by Holly Jaymes
“Are you saying Lily didn’t like you marrying Pax.”
She shrugged and I think she realized she was probably sharing more than she wanted to. “If you love this guy and if he loves you, it’s worth pursuing. Jobs are more prevalent than true loves.”
I sighed and leaned back against the wall. “I hurt him.”
“Then he deserves an apology.”
She was right.
“Is this some sort of small group session?” Allie asked as she came to stand next to us. Or as close to next to us as she could get being eight months pregnant.
“I was just giving Sasha advice on going after love.”
Allie smiled. “She’s good at that. She convinced me to go after Josh when I’d messed with him. And she helped get Wyatt and Lily back together. If your company goes bankrupt you could have a career in matchmaking.”
Victoria laughed. “I don’t make the matches. I just help them along.” She looked at me. “So why are you still here and not going after you man?”
“Ah…I’m working.”
Allie waved me away. “I think we’re fine for the rest of the night. After this, it’s free time. I’ll make sure the cleanup—”
“Except that’s my job.”
“For love, we’ll let you off for the night,” Allie said.
I really wanted to go. And so I did.
But as he stood at the door, not letting me in, I felt all my hopes fall away. He wasn’t going to give me another chance, and then, he did. And now, he was kissing me, his hands caressing me, and I felt like I was in a dream. A dream come true.
I wanted to be his dream come true too, so I held him close and kissed him. Our clothes were shed and his hands and lips were on my skin, soothing away my pain and my guilt.
He settled his shoulders between my thighs and blew gently on my hot folds making me whimper.
“Don’t tease,” I said on a harsh gasp.
“No teasing. Just pleasure.” Then his lips were on me kissing and sucking. His tongue did delicious things to my clit until I perched on the edge of total and complete bliss.
“Oh God.” I gripped the sheets next to me as I waited for the explosion. His tongue pushed inside me, flicking along my sensitive pussy walls while his thumb rubbed my clit. Stars burst behind my eyes as intense pleasure rocked my body. “Reece!”
He drew out my pleasure until I was boneless. Then he moved back up my body and kissed me again. Finding my strength, I pushed at him until he was on his back.
“My turn.” I straddled his thighs and took his long hard length in my hand.
He hissed. “I won’t last long.”
“Do you remember that commercial about how many licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?”
“You’re not going to bite my dick, are you?” His hand instinctively slid down to protect said organ.
I laughed. “No. I want to find out how many strokes until you come.” I slid my hand along his length. “One.”
He growled. “How about we find out this way.” He grabbed my hips and pulled me over his dick.
I wanted a chance to jack him off, but not this time. This time I wanted to feel him inside me. So I sank down over him, taking him deep into my body.
Our groans filled the room.
“One,” I managed to say. But I stopped counting and instead focused on him and the way he watched me as I moved over him. I savored the feel of his dick growing and pulsing inside me.
“Fuck…I’m there…” he growled as his fingers dug into my hips.
Thank goodness because I was there too. I cried out as pleasure flooded my body. I rode him hard and fast, loving the feel of the friction, and then the warmth that filled my body as he joined me.
I collapsed over him, resting my head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart.
“That was definitely better than pizza,” he said.
I laughed. “That’s saying something.” I lifted my head and looked into his hazel eyes. I felt so stupid to have nearly lost him. “I love you Reece.”
His hands cradled my face. “I love you too.”
I had to be back at Pine Rest early the next day, but Reece convinced me to stay the night, something we hadn’t done since our trip to L.A. He convinced me to stay the next night and the next. By the end of the week, I realized that I was always going to stay, so with his help, I moved in with him.
Life felt so perfect. I had a dream job working for great people who respected me and my work. I had my aunt and uncle who supported me no matter what. And now I had Reece, who loved me despite having hurt him.
The Friday evening of Memorial Day weekend, Reece texted me that he was visiting Danny at the bar at Eden Lake Resort. After work, I drove to the resort, walked into the bar and took a seat next to him.
“Vodka and soda?” Danny asked.
“Sure.”
“Tough day?” Reece asked me. It was the first thing he’d ever said to me back on Valentine’s Day.
“It’s looking up.” I leaned over and gave him a kiss. “What’s up?”
Reece’s cheeks blushed and he looked into his glass of scotch and water. “I’m trying to be romantic.”
“You don’t have to try. You’re a born romantic.”
He laughed. “I sold Star Crossed today.”
Joy filled me that he’d sold the screenplay of the story he’d written after learning about the Haynesville-McLean feud.
“Oh my God. We have to celebrate!” I waved at Danny. “Champagne.” I turned my attention back to Reece. “Who’s going to star in it? Will they look like Willa and Mason?”
“I doubt it.” He turned on his stool to look at me. His fingers brushed my cheek. “I love you.”
The intensity in his eyes made my breath stall in my lungs. “I love you too.”
He took a deep breath. “It was only three months ago that I sat here and met the most amazing and beautiful woman.”
My whole body went warm. I loved it when he got all romantic on me. I pressed my hand to his cheek.
