by Frankie Love
“I don’t need to. I want to.”
“Shit.” Dean claps me on my back. “Then you need go get your woman a ring.”
“I’ve got an hour. And I need you to tell me about the business—and I have a proposition for you, too.”
We walk into the shop, and immediately I lower my head. “Fuck, see that woman over there?” I ask Dean. “We need to stay clear of her.”
“Someone you never called back?”
“Exactly.” Coming back to town, seeing the familiar nurse and now this jeweler, I’m reminded more than ever why I live in the woods. And why I need to stay there.
I wonder what Harper will think of that?
Fuck. I sure don’t know everything I should about the woman I’m proposing to. I just hope she says yes, that she believes me when I tell her I want this ... not because of duty, but because of belief. Belief in what we can be, together.
“What about this one?” Dean asks, pointing to a gaudy ring that is nothing like Harper. It’s an enormous solitaire on a silver band.
Harper needs something modest, delicate, and timeless. She wouldn’t want anything else.
A woman that I haven’t slept with helps me choose one that is perfect for Harper. It’s a simple gold band, but the diamonds are rich with meaning.
“Man, you’ve become a fucking romantic sap, out in the woods,” Dean jokes as we leave the shop. “I thought you were supposed to get all burly and tough.”
“I know, right?” I shake my head. “Harper is everything I never knew I needed.”
“Well, I’m happy for you. Now you wanna talk business?”
We stand at our trucks, and I know I need to get a better sense of where things are with D&J Hauling.
“Yeah. You moving forward with the custom houses?”
“Yeah, no orders yet, but I need to figure out marketing for it. My buddy keeps saying to use Facebook ads or some shit and I want to punch him for that suggestion. Got any better ideas?”
“I have one idea for a potential client.”
“I’m all ears.”
When I walk back into the cold, antiseptic hospital corridor, I’m already itching to return to the cabin, to the smell of the wood stove and my dog. Buck kept him for the night, and he’ll be well taken care of, but I want to be home with my dog and my woman.
I see Doctor Vance at the nurse’s station, and I check in there before walking into Harper’s room.
“Is it all clear for me to see her?”
“Oh, good, you’re back. Her family left about half an hour ago, so I’m sure she’ll be pleased to see you.” Doctor Vance smiles kindly, which is nice considering the nurse beside her has furrowed brows and crossed arm. Ouch. Okay, just gotta keep walking forward.
I knock gently on the door to Harper’s room before walking in. A curtain hangs between the entrance and her bed.
“Harper, is it okay for me to come in?”
“Jaxon?” she asks. “Of course, come in.”
I pull back the curtain and see a tear-stained face. Harper’s innocence is gone. She doesn’t look naïve anymore. She looks like a wounded deer, and I want to kill whoever did this to her.
“What happened?” I ask, rushing over to her, sitting on her bed. My hands instinctively move to her beautiful, swollen belly.
“My parents....” She sobs into her hands. “They acted just like I thought they would. They left and said I wasn’t their daughter. That my babies and I were a disgrace.”
“Oh, honey.” I shush her, wanting her tears to stop flowing. I want to protect her and take her far away, somewhere safe, I need to make sure no one can ever hurt her again.
My chest tightens, then expands in a way it never has before. This is love, right here: wanting to fight, defend, protect another person. And I’ll fucking make it my life’s mission to make sure no one ever fucks with Harper again.
“I know they’re wrong. I know I have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m growing people inside of me, and that’s a miracle. That they would shame me, when I’m being brave, hurts in a way I didn’t think was possible. And then ... the worst part was ... I thought....” She dissolves in a puddle of tears again, and I reach for her hand.
She squeezes it tight.
“I thought you were gone, Jaxon. They said you left the hospital, and I thought it meant you’d left me, just like my parents left.”
“I’ll never fucking leave you, Harper.”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean, Jaxon. My heart can’t bear any more pain.”
“I do mean it. I mean more. I mean forever.”
