Bounding out the room he slid down the banister and raced out the front door, praying all the while he hadn't missed her that he hadn't lost her for good. He found her still in the driveway fighting to lift the heavy bags into the trunk of her car. He moved to her and reached for the one in her hand.
"I told you I could do it." She growled and tried to tug the bag free of his grasp.
He tugged harder. "Don't go."
She stopped long enough to glare at him. "This isn't funny Tony. Please just let go of the bag and leave me the hell alone. I'm not in the mood for more mind games."
He gave another tug and dropped the case to the ground then slammed the trunk shut. "I’m not kidding, Sarah please. I don't want you to go. I'm sorry. I was a fool, an idiot, an ass you name it. I won't deny it. But what I will deny is that I don’t love you anymore. I don't just love you, I need you Baby. I don't want to find out what it's like to live the rest of my life without you. You were right about everything. Not the problems but about you taking a chance on me and my betraying your trust. I know I let you down. The only reason I tried to break things off is because I found out that Christy was responsible for what happened to you."
"What? How did you learn this?" Sarah demanded.
"That night after I took you home from the hospital I got a call from her. She was laughing about what had happened. She hadn't spoken to her friends yet but assumed they’d succeeded in hurting you. When I called the police to tell them what I learned they confirmed it. Those men admitted to knowing Christy and told how she paid them to go after you. It was a planned attack."
"But what does any of this have to do with you kicking me to the curb?"
He sighed. "They told me that without evidence the police wouldn’t be able to hold her. Since these guys already have records and no physical proof of this agreement it's the word of two convicted felons, known for their drug and alcohol use, against her. They wouldn't be credible witnesses. One of them even has a prior conviction for beating up one his old girlfriends."
Putting the pieces together Sarah concluded. "So, you’re telling me that Christy is still out on the streets somewhere. Is she watching us or something?"
"That would be my guess and that's why I did what I did. All of these little attacks and accidents happened in an attempt to get me to come back to her. I brought all this crazy into your life. I felt like I'd failed you. I promised I would never let anything bad happen to you and I didn’t keep that promise. The idea that I could actually be the cause of some nutcase coming after you-"
He broke off shaking his head. "So much had already happened to you because of our association I knew I couldn’t keep putting you at risk. I never want you to be hurt like that again. I figured since she seems to be stalking us, if she learned that you and I were no longer together you would be safe."
Sarah shocked him into silence when with a fierce growl she gripped the front of his shirt and yanked him down to her level. "You listen to me Anthony Mason and you listen good- I do not appreciate you not sharing this information with me. I understand on some level what you did but you had no right to make that kind of decision without me. Who the hell do you think you are, my father? He made a decision every bit as boneheaded as you just did and it cost him everything. I thought you were smarter than that."
"I didn’t want to scare you. I figured it would be better for you to hate me then live in fear."
"That was not your judgment call to make. I'm not a child to be shielded Tony. I'm a grown woman. I deserve to have all the facts and to be able to make decisions that affect my life. You didn't respect me enough to keep me informed."
He closed his eyes and nodded. "I think I'm beginning to understand that now."
Growling again, she smacked him hard upside his head. "Then work harder at it. How intelligent do you have to be to figure out that keeping me in the dark is a really dumb idea? If you had come to me and told me what was going on we could have figured something out together. But no, you didn't think enough of me to do that. What does that say about our relationship?"
"That I loved you enough to let you go if it meant keeping you safe?"
Before Sarah could start screaming at him again his mouth fastened on hers. He kissed her like a starving man finally finding sustenance. When he eventually came up for air he rested his head against hers. "I know I’ve been stupid but if you agree to forgive me and never leave me again I promise to spend the rest of my life getting it right."
She narrowed her eyes to glare at him. "How do I know that the next time something bad happens you won't ever again be this dumb? Are you going to bail on me then?”
Tony lowered himself onto the hard ground. There before God and anyone that cared to look he knelt before her. His big brown eyes peered up at her with so much love and longing it made her chest hurt. "I, Anthony Peter Mason, kneel here before you, Sarah Amelia Fournier, begging you to forgive me. As God is my witness, I vow to never again exclude you from any life changing decisions for the rest of my life. I promise to never keep secrets from you that could affect our future together." He raised his voice to a shout as he looked around the yard and surrounding houses on the street.
"If you're listening Christy, I will never ever leave Sarah for you. She is the love of my life and I will fight anyone to the death if they try to get between us again including you."
He turned his gaze back to Sarah. "I love you Baby. I always have and I always will. Come home, please? I need you so much."
Fresh tears tracked down her cheeks as she stood silently before him. With a slight nod of her head he sprang up to gather her to him. When he drew back several breathless minutes later he whispered. "I think we've given the neighbors enough of a show don't you think?"
He didn't wait for a reply just grabbed her hand and headed back towards the front door. When she didn't move fast enough he lifted her and carried her the last couple of feet back inside.
"What about my suit case?" she demanded. He kissed her quickly.
