Cutter: A Fight or Flight Novel

by Ashley Suzanne

  “Josette,” he says flatly. “It’s Monday. Wedding Day Monday.”

  That catches my attention, and I open my eyes wide and stare at him as if he’s lost his damn mind. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “As a heart attack. Now get your sexy ass out of bed,” he excitedly says, slapping at my butt. “And get ready. I’ll meet you at the courthouse in two hours.”

  “Two hours!” I squeal. “There’s no way I can be ready to get married in two hours. I need like two months.”

  “No time for that. Be there or be square.” With that final statement, he walks out of the bedroom and I hear the front door shut a few moments later.

  Flying out of bed, first I go to Bethany’s room to find her playing with her dolls on the floor. “Morning, Bethy-girl,” I say before making a pit stop in the bathroom.

  “Hi, Mommy-girl. Daddy says today’s wedding day. And I get to be his best man even though I’m a girl.”

  “That’s precious,” I mutter, jealous because I was going to ask her to be my maid of honor. There’s no other female in this world that I’d want to stand by my side on the second most important day of my life, next to the day I became a mom.

  “And I get to be a ring bear, too. Can you help me find my bear hat from winter?” she asks, and I can’t help but laugh.

  “Ring bearer, baby girl. Not bear,” I correct, and she steps into the bathroom with a distraught face.

  “But I wanted to be a bear. Daddy said bear. I want to be the bear. Please can I be the bear, Mommy?”

  “Anything you want. Let’s find that hat,” I concede, knowing damn well I don’t have the time to further explain or argue with a nearly three-year-old who’s dead set on being a bear at my wedding. The hat is in the bin in the hall closet and I hand it to her, then direct her to pick her prettiest dress and put it on.

  Luckily for me, I washed my hair last night, so after quickly running the flat iron through it, my locks are as good as they’re gonna get. Now all I have to worry about is makeup and what to wear.

  “Oh my gosh, I have nothing to wear!” I scream, scanning my closet, noting everything I own is either black or some other dark shade. Absolutely nothing white. Not even a pair of white underwear.

  Just then, a knock on the door drags me from my misery. Rushing to see who’s on the other side, I turn the handle and pull open the door to find Rian standing in front of me holding a hanger. And on the hanger is a white, lacy strapless dress that screams my name.

  “You’re a lifesaver,” I cry, ushering her through the door and taking the dress from her hand. “I’ll be ready in just a minute. Think you can do my makeup for me?”

  “That’s what mothers of the groom are for.” I suddenly feel a pang of guilt. Even though it’s been more than a decade since I spoke to my own mother, I never realized how sad I’d be on my wedding day not having her by my side. Tears gather in the corners of my eyes. “And mothers of the bride, too. I’m everyone’s mom today.”

  “I love you, Rian. Do you think Garrett would walk me down the aisle?”

  “He already plans on it, sweetie. You have nothing to worry about other than getting into this dress and putting some makeup on your face. Everything else is taken care of.”

  “I have the best man in the world,” I say wistfully, walking to the bedroom.

  “Well, I beg to differ, but we can agree to disagree on this one. Cutter’s a special kid. Always has been. I’m so proud you guys got your shit together. My only concern…I’m barely thirty-five. How the hell am I going to be a grandma?”

  “You’re the hottest grandma I’ve ever seen. Just go with it.”

  “I knew I liked you.” She laughs and helps me put on my makeup and gets me out the door in time to meet Cutter at the courthouse before my time limit’s up.

  —

  The ceremony was short and sweet. Perfect for Cutter and me. No frills and no time for bridezilla. There’s not a single thing I’d change about our wedding day.

  The reception is even more our style. Garrett and Rian went ahead and took the liberty of hooking their house up, complete with decorations, a cake, and some catered food. They even invited some of our friends from the gym and my old school friends. It’s absolutely perfect.

