by Andrea Allen
Aida smiled sadly and said, "He never harmed me physically. Emotionally, yes, but that was just as much my fault as his. I thought I was in love and that he should be too. I thought he was the old version of you, but he wanted someone to have fun with only as long as he was here, not a commitment. I've lost weight because of morning sickness. I'm pregnant Kenneth. There is a slight chance that it is yours, but a greater one that it is his. Not that it matters, he doesn't want anything to do with a family. He offered to have his rich father send lots of money to support us if the baby's his, but I don't want it. So the baby's mine and I will love it and raise it the best that I can."
Kenneth pulled Aida into his arms and held her close as he declared his unfailing love for her. He promised that she never needed to be alone. He was more than willing to work things out with her if she wanted to try. He also said, "The paternity of the baby doesn't matter. As far as I'm concerned, it's the baby we've always wanted. I want to love and care for you and the baby for the rest of my life. Is there any way we can work that out?"
Aida had always known that Kenneth was a good man, but today he had passed all her expectations. She wanted to be as good a wife to him as possible so she insisted, "We can make a go at being a family if we can go to counseling and take things slow. I want this family to be a happy, healthy and strong one. No more ridiculous mistakes or regrets. I am deeply sorry for all the terrible choices I made."
Kenneth declared that he had made lots of mistakes and bad choices as well. He had turned his back on the simple pleasures in life and let go of true friends in the meaningless pursuit of money. He explained that he had already decided to change his life before she came to the door. In fact he had thought she was the realtor that was coming to look over the house and put it up for sale. He wanted to live in a more normal neighborhood, where you got to know your neighbors, held barbeques on the weekend, and your kids rode bikes down the streets. He wasn't looking for youth or the past, just a more balanced and happy life and he preferred to build that life with Aida and their baby. It sounded like bliss to Aida. She asked Kenneth to come with her to the first doctor's appointment so they could be a true family from the beginning. He was happy to agree.
Chapter 10
Aida looked into the mirror and smiled at her reflection. The woman in the mirror looked happy and content. Her long lavender dress flowed over her body accentuating her larger breasts. She owed her current cleavage to the fact that she was currently breast feeding twins. Her thoughts seemed to have conjured up the real thing. Katy was entering the room with the boys now, announcing, "It's time to feed my favorite nephews so that they don't cry during the ceremony. Kent has been loudly screeching for about five minutes, but Kevin's siren hasn't gone off yet."
Aida laughingly reached for her twin sons as she replied, "Thank you so much Sis for handling them so well. You are the best nanny ever. Come, my sweet boys and let Mommy take care of you so that she and Daddy can get married all over again." Aida couldn't believe how her life had changed in the last year. She had risen from despair into ecstasy in a short time.
After Kenneth and she had decided to make a go of their marriage, they sold the mansion and moved into a large, rambling house in a family friendly neighborhood. Aida had enjoyed decorating the house in a less stuffy fashion than the designer decorated mansion. The boys’ nursery, with its sailor decor was her favorite. No cowboys for these babies. Counseling had worked well for her and Kenneth, though admitting to the counselor all the things she had done was difficult. But it was all worth it. Kenneth had started working fewer hours, spending time having fun with his pregnant wife and planting a garden under the nursery window so that the babies could wake up to beautiful flowers. The look on both their faces when the sonogram showed two babies instead of one had sent the doctor into a fit of laughter. "Making up for lost time aren't you," he commented. The pregnancy had gone well, with Kenneth falling more in love with the unborn babies as Aida grew larger and the little ones more active. When they learned that both babies were boys, Kenneth asked to name them after his father and his grandfather. Aida thought that was a fine idea. Once they were born, Aida realized she needed some help and they asked her younger sister to be a nanny for the boys, which was working out really well.
Today was a celebration of Aida's and Kenneth's love for each other and the family they had always dreamed of. They were to have a vow renewal ceremony in the beautiful garden that Kenneth had planted and then change into more practical clothes for a barbeque and dance with their new friends and neighbors. Their second honeymoon would include the babies, but Katy would come along too so that Mom and Dad could have some alone time. As Kenneth said, "The boys need a little sister, maybe even two."
Aida handed the boys back to Aunt Katy, straightened her dress and checked her reflection once again. Then she waived out the window to her beloved Kenneth, letting him know she was ready for the ceremony and the next chapter of their lives to begin.
Aida's vows to Kenneth included her promise of an unwavering love and commitment to their marriage. She vowed to never again take his hard work and understanding for granted. Kenneth vowed to be a more playful and less work consumed husband. Their children would have the time and attention they deserved from both parents. After the final kiss, Aida leaned in and whispered, "I will never make fools of us again. I know that I have the best man alive. I love you more than ever."
The after party was amazing, yet crazy. Kent managed to spit up on Grandpa's shirt, while Kyle's diaper leaked on Grandma's dress. Kenneth burned some of the burgers due to spending too much time kissing the bride. He made up for it by playing his guitar and singing a song he had written just for Aida. Later they danced with each one holding a baby in their arms. Katy finally took the boys up to bed so that Aida and Kenneth could continue to celebrate with their friends.
