He grinned. It was a feral, hungry smile. “How. Tell me how, wife.”
“Hard.” She gasped, shocked with how much she needed him. “Fuck me hard.”
“I knew it,” he said triumphantly as if she’d just confirmed something.
Then he unleashed a storm of kisses on her.
They made love quietly yet no less urgently on the floor, his hands clasped around her face, her legs tight around his waist. One adoring kiss after another was pressed on her face, and she clung to him, wanting and needing him more by the second. He suckled her breasts, pinched her nipples, brought her to the brink before retreating several, maddening times. Yet she couldn’t be annoyed. She felt beautiful and cherished with every brush of his lips on her skin, and he reminded her of just how much he always desired her with every stroke of his cock, for every darkening shade his amber eyes leaped to as the seconds passed.
She came with a groan, loud but not as loud as usual. He followed soon after, his release dragged from the deepest pits of his soul. On and on, he pumped inside her, no longer kissing her but panting against her cheek, her mouth, her ear, before his body snapped, and he fell on her heavily. ”Valerie, my Valerie,” he chanted as she cupped his face and kissed him. He rolled off her, both of them gasping as he was suddenly out of her, but he embraced her. They lay on their sides, facing each other, kissing tiredly yet their want of each other unwavering.
They hardly felt the abrasion of the carpet under their sweat-slicked bodies as blue and amber gazed into each other. Then he pulled her so she may rest her head on his chest, right on where his heartbeat. It was the most reassuring sound in the world, so firm and vital. Her name flitted from his lips as she kissed his breast. The tenderness of her kiss wasn’t lost on him. He tugged gently at her hair, so she will look at him when he said the words.
“I love you.”
She took the hand holding her hair and kissed the palm, the wrist with a devotion that plucked something deep inside him. “Don’t stop,” she whispered. She pressed his palm to her cheek. “Don’t stop, Justin.”
“Never.”
She settled back in his arms. He felt everything that he wanted was in this circle.
The floor was hard, the carpet rough. But in the afterglow, in this little space, they were content.
That is until Valerie's stomach growled like a beast. Justin broke into rich, unabashed laughter.
Ten
Astons never did anything halfway, and the celebrations for The Bay Storming were further proof.
She shared this with Justin as they walked through the street, Donald and his sister Hannah, who was also the mayor, walking ahead of them. Valerie had met her before and thought her the female version of her brother. Her hair was white and cut in a stylish crop. As it went with Astons, her eyes were the color of amber, but with a sharp, assessing stare she shared with Donald. Valerie had met her years before, during the engagement party. The short woman had looked at her from head to toe, the expression on her face impassive, before proclaiming loudly about her lovely eyes and wide hips perfectly suited for birthing children. Valerie was never quick with words outside the classroom and had blushed heavily. Justin, who had been on the other end of the room, practically dove through the crowd to be at her side as his aunt went on to declare that she never thought her nephew would ever choose someone as intelligent as Valerie.
Valerie knew there was no malice on Aunt Hannah, but Justin still thought to keep her contact with his blunt relative minimal. She braced herself for Hannah’s reaction as her hard eyes settled on her great-nephews before looking up at Valerie and, with a rare, pleased smile, congratulated her on such beautiful boys. “Blue-eyed babies, how glorious,” she said, leaning down and smiling at the boys, who all beamed at her with their dimpled smiles.
Justin held Leo and Tyler by their hands while Valerie pushed the pram that contained Kenneth and Colin. Kenneth and Colin could walk, but the crowds and their leisurely pace might tire them.
They continued their way through the crowd, awed at the amazing displays and activity all around. The Sandy Bay Historical Society had a booth that rented costumes so people could walk around in clothes from the time of The Bay Storming and also offered guided walking tours. There were several face-painting stalls that intrigued Leo and Tyler, who insisted on availing of the services. Leo had his face painted like a lion and Tyler a panda. Colin stuck out his hand toward a stall selling plushies, so Valerie got him a red fish. Kenneth smiled and pointed at a blue bird.
