by Storm, Sloan
And then, I felt his fingers harden, the pads of the tips pushing my hips down and him inside of me, at last. Wet and eager, my folds closed around him. Griff pushed with a satisfied grunt, and I broke free of his lips, tossing my head backwards and sputtering a high-pitched mewl.
"Oh fuck!" I clamped my eyes shut, hissing with pleasure. "Yes!"
Griff's pelvis cracked against me like a lion tamer's whip as he inserted the full length of his shaft inside of me. My body rocked back and forth in his grasp while I lost myself to the feel of him. The full head glided in and out with each silky smooth stroke, turning up my desire to have all he could give, every single inch.
Griff took charge, holding me above him while he continued to thrust, every ridge and groove tantalizing me. With each one, I wondered how much deeper he might go, how much more I could take, and more than anything wanting to discover the answers to both questions.
The heat from the fireplace began to make its presence felt. Our bodies warmed, a sheen formed on his pecs, tempting my tongue to dip in for a taste. I pulled my hair to one side and lowered my head, peppering the thick slabs with tender smacks.
While my tongue meandered, Griff slowed his pace, moving in and out with long, deliberate strokes. The change sent my body into convulsions of pleasure, whitewashing my mind in pure bliss.
Nothing mattered anymore. Only this. Only us.
This was the closest I'd ever get to real magic in life. The man I loved, more than anything in this world, and the child we'd bring together into it.
No past, no future…
Only now, this instant. He and I melded together as one.
Griff pushed into me with a grunt. "Baby?"
I nodded, half-aware and panting for my next breath. "Uh huh?"
"I wanna watch you cum."
I flipped my hair forward. It fell in front of my face, and I reached for it, trying to move it away from my eyes. He said it again.
"Cum for me, baby."
My lower lip drifted in, and I bit down on it while lowering my hand between my thighs. This won't take long. I'd just touched my clit when he spoke again.
"Look at me while you do it. Don't close your eyes. Don't look away."
"Mmm, hmm." I'm pretty sure I grunted.
He couldn't be any deeper, it wasn't possible. I sunk my hips hard, pushing myself all the way down and moved my fingers into position. Griff stared into my eyes, held my hips, and gave me a final thrust. Never in my life had I climaxed with my eyes open.
Just starting was awkward.
Griff sensed it, letting go of my hips. With a smooth motion, he raised his thumb to his mouth and moistened it. His eyes never left mine while his hand moved between my thighs, easing mine aside. After, his thumb pressed into my clit and my body turned to gelatin.
He started out making small, deliberate circles with the thick pad of his digit. Oh fuck. His cock pulsed inside of me while I straddled him, a reminder that he was far from finished. Soon, a steady rhythm built, and I reached between my thighs brushing his hand aside.
I can do it.
With one hand between my thighs and the other in the meaty middle of his chest, I began to pulse my hips up and down. The minutes ticked by, and my fingers found their groove - it wouldn't be long now.
Not long at all.
"Griff," I breathed, sucking in my lip. "I'm going to cum."
"When, baby?"
On instinct, my eyes tried to close, but I fought it, keeping them open. "Soon, I…"
"Show me. I want to see it."
I nodded. You will.
My fingers flew, flicking and dancing. I focused on his face and those beautiful blue pools. Yes, I am doing this for you. At first, it was because he asked, but as the seconds ticked by, that changed. I wanted it. Unblinking, I ground my pelvis into his, every stroke of my fingers focusing my efforts.
Soon, that effort faded.
In its place, the certainty I'd give him exactly what he wanted. Only this time, there would be no words, no warning. My body jerked, the words vibrated from my soul while orgasm shook me through an unblinking stare.
"Ohhhh…" my breath quaked while I shook and muttered. "Ohhhhh… Oh God…"
"I can feel it." Griff reached for my neck, pulling me to his mouth for a kiss. "I feel your cum on my cock."
