by Kimi Flores
“Wait, you are talking about the question, right?” I could hear the excitement in his voice. “Can you tell me now?”
“It’s not very romantic over the phone. Have a little patience. I’m going to let you find it all on your own.” I’d bought an item while we were shopping today but initially didn’t plan on using it this soon. After talking to the girls, I realized I was ready for this. Josh had every right to know that I wanted to become his wife. There was no reason to make him wait.
“Sounds promising.”
Nibbling on my lower lip, I said, “I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“Can’t wait. Drive safely.”
“You know me.” I started up the car, anxious to get home to him.
He snickered. “Yes, I do know you, Speed Racer. That’s why I said to drive safely.”
“I will. See you in a bit. I love you, Josh.”
He breathed out, “I love you too, baby. Bye.”
Patting my stomach, I said, “Come on, little one. Let’s go home to daddy.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Searching is Half the Fun
Josh
I paced back and forth on the porch, looking at my cell phone again before slipping it back in my pocket. “Fuck, the way she drives Bri should’ve been here thirty minutes ago. Where is she?” I hadn’t felt this sense of panic and urgency in years and fought like hell to keep my thoughts far from the cause of that fear.
She’s not Kai. She will be here any minute.
My anxiety was building. I never wanted to hear that someone I loved wasn’t coming home again. Turning to face the house, I placed both hands on the wall and lowered my head. “I can’t let her see me like this. Get a grip, man. She’s okay—Let her be okay, please.” Pushing myself off the wall, I turned and grabbed the railing. My grip was tightening when headlights came into sight.
Oh thank God.
I’d never felt panicky over someone being a few minutes late. Then again, I’d never been in love with a woman who happened to be carrying my child before.
The awe-inspired look on Bri’s face when she drove up the driveway was one I would never forget. That’s the exact reaction I was going for. She parked beside my truck, staring at the twinkling lights in the trees then the icicle lights and wreaths covering our house as she made her way out of the car. Her mouth was hanging open at my handiwork.
I stepped closer and although I was still coming down from my panicky adrenaline rush, I couldn’t hide the joy on my face that only she could bring to me.
She placed her hand onto her quivering lips, a tear rolling down her cheek. “This is beautiful, Josh. I don’t know what to say. It looks like a house in one of those Christmas movies. I used to dream about what it would be like to go to sleep at night while watching the lights outside my bedroom window. You even have Christmas trees by the door. How did you know?”
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her close, holding her head to my chest that was still pounding. “It’s all for you. I never want you to forget our first Christmas together. I figured we could do the inside together, but I wanted to decorate the outside to surprise you.” Breathing out in relief, I was still trying to shake my anxiety from a few moments ago. “You feel good in my arms.” I tried to control my trembling body and shaky voice, reminding myself to focus on her happiness at seeing the lights.
Damn, I didn’t realize those old fears were still in me. I’ve never had so much to lose before.
“Nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before.” Her head pressed further into my chest. “Your heart is beating a million miles an hour.” She pulled away to see my face as she sniffed. “Were you nervous I wouldn’t like it?”
I took her hands in mine, unable to control my shaking. Closing my eyes, I dipped my head. Man, I don’t want to ruin her moment here. When I opened my eyes, I told her honestly, “No Babe. You’re late, and I kinda started freaking out. I thought something happened to you.”
But nothing had happened. She and our baby were fine.
Her hands fisted the back of my shirt as I took in the smell of her hair.
My family is safe.
⁂
Bri
I saw the worry on his face. “I’m sorry I scared you. I got stuck behind a truck and had to stop for gas. I’m only a little late. I promise to start paying more attention to the time and I’ll let you know when I’m running late.” Hugging him tight, I whispered in a defeated tone, “I warned you I was going to have a hard time adjusting to living with a boyfriend. I’m used to being on my own.” Stepping out of the embrace, I looked up at him and smiled. “But I never want to be the cause for that look on your face again.”
Placing his hands on the side of my face, he looked into my eyes. “Bri, you and the baby are my whole world now, and—” He cleared his throat and pointed to my convertible. “That tiny car would be destroyed if there was an accident, and—my imagination just went. I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair and forced a smile. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be so worried.”
I let his words sink in. It was sweet that he was so concerned, but I didn’t want him to be a nervous wreck every time I left. This whole thing was so new to both of us. “Josh, nobody’s ever worried about me before. I mean, when things go wrong of course Stefen and Caleb were troubled, but nobody’s waited for me, anxious that I might not make it.”
His eyes widened. “From this point on, expect me to worry. Even if you’re just one minute late. Hell, I'm probably going to worry every time you step out the door. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Seeming to have relaxed, he folded his arms across his chest and gave me that sexy half-smile. “I do like the idea of you checking in with me, though. Maybe we should use a reward system. I’m sure I could come up with something that would put a smile on your face every time you remembered to call me,” he said suggestively.
I loved how quickly and easily the tone of our conversation could turn into something flirty. Using the tip of my index finger, I traced the pattern on his shirt over his tattoo. “What would my consequence be if I forget?”
Scratching the scruff on his chin like he were giving it great thought, he replied, “You’ll have to put a smile on my face.”
