Blushing, I shrugged it off. “It’ll be fine, Chad. Don’t worry so much.”
“Okay, but promise me that when you get tired, you tell me. I’ll help you into bed.”
I thought about his oversized bed and asked, “Did you happen to get one lower to the ground?”
He guffawed. “No.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Don’t worry. I got it figured out.”
“And what’s that?”
“You’ll see.”
“I’m afraid.”
“Don’t be. Have I ever done…?” He didn’t continue with that train of thought. “Never mind. Just trust me.”
Reaching over, I stroked his arm. I loved the feel of his muscles flexing under my fingers. What would it be like to have him fucking me again? Would I feel it? I felt when I had the urge to go to the bathroom, but what about sex? I wanted to feel that again, to feel his desire for me filling me to capacity, and then the sated soreness that came afterward. Only he had the ability to do that to me. I had asked the doctors, who cleared me for gentle sex, but they only told me that each patient was different and I would have to find out for myself. God, I prayed I hadn’t lost the ability to orgasm, that I could still experience it all.
“I do trust you, more than anyone else,” I told him. And it was true. More than my family or any of my friends, friends who had made themselves scarce after my accident, I trusted Chad.
He pulled into his driveway and parked his SUV before he glanced my way. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be?” I laughed nervously. My bravado had disappeared and now I was actually afraid of facing my accuser.
I heard him grab my wheelchair and then he opened my door. It was time. After helping me into it, he started to push me toward the front of the house, and I gasped. Where stairs once stood with a railing that could collapse at any moment, was a ramp. It began on the walkway at the front of the house, then turned to lead up to the front door. And surrounding either side was a sturdy railing. This wasn’t a wood or do it yourself project, he had hired someone to do this. This looked like one of the concrete ones at many places of business.
Tears burned my eyes at his thoughtfulness. I didn’t know what to say, except, “Thank you.”
“This is just the beginning, Sweetheart.” He pushed me up the ramp and then opened the door. Inside waiting for me, I found my family. I knew they’d be here, but seeing them outside the hospital, it felt real, and the tears I had been trying to hold back, poured down my face.
One by one, they hugged me. First my mom, and then my dad. Bryan lifted me out of my chair and spun me around before gently settling me back on my seat. Emma sat on the couch behind Bryan, watching…waiting. I pushed myself over to her, noticing how my brother stayed close, ready to defend his wife. Now I understood because Chad would do the same for me. I also understood Emma more too. Holding out my hand, I offered it to her. She didn’t take it, and instead stared at it like it would bite her. At one time, it might have. “I’m sorry that I’ve been horrible. I let things cloud my perception of you and I shouldn’t have. All of this has made me see how badly I behaved. I can’t promise to always say the right thing, but I give you my word that I won’t intentionally hurt you again.”
Her eyes darted from my hand to my eyes and back again. Her hesitancy didn’t surprise me, but it did hurt. What she did next, though, shocked me. Swatting my hand away, she scooted forward and pulled me in for a hug. “We’ll be okay.”
I hugged her back and we both cried. She was right. We would be okay. I would be okay. Regardless if this condition was temporary or not, I’d survive.
Later that afternoon, after my family had left, I asked Chad to take me to bed. He pushed me into his bedroom, lifted me out of the seat and then laid me on the bed. “I thought you had something worked out?” I inquired, a smile tugging at my lips.
“I do. That was it. I figured I didn’t need a new bed. Instead, I could carry you to bed each night and tuck you in whenever you were ready.” He stripped out of his t-shirt and jeans before climbing on top of the bed with me.
“Tuck me in? I might like that,” I purred, wrapping my arms around his neck when he came close enough to me.
He rubbed his nose against mine. “I thought you might.”
His lips kissed me as I opened my mouth for him. I loved the feel of our tongues wrapping around each other, of feeling his retreat, expecting mine to follow. It was heavenly, and I felt a stirring low in my belly. I had felt it before, but didn’t want to give into the hope that it meant that I could find pleasure during sex. And I didn’t know how to broach the subject with him.