When everyone had gone home, Kenneth took Aida into his arms and danced her across the yard whispering, "What a difference a year makes. Last year I thought I would lose you, but today I have you and two perfect little boys who I adore. My life feels complete." He stopped by the table and picked up a bottle of champagne saying, "Let's toast to new beginnings and the wonderful life we are headed for." They drank straight from the bottle, clasped hands and headed for their bedroom at a run.
Someone had lit candles, put on soft music and had more champagne on ice waiting in their room. They both said a silent thank you to whoever the fairy was. As they danced their way to the bed, they slowly peeled away each other’s clothing. Tonight as they made love new promises of forever were given and received. Never again would they feel the need for someone or something else to make them happy. They had each other, the boys, and their future children. Nothing else was necessary.
THE END
Bonus 10 of 30
Wild and Free
Description
Julie never imagined that life in New York City would be so difficult. She had such big dreams when she arrived from out West. She would have it all: success, a loving husband, beautiful children. She would be looked up to by her peers. But things haven’t quite turned out like that. Yet despite the setbacks, after five years of living in the city, she is finally on the cusp of a major career breakthrough. And her relationship also seems like it is moving closer and closer to marriage.
Little does she know that a storm is brewing. Within twenty-four hours, her entire life will be upended and she will be left in a state of despair.
But that's when a certain sexy, tall, blonde, green-eyed professional quarterback gallops into her life. The way he looks at her, the way he smiles, the way he licks his lips, it all drives her wild with desire.
Is this the man she's been waiting for? Is he the one that will sweep her off her feet and away from her safe, dull life and introduce her to pleasure, danger, and adventure?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Chapter 1
Trent stretched his arms high into the air and grimaced. The season had ende
d a couple weeks ago. He was slowly recovering from all the hits he’d taken throughout the year. But every muscle in his body still felt sore. No matter how banged up he got, he never complained, never asked to be rested. That’s not what quarterbacks did.
“I’m glad you finally got your head out of your ass,” Glenn said. “There’s only so long that you can play the field.”
“Is that right?” Trent said skeptically.
As the wedding drew closer, he could feel his entire body filling with doubts. Was he really making the right decision? Was he doing this for the right reasons? Those were the questions that had swirled around his head for the last several days, weeks, months.
So many people had pushed him into it, at least that's how he felt at the time. Everyone in his life had said that getting married would be the best thing for his career and for his life outside of football. It was time to settle down. That's what they’d said. Time to finally grow up, leave his bad boy, playboy ways behind. He was sick of hearing it.
“Listen, I'm not going to lie to you,” Glen said.
Trent frowned and groaned. He hated when people said things like that. In his experience, “I'm not going to lie to you,” was always followed by a lie.
“Don't give me that look,” Glenn said. “It’s not like you’re going to jail or anything. You're getting married to a beautiful…” Glenn's voice trailed off and he turned his eyes away.
A wry smile formed on Trent's lips. Yeah, he's not sure what she is either, he thought. Every week it seemed like she was launching herself into some new creative career: modeling, acting, photography, dance. She’d dabbled in all of them, flitting her wings from one project to the next, leaving all of them half finished, quickly losing her enthusiasm once she realized how hard she would have to work. That's how it had always been with her. Hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and commitment just weren't in her blood.
She’d been spoiled, too damn spoiled, all her life. Parents, boyfriends, sugar daddies, everyone seemed to beg and bow before her. It was hard to blame them. There was something about the way she carried herself, head held high, long blonde hair flowing down her back, emerald green eyes, confident, imperious, alluring. She was a stunner. No question about that. The kind of woman that oozed sexual energy, especially those eyes and those full, pulpy lips. For all of her flaws, and they were certainly legion, Trent had to admit that he still found her incredibly sexy. Whenever he thought about calling off the marriage and moving on with his life, the image of her large pink nippled tits spilling out of her lingerie, as she sauntered around the house in the a.m., surged into his mind.
Could she even be trusted to cook, clean and maintain the fort while he was at practice, working his ass off, grinding to the bone, either on the field or in the film room? Nope. It didn't take long for Trent to figure out that there was no way that he'd ever be able to trust her to do those basic traditional wifely duties.
His mother and grandmother had both been strong-willed women who weren't afraid to speak their minds. Neither one would hesitate to put a man in his proper place if he dared step out of line. But despite their strong wills, they never raised any objection to fulfilling a woman’s more traditional role when that was called for.
“She's out of town,” Trent said. “Another acting role.”
There was a tinge, or maybe even a little bit more than a tinge, of bitterness and sarcasm in Trent's voice.
It wasn't that he wanted to control her, make her submit to his will, stay in the house all day baking cookies. Nope, he wasn't that sort of guy –jealous, weak, and insecure, constantly worrying about where his woman was and what she was doing. He didn't have any problem giving her the space she needed to be herself. He just wished that there was a bit more balance in her.