  Instead of a DJ, Garrett made a special playlist that he hooked to the dock and played loudly throughout the backyard, which is decorated with clear twinkle lights. Bethany and Gregory are playing on the swing set, Garrett and Rian cozy up to each other in the corner, and Cutter and I are ready to cut it up on the dance floor.

  Cutter even chose our wedding song. Well, it was a song he dedicated to me and it’s what we’re listening to during our first dance. The beautiful voice of Jessie J singing “Flashlight” plays in the background while Cutter slowly twirls me around the patio dance floor. Garrett and Rian even join us, along with the kids, who try to mimic our movements.

  “Do you know how much I love you, Mrs. Greer?” Cutter asks.

  “I do. Do you know how much I love you, husband?”

  “I think I do. Did you love today? I know it wasn’t a dream wedding or anything, but it was the best I could do on forty-eight hours’ notice.”

  “I wouldn’t change anything. You even remembered banana cake was my favorite. How’d you get a cake done so quick?”

  “I made it myself,” he says proudly. “Rian can’t cook for shit, but she can bake like a son of a bitch. After you fell asleep last night, I sneaked over here and we made it for you. Who would have known that Rian had a few tricks up her sleeve? I guess casseroles and breakfast foods and spaghetti aren’t her only specialties.”

  “They don’t make ’em like they used to, ladies and gentlemen,” I tease, and kiss Cutter on the corner of his mouth.

  “That goes both ways, baby.” Glancing over my shoulder to check on Bethany and Greg, I see them playing in the dirt, getting their good clothes all dirty and not having a single care in the world. I love it.

  “What are we gonna do with these two when they grow up and realize they’re the opposite sex?” I joke, and Cutter’s face goes slack.

  “I’m going to lock Bethany away until she’s thirty, then I’ll think about letting her out.”

  “Don’t be silly. They’ll be best friends. I kind of wanted her to be a boy so if I ever had another kid, hopefully a girl, she’d have a big brother. But Bethany’s gonna have someone older to protect her. I think it’s perfect.”

  “Yeah, perfect,” he grunts. “Until Gregory grows up and sees how stunning our daughter is. Then I might have to kill him.”

  “You can’t kill him,” I gasp.

  “There’s not a whole lot I wouldn’t do for that little girl,” he responds in all seriousness.

  “You calm down and we can cross that bridge when we have to. If we have to.”

  Cutter dips me as the song comes to a close and when he brings me back up, he gives me the sweetest kiss. Now all I can think about is getting out of here and going back to our home. Garrett and Rian agreed to keep Bethany for the night, if in exchange we’d keep Gregory when Rian goes into labor. It was an easy deal. I need this night with my husband. No better way to spend your wedding night than a sweaty mess.

  “You about ready to get out of here?” I whisper in a husky voice, drawing Cutter out of his plotting the death of a six-year-old in another decade or so.

  “Born ready.” Picking me up bride-style, Cutter carries me toward the gate, with me waving for the both of us.

  Here’s to a night full of magic and happily-ever-afters.

  Chapter 21

  Cutter

  Lying in bed with Josette the morning after our wedding, I can’t help but watch her sleep: her lips curled in a sated smile, her hair wild from the events of the night before, and her eyelids dancing because of whatever dream she’s having. It’s the most glorious sight.

  “I can feel you watching me. If you weren’t so damn sexy, I’d think it was creepy as hell,” she jokes, eyes
still closed.

  “I can’t help it. I’m just happy we finally got here. I never thought it would happen.”

  “Me either, but I couldn’t be happier about it. I love you,” she declares, opening her eyes and leaning over to plant a sweet kiss on the corner of my jaw.

  “Never as much as I’ll love you.” I pull the blanket away just to stare at her lush, naked body. “I’ll never get enough of this.” My hand trails up her exposed thigh and over her hip and waist until I’m able to cup her breast. “You’re so fucking sexy.”

  “Well, thank you, husband.”

  Grazing my hand up the rest of her torso, I align her face with mine and drag my tongue lazily across her slightly parted lips. Josette opens for me, kissing me with everything she has. Once we’re both ready for more, she breaks from our embrace and props herself up on her elbow.

