by Autumn Grey
“You know—” I move my shoulder, readjusting the sling. “The second they get this fucking sling off, I’ll be all over you—” She slams down, burying me inside her to the hilt.
“Jesus, Elon!” I shout, my eyes rolling to the back of my head.
Elon grins sweetly down at me as she starts to move on top of me, scattering my thoughts ten different ways. “Did it work?”
“Yeah. God, I love you.” I watch her face as the smile widens and hunger flashes in her eyes. Hunger and so much love for me. “Ride me, sweetheart. Take what you need.”
She leans forward and grabs the headboard, circling her hips. “I love you, baby.”
Her tits bounce above me, lips parted in pleasure, sweet moans that have my cock hardening more inside her. Heat curls at the base of my spine, licking my skin and my balls draw tight.
“More,” she rasps with a little moan. “Harder.”
My hips buck off the mattress at her command and she shouts, “Yes! Yes! Professor!”
Those words race straight to my dick. Fuck, I’m about to blow my load.
I grip her thigh. “Christ. Your pussy feels so good around my cock, so tight. Come with me, sweetheart,” I growl, my eyes locked on hers.
“Nate!” she shouts, her body shaking above mine. I thrust inside her, wanting to savor this feeling but I know I won’t be able to hold myself back anymore.
Her name bursts out of my lips in a low grunt as I empty myself deep inside her, pouring my love and everything that I am into her. She slumps forward and drops her head on my left shoulder, then trails kisses along my neck, her soft pants peppering my skin. My arm curls around her shoulder, holding her to me.
God. How did I get so lucky to find someone who’s quirky and funny, kind and perfect for me in every sense of that word?
When we finally come down from the high, she slants her head up to me and flashes me a beautiful smile, sending my heart tripping on itself.
“Thank you, Nate,” she whispers in a sultry voice that has my cock getting hard again inside her.
“Damn, Little Wolf. I should be thanking you.” I tighten my arm around her and kiss her forehead. “Izzy’s insisted on having a birthday dinner for you. She wants us to be there by six in the evening.”
She burrows her face into my chest. “Dress code?”
I chuckle. “Whatever you want to wear.”
“Awesome. I’ve been saving my Hello Kitty onesie for this occasion.”
I laugh, pulling her into my body as my eyes fall shut and peace settles over me.
Four years later
DREAMS DO COME TRUE, EVEN for a girl like me who never thought she deserved a happily ever after.
After being expelled from Rushmore, I continued teaching at Studio 22 while making sure that Nate attended his therapy sessions and doctor’s appointments. I wanted to be there for him, to take care of him. Then one year after the surgery, when Nate could perform most duties without assistance, he mentioned that he’d been looking for someone to take me under their wing. At that point, I’m sure my boyfriend was tired of me hovering like a mother hen and forcing him to drink chicken soup that Bennett insisted on bringing over for him.
Nate had called in a favor with a friend of his, a retired professor from Eastman School of Music in New York. We have been working together since then. One year ago I enrolled at the Strauss Music School in Jacksonville, to complete my bachelor’s degree in music performance. I will be graduating in May of next year.
After my graduation, Nate and I plan on traveling to Europe for a few months just to take a break from everything. I haven’t stopped dreaming of playing in an orchestra in Europe, but for now, I’m just proud to see my man reenter the music world, ready to take it by storm.
Elizabeth finally made peace with Nate. She followed my advice and visited Nate two years ago, wanting to know more about her daughter. At first, Nate was hesitant, given the way Elizabeth had treated him in the past. But after a while, he seemed to warm up to her. Honestly, it was really good for Nate to have someone he could open up to about Camille, someone he could talk about the happy memories they shared that he may not have felt as comfortable sharing with me.
After the incident with Rick, he was arrested and is currently serving a five-year term in prison. Good riddance.
Nate started rehabilitation sessions after Dr. Rosenburg removed his sling. The road that brought him to where he is now wasn’t easy, but he was very determined to get his right arm working again. It’s been one year since Nate has had to take any form of medication.
