by Ellie Wade
“You like it?” She picks up the light skirt and fans it to the side.
“I love it. It’s perfectly you.”
We kick off our shoes and walk along the sand, where the ocean laps onto the beach.
“I can’t believe we’re married, and I love the ring, by the way. It’s incredible.” Alma holds her hand up to admire the set of bands on her finger.
“I thought you’d love it.”
“I do, and I love you.” She kicks her foot across the water, splashing some onto my pant leg.
“Oh, really?” I raise a taunting eyebrow.
Alma giggles and starts to run, but I circle my arms around her waist, picking her up before she can escape. She kicks wildly, laughing as I walk the two of us deep out into the water.
“Oh my gosh, Leo!” Alma shrieks when we’re waist deep in water. “Your suit! And my dress!” She chuckles.
“Yeah? So?” I say. “The water feels good, right?”
She spins in my arms, so she’s facing me, her arms wrapped around my neck and her legs circling my waist. “You’re crazy.” She presses her lips to mine.
“For you”—I kiss her back—“Mrs. Harding.”
“Hmm … that’s hot. Say it again.” Her tongue licks up my neck, and she pulls on my earlobe with her mouth.
I sigh, content. “I’m crazy for you, Mrs. Harding.”
“Alma Harding. That has a nice ring, yes?” Her wet hands mess my hair.
“Sure does.” I hold her against me with one arm while my free one finds her core beneath the dress.
She leans back, her arms extended to her sides as her back floats against the water. Her eyes are closed, but her lips part with sounds of pleasure as my fingers work. The dress floats at her sides, and she looks like an angel.
“Don’t move,” I groan as I undo my pants, allowing my cock to spring free.
I push the thin piece of fabric of Alma’s thong to the side and enter her. Holding her hips in my grasp, I pull her against me over and over again. She remains floating on the water, sinfully exquisite. Water laps over her chest, her nipples visible through the wet, sheer fabric. She licks her lips, biting down on the bottom one as she moans.
It’s the sexiest experience of my life, the weightlessness of the water and Alma sprawled before me, beautifully made for me. It doesn’t take long before I’m exploding inside her.
I lift her body up, and our lips collide. I kiss her with everything I have and hope that it’s enough.
FORTY-SEVEN
Alma
Hand in hand, Leo and I walk through the empty house. It’s a modern four-thousand-square-foot mission-style home in Ann Arbor. It sits on a two-acre lot, which is a lot for this part of the city. The lot is wooded and serene, giving the home a more secluded feel, though the house itself is only a five-minute drive from many stores and restaurants. I particularly love the deep blue color of the exterior and the bright white trim. It makes the home seem happy, a good place to settle down.
“I love it,” I exclaim. “It’s perfect. It’s just … ahh … so beautiful.”
“Yeah?” Leo smiles. “I knew you’d love it.”
“Do you like it?” I ask.
“I could live anywhere as long as you’re there.” He pulls me into a quick kiss.
I shake my head and press my lips together. “I know, but I want you to love it. It’s going to be our home, not just mine.”
“I do love it. It’s a gorgeous house. What’s not to love? So, you think we should get it?” he asks.
“Absolutely.” I roll up on my toes and kiss him again.
“Great, because I already bought it.” He smirks playfully.
“What?”
“It’s really hard to get into this neighborhood. The house just went on the market today. I knew you’d love it, so I snatched it up before anyone else could.”
I laugh. “That’s a risky little move.”
“Eh, I know you, babe. Plus, if for some odd reason it hadn’t worked, I think we would have had, like, three days to cancel our offer. Not a big deal.”
“I can’t believe this is our house!” I hug Leo.
“Give me two minutes. I have a surprise for you,” he says. “Close your eyes.”
“Okay.”
A couple of minutes later, Leo returns. “You’re good.”
“I can look?”
“You can look,” he says.
I open my eyes and scan the living room. It’s still empty. “What am I looking for?”