“I realized recently that I’d been playing safe in my life. I’d wanted to be a screenwriter, but I didn’t have the guts to do it. To quit my job and go for it.”
I wasn’t sure where he was going with this. “There are reasons to play safe.”
“Sometimes it holds you back though. I don’t want to play safe, Sasha. I want to go after what I want.”
I nodded, wanting to encourage him. “Of course. You absolutely should go after your dreams.”
He let out a breath. “I’m glad you said that. It hasn’t been a very long time, and you may need more time, but I love you, Sasha. I love it here in Eden Lake. I love the life we’re making.”
My heart started to beat faster at his words. Was he leading up to something?
“I don’t want it to ever end. And now that I’ve got another big check coming from selling a script, I want to make sure it never ends. So here, at the place it started,” he held up a beautiful diamond ring. “I want to know if you’ll marry me?”
Maybe it was too fast, but I didn’t care. I knew without a doubt that Reece was the man for me.
“Reece.” My breath whooshed out as emotion flooded me. “Yes. Yes.” I flung my arms around him and strewn kisses all over his face.
He laughed as he worked the ring on my finger.
“Now is time for champagne,” Danny said.
Now I live happily ever after, I thought.
As an event planner, I’d planned many weddings. Through that, I’d had a vision of what I wanted for my own wedding. They were things that would have taken at least six months to plan and prepare for. But the minute I was engaged to Reece, I didn’t want to wait six months to be his wife. Flowers and lights and orchestras weren’t important. What was important was standing up in front of my family and friends and making a vow to love Reece forever.
A month later, I stood by the lake at Pine Rest and promised Reece he’d never be alone again. That he�
�d never be left behind. That I’d love and cherish him forever. He made the same loving commitments to me.
The wedding went off without a hitch, except for when we were pronounced husband and wife, and as Reece kissed me, Allie stood up.
“I’m sorry. I have to go. We have to go, Josh.” She held her belly as she started up toward the lodge where their car was parked.
“Oh my God. We’re having a baby,” Josh said, rushing after her.
“I wonder if they’ll be back later,” Reece joked.
The reception was also at Pine Rest. Lucky for me, my bosses let me have the place for free, and all I had to pay for was the food, booze, and flowers.
Later in the evening, twinkle lights lit up the outdoor deck as Reece took me into his arms to dance. It felt like I was dancing in the stars. Our friends and family were dancing and mingling about in the warm night air. Everything was so perfect.
“Dance with me, Mrs. Alexander.”
I nearly swooned at that.
“Oh…Oh God…Wyatt. I think we need to go,” Lily said.
Reece and I stopped to look over at her.
“Now? We still have a month,” Wyatt said.
“Twins come early,” someone else called out.
Wyatt hurried to Lily and ushered her out.
“Babies and a wedding, this day is blessed,” Carly said. She’d brought George to the dance area with us. “I wish your mom could have been here.”
The emotion was bittersweet.
“She’d have liked you Reece,” Carly said.
He leaned in to me kissing me on the cheek. “I wish I could have known her.”
I looped my arms around his neck. “We have each other. We have Carly and George. We’re a family now, Reece.” I wanted him to understand that he wasn’t alone. Not anymore. “Someday you’ll be like Josh and Wyatt running around like a chicken with its head cut off to get me to the hospital.”
He laughed. “I look forward to that.” He kissed me and then led me in a dance. “I look forward to a full life with you.”
I settled against him, feeling so content and perfect. “I’m glad you stole my job.”
He laughed. “I sent Sal a thank you note.”
I looked up at him. “What?”
“If she hadn’t sent me out here, I wouldn’t now have this incredible woman by my side. I felt like I needed to thank her for that.”
“You’re crazy.”
He grinned. “I’m crazy about you, Sasha. I have been since the moment you sat next to me at the bar on Valentine’s Day.”
“Does that mean Sal is Cupid?” I asked.
“Maybe. There were times I thought Cupid was a sadist. Sal fits the bill.”
I rubbed my hand over his chest. “In the end, we’re here. I promise I won’t hurt you ever again.”
“And I promise to never take your job or get you fired.” He pulled me close and whispered, “Perhaps we could leave for the honeymoon so we can consummate all these promises.”
He didn’t have to ask me twice.
Epilogue
Sacha – One Year Later
Initially, I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend my first anniversary throwing a birthday party for one-year olds, but as I looked out over the group of friends who were enjoying a day on the lake as we celebrated said one year olds, I had to admit, it was nice. Besides, when the party was over, Reece and I would have a whole week to celebrate our anniversary. Since I’d hired two assistants over the last year, I could take a week away from work and know that all the events would go off well.
Wyatt closely followed his daughter, Rosie as she took wobbly steps. Next to him, Josh walked with his son, William holding onto his fingers as he toddled along as well. It almost looked like they were racing. It made me laugh that they’d engage their children in their competitiveness. Josh sometimes joked that Wyatt had to show him up by not having one but two babies on the same day his son was born.
