by Lauren Marie
Jay looked so handsome; she was going to do that swoon thing again. He wore black jeans that fit very snug on him and a charcoal grey shirt. Over the shirt he had on a black jacket. He watched her take every step.
When she got close, he held out his hand and she walked into his arms. Kate moved her hand up his arm to his neck and his other hand slipped around her waist with his palm on her butt cheek. They started to move side to side and Jay pulled her to him tighter.
Their eyes locked and Kate could feel his hard penis rub against her stomach. She felt a little proud that she may have caused this excitement in him.
Jay leaned over slightly and she could feel his warm breath on her ear. “Just so we’re clear, my love, you are mine,” he whispered and licked her ear lobe. “I know I wrote it on the note, but I want to make sure you understand how serious I am. No one but me will ever get to touch you. I’m the one you’ll wake up with and live life with every day, week and year. I hope this is something you can put up with.”
Kate closed her eyes and rubbed her breasts against his chest. She looked up at him and smiled. “I’m all yours, babe, from now until forever.” She didn’t think it possible, but he somehow managed to pull her closer.
“How long are you supposed to work for my mom tonight? Does she have you signed on for the duration?” he asked.
“No, she said she’d get your dad to help her. I’m free anytime.”
He leaned to her ear again. “Babe, I think we should plan on finishing this dance, say goodnight to my folks and then split. If I don’t feel your skin soon, tease your nipples with my tongue and take you completely, I may go mad and tear something apart.”
Kate’s breath caught in her chest and she could only nod.
“Oh and something else.” He looked down at her and put his lips on hers, slightly touching her tongue with his. “You don’t have to say anything tonight, but would you consider moving in with me and become my wife?”
She pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. Her lips moved, but she couldn’t make the words come out.
“It’s okay, babe. You don’t have to answer me tonight.” He put his hand on her neck and started to move in for another kiss.
“Jay, yes.”
“Yes?”
“I said it, yes. Now, shut up and kiss me.” Kate stood on her toes and mashed her mouth to his. She almost brought her legs up around his waist, but then remembered where they were and thought she’d have to wait.
She came down to her heels, and put her hand on his cheek. “I love you, Jay. You’re the only man for me.”
He picked her up in a hug and spun her around in a circle. “You’re the only partner I’ll ever want, Kate, in bed, on the ice, anywhere. I love you, too. And, damn, I’m so happy you’re mine.”
When he stopped and she opened her eyes, she saw his mom and dad stood on the edge of the dance floor with Lark and Charlie Stone.
She looked up at Jay. “I think our secret might be out.” She pointed toward his parents and saw him look.
“Oh, they already know. I must have made one hundred phone calls this morning to get this all arranged. I told Mom and, of course, she told Dad. I think she might have told Lark, because Charlie was on board in a heartbeat.”
Kate nodded. “Family and close friends, lesson number one. I’m going to have to get used to that.”
“It’s really a nice thing, you know. Having people you can count on when the going gets tough,” he said and leaned in to kiss her again. “Babe, I don’t want to be separated from you anymore. You’ve become a very necessary part of my sanity.”
“I agree with you all the way. I hope you won’t mind having a kitten in the house.”
“Ozzie? No problem, he’s cute.” He crinkled his nose. “I suppose when you’re pregnant, I’ll have to do the pooper scooping?”
“Jay, we haven’t talked about kids. How many do you think you want?”
Jay laughed and led them off the dance floor. They told the important people around them the news and Jay’s mom started to cry and hugged Kate.
Kate couldn’t believe how her life changed in less than twenty-four hours. Yesterday, she continued to exist in her alone world and today she’d been given a whole family and friends who celebrated their engagement. She couldn’t believe how blessed she’d been to get off a bus in Canon City.
****
They arrived at Jay’s house about an hour after they left the festival. On the way, they stopped at Kate’s apartment. She needed a change of clothes and started to unzip her dress, but Jay asked her to wait. He wanted to dance with her some more with her in the dress that wasn’t a uniform.
She ran into the apartment, left some food for Ozzie and grabbed a pair of pants, sweatshirt and her sneakers. She got into the Jeep with her arms around her clothes.
On the way to Jay’s, he asked her to tell the landlady that she would be moving out that week. He wanted her in his home, by Monday and Kate agreed.
He got them to the house and when Kate walked into the kitchen she frowned. “I thought you said you tore the kitchen to pieces.”
Jay took the clothes from her and set them on the table. He then helped her with her jacket and hung it up in the hall closet. He walked up behind her and touched her arm.
“Well, I did. I’ve been working hard the last couple of weeks to get it back together. My dad helped out. I still need to get the sink back in, but it’s almost finished.” He watched her walk to the counter and she ran her hands over the new surface. “I decided to resurface the top. Do you like it?”
“Is this granite?”
Jay walked up behind her and put his hands on her waist. “No, it’s fake granite, but it looks just like it.” He leaned over and ran his tongue up her neck to her ear lobe.
“It’s beautiful, Jay,” she whispered.