Wherever they went, Hannah and Donald were greeted by name, and Justin too. It was a glimpse into people in her life that Valerie didn’t know much about. Donald was often stern and cold, and for a long time, dictatorial and unforgiving. This caused a rift between him and his children that had only begun to heal in recent years, but Asher, Samantha, and Justin were still wary of dealing with him. Towards Valerie, Donald was a little friendlier, and she suspected it was because of her children. But seeing how Donald greeted back people by name and inquired about their families and other affairs gave her insight into this man. Perhaps he was often misunderstood, and hid the fact that he had a heart under all that defense, she thought. Hannah was the same with the people, but Valerie figured it was part of her job, and Sandy Bay was small - she had to know who she was serving.
She and Justin broke away from Donald and Hannah so their children could have some modicum of rest from the sights and sounds. They were on a picnic table, feeding their children, when a blond, rosy-cheeked woman approached them, calling for Justin. He looked up from feeding Leo a fruit cup to grin. “Hey, Lia!”
He got up from the bench and accepted the hug she gave him. Valerie stood up, awkwardly, flushing, as her husband exchanged pleasantries with the woman. She was pretty and seemed friendly, not waiting for Justin to introduce his wife as she went to Valerie with a hand outstretched. “Hello. You must be Justin’s wife. I’m Lia.”
“Valerie.”
Justin slipped an arm around Valerie’s waist. “Valerie’s a professor at Easton University,” he said, quiet pride edging his voice. “The four terrors behind us are our sons. Tyler, Leo, Kenneth, and Colin.”
“You have four children?” Lia exclaimed. “God, Colby and I have to catch up, won’t we? We only have one!” Peering at the children’s golden heads and blue eyes, clearly missing Kenneth’s green gaze, she gasped, “Are they twins?”
“Yes. We have two sets,” Valerie said proudly. Her cheeks pinkened even more as Justin placed a deep kiss on the side of her neck.
“Unbelievable,” Lia shook her head. “Wow.”
“Tell Valerie,” Justin said. “She did all the hard work. I only contributed.”
As Lia hooted with laughter, Valerie rolled her eyes at Justin. He shrugged, chuckling. Catching this, Lia groaned, “My, you still try the patience of the Almighty, don’t you, Justin Aston? Lucky for you, someone puts up with it. Willingly.”
“Not all the time,” Valerie joked.
“Hey,” Justin protested.
“Well, I should go. I’m surprised to see you, Justin, but really glad. You should visit more often. Valerie, it was nice meeting you. And good luck with this one.” With that, Lia waved goodbye.
“She seems nice,” Valerie told Justin, who wrapped his other arm around her from behind.
He dropped a kiss on her nape and behind her ear before squeezing her waist and letting go. “So, you won’t be mad when I tell you we dated all throughout middle school?”
“You were dating in middle school?” Valerie exclaimed.
“What? Good looks like mine go way back,” he told her, sitting down on the bench. As Valerie muttered he was impossible, he added, “I only started dating bimbos in college, wife.”
“Justin, maybe you should keep your voice down. We don’t want one of your ex-girlfriends overhearing, and I don’t have the energy to defend you,” Valerie joked, her blue eyes twinkling.
“Almost worth risking it,” he to
ld her, his gaze admiring and warm. “Just to see you fighting for me.”
Kenneth suddenly squealed, and Valerie turned to him, cooing. In between, she said in a singsong voice, “I’ll need a weapon. I’m guessing there are hordes angry ex-girlfriends.”
“You have it.” He wiggled his eyebrows and leered at her. She rewarded him with her cheeks acquiring the color of beets and dropping her eyes to her lap.
“Aren’t you, uh, you know, a little oversexed already?” She asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. She turned redder, and it took all the restraint Justin had to not grab her and kiss her senseless. “And I thought we wouldn’t be having sex outside the bedroom.”
“Oh, believe me, not for a while. Donald’s, uh…” Justin’s voice faltered. Valerie, understanding, groaned, “Oh god, he talked to you about what happened earlier, didn’t he?”
