by Vivian Wood
“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you.” She wiped her eyes, sniffling. “I thought I could end it myself. I wanted to prove to myself that I could. Or that I just didn’t care anymore. I don’t know.”
“Promise me one thing. That you’ll never put yourself in that kind of danger again.”
“As long as you promise me the same thing.”
He didn’t even hesitate, “Deal.”
Despite their exhaustion and injuries, Rose knew that they both needed each other right at that moment. When she kissed him, he tangled his uninjured hand into her hair and kissed her like she was the only thing that could save him.
She moaned and opened her mouth wider. Soon, she was under him, his body arching over hers so as not to crush her. Her heart pounded as he pushed her torn shirt up, and she helped him strip it off her, only breaking the kiss for a second.
“God, I love you,” he said as he gazed into her eyes. “I love you more than I can ever say.”
“I love you, too.” She caressed his jaw, and he nuzzled against her fingers. “You’ve saved me, Seth. Over and over again.”
He kissed her again as they continued to strip out of their clothes. When they were finally, blessedly naked, Rose ran her hands down his body. She felt the bumps of his vertebrae, moving downward until she could grip his muscled ass. His cock jumped between them, and she moved so her legs were parted and he could settle between them.
Seth winced, his forehead creasing, and Rose pushed him to roll onto his back.
“Don’t make your arm worse,” she chided as she climbed on top of him. “Besides, this lets me have some fun first.”
Seth groaned, and then he swore when she licked down his torso, swirling her tongue around his belly button. His cock was like an iron brand against her skin. She smiled as he swore again when she nipped the tender skin near his pelvis.
He was so beautiful—all warm skin and sleek muscles. His hands were large, his feet equally so, his arms and legs seemingly never-ending. She loved the way his thighs flexed when her hair brushed against them as she moved downward. She loved how his eyes turned glassy with desire as he gazed at her.
She took his cock in her hand, feeling its heat and its weight, and she licked it from the base to the tip. He grew larger in her hand, and she licked a bead of moisture from the tip.
His throat contracted as she dipped down to take him further into her mouth. His hands fisted in the sheets as she loved him that way, almost taking him to the hilt.
Muttering nonsense, he panted, and she could feel him growing close to release. With one last twist of her hand around him, she kissed his belly, his pounding heart.
“You’re amazing,” he said. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”
“Believe it.”
He hefted her breast in his uninjured hand, thumbing her swollen nipple. She tilted her head back as he took one breast into his mouth and then the other. His arm encircled her waist to keep her in place. She squirmed, needing him deep inside of her.
Rose pushed his hand away and took his cock in her hand. Lodging him at her entrance, she slowly sank down on him. They both groaned aloud at the sensation. Shivering, she stayed still, never wanting this to end.
Seth let her go slowly, although she could tell it was killing him. She rode him like she had when they’d first made love, but this time, there was nothing between them.
Rose didn’t care. She wanted nothing between them, and if she got pregnant, she would only be the happiest woman in existence.
“I’m close.” Seth closed his eyes.
“Not yet.” Lifting off him, she told him to sit up. He raised an imperious eyebrow, which just made her laugh.
“When did you get so bossy?” He swore when she faced away from him and sank down onto his cock again in one swift stroke. Seth snaked an arm around her waist, holding her flush against his torso, and he took over the rhythm.
His cock plunged into her as he kissed and licked her neck, her shoulder. Pushing her hair away from her throat, he bit down on the tendon there, making her cry out to the ceiling.
He filled her with endless strokes. Rose could feel her orgasm gathering, and when she began to rub her clit, it descended upon her like a lightning strike. With one last plunge of his cock, Seth brought her to her peak. She screamed, arching and writhing, and it was only his arm around her waist that kept her from collapsing onto the bed.
He thrust once, twice, and then shouted as he came, too. His cock twitched inside her, and she moaned as he filled her with his seed.
The sun was peeking through the blinds when they pushed the covers down to go to sleep. Snuggling beside Seth, Rose yawned.