Bouncing on my toes, I gave an exaggerated clap of the hands. “Oh, so win-win?” I bent forward, offering my hand for him to shake. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr. Tucker.”
Remembering my surprise, I almost opened my mouth to tell him my answer right then and there, but I really wanted him to have more fun searching for it himself. This would not end up being a story we could tell our grandchildren later, but it would be one of those special little things that only the two of us would know.
⁂
Josh
I followed Bri up to our bedroom. She’d promised a few things that I definitely planned on taking my time enjoying, once we got upstairs. As soon as she reached the bed, she spun around and sat on the edge. “So I told you I have an answer for you, but you have to find it.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to give me a hint?” There was no doubt in my mind what she was going to say, but I wasn’t about to waste this opportunity. I loved her naughtiness, and intended on playing right along with her.
“It’s somewhere,” she ran her index finger up and down her body, “here.”
My pulse began to spike, sending my heart into a different kind of danger zone than earlier. “I better get to work looking for it then, shouldn’t I?” Not one to waste any time, I leaned over her, kissing her lips slowly, tenderly. Gathering her hair in my hand, I lifted the dark silky strands from the back of her neck and gently sucked on one ear lobe. I dipped her head forward, making my way to the other, kissing and nibbling the back of her neck. Reaching the opposite side, I moved her head up, sucking her other ear lobe between my lips with a playful smile as she moaned her approval. “The answer isn’t back here.” Releasing her hair, I moved to face her.
Brushing my lips against hers, I let my palms roam down her arms, bringing both her hands up to my mouth. The tip of my tongue darted out, licking each of her fingers, and I watched her eyes begin to glaze over with love and lust. “It doesn’t appear to be here either.” I kissed the tiny scars on the palm of her hand, then her wrist before resting both her hands on top of her thighs.
She seemed lost in the sensation of my touch as she sighed, “I love you.”
A slow smile appeared on my lips as I lowered to my knees in front of her. My knuckles brushed up and down her calf, while my lips followed the same trail, peppering her skin with small kisses and bites. Once I removed her sandals, I looked up at her smiling face. “It’s not here,” I said with a sexy drawl. “These pants might be a problem. Mind if I remove them?”
She shook her head, encouraging me to keep going.
Motioning for her to lay back further on the bed, I ran my fingertips up her leg as I crawled on top of her, straddling her thighs. Careful to keep my weight off her, I kissed her neck. Edging my fingers toward her waist, I unbuttoned her jeans with ease and slowly slid the zipper down. With my thumbs inside the waistband, I pulled her hip hugging jeans down her legs, then backed off the bed and removed each of her legs one at a time. The jeans landed on the floor in a soft thud as I inched closer to her, pulling the hem of her shirt up just above her tiny panties. I placed my hands on the sides of her legs as my eyes zoomed in on the lacy material. “I don’t see the answer here either, but I really like these.” I kissed each of her hipbones, the top of one thigh, then the garter tattoo on the other while I stared at her face. “I think I’ll keep looking.”
She sat up with a sexy smile, her voice breathless. “I didn’t think you’d quit there.”
Chuckling, I moved in again and ran my open mouth up and down her neck. I unbuttoned her shirt, then rubbed her sides as my search continued. Ever so slowly, I sensually slid the shirt over her shoulders and down her arms as I kissed my way across her collarbone to the other side of her neck.
She tilted her head to give my lips better access, panting, “This is the best pat down ever.”
“It isn’t over yet.” I pulled her shirt away, tossing it on top of the jeans. My eye caught something near her belly, but I didn’t mind taking my time getting to it. “Am I getting warm yet?”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m getting really hot,” she breathed out.
My lips made their way down her chest, in between her breasts, as I asked, “Are Thelma and Louise still off limits, or do I get to search them too?”
In a soft whimper, she replied, “They hold no evidence tonight, but later they wouldn’t mind being questioned.”
“I guess I’ll just keep going then.” I smiled against her skin as I continued to kiss my way down her stomach. Placing my hands on the bed, I began to give her tummy kisses, knowing I was about to find what she wanted me to see.
Finally, I nestled myself between her legs, lifting my upper body onto my elbows. The way she showed her love in these unique ways made me feel like a king at times. I peeked up at her biting her bottom lip, then I read the silver charm that dangled from her belly button.
I DO
My lips broke out into a huge grin as I glanced up. Keeping my eyes on her, I kissed around her belly button until I’d made a full circle. “It’s about time.” I snorted, jumping off the bed. “Come on. I wanna show you something.”
Huffing, she sat up on her elbows. “Now?”
My eyebrow lifted as I gave her a pointed look. “Yeah, now. Don’t you trust me?” I grinned.
Looking at her pile of clothes on the floor, she asked, “Do I need to get dressed?”
“I’d rather you didn’t, but by now it’s probably cold outside and I don’t want you to get sick.” I leaned over the bed, kissing her again as I handed her shirt over.
