The Man I Need

by Williams, Shanora

  “Yeah,” he says, voice breaking as he laughs.

  He rocks the baby in his arms as the nurses clean me up and help me get situated. When they’ve left the room, he asks, “Still haven’t come up with a name?”

  I think on it. “I have that list of names, but after thinking about it, there is only one I want to go with.”

  “Which one?”

  “Shay.”

  Marcel picks his head up, locking on my eyes, then a smile graces his lips and he lowers his gaze to the baby. “I love that,” he murmurs. “Shay it is.”

  I can’t even begin to tell anyone how great Marcel is with Shay. He treats her like a princess. After we’ve left the hospital and are at home, he makes sure to come home early every day just so he can spend time with her and so I can get some rest.

  My mom and dad visit the following week and stay for a whole week. Mamá helps me out a lot, and Dad is great when it comes to watching Shay while Mamá and I run our errands. Of course, Má is happy to have her first grand-baby. When she held Shay, she didn’t know how to react, so instead she just cried for way too long.

  Shay grows into a beautiful, bubbly baby. She’s adorable and catching onto things way too quickly.

  By the tenth month, I finally feel like I’ve got a handle on things. We have a routine, and I know her eating times and sleep schedule like the back of my hand now.

  I guess it is true when they say—mothers know best. There are things I know about Shay that no one else would, like how I can tell she’s going to be feisty, just like me.

  When she can’t have her way, she’ll frown at me or her daddy and maybe even throw a cup. Marcel calls her a feisty little thing, and it only makes me laugh.

  This motherhood thing is all so new, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world. In a way, Shay completes us. She completes Marcel the most, though.

  After losing his mother, sister, and father at such a young age, he’s always wanted to be surrounded by the love of family again.

  I’m glad I am the woman who gave him that chance.

  * * *

  “So, guess what?” Marcel asks one night, after we’ve put Shay to sleep.

  “What?”

  “I booked us flights to Hawaii.” He grins at me, and I sit up in the bed, looking him in the eyes.

  “You’re kidding!”

  “Shh,” he chuckles, looking sideways at Shay, who is in a crib in our room. “Yes, I booked flights and a nice little Airbnb cottage,” he answers in a low voice. “I talked to your mother, and she said she’d be happy to watch the baby while we take a getaway. I told the guys I’m takin’ off of work already and everything.”

  “Wow.” I look at Shay’s crib. “I’m a little nervous to leave her. How long will we be there?”

  “About five days, give or take.”

  “That sounds amazing…but why Hawaii? Not that I mind—I’ve always wanted to go there, but it makes me nervous to go so far away.”

  “Well, I was thinkin’ we could get married there…”

  My eyes expand. I push up on my knees, climbing on his lap. “Wait…you’re serious right now?”

  “Dead serious.”

  I can’t help the laugh that pours out of me. “Okay.” I nod, capping his shoulders. “If you’ve already planned everything, let’s do it.”

  “Okay.” He leans forward, kissing me on the lips. “But I didn’t tell your mom we’d be gettin’ married. I want it to just be you and me. We can elope, spend time together. You don’t want another big wedding, so we’ll keep it simple.”

  Warmth coats me, my heart skipping a beat. “I love that.” And I’m glad he kept that in mind. Marcel isn’t the kind of man who’d want a big wedding either. He’s a simple man, only needs the basics, and I appreciate that about him so much.

  * * *

  Before I know it, Monday has arrived.

  My parents have flown down, along with Ricky. They’ll be watching Shay. She’s absolutely spoiled by them, especially by her Uncle Ricky.

  “Give me that baby,” Ricky insists, collecting Shay in his arms as soon as he’s walked through the door. “How’s my pretty girl?” he coos to her. I smile as I watch her bite on her chubby little fingers while Ricky holds her in the air.

  I’m pleased to say that Ricky has separated from Violetta. I guess he garnered the courage after my divorce with Kyle.

  And speaking of Kyle—he lost the company. It is no longer Moore Investment Banking, but Rio Investment Banking.

