by K. Langston
Was there an emotion greater than love?
If so this was it.
This…was everything.
I whispered her name, moving my lips across her jaw, down her neck, across her collar bone, savoring the taste of my true love. Her sighs were breathy and warm against my ear, setting my blood on fire. I found her mouth once more, threading my fingers through her soft hair.
“I want you,” she said.
I met her eyes and let go of her long enough to take off my shirt. Cora lifted her hips and unbuttoned my jeans, her eager fingers fumbling with the zipper as she worked to set me free. Then she stood up and shimmied out of her shorts and panties while I scooted back and wadded my shirt to tuck beneath my head.
She resumed her position, palming my cock. “Cannon,” she said, sounding more desperate as she leaned down to kiss my neck.
I wrapped my hand around her neck, aligning her mouth with mine. “I want you to ride me, but I want you to do it start slow. I wanna feel every single second with you, every goddamn inch.”
“Just me and you,” she said breathless upon my lips.
My heart beat faster.
“Just me and you,” I repeated as she eased down on me.
With my fingers digging into her thighs, she placed her hands next to my head and began rocking back and forth slowly. Her hot pussy gliding up and down my cock, coating me in her slick, wet heat. I grunted, reaching around to grip her ass while lifting my hips to meet hers while continuing the slow and steady pace.
“I…I need you,” she whispered.
“You got me baby.”
“I need you deeper.”
“Fuck,”
I reached back further, dragging the wetness from her pussy to her ass. “Yes,” she cried out above me as I dipped the tip of my middle finger inside her tight little hole. “Oh God.”
“You like that?”
“Yes.”
“You want me that deep, Cora?”
“Yes.”
“Baby.” Blood coursed through my veins at a fevered rate. I pumped my hips, thrusting in and out of her while fucking her tight ass with my finger. Her forehead pressed against mine, our breaths mingling in the dark, lost in each other beneath the stars.
So right.
So high.
Lips…eyes…hair…touch.
Too much
Not enough.
Eyes closed.
MINE.
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
~James Dean
The wedding was held at the family’s church. Noble had kept the ceremony traditional, wearing a simple vintage gown with her hair braided and twisted in romantic knots. You could see the pride shining in Titus and Ruby’s eyes as he walked his only daughter down the aisle.
I was close enough to hear the gasp Tom made when he lifted her veil, revealing his beautiful bride. My eyes and throat burned as they read their vows to one another, vows they’d written themselves, promising to love and devote their lives to each other forever.
I was seated between Cannon and his seventy-seven year old grandmother. Gran Gran, as she demandingly insisted I call her, dug into her oversized big purple bag, retrieving a silver flask with a J engraved on it. She calmly placed it in my hand, as if people bring flasks to church every single day. “Here…take a lil sip of this.”
What the hell?!
I looked at Cannon who quickly snatched the flask from my hand, tucking it into the breast pocket of his coat.
Still in shock, I blinked at her. “I love Jesus…I just drink a little.” She smiled.
“Ma!” Titus hissed over his shoulder.
Gran Gran giggled.
I somehow managed to stifle mine.
She tossed me a wink.
This woman was going to be my new best friend.
Cannon valeted the truck and escorted us inside the massive ballroom. Crystal chandeliers, crystal champagne glasses being held with Cristal bubbling in earnest from each one. The ceremony may have been small and simple, but they spared no expense with the reception. Waiters with short white coats milled about, offering hors d’oeuvres and drinks to the many distinguished guests. Orchids peppered the linen covered tables, accented with tea lights and fancy place settings.
My own imagination never conjured anything this elaborate for my own wedding. Not that I had much to compare it to. I’d only been to two. Maddie and Holden’s of course, and my friend Suzy from high school who got married in her parent’s backyard to a guy named Bubba who wore a camouflage tuxedo and requested a buckshot groom’s cake.
Not my thing either, but hey…different strokes.
My hand in his, Cannon searched for our table when he stopped dead in his tracks, causing me to bump into his back. When I caught sight of what he was staring at, I gasped. I knew who she was. I didn’t even have to ask. Because when I stepped around to Cannon’s side and released his hand, I could see it all over his pale face.
Nikki.
She hadn’t been able to make it to the ceremony. He’d been nervous all morning about seeing her again, but shortly after we arrived, Mrs. Ruby had told us Nikki would only be attending the reception. Her little boy had come down with a stomach bug overnight, so she wasn’t able to make it.
Now here she was, looking every bit as beautiful as Cannon had described her.
“Hey,” she greeted, taking a step forward. Cannon didn’t say a word. “You must be, Cora,” she offered me a hand and a warm smile.
I gave her mine.
“Ruby has told me so much about you,” she said, bringing her eyes to Cannon’s. Without a word she stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He stood frozen for half a second until his arms finally folded around her back, accepting her affectionate embrace. They held each other for a moment before she finally released him, wiping away the tears. “I hated I couldn’t bring Christopher. He’s been driving me crazy about seeing you. Ruby told me to bring him by, but I wasn’t sure you wanted to see me. You never answered any of my calls, emails. You just…disappeared.” Nikki gave me an apologetic look before meeting Cannon’s eyes once more.
