by Nella Tyler
My eyes burned with tears at hearing these words. I knew I meant a great deal to Drew, but the fact that Sophia could see it, too, moved me. She was such a special child. I was incredibly lucky to be in her life. The fact that this was only possible because her mother had died was something I never planned to take for granted.
“I’m happy, too,” I replied, and wiped at my eyes with my free hand.
“Me three.” Sophia finally smiled now, drawing a teary smile from me. She scooted closer and gave me a hug. I buried my face in her hair and let my tears come, just so happy to be here with her, in this moment.
Chapter 39
Drew
Saturday
One Year Later
It felt like it took hours to get Sophia packed and ready to go for her holiday weekend sleepover at Brian’s house. She kept coming up with things that she forgot and desperately needed to pack.
“Honey, you’re only going to be there tonight and tomorrow night,” I reminded her for the tenth or eleventh time. I was leaned against her bedroom doorframe, watching her rush around her room, picking up some items while passing over others. “You don’t need to pack an entire suitcase.”
She kept going, as though I hadn’t said a damned thing. She was her mother’s daughter, after all, and what I thought about something wouldn’t stop her from doing it her way. I was in for some real trouble when this little lady became a teenager. Good thing I liked a challenge.
“Are you guys coming?” Abigail called from the first floor.
“We’re almost done!” I called back, and then said in a quieter voice. “I think.”
After another few minutes of frenzied packing, Sophia finally closed her tiny suitcase and zipped it shut. She turned to look at me, an accomplished gleam in her eyes that matched her satisfied grin. “I think I’m done.”
“Well, let’s go, slow poke. Brian was expecting us twenty minutes ago.”
She tugged her bag off of her bed, and I picked it up to keep us moving. We went downstairs where Abigail was waiting on us. She was dressed nicely for our evening out, her gleaming red hair pulled up to stay off of her shoulders and bare back. I’d made a reservation at a nice steakhouse downtown. With Sophia staying at Brian’s until Monday afternoon, Abigail and I would have the entire weekend to enjoy each other’s company. She spent a lot of time over here now that she was no longer Sophia’s teacher.
“Are you ready, kiddo?” Abigail asked her.
Sophia smiled and went to hold her hand as we walked out to my truck. “I think so.”
We loaded into the truck, Sophia climbing into the back since Abigail was with us. It didn’t take much time to get to Brian’s house since he only lived five miles away. I pulled into the driveway, put the truck in park, and left it idling. I glanced over at Abigail. She looked so beautiful tonight in her sequined, form-fitting black dress, and the sight of her kept stealing my breath away.
“I’ll be right back.”
She flashed her sexy grin, which only made it harder for me to breathe. “I’ll be waiting.” She turned to look over her shoulder. “Have fun this weekend, Soph!”
“Thanks, Abigail!” Sophia replied. She’d transitioned away from calling her Miss East after kindergarten ended.
I climbed out of the truck and pulled Sophia’s suitcase from the back. Sophia jumped down from her side, and we walked up to Brian’s front door together.
“I know this goes without saying, but I’m saying it anyway. Behave for Brian this weekend.”
“We’re gonna have so much fun,” she said, dark eyes shining as they flashed up in my direction. I knew how much she loved Brian and didn’t really worry about what they would get up to together. He was dating a woman somewhat seriously now, but he’d cleared his schedule for Sophia once I explained to him what I had planned for the weekend.
I knocked on the door and then knelt to put myself at Sophia’s eye level. “I love you, kiddo. I’ll see you on Monday afternoon.” I pulled her into a hug, loving the feeling of her squeezing me back as hard as she could with her scrawny little arms.
“Good luck tonight, Daddy.” She pulled out of the hug, smiling in that sly way she’d recently picked up. I’d talked to her about my plans for the evening, too. I knew I already had her blessing, but we were a package deal and I wanted to make sure she felt included.
Brian answered the door and Sophia jumped to hug his long legs. “Sophia! I’m so glad you’re here. I just bought some art supplies that I have no idea how to use. You’ll have to show me what to do.” He grinned at me as Sophia began to excitedly babble about all the plans she had for the weekend that now included art projects.
“Thanks, man. I’ll see you on Monday.”
Abigail and I drove downtown and parked right down the street from the restaurant. The weather was clear and warm. I put my arm around her as we walked into the restaurant, loving the softness of her bare shoulders and back beneath my fingers. As great as she looked right now, I couldn’t wait to get her out of this dress later tonight.
The hostess sat us immediately at a table at the rear of the restaurant, through a darkened maze of other patrons laughing and eating together. The atmosphere was very romantic once we were seated across from each other, a candle flickering on our table, the low light hiding the full effect of Abigail’s light eyes from me. We placed our drink orders as soon as the waitress arrived, and then we shared relieved smiles at how nice it was to be on our own for a few days.
“I can’t believe we have until Monday afternoon to enjoy each other,” she said.
“We need to do this more often,” I suggested.
