Until Tennessee: Happily Ever Alpha World

by Sarah O'Rourke

  “You’ll make sure of that, won’t you, Officer?” Craig asked with a glare at the badge hooked to Marek’s belt.

  “You better believe it,” I heard Marek retort, not bothering to correct the asshole on his rank. “Your brother used his badge to terrify Clarity, but you can bet your ass the only thing I’ll ever use mine for is to protect her from pieces of shit like you. Now, are you leaving or am I reading you your rights?”

  Pulling my shoulders back as I settled Zain on my hip, I met Craig’s icy stare with one of my own, undaunted by him. “I’m happy here, Craig. My kids are happy here. Do what your brother couldn’t, and leave us to be happy,” I urged softly.

  Something in my tone must have finally broken through that hard head, and I could see Craig’s face softening the longer he looked at me. “Okay, Clarity, I hate that you feel that way, but I can admit that I sort of closed my eyes to what was going on behind closed doors while you were married to my brother,” he agreed slowly before turning his eyes toward Marek. “She’s it for you, isn’t she?” he asked bluntly.

  “Down to my bones,” Marek returned, his words calm and candid.

  “And you’ll keep on looking after them, yeah?” Craig asked.

  “Until I draw my last breath.”

  My heart leapt at Marek’s bold response, and I couldn’t help the gasp that escaped my mouth. I might not be originally from the South, but I was aware enough of the traditions around here to know that this big, beautiful, bearded man had just claimed me in a way that was tantamount to marriage. Though, I needn’t have worried about my reaction since both men ignored me.

  Shifting his eyes from Marek to Clarity and back again, Craig finally nodded and smiled faintly. “Okay, then. I guess I’m out.” Holding out the stuffed giraffe and brightly wrapped gift, he murmured, “I hope you’ll still give these to the kids.”

  Offering Marek a slight inclination of my head when he looked at me, I watched as he slowly extended a tanned hand to take the items from Craig.

  “Thanks,” Craig muttered.

  “Yep,” Marek returned, taking a step back to wrap his arm around me and Zain. “Have a safe trip back to California,” he remarked pointedly as we both looked to the rental car parked along the street.

  We both stood there as Craig turned on the heel of his boot to stride down the driveway and climb back into his ride. Holding my breath until I watched his car disappear into the horizon, I turned to scan Marek’s expressionless face. I knew we didn’t have time to hash everything out between us now, but I knew I wouldn’t relax until I asked one thing.

  “Did you mean everything you said to him, Marek?” I asked as I stood, stock still, as I held my son in the circle of his arm.

  “Every fuckin’ word, Clarity.”

  I knew that Marek was a man of few words, but in that moment, I learned that he was an expert at using the ones that mattered.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, rising onto my tiptoes to press a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth.

  “You’re more than welcome,” he replied with a longing look at my lips. “Let’s go inside and have us a birthday party. Then, tonight, once we get these kids in bed, I can share some more of how I feel with you.”

  Happier than I could remember being in quite a while, I nodded eagerly. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  Chapter Eight

  Clarity

  Five hours later, I stifled a yawn as I bent at the waist to press a goodnight kiss to my daughter’s soft hair. “Goodnight, sweet girl,” I murmured against her temple before closing my eyes and expressing a silent thank you to our Maker for giving my baby a near-perfect day.

  My brand-new four year old’s party had surpassed everyone’s expectations, including hers. Her quasi-grandparents, Joe and Betty, had arrived early and dropped off her “second fav-rot” present, which turned out to be Disney on Ice tickets. She and the other children had a ball playing outside in the bouncy castle, and when Princess Ariel from Little Mermaid had paid a surprise visit to the birthday girl compliments of her Unca Mawek’s machinations, every child at the party had been on cloud nine. I still couldn’t get over the fact that Marek had gone out of his way to con his partner’s wife, Hadley Mayson, into donning a costume and playing princess for a day. With Hadley’s long red hair and curvy figure, she’d been a dead ringer for the princess. Not to mention the fact that her husband Cobi hadn’t been able to tear his hungry eyes away from where Princess Ariel had held court with all her loyal subjects. It was the first time I’d gotten to meet Hadley in person, and I was looking forward to seeing her again soon. Yes, it had become abundantly clear today that there wasn’t much of anything Marek wouldn’t do for us.