There were times when he was very close to relapsing, but he managed to beat the long-term craving by attending regular group therapy sessions, and meeting people who were going through the similar struggles that he could relate to. Nate also underwent counseling, which helped him learn to cope with life without drugs. He focused his energy on exercising his right arm, so he could finally return to playing the cello.
Today is October twenty-fifth, which is Nate’s birthday and also the day he returns to the world of music after being away for so many years. One year ago, he received an invitation to play as a guest cellist with the San Francisco Symphony for Autumn Equinox, which features pieces by various classical music composers.
From across the hall, I watch the love of my life stride confidently toward me, a sexy grin on his handsome face. My hand curls around the dragon pendant on my necklace he gave me a few years ago, my gaze slowly taking him in. He’s wearing black pants and jacket, a white button-down shirt and no tie. He looks debonair with his hair styled back carefully. He stops and leans down, kissing me softly on my lips.
“Damn, you look hot,” I murmur against his lips. “Do you think they have closets in this place? I remember you had a thing for them,” I say, smiling, and I feel his mouth tug up against mine.
“I think I saw one down the hall—”
“Uncle Nate! Uncle Nate!” Matthew yells, his soled feet slapping against the floor as he runs toward us.
Nate groans under his breath, muttering something about not being able to kiss his girlfriend without being interrupted. He trails kisses along the freckles on the bridge of my nose before turning around to face his nephew with a warm smile.
Matthew flashes me his brightest smile, looks me up and down, then wiggles his nose. “You look like a princess from Kaylie’s books.”
Fighting a smile, I glance down at the white dress I’m wearing that cinches around my waist, then flows down to my ankles, giving a sneak peek of the silver slippers on my feet. “Is it a good thing or a bad thing?” I ruffle his hair, causing him to jerk back and scowl at me as he tries to brush his fingers through the wayward curls on his head.
“Not bad, I guess,” he grumbles while grabbing Nate’s hand, as well as mine, and dragging us to where our families sit in the auditorium. “Grandma Grace wants to take a picture of everyone.”
Matthew drops our hands and dashes forward and sits between his father and mother. My gaze moves down the row starting with Cole, Nor, Cora, Joce, Bennett, Matthew, Makayla, Izzy, Harper, Grace, Gladys, Alex, Amber, Elise, Nick, my mom, and even Elizabeth, whom Nate invited and she gladly agreed. Everyone came today to support Nate on his return to a dream he thought he had lost, his number one passion: playing the cello. I’m overwhelmed by the love pouring through the ties that bind us.
Blinking back tears, I glance up at Nate and meet his gleaming eyes, and I know he’s just as grateful as I am. My heart beats proudly for this man who fought against his addiction and emerged on the other side victorious.
“Happy birthday, baby. You made it. This is an amazing comeback, and I’m so proud of you.” I cup his face in my hands, watching tears swim in his eyes. I can’t even imagine how he’s feeling right now. “You’re back, baby,” I whisper, wrapping my hands around his waist and pulling him to me. “Are you nervous?”
“No,” he answers self-assuredly, raising his chin. “You’re here. Everything’s perfect.”
; I tug at the lapels of his coat and cock my head to the side. “Ask me to tell you one sweet truth, Professor Rowe,” I tell him in a low voice.
He smirks. “Tell me one sweet truth, Miss Blake.”
“You’re my whole life, Nathaniel Rowe. I don’t want to live in a world without you.”
Nate cups the nape of my neck with his right hand, and right there in front of everyone, he presses his lips softly against mine, then nips on my lip, and my mouth parts for him. This kiss is heaven, a sweet prelude to a future that belongs only to us.
He slows the kiss, brushing his nose against mine. “I don’t know where our life goes from here, but we will figure it out together. Life has a way of presenting the most wonderful opportunities when we least expect them.”
If there is one thing life has taught me, it is that at times we experience pain and loss, we feel hopeless and faithless. But hidden beneath all the negatives, there’s laughter, love and hope if you are patient enough.
