by Lora Ann
By this time we were both crying openly. Ari confessed, “The people I knew as Mom and Dad loved me, too. I was only four when they were killed, yet I remember that. They didn’t survive the crash, so I was put into foster care.” She trembled from her memories.
“Honey, you don’t have to do this,” I comforted. “We know already.”
She straightened her shoulders. “I need to do this.” I nodded and gave her a moment to compose herself. “Not all the homes I stayed in were bad; however, I was aware that no one loved me. The last one was what nightmares are made of. Knowing if I didn’t run away that horrid man would rape me repeatedly, so taking chances on the streets rather than giving that monster my virginity seemed worth the gamble.”
I scooched beside my daughter on the bed and held her close. “I’m so sorry, Arianna.”
“I was willing to give it to Caleb,” she whispered the confession. “I had been trained on how to please a man, and I wanted to try with him.”
My heart ached for the sweet girl who had been taken off the streets to become a sex slave, and then came to a point in her life where sex would be used to replace love—a way to connect to another human being, even if it was only physical. While understanding where she was with that when Alex found her, I didn’t have a point of reference. I searched for the words to say. “I’m glad Keeley got you away from him.”
“Me too,” she added. “I know now he’s not who I thought he was.”
The door swung open and Aimee sashayed in. Her beauty wasn’t something one ever really got used to. Sort of like Alex, he was so breathtaking you couldn’t help but pause. “Why the tears ladies?” Aimee queried.
“We were discussing unpleasant things,” I informed her.
“You can tell her, Sofie. It’s okay,” Ari added.
“Tell me what, buttercup?” Aimee smiled.
“Caleb,” I stated. “He was who we were talking about.”
“Ah, I see. You having bad dreams about him?” Aimee asked Ari.
“Not really,” Ari replied. “He needs to go to jail.”
“That he does,” Aimee answered.
“Have you heard from Nik yet?” I inquired.
“Nope,” she responded just as our cell phones vibrated.
My text was from Alex: Shannon has been shot. At UC Davis Med Center now. Will update you ASAP. I love you.
I looked up at Aimee. “I’m going.”
“Yep,” she nodded. “So am I.”
Ari swung her legs over the edge. “I’m coming too.”
“You should stay here and rest,” I pointed out.
Her lips pursed, and that was when I realized she was a lot like me. Oh yeah, she wasn’t staying behind. And if she didn’t go with us, she’d find another way. Stubborn brat! Aimee chimed in, “I’ll go get an all clear from the doc.”
After she left, I turned to my daughter. “Alex won’t be happy about this.”
“He’ll just have to deal.”
I shook my head. “Remember you said that when he gets stern with you.”
“Oh Mom, I have Dad wrapped.” She held up her pinkie as I stood there bewildered. “What?” she asked me.
I hugged her hard. “That was the first time you’ve called me Mom,” I said with not a little awe.
She looked down at her feet. “It’s okay, right?”
“More than okay,” I answered enthusiastically.
Aimee waltzed back into the room with paperwork in hand. “It’s a go.”
*****
By the time we arrived it was late, or early, depending on how one chose to look at it. We were informed visiting hours didn’t start until nine a.m. We knew Alex and Nik would be somewhere in the hospital, so the search began. Both men were loyal as well as protective and wouldn’t have left Shannon there alone. I rounded a corner and there, stretched out in an uncomfortable waiting room chair, was Alex. Nik wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I paused, admiring Alex’s profound handsomeness. How that gorgeous man could remotely be attracted to an average woman like me was beyond comprehension. I supposed love was blind. It was the only thing that made sense, really. Yet I suffered no doubts of his love for me. I went to him, kneeling at his side. Tracing my fingers along his, I whispered, “Rise and shine, Prince Charming.”
His hand locked around mine as he sleepily mumbled, “Hey, Shannon.” I jerked back as his eyes met mine. “Sofie?”