  “Hey, it’s my turn to give my little princess a goodnight kiss,” Marek whispered from behind me as his hands curled around my waist and nudged me to the side.

  I watched as he bent his head, a hank of his sooty black hair falling over his eyes as he tenderly smoothed Addison’s hair off her forehead and dropped a kiss to her warm skin there. I smiled as he straightened and took my hand, pausing only long enough to make sure Addie’s Sebastian night light burned in the corner before leading me out of her room and across the hall to Zain’s nursery.

  Preceding Marek into the shadowy nursery, I quickly crossed the room to the crib, peering over the side to see my son curled in the center of the mattress in his favorite position: facedown with his knees beneath him, diapered booty in the air. Gently running the palm of my hand against the fine hair at the back of Zain’s head, I sighed, relieved to see my son slumbering peacefully. “Night, baby boy,” I whispered, leaning over to press a kiss to the back of my son’s head before stepping to the side and letting Zain take my place.

  “Love you, boy,” I heard Marek declare gruffly against Zain’s head.

  Today had definitely been filled with more than one emotional moment. From Craig’s startlingly unexpected visit to Zain’s addition of the word ‘dada’ to his vocabulary to Addie’s loudly voiced birthday wish of having a father, the past twenty-four hours had been highly eventful in all the best ways.

  “C’mon, sweetheart. Let’s get out of here and let our little man get some sleep,” Marek remarked, keeping his voice low and his footsteps light as we moved back to the door, our fingers laced tightly together as we moved in unison

  Slowing down only long enough to shut off the light in the hallway, I pulled Marek along behind me, not stopping until we stood in the master bedroom. Looking up at him, I bit my lip nervously as I searched for the words I needed.

  “Babe, we don’t have to....”

  Reaching up, I covered his moving lips with my hand. “I know we need to talk about...well, everything, but will you stay with me tonight?”

  Lifting a hand, Marek gently pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear as his chocolate colored eyes seemed to turn molten. “Here in the house or here in the bedroom or here in your bed?” he queried teasingly.

  “If you tell me that you need some clarity, then I may have to kill you,” I warned, narrowing my eyes as I pinched his arm. “Since it’s kinda a fair question, though, I’ll answer it by saying, I’d like all of the above. I really want to be with you tonight.” Wrapping his strong arms around my waist, Marek pulled me closer until the tips of my breasts grazed the soft cotton tee-shirt he wore.

  “Babe, you have no idea how good it feels to hear those words comin’ out of your pretty mouth, but I’m gonna need you to be sure about exactly what you want here. I don’t think it’s any big secret that I’ve been hooked on your ass from the moment I laid my eyes on you and those precious kids six months ago. I knew what I wanted from you almost the second I saw you. I don’t know how to describe it to you because it’s never happened to me before, but the moment my eyes met yours I knew you were meant to be mine. Cobi and the rest of the Mayson family even have a fuckin’ name for it. They call it the BOOM. Honestly, I always thought it was bullshit. I mean, what grown-ass man believes in some sil
ent explosion that happens when two soulmates collide? Sounds like some kind of girly shit from a romance novel, right? But, then...”

  “Then, what, Marek?” I whispered as my heart pounded in my ears and butterflies danced in my tummy.

  “Then it happened to me, Clarity. I saw you, and that was it. You might not have been fully mine quite yet, but I’ve been yours from the instant we met. Call it a BOOM. Call it fate. Call it whatever makes sense to you, but it’s all true. I’m yours, and I want you and your kids to be all mine. Every day in every way you can imagine. Six months ago, I knew you weren’t ready to hear any of this, so I’ve watched and waited, giving you the time you needed to heal from everything that abusive prick of a husband put you through. I’ve concentrated on building us a firm foundation of trust and friendship even though every cell in my body screams for me to take you in my arms and show you that you’ll only ever find pleasure in my touch. I’ve warred with myself, baby. I’m not the most sensitive guy in the world; I never will be. But you gotta know, for you, I’ll go as slow as you need me to go even though the primal side of me aches to possess that gorgeous body you have. You don’t know how many times I’ve imagined being in this bedroom and sinking inside you, fucking you until we both find the release we need, but I refuse to do that until I have your love, too. Because if there’s one thing I want to possess even more that that amazing body you have, it’s your heart. So, know that no matter how long it takes, I’ll be here. You and those babies are worth every second of the wait because I finally know what real love looks like, and there’s nothing I won’t do to protect it and you.