  Apparently, his colleague, and one of his dad’s good friends, Taylor Rio, found false accounting reports and turned Kyle over to the board. Kyle resigned four months ago. I have no idea what he’s doing now, and frankly, I don’t give a damn. His mother had lots of money saved, and Dan still owns part of the company, so I’m sure he’s mooching off of them, but deep down, it makes me happy to know that Karma came back and bit him right in his sorry ass.

  “You guys all set?” my dad asks as we bring the last of our suitcases down.

  “Yeah. So, make sure you feed Callie and take her for long walks. She loves walking,” I tell my dad.

  “Got it.”

  “And make sure Shay gets at least two naps in during the day. Don’t let her get overtired, or she’ll get fussy. And if she gets gassy, her gas drop are in—”

  “Ay dios mío, Gabby! You’ve given me the rundown many times before! Don’t worry! I’ve got this! You see I raised you two clowns, and you turned out to be just fine!” Mamá cackles, looking between me and Ricky.

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t necessarily brag about us, but okay.” Ricky fights a laugh, still holding Shay, as Mamá slaps him on the shoulder.

  “All right. Let’s head out then.” Dad has his car keys in hand and opens the door.

  “Thank you guys for watchin’ her,” Marcel says gratefully. He goes over to Ricky, who still has Shay, and gives Shay a kiss on her forehead. “We really appreciate it.”

  “Yeah, thank you, guys.” I take Shay from Ricky and hug her little body before kissing her cheek. “I love you!” I sigh, and she grunts, pressing a hand on my cheek and gently shoving. She’s always trying to fight my hugs. Marcel swears I’m too affectionate, but it runs in my family. I can’t help it.

  I hand Shay back to Ricky and turn for the door.

  “Enjoy your trip, and don’t worry. We’ve got this,” Ricky assures me.

  I smile on the way out the door. Marcel presses a hand to the small of my back when I look over my shoulder again at Shay, ushering me outside.

  “She’ll be fine,” he murmurs on the shell of my ear when we’re outside.

  “I know she will be, but it’s my first time leaving her and it feels so weird.”

  “I know. It’s weird for me too.”

  But we let the weirdness pass for now.

  We’re going to get married, and making our family official. Dad drops us off at the airport with hugs and farewells, and in an hour, we are boarding our flight, on the way to our destination.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Gabby

  Hawaii is absolutely incredible, and even more gorgeous than any of the photos I’ve seen on the internet.

  We’re lodged in a beautiful Airbnb cottage on Poipu Beach. The cottage is colorful and cozy and only steps away from the beach.

  From the master bedroom and even the kitchen, we have an ocean view, and waking up to it every morning never gets old.

  For the better part of our trip, we are true beach bums. We lay around lazily on our towels, soaking up the rays. It does rain every so often, but the rain is peaceful as it taps on the roof of the cottage, especially during the moments when I need a much-needed nap.

  On the second night, I drag Marcel with me to the pool behind the house. It’s a small pool, perfect for a couple.

  “If I get in this pool, you owe me,” Marcel says, pulling his shirt over his head and revealing chiseled abs.

  I smile then jump into the pool in my two-piece, d
oing a cannonball. Shay gave me so many stretch marks, but Marcel loves them, and I wear them with pride. Tiger stripes, I like to call them. I am pretty fucking fierce. No point in hiding them.

  The cool water rushes over my head as I resurface, and Marcel is laughing, walking into the pool from the steps. “You’re an animal.”

  I swim his way with a grin, lacing my arms around the back of his neck. Wrapping my legs around his torso, I drop a wet kiss on his lips. He deepens the kiss, cupping my ass in his hands with a savage groan.

  The thing I love most about this cottage is that it is surrounded by so many bushes and tall trees. No one can see us unless we’re on the beach, and of course, we take advantage of that.

  Marcel moves to the pool wall, slipping my bottoms down effortlessly in the water.