  “So what the hell are you going to do now that you’re not going back to Vegas?” she asks.

  “Figured I’d see what positions the schools have open. Maybe even the colleges. You never know.” I lean back into her only for her to push me back.

  “What would you do there?”

  “Teach. Tutor. Maybe start as a TA or something while I finish my master’s. I don’t know. Really haven’t given it much thought. I have enough for us to live off for a while if we need to, plus there’s your income. I was kinda hoping to spend a couple weeks with Bethany before I really took a serious interest in seeking employment again.”

  “Master’s? When did you go to school? I’m so confused. You left with a GED, and three years later you’re almost at a master’s? This makes no sense. It took me four, almost five years to get my bachelor’s.”

  “Well, I had a lot of time on my hands in Vegas. I couldn’t train all day, every day. So when I wasn’t in the gym, I was taking correspondence classes. When it came time to do my student teaching, I did it part-time in Vegas for a semester. It wasn’t too hard.”

  “You amaze me. You truly amaze me.” She sighs and kisses me one last time before getting out of bed. “Ridiculously handsome, agile fighter, amazing father, and great in bed. I’m pretty sure I’ve hit the mother lode,” she teases, and when I jump up to pull her back to bed, she sprints to the shower, slamming the bathroom door before I can get inside.

  “My husband the teacher,” she singsongs from the other side of the door. “I’m pretty sure I can muster up my uniform from high school if you wanna play a few rounds of bad teacher, even worse student.”

  Pulling the key from above the door frame, I unlock the door and push my way in. “Why wait? Let’s do a little practice round right now.”

  Turning on the water in the shower, I test the temperature before I push Josette inside and pull back the curtain. Letting her go under the spray first, I take my time running my hands greedily up and down her body, paying extra-special attention to a few of my favorite areas. The little minx who is my wife turns around, placing her back to my front, while she wets her face and grinds her ass into my crotch.

  “Is that the game you wanna play, Jo?”

  “Games? What games? Who’s playing games?” she teases yet again, earning herself a slight smack on her right ass cheek. “Oh, this game.” She giggles. “I’m excellent at this game.”

  Josette bends over in front of me and picks up the washcloth hanging on the edge. Lifting her leg and placing it on the edge of the tub, she adds a little soap to the rag and lathers it up. She bends yet again, and my growing dick can feel the heat coming off her core as she pushes her back into me…again. Not wasting another second, I palm my cock and circle it around her entrance.

  “And here I was thinking you forgot how to play.” Josette laughs and jerks her body back, effectively impaling herself on my cock. Her tight warmth surrounds me, and if I wasn’t so worked over from the night before, I might come on the spot.

  “I have an excellent memory, wife. I even remember this.” Slowly, I lower my hand from her hip, around to her stomach, and down through the trimmed hair. Once my fingers dive into her folds, I pinch her clit with my thumb and forefinger. Josette’s back arches and her pussy starts convulsing around my dick. “See how much I remember.”

  “God, you’re good,” she cries out as another orgasm crashes down over her. Mine is quickly approaching.

  “Think you got one more in ya? Cuz I’m gonna explode if you keep grinding on me like that, baby,” I growl, trying as hard as I can to hold back until I finish her off.

  “If you’d stop being all patient and shit and just fuck me harder, we’d both be happy,” she sarcastically teases, and without hesitation I give her exactly what she asks for. Rearing my hips back, I slam into her and she almost loses her footing on the slippery tub bottom. One final time, I go for broke and feel her shatter all around me as I do the exact same, growling her name and leaving what could be some pretty sexy bruises on her hips.

  Sated, we finish our shower, get dressed, and head out the door to pick up Bethany. All in all, this has been the most perfect honeymoon, one we won’t soon forget.