  I felt my throat tighten as his words settled over me. Swallowing hard, I blinked back tears. “You know I’m still messed up.”

  “No, an asshole tried to convince you that you were messed up, sweetheart, but the only person that was truly fucked in the head was your late husband. And after spending the last six months with you, I give thanks every day that fucker is dead. So help me God, if he was still breathing, I’d kill him myself for what he did to you and Addie and Zain. Bastards like him don’t even deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of us.”

  Seeing the depth of outrage shining brightly in Marek’s eyes, I knew in my soul that this man would forfeit his life in a second if it meant keeping me and the kids safe. Running a hand up and down Marek’s chest, I tried my best to soothe him. HIs heartbeat thundered beneath my palm as his jaw clenched, his eyes staring at the wall. “Hey,” I murmured, “Like you like to tell me... that part of my story is over now. We’ve turned a page and it’s a brand new chapter.”

  Lowering his gaze back to mine, I watched his anger drain away as I used his words against him. “As usual, you’re right, Clarity,” he agreed as his arms tightened around me.

  “Wanna know the title of this chapter?” I questioned quietly.

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’m calling it, Clarity Falls in Love with the Man of her Dreams.”

  Marek’s arms contracted around my waist as his head fell to my shoulder and he buried his face in my neck. “You’re sure, baby? Don’t cross this line unless you mean it,” he whispered, his breath hot against my neck.

  “Marek, look at me,” I urged softly, waiting until I had his eyes again to continue. “You don’t just have my heart. You own it. My kids, too. It’s in every smile... every laugh... every look. We’re yours. Just take care of us. I don’t think any of us could handle having our hearts broken again,” I confided truthfully.

  Cradling my face, Marek grew serious. “You, Addie, and Zain are the world my life revolves around. Everything I do, I do thinking of all of us. I love you, Clarity. I love those kids. Your love and trust means everything to me and I swear on my life that I will never abuse or pervert either one.”

  Taking a deep, shuddering breath as my eyes burned with tears, I nodded wordlessly as Marek’s head descended, his mouth covering mine in a kiss so poignant I felt it pierce my soul.

  “I want to give you everything,” I whispered, breaking our kiss to press my lips against the warm column of his throat.

  “Clarity, don’t you get it? You already did. You gave me a family,” Marek replied, his lips grazing my cheek as he spoke. “Let me make love to you,” he implored.

  His husky voice was like crushed velvet sliding against my skin, so smooth and rich that it felt positively decadent. Moaning as his hands slid to the bottom of my tee shirt, I lifted my arms as he quickly pulled the garment up and over my head, leaving me standing in my lacy white bra and jeans.

  I gasped as his hands lifted to cup my breasts and watched as he tested the weight in his hands. “Marek,” I whimpered as his thumbs skimmed my hardened nipples through the material.

  “Are you sensitive here, baby?” he asked as he flicked his thumb over one of my pebble-hard peaks again.

  Trembling as he touched me, I arched my back as he continued to toy with my nipples. “Yes! Don’t stop,” I blurted helplessly, reaching behind me to unfasten the clasp that would free me completely to him.

  His groan was low and long as the bra fell down my arms, baring my heavy tits to his hungry gaze. “Christ, you are beautiful everywhere,” Marek praised before dipping his head to capture one pink nipple with his lips.

  Immediately, I felt my world tip on its axis as Marek’s mouth worked its potent magic. Warm hands cupped my ass as he brought me closer, his tongue lapping against my breast as he suckled. With every pull of his lips, I felt my already wet pussy grow even slicker... hotter. Spearing my fingers through his thick black hair, I tightened my grip as he moved back and forth between my tits, alternating between long, slow sucks and gentle nibbles, keeping me off balance and needy for him. “Please, Marek,” I moaned. “More. I need more,” I begged, digging my nails into his scalp as he tenderly bit the tip of one pink nipple and lifted his eyes to me.