Harper shakes her head, not understanding.
Knowing what I came here prepared to do, I drop to one knee and look up at Harper in her hospital gown, with her swollen eyes and broken heart. Look at the woman heavy with my children. Look at the woman who rocked my world, who changed the course of my life for the better. All I want is to look at her forever.
“Oh, Jaxon,” she says, gasping, as I pull a ring from my pocket, holding it before her.
“There’s a lot I don’t know about you,” I tell her. “But the details don’t matter. Not when the truth is simple. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. The triplets are the fucking cake—the part we don’t deserve, the thing that brought us back together. And I would get you pregnant all over again if it meant I didn’t lose you. Tell me I didn’t lose you. Tell me you still love me. Tell me you will marry me—because, Harper, I want you to be my wife, so fucking hard.”
“Jaxon, yes. A million times, yes,” she says, her voice a whisper like a fluttering of joy escaping her lips.
She fucking said yes, just like I prayed she would.
Yeah, I prayed. Because even though I don’t need religion to tell me it’s a fucking miracle to have this woman, I still thought this was too good to be true.
But it isn’t.
I slip the engagement ring on her finger.
“It’s beautiful,” she says, looking at the simple gold band flanked by three clear diamonds.
“The three diamonds represent our children,” I tell her.
“Sons, Jaxon,” she says, a grin spreading across her perfect pink lips. “We’re having three sons.”
I run my hand over my beard, fucking overcome.
“Hell, yeah, we are,” I tell her. “We don’t mess around.”
And then I kiss her, hard. And I would have fucked here right then too, if a nurse hadn’t come in and interrupted us.
“When can she leave?” I ask, knowing it can’t come soon enough. I need to get my woman home and make love to her in our bed.
Chapter Twenty-Four
HARPER
When they discharge me from the hospital the next morning, I’m grinning. No, scratch that—I’m beaming. I’m absolutely walking on air, because how I ended up here from there still confuses me.
How could I lose my parents but gain a family? Somehow over the space of a few months, Jaxon and I became something that I never believed we could be, not really.
I thought it would be a relationship built from a pressure cooker, but we aren’t. He chose me when he didn’t have to.
“So, are you ready to get home?” I ask Jaxon as we drive back to the forest, nearing Buck’s store to get Jameson.
He turns his head, cocking an eyebrow at me. “Mostly so I can tear those clothes off you and fuck my fiancée.”
“I love it when you talk dirty to me, Jaxon.”
“Good, because I’m gonna talk that way for the rest of our goddamned life.”
We both grin now.
Our life.
When we get to Buck’s, Jaxon warns me, “He’s gonna want details. But you don’t have to say anything you don’t wanna.”
“That nosy, huh?” I ask, as Jaxon helps me out of the truck.
“This poor fool needs a woman. Bad. Since he doesn’t have one, he’s become the town gossip.”
“You should help the poor boy out,” I say, pulling op
en the door.
“I try,” Jaxon says, under his breath. “But he’s his own worst enemy when it comes to pussy.”
Jameson is curled up at Buck’s feet when we walk in, but he must smell Jax, because he jumps up and bounds for his owner.
“Aww, that’s so sweet,” I coo.
“And who might you be?” Buck asks, stepping around the counter to say hello. He’s actually very handsome—blue eyes and light hair. Maybe he just lacks confidence.
“I’m Harper. Jax’s fiancée.”
“And the mother of my children,” Jax says, chest out, beaming.
“Hey, you said this is my story to tell,” I tease, jabbing him with my elbow.
“My bad.” Jax shrugs.
“Buck,” I say. “I’m Jaxon’s bride-to-be, and I’m also carrying his three sons.” I press my hands to my small belly and relish in Bucks bugged-out eyes.
“Shit, man!” Buck slaps Jaxon on the shoulder. “Had no fucking clue.” Then looking at me, he covers his mouth with his fist. “Sorry, ma’am. For the cursing.”