He smiles. “I’ll show you in a minute. First, I need to make out with my wife for a bit.” He steps toward me and pulls me close. His lips caress mine.
I’ll never tire of kissing him.
We make out like two teenagers in a hidden corner at prom until I’m startled by the sound of the doorbell.
Leo steps away. “Give me a second,” he says and goes to the front door, returning a moment later with bags of delivery.
“There’s this fantastic, authentic Greek restaurant nearby.” He holds up the paper bags in his hands.
“Awesome.” I clasp my hands in front of me.
“Think about all the rooms in the house,” he says. “Now, go to your favorite one.”
“My favorite room?”
“Yep.”
There are so many gorgeous spaces in this home, but I know which is my favorite. I lead Leo to the library. I love the rustic bookshelves on either side of the room and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the scenic backyard.
Opening the door to the library, I gasp when I see the romantic picnic he’s set up. There’s a large blanket on the ground with a half-dozen pillows placed around it. In the middle of the blanket rests two meal settings with real ceramic plates and silver utensils. On every bookshelf sits a votive candle, making the entire space glow in a soft light.
“Oh my gosh, this is so pretty, Leo. Thank you.” I take a seat on the blanket and place the pillows at my back, so I can lean against them. “I didn’t tell you this was my favorite room.”
“I knew it would be.” Leo opens the containers of food and places some on each of our plates. “When I saw this house earlier and the realtor showed me this room, I immediately thought of you. I knew you’d love it.”
“It’s beautiful.” I dip a piece of warm pita into the container of hummus and take a bite. “I can’t even believe that we’re both graduated, married, and now new homeowners. Part of me still feels like a child while the other part wishes I could’ve married you years ago.”
“Well, you could have,” he kids. “Three years ago, to be exact.”
“Aren’t you funny? You know what I mean.”
“I do. I wish I had known you sooner, too, but I’m just damn happy I have you now.”
I take a sip from my water bottle. “So, what’s the plan now? When will we move everything over? We should have a housewarming party!” I exclaim, clapping my hands.
Leo chuckles. “Well, we can schedule the movers this week and shop around for anything else we need and move right in. Then, we’ll put the other house on the market.”
“Maybe some sorority or fraternity will buy it.” I say.
“I doubt it. It’s had tons of work done. I had the entire house remodeled. I don’t think they could afford it.”
“I hope that whoever buys it loves it as much as I do. It was a great first home for us,” I say.
“It was,” Leo agrees.
He closes the containers of food and sets them off to the side of the blanket. He crawls up the blanket until he’s hovering over me. I lie back on a pillow as Leo kisses me. His hands knead my sides, and I squirm at his touch.
“Are we going to break in our new home?” I run my finger under the waistband of his pants.
“I mean, I think we should.” He smirks.
I unbutton his pants in response.
Quinn extends her arms out to her sides. “I mean, I don’t get it. She was probably eighty. Does she need a miniskirt? O
r a backless dress? I’m not saying anything against her age, like do you and all that, but she must’ve tried on every single item we had. Use some discretion. If you pick up a strapless pink pleather dress and ask yourself, Am I really going to wear this? And the answer is no? Then, there’s no need to try it on!” Quinn slumps in the patio chair and sighs, causing the rest of us to laugh.
“So, it sounds like work is going well?” Leo jokes.
“I just don’t want my dad to be right,” Quinn says. “He told me that a degree in fashion was a waste, and so far, the only job I can get is a glorified dressing room attendant. I’m so sick of picking up clothes that people have tried on and dropped on the floor and hanging them back up. It’s doing the same thing over and over again, and I want to pull my hair out.”
“Michigan isn’t that fashion trendy,” I offer.
“Yeah,” Amos agrees. “Maybe you should look for jobs in New York City or somewhere like that.”
“I know, but my older sisters are having babies, and I want to know my nieces and nephews. I don’t like the idea of being so far away from my family,” she explains.