She looked confused. “Outside?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.” Trying to contain my excitement, I took her hand, tugging until she got up. She slipped her arms through the shirt as I followed her down the stairs. Opening the door, the cold breeze hit us. “Shit, it’s colder than I thought. Hold on.” Spinning around, I ran back upstairs, grabbed her pants, and sandals, then returned to the front door. “Put these on too.”
It was such a small thing, but I could see from her expression that she was overwhelmed. That the little things I did meant a lot to her. Once she was dressed, I draped my arm over her shoulder, leading us toward the garage. The door rolled up easily when I pulled on it.
Her eyes zeroed in on the Mercedes M Class SUV parked beside my Porsche. “Whose is that?”
I picked up a key ring from the work counter. Grasping it in my hand, I dangled the keyless remote in front of her. “Our new family car.”
Opening her hand, I placed the key ring in her palm.
Her eyebrows lowered, a look of sadness covering her face. “You want me to get rid of my car?”
“No, of course not.” I frowned. “The baby’s seat won’t fit in either of the other cars. Plus, it’s one of the safest SUVs out there. Remember when you told me how Stefen helped you get your car and how grateful you were?”
She nodded and let out a breath. “Wow, you really were paying attention, even back then.” Smiling, she gave me a hip bump. “Thanks, I really do despise haggling with car salesmen.” Turning to face the SUV again, she said, “That’s one nice-looking ride.”
I eyed her hand, wanting her to see everything on the key ring as she started to walk around the car.
“Get in. Take a look,” I suggested, trying to stand still while she eyed the shiny new vehicle.
Glancing down at the remote, she pressed the button. She rotated her wrist up, finally seeing what I was waiting for her to notice. Gasping, her eyes went wide as she brought the ring up for a closer inspection. “Ohmigod. Is that what I think it is?”
I took it from her hand, swirled the key ring around, and removed my other surprise. “Yes, it is.” Smiling, I held up the platinum and pink diamond engagement ring. Lowering down to one knee, I looked up at her. “Bri, you’ve brought so much life into my world, and I still can’t believe that you chose me. I want to prove to you every day that I’m worthy of that choice, and I promise to cherish you, always. I know you already gave me an answer, but you deserve to be asked properly.”
Kissing her knuckles, I asked her once more, “Bri, will you spend the rest of your life with me, as my wife?”
Teary eyed, she encouraged me to stand up. “Yes, Josh. I want to marry you. Not because we made a baby together, but because I love you and because I can’t imagine one day going by where you aren’t by my side. You make me feel safe and whole. For the first time, I can be myself and know it’s enough.”
With a pride unknown to me before, I slid the ring on her finger and kissed her hand. Overcome with emotions, my eyes darted back and forth, looking into hers. She bounced on the balls of her feet. Her euphoria was palatable and I felt my heart spill over. Her expression said she was having just as much trouble containing her happiness as I was. I mouthed the words “Thank you” to my fiancé.
I may have a room full of awards and trophies but nothing compares to the feeling of putting my ring on her finger.
I ran my hands under her shirt, caressing the skin on her waist. “Be careful what you wish for,” I growled mischievously. She jerked her eyes from the diamond I’d just placed on her finger to see what I was talking about. She gave me a silent shrug of confusion as I went on to say, “I’m never leaving your side now.”
Visibly relaxing her body, she moved her hands under my shirt and let out a laugh that could infect a crowded room. “Damn right you’re not leaving my side after getting me all hot and bothered. Take me to bed now, cowboy, or we’re breaking in the backseat of our family car.” She nodded toward our new ride.
I gave her a growl that prompted her to take off running toward the house. I could run, but wanted to take my time prowling after her. I had o
ne more surprise, but that could wait until tomorrow. She just said yes, and tonight we were going to celebrate.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Giving Thanks
Josh
I opened my tired eyes and stretched as far as I could before touching the warm body in bed with me. I looked over to see Bri’s face covered by her beautiful dark hair. Gently, I removed enough strands from her face so I could have a better view.
So much had changed in a short amount of time. I finally understood why I was given a second chance at life. I’d found a reason to let go of the guilt I’d been carrying for so long, and I was going to make sure to make the most of life.
As Bri started to stir, her light snore turned into one big snort, causing me to belly laugh and wake her up in the process.
Pushing her upper body up with her elbows, she had fright in her eyes. "What are you laughing at?"
Holding on to my stomach, I laughed even harder. "You just made a noise, and it was freaking hilarious. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
She sat up quickly, horror and a deep blush covered her face. "What? Why is that funny? I had cheese yesterday, and it hasn’t been settling well lately."
Rolling onto my stomach, I barked out an even louder laugh, slapping my palm on the mattress.
"It’s not funny, Josh. Stop laughing!" She swatted me on the ass.
"Bri, you didn't fart. You snorted," I could barely get out. My stomach muscles started to hurt from laughing so hard.
"Oh, thank God." Relief washed over her face. "I'm so paranoid about that."
"Well, get over it. Everyone does it and now that you’re pregnant, I’ve heard it happens a lot. Hell, you’ve already heard me let loose." I managed to sit up, chuckling.
"That’s different. Girls are not supposed to. Especially in front of guys." She gave me a stern look, crossing her arms over her chest.