"I'll get it later."
When he'd set her down on the entry hall floor she faced him. Tony's expression turned intent as he stalked her. Sarah had little choice but to back up towards the stairs behind her. As he followed he began removing his shirt, then he kicked off his shoes. His shirt was yanked over his head and landed on one of the stairs. By the time he'd reached for the zipper on his jeans they were standing in the hallway. He dropped them a moment later. Kicking free of the fabric he reached for her. Sarah didn’t resist. Her heart pounded so hard she could barely think. She hadn't seen him this way or been in his arms in far too long and her body craved the contact now.
She followed him into the bedroom and closed the door. The soft click resonated like a loud gong in the silent room. Sarah eyed Tony wondering what he would do first. Her breath pushed through her lips making her pant. She was so aroused and he hadn't even touched her yet. Cupping her face in his hands he kissed her. His body pressed aggressively against hers until she leaned on the door for support. His tongue found hers between her parted lips and mated wildly with it. She let her hands slide up his rippling abs to the mat of dark hair at his chest and back down again. When she would have stopped at his waist to change direction and move further north he reached for her hand and pressed it to his hardened rod.
"Touch me please Baby? It's been too long."
She could refuse him nothing when he sounded like that with that slightly desperate edge to his voice. She slid her hand into his briefs and found him thick and hard. As her fingers wrapped around him he closed his eyes and gave a guttural groan of satisfaction. That sound made her feel powerful. She’d always wanted to do this to him but in the past he had always taken the lead in their lovemaking. Now she wanted that. Smiling wickedly at him she removed her hand and nudged him towards the bed. There she urged him down on the mattress.
He looked up at her questioningly but she said nothing. Instead she began a slow methodical strip tease swaying her hips to
music only she could hear. Her blouse parted as she released each button then turned her back to him. She turned her head to give him a sexy little smile and let the silky fabric slip over first one shoulder then the other. When it hit the floor she turned and did a little bump and grind in front of him before reaching for the button on her jeans skirt. With a little shimmy it fell to the floor and she stepped neatly out of it wearing only her underwear and shoes. She quickly kicked free of her footwear and reached behind her for the clasp on her bra. Before she could remove it Tony reached for her. Dragging her close he pressed his face to her belly.
“You’re killing me Baby.”
She stroked his hair lovingly. “Finish it then.”
He lifted his head and reached for the hook on her bra. In seconds it was falling to the floor and he was tugging down her panties. Once she stepped free of them though she was no longer content to let him remain in control. Gently pushing his hands away she lowered herself to her knees before him. Knowing already what she intended to do, he stroked her cheek. “You don’t need to do this.”
From her position on the floor below him she didn’t feel as if she were a spineless supplicant to him. Instead she felt powerful. “I want to. I’ve wanted to do this since the first night we were together but you’ve never given me the chance. This time, I’m taking what I want.”
Kneeling, she rested a hand on his hair roughened thigh and kissed him. “I love you Tony. I’ve never stopped loving you. You were never to blame for what happened to me either so stop taking that on your shoulders. I want forever with you as your equal partner but if you don’t want that with me, if you aren’t sure you’re capable of that, stop me now and I’ll never bother you again. Otherwise, shut up and let me do this.”
He looked at her for a long time and she was unable to read his expression. When he stood, towering over her for just a moment she thought he might walk away. Instead, he reached for the waistband of his briefs. Sarah helped him, tugging them down until they landed on the floor and he stepped out of them. Once he was seated she moved between his parted knees to cup him. She stroked him with one hand while studying his member. It was beautiful as far as she was concerned. She knew how much pleasure he could bring her with that one body part and she wanted to bring him just as much.
Tony bent to capture her lips in a searing kiss that went on forever. As their tongues chased one another swirling and playing in first his mouth then hers she stroked him with both hands. One hand moved up him squeezing gently only to be followed with the other so it felt like one continuous slide. When he finally tore his mouth from hers she bent her head to taste him. Her tongue flicked out to lap at the blunted head of his penis while her hands continued their magic. She switched her stroking to one hand moving up and down his shaft. Her kiss swollen lips parted to take him in. He let out a feral growl and his head fell back on his shoulders at the first exquisite draw from her mouth. His breathing was harsh and labored as she continued her ministrations. Her head bobbed up and down as she took him further down her throat drawing harder and swirling her tongue along his length. His hips pulsed in time to her movements while he gently pushed the hair out of her face so that he could watch her. He grew thicker and harder at the pleasurable torture.
Gently cupping her chin he withdrew from her. “Baby,” he breathed raggedly. “You have to stop. I don’t want this to end so soon.”
She looked up at him. The smile was back on her face. His thumb stroked her damp lower lip. She straightened and took his mouth with a ferocity she didn’t know she was capable of. As she claimed his lips she pushed him back on the mattress following him until she straddled his hips. With her legs spread wide over him she could feel the combined heat radiating off their bodies. Tony’s hands went to her bottom cupping it urging her further upward but she refused to move.