The words nearly sent me into another climax before our lips met a second later. Still in the aftermath, I melted into his kiss, my body under his complete control.
His lips pulled away for an instant. "My turn."
Before I could react, Griff lifted me in the air and stood before laying me down on the couch again. With my legs spread, he wasted no time, spearing me with an unthinkable hardness.
The first thrust crippled me, sending my body deep into the lush couch cushions. Through half-opened lids, I looked up in awe at his perfect torso, seemingly built for this purpose alone. Griff's huge hands gripped me at the waist, swallowing my hips in their grasp.
His fingers curled under, digging into my flesh while he began to thrust harder, deeper, faster.
"Shit." He grimaced.
His face remained half concealed in shadow. It didn't matter. What I felt deep inside told me everything I needed to know.
"Look into my eyes." I pushed myself up on my elbows. "I want to see your face when you come inside of me. Don't look away."
His hips never stopped moving. Griff's eyes met mine, and a smile came to the corner of his mouth.
"Gladly…"
Over the next several minutes, he pushed deep, going further than ever before. All the while, his eyes never left me while he held me, rocked me, fucked me.
Just then, his body started to twitch, staccato pulses disrupted the smooth motion of his hips. Griff grunted with purpose, heat from his effort, dripping from his chest onto my tits.
He pushed even harder, and I grabbed hold of his ass cheeks ready for the instant when he'd finally give me what I'd been missing. Griff's lower back arched, and he slammed his hips into mine, pain and pleasure transforming the focus on his face into a mask of bliss.
"Fuuuuck!" he cried out, slamming his cock into me. "Fuck!"
I sucked in my lower lip and dug my nails into his ass, holding him there while the heat from his dick laced my insides. This is what I'd been missing, him inside of me tonight and…
Forever.
41
Promises (Griff)
We had a long night. But that's to be expected. After nearly losing Sneaks, there was no chance the love of my life would fall out of my arms even for a second.
While she slept, I awoke reinvigorated, like I'd gotten a second chance at life. In almost every way, I had. Not only was she back in my life where she belonged, but I had every reason to believe the fortune I deserved would be mine by days' end.
Before the sun rose, I'd already been splitting logs for an hour, relishing the still, cool morning air and the ax's ruthless efficiency.
There's something about being up early, putting in work when others just want to rest. It was part of what made me successful - the knowledge I had what it took to outwork any man.
Even after all the setbacks, I'd persevered, and now it was time for that winning streak to continue until the end of my days - as long as Sneaks was there to witness it with me.
While my angel slept, I showered and grabbed a coffee.
By the time I headed to the back porch, the morning sun painted its water-colored masterpiece, illuminating the endless sea of evergreens like thousands of Christmas trees. Bringing the coffee mug to my mouth, I took another gulp. Heat from inside the mug clashed with the cool mountain air, sending a haze of steam in front of my eyes.
It cleared away, and my phone started to ring.
Grant.
Before I answered, I savored the moment. In a strange way, I never felt more connected to my family, my heritage, than I did in that instant. Maybe it's because it took almost losing everything. I don't really know. What I did know
was that Foster Holdings’ brightest days were still ahead. I'd spent most of my life preparing to make it happen, and I had no doubt I would.
I answered, "Grant."
His words came at me in a hurry. He probably wasted a good minute begging for an apology. All other business at the firm came to a halt while they worked and tried to figure out how something like this could've happened.
I'm sure he was worried about exposure. God knows I had grounds to make an example out of them. I might, if I didn't get the answer I wanted.
Once he finished with his mea culpa, I responded. "Look I know you had no control over Mitchell. There're rats in every company."
"I appreciate your understanding, Mr. Foster."
"Don't get ahead of yourself. You may not even get that from me, unless I get a satisfactory answer about the estate. What's going on with it?"
Grant cleared his throat. "After our internal investigation, we've turned this matter over to the authorities. Mitchell has agreed to cooperate in exchange for a reduced sentence. As to what this means for Forever Forests, I really couldn't say."
