by Nella Tyler
"But it is nice to have, isn't it?"
"Most definitely," he laughed. "But it in no way can compare to what I feel when I'm with you. Money can buy me material things, but you're the one that gives me security, Molly. You're the one that soothes my soul and reminds me of who I am, and the person I want to be."
His voice was heavy with conviction, but I had to ask. "Are you serious? Do you really mean this?"
"I've never been more serious in my life, nor surer of anything."
Despite all the problems, and the knowledge that some problems still needed to be resolved, my heart leapt with excitement. He wanted me! And there was no doubt in the world that I wanted him, too. He leaned his face closer to mine, and I met him half way. The kiss was soft and gentle at first, but then grew more passionate. Our tongues tangled as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer to me. His own arms wrapped around my waist.
A myriad of feelings surged through me, relief being uppermost. Boy, if we could get through some of the troubles that we had experienced so far, the rest should be smooth sailing, shouldn't it? When he broke off the kiss, rather abruptly at that, I was startled. I felt as if I had just lost an important connection. He lifted my chin with his finger, gazing deeply into my eyes.
"Which way?" he whispered.
I knew what he was talking about. Every nerve in my body was zinging with passion, and I knew he wanted to take this into the bedroom. I gestured with my chin down the hallway. Without wasting a moment, he stood, urging me up with him, and then in one swoop, he lifted me into his arms, cradling me close to his chest. I smiled, nestling my head into the crook of his shoulder while he made his way down the hallway to my bedroom. I felt every rock hard muscle in his arms and chest, reveling in his strength.
Moments later, he set me gently on the bed. I stared up at him as he slowly pulled his t- shirt over his head. His bulging arms, defined abs, and those gorgeous pecs of his elicited feelings deep in my belly, and the low, throbbing burn in my groin flared into life. Without wasting any time, he unbuttoned his pants and yanked them down over his hips. He was now exposed to me in all his glory. His penis was already erect, leaning provocatively toward me, obvious in its desire and passion.
With a grin, Luke scrambled onto the bed and lay beside me, resting on his side, his head resting in one uplifted palm as he gazed into my eyes, the smile never leaving his face as the fingers of his other hand slowly began wiggle its way beneath my t-shirt.
It was slow, tantalizing, and super sexy, but I was impatient. Making a noise in my throat, I left him to work on my bra while I unbuttoned and unzipped my pants and shoved them off my hips, using my feet to push them down my legs and then onto the floor beside the bed. By that time he had the bra undone, I had rolled slightly to my side so that he could lift my shirt over my head. He pulled the bra straps off my shoulders and dangled it over the side of the bed before letting it drop, his gaze riveted to my breasts.
In the next instant, we both lay naked, skin-to-skin. I had never felt so glorious in my life. It was dark in the room, but my hands explored every contour of his body while his did the same for mine. My passion flared, and the hotter I got, the more he responded. His lips were everywhere, first on mine, then nuzzling my jaw, and then meandering slowly and tantalizingly down along the side of my neck. I inhaled sharply when his lips fastened around my nipple, his tongue teasing it into a hard little nub.
The noise escaping my throat told him how much I was enjoying his attention. I grabbed his head and gently pulled his lips away from one breast and guided it to the other. He was more than willing. He suckled, licked, and swirled his tongue around the nipples and areolas of my breasts, causing my back to arch upward, wanting him to take more of me. My hands left his head and stroked down along his back, cupping his buttocks. I reached between us and grasped his cock, so soft and silky on the outside, all hard muscle on the inside. I stroked its length, slowly, and then after several moments, released his shaft to cup his balls.
The groan that my attentions elicited from his throat made me feel bold and powerful, and I repeated the process. Finally, both of us breathing hard and wanting more, he shifted his position on top of me. I spread my legs and he settled comfortably in between. Then, as his lips were once again on mine and his tongue was exploring the depths of my mouth, he plunged his cock inside me. My internal muscles immediately grasped onto him, and then our hips began to rock, slowly at first, and then, both of us impatient, faster and harder. With each thrust of his hips, I lifted my own, gyrating slightly at the top, wanting to pull him deeper inside me.