Before meeting Nate, I wasn’t looking for love. Never in a million years could I ever dream I’d find a man like him. But he is so much more than a dream; he is flesh and blood, and he’s all mine.
He found me and he loves me. We are both casualties of our pasts; we fought a war called love and we won. Together, we overcame our pasts. It made us stronger and gave us the ability to love deeper.
Where we go from here is something written in the stars. We just have to look for the signs.
Elise yells our names and waves for Nate and me to join them. We try to huddle together as much as we can, then Grace requests a woman sitting in the row in front of us to take our picture.
As the lights dim, indicating that the event is about to start, Nate takes my hand and tugs me to the aisle. He stands in front of me as he tries to get his breathing under control. Then he’s dropping on one knee and pulling a little black box from his pocket, sending my already racing heart into overdrive and stealing my breath in the process.
He must see the tears in my eyes, because he lifts his hand and brushes his thumb across my cheek while smiling at me with eyes full of love and happily ever afters.
“Marry me, Elon Blake. I’ve enjoyed every single moment we’ve spent together the past four years, but I want more. I want forever. With you.”
Everything fades. My world stops spinning as those words wrap around me, transporting me to a place where it’s just me and him. Then I’m laughing and kissing him and crying.
“Yes,” I whisper the word against his mouth. “Yes, I will marry you.”
Our world explodes in cheers and hoots as he slips the ring on my finger.
“I’ve wanted to ask you to marry me every single second of the day for the past four years. But I’m glad I waited, Elon. We have nothing holding us back now. Our forever begins today.”
I lean forward and press a kiss on the side of his mouth as the lights dim darker still.
“Go.” I trail my lips to the shell of his ear. “Take the world by storm, baby.”
He flashes me an honest-to-God sexy grin as he turns and strides toward the stage. When I turn to take my seat, I find my family watching me, tears and smiles on their faces. After a round of congratulations and impromptu plans about having dinner to celebrate the engagement, I sit down between Nick and my mother. She wraps her arm around me, grinning proudly at me.
Nick bumps my shoulder and I shift my head to the side to face him. He jerks his chin in the general direction of the orchestra, then brings back those beautiful kind eyes to me, and asks, “Are you really truly happy?”
Tears spring in my eyes as I smile at him. “I’ve never been this happy in my life, Nick. Thank you for standing by Nate and me these past four years. Are you okay?”
He shrugs. “I still feel the need to punch his face every now and then.”
We chuckle under out breath, and it feels amazing.
“Seriously, though. I know there’s someone out there waiting to rock your world. You deserve the best, Nick.”
He rolls his eyes and mutters, “Yeah, yeah. That’s what everyone keeps telling me.” He looks at the stage. I see his the concerned look on his face fade and peace settles over his features. “He’s a great guy.”
This time I bump his shoulder and grin up at him. “Are you finally giving him an official Nick Holloway stamp of approval? I feel like I should be recording this moment.”
“Yeah.” He turns and grins at me. “He got my approval the second he confronted me outside that restaurant I used to work at.”
“I love you,” I whisper, swiping the tears that have fallen on my cheeks.
“Ditto,” he whispers back.
Feeling finally at peace, I focus on the stage just as Nate takes his seat in the strings section with the other principal string players and props the Montagnana between his powerful thighs, then winks at me as his right arm poses on top of the strings.
“I love you,” I mouth to him, grinning wide while fiddling with the ring around my finger.
The sweet sound of “Autumn” by Antonio Vivaldi fills the air as the Concertmaster starts to play, and soon the entire Orchestra joins in. My gaze is centered on my man as tears fill my eyes. I’m afraid to blink because I don’t want to miss a thing.
I grew up believing there was no such thing as happily ever after, but I met a man who blew that theory out of the water. He made me believe that anything is possible.
Amber once told me if I reached for the stars, everything else would fall into place.
I did, and now I’m living my kind of fairy tale with Nate by my side.