Who the fuck cares? He wasn't getting it.
"What about my money, my inheritance, my family's legacy?"
"Oh, yes, my apologies. It's all yours. We just need you to come in and finalize the paperwork."
Sweet victory. At. Fucking. Last.
"That sounds good. I'll be back in Portland later this week. I've got a few things I need to wrap up at the estate first."
He thanked me again, and we hung up.
Now with the inheritance reinstated, I had big plans for later in the day. Of course, they involved Sneaks. Before I could pry her away from this tiny town for good, I had to make things right with her mom.
Luckily, Sneaks softened the blow for me. When her mom came home, and we were already gone, she freaked, texting and calling Sneaks. Since then, they'd already been on the phone, Sneaks giving her mom the details about Tabitha's story. They had a good cry over it. I'm sure there was more to come.
It was early afternoon by the time we arrived at her house.
Her mom met us at the door, stopping Sneaks for a hug before we went inside.
They separated, and Sneaks glanced at both of us. "I'll leave you two alone to talk."
"Thanks, babe." I gave her a smile and a quick kiss on the cheek.
I never raised my voice to her mom once, never argued with her the whole time that shit went down. She had bad information, but it wasn't her fault. I knew she was only trying to protect Sneaks. Getting into it with her wouldn't have changed a thing. It was easier to take the punishment. Once the truth came out, I figured we'd rekindle the connection we made in Portland.
I guess I was about to find out.
After Sneaks disappeared into the kitchen, her mom looked at me.
"Lily told me everything."
"Good." I gave her a smile. "I'm glad you had a chance to talk."
"I feel so bad about being quick to misjudge you. I really had no choice except to protect my daughter. Can you forgive me?"
"Of course I can. That's what a mom is supposed to do."
We hugged, and she leaned away. "I was sorry to hear about your Grandfather's passing. Lily tells me the two of you were very close."
"Thank you." Her condolence got to me a little. I'd been so damn focused since then, I really hadn't had any time to let it sink in. Maybe it was starting to, now. "We were close. He was the last of my family."
A tear rolled down her cheek. "That's so sad. I'm sorry to hear that. Life without a family must be hard."
I put my arm around her and pulled her close.
"I do have a family. My own, and it includes you. There's nothing to be sad about. I don't think I've ever been happier in my life."
She squeezed me close, sniffling. "So, you and Lily. The wedding is back on?"
"If she'll have me." I gave her a quick wink.
With that, we headed into the kitchen where Sneaks and Carl were chatting and making some lunch for everyone. We sat and ate, listening to Carl spin some yarns about his time in the gold fields of the Klondike. Gotta admit, it was pretty fascinating. He'd put himself through life's ringer more than once and wound up winning in the end. I was happy for him and Sneaks' mom, they seemed to be in love.
After all, isn't that really the most important thing? Having someone to love in this life?
Going through all the shit we did strengthened the bond between Sneaks and me. Even though I hated living through it, the beauty on the other side made it all worthwhile. Not only did I have the love of my life back, but we'd have a family of our own.
Soon, that would be my only focus. For today though, I had unfinished business left at the ranch. After we finished eating, we said our goodbyes, and Sneaks and I headed back.
I had a promise to keep.
And one more to make.
* * *
On the way back across town, I picked up my phone and dialed.
"Hey Jules," I said when she answered. "Is everything ready?"
"Yes. I'll be waiting for you when you get here. How far away are you?"
I glanced at Sneaks. "Not far, we'll be there in ten minutes or so. See you soon."
After hanging up, I reached for Sneaks, curling my hand around hers.
"What's going on?" Her curiosity got the better of her. "Is everything okay with Jules?"
My eyes never left the road ahead.
"Yes, she's fine." I nodded, giving her fingers a reassuring squeeze. "Everything's fine. There's nothing left for you to be worried about. I promise."