He let go of a heavy sigh but continued to hold her hand. “I know. I should have called. It was just…too much. I couldn’t stay here. His memory was eating me alive.”
Pain flashed in her soft blue eyes. “Did you ever think about the effect that it would have on me? I lost him. Then I lost you. God, it’s been so hard. And Christopher…” she trailed off. “He misses his father so much.”
A part of me wanted to be jealous of their history, I am a woman after all. It’s within our DNA to be jealous when it comes to our man and a woman of his past. But how could I be? The past was theirs. I had no claim to it. The only thing I could call mine was his future.
And that was more than enough for me.
“I’m so sorry, Nik. I was selfish, I know, but I wouldn’t change a thing. If I hadn’t left…there’s no tellin’ what I would have done. My head wasn’t right. I wasn’t right.” Cannon’s eyes swung to mine. “But now I have hope. I still struggle but…it’s getting better.”
“I’m glad to hear that. It’s getting better for me too. The good days are beginning to outnumber the bad, so I’m holding on to that right now. Christopher has a lot of questions. Ones I can’t answer or don’t want to. For seven years old, he’s an inquisitive little shit.” She laughed. “So much like Landon, it’s scary.” She was starting to tear up again. “Shit, I need to go. I just wanted to bring Noble’s gift and say hello to everyone, especially you.” Nikki pulled me in for a hug.
“Me? Why me?” I asked.
“Because you brought him back to us.”
I had no idea what to say or how to respond, so I didn’t. I accepted her token of gratitude in the form of a tight hug and a sincere smile.
“Mind if I come by and see him tomorrow before we go. If he’s feelin’ better?” Cannon asked.
Nikki nodded with a smile. “We’d like that.
Call in the morning. I’ll let you know.”
“Sounds good.” They hugged once more before he let her go.
We didn’t speak of the encounter after Cannon ushered us to our table where we found our assigned seats near the bride and groom.
Throughout the evening, Cannon appeared to be more at ease than ever. He’d removed his coat, looking positively delectable in his lavender vest, a lazy smile tugging the corner of his lips as he sat relaxed in his seat. But it was his eyes that told the tale. The tale of a broken hero. One who had been hiding for so very long and now…he was free. Free from the chains of his past. Oh, it was still there. It always would be. But now he had me. We had each other. And we had love.
We’d found our place in each other.
Our purpose.
Closing my eyes briefly, I thanked God for giving him to me. For allowing me to be the one he gave all of himself to. I felt like the luckiest woman on the planet. Even though I knew there was a bigger force behind all of this. Cannon’s hand covered mine and I opened my eyes. His rough fingers circled, bringing the ridge of my knuckles to his lips.
“Dance with me,” he said, pulling me from my seat.
“I thought you didn’t dance?”
“I do a lot of things I never thought I would do,” He twirled me around before pulling me in close. “Because of you.”
The band sang a perfect rendition of Thinking Out Loud as Cannon led me out onto the dance floor. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I laid my head on his beating heart. It pounded against my ear, drowning out the music and everything else around me. “I don’t think I could have survived this visit without you.” His voice was thick, filled with deep emotion. I lifted my head from his chest, looking into his soft blue eyes. “No one has ever made me feel the way you do. No one ever will. I breathe easier because of you, sleep better. Because of you…I want more.”
“Cannon.”
“The only thing I regret most is not opening my eyes sooner. You were right here all along. I had you this whole time. I was just too fuckin’ blind to see.”
“Well, now you see.” I smiled, tears pooling in my eyes.
“Now I see.”
“Know what else I see?” he asked, kissing my neck.
“What?”
“An exit.”
“Oh yeah? I think we should go to your spot again,” I suggested with a whisper to his ear.
“I think I like your way of thinkin’ babe.”
Men trust their ears less than their eyes.
~Herodotus
Be there in twenty.
Hurry up, I’m starving.
For my cock?
Funny, but no. I need real food.
My cock is real food. Keeps you full doesn’t it?
Stop playing and hurry up dammit! We’re gonna be late.
We were going to be early, plenty of time to lay you down first.
You best be wearing that little sundress I like.
I am. And the panties you like. If you’re a good boy I’ll let you have dessert later.
Be there in fifteen. And I ain’t waitin’ for dessert.
We were going to a cookout at Maddie and Holden’s tonight. Some kind of house warming party Katy was throwing. Cora was helping out beforehand so she wanted to be there extra early. I didn’t mind though. The guys would be there too so I wasn’t complaining. We’d been back from Alabama a week now, our relationship growing and thriving more than ever.
We’d grown closer.
Stronger.
I pocketed my phone and reached for my bag before walking out the door. Cora didn’t know it yet, but I would be sleeping in her bed tonight. I hadn’t had a nightmare in close to a week. Doc said it had a lot to do with me coming to terms with the past. That was probably true, but I knew it had a lot to do with her.
When you have something that good, filling your days with nothing but sweetness, it’s impossible to hold on to the bad shit.