I'm A Mess—Ed Sheeran
Breathe Easy—Blue
Photograph—Ed Sheeran
Ashes Like Snow—Lily Kershaw
Demons—Imagine Dragons
One Call Away—Charlie Puth
The Sound of Silence—Disturbed
Stay—Hurts
Every Breath You Take—The Police
Fix You—Coldplay
I Walk The Line—Johnny Cash
Belong—Cary Brothers
In My Veins Feat. Erin Mccarley—Andrew Belle
Chasing Cars—Snow Patrol
Running on Sunshine—Jesus Jackson
Gotta Figure This Out—Erin Mccarley
You Got What I Need—Joshua Radin
Terrible Love—Birdy
Kiss Me—Ed Sheeran
Unsteady—X Ambassadors
Come On Get Higher—Matt Nathanson
Just Give Me a Reason—Pink
Kiss Me Slowly—Parachute
Addicted—Saving Abel
Down In Flames—Saving Abel
Fall For You—Leela James
A Thousand Years—Christina Perri
You and Me—Lifehouse
Here Without You—3 Doors Down
Wings—Birdy
Wrecking Ball—Miley Cyrus
All Through The Night—Sleeping At Last
Love On The Brain—Rihanna
Crush—Jennifer Paige
Like I'm Gonna Lose You—Jasmine Thomson
Witchcraft—Frank Sinatra
You Give Me Something—James Morrison
Down—Jason Walker
Fire Meet Gasoline—Sia
Carry On My Wayward Son—Kansas
First and foremost, thank you to my two children. Two of my most favorite people in the world.
I want to thank the people who read this story early. My fantastic alpha reader, Bex Harper. Thank you for reading this story in its early stages and providing amazing feedback. Keep those chats coming.
To my awesome beta team, Ella Stewart, Maiwenn, Selma Ibrahimpasic, Marian Girling, Sejla Ibrahimpasic, Robyn Crawford, Mg Herrera, Vivian Freeman, Emma Louise, Amy Bosica, Katie Monson, Elaina Lucia, Denae McLennan. Your suggestions and comments made this story better. Thank you for cheering me on and keeping me sane.
To my editing team, thank you for making this story shine. Vanessa Bridges, your feedback on the content of this s
tory made it better. Tricia Harden, you squeezed me into your schedule at the very last minute. There are no words to express how grateful I am; Virginia Tesi Carey and Bex Harper, thank you for proofreading this story. It was amazing to work with you on this project.
Karen Bill, Elaina, Selma and Sejla. . .thank you for rereading this story and making sure it was ready for the public eye.
To Ella, you inspired me to write this story. Thank you for being you. Keep breaking gravity, my friend.
To the Minxes group on Facebook, my tribe. You guys are on a whole other level of awesomeness. I love you! Thank you for being so incredibly wonderful, encouraging and supportive, You're my happy place.
I'm so thankful for the C.O.P.A. girls and Indie Chicks for your friendship and all the support. You ladies rock!!
Celesha, thank you for putting a smile on my face every time we chat. Also, thank you for the beautiful release day countdown teasers you did for this book. You rock.
Amo Thomson, I love you.
Sasha Brummer, thank you for letting me borrow Wade Brass ;)
Special thanks to R. Scarlett, Jay Mclean and K. Webster for being amazing.
To the bloggers who took a chance on this story, read and reviewed it. There are not enough words to express my gratitude. Thank you.
To Sassy Savvy Fabulous, Kristi. Thank you for everything you've done for me, for this book, and most of all, for being patient with me. Working with you been such an amazing experience.
To Sarah Hansen of Okay Creations, you blew my mind, yet again. I'm in awe of your ability to make extraordinary out of the ordinary. Thank you for the stunning cover.
To Stacey Blake of Champagne Formatting, one of the most patient people I know. Thank you for making this book look so pretty! It's ALWAYS a pleasure to work with you.
To my readers for picking up Breaking Gravity. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I loved writing it.