“Just as well the first dress burned, babygirl,” he said. “If it was half as amazing as this one, I wouldn’t have made it through the ceremony.” His voice was deep and filled with sweet warning, “If I don’t have you all to myself… and soon…”
“Welcome to the family,” Connie burst out, interrupting to give Jason a noisy kiss on the cheek. She held April by the hand, and Reilly trailed after them. He carried his new rubber moose in his mouth, tongue lolling, as little Joey sat straddling and rode him around like a pony. “Ember… my god. You’re gorgeous.” She swept a hand around the framework of our new home. “And I don’t know how you pulled all this together.”
I leaned proudly on my husband’s arm and smiled up at him. “I had lots of help,” I laughed.
In less than a month, Jason had cleared the land and poured the foundation. The new house would eventually be more than twice the size the cabin had been, and every room more spacious. For now, it was framed out with wooden studs and draped with thick evergreen boughs, decorated for the wedding with tiny twinkling lights and white silk bows. Huge bowls of spring flowers overflowed everywhere, replacing the ones that would have been growing lush in the fields by now. Although it would be a long time before the valley was filled with tall trees again, we’d already planted them. And one day, our grandchildren would play underneath them. New, hopeful green shoots could be seen everywhere, pushing up from the dark soil. Winter was over and new life was beginning all over again.
The kitchen was the only room that was almost finished. It had walls and a door, even a temporary roof. And Jason had saved the old cookstove from the remains of the cabin and put it right in the center, where it could warm the entire room. We’d made our dinner on it last night, and our breakfast this morning, and I couldn’t have imagined anything more perfect. It was a far cry from the mansion in Aspen, but we’d both agreed; we’d rather stay out here, sleeping on our own kitchen floor than anywhere else in the world.
The fire had been the most widespread and destructive one in Colorado history for more than a century. Only two, out of nearly two dozen cabins in the valley, had survived the firestorm. And Jason had given his personal promise to every family in Cradle Creek; that he wouldn’t rest until the entire valley was rebuilt and more beautiful than ever. Randy and Carl were among the many men who were working on the Hanson place. And once our home was finished, we’d both be going to help them. When I told Jason I’d be taking my camera, he’d simply smiled. He knew I’d always loved to watch him, sweaty and working with his hands…
“My Emmy,” Mom said, taking my hands in hers, “my beautiful little girl.”
“Not little for much longer,” I smiled, kissing her cheek. “And not that Jason minds. He can’t wait until I’m as round as a melon.”
She laughed, blushing. “Daddy was just the same,” she admitted. “I wish he could have been here today…”
“Mom…” I began, “in a way, I think he is.
“He taught me to hold onto love and to never give up,” I said. “I think I finally understand what that means.” I handed her an envelope, brown and brittle at the edges. I’d clutched it underneath my bouquet as we’d said our vows. “This was in a fireproof box, under what was left of Daddy’s desk. Somehow, it survived…”
I handed it to her and she took it with a shaky hand. Her name was scrawled across the front in his handwriting. In the corner, it was dated… only a few days before he died.
“I didn’t read it,” I assured her, “I think I already know what’s inside.”
“Time to cut the cake,” Randy said, coming up, oblivious and smiling over Mom’s shoulder. “I was sent to deliver the bride back to her groom. I think he’s getting restless.”
I leaned in and kissed Mom on the cheek. “I love you.”
She nodded and held the letter to her chest, smiling. “It wasn’t always easy,” she said, “being married to your father. Losing him. But I want you to know, Emmy, I don’t regret a single day.
“Not a single day…”
“So, Jason tells me you’re planning a photo documentary…” Randy said, as we headed toward the wedding cake.
I took his hand and nodded. “I’ve got hundreds of pictures of the valley from before the fire.” I said. “I never deleted them from my camera, even when I thought I’d given up photography. But now I’ve got Jason… and his son on the way,” I put my hand on my belly and smiled, “…I guess now, I just want it all.
“I want to work alongside him, photograph the damage that a wildfire can do… and show how a community can pull together and recover after all that destruction. No matter how much we’ve lost, if people can just reach out to one another and help each other… there’s always hope. For anyone… for everyone. There can always be a second chance.”
Jason strode toward us, tall and devastating in his dark suit. His hair caught the warm sunlight and shone, golden. Keen, blue eyes took in every inch of me and I felt a sweet shiver run over my skin. He reached out for my hand and pulled me next to him. The feeling of his heated body along the length of mine made me dizzy. “She’s precious, you know,” Randy said, gruffly.
“I do,” Jason replied seriously. “No one knows better,” He looked down at me and my heart started to race. Primal desire radiated from his entire body. He took my hands in his strong ones, hands that knew hard, dangerous work, but also the most tender, loving touch.
“Are you ready?” he asked, in a voice that made me tremble to my core.
