by K. A. Berg
He tilts his head, acknowledging my words while he chews his burger and encourages me to keep relaying information with a nod. “She also suggested getting some pregnancy books, reading up about tracking cycles, what food I should avoid, and exercise. I already go to the gym three times a week, so I’ve got that covered. I’m kind of surprised I didn’t think of doing any of these things before. Or maybe I just never realized how much went into this.”
He shakes his head and laughs while we both finish up our meals.
Alex’s phone rings on our way to our cars.
His real estate agent’s name flashes on the screen. “Hello?”
I can only clearly hear one side of the conversation, but I can make out most of what Linda is saying on the other side.
“Congratulations, Alex!” I shout and wrap my arms around his neck the moment he ends his call. The sellers verbally accepted his offer, and he’s going to meet Linda now to sign all the paperwork, and we’ll have a signed contract to our attorney by the end of the day.
“It’s really happening, angel,” Alex squeezes back, and my heart is full for him.
My words are heartfelt and genuine as I look at this man who continues to amaze me every day. “It’s going to be extraordinary.”
CHAPTER SIX
QUINN
MY MOTHER LOOKS BEAUTIFUL AS SHE FLOATS AROUND THE backyard with her new husband, Harold, on her arm. She’s radiant in a simple cream wedding gown, and happy looks good on her. After the life she lived with my father, I’m surprised she didn’t swear off men altogether.
Alex comes to a stop next to me, looking devilishly handsome in his black suit. He hands me over a flute of champagne and smiles as he looks around Cassandra’s remarkable home. Cassandra is Harold’s older daughter. She’s three years older than me and delightful. Her husband, Dean, who she married right out of college is a lawyer, and they have two teenage sons.
“Maybe we should move to Connecticut. I love this setup. The way her home backs right up to the water. This place is amazing.”
“They have places along the coast by us, dummy,” I remind him, taking a sip of the bubbly alcohol. “Is that what you want to do… move along the ocean?” Although we live near the water now, it’s not really the same. We have a great view of the Hudson, and it’s beautiful. The way the lights from the city set a glow on the water at night is breathtaking. But listing to the waves crash against the jetty behind us is soothing and peaceful. The only things crashing along the rocks in the Hudson are the crazy amount of trash and the occasional dead body.
Alex looks out over the back wall of the yard and sighs. “I wouldn’t mind waking up to a sight like this every morning, but I think we should stay relatively close to where we are. We’re buying the building for my center and moving south would make both of our commutes hell.”
“We could buy a beach house, though,” I say.
Alex laughs. “Why don’t we find our new everyday home before we start thinking about a beach house? But I do like the idea.”
My mother’s voice draws our attention away from the view to her and Cassandra as they approach. “What idea?”
“Buying a beach house,” Alex tells her. “You have such a beautiful home, Cassandra. The view is spectacular.”
“Thank you.” She smiles. “You should see the view from the third-floor deck. Honestly, it’s unbelievable.” Her peach dress blows in the wind. She’s a short woman, with a soft voice and long blonde hair similar to mine. Both of her sons tower over her. I don’t know why, but the thought of this tiny woman with her angelic voice yelling up at teenage boys, reprimanding them, as they break curfew seems comical to me.
Alex offers his arm to her, which she gladly accepts, and they head off toward the house. “Lead the way.”
We watch them cross the yard, stopping for a few hellos along the way. My mother turns to me and grins. “You really did well with Alex, honey. He’s such an amazing man. I’m so happy for you.”
My attention shoots to Harold, who is dancing with his other daughter, Monica. “You didn’t do so bad for yourself, Mom. I can’t remember ever seeing you smile so much. You’re getting laugh lines, you know.”
“Who would have thought locking myself out of the house would be the best thing to ever happen?”
After my father went to prison, she divorced him, and because I was able to return the money my father moved around while trying to frame me, the business didn’t suffer, and my mother didn’t lose everything. The company was signed over to me, and my mom got everything else. She sold their home and moved to Brooklyn Heights as fast as she could, and that’s where she met Harold. About three years ago, my mother locked herself out of her brownstone, and Harold, one of her new neighbors, happened to come home about the same time and invited her inside while she waited for the locksmith. During their visit, he explained how he’d been meaning to introduce himself to her since she moved in the month before.
He stopped by the next morning with a coffee and asked my mother if she’d explored her new neighborhood. The two of them spent the rest of the day walking block after block while Harold pointed out all the hidden gems she needed to know in Brooklyn Heights. The rest is history. Harold is the exact opposite of my father, starting with the fact he’s a pediatric surgeon. He’s also kind, compassionate, and adores my mother.
“I’m proud of you,” I tell her, taking her hand. “I know it must have been hard for you to leave behind the only life you knew, but you did. You’ve shed the woman that asshole turned you into and are healing every day.”
A few tears gather in the corners of her eyes. “I would have never been able to get to a place where I could find happiness again without you. Where do you think I got my strength from? Seeing you stand up against your father… you are brave, strong, and brilliant. I’m so grateful he wasn’t able to break you down like he did me. So, thank you for showing me how to be a woman I could be proud of. Thank you for showing me real love is worth finding.”