“I love you,” she whispered, tracing his jaw.
He opened one eye to look at her. “Go to sleep.” He kissed her on the nose. “And I love you, too, hummingbird. I’ll never let you go again.”
And Rose knew that he spoke the truth.
Epilogue
“Okay, I’m ready.” Rose glanced one more time in the mirror, checked her makeup for the thousandth time, and took a deep breath.
She walked into the living room, feeling rather absurdly exposed. Seth’s eyes widened.
“Well?” she said, trying not to fidget. “Is it stupid? I’ll take it off—”
“No, no. I love it.” His grin was swift as he pulled her close and into his lap. “The wings are amazing.”
“Really? Do I look like a hummingbird? I thought I might look more like a blue jay—”
“No way. It’s perfect. Best Halloween costume ever.”
She looked at his costume and rolled her eyes. “You’re not even in a costume!”
“Yes, I am.” He showed her a sign he’d made that read Nudist on Strike. “I’m on strike, babe.”
“Oh well, does that mean you’re on strike for me? Because that’s a damn shame.”
He nuzzled her neck. “No way. You can get me naked anytime.”
She laughed, and he kissed her, although she eventually pushed him away because she was not going to let him ruin her makeup. She’d gone all out: with blue-green eye makeup and false eyelashes, she’d barely recognized herself when she’d finished. To top it off, she’d glued sequins to the corners of her eyes, although she had a feeling they would be bugging her all evening.
Her costume itself was simple: a shimmery teal slip dress that she’d found at a consignment shop downtown that had screamed hummingbird. She’d bought a pair of fairy wings and added sequins and paint to match her makeup and dress.
Seth glanced down at her feet. “Nice shoes.”
“Aren’t they amazing?” She’d found some sparkly black stilettos that she knew would kill her feet within an hour, but she didn’t care.
The price you pay for beauty—and great Halloween costumes.
When they arrived at Harrison and Sara’s house for their Halloween party, they were quickly converged upon by their friends and family.
After the Johnny incident, Rose and Seth’s relationship had progressed quickly, and by the end of the summer, Rose had moved in with Seth. She’d teased it was because he had better furniture, but in reality, she hadn’t wanted them to be separated—even by a wall. Callie had loved the plush couch in the living room, and despite Rose’s best efforts, the end of the couch on the right side had become Callie’s spot from then on.
“Oh, I love your costume!” Sara said as she hugged first Rose, then Seth. She raised an eyebrow at Seth. “Did you forget it’s Halloween?” Sara was dressed as a purple grape, her rounded belly only adding to her costume. They were having a boy, news which James had met with almost more excitement than his parents.
Seth grinned and held up his sign. “I’m on strike.”
“Men,” Sara groused. She took Rose’s arm as they headed into the house. “You need to get your man in line,” she teased.
Rose looked over her shoulder. “Don’t worry. He does pretty much anything I want him to do.”
“Good. You
can’t trust any of these Thornton men to know anything.” Sara laughed when Harrison rolled his eyes at her as they approached. “You know it’s true.”
“Hmm, I’m not answering that.” Harrison gave Rose a quick hug, although the wings almost hit him in the face. “You keeping my brother in line?”
“Of course.”
Seth had contacted his CO two days before his deadline and told him he wasn’t going to take his offer. Sergeant Loyd had been put out, but after Seth had explained his reasoning, Sergeant Loyd had sighed and told Seth that he was an idiot but that he understood.
“You’re going to turn into some soccer dad with five kids, aren’t you?” Sergeant Loyd had said, albeit good-naturedly.
Seth had laughed. “You never know.”
Soon thereafter, Alan had asked Seth to work full-time, and had even mentioned Seth’s taking over the business once Alan had retired. With no children and only his wife, Alan had planned on closing when he retired, but Seth would be the perfect man to take it over.
Honored and surprised, Seth had accepted. He and Rose had celebrated with their own party—mostly in their bed—that night.