In the lake, Lily stood waist deep with Rosie’s twin brother next to her floating in a blow-up dinosaur. Little Maddox was slapping the water, laughing each time Lily flinched when he got water in her face. Next to Lily, Victoria stood in the water, the top of her full round belly peeking out of the water. Behind her, Pax stood, his hand gently rubbing her belly. She’d said if anyone wanted to talk to her, they’d have to come into the water as it was the one place that she could find relief from carrying such a heavy load. Wouldn’t it be something if her baby was born today too? It’s a blessed day, I remembered my aunt saying.
It was nice to see Lily and Victoria back to being good friends. And I was glad that she and Pax were able to make the party. They had a crazy busy life, but somehow they made it work. Pax did a European tour in the spring and Victoria had run her company from Europe while he was there. Now he was taking time off until his and Victoria’s baby was born. She was due in July but looked ready to pop now.
“It’s hard to believe that a few years ago, none of us were married and now look at us,” Willa said, sitting in a chair on the deck, rubbing the back of her eight-month-old daughter Eden who was sleeping on her shoulder.
“I think we win the prize for most unlikely to marry,” Mason said sitting next to her.
“Oh?” She smiled. “I’ve loved you since I was five years old, Mason McLean. I think we were destined.”
He laughed. “You’re right, as always, honey.”
“I’m glad to see you have him trained so well,” Tucker said, emerging from the rec building carrying a tiny bundle like he carried like a football.
“Me? It looks like you were on diaper duty,” Mason said. “You’re trained too.”
Tucker grinned. “All I do is train, big brother.” He looked down at his three-month-old baby girl, Layla named after Emma’s grandmother, and cooed.
“Do you talk to your football too?” Willa asked.
“Of course. Why do you think I’m always so precise? I coax it to where it needs to go when I throw it.”
Emma set her sketch pad aside and took the baby from him.
“I can be very persuasive in my talk,” he said waggling his eyebrows at Emma.
Her cheeks reddened. “Yes, you can.”
“Gag, TMI,” Mason said.
“I’ve got a little more watermelon,” Allie said as she came out of the kitchen area of the lodge.
“Come join in the fun,” Josh called to her, scooping William up. the boy squealed with delight.
“I’ll deal with the watermelon,” I said to her. After all, it was my job. A job that I loved. It was interesting how a person could think they knew what they wanted in life, but as it turned out, by losing it, I got something better.
At first, I worried that there weren't enough events held at Pine Rest to warrant a full time event coordinator. But after Willa wrote an article for a travel magazine that highlighted great places to visit in Eden Lake, and had a sidebar about destination weddings and events that included Pine Rest, we were busy with all sorts of events. In the last year we’d hosted corporate retreats, family reunions, and even a wedding between TV stars Cami Carter and Joey Markem, which, interestingly, included tubing. Business was booming.
“It’s so nice of you to help with this, especially on your anniversary. I feel like I stole your day from you by having William,” Allie said.
“Not at all. It made the day all the more special. Go enjoy your husband and son.” I went into the building, put the watermelon on a tray, and brought it out to the picnic table on the deck. As I looked out on the sea of families, I wondered where mine was? I looked over toward the Minor’s cabin and saw them on the porch. Reece was with them enjoying a beer.
I walked over to them. “How are things over here?”
“Well I hate to say it, Sasha, but Mary is trying to pick up your husband,” Harry joked.
“Oh Harry.” Mary laughed.
“I won’t lie, Mary. Had I met you first…” Reece said with a wink to me.
Mary blushed
. “You’re a charmer, Reece.”
“He sure is.” I sat next to Mary on one of the resin chairs.
“I sure enjoy seeing the kids here,” Mary said with a content sigh.
“Which kids? They’re all grown up now, Mary,” Harry responded.
“They’re all kids to me. Our own children and grandchildren live so far away that we don’t see them much. All you kids are like my own.” Mary took my hand. I squeezed it.
One thing I’d learned was that family came in many forms. My mother had died, but I had my aunt and uncle. The Minors were like grandparents to all of us kids growing up in Eden Lake. I looked over at Reece hoping he felt like he was part of a family.
A wail from a baby sounded, followed by the cry of other babies.
“I think that’s the cue that this party is over,” Josh said. The rest of them seemed to agree as they began to pack up the kids and all the presents.
“As much as I’ve enjoyed this, I’m eager to celebrate more grown up things,” Reece said under his breath to me.
“We’re old, but not deaf,” Mary said to him. “But I don’t blame you. Anniversaries are important. Maybe this time next year you’ll have added to the brood.”
“Maybe,” Reece said.
I looked at him in surprise.
He shrugged. “We’ve talked about it.”
We’d done more than talk about it, but now wasn’t the time to bring it up.
I went to help with the cleanup, but Mason stopped me. “It’s time for you to celebrate your anniversary.”
“But—”
“Your assistants are here and I’ve hired a clean up crew to help them. You’ve given up too much of your special day already. We do appreciate it. Now go spend time with your husband.”
I wasn’t ever one to contradict my boss, so I found Reece and we headed out.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he drove past the turn to our home. The home we’d recently bought from my aunt and uncle. Since I had a week off, we’d talked about going on a trip, but I’d let him decide where we’d go.