With a tight nod, I began to stand. He leaned forward and latched on to my forearm, yanking. I ended up across his lap in a heap. He popped my butt. It hadn’t hurt, but did surprise me. The little yelp that escaped me brought his mouth to my ear as his hand lingered on my backside. “You still doubt my love for you?”
I shook my head, which brought his hand down again with a strong smack. I covered my mouth to stifle the moan of pleasure, wiggling. His fingers traced the seam of the jeans until he was against my sex. He palmed between my legs and whispered, “Are you wet for me, kjære? Because this,” he arched his hips so I could feel his impressive erection, “is all for you. Only you,” he reiterated. “You’re mine, and I’m yours. Don’t you ever forget that.”
There was a knowing giggle coming from over my shoulder while a deep, raspy male voice commented, “Would you look at that. He has it bad for her.”
Crap. Nik and Aimee had walked up on our public display. Embarrassment heated my face as Alex flipped me over into a sitting position on his lap. I buried my head against his chest. “I can’t believe you did that to me.”
“I can’t believe you actually doubted me,” he spoke against my hair.
“Nikko, how about we do a coffee run?” Aimee hedged.
“You got it, lille,” he declared as they left the area.
My head came up as I glared at Alex. “You called me another woman’s name,” I pointed out. “What the hell did you expect?!”
“I assumed you would understand that a friend of mine—who just happens to be a woman—has been injured and I’ve been here all night waiting to see her.”
Even though he had a valid point, I proceeded, “A woman you’ve had sex with. And in case it has slipped your mind, she’s still very much in love with you.”
“What the fuck, Sofie? Did you miss the part where my heart belongs to you? Always has, always will,” he vowed earnestly, capturing my lips with his. Alex’s hand was on the back of my head, pulling me closer as he ravaged me.
My groan opened me to him as he took without apology. He was showing me precisely what I meant to him. An “Ewww, gross…old people should not make out,” drew us apart. Standing there, with a look of disgust on her face, was Ari. Once more, I leaned into Alex out of mortification. His chuckle rumbled underneath my face. Ari continued, “Next time get a room, would ya?”
“I will not apologize for desiring your mother. I love this woman with all that I am,” Alex proclaimed. “So, you need to deal with it.”
Butterflies filled my stomach at his declaration. I grabbed his face, bringing it to mine, and spoke against his mouth, “You have me. I am sooooo in love with you.” I kissed him firmly before turning my attention back to our daughter. “Someday you will find your other half, and I’ll remind you how ‘gross’ it is when you show adoration.” I smiled, holding out my hand to hers.
She stepped forward and accepted it. “I was mostly joking,” she professed.
“Of course you were. You just need to know I will never be sorry for loving your dad.”
She hugged me. “I never want you to be.”
Alex chimed in, “Good. Because that goes double for me.”
Nik and Aimee returned with coffee and sweet rolls, breaking our little moment. However, something had changed. We were a family.
A nurse came over to us and let Alex know he could go in to see Shannon. He surprised me when he said, “Come with me.”
*****
Together we entered Shannon’s room. She greeted, “Hi, cowboy.” Her gaze met mine. “And hello to you too, Sofie.”
The awareness of unrequited love was etched around her eyes. I couldn’t help but feel empathy for her. “How are you feeling, Shannon?”
“Like I’ve been shot. You?”
Alex laughed, which told me she was kidding around. Thank God. “Doing well,” I answered. There was no reason to rub her face in the fact I not only got the guy, but we were bonding with our daughter as well. Boasting about such things was wrong and invited karma to rattle your cage. No thanks. I’d been through enough of that for three lifetimes.
Shannon and Alex began to talk shop as I sat there listening. Seemed she had no recollection of where Reynolds went but remembered two others being shot by him. She could recall shooting him and that another woman had been on the scene, possibly two, yet she was foggy on that. What I quickly came to grips with, Caleb had, once again, disappeared without a trace. Dear Lord, would we ever catch that madman? Or, would the senator be destined to always evade us and make our lives purgatory as we constantly worried on his whereabouts and who he was after? Sorry, but that just wasn’t an option. We needed to find him. Evil like that must be abolished. As I sat working the conundrum out in my head, they continued to form a plan.