“Sweetie,” I say to Buck. “I’m marrying Jaxon. I think I can handle a man who swears.”
“Thanks for watching Jameson,” Jaxon says. “Any deliveries?”
“Nope, but if I get any I’ll swing ’em by.”
Jaxon and I leave with Jameson, and once we’re in the car and headed back up the mountain I ask, “Why does Buck deliver packages to your door?”
“Eh, he’s a good guy, likes a chance to talk shit and drink a beer. It can get lonely out here, in the woods.”
“Yeah, it is quiet,” I say, remembering the empty general store/post office. No one was there—and that was the main store in town. Besides that, there was just a bar and a sad excuse for a diner.
“You gonna be able to handle this pace of life?” Jaxon asks me. When his hands are on the steering wheel, with his shirtsleeves rolled up, his biceps flex and his tattoos hint at a strength not every man has.
“Jaxon, I grew up with a very quiet life. My world was the home, the church, and the food bank where I volunteered. I don’t need much. And, as far as quiet goes….” I smile, and my hands fly to my stomach. “Soon enough, there won’t be any quiet in our life. There will be loud and rambunctious, and I have a feeling by the end of the day, once the boys are in bed, all we’ll want is to sit in peace and quiet.”
“Well, honey, that’s where you’re wrong,” Jaxon says, as he pulls the truck up to the cabin.
“What do you mean?” I ask, my nose crinkled in confusion.
“At the end of the day I’m not gonna want any quiet. I’m gonna want you screaming my name.”
JAX
I pull open Harper’s car door, pull her into my arms, ready to make love to her like she fucking deserves.
Swinging open my front door, I set her down and grab the bearskin fuck-rug. Then I grab her hand and pull her back outside into the warm April day.
“I’m gonna make you scream my name so loud,” I tell her, smacking her ass as I lead her behind the house, to the place she first told me she was pregnant.
There are no deer today, but the creek is rushing peacefully, and I spread out the rug beneath the pine trees.
“I love it here, Jaxon,” Harper says contentedly. The buttons on her shirt are pulled tight across her chest. We stopped and got her a bunch of maternity clothes before we left town, but those are all still in the truck.
I sure as hell don’t mind. I like the way her tits pull at the seams; it makes me hungry for her.
“I love taking you here, and I love that you’re here to stay,” I tell her, growling in her ear.
Her eyes are heavy with desire; she loves it when I get territorial, and it’s a good thing. I’m determined never to give her a reason to leave.
“Are you going to take me here, now?” she asks, standing before me.
“Do you really have to ask?” I pull my shirt off, and Harper’s hands immediately press against my pecs. She nuzzles close to me, her breath hot on my skin, and my cock grows hard pressed against her.
“Oh, baby,” she moans, planting kisses up and down my neck lusciously. Her lips are soft and wet, and her tongue slides down my throat as she nears my mouth.
My lips find hers, and I cup her face with my hands, claiming her as mine. She lets out a sigh as I pull her closer, devouring her mouth with my tongue. She tastes so good, sweet and fresh; her scent mixed with the earthy air makes everything about this moment goddamned pure. Goddamned perfect.
“I love you Harper,” I breathe into her, and she sighs again, agreeing with my sentiment. I pull her shirt off, the buttons popping as I toss it aside. Her tits are perky and round, those hard gorgeous nipples poking through her lacy bra.
I reach around, unclasp it, and fling it off her. Pressing my mouth against her soft, warm skin, I feel my erection mount, straining against my jeans.
“You feel how hard I am?” I ask her, pushing her hand to feel my cock. “You like how hard you make me?”
“Mmmhhhmmm,” she groans, fumbling to get my jeans undone. I help her slide them off, and kick off my shoes and pants, my boxer briefs still on, my massive cock begging to be released.
“What are you gonna do to my cock?’ I ask her. “You’re the one that got it nice and hard, now you need to take care of it.”
“I’m gonna suck it. I’m gonna suck it until you’re ready to come.”