47
Epilogue Pt. II - Jason
I ran one long finger down her neck, sticky with white sugar frosting, and kissed her clean again. Thank god, I’d had the sense to bring a whole slice of cake along. I was hungry…
“We can’t do this here,” she gasped, laughing as I caught her sweet ass in my hands and cupped her. “...the guests are right outside…”
“So we’ll have to be quiet then, won’t we?” I teased. I unhooked the pearl clasp at the back of her neck and shuddered as the silk fluttered down, baring her naked breasts. She clutched, catching the fabric at her waist as I touched the cake to each of her nipples and left a white peak of frosting behind.
I caught one thick, sweet nipple and sucked it clean, raking my hands over her thighs to hike up her trailing hem. The silk was cool, soft… sensuous as hell. It rustled, and suddenly I couldn’t wait anymore… I caught her white silk panties in the crook of my thumb and slipped them down. It hadn’t been a fucking accident I’d finished the kitchen first. I knew I’d never be able to last until the guests were gone. I’d needed a place where we could slip away for a while, without being noticed…
“Let me look at you, Ember,” I whispered, kissing my way down her neck, down her fucking luscious breasts, dropping down on my knees. “Oh god, let me look at what we’ve made together…”
The tiny edges of her mouth softened, lifting… and she let go of her handful of silk. It fell in a soft, white pool at her feet and she was totally bare. Long, slim legs… one tiny muscle pulsing at the top of her thigh… Curving upwards and widening at the hips… her perfect belly, finally rounding out the way I’d always dreamed… She ran her hands over herself, over her luscious shape, and all the consciousness in my body drained downwards. I was aching, lusty, brutally hard…
She was like sweet, hot honey when I lifted one of her legs and took her pussy in my mouth. Her nub was round and hard on my tongue, slick with her own urgency. I dipped my tongue inside as I unzipped, released myself, and felt a long thick rope of hot fluid drip from my cock. Her ass was tight in my hands, her lips thick and swollen with hunger. I kissed her… all the way up her body so I could kiss her mouth. I wanted her to taste herself on me…
“...Holy…” I gasped out, turning her in my arms so I could tuck her bare ass into the hot proof of how badly I needed her. I ran my hands over her flesh, discovering curves and valleys as if I’d never touched her before. Her swollen breasts, still sticky with sugar, filled my ha
nds, spilling over. I leaned over her shoulder and cradled her belly. “I can’t wait until you’re even riper,” I whispered into her ear. “I love you… so round and so full…”
“And I love you long and hard,” she whispered back, putting her hands on the edge of the iron stove. She pushed her hips back demandingly, arching her back and spreading her legs for me. “So I guess you’d better take advantage of me…
“Every chance you get.”
A second later, I was fully inside her, my cock hard as steel and hot as hell. I churned long, thick strokes in her, felt her tighten around me. I held her hips, her belly and the hot, desperate need of her body. I ran a rough hand down her naked spine, made hollow as she bent forward to take all of me inside. Her copper hair splayed over her shoulders like a scatter of embers and my cock stiffened with a frantic urgency. I was huge and thick, harder than ever as her body moved, her muscles working my cock in throbbing waves. My balls were tight underneath me, aching for the release that only she could give. But I needed to see her eyes…
I reached for her ankle and picked it up, lifting it high so it dragged across my chest as I turned her. She was spread, but incredibly tight, her ankle resting against the hard curve of my shoulder. I reached underneath her, cupping her ass so I could lift her off the ground. She was impaled on my cock, her arms around my neck. I was fully inside her… sliding her body up and down against my chest. Her wet clit swelled on my shaft and I quickened my speed, building the heat between us… building hot, fucking friction…
“Come for me, babygirl,” I whispered into her mouth. Her breath was fast and ragged, catching in her throat as I pushed her higher. She was slick and tight, watching my face as I stiffened my thighs and thrust in even deeper. Her eyes were huge, dark, endless. And I knew I was home for good. Our future was in the depths those eyes, in the promise between us, in this valley we both loved. “My hot, beautiful pregnant wife…”
And it hit with the power of a firestorm. Her body consumed me, swallowing all I had, all I could ever offer and giving back more than I’d ever dreamed of. She breathed my name and I spilled inside her. We were hot, wet, a raging wildfire of climax… all started by the perfect match.
But for Ember and me, once was never enough.
And I was more than up to the task.
Thank You!
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Bonus Book: The Baby Pact
“Trust me,” he said.
And I did. I surrendered, letting him bind me, letting him tie me.
I submitted. And he left me with a hunger to be dominated,
...a baby growing inside me...
…and a devastating choice to make.
Angelina
I’ve worked for six long years, gritting my teeth and making it on my own. I’ve learned how to be a single mommy to my baby girl. And we don’t need anyone now. Neither of us can survive another broken heart.
So I earned my degree and landed one hell of a job. Our luck is turning around, and I can finally give Violet the life she deserves. I’ve put the past behind me…
Except that I can’t forget the night Will introduced me to the dark, seductive pleasures of how it feels to give up control.
Tall and powerful, with a confidence that seeps into my veins, he promised to take care of me… And he did. High school prom night… and sweet satin ropes... He bound me to him in ways I’d never imagined, and he was all I ever wanted.
Will created a need inside me only he can satisfy… but all I have left is his memory.