He wished that she was one of those women who took pride in how well they performed duties around the house, as well as their career ambitions and accomplishments. He’d hope that the prospect of marriage and starting a family would help Pamela slow down her fast Lane lifestyle, just a little bit. If she did, then it would make it easier for him to finally break away from his own wild, over the top ways. Everything he did made the news, the blogs, the podcasts, trended on twitter, and became a hot topic on everyone's burning tongue. He’d always loved the attention, the fame, the adoration, and of course the girls. Girls, girls, girls. They were always around, always offering, tempting, promising so much with their lust filled eyes.
“I saw the last movie she was in,” Glen said, looking up and away from Trent's piercing eyes as if he were searching for an answer on the ceiling. “What was it called…you know the one I'm talking about.”
Trent couldn't remember the name of the film either. There was nothing memorable about it, absolutely nothing, except for how amateurish the whole thing seemed. He couldn't remember the name, nobody could, but he had no problem remembering how enthusiastic Pamela had been when she came home with the reel. She wasn't onscreen along, barely had two lines of dialogue, but the director had made sure that she would be half-naked for the duration of the cameo.
Trent was past the point where he would bother to get angry or annoyed about that kind of stuff. He’d always known that she had a touch of sluttiness in her. He knew that from the moment he laid eyes on her. He could see it in the way she moved her hips, could hear it in her sultry southern voice. He couldn't help himself. He'd always been attracted to those types of women. The wrong types. That's what his mother had always told him. He loved his mother but never spent much time listening to her dating advice.
He'd always been attracted to women who vibrated with a wild, unbridled feminine energy, the type of woman who would scream, kick, hurl objects and insults, and then fuck your brains out. It was common knowledge: crazy women had the best pussy. And that's why they could get away with unpredictable, erratic behavior. They were the kind of women that men would try to break away from, only to be dragged back between their magical thighs by the undeniable power of the pussy. They were the worst and the best. They were the bane of his existence. They were also the only type of women that seem capable of holding his attention.
“I don’t remember what it was called either,” Trent said. “But don't worry about it. By this time, she's probably forgotten the name too.”
“Trent, you’re becoming a little too cynical,” Glen said. “That’s not good for your image I'm afraid. The fans want you to smile and succeed. No sweat on the brow. Cool as ice. That's what they want. The fans and the sponsors.”
That word sponsors always got a rise out of Trent. He didn't need the fucking money. Not one dime of it. He hated all that image stuff. He was sick of having to worry about his image. He just wanted to be free.
He could feel the desire for a road trip welling up inside. Maybe he needed to get out on the open road. He was sick of having to walk around on eggshells, like the next wild stunt he pulled would bring his whole career crashing down, even though that was certainly a possibility. He couldn’t continue getting into trouble and relying on other people to drag him to safety. He'd already done that one time too many.
“You guys are going to be a power couple,” Glen said. “I'm sure of that.”
Trent was relieved when the meeting with his agent was finally over. Everyone in his life seemed to be saying the same thing. There was only so much that he was going to be able to tolerate.
He spent the rest of the day at the practice facility, attending team meetings and watching a ton of film for the next game.
He hadn’t heard from Pamela all day. He’d sent her several texts and hadn’t yet received a response. Not a word. It shouldn't have bothered him, at least that's what he tried to tell himself. But it wasn't true. All throughout the film session, he’d been checking his phone, expecting to hear from her at any moment. He was her freaking fiancé. Maybe he was getting a bit of his own medicine. Over the years, he hadn’t been the nicest in his dealings with women, ignoring them, getting on with his hectic, hedonisti
c life, pretending as if they didn't exist, until of course he needed something, wanted something from them again. When Trent got home that night, his two pit bulls greeted him enthusiastically, barking, wagging their tails frantically, and jumping up on him.
He smiled and petted them. He didn't know what he would do if those dogs weren’t in his life. Their love, their enthusiasm, their dedication, their commitment was unconditional. They would never betray him. That was foreign to their nature. They were the exact opposite of the women that he constantly found himself entangled with.
Trent pumped his fists in the air. He still had his strength, his mojo, his fighting, warrior spirit.
Actually, he'd already started doing that, investing in real estate in the Southwest. This was another source of tension between him and Pamela. He would have preferred that she limit her modeling and acting and focus on growing his business. But she didn't have the discipline to sit down and work all day.
After struggling in his first few years in the league, most people had given up on the notion that he would ever be successful. So many people had ridden his coattails for so long, kept their hands out and their mouths open, always willing to receive something.
Trent didn't know where his career was going. He had no idea. Just a couple of years ago everything had seemed so clear to him. He was going to be a top draft pick. Number one overall. He was going to be the star of that night at Radio Music Hall in the heart of Manhattan. His 6 foot five, muscular frame, and perfectly tailored suit, caught all the eyes.
There was an energy, a charisma that just seemed to emanate from him. He was the type of guy that made women swoon and made men red in the face with jealousy and envy.
That's who he was. The big man on campus. He'd always been that. It was his daddy, Big Daddy Daniels, oil tycoon, billionaire, mogul, who had given him that confidence and swagger. And unfortunately, for Johnny, his daddy had also passed on a few vices as well. Drinking and women. And on some occasions he would mix and mingle with some harder stuff.