“It didn’t start out that way. But he thought it prudent for me to know that he’d already conquered Shady Grove.” Valerie frowned, not getting it immediately. Justin mentally begged her to not ask him to elaborate some more when a fiery blush exploded from her forehead down to her neck, followed by an, “He didn’t!”
“Oh, yes, he did.” Justin scooped some food for Leo.
She gasped, “He talked to you about having sex with your mother - “
He looked queasy. “Please, don’t finish that thought.”
Her eyes huge, she covered her mouth. “Oh my god.”
He grimaced. “I know.”
“I still can’t believe it.”
“He thought to tell me that Samantha and I were likely conceived in the library.” This time, the flush vanished from Valerie’s face. All her freckles seemed gone in an instant as her face paled.
“Justin, please tell me that the furniture in the library was changed at some point.”
He stared at the sky than at her before shaking his head. Again, she blurted out, “No, Justin.” She looked like she was going to retch herself, but she gathered herself, seeking calm and balance. Though still pale, she murmured, “I’m so sorry I left you alone to face him.”
“He’d have found an excuse to get me alone. Don’t apologize.” He assured her.
Valerie felt sick. It was one thing to be embarrassed before Donald Aston. But to face him alone after getting caught literally with your pants down must have been terrifying. She looked at her husband in wonder. He didn’t want to tell me, she thought. He wanted to protect me from that.
She reached for his hand. “I guess we should take turns defending each other.”
He pushed his fingers between hers. “Yeah. It’s nice to be the one protecting you for a change.”
They exchanged a tender look before Valerie, blushing again, leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips. He kissed her back, loving the contrast between his slender lips and her pillowy mouth. Her eyes were clear blues as she whispered, “I love you.”
He nuzzled his nose against hers. “I love you back.”
They finished feeding the children and saw more of the stalls. They ran into Donald and Hannah, who told them about an outdoor concert in an hour’s time. It was the main event, along with a series of one-act plays at the cultural center and the museum being open until midnight. There was also going to be a pyrotechnics show after the concert. Justin’s eyes brightened at that - he loved fireworks and wanted to share the experience with his sons. The late hour was a hindrance, however. If they put the boys down for a nap now, they wouldn’t sleep the entire night and would be cranky babies come morning - when they were driving back to Easton. Screaming children during a four-hour drive were not wanted in any way.
It was over dinner at the Flute when Donald proposed camping on the beach so they could watch the fireworks - it was going to come from a boat in the sea. Valerie looked absolutely delighted with the idea, but Justin snorted, “You? Camping? On the beach?”
“Oh, you.” Valerie scolded him. “It sounds like fun!”
Justin crossed his arms and announced, “Donald Aston has never gone camping in his life.”
“I slept in a tent with my grandsons a few nights ago,” Donald pointed out. “I survived.”
“Or you can avoid the inconvenience of getting sand everywhere by staying with me,” Hannah offered. “My house has a roof deck, and we can see the fireworks from there. Or we can watch right from the beach since it is right behind my house,” she added, smiling at Colin as he held out his hand to touch her cheek.
“That sounds even better,” Justin declared. “Thanks, Aunt Hannah.”
“Oh. Everyone in this table knows both you and Donald won’t survive the night without your creature comforts. Aston men,” Hannah huffed, winking at Valerie. “Pampered asses, that’s what they are.”
As Valerie bit back her laugh, Justin said defensively, “I have gone camping. With my wife. We went to the Rockies a year ago.”
“Husband, I practically had to beg you to learn how to fish,” Valerie reminded him with a smirk. Justin chuckled and, squeezing her knee under the table, whispered something in her ear that sent a hot flush flaring from her cheeks. She elbowed him lightly.
“The children will have to share a room, I’m afraid,” Hannah told Valerie apologetically. “My house is sizeable enough. I only have three rooms and a very comfortable sofa that pulls out into a bed.”
As Valerie shook her head to say they wouldn’t mind, Justin put an arm around her shoulders. “We’ll take the sofa. I hope it’s not too far from the boys, though.”
“It’s really nice of you to offer, Hannah,” Valerie told her.
Hannah smiled at her and waved her hand. “Oh, it’s nonsense, dear. My son hardly visits, and you’ll be doing me a wonderful favor keeping me company. I don’t have grandchildren yet, so my brother will just have to let me poach his for the night.”