My friend Mattie wants to celebrate graduation with a decadent night at her favorite club… the whole idea scares the hell out of me. But it may be my last chance to relive the past, to feel the sweet freedom of giving up my power. So I screw up my courage… and I put on my mask…
I go to The Underground, where the only secret you can keep is your identity. Everything else gets exposed. Absolutely everything. Your body, your desires, your secrets… and your darkest sins.
Maybe, just maybe… if I give in one last time, I’ll be able to put my Will and my cravings behind me for good.
Will
Angelina was my turning point. My delicate angel. She holds her control so close to her heart… but I taught her the pleasures of surrender…
From the first time I held her, I knew she was not just mine to pleasure, mine to savor… but mine to protect.
After she ran, it took me six f**king years to find her again. But I did.
My angel, masked at a BDSM club, and wearing sweet pink satin tied around her luscious breasts. It told me everything I needed to know: that she’d never forgotten.
Now she’s ready to be dominated one last time. I’ll make her remember, because I never forgot.
But she trusts no one, and the kind of pleasure I give demands total surrender. Somehow, I have to find a way to reach her…
I will own her body…
...because she already owns my soul.
1
Angelina Hollister
Graduation Night, The Underground
One step through the doorway and it hits me right in the chest. This is wrong, on so many levels. I have no business being here. The lights are too low, the music penetrates me so deeply I can feel it throbbing like a lover between my legs. The second step forward is all on Mattie. If she didn’t have a death grip on my arm, I’d have just turned tail and run…
“This is no time to go chicken shit on me, Angie,” she whispered forcefully, dragging me past the bouncer. He’s about ten feet tall and dressed a lot like a medieval executioner. Picture black leather and metal-studded straps. I felt my knees start to buckle…
Mattie grabbed a couple of glasses off a passing tray and handed me one. I drank it without thinking, and coughed, gasping as it burned its way down. “This is your graduation present,” she reminded me unnecessarily. “You’re a grown woman with a will of her own, who hasn’t had a life for the past six years.” She dragged me into a corner where the music wasn’t so loud. “Isn’t this exactly how I told you it would be?”
“Yes, but…”
“And didn’t you agree to one single, celebratory night of unadulterated fun?” Her lip twitched in amusement.
“I did, but…”
“And what is the new word we’re practicing tonight…?”
“Yes,” I whispered, wondering where all my hard-won strength had gone, just when I needed it most. “Yes to new experiences… Yes to excitement…”
“And yes to taking a chance,” she finished for me. She grinned, her brilliant green eyes shining from behind her black sequined mask. She pushed a handful of brightly dyed red hair out of her eyes and adjusted her outfit. She had pushed even her own limits tonight. Her tiny black dress was nothing but a black veil, revealing more than it concealed. I could clearly see the heart-shaped silver charms that dangled from her nipples. And so had our taxi driver.
“So you look fabulous,” she added, adjusting what little there was of my own dress. She wore black, indicating experience in this lifestyle. She’d chosen white for me, with just a touch of pink. “Remember what I said. Flagging you as a newbie with white will probably draw more interest than you want, but it’s also the only way to throw up a caution flag.” She flashed an admiring glance toward the looming doorman who returned it with a look that made me blush clear to my toes. “Rexie here and the other attendants are great about keeping us as safe as we want to be.” She tucked a strand of my hair behind my own silver mask. It was long, baby blonde, and pale wisps were forever straying out of place. My eyes darted nervously around the room. “This is all about what you want,” she said. “Remember that.
You d
on’t have to leave the main hall with anyone unless you want to. And I’ll be right here all evening.” She shot a meaningful look back at Rex. “He gets off door duty in an hour and then he’s all mine. We’ll be right here the rest of the night. And you don’t have to be alone with anyone… unless you choose to be.”
I sucked in a deep bracing breath, nodding, and took my first real look around the hall. My heart was pounding like it was trying to escape my rib cage, and the drink I’d swallowed was burning a hole somewhere in my stomach lining. But there was no denying the seductive energy of the atmosphere. And no denying either that the taste of this lifestyle I’d had years ago had created a hunger I’d never lost. It had taken a damned long time for me to summon the courage, to open myself up again…
Not to mention that for the first time, it really seemed like my luck was starting to turn around. Against all odds, I’d graduated with a degree in interior design and even landed my very first job. Violet was making progress every day, and my friendship… no, my sisterhood… with Mattie had been my lifeline. In exchange, I’d given up anything barely approaching a personal life, but that sacrifice was finally starting to pay off. I’d fucking earned tonight. Like Mattie said… pure, unadulterated pleasure…
“I’m okay,” I said, straightening my shoulders and pushing my breasts out confidently. The thin silver straps that held my sheer dress in place strained, drawing tight lines against my soft flesh. Having Violet had only enhanced the curves I’d started out with, but at least my belly was almost as flat as it used to be. I had nothing to be ashamed of, I knew. It had just been so goddamned long since I’d even been seen, let alone touched…
Best Friend's Little Sister Page 16
