” Noah leaned over and placed her on the bed in front of him. “You are so goddamned beautiful.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” she smiled, reaching up to rub her hand down his face. Noah brought his lips to hers, giving her a kiss meant to curl her toes, and he did.

  If getting naked were an Olympic sport, Janae would have won the gold. She wanted Noah inside her. Needed to feel him against her bare skin. Breaking their kiss, she ran her fingers down his chiseled jaw. “I need you.”

  Positioning himself above her, Noah rested his hips between her soft thighs as his cock nestled against her slick skin. “You have me.”

  He began kissing her neck and nibbling at her breasts, while his hand traveled down her body back to her pulsing, throbbing center. Using his fingers, he entered her slick pussy, the thickness of his digits bringing a moan to her lips. Noah smiled down at her as she spread her legs wider for him, reveling in the intensity of the feelings coursing through her body.

  His low moans reached her ears as she squirmed underneath him. Her breath released in rapid pants as he teased and tantalized her highly sensitized body. Janae knew she was going to die from the pleasure and she didn’t care one bit. Noah pressed a spot inside her channel, and she released raw scream as her body was flung into a body-quivering orgasm.

  “That’s it, sweetheart. Damn, I’ve missed you so much. I want all of you, and I don’t want you to hold anything back,” he growled in her ear, as she came down from her powerful orgasm.

  Janae couldn’t think straight. Her mind could only conjure up the idea of making love to Noah.

  Noah moved his body into position, aligning the head of his cock with her slick opening. She gave him a sultry smile before grabbing at the short strands of his hair, pulling his face down to her as she spread her legs a bit wider. His body sank down onto hers. She sighed into his mouth as she felt the mushroomed head of his cock begin to breach her body. Feeling Noah’s steel length slide into her, she looked into his eyes and saw his need, desire, and love reflected. Even though she was soaking wet, he still had to enter her slowly due to his size. Being with him like this felt like her very own Heaven on Earth.

  Pushing his thick cock in and out of her body, slowly sliding inside inch by inch, he managed to embed himself to the hilt. She couldn’t stifle the loud moan that escaped her lips. Noah’s breathing was harsh, deep, the sound battering her ears as he leaned his head down next to her. “Give me a minute. If I don’t slow down, this won’t end the way I want.”

  Janae finally found her voice. “It feels good to me no matter what,” she moaned, kissing his chiseled jaw.

  “It’s about to feel a whole lot better.” Noah began to glide in and out, the pull of his thick member rubbing against her walls. She felt so full; the length of him was almost too much to handle. It was so intense, tears leaked from her eyes. As their bodies writhed together, neither of them could speak a coherent word. The only sounds in the room were grunts and groans as they rode out the powerful emotions they created in each other. Wrapping her arms around his neck as he plunged in and out of her body, she lifted her legs and placed them around his waist as Noah continued to take her to the peak of pleasure.

  “Come for me, Janae. Give it to me,” Noah demanded.

  Unable to hold back any longer, she felt her body clench as the sensation roared through her like a freight train. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as she clenched around his thick member. As she was in the throes of her orgasm, he positioned his arms around her body and fucked her like there was no tomorrow. Just as his body stilled and she felt his cock begin to pulse inside of her, she heard his whispered words.

  “I love you so fucking much. I’m finally home.”

  Gripping him tighter, there was so much she wanted to say but the words wouldn’t come out. She tried to convey how she was feeling in the strength of her embrace and the softness of her kisses.

  After a few moments, Noah shifted to the side, bringing her body flush with his. “
Can we schedule the wedding for thirty-days from now?”

  Laughing at him, because clearly, he was overcome by how good it felt to back in her arms, she shook her head. “Not enough time. What about six months?”

  Shifting them, he placed her body on top of his. Her legs spread wide as she rested her core over his quickly rising cock. “Three months, Noah. I need time to get everything situated. We need dresses and tuxedos for the wedding party. I’ll need all the ladies to help and Monica is about to give birth soon, plus we have the Special Olympics event next weekend. I need time.”

  Noah lifted her body just enough to allow the thick steel between his legs to penetrate her body. “Unless you want to be pregnant when you walk down the aisle, you’ll move the date up. I’m home. My retirement papers have been turned in. My job with the guys at Overwatch is waiting for me. Only thing I need now is to see you walk down the aisle and become my wife.”

  He began lifting his hips, stroking her inside with the miracle appendage she loved so much. “But… But…”

  “Give me what I want, baby.” Grabbing her hips, he pulled her down against him hard before increasing his pace. “Tell me what I want to hear, Janae.”

  Her mind blanked. She looked down at Noah and nodded. “Yes, whatever you want. Whenever you want.”

  “That’s what I thought. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”

  Janae could only focus on the sensation of pleasure coursing through her limbs. Noah was home, and she couldn’t be happier.

  EPILOGUE

  “Owen Braddock! If you don’t get your little behind over here right now.” Janae ran around the backyard like a chicken with her head cut off. Her one-year-old son, who took after not only his father but every single one of his uncles, decided today was the day he wanted to become a nudist.