by April Wilson
I sink my fingers into his hair and seal my mouth over his. He makes me so damn happy I could cry.
Jamie opens his mouth and licks his way inside mine, stroking his tongue against mine. His hands tighten on my butt cheeks, kneading me firmly, which makes my girly parts tingle. He pulls me closer so that I’m pressed up against his erection, which is straining at the zipper of his jeans. I rock forward, pressing my cleft against the firm ridge of his cock, and moan in delight. Suddenly, I’m aching for him to be inside me.
His hands have moved up and he’s rubbing my back, and it feels so incredibly good.
I grip the waistband of his jeans and kiss him. “I want you. Right now. Right here.”
He laughs again as he unbuckles his belt. “Yes, ma’am. You won’t get any argument from me.”
As he removes his belt and unzips his jeans, I brush my thumbs gently over his lowered eyelids, then lean forward to place a feather-light kiss on each one. This precious man lost an important part of himself serving our country overseas. He made a huge sacrifice, but he’s not bitter about it, and he came out his ordeal strong and whole. I’ll be his eyes. I’ll be his guide whenever and wherever he needs me. My throat tightens as the depths of my feelings for him rush through me.
He guides me to stand in front of him and unsnaps my jeans and works them and my panties down my legs. We both laugh when we realize my boots are still on. After I kick them off, he finishes undressing me from the waist down. Then he shoves his jeans and boxers down to his ankles.
He grabs a fleece blanket off the back of the sofa and lays it on the seat, then sits down, pulling me back onto his lap.
“Shit, condom!” he says, laughing.
“I’ll get it.” I hop up, feeling ridiculous standing there in my top and socks, bare assed. “Where are they?”
“In my nightstand drawer.” Jamie leans forward to remove his sneakers and socks while I race down the hallway to grab a condom. When I return, he’s sitting impatiently, bare naked.
He pats his thighs, then pulls me back down onto him, taking the condom in hand. He