“You’ll figure it out, snookums,” Quinn’s new boyfriend, Patrick, says, handing her a drink.
She’s been dating Patrick about a month, and today is the first time I’m meeting him. The jury is still out on that one. I’m trying not to be judgy, but there’s something about him that I’m not sure about.
Leo stands from his chair. “I’m heading inside. Anyone need anything?”
No one comments.
“I think we’re good, babe. Thanks.”
“Okay.” He leans down and kisses me before retreating indoors.
I love that he spent time out by the bonfire with me and my friends, but I know he’s anxious to head inside to catch up with Ethan and Ollie, who we left in the game room, playing pool.
“How’s your job going?” I ask Amos.
He’s working for a large company in one of the richer suburbs of Detroit as a Financial Advisor. He’s also taking business classes to get his master’s at the University of Michigan.
“No complaints. It’s interesting. Every day is different. I’m not helping senior citizens try on clubbing attire”—he smiles at Quinn—“so it’s good.”
“Ha-ha.” She shoots Amos a mock glare. “Are you dating anyone?” she asks him.
Quinn and Amos have been friends with occasional benefits since freshman year. I’m glad that it wasn’t awkward for them when they ended things. I would’ve hated not to be able to hang out with both of them at the same time.
“Not really, no. I went on a Tinder date last week, and it was bad. I don’t understand how people do that—the whole meeting on an app situation. It’s so impersonal and fake. I just want to meet someone the old-fashioned way, face-to-face, you know?” Amos says, taking a drink of his beer.
“Okay, Grandpa.” I chuckle, hitting his knee with mine.
He squints toward me. “You have no room to talk there, Mutt. We all don’t marry our first kiss.”
“True.” I grin.
“How is married life?” Quinn asks. She extends her hand in front of her toward the house. “Obviously, you’re doing well. The house is amazing, and you seem so happy.”
“It’s wonderful.” I press my lips together, containing the giddiness that comes every time I stop to think just how grateful I am. “I don’t know. It’s just perfect. I’m very lucky.”
“You deserve it,” Amos says.
“Thanks.”
It’s true what Amos said. I would suck at navigating dating life online or through apps. All of my friends have gone out with many people, and each relationship has been less than ideal. Leo’s best friend, Ethan, has dated more crazy women than any one person should have to deal with.
And then there’s Leo and me.
He is my one and done, and it’s not lost on me how rare that is.
FORTY-EIGHT
Leo
The basketball swishes through the net.
I clap my hands in front of me. “I missed my calling,” I kid.
“Yeah, it’s the NBA’s loss,” Ollie teases. “Let’s take a break. It’s hotter than balls in here.”
“Yeah, the air is going to be turned on tomorrow,” I say as the two of us head over to the bleachers and sit down. I grab my water bottle and take a big swig.
It’s crazy to think that Alma and I bought an old school. It was a small Christian school that had been fully operational until a month ago. Their student body has outgrown this place, so they’re constructing a larger school a few miles away.
It’s perfect for our needs. It was quite the find.
Over the last few years, I’ve volunteered at a lot of places, and I realized that it’s good for me to help kids and teens who come from abusive or neglectful backgrounds. While I brainstormed with Alma, we came up with the idea to open up a center for these kids. It will be open after school, on weekends, and on holidays. Basically, anytime when the kids aren’t in school, we’ll be open if they need a place to go.
We’re going to provide tutoring, which Alma is heading. There will be a counselor on staff to talk with anyone who needs it. We’ll have sports, crafts, and games. Eventually, we want to provide lessons for life skills. We want a cooking room, where kids can learn to make meals for themselves and bake. We want an automotive section, where teens can learn to change their car’s tire or oil. All of the life skills that parents should be teaching—how to budget money, cook, clean, hygiene, self-care, and personal safety—will be taught here.