It was strange, Rose thought as she chatted with everyone, how things had fallen into place. Her life had been a series of disasters up until now, but it was like Seth had become the anchor she’d needed. Now she had a home, a man she loved, and a future that was bright and exciting. She was going to return to school in January at the local community college to finish her English degree.
After that? The sky was the limit.
Johnny would go on trial within the next few months, although he’d remained in jail because it was, ironically enough, safer for him there than it was in the outside world. His so-called buddies had turned on him when he’d ratted them out, and now they were out for his blood.
Rose was glad that Johnny now got to experience the terror he’d instilled in so many people. It was a small price to pay for what he’d done to her, to Heath, and to countless others.
Both she and Seth had begun to see therapists to talk about their PTSD and nightmares. Although they both still suffered from nightmares, they were happening with less frequency. Having someone to talk to had been liberating, Rose had found. It was one thing for your family and friends to agree that something was terrible; it was another to find that validation in a third party.
“Rose! Your costume is amazing!” Jubilee, wearing a flapper dress and headband, bounced up to Rose. “Did you make the wings?”
“Kind of. I decorated them.” Rose had never seen Jubilee wear a dress this short or this kind of makeup—smoky and sensual with a bright red lipstick—and she had to approve. She’d even cut her hair recently into a short, stylish bob, which went with her costume perfectly. Jubilee looked gorgeous.
“How have you been? I feel like it’s been ages.” Jubilee smiled shyly. “How’s my brother?”
“Wonderful. But don’t get me started on that subject or you might hear something you don’t want to.”
Jubilee snorted. “Have you seen my siblings? They have no shame. I went to the bathroom earlier, only to find Caleb kissing Megan and feeling her up in a dark corner.” She rolled her eyes. “You guys are a bunch of teenagers.”
Rose laughed, mostly because Jubilee was the youngest of them all yet seemed like the oldest in a lot of ways. Jubilee murmured something about getting them both drinks right when Heath strolled up. His costume was a loose sport coat, a sweater, and spectacles.
“Heath, you’re not supposed to dress up as yourself,” Rose joked.
“I’m Professor Lupin! You know, from Harry Potter?” He pulled out his makeshift wand and acted like he was casting a spell.
“And why do I feel like you remembered that this was a costume party only an hour ago?”
“Not true. It was two hours ago.”
They laughed, although Rose couldn’t help but notice the strain around her brother’s eyes. Ever since the Johnny incident, Heath had been distant, and Rose knew he still blamed himself for what Johnny had done to her. She’d tried to assure him that she didn’t blame him, but he’d refused to discuss it.
“You look great,” he said quietly. “I’m happy for you.”
It was silly, but she felt tears prick her eyes. She touched Heath’s arm. “Are you happy? Because I think after everything, we both deserve to be happy.”
“Happy enough.” His smile was forced. Rose was about to pry into that remark when Jubilee returned bearing drinks.
“Here you go—oh, Heath. Hi. What’s your costume supposed to be?”
“Professor Lupin.”
Jubilee smiled. “Are you going to turn into a werewolf tonight? It’s a full moon, you know.”
“Is it? Then you should watch out if I turn wild.”
Rose widened her eyes and drank her punch. The sexual tension was rampant between these two, as it had been for months now. Except as far as Rose knew, Heath hadn’t asked Jubilee out, and Jubilee was too shy to ask a guy out.
As if realizing what he’d said, Heath muttered something about getting a drink and walked away without another word.
“Hey, there you are. Apparently they’re doing a toast or an announcement or something,” said Seth. He kissed Rose’s cheek. “Hey, Jubi. You look nice.”
“Thanks. Looks like you forgot your costume.”
“Nah. I got it covered.” He showed Jubilee his sign, which resulted in Jubilee rolling her eyes.