  Releasing my breast, he blew gently on the tip before pressing a kiss to the center of my chest. “I’ll give you anything you want. All you need to do is tell me, Clarity,” he offered between kissing my neck and the underside of my jaw.

  Pulling at the hem of his shirt, I tugged it up his torso with impatient hands. “I want to feel you against me,” I replied, almost desperate to feel his chest against mine.

  Marek lifted one hand over his head to fist the back of his shirt in his hand and pull it over his head, and I was once again rendered speechless by the sheer perfection of his cut chest. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen him shirtless, but it was the first time I felt completely free to touch him in any way I wanted to. As a police detective, I knew Marek had to keep himself in shape. I’d seen him jogging every morning. I’d even joined him once or twice. But nothing could have prepared me for the up-close-and-personal view I had of him now. Licking my lips as I eyed the sinewy muscles of his chest, I found myself drawn to the dark trail of hair dividing his chest in half. I yearned to follow where it disappeared into his jeans and see whatever other goodies he hid.

  “Babe, when you look at me like that, you make me want to lose control,” Marek rumbled, walking me backward until the backs of my legs met the bed.

  “And how exactly am I looking at you?” I teased, gently running two fingers down his chest, following that happy trail to where it abruptly ended at the fly of his jeans.

  “The same way I’m lookin’ at you right now. Kinda like I’m starvin’ and you’re a delicious meal I wanna sink my teeth into,” he shared as he eased me down on the bed, pressing a hot kiss to my lips as he stretched out beside me. My breath caught as his hands went to the button on my jeans, quickly unbuttoning them with a flick of his fingers. “Tell me, sweetheart. Are you ready for me to take a nice, long taste of your sweetness?” he asked as I lifted my hips, letting him slide the denim and my silky underwear down my legs with one sweep of his hands.

  It had been so long since I’d felt anything remotely sexual, but now I felt like I was drowning in sensations that my too-long ignored body hadn’t experienc
ed in close to two years. I wanted anything and everything Marek could give me. “Very ready,” I replied, biting my lip as he slid down my body until he reached my center, his thumb sliding through my slit to find me soft and ready.

  I moaned as I felt that first warm, wet slide of his tongue gliding over me, teasing my swollen clit with quick flicks of his tongue. Arching my back, I pressed closer, the urge to feel him inside me outweighing the pleasure he delivered. Dropping one hand to his bare shoulder, I tugged him up and over me, relieved when his long, hard body blanketed mine.

  “Clarity, baby, nothing has to happen here. I can give you what you need without...” Marek began, his dark eyes concerned as he lifted his chest from mine to peer down at my relaxed face.

  Lifting a hand to cover Marek’s still moving lips, I shook my head, realizing he didn’t understand. “I want to be part of you. I want to find out how it feels to be an us. A real us. In every way there is,” I explained softly, sliding my leg up his, surprised and more than a little excited to find that he’d somehow lost his own pants during our embrace. Tilting my mouth toward his as he settled above me, I curled one leg around his hip as our mouths connected in the sweetest, softest touch of lips while his thick cock slid through my folds to find my entrance. “Do you think you can help me with that?” I asked, nipping the lobe of his ear as I ground my slick folds against him.

  “I’ve lived thirty-five years and never even imagined the kind of love I feel for you, Clarity I didn’t even know it existed until I walked up to that piece of shit car that left you stranded on the side of the highway. Now that I see that same love lookin’ back at me, you better believe I’m never gonna settle for less than all of you. That scare you?” he asked me huskily.

  “Not even a little,” I responded truthfully. “The only thing that terrifies me now is the thought of me and the kids losing you. You’re our hero, Marek. The man who saved us from a painful life, hiding from our own personal version of the bogeyman. Until Tennessee...I didn’t even know men like you could exist. I didn’t know that real love doesn’t hurt; it heals. You taught me that and so much more,” I confided, and good God, did it feel wonderful to be able to stand in my truth and know that it would be accepted without fear or consequence.