  —

  A few weeks after the wedding, I went back to Vegas to clear out my apartment and have the rest of my stuff shipped back to Lexington. Josette refused to give up her small house for something bigger, so for the time being, until I could convince her otherwise, we stayed there. Bethany continues to get red cards at daycare, which I’m not too upset about. I love that she’s who she is without apology. She might have to tone it down when real school starts, but for the time being, she’s perfect and I wouldn’t change a single hair on her head.

  Over the summer, Bethany turned three and we had a huge party, including Garrett, Rian, Gregory, and their new daughter Evelyn. Greg seems to be the spitting image of his dad—overprotective of his baby sister from the moment she was born. At only seven, he’s on anyone’s ass who tries even to hold her. Josette thinks it’s adorable, but I on the other hand don’t take too kindly to being ordered around by a miniature Garrett.

  Finally, just before Christmas, I was given permission to start looking for a bigger house since our house barely holds us three, let alone four. With a baby expected in the spring, we don’t have much time to find what we’re looking for and get moved in before Josette becomes a mom for the second time. I have to admit, I love Bethany with all the love one can have for a child, but I’m ridiculously excited for our new baby. I’ll get to have all the moments I didn’t with Bethany and won’t have to be told stories. But I’m also absolutely terrified. Not about becoming a father again, but I constantly worry I’ll never be able to love another human being as much as I love Bethany. I mean, how can I give the exact same to another child? It doesn’t seem logical. Josette tells me that I’m a moron and to wait until I hold him or her, but I’m still on the fence.

  Two weeks after the new year, I found our perfect house and decided to surprise Josette for her birthday. This can go one of two ways: either she’s going to be really excited and give me the best head in all the world…or she’s going to cut my dick clean off my body. I’m hoping for the first.

  “Keep your eyes closed,” I warn. “Are you ready to see your surprise?” My nerves are already shot, and awaiting her answer isn’t helping my situation. The look on her face I’m hoping to get when she sees what’s happening, provided she’s not pissed, is what has me holding on to sanity.

  “I’m pregnant, swollen, and exhausted. I’m pretty impatient. I’m really hoping we’re at Dairy Queen, by the way. I could totally go for a Blizzard or something,” she answers, and I curse myself. I should have prepared for a craving. I should have had some sort of ice cream waiting just in case she hates the house; then at least she’ll have a treat to get her through.

  Taking her hand, I lead her out of the car and up the short walkway to the front door. Letting go, I open her palm and place the key to our new home in her hand. “Surprise,” I whisper, and she opens her eyes. It takes a moment for her facial expression to change, but when she finall
y does, relief spreads through my body.

  “Is this a joke?” she asks, tears in her eyes.

  “Nope. It’s yours. Well, ours, but really, it’s yours.”

  “It’s exactly what I wanted,” she cries, and hurls herself into my arms.

  “How do you know?” I laugh. “You’ve not even been inside yet. You might hate it.”

  “Cutter, baby, this is exactly what I wanted. I wanted a home for us and our children. I wanted a place to build a life with you. I don’t care where it is, except Alaska, I don’t want to do anything there. But this…this beautiful home…it’s where our kids will grow up and we’ll grow old. It’s exactly what I wanted.”

  Fighting back my own tears, I take the key from her hand and open the front door. When it swings wide, she gasps as she looks in on the formal foyer and the winding staircase, still decorated for Christmas. When I saw the house for the first time, the owners had all the trimmings for a true family holiday, and I knew immediately Josette would love the poinsettia garland going up the banister. She tried something similar with our small handrail going onto the front porch, but I believe she labeled it as a “Pinterest fail.”

  “Is this really ours?” she asks, walking into the house.

  “Yep. Signed the papers yesterday.”

  “This house screams professor. You’re gonna have to hurry and finish your master’s so we can host faculty parties or something. I just want to invite everyone over right now.”

  “They’re already on the way,” I mutter, thankful that I bit the bullet and called our family. I didn’t want them to miss this, even if I was scared she’d hate it. As if on cue, Rian’s new minivan pulls into the driveway. Bethany is the first out, followed closely by Greg, then Garrett, Rian, and the baby.