Trent and Lizzie arrived then with Bea dressed as a lobster in a giant cooking pot, which meant that Bea became the most popular person there. Even Seth demanded that he get a picture with his niece. Bea yawned and fell asleep in her pot soon thereafter, and Trent carried her around the party for the rest of the evening.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, may we have your attention please?” Caleb yelled into the crowd as he stood on an ottoman. “Excellent. Glad everyone could make it tonight.”
“Dude, it’s not even your party!” Harrison called.
“Unimportant. Megan, can you come up here?”
Megan climbed up beside Caleb, looking pink-cheeked, and Rose had a feeling she knew exactly what they were going to announce.
“Don’t worry, Megan said I had permission to do this.” Caleb smiled so wide that it was infectious. “Megan and I are happy to announce that we’re expecting.”
That resulted in a collective shout and applause from the crowd. Seth said into Rose’s ear, “My siblings are going to be prolific.”
Megan yelled over the noise, “We’re due in late May.”
“Oh, I’m so excited!” Sara pulled Megan down and the two sisters hugged. “Cousins so close together in age!”
“I know. Perfect timing, right?”
James, dressed as a dragon, told his aunt, “You should have a boy like my mom!”
Megan ruffled his hair. “We’ll try our best.”
Rose hugged Megan and congratulated her before hugging Caleb.
“So, when are you and Seth getting hitched?” he asked.
She shrugged. “We’re not in any hurry.”
“Uh-huh. That’s what we all say, and then it’s marriage, babies, white picket fence…” Caleb’s eyes lit up as Megan caught his eye, and Rose knew very well how happy he was with all of those things in his life.
Later into the evening, Rose wandered outside to gaze at the full moon. Seth found her and curled an arm around her waist.
“So many babies, so little time,” she said, smiling. “Do you think Megan and Caleb’s baby will be a boy or a girl?”
“Huh, well, if those are the only two options…”
She elbowed him.
“A boy. Because Caleb would lose his mind trying to keep the boys away from his daughter.”
Rose leaned her head against Seth’s shoulder. “I always wanted four kids. I’m not sure why. Maybe because it was only me and Heath, so a big family like yours was appealing.”
“Four? Well, then, we
better get started soon.” He turned her in his arms and kissed her. He smiled down at her, but his gaze was serious. “I want to build a life with you, Rose. Marriage, babies, all of it. I love you.”
“Same. I can’t wait to give you a daughter and have you freak out trying to keep the boys away from her.”
Seth laughed. “Deal.”
They laughed and talked for a while longer, talking about the future, when they saw Jubilee come around the corner. It was dark enough that she didn’t see them, but she was standing near a house light that illuminated her figure.
“We need to do something about Heath and Jubilee,” said Rose. “They’re driving me crazy.”
“Hummingbird, don’t interfere. They’ll figure it out.”
She sighed. “Men are so stupid. You know when Jubilee got her hair cut, Heath saw her that night and didn’t say a word to her about it?”
“So?”
Rose glared at him. “Men.”
After Jubilee had turned around, her expression sad, Rose closed her eyes for a moment, only to gasp, “The hair!”
Seth blinked at her. “What?”
“The hair! I was so sure it was hers. But if Johnny didn’t have Jubilee in the first place, where did he get it?”
“Wait, what?” Seth looked even more confused.
Rose had told Seth all about Johnny lying to her about having Jubilee when she’d met him at the cabin, but in all the commotion, she hadn’t told him about the lock of hair. She’d since forgotten all about it in the craziness of moving and creating their new lives together.
“It looked just like hers, because it was the same color as yours.” She touched his dark hair, much shorter than that long strand. “So where did Johnny get it in the first place?”
Seth frowned. “We don’t know it was Jubilee’s.”
“I’m sure it was.” Rose’s eyes widened when the puzzle pieces started to click. “Heath!”
“Now I’m worried you have a fever.”
She pinched him, and he yelped a little. “No, Johnny broke into Heath’s place. What if he stole it from Heath?”
“Why would your brother have a lock of my sister’s hair?”