“You’re beautiful.” He moved a hand up and started to move the zipper on her dress down.
“I thought you wanted to dance more.” She looked at him over her shoulder.
Jay had the zipper all the way down and reached around her to undo the belt. He felt his lips curl. “I didn’t mean that kind of dancing, babe. I’ve wanted to take this off you for most of the night.” He put his warm hand on her shoulder blade inside the dress and gently moved his fingers around her back. He heard her sigh and moved his hand down her back and inside her panties. He pinched her cheek and held on tight.
He felt Kate lean back and his other hand reached around her. Jay flattened his palm on her stomach and started up to her breasts. When he felt the push up bra, his eyes opened wide. “What the holy hell? That isn’t your cute lacy bra.” He laughed and turned her around. He felt the bra and grinned like a school boy.
“This is the bra that your mom and Lark said would accentuate my cleavage, which I believe you noticed earlier.”
“Yeah, but this thing feels like a Sherman tank. I can’t even feel your nips through it.”
She looked up at him again. “I guess you’ll have to take it off then and, believe me, I’ll appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. It’s hard to breathe.”
Jay felt his heart pick up speed and his penis got harder than he thought possible. “Great God,” he whispered and bent over to lift her up. “I love you, woman.”
He carried her up the stairs and sat her at the foot of his bed. He put his fingers in the arm holes of her dress and started to pull it off her shoulders. She stood back up and it pooled around her feet.
Jay put his hand on her cheek and kissed her. “Babe, how on earth are you breathing? That looks like a torture device.” He looked at her from the bra, to her lace panties, and down to the thigh high stockings.
“You know, I said the same thing to your mom and Lark. They said I’d get used to it.” She looked at either side of the bra, put
her hands on the sides and pushed. “I suppose it could be tighter.”
Jay stopped breathing. He couldn’t take his eyes off her chest. He put his index finger down the crease and pulled her closer to him. When he finally looked at her beautiful blue-purple eyes, he saw a strange look on her face. “Babe, what’s wrong?” He realized he was still in his jacket and started to disrobe while he watched her.
“It’s really strange, Jay. It started last night in the parking lot of the diner.” She looked up at him. “I’ve never felt this before and it’s a little scary.”
“What does it feel like?” He got down to his Jockey shorts and sat down with her on the bed.
“I’m not sure if it’s my head or heart, but everything is calm and seems really clear.” She looked at him and laced her fingers with his. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Maybe it’s one of the cosmic things, you know? Your waves are in the house of Mars and since we’re together my waves are crossing over yours from Saturn just perfectly and we’re aligned or something.”
She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure what you just said, but sure, okay. I believe anything is possible.”
“Can I undo your hair?” he asked and opened the barrette that held the bottom of her braid.
“Lark put a ton of hairspray in it to hold the loose ends in place. It might be a little stiff.”
Jay moved his finger through it to loosen the braid. “So beautiful,” he whispered and kissed her neck.
He saw Kate close her eyes and moved his hand down to her back. He began to try to open the clasp on her bra. “Did you know Monica dropped her kid off at the grandparents’ house and left town?”
“Really? Frank didn’t tell me that.” Kate still had her eyes closed and moved her hand up his thigh. “Maybe I’ll offer to assist Shelby’s skating coach. She always drops her swing leg coming out of her jumps. If she stopped that her balance would be much better.”
“That would be nice of you to do that. Shelby at least has a chance at a normal life if her mother stays away from her for a long time.” Jay felt the clasp pop and started to move the straps down her arms. “Let’s get this bullet proof vest off.”
Kate opened her eyes and dropped it onto the floor. She lay back on the bed and put one of her arms over her head.
Jay put his hand on her stomach and looked down at her. He was in heaven.
Epilogue
By the next week, Kate was all moved in with Jay. They brought along her Christmas tree and re-decorated it. Ozzie, the kitten, batted at the string of lights and knocked off the few decorations. They joked about Santa Claus passing them by this year since they weren’t married yet and held on to one another. Jay didn’t feel worried anymore that she would run and just wanted to hold her tight because it felt so good.
Kate relaxed for the first time in her life. There were mornings when they sat at the dining room table and she’d tear up. She explained to Jay that they were happy tears and one day she would probably take everything they felt for one another for granted, but she would try to hold on to the feeling as long as she could.
They set the date for their wedding to be in June. Kate called her dad and told him the date and that he would have to be in Canon City to give her away. He made the reservation before the end of the year and told Kate he couldn’t wait to meet her fiancé.
They woke up on Christmas morning and exchanged small presents. She gave him a small gold key to put on his keychain. She told him it belonged to her heart and he could use it as often as he wished. Jay started to laugh and handed her a small box. When she opened it she looked at him and her brows furled together.
“Did you know about the key?” She took a key out of the box and held it up.
“No, I didn’t know, but that’s only part of the gift. Close your eyes, babe.”