Pulling back, I said, “I don’t know if I can…” I found myself unable to finish.
He smirked cockily. “Let’s just test the water, shall we?”
What did that mean? I discovered his meaning rather quickly.
His body slithered down mine, lifting my dress and peeling my panties down my legs. I still couldn’t feel that part, but there was a small amount of pressure, and I got a small level of pleasure watching him “test” everything.
He gave me one more grin as he pushed my legs further apart, and then he dipped his head. I waited, and felt nothing. Had he started? I couldn’t tell and almost wept at the loss, until he said, “You know patience is a virtue. I haven’t started yet.”
Asshole. He was a world class asshole and while I loved him, sometimes I hated him.
And then he rubbed my clit, and I felt it. Damn how I felt it. His finger slid into my pussy and curled upwards as his mouth sucked on my clit, and I almost leapt off the bed. Maybe because it had been months since I masturbated or found bliss in his bed, everything seemed more intense. He had only begun playing with me and I lay on the cusp of orgasm.
“Don’t hold back, Sweetheart,” he told me, then returned his mouth to its previous position.
I listened and let go, falling over the precipice and crying out Chad’s name as my body exploded. I had never had a more intense orgasm.
Breathing heavily, I begged, “Chad, please, inside. Fuck me.”
He crawled up my body and kissed me, allowing me to taste myself on him. Once again, I didn’t mind. Not when it was him. Pulling back with his smirk firmly in place, he spoke softly, “No, I won’t fuck you, but I will love you.”
He pushed his boxer briefs down, and then fell to the side of me trying to get them off. I laughed at his acrobatics. And laughed some more when they managed to get ensnared on one of his toes.
“This isn’t funny.”
“Then you aren’t seeing it from my perspective,” I retorted unable to hold back my mirth, not that I tried too terribly hard, or at all.
Rolling his eyes dramatically, I could tell his bluster was all for show.
And then he rolled on top of me, lined up his dick with my entrance, and pushed forward. My laughter stopped when I gasped in pleasure, my eyes rolling backward as I savored the pleasure/pain of him penetrating me. He halted when he couldn’t move forward any more, and then eased out slowly.
The helmet on his dick rubbed me perfectly, creating sparks of pure electricity. I didn’t know how long I was going to last. I was wired and needed release. Wrapping my arms around his neck again, I pulled his mouth to mine. “More,” I begged, as I fused my mouth with his. Teeth scraped lips, tongues fought for control, and all of it gave me endless satisfaction.
When he had pulled almost all of the way out, he pushed in just as slowly, torturing me. I wanted to be sent hurdling toward the edge, not escorted like a granny there. And it frustrated me that my lower half could do nothing but lie there.
Chad ended the kiss and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I just…I can’t do anything. I can’t push you off of me and ride you. I can’t wrap my legs around you and force you to do more. And I can’t raise my hips to meet you. I…can’t.” With my frustration came more tears. I never cried this much in my lifetime. What was wrong with
me?
Using his hand to wipe the tears away, making more of a mess than before by smearing them over my entire face, he bent down and gave me a slow sweet kiss. And then whispered, “I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.”
Lifting his hips, he started to pull out at a faster pace, and then thrusted in again. His pace picking up speed with every thrust. This is what I wanted, what I craved.
As he bottomed out in my pussy, he would grunt and I would moan. The chorus was music to my ears. I relished it all, and could feel my stomach coiling, the spring moving lower and tighter, and then it snapped. I threw my head back and screamed…something. I couldn’t be sure what. I was barely cognizant.
A couple of thrusts later, Chad followed me, my name ripped from his lips as he found his own climax.
He fell on top of me in a boneless heap.
Lifting himself up, he pulled out and that burning pleasure, the aftershocks, made my body jolt. I loved that feeling. I loved this man.