“No, this is my show.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “What are you going to do?”
She shook her head. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
She leaned forward dragging her breasts over him making him moan at the sensation. She gave a little giggle. “Do you like when I do that?”
“Baby, I love everything you do to me. But whatever you have planned next please let it have to do with me being inside you. I need to be there now.” He begged.
Her expression turned tender and she kissed his lips then rocked backward impaling herself. At the first sensuous slide inside her they both groaned. She paused a moment panting over him. “How’s that?”
“Better, much better but I want more.”
She began to move on him then, a slow languorous rocking of her hips. Tony was restless beneath her. His hands cupped her bottom urging her on trying desperately to move her faster to take more of him but she wouldn’t. Swiveling her hips she teased him some more drawing out the exquisite torture. She tightened her inner muscles in a gentle pulse that had him gripping the sheets and his legs moving restlessly beneath her. Sarah reveled in her control. Leaning in she gave him a teasing swipe of her lips against his and that was when he made his move.
Clutching her to him he rolled the two of them over. When she tried to protest he silenced her with a deep kiss that continued on until she found herself wrapping her legs around his waist. Tony continued the slow gentle ride with only a few modifications. Plunging deep he felt her entire body shudder. He lifted his head to make sure she was alright.
“Is this alright?”
“Yes,” she gasped, sliding her hands up his back to grip his shoulders. He traced the curve of her cheek, the gentle slope of her jaw with his lips. He breathed in her familiar scent and gave thanks that he hadn’t lost her. His hands clutched her close as he moved inside her plunging deep and withdrawing over and over again.
She was panting, moaning, arching for her release but he wasn’t ready to give it to her, not yet. He pinned her hips and ground against her. Sarah cried out and tightened her hold on him. It was too much and yet not enough. “Tony, please!”
“I know Baby.” He crooned.
He lifted his hips and slammed them against hers. Sarah lifted her hips to receive more. “That’s it Baby, just like that. Show me how much you want me.”
All too soon her silken inner muscles began to contract around him, drawing on him as surely as if her lips were back on him. He buried his face in her shoulder and pumped harder and faster. The spasms grew stronger squeezing him tighter until he had no choice but to go over the edge. Growling and bucking, he shuddered into her again and again, her nails digging into his back and shoulder while together they rode out their release.
Slowly they floated back to earth long moments later. Tony's breathing grew softer while Sarah’s body grew heavy with sleep. She was exhausted and fading fast but when she felt the brush of lips on her temple she opened her eyes to meet his gaze.
“I’m sorry Sarah, for everything. I don’t want you to ever leave me again. Will you forgive me?”
She nodded lifting her hand to trace the contours of his face. “Don’t let it happen again Mason. I'm pretty sure I don't have it in me for a repeat performance.”
He turned his head to kiss her palm. “I won’t. I was miserable without you. No matter how much of a jackass I might become at times, promise me you'll never leave me again. If you have to smack me in the head again to get my attention do it.”
“I just might take you up on that." She said grinning.
“Do you still want to marry me?”
“You know that’s what I want but I do have one condition this time.”
“What’s that?” He was nuzzling her neck.
“I want us to get married in the next couple of weeks.”
“Sure but why the sudden rush?”
“Well for one thing I don’t want you to have another chance to change your mind.” She admitted.
“Baby,” he interrupted. “I swear to you that will not happen.”
“And,” she continued. “Because my dad is h
ere and even though, he's moving in with Mom I don't want him to miss the wedding if he has to go back to France for any reason.
"Your father is here? Really? OK I can understand that. But what do you mean he's moving in with your mother?"
"I'll explain that later but my final and most important reason is that I want us to be married before the baby comes and hopefully before I start to show.”
Tony blinked several times as he processed this information. Like at other times during their courtship, she had thrown him for a loop. “You, we’re, that is- uh. You’re pregnant?”
She nodded. "I found out that night at the hospital when they were doing all those tests. I was going to tell you the next day but after you dropped your bomb, it didn’t seem like the right time."
She took his hand then and brought it to her still flat tummy. "You're going to be a daddy."
Immediately he rolled to the side so that he wasn’t crushing her beneath him. As his thumb stroked the velvety soft smooth skin beneath his hand, his eyes misted and he did nothing to hide it. “I would have missed out on so much if I had let you go.”
He slid lower on the mattress to rest his head on her tummy. His lips brushed her naval as he spoke to the small cluster of cells that were his son or daughter. “I’m sorry little one. Your old man was an idiot. I promise to get my act together by the time you’re ready to come out. The good part is even though you have me for a father, you have an incredible mother to help me not to screw things up too much.”
Sarah stroked his head. How could this man ever think he was a screw up? Yes he’d made some foolish mistakes but it was in the name of love so she really couldn’t find it in her heart to stay angry. Tony inched up her body to kiss her tenderly. His fingers found their way through her hair to cup her nape. “I can’t thank you enough for putting up with me. I love you so much Sarah.”
His Redemption Page 23