When we met back with Nik, Aimee, and Ari, Alex was deep in thought over how to execute the next step. He was taking on too much, but I knew just how to relax him. As he sat discussing things with Nik, I casually slid my hand underneath his shirt so we were skin to skin. Aimee hadn’t missed my arts of seduction and began her own naughty temptation.
She stealthily sat on Nik’s lap with an exaggerated wriggle of her full hips against his groin. His lids lowered as he fought the desire she was evoking. Her tiny fingers went to the insides of his thighs, where they crept their way up until she hit the motherlode. Nik’s eyes squeezed shut as his hips gave an imperceptible arch. Damn, I could learn a few things from her. Watching those two in action made me want to take Alex around the corner and demand he fuck me against the wall, hard. Holy hell, we needed to leave. Now. I took Alex’s hand and ran it along my upper thigh. No more guidance was necessary as he tugged me onto his lap, where his hard-on pushed up against my ass. Oh my! Neither Nik nor Alex could maintain coherent sentences any longer.
“I do believe we all need a little break,” Aimee said in a husky tone.
I stood with Alex joining me as he pulled me tighter into his body. There was serious doubt we’d make it out of the hospital before one of us took care of matters. Although E insisted that a huge part of reaching the ultimate O was building the anticipation. I dared to test that theory. Fighting the urge to find the nearest bathroom or storage closet, I rubbed my butt against Alex as I reached behind me, coiling my hands around his neck and effectively bringing his face towards me. I turned to speak into his ear. “I’m going to take Ari to the hotel. Meet me there.”
He whispered, “I’m gonna fuck you before I make sweet love to you, Sofie.” Then he broke away from my body with a smack to my ass and sauntered away.
Aimee grinned. “Enjoy yourself.”
I couldn’t help noticing Nik wrapping his big body around his wife and pinning her against the wall. Alright, Sofie, get your horny self together here.
Lest I forgot our daughter was standing there, she added, “I’d say Uncle Nik is about to tap that before they leave this hospital.”
“Ari!” Why her words shocked me, I didn’t know. There was nothing wrong with calling it how she saw it. Truthfully, I highly doubted she was wrong. I watched as Nik and Aimee disappeared through a door and knew she’d been spot on.
“Sorry, Mom, but those two are gettin’ busy as we speak.”
“Ah hell, c’mon. Let’s get hotel rooms before they’re all taken.”
*****
Ari was just drifting off as I softly closed the door to the adjoining room. After she ate some eggs and toast room service had delivered and took a hot bath, I gave her a pain pill the doctor prescribed. If all went well, she’d be out for a few hours. Not that I wanted her in a drug induced sleep for my own selfish reasons, but she needed to rest pain free.
I took a quick shower and made sure all the right places were hair free. I had just cinched the belt on my purple robe when there was a knock on the door. After peeking through the peep hole to make sure it was Alex, I opened it. With what was hopefully a sexy demeanor, I greeted, “You came at just the right moment.”
He prowled forward, closing the door with his foot. “No I haven’t, but I plan to remedy that.” His voice was full of desire, which matched his hooded eyes.
Holy fuck! He backed me up until I hit the wall. Quick as lightning, my robe was yanked open to his voracious gaze. His hand came up to my face and with one finger he explored. Starting at my forehead, he traced over the tip of my nose before dancing around my lips, however he didn’t linger. His eyes followed everywhere he touched, moving down my throat and between my breasts. He held there and leaned forward. His lips barely brushing my jaw as he spoke, “Did you miss me, Sofie?”
My breathing was getting heavier as I replied, “Yes.”
“Would you like me to show you how much I missed you?”
“Oh God, Alex…please.”