I walked outside, spotting a familiar black car parked behind my truck. The tinted window rolled down as I approached and that’s when I saw the tears streaming down her face.
Shit.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, opening the car door.
Alexis’ head fell to her hands, gripping the top of the steering wheel as a sob wracked her body. She was a mess.
Hiccupping, she tried to catch her breath as she lifted her swollen eyes to mine. “I didn’t know where else to go.”
I bent down and reached for her hand, gently pulling her from the car. Assessing her body, I made sure she hadn’t been injured. “Someone hurt you?” I asked.
She shook her head and wiped her eyes. I studied her. She seemed to be sincerely upset, but I was still on high alert. I knew how manipulative Alexis Davis could be. I’d heard stories and even seen it firsthand. Probably should have never fucked her, but sadly, my dick had a taste for crazy back then.
“Can I come in?”
I looked at my watch. “I’m actually on my way out.”
“Please.” Her lip quivered as another tear slipped down her cheek. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
Fuck.
What was I supposed to do? She was clearly upset about something. I couldn’t just tell her to leave like this.
I walked her inside. Turning my back on someone who needed help was not in my blood. I would at least listen. Sometimes that’s all someone needs.
It had saved me.
I handed her a bottle of water from the fridge as she took a seat on the couch. Then she blew out a haggard breath, looking down at her knotted fingers. I’d never seen her show this much emotion before. It was uncomfortable, but also a little comforting to know she wasn’t the cold hearted bitch I always thought she was.
She began to sob.
Shit.
On instinct, I sat next to her on the couch, wrapping my arms around her. Her arms banded around my waist and guilt tightened its hold in my chest.
“My father rapes me.” She hiccupped through each word.
What.
The.
Fuck.
You could have knocked me over with a goddamn feather when those words, spoken with enough venom to kill ten horses, seeped from her mouth.
“Wanna know the messed up part?”
No, not really, but I had a feeling she was gonna share anyway.
“There were times when I enjoyed it. My father, the man who was supposed to love and protect me. How fucking sick is that?”
Nausea bubbled in my gut.
Pretty fucking sick.
“He’s been raping me since I was 12. I can’t take it anymore. I don’t know what to do.”
My mouth hung open, my mind racing with her confession.
“I think you should talk to someone about this,” I suggested.
“I am. I’m talking to you.” Her eyes were so full of pain. Pain I couldn’t even begin to comprehend, much less fix.
“What I mean is, I think you should go to the police.”
“I told my mother. She doesn’t believe me. She doesn’t believe anything I say. Nobody does. My father is a beloved man. No one will ever believe he is such a monster.”
I remained silent, unsure of what to say next.
Her bloodshot eyes met mine. “Do you believe me?” She asked, trepidation easing into her voice.
“Of course I do,” I said without hesitation.
Who would lie about something like that?
“Thank God,” she said, throwing herself into my arms. Every bone in my body screamed to push her away, but she was hurting and had no one. I don’t think she knew how to process the pain, the emotions.
I’d been there, so I did what any decent human being would do.
I comforted her.
Stroking my hand up and down her back, I tried to console her the best way I could.
After a few agonizing moments, she finally pulled away. “Thank you for listening. It…it means a lot to me. Is it ok if I call you sometime
? You know…to talk?”
I shook my head.
Her shoulders slumped as she nodded, tears welling up in her troubled eyes. “She’s a very lucky girl.”
She stood up and walked over to the door. “Please don’t tell anyone what I told you. I…it was hard for me to come here to begin with, but I had to tell to someone.”
Before she could walk out of the door, like an idiot, I stopped her. “If you ever need anything, Alexis, just call. I’ll be here.”
A small smile replaced her frown. She hugged me again. “Thank you, Cannon.”
I walked her out to her car and once she was gone, I sighed in relief just before a wave of guilt, and the shrill sound of my cell ringing stole it away.
* * *
Leaning over the console of the truck, I returned Cora’s hello kiss as she climbed on in. “Fifteen minutes my ass,” she said with a smile.
“Sorry, babe. Nikki called,” I explained, backing out of the driveway in an effort to avoid her eyes. That wasn’t a lie.
But it wasn’t the whole truth either.
“Everything ok?” She asked, tilting her head and my heart sank a little.
I needed to tell her about Alexis but I’d been hit with two blows in less than an hour.
One problem at a time.
“Yeah, she found his letter.”
Cora didn’t say a word. She knew what that meant.
We’d spent the afternoon with Nikki and Christopher the day we left to come back home. I hadn’t seen him since he was around four years old. He’d changed a lot. He was crazy smart, did extremely well in school, but he was painfully shy and didn’t have a lot of friends. He was excited to see me though and I was pleased to find out he even remembered me. When he was younger he couldn’t say my whole name so he called me “Uncle Can Con.” It was so good to hear him say it again. He looked so much like Landon, it was hard to look into his eyes. But it was also comforting too. Even though he was gone…a part of him still lived on.
Before we left, Nikki told me she had a letter Landon had written to me before we left on our first deployment. He said he wanted her to give it to me if anything ever happened to him, but she couldn’t find it.