I couldn't believe how good we were together. It was as if each of us sensed what the other needed and wanted. Our rhythm matched in unison, and as my hands cradled his buttocks to encourage him to go deeper, he obliged. In seconds, I felt my passion bloom and burn, yearning for completion. My pleasure was gained as much from knowing that I was bringing him pleasure as the pleasure he was giving me.
All of a sudden, I felt I had reached the crescendo, like a tide coming in, unstoppable, building, reaching new heights. He sensed it and pumped harder. Then, the ecstasy and release washed over me, filling me with glorious warmth. Lights flashed in front of my eyes, and I rode the waves of my orgasm with a loud cry. Within seconds I felt the contractions of his own shaft and knew that he also had reached orgasm.
It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before, and more than we had ever experienced together. I couldn't believe how amazing it felt or how complete I felt, wrapped so tightly in his arms. My hands left his buttocks and wrapped around his waist, and I knew without a doubt, that for this moment at least, he felt the same.
He collapsed into my arms for several moments, breathing hard, and then pushed his weight off of me, rolling onto his side and pulling me up against him, spooning. I had never felt so safe and secure, loved, and adored. While my heart returned to normal and my breathing slowed, I thought about where I was right this minute. I knew that if Luke did as he promised and quit the stock exchange and cleared up the mess he was in with my father's help that very few obstacles stood in the way of our relationship. Whatever my father did to help him, or whatever repercussions he might face, were not up to me.
I loved my father, and I knew that would never change. As long as Luke remained true to me, I knew I would find the happiness that I had been looking for. While we still had one more hurdle to overcome, I had a feeling, an intuition perhaps, that everything was going to turn out just fine.
Epilogue
I sat on my couch with the mail stacked on my lap. In between the bills, the ads, and the credit card applications and other junk mail, I noticed the return address on one of them. Raleigh School District. My heart leapt in excitement.
The past months had brought with it a number of ups and downs. Luke had stayed true to his word. With my father standing beside him, they had gone to the investigator of the SEC and laid their cards out on the table. My father had been right in guiding Luke to do the right thing. Turning state's evidence, despite the repercussions on Luke, and the slap on the wrist that my father had received, had been more than worth it.
Both Luke and my father had been fined, but their names as whistleblowers, so to speak, remained confidential and anonymous. The insider ring was broken up. Luke had gotten off easy, thanks to his deposition, or at least, I thought so. He had been fined one million dollars and banned from investing in stocks for two years. My father had been given a five hundred thousand dollar fine and banned from investing in any stock market trades for one year.
It seemed as if neither one of them really cared. Perhaps the release from climbing out from under such a dark cloud was a relief to both of them. I had talked to my father, and while we were working on rebuilding our relationship, I set some boundaries in regard to his involvement in certain aspects of my life. He had grumbled a bit, but then, hugging each other, I had told him how much I loved him, and he had done the same. I guess that was the most
important thing after all. Love. Regaining trust and some of the respect that I had lost for him would take some time, but I had no doubt that gradually, things would get back to normal.
One thing I think we all learned: honesty really was the best policy. I knew that I would always be able to rely on my dad if I got into trouble, but I had to be honest. He and Luke were also redefining their relationship, and he grudgingly accepted my relationship with Luke.
My relationship with Luke was also on the upswing. He focused on legitimate business practices and endeavors, mainly in construction. While he wasn't making obscene amounts of money, he was doing well.
A year after “the incident” as I referred to it now, Luke was slowly rebuilding his portfolio and things were looking up. Our relationship was going strong.
I had moved in with him four months ago and in addition to a temporary teaching position I had obtained for summer school, and not involving my father's influence one iota, I was also learning more about the construction business. I certainly didn't need to, but I wanted to be able to help Luke with his decisions and, as he said, he needed someone to make sure that he didn't make the same mistakes that he had made before he met me. He called me his conscience, sort of like Jiminy Cricket sitting on the shoulder providing him guidance.