After reviewing the menus, we were ready to order when the waitress returned with our drinks. Despite how busy the restaurant was, it remained quiet, almost enough that we could trick ourselves into believing we were truly alone together. This was the perfect place for what I had planned for the evening. I couldn’t have chosen a better venue if my life depended on it.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about our future,” Abigail said. Her creamy skin was radiant in the low light. I couldn’t wait to trail my fingers over it as soon as we got back to my place.
“Have you made any breakthroughs?” I asked, smiling suggestively. I hoped she could tell how much I wanted her. It took all I had to drive to the steakhouse after dropping Sophia off at Brian’s. I’d wanted to drive right back to my house and spend the evening luxuriating in the velvety soft skin on the inside of her thighs.
But that would have ruined everything. There would be time for that later. Years, in fact, if things went according to plan.
“What would you think about moving in together?” She bit her lip nervously, and when I didn’t answer right away, continued, speaking even more quickly than before. “I know it’s a big step, but I’ve been staying at your place a lot lately. It just feels right to take this next step, don’t you think?”
I smiled because I really did agree with her. When I thought about the future, it was linked to her now in a way it hadn’t been just a few months before. I wanted her by my side, always, and I knew Sophia wanted her in our lives, as well.
“I think we should’ve talked about moving in with each other months ago.”
Abigail’s face relaxed as her shaky smile grew. “My lease is up at the end of the month, which would make this the perfect time to do this, if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
The waitress returned, this time to deliver our meals — roast chicken for Abigail and steak for me. I’d eaten here several times before and knew it was outstanding. We devoured our meals slowly, talking over the plans for moving in together. Abigail hated packing; she’d lived in the same rental since graduating from college and wasn’t looking forward to putting all of her things in boxes. Luckily, she didn’t have that much bulky furniture and all of the appliances belonged to her landlord.
“It just sounds like so much work,” she said and rolled her eyes. “But I don’t want to pay a company thousands
of dollars to move my things, either.” She pouted prettily, drawing a laugh from me.
“Step one is to go through your things and see what you can get rid of,” I said. “That saves you the trouble of moving it. After that, we can move a little at a time. If we’re packing and moving a few boxes a day, the work will get done in no time.”
She was listening intently as she chewed, her eyes very dark in the dim light. I liked when she directed all of her attention my way, as though I was the most interesting person on the planet.
“That still sounds terrible,” she replied.
“It won’t be that bad, I promise.”
She took another bite of her chicken, still smiling.
“But I think you should move into my place this weekend. We could surprise Sophia.”
Abigail’s eyes widened. “Do you think she’ll be okay with that?”
I chuckled at the question. She had no idea how often Sophia asked me why she didn’t just move in with us — although I’d need to explain to her why Abigail wouldn’t be sleeping in the guestroom next door. “I know she wants you to live with us.”
Abigail seemed thrilled by this answer, and we discussed the logistics of the move until long after our plates were empty. The waitress returned to get them out of our way.
“Would either of you care for dessert?” she asked.
Before Abigail could respond, I replied, “I called ahead and asked about the special dessert.”
“I’ll bring that right out, sir,” she said and left immediately.
“Special dessert?” Abigail was eyeing me suspiciously.
“You’ll just have to wait and see. I’m full of surprises.”
She laughed at that, covering her pretty smile with her long, creamy white fingers. “You’re full of something, alright.”
The waitress returned with a bottle of champagne, two glasses, and plate of chocolate-covered strawberries, which were Abigail’s favorite dessert. I’d had to call ahead of time and bargain with the manager to be allowed to order the strawberries from a bakery in town that would then deliver them here, since they weren’t an item on the dessert menu.
Now, Abigail looked even more confused. Before she could come up with a question for what was happening, I dropped to one knee beside her chair. She sucked in a sharp breath of air and held it while I reached into my jacket pocket and produced a small ring with a diamond that sparkled beautifully even in this dim light.
“Abigail Maria East, I want to spend the rest of my life loving and cherishing you. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have by my side. It’s impossible to understand why I’ve been lucky enough in this life to get a second chance at love, but I have no intention of wasting this opportunity. Sophia loves you as much as I do. And, yes, she already knows about this.”
Abigail was blinking back tears, but smiling, too.
“Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife and Sophia’s stepmom?”
The seconds ticked by like hours. My heart was beating hard in my chest, the sound reverberating in my head. It felt like ages before she made a sound.
“Of course, I will, Drew. I can’t think of anything I want more in this world.”
I slid the ring on her finger and rose to kiss her gently on the mouth. I wiped her tears away with the balls of my thumbs and kissed her again. I took my seat and poured us some champagne to celebrate. We clinked glasses and drank to our lives together.
“No wonder you didn’t blink when I asked about moving in together.” She hadn’t been able to wipe the smile from her face since I popped the question.
“I’ve been wanting you to move in for months. It just never seemed the right time to mention it.”
We finished the bottle of bubbly and our strawberries while we discussed the direction of our shared future. After we finished, I paid the bill and we drove home in the dark. Abigail already had several ideas for the wedding, including when it should be. She wanted to get married in the fall, but this fall might be too soon. I told her I thought it might be too late, even if it was only a few months away. It felt like I’d been waiting for her my entire life. I’d be happy to marry her on Tuesday at the courthouse.