I had a shitty childhood, but I had money, and I can’t deny that wealth has its benefits. Alma didn’t have the best childhood, but she had the will and determination of a goddess. We want kids and teens in the area to have people looking out for them and to have their backs even if their parents don’t. We want them to always have a safe place to go, so they don’t turn to other things that are dangerous.
This center has been a long time in the making. Alma and I started working on the concept of it a year before we were married. Now that we’ve acquired this building, we get to see it all unfold.
“So, have you decided on a name for the center?” Ollie asks.
“Yeah, we’re calling it The Lion’s Lair. Alma came up with it.” I shrug. “She wanted it to be named after me, and apparently, my name means lion in some language—Latin maybe? And a lair is a lion’s home, his safe place. It’s cheesy, I know, but she likes it.”
“No.” Ollie shakes his head. “It’s awesome, man. What you’re doing here … is incredible. You’re going to change lives. You’re going to save kids, hopefully from ever becoming me or you and living a life as an addict. This”—he looks around the gym—“is the real deal. Good shit. I’m so proud of you and stoked to help here whenever I can.”
“Thanks,” I say.
I hope he’s right. I hope we can make a real difference in many lives.
“You don’t think working with abused kids is going to trigger anything in me? Lately, my anxiety has been high.”
“Having a hard time sleeping again?” he asks.
“Yeah.” I nod.
“That’s the thing, isn’t it? We never know what’s going to help or hurt our journey, what’s going to trigger or save us. I would think that making a difference would be helpful, and I know you think that, too, which is why you’re doing this. Living a life of service is noble and good, you know? On the hard days, you have to go back through your steps, call me, take one day at a time. Fight for it, for the life you want. Remember why you’re clean and what you have to lose. Be stronger than your demons.”
“Yeah,” I answer.
“You’re doing good, man. So good,” Ollie says.
“Thank you. I’m trying.”
“I can’t find my daisy earrings,” Alma calls from the bedroom, her voice a little panicked. “Have you seen them?”
“You mean, the ones right here on the coffee table?” I yell ba
ck, humor in my voice.
She comes rushing out to the living room, and her hand splays across her chest. “Oh, thank goodness.” She reaches down, picks up the silver flowers, and sticks them into her earlobes.
“I don’t think people are going to care what earrings you’re wearing.” I chuckle.
“I know, but daisies are happy and welcoming. I want today to be perfect. I want all the kids to feel welcome and their parents to sign all the waivers, so the kids can keep coming.”
“They’re going to feel welcome, babe, I promise. And it won’t be because of your earrings; it’ll be because of you.” I take her cheeks between my hands and gently kiss her lips. “We’ve planned for this day as much as humanly possible. Now, we just need to go and enjoy ourselves. Okay?”
“Okay.” She nods, pulling in a deep breath. “You’re right.”
Alma and I have worked our asses off the past two months, getting the Lair ready for the grand opening today. The entire place was remodeled in calm and soothing colors. We set up the different rooms. We hired counselors and instructors. We solicited donations and sponsors and got volunteers. We spoke to all of the local school counselors to help us reach out to the families and kids who needed our center the most. This place was built with all of the love, determination, and hope for the future that Alma and I possess. It’s going to be great.
“We’d better go,” I say, extending my hand toward hers.
“Right.” She blows out a breath and takes my hand. “I’m just so nervous.”
“Baby, they’re all going to love it.”
She bobs her head in tentative agreement and takes my hand, following me out to the car.
Minutes later, we’re standing in front of the center, a large blue ribbon in front of us, as a crowd of families waits on the other side. The crowd counts down, and Alma and I cut the ribbon, welcoming everyone inside.
The Lair is set up as a carnival today—a party to celebrate the opening. Volunteers are getting parent signatures, so their kids can come back on their own another day. We have fair games on the playground, an ice cream truck handing out free frozen treats, and a cotton candy machine. Volunteers are taking families on tours of the facility. Teens are playing basketball, and the little ones are making slime. Each family is leaving with a goody bag containing some swag and treats and information about our mission.