He threw the used condom over the side of the bed into the garbage and cuddled me close, rubbing my back with one of his hands. “I think we proved that everything works fine.”
“Yes, we did.” I snickered, rubbing my nose against his nipple, breathing in his scent.
“Rayne?”
“Yeah?”
Lifting my face to look at him, he kissed me and then said, “No matter what happens, I’m here for the long haul. I love you. I’ll catch you when you need me to, I’ll carry you anywhere, and I’ll fuck your brains out if you ask. I know it’s frustrating, but together, we can conquer the world.” His smile made me feel like sunshine was raining down upon me.
“Yeah,” I whispered and stretched to kiss him before laying my head on his chest again.
Chad got me: physically, mentally, and emotionally. He understood me better than anyone. When I had been a teen, I dreamed of him, never realizing that he would be the person to pull me out of my darkest hour, to love me more than I loved myself. He saved me, and I loved him for it. And now, I loved myself too.
Epilogue
Rayne
Two years later…
W hen I thought about the last two years of my life, or even the last three, everything felt surreal. Chad gave me new eyes to see the world with, and I opened my heart to everything he showed me. He gave me a confidence in myself that I had lost along the way. Between work and family and everything else, I had lost a small part of myself, but he helped me find it again.
And when Justin asked me to come back to work, that they found out Regina really had been the person sabotaging me, I politely declined. If I returned there would still be lingering doubts and mistrust on both sides, but it was more than that. Through my accident, through Chad’s love, I had discovered something about myself. I had been a horrible person, and I was tired of being that version of me. I needed a clean break from the old in order to embrace the new me.
Chad in his gentle way, never pushed me or did anything except encourage me, and I found I liked helping him and Mark in the office. Their business was growing and they needed assistance. I answered calls, talked with customers, and did whatever they wanted me to do. And I helped them market themselves, garnering more customers than they had before, thus requiring the need to hire another designer.
On nights he had to be at the gym, he would take me and we would work on my physical strength. He pushed me more than my physical therapist ever did, and I think I made greater strides because of it. Chad would not let me feel defeated or helpless. He did that for me.
I was happy. Finally, truly happy without the cloud of fear and self-doubt hanging over my head.
“Is everyone ready?” my wedding coordinator’s voice whispered quietly.
My life had come full circle. In the same church my parents were married in, it was now my turn.
After talking it over with Chad and planning everything, we had decided to stick with plain and simple. I remembered a little old woman at Bryan’s wedding talking about how gaudy and expensive her niece’s wedding had been. For some reason, her voice became my conscience as I worked with the wedding coordinator.
Emma, Mel, and Megan, my only bridesmaids entered the church first while I had been positioned to the side with my father. “Are you ready, honey?” he asked me quietly.
I beamed under my lace veil. “More than ready, Dad,” I answered, my smile growing when I thought about meeting Chad at the end of the aisle. Who would have thought we were perfect for each other? Not me.
Bending down, he kissed my cheek. I could hear the tears in his voice as he choked out, “Your mother and I are so happy for you. You had us worried kid, but he brought you back to us.”
“He has a way with words.” I giggled softly thinking about the day in the hospital when I had pushed him to his limits.
The wedding planner came up to me and placed her hand on my shoulder, “Almost time.” She moved us over to the doors that would open for us, and we waited.
I took in a deep breath. My gown was my dream gown. The one I pictured wearing as a kid. Strapless, with a Sweetheart neckline, and a princess skirt with enough tulle to make me look like a bell with a head. It had some sparkles on the skirt, but the bodice was plain and beautiful. It was exactly what I wanted.
When the music changed, the doors swung open wide, and I found Chad staring back at me, with Evan, Bryan, and Theodore standing on the other side of him grinning like fools. I wanted to run and leap into his arms, but I couldn’t. It wouldn’t be acceptable. Instead, my father and I walked—yes, I walked—down the aisle toward the man who had captured my heart completely.