  He sucks on my neck as he lowers his swimming trunks enough to pull himself out. Then he’s inside me, and a heavy, wet gasp rushes out of me.

  “You’d think you’d be used to that by now,” he says, vibrating with laughter.

  “I don’t think I will ever get used to it,” I breathe on his lips.

  “Good, ’cause I love taking your breath away.”

  Our lips connect again, and he fills me up steadily. Slowly. My fingers slide over his hair, dampening some of the strands. Our bodies are pressed so close together, I feel like it’ll be impossible for anyone to separate us right now.

  He makes sweet, tender love to me in this pool. I sigh and pant, whispering his name in his ear. He clearly loves the sound of my voice, because I feel him grow harder inside me.

  “Shit, baby. I’m about to come.”

  So am I.

  He bounces me up and down the length of his cock. In the water, the movements are slow, but I still feel him in this angle. So big. So satisfying. He holds my ass even tighter, gripping like his life depends on it.

  Then he sucks on my bottom lip, and I unravel.

  I continue holding onto him as I release, and his body jerks and then stills as he moans, coming inside me.

  “Oh, fuck, Gabby.” He strokes my hair back with wet hands. “Love you. So much.”

  “I love you, too,” I whisper, and we kiss again, this one the most powerful kiss of the entire night.

  * * *

  Our third day in, Marcel surprises me.

  He requested that I dress nicely, preferably in white. I already know what he’s up too, but not quite sure what all he has planned. I take out the off-the-shoulder maxi dress I bought from a store I found online. It has lace trimming on the arms and the hem of the dress, and is amazingly comfortable.

  After I style my hair, apply my makeup, and get dressed, Marcel says, “Come with me.” He takes my hand, closing it in his, and leads the way out of the cottage. The sun is still setting, and the rain has cleared for the night.

  “Where are you taking me?” I ask with a giggle as he walks hand-in-hand with me through the path that leads to the beach.

  He smirks over his shoulder. “You’ll see.”

  I can’t help smiling as we walk between a line of palm trees and sand covered in red and white rose petals that weren’t there before. I can’t fight my smile when I spot them.

  What is this man up to?

  When our feet hit the sand, Marcel turns to the left, and when I pick my head up after watching where I was stepping, I can’t believe my eyes.

  A trail of lanterns leads to the most romantic setup I have ever seen in my life. A white sheet is spread out on the beach at the end of the trail of lanterns. Red pillows top the sheets, placed in front of a long rectangular table. On top of the table are tall glass vases with candles flickering inside them, as well as plates and wine glasses set up for two. The romantic set up is surrounded by many lit candles in varying sizes of containers.

  Marcel releases my hand as we near it, and I cup my mouth, my eyes automatically glistening.

  Two servers appear with trays in hand, and they take what I assume is food to the table, covered with silver domes. They bob their heads at us and then walk away to a station nearby.

  A Hawaiian man walks toward the setup with a Bible tucked beneath his arm and a smile on his face. He stands by an arch that is swathed in billowing, sheer white fabric, that I totally missed before. It’s closer to the water, but there are candles by the arch too.

  “Oh my God, Marcel,” I gasp. “You did all this?”

  Marcel shrugs and smiles. “It’s just a little somethin’.”

  “Are you kidding me! It’s perfect!” I rush to him, jumping in his arms. He catches me, and I crush his lips with mine. “I love it so much! Oh my God, it’s so perfect!”

  “This is a night I don’t ever want you to forget.” Marcel places me on my feet, holding my hand and walking to the man standing beneath the arch.

  He greets us when we meet him then tells us to hold hands. As we do, I notice one of the men who brought the food has a camera in hand and is snapping pictures.

  I can’t stop smiling. I can’t believe he set all of this up. He’s definitely a hopeless romantic.

  The candlelight shows the sparkle in Marcel’s eyes. He has a sure smile on his lips as the man with the Bible speaks. Neither of us prepared vows, seeing as this was supposed to be a simple marriage, so he tells us what to say. Each line is a promise, my devotion to him. Marcel even has the rings we picked out, and we slide them onto each other’s fingers.