My mother and I have been working on building a relationship from the ashes of our previous one. The day after my father was arrested, my mother stopped by my house for the first time in as long as I can remember to tell me she was sorry and had no clue what he was doing to me. There was so much damage at that point I had no idea if we would ever be able to have a relationship.
She didn’t give up. Marian Taylor, now Hoffman, is stubborn when she wants to be. I guess I’m more like my mom than I thought. While we don’t have Sunday dinners, we aren’t strangers anymore. The biggest plus is my mother is now someone I can respect.
I dab away the small drop of moisture hanging from my lashes. “Thank you, Mom.”
“How about a dance to dry up some of those tears?” Harold asks, joining us. He pulls my mother into his side and beams at her. Adoration pours from his eyes, and she smiles back.
Surprisingly, Harold extends his hand to me and asks, “May I?”
Frank Sinatra’s My Way plays as we reach the dance floor set up under the tent in the middle of the large yard. “This song reminds me of you. I didn’t experience the beginning of this journey with you and your mother, but I did hold her hand through her battles. I know how hard the both of you fought to get where you are. I’m proud of you as well. You didn’t let anyone stop you from reaching your dreams,” Harold tells me as we begin to sway to the music. “I understand how hard it is for you to trust, but I do want you to know you are one of my daughters now. If you ever need anything, even someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to call me. I love your mother. You’re a part of her, and I love you, too.”
My chest fills with emotion. My own father never told me he loved me or was proud of me. If he did, I certainly don’t remember. This man is indeed something special, and I’m so glad my mother found him. I rest my head on Harold’s shoulder as we move across the floor, passing Alex and my mother as they join us in dancing.
“Thank you, Harold.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
ALEX
“TO ALEX AND LEGACY PERFORMANCE”
The pop of the cork from the champagne bottle echoes off the tiles of the empty building of what will be my new performance center. Pride swells in my chest as the most important people in my life stand next to me, excited to see the beginning of this next chapter for me.
The champagne bubbles and flows from the bottle as Quinn pours it into glasses lined up on the reception desk.
Tanner picks up his glass and raises it. “I’m thrilled for you. You’ve always talked about doing this. You’re going to be a huge success, and I can’t wait to see it all unfold. To new chapters.”
Quinn, Ashley, Tiffany, Jordan, and Hailey all follow suit with raised glasses. “To new chapters.”
“Let’s show everyone around, Alex,” Quinn suggests excitement radiating out of her. I love how she is just as into this as me. This is the beginning of a whole new life for us, and there’s no one I’d rather build it with.
As we finish up the tour and explaining the plans, everyone seems to be just as enthusiastic as Quinn and me.
“Alex, I wish you had this place after my accident,” Ashley says. “Imagine how much easier it would have gone here than in Tanner’s home gym.”
It seems like I’ve lived a lifetime since then.
The girls continue talking about color schemes while Jordan, Tanner, and I stand off to the side quiet and reflective.
Jordan breaks the quiet. “It’s such a rush, isn’t it? I can remember the feeling in my chest when we picked the location for New Capital and the endless visions running through my head. With the way you described everything, it sounds like this place is going to do phenomenal. Congratulations, man.”
In the beginning, I didn’t care for Jordan. Part of me felt like he stole something from me in the time he spent with Quinn, and I couldn’t see past it. I never stood in the way his relationship with Quinn regardless of my feelings. They had a bond forged through some rough parts of their lives, and I wasn’t going to try and break it.
Eventually, he grew on me. Opening my mind, I finally let myself see he is a good guy. He supported her when she didn’t have anyone else. How can I hold that against the man?
If a man such as Jordan, one who turned his own dreams into a successful reality, can see what I see and think it’s going to be great then I’m definitely doing something right. “Thank you.”
“Was it hard to make the choice?” Tanner’s voice is reflective and curious as he looks around at what is now the relaxation room but will soon be blown out and house an indoor pool for water resistance training.
My head shakes immediately, no thinking needed.
Tanner nods and switches topics. “What about the other chapter you’re trying to start, how’s that going?”
I sigh. “It’s tough. Neither of us expected it to take so long. Every month it doesn’t happen sucks. There’s always so much disappointment in her eyes, and I can’t do anything about it. While I can’t deny how much fun it is trying, I feel helpless.”
“I wish I had some great words of wisdom for you,” he says sincerity filling his voice. “But I don’t. In your position, I would just make sure you guys talk about it all, so it doesn’t seem like there’s always a giant elephant in the room, know what I mean? Especially with Quinn’s track record of keeping things to herself.”
“Don’t forget the fun part, either,” Jordan adds. “The minute you lose the spontaneity of your sex life, it’s tough to find your groove again. Hailey and I had to find ways to schedule sex into our lives after Jaden and, man, it was like ticking a chore off the to-do list. Keeping it fun and interesting may help it seem less… like a job.”
Quinn and I have been working on building the perfect life for when we have a baby. The new job, a new house, and a new bond between us. The only thing missing is the baby. My heart hurts every month she tells me she got her period. Not because she didn’t get pregnant but because I can see the sadness marring her face. Sadness I want to take away more than anything, but I can’t.