By the time we arrived at the estate, the November sun had already begun its early retreat. Soon, it would be the end of another day, not unlike the one that took Papa's. I glanced at Sneaks' still flat tummy. Before long, she'd bring my child into the world, maybe even on a day like today.
The cycle of life.
Minutes later, I pulled up in front of the house and parked the truck. Jules was standing there waiting for us.
"What's she holding?" Sneaks squinted, trying to figure it out.
"Come on. Everything will make sense soon."
After getting out of the truck, I walked around and helped Sneaks out, draping my arm across her shoulder. She leaned in, planting those satin soft lips against my stubble, and we started to walk toward Jules.
I gotta admit. Seeing the box. It was pretty fucking jarring at first. Approaching Jules, I couldn't help but be struck at the grim reality now facing me. A man as great as Papa, reduced to what couldn't have been more than five pounds.
I took my first step on to the hundred plus year old wooden stairs leading up to the house. They creaked and groaned like they had since I was a kid but stayed solid and steady, just like Papa had always been. Now it was my turn as the next Foster man to raise another generation with the same proud heritage Papa fought so hard to preserve.
Jules' red eyes told the story. The tears were still fresh. I glanced at Sneaks to see her fighting them back also.
"Is that it?" I pointed at the simple oak box.
Jules snapped her head up and down a couple of times before choking out a response.
"I'm sorry." She sniffled again. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry in front of you."
Sweet soul. "There's nothing to be sorry about." I leaned in and hugged Jules, taking the box.
"I still didn't think he'd go so soon." She wiped away a swath of tears with the back of her hand. "I'm going to miss him. And you."
I smiled at her when an idea came to me. It wasn't exactly what she'd been trained to do, but if she could deal with Papa in his final days and come out the other side of it, well, I figured she could do just about anything.
"No need for it to be that way. Any interest in continuing to work for the Fosters? In a different capacity, of course."
Jules mournful expression turned quizzical. "What do you mean?"
With the box safely tucked under one arm, I pulled Sneaks close with the o
ther. "Lily's pregnant. We're going to be needing a nanny. There's no one in the world I trust more than you."
I paused and looked at Sneaks. "Isn't that right?"
Even though I'd caught her off guard, Sneaks didn't miss a beat, smiling and nodding. "Of course."
Jules shook her head. "A nanny, I— I don't know what to say…"
"How about yes? We'll work out the details later. I promise I'll make it worth your while."
Her tears returned, and Jules struggled, barely able to keep up with them.
"I'm a mess. Ugh. Sorry. I would love to. Thank you both, very much."
We all shared another embrace, and before she walked away, I let her know I'd be in touch when the time was right. Once Jules was out of sight, Sneaks looked up at me.
"That was so sweet of you. I can tell how much it meant to her."
I reached for her face, gliding my fingers through her hair. "Thank you for agreeing to it. I know I probably should have asked, but Jules is like family to me. I couldn't let her go."
"I know. It'll be wonderful having her." Sneaks moved in and hugged me.
"By the way," I began, leaning away. "For the record, it had nothing to do with being sweet. I want you free to make lots more babies, you're gonna need all the help you can get."
Sneaks looked up at me. Seeing a smile on her face again made all the suffering and bullshit worth it. The smooth feel of the box under my arm was a weighty reminder of how much I needed to see it every day, for the rest of my days.
"Well." I positioned the box in front of my body. "It's time."
"Time for what?"
"To fulfill Papa's final wish. He asked to have his remains scattered around the estate."
Sneaks looked at the box, then at me. "Oh, um, okay. How long will you be gone?"
"Not me." I shook my head at her. "We will probably be gone for a few hours."
"Are you sure you don't want to be alone?"
"This is all that's left of a man." I gave the box a gentle pat with my hand. "A lifetime of joy, heartbreak, struggle, and triumph. All of it reduced to this. The only thing we have in this life is the people who matter to us, the ones we love. Without them, there is no life."