We had a date tonight, our "dating" anniversary actually, and he planned on taking me to the same restaurant he had taken me to the first time we had gone out. I was thrilled that he remembered. I would need to get ready soon, but first, focused on the envelope from the school district. The new school year was fast approaching. I was hoping that my accepting the summer school teaching job had proven to the school district that I could be a good teacher. I had gotten my feet wet, felt good about it, and very much hoped that I could soon find a permanent position as a teacher. I didn’t even care what grade.
I ripped open the envelope and pulled out the folded letter. I looked out the window while I unfolded it, and then glanced down. My heart began to pound as I read the first line…
"Dear Ms. Sanders, we are pleased to offer you a position as a fourth-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary for…"
I jumped up off of the couch with a whoop of pleasure. Seconds later, I heard Luke rushing down the stairs, a look of concern on his face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, alarmed.
"Nothing is wrong!" I exclaimed. "Everything's just right" I waved letter in my hand. "I got a job! I’ve been offered a job as a permanent teacher at Jefferson Elementary!"
"Congratulations!" he hollered.
He hurried down the remainder of the stairs and swept me up into his arms, swinging me around in a circle while I squealed in delight.
"Congratulations, Molly – you're going to be the best teacher in the whole school."
"I guess my mom was right," I said. "She told me to be patient, and that good things come to those who wait."
He grinned down at me, and for a second he looked like the cat that ate the canary. "What?"
"Nothing," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Actually, I'm just about finished. Will you be ready to leave in an hour?"
"You bet," I said, still clutching the letter in my hand, never wanting to let it go. "I'm starved!"
*
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner. The cozy restaurant was busy, but our table in one corner gave me the feeling that we were somewhat secluded from everyone else. The candlelight glowing from the red, lotus-shaped container at the side of the table was nice, providing a hint of romance. I sat back, gently patting my stomach and smiling at Luke. "I can't believe I ate it all!" I laughed.
He grinned in return. "Well, you said you were hungry.” He extended his hand across the table, palm up.
I smiled and placed my hand in his.
"I love you more than anything in the world, Molly," he said. “You've shown me what life is truly about. You’ve shown me that even when faced with insurmountable problems, one should always hold true to themselves."
I gazed at him with affection, my eyes traveling over his features, memorizing them for probably the thousandth time since I had met him.
"You saved me, Molly," he said. "Literally. You saved me from myself. You showed me how to find what was truly important in life, and I want you to know that I appreciate every second that we spend together."
My heart melted, and my eyes filled with a glaze of tears. "You've made me happy, Luke, happier than I ever could have imagined. I love you, too." With that, I was surprised when he released his grip on my hand and began to scoot out of the booth. I wondered where he was going. Was he really going to take a bathroom break right in middle of our declarations of love for one another? I began to smile, but then my eyes widened with surprise as he paused in front of me and then sank down on to one knee.
My heart pounded in my chest. My eyes widened. Over his shoulder, I saw several nearby diners pause in their conversations and their dining to watch, smiles playing around their lips. I pulled my gaze away from them and back to Luke. He had retrieved a small black box from his pocket and opened it. Inside the box glimmered a gorgeous diamond engagement ring, nothing too ostentatious. He extended it toward me with a smile.
"Molly Sanders, will you marry me?"
My heart nearly stopped. I stared down at him, amazed. Luke Benning, a traditionalist? I began to laugh and cry at the same time, nodding my head in acceptance. "Yes, Luke, yes, of course I'll marry you!"
As he plucked the ring out of the box and slid it onto my finger, the diners around us erupted into clapping and good wishes. Cheers and calls of "she accepted!" traveled through the restaurant. As if on cue, one of the wait staff came out bearing a bottle of champagne wrapped in a gorgeous white bow. Behind her came another waitress, cradling two champagne glasses in her hands.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as we, and every other patron in the restaurant it seemed, celebrated our engagement. My heart brimmed with love. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Luke and I would have a wonderful life together.
He stood, pulling me up with him, and wrapped his arms around me. Our lips met, and he kissed me, so tenderly and with such love that I knew that not only would our life be wonderful, but it would also be filled with passion.
THE END
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 Nella Tyler