“I’m trying,” I respond as I see the girls making their way back over to us. “There’s not much else I can do right now.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
ALEX
QUINN STANDS IN FRONT OF THE DRESSER APPLYING LOTION to her face as I exit the bathroom. She’s wearing nothing except a long gray t-shirt allowing me a glimpse of the bottoms of her round ass cheeks. Tanner’s advice about talking through this longer than expected journey echoes inside my head. The best time to get pure honesty from Quinn is after sex. She’s relaxed and more open for some reason. Some people are easier to talk to after a few beers. With my wife, it’s after a few orgasms.
“You’re so beautiful,” I say coming up behind her, placing a kiss on her exposed shoulder. Our eyes meet in the mirror. “This is when I find you the most attractive. No make-up. Nothing in your hair. Barely any clothing on. You’re so naturally breathtaking it almost hurts. And you’re all mine.”
Goosebumps pepper her skin as I slowly drag my lips from her shoulder to her ear kiss by kiss. Her nipples stiffen and poke through her shirt. “Bend over,” I order with my stare locked on hers as she lowers her chest to the top of the dresser.
She turns her head, laying it down on the flat surface as well, but it doesn’t work for me. “Watch,” I tell her while dragging her shirt up over her ass. Lifting her head, Quinn’s gaze meets mine as she stares at me in the mirror, her face practically pressed into it as she keeps her head up.
My hands rub circles all over her pert ass. Her skin is soft and satiny. As the circles get lower and lower, Quinn’s body starts to shift from foot to foot as she rubs her thighs together for friction. “So impatient.” I smack the lips of her pussy. “As soon as there’s the mention of sex, you’re wet and wanton. God, I love it. Your pussy just can't get enough of me, can it?”
Her arousal drips onto my fingertips, and my cock weeps. The towel tucked in at my waist threatens to come apart any moment now thanks to my raging hard-on. My dick throbs as it always does when I get Quinn in these only-for-me vulnerable moments. She completely undoes me.
She follows my movements as I undo my towel, dropping it to the floor. Now nothing is in my way when I decide it’s time to bury myself inside her body. Dragging my fingers up the inside of her thigh, I collect the juices running down her leg and spread it around her clit., My lips curl into a victorious grin as her body jolts with the contact to her swollen clit. For me, there is nothing as sexy as the way my touch affects Quinn’s body.
It’s only a matter of moments before she moans my name and comes around my fingers for her first orgasm of the night. “God, Alex,” she cries as her body trembles under my touch. “Right there. Yes.”
My dick screams for a turn inside her, but I’m not ready yet. I want to see if I can draw this out longer. “Right here, angel?” I ask as I hook my fingers up a tad further. She rises to her tiptoes, trying to escape the overload, but I hold her body to mine with my free hand. She can’t get away and is forced to take it all. She can’t evade the sensations as her orgasm grows stronger.
“Alex!” she screams as I assault her sensitive flesh. I love when I can flood her body with pleasure.
My fingers slide out easily and before Quinn’s mewls have a chance to die down, I impale her on my cock making her scream out again, only louder.
“Holy, fuck, Alex!”
I grunt as I bottom out inside her tight warmth. “Fuck is right. How are you so damn perfect? Nothing better on Earth than this—my—pussy.”
Her pussy is genuinely perfect. I wish I could pound out every single undeserving douche who’s ever had her, but I can’t. All I can do is relish the fact it’s mine, and I get to enjoy it every day for the rest of my life.
“Yours, baby,” she gasps. Her nails dig into the sides of my thighs as she reaches back to touch me.
Her words are the beginning of my undoing. A tingle begins building at the base o
f my spine. Quinn’s eyes start to close as the walls of her pussy quiver around my cock. Lowering my chest to her back, I reach around to her front and slap her clit. Her ocean blue orbs open at the same time her core clamps down on my cock and her orgasm rocks her body.
I never stop looking at her. Watching Quinn come is one of the most magnificent sights in the world. One I never want to miss.
Her lips form the perfect circle as she cries, “Oh, my god! Oh, my god!”
A man can only hold back so long before there’s no restraint left, and he lets it all out. My hips move faster, and my hands grip my wife intensely as I chase the release right there on the horizon. My balls draw up, and I hold Quinn’s ass to me as I fill her with my cum. “Yes… perfect, angel.”
My senses begin to return at about the same time my cock stops twitching. I pull out slowly and bend down to pick Quinn up. Carrying her over to the bed, I drop her in the middle and walk around to my side. Quinn stretches and rolls on to her side as I climb in. “Don’t get comfortable. Come here. I want to talk to you.”
She rolls over and sits up, looking at me with questions in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Grabbing her hand and lacing my fingers with hers, I shake my head and reassure her. “Nothing’s wrong. I just want to talk.”
“About?”
I give her hand a squeeze before answering. “I just want to take a moment and talk. We’ve got so much going on, and I don’t want to get so lost in it all. Tonight, was really exciting. It’s amazing. We’re about to move to phase two of Legacy. I can’t believe it’s really happening.”