It took almost a year for me to regain the full use of my legs, and there was still some lingering pain at times, and a lot of numbness, but I could walk again. I could run and leap into his arms if I wanted to. He called it a miracle; I called it his inability to accept anything less. He was right though…again. But that wasn’t the miracle. He was.
One foot in front of the other, I marched toward him with tears already gathering in my eyes. I could see the matching wetness in his. And when I reached him, he descended the three small steps that led to the stage at the front of the church, shook my father’s hand, and then swept me up in his arms, carrying me up the stairs and setting me down in front of the reverend. I could hear the laughter coming from the small gathering, and my smile grew. I loved this man.
When we talked about our wedding, the one thing we decided to do from day one was to write our own vows. Chad cleared his throat when the reverend gave him the go ahead to talk, and then he swept me off my feet with his words. “Rayne, we had one of the roughest starts to our relationship, and most would have said we weren’t made for each other, but they would be wrong. You have given me the gift of your smiles and your love, and I will cherish them every day of my life. You are the strongest woman I know, who once I kicked your a…I mean butt, you faced adversity head-on and refused to back down. You have overcome so much, and I couldn’t be prouder of you. You intrigued me in college, pissed me off when I was an adult, and made me fall in love with you as a man. I can’t wait to see what happens in the future. I love you.”
As he was speaking, it became impossible to hold back my tears. And then it was my turn. “Ch-Chad.” I had to stop and breathe, so that I stopped hiccupping with my sobs. Releasing a shaking breath, I continued. “You fought for me even when you thought you weren’t. You showed me what real love meant, and taught me how to fight for me…for us. I know that I would not be standing here today if it wasn’t for you. You gave me strength when mine failed me, loved me when I couldn’t love myself, and cherished me even when I was at my lowest point. You’ve taught me so much and believed in me more than anyone else. And I couldn’t ask for a better partner to stand by my side for the rest of my days. I love you too. So much.”
He let a single tear fall, and wiped it away quickly, which made me giggle softly.
After we were declared man and wife, he scooped me up in his
arms and ran out of the church, yelling, “We’ll see all of you at the reception.”
That was my Chad, and I was ready for a slew of tomorrows with him beside me.
The End
Acknowledgment
Life is about change, and sometimes we need to remember that not everything is as it appears.
The past year has taken me on an incredible journey and I’ve met so many wonderful people because of it. I’ve grown as an author and as a person. It makes me excited about the future.
The Love Seekers Series wasn’t supposed to be a series at all, but Chad and Evan wormed their way into my heart and I decided that they deserved some attention too. This was Chad and Rayne’s story, and the third and final book will be about Evan and his love interest. I have something up my sleeve for him. For those that love Grace, I have a couple of things planned for her as well. Look for Claimed: Book 3 of the Love Seekers Series later this year.
In 2010, I suddenly became very sick. No one could figure out what was wrong with me. I was weak, couldn’t breathe, and struggled with functioning on a day to day basis. Eventually, I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. As with many people with an auto-immune disease, other auto-immune diseases were found. The doctors have since decided I don’t have myasthenia gravis, but they haven’t quite figured me out yet. I like to keep them on their toes.
As with Exposed, this book was a journey for me. I’ve experienced hate unlike any other from complete strangers for the pure and simple fact that I’m different. I’m young and I use a walker—one I’m currently in the process of covering with skull duct tape. Different is not bad and it’s not wrong, it’s just different. Hating someone for no other reason is what leads to dangerous consequences. There were some that believed I over embellished Rayne. I wished that were true. Sadly, I’ve had people treat me like that and they didn’t even know me, but they aren’t the only ones. Friends can be hateful without realizing it sometimes. Love and support the people around you, and embrace your differences. No two people are the same. We’re snowflakes.
Redeemed: Book Two of the Love Seekers Series Page 26