  And when he tells us to kiss, you better believe we kiss. Marcel holds me tight as I throw my arms around the back of his neck. I kiss my new husband so passionately and for so long. I kiss him like my life depends on it, because I do depend on him.

  If it weren’t for Marcel, I never would have walked away—never would have known this was out there, waiting for me.

  If it hadn’t been for this gorgeous man in my arms, I’m not sure I’d have found myself. But I did, and I found myself in him.

  He wasn’t just a man that scratched an itch. Since the moment our eyes connected, I was drawn to him.

  Back then he was off limits. Back then, I was clueless. He wasn’t a person I should have wanted, but none of that matters now, because he is here, and he is what I need.

  Never have I felt a love so fierce. Never have I fallen so hard for someone whom I was never supposed to have, but I have him now, right here in my arms.

  He’s all mine, and I swear, I am never letting him go.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Marcel

  I have been through so much shit in my life.

  I lost everything at one point, and thought I’d never find happiness or even a family again….

  Then I met Gabrielle Lewis, a woman whom I didn’t even realize was going to change my life at the time.”

  She ended up getting under my skin, something not many people can do. I was the kind of man who could easily shrug off flirtations, or a faint feeling of lust, but with Gabby, it was a completely different ball game.

  She stormed into my life and swept me right off my feet. Sounds cheesy as hell, but it’s true, and it’s the only way I can describe what she did to me. This woman changed my life for the better.

  After getting married and sharing a delicious dinner, we went back to the cottage and made love several times. To be honest, I lost count. We have today and tomorrow left in Hawaii, and I plan on cherishing these last two days and making her mine in every way imaginable.

  I’m now lying on my back on a towel the day after our elopement, looking over at her.

  She’s resting with a hand behind her head, the other hand splayed on her belly, the gold wedding band shining on her finger. She is mine, no doubt about it. She’s the mother of my child. I trust her with my life.

  “Are you staring at me, Mr. Ward?” Gabby asks. Her eyes are still closed beneath her sunglasses, her lips curving upward.

  “Damn right I am, Mrs. Ward.”

  Her eyes pop open, and she turns onto her side with a laugh. “Is there something I can help you with?”


  I turn over too, smiling. “I think there is. How about we head back to the cottage and find out?”

  Her eyebrows shift up in surprise. “Again?”

  I laugh and push to a stand, then rush for her, scooping her up in my arms and dashing through the sand.

  She squeals, holding onto me tightly as I run along the trail that leads to the cottage. I burst right through the door, kicking it shut behind me and tossing her on the bed in the room.

  She wastes no time sitting up on her knees and pulling her top off. A low, hungry growl forms in my throat as I unlatch my swim trunks and step out of them.

  My mouth lands on hers as I loop my fingers under the straps on the bottoms of her bathing suit. As soon as she’s out of them and her bathing suit top, I pick her up off the bed, and guide her pussy down on my cock.

  Her mouth parts wider, and for a moment I have to still inside her because she feels so damn good.

  “I love you,” she moans on my lips.

  “I love you,” I say through a ragged breath, then lift her up and back down again, clutching her ass tight in my hands.

  She holds onto my shoulders, shifting her pussy up and down on my swollen cock.

  “Let me,” she breathes, and I spin around, landing on the bed with her on top of me. She plants her hands on my chest, and I swear she rides the fuck out of me. With her curly hair covering half of her face, and her beautiful tits right on display, I know I won’t be able to fight my orgasm for much longer.

  Lowering her upper body, she kisses my mouth, but doesn’t stop lifting those hips to ride my dick. Her lips trail down to the crook of my neck, then up to my ear, her hair running feathery light over my cheek. I pulse inside her with each kiss.

  “I’m close, Gabby,” I groan, and I expect her to slow down, but she doesn’t let up.

  She continues, rolling her hips, grinding her pussy all over my dick. I swear, I never used to come so fast, but there is something about Gabby’s pussy that drives me crazy.