After dinner, they went back to Shady Grove to pack. It didn’t take them long because Valerie had organized the twins’ clothes and other things before they left for the festival. Justin loved that about her - among many things - never mind that her organization drove him up the wall plenty of times. They drove off in their SUV, which included Donald sitting with Leo and Kenneth at the back. Valerie offered to switch seats with him, but he refused.
Hannah welcomed them and took Kenneth from Justin’s arms before proceeding to show them around. Valerie held Colin while Justin and Donald had Leo and Tyler.
Hannah’s house was modest compared to Shady Grove standards, but it was definitely bigger than Justin and Valerie’s house back in Easton. There was one suite and two bedrooms, a huge, sprawling kitchen with state-of-the-art equipment. The den, also spacious, was surrounded by bay windows and looked out to the beach. Hannah warned them to pull the shutters down at night else they’d wake up with the sun right in their eyes.
She led them out through the den, stepping on wooden floorboards as she did. Padded lounge chairs beckoned for one to lazily sprawl on it or to simply tan. Valerie caught the significant look Justin gave the lounge chairs, and she pinched him gently, shaking her head. He grinned, and they followed Donald and Hannah down the beach.
Valerie squinted, flinging a hand to her eyes while she firmed her grip on Colin. Colin imitated her and mumbled, “Sun.”
“Yes, sweetheart. Beautiful, isn’t it?” Valerie kissed him on the cheek. Colin squealed and threw his arms around her neck.
“Aunt, can we have a bonfire?” Justin asked, letting Leo drag him to a sitting position on the sand. Leo nodded eagerly and threw his fists in the air, “Yes, Daddy! Bonfire!”
“Well, if we’re having a bonfire, we’d need marshmallows and other treats,” Donald said nonchalantly.
“Things I never allow in the house unless there are special visitors,” Hannah said to them.
“That’s not a problem. I can go to the store and get them and other things.” Donald told her.
“I want to go with gram’pa!” Tyler announced.
Justin and Valerie exchanged a
look. Justin was hesitant, and Valerie, sensing his unease, said to Donald, “Tyler’s a bit of a handful, Donald. Are you sure?”
“Oh, I can handle one Aston boy fine enough,” Donald assured her. “Or two.”
Leo looked at Justin with puppy dog eyes. “Daddy, can I go?”
“I can go with you,” Valerie offered. “You might need help.”
She swore that the smile Donald gave her was a mirror of Justin’s. “That would be wonderful, Valerie. Yes, I’d love to have your company.”
Eleven
Valerie knew that she and Justin could get... very affectionate in public. Sometimes Justin crossed the line, but mostly, he behaved himself, or at least, as well-behaved as he could be. He put Leo and Tyler in their car seats while Donald made himself comfortable in the passenger seat.
“Hurry back to me,” Justin told her as she went around to get to the driver's side. Then he suddenly grabbed her and planted a rough, very inappropriate kiss right on her mouth. Shocked, Valerie’s mouth remained open, and he took this as an opportunity to sweep his tongue inside, which of course, buckled her knees and had her leaning heavily against him. His growl fills her and knocks her back to her senses. She snatched her head back, blue eyes wide with disbelief, mouth looking like a crushed strawberry. As she scowled at him, he told her, “Now he’s going to give you the talk too.”
“No, he isn’t,” she said, bowing her head to hide the violent blush overtaking her body from his kiss. Donald, mercifully, was distracted by the children when she reached the door. “I can’t believe you.”
“Well, that’s so you don’t get put off if he does,” he told her, ignoring her reaction because he took her hand and pressed a kiss on her palm. He grinned innocently. “You’re so proper and obedient.”
“Obedient, what the hell - “
“Justin, while it is understandable why you have difficulty letting your wife go, may I remind you that we’re just going to the store and she’ll be back in no time at all,” Donald said, infuriation and impatience in his voice as he regarded their joined hands. Valerie was a vivid tomato color as Justin burst out laughing.
Hearts Afire Page 8