She did as he asked and he led her out of the house to the driveway. When they stopped he told her to open them. Sitting next to Jay’s blue Jeep, was a red one, the same make and model.
Kate’s mouth dropped open. “What? Jay, darling man, I don’t know how to drive.” She looked up at him.
“That’s why you’re going to start lessons the first Monday after the New Year. I’ve already made the arrangements and you’ll be all good to go.” He smiled down at her and put his arm around her shoulders.
“Are you tired of driving me to work?”
“No, no...I just thought since you’re farther out of town now, it would be easier for you to do your girly stuff if you had your own wheels.”
She hugged him. “Thank you. Oh my God, I have a car. This is great,” she squealed and ran to the side of the Jeep.
After breakfast, they drove to Jay’s parents’ house to have Christmas dinner. They told his mom and dad that they’d set the date and planned to marry in June. Mrs. Hager hugged Kate, started to cry and welcomed Kate to the family. They were getting ready to open a bottle of champagne, when the phone rang. It was the hospital back east where Jay’s brother was taken after the bombing in Afghanistan. The doctor said Matt did very well with the rehab, but for some reason, he got out of bed yesterday and walked away from the hospital. The military police were doing their best to find him, but at present they weren’t sure where he’d gone.
It brought the mood down a little in the Hager household and they all agreed to save the champagne until they could celebrate with Matt.
Later, when Kate and Jay were in bed holding one another, she sat up and looked down at him. “Babe, I’ve been thinking. We may need to put the wedding off a little. I want your brother to be here and I know your mom and dad would be happier if we did.”
“That’s sweet, but are you sure? We could always do a Justice of the Peace thing and then have a second wedding later.”
“No, I don’t mind waiting. We’re together and your mom and dad seemed so subdued at dinner. I think we can wait until Matt’s here with us.”
“Whatever you want to do, sweetie. I’m with you all the way.”
“Jay, you don’t think there is any reason to be worried about Matt? I mean, he wouldn’t do anything bad?” She looked down at him.
“No. Mattie’s level-headed and he wouldn’t do anything to himself. It would kill my mom and dad and he’d never do that.” He pulled her back into his arms and held her tight.
Kate started to cry. “Jay, I don’t know what to do. I’ve never dealt with something like this.”
“We’re together, babe. We’ll hold each other up and deal with it day to day. There’s nothing to worry about and I’m sure Matt will show up when he’s ready.” He rolled her onto her back and propped himself up on his elbow. “Hey, there’s nothing we can do right now.” He wiped the tears off her cheeks. “You know what?”
“What?”
“The fact that you are so worried about someone you’ve never met, just makes me love you more and more. You have such a big heart.” He leaned over and kissed her chest. “I’m the luckiest man on the planet.”
“We might have to argue about that, because I feel like I’m the luckiest.” She raised her eyebrows and reached for a Kleenex to blow her nose. She threw the tissue aside and put her arms around his neck. “See, there are so many things that make me feel lucky.”
“Like what?”
“Hmm...like when I got off the bus here in Canon City and found that apartment that was only two blocks from the rink. And the rink itself was lucky. I never would have met you if the rink wasn’t there. So, I think I’m the luckiest.”
Jay chuckled. “Okay, I’ll give it to you for now. We may have to discuss it more when I’ve had a little more time to rationally think about it. Right now, I can’t be rational, because of where you are positioned. Your body has made my brain turn to mush.” He kissed her again and licked along her jaw.
“Mush brain, huh? Maybe this is a good time to get you to agree to something.”
“What are you plotting, my woman?”
Her eyebrow arched and she licked her lips. “Oh, just this and that.”
“You are being evil and I can’t wait to find out what’s in the head of yours.”
“I love you, Jay.”
“You’re mine, woman.”
Look for Love’s Embers
The first in the
Canon City Series
Read the exciting first series in the Canon City series by best-selling author, Lauren Marie.
As kids, Lark Metcalfe and Charlie Stone saved each other and Canon City, Colorado from bullies, dark knights and alien invaders. Then one terrible night, Charlie accidentally killed his abusive father and Lark watched the police take her best friend away knowing she couldn’t save him.
Now, thirteen years later, Charlie has come home. He’s driven a big rig around the country for all these years and is tired of being alone. Lark owns an on-line business and is engaged to be married on New Year’s Eve, but she’s haunted by a secret and very angry that Charlie just left her behind.
Lark and Charlie have a lot of hurts to forgive. Will they be able to accept their past and rekindle the friendship and love that bound them so many years ago? Can they forgive each other and themselves for the dark secrets that are in their hearts and turn a childhood spark into a mature flame?
About the Author
Lauren Marie
Lauren Marie lives with her four cats in Western Washington State. She is the author of One Touch at Cob’s Bar and Grill - story 3 of the Montana Ranch Series, Love’s Touch - Then and Now, Going to Another Place.
Although, she has been focusing her current efforts in the paranormal romance, time-travel and reincarnation genres, she is currently working on continuing the Canon City Series. The first book - Love’s Ember’s waa released fall 2014.