I smile, so fucking in love with her.
After taking off her pants and panties, she lowers herself to the ground, kneeling before me, and playfully tugs at the waistband of my briefs.
“Jaxon, you’re taking such good care of me, and now I’m going to take care of you.”
She pulls the waistband down, revealing her favorite fucking thing in the world. My cock is hungry, and it only wants her. She licks her lips seductively.
“That’s called a dick tease, Harp.”
That gets a throaty laugh from her. “I’m not a tease.”
And I have to agree, she’s not. Her mouth covers my cock and one hand is on my shaft. The other hand moves south as she touches herself. After rubbing her pussy nice and hard, she brings her hand to my cock, and it’s slick with her wetness.
She massages my cock with her own juice, all the while sucking me off. She bobs up and down, her eyes looking up at me, and I run my hand through her soft hair, not able to look anywhere besides her. Not wanting to.
“Oh, Harper, that feels fucking good,” I say, thrusting my cock into her mouth, knowing she likes it when she takes me all the way to the back of her throat.
When I know I’m near release, I pull her off me, wanting to come inside her tight little pussy.
“I want you to sit on me, backwards,” I tell her. “It’s gonna feel good on your clit, I promise.”
I lay on my back, and watch as Harper bites her lip nervously, the way she does when she tries new things. But I also see a mischievous glint of excitement rolling across her face as she lowers herself to her knees.
She leans over, planting a kiss on my lips, and I can’t help but reach around her, grab her ass and squeeze. She makes me so fucking hard, and I just want all of her.
Watching her straddle me backwards, I run my hands over her back as she gently lowers her entrance onto my massive rod.
“Ohhh, you’re so big,” she moans, leaning back, her hair falling across my face as she eases herself around my cock. Her back is arched toward me as she swivels her hips gently.
When I’m inside her, she lifts herself up, grabbing hold of my thighs as she rides me from behind.
I hold her ass cheeks with one hand, my other hand reaching up to her perfect round globes, massaging one as she moves up and down on me.
“Oh, yeah, honey, that’s good,” I tell her. I’m so turned on by her nice ass and narrow waist, her soft skin and the way she gyrates on top of me.
My cock stretches as it’s ready to come, but I want her to come first. I thrust in her, as she
swivels faster around my base, and she moans in delight as my groin is covered with her wet pussy. I love it when she pours out her juice for me, when the walls of her pussy explode, releasing all her hotness.
“Oh, Jaxon, fuck me,” she says, falling back on my chest again as I thrust harder and deeper into her core. “Fuck me hard.”
I love the dirty words coming out of her mouth, her pouty lips moaning in ecstasy.
I can’t take it anymore, and I don’t want to. I shoot my come in her perfect pussy and she moans, falling forward as the orgasm ripples through both of us.
Her hands grip my thighs tight as she holds on for dear life. When my seed enters her already swollen core, she is undone.
She climbs off me, and kneels close to me, kissing me tenderly.
“Oh, Jaxon ... do we really get this, forever?”
“We do, honey. We do.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
JAX
My parents arrive a few days after the hospital scare with Harper. She and I are cleaning up breakfast dishes when we hear the RV pull up to the cabin.
“My folks are here,” I tell her. I’ve filled her in on my mom and dad, how they are about as homegrown as you can get, but I know that after the drama with her parents earlier this week nothing about family sounds all that safe right now.
“Do I look all right?” Harper asks. I smirk, never once having heard this woman utter something self-conscious about her appearance. She grew up in a fucked-up house, but one thing her family taught her was that humility was important. Harper never seems caught up in the way she looks.
It reminds me that this really is a big deal. The woman I am engaged to marry, who will give birth to my parents’ first three grandsons, is about to meet the people who raised me.
“Harper,” I say, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “you are amazing in too many ways to count. My parents are fools if they don’t love you. Fuck, they won’t be welcome in my home if they don’t recognize how important you are to me. You are my everything.”