He relocated his finger to my hardened nipple, grazing it a few times, and then gave the same attention to the other one. My breath hitched. “I have no patience to do this softly, Sofie. Tell me if I’m too rough.”
I heard the pleading in his voice, which made me love him even more for always putting my needs ahead of his. “Hell no. I want you to fuck me,” I admitted.
His wicked finger continued the journey south until it was over the crevice of my sex. He drew over it several times before he murmured, “Open for me, baby.”
I widened my stance, exposing myself to him. His mouth was still against my jaw as he entered my core with that naughty finger. Alex pushed up as far as he could go and then pulled back out, repeating the movement a few times until my head thrashed. Our lips met as he moved my wetness to my desperate clit, where he made circles and then flicked rapidly.
“Alex,” I panted against his mouth, “need you…inside…”
“Not until you come all over my hand, first,” he declared.
Alex’s thumb then entered my channel as his finger continued its wicked endeavors. I broke on a scream that he swallowed down frantically. Still trembling from the orgasm he’d given me, I watched as he undid his jeans and yanked them, along with the boxer briefs, to his ankles. “Wrap your legs around me,” he commanded.
As I complied, he entered me. It was hard, fast, and fucking fantastic. A whole new definition to wall banger went through my mind momentarily as he pumped with ferocity. Only Alex had the ability to bring me multiple orgasms, therefore when another crested, I wasn’t surprised in the least. Once Alex had come, he released his hold on my leg and panted out, “Again. I have to have you several more times before I’ll be satisfied.”
I giggled, “You’re insatiable.”
“Just for you, baby.” He pushed off the wall and grabbed my hand, tugging me towards the bed where we connected, once more, in a dance as old as time.
Chapter Thirty-One
Alex
The earth could stop rotating and it still wouldn’t be enough to stay buried in Sofie’s body. My most favorite place was where my soul touched hers. How had I gone so long without her? I lived a lie that was how. There was no turning back for me. Inhaling her tropical scent with the knowledge, I wouldn’t go another day without her next to me. In my life. In my bed. She was right where she had always belonged. I whispered in her ear, “Be my wife, Sofia.”
She nuzzled into me. “Yes.”
I locked my mouth with hers and worshipped. Her body molded into mine as we made love for the umpteenth time. And I wanted more. Always more of her. We had just climaxed together when a knock broke our moment. Once everything was covered appropriately, Sofie responded, “Come in, Ari.”
She shuffled into the room and stood at the end of the bed. “I h
ad a,” she bit her lip, “nightmare.”
“Oh sweetheart, it’s okay. Here,” Sofie patted the bed next to her, “you can lie next to me.”
Ari didn’t hesitate climbing in beside her mother, right where she should be. God, we were so fortunate to have her alive and well. I reached over and held her hand, deciding a little good news may be exactly what she needed. “We’re getting married.”
She sat up and stared at me. “Shut up!”
Sofie chortled, “It’s true.”
“Oh my God, when?”
“As soon as possible,” I declared. Sofie shot me a look and I bowed my head sheepishly. “Provided your mom is all right with that.”
Underneath the duvet her hand lightly stroked my cock. “More than okay,” she murmured.
I arched up into her hand since Ari was leaning over to grab a glass of water. She finished and so did our little escapade. Dammit.
“We get to have a wedding,” Ari stated enthusiastically.
“Well, E and Lacey have put a lot of planning into theirs. I wouldn’t want to take away from that,” Sofie professed.
Agreeing wholeheartedly I offered, “How about a justice of the peace. Just us.”
“Your brothers would skin you alive if they weren’t part of it,” Sofie pointed out.
She was correct. Nik and E would be pissed. Last time I checked though, this was about Sofie and I, not them. “They’ll get over it.”
Ari began to bounce on the bed. “How soon?” Her excitement was contagious.
“When we return home.” I gazed deeply into Sofie’s eyes. “Will that be okay?”