I mixed a few cocktails for us once we arrived to what was now our home and we sat down on the couch to drink.
“I’ve never been happier than I am right now,” she whispered. She took a sip of her drink while I watched. “Although, I can think of one thing that would make me happier.”
“Name it and it’s yours,” I replied. I’d nearly finished my drink, and she’d barely tasted hers. I set my glass down, not wanting to seem too eager to get that part of the night over with and move on to the next, which, with luck, would involve our sweat-slicked bodies bringing each other to climax.
“I’d like to go upstairs and explore every inch of your body with my tongue.”
I didn’t hesitate. I pulled her to me and kissed her deeply, my tongue probing into her mouth, in search of the sweet, heady taste of her. I’d wanted this all night. I was already rock hard at the thought of the soft, naked skin hidden in her elegant dress. I couldn’t get enough of this woman.
She pulled away from me, breathing heavily, the heat between us almost too much to bear. “Let’s go upstairs,” she whispered. “I want to take our time tonight.”
I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the rest of the evening.
Epilogue
Abigail
The Same Saturday
I didn’t wait for Drew to lead me upstairs. I was in charge tonight, I decided, and I would set the pace. I wanted to thoroughly enjoy him, to let my eyes, lips, and fingers drink him in. But I wanted him to enjoy me, too.
I stood from the couch and walked from the living room, swinging my hips as invitingly as I could manage. My head had been full of steamy images all night, and it had only gotten worse after the proposal. How would I ever manage to keep my lips and fingers off of this solid hunk of a man now? I supposed I had the rest of our lives to figure that out.
Drew followed me upstairs, his fingers moving down the exposed skin of my back and tracing the curve of my hips. His touch left a trail of electricity snapping over my body that made it difficult to breathe normally. That electricity moved through me as I walked down the hallway to the master bedroom, electrifying the moist, hungry place between my legs. I stepped inside of the bedroom and turned in the doorway, taking Drew into my arms. He was so tall and solid. I brought his lips down to mine, kissing him slowly at first, and then with more passion. His hands traveled over my body, lifting my dress so he could tease the bare skin beneath. He made a pleased noise at the discovery that I wasn’t wearing any panties.
I kept my arms around his neck, holding him close to me as we stoked the rising heat between us with even deeper kisses. My heartbeat was thundering in my ears with how badly I wanted him. His hands were eagerly moving over my bare buttocks and hips, fingers kneading my flesh. Waiting was unbearable for both of us, but I wanted to draw it out until we were both weak and breathless with desire. This was our first time together after our engagement, and I wanted it to be memorable.
I pulled out of Drew’s kiss, staring up at him in the dark as his hands kept working at the zipper he’d just discovered. All of a sudden, my dress came loose. I lowered my arms to allow it to slide from my body and pool on the floor at my feet. Drew was staring at me intently, his eyes moving rapidly to drink in the sight of me. The dress was backless, which meant I couldn’t wear a bra with it, either. I knew we’d have the evening on our own after dinner and I wanted to surprise him. Little did I know, he’d had an even better surprise planned for me.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, his voice low and husky with the desire that was consuming him. The sound of his voice undid me. I wanted him, now. My plans for devouring him slowly dissolved in the sudden burst of need that overcame me.
I pulled his jacket off of his shoulders, tossing it onto the ground. I unbuttoned his shirt, m
y legs weak with the desire for him. I’d never felt such a delicious, agonizing ache. I pushed his shirt off and began to work on removing his pants. I wanted him as naked as I was. He tugged off his undershirt as I pushed his pants down his long, muscly legs.
“Get naked and come here,” I instructed and backed away from him. I sat down on the bed to watch the show. It was dark in here, but there was enough light trickling in from the hallway that I could see everything as Drew slowly and teasingly lowered his skin-tight boxer briefs. I bit my lip, moaning slightly at the sight of him. I’d never seen a more perfectly built man.
He moved to the bed, and I scooted back, lying down horizontally on the duvet. He collapsed on top of me, his weight sinking me into the mattress. I didn’t get a chance to speak before we were kissing again, this time more urgently than before. My insides were aching for him, but I didn’t want to rush this.
He pushed my legs open with his knees, and rested his hips in between my thighs. I moaned as the head of his cock rubbed against the welcoming wetness of my sex, that warmth so ready for him. I wanted him — right now. But I made myself wait, kissing him even more deeply, my tongue pressing into his mouth.
Drew moved his hips and entered me, just a little. I groaned into his mouth and arched my back, trying to take more of him, but he seemed set on taking his time. We fell into kissing one another even harder, our hands exploring the curves and muscles of our bodies. I knew every inch of him, but that didn’t keep me from enjoying every bone and muscle as my tongue twisted around his.
I ran my hands over his back, finishing at his round, muscly ass and squeezing hard, trying to lurch him forward so he entered me even more. But he was balanced on one elbow and seemed content to tease me relentlessly as he punished my mouth with even more passionate kisses. His free hand traveled to my breasts, squeezing one after the other and playing with the erect nipples until they were electrified like the rest of my body and trembling with need. My entire body was screaming for him now. Did he feel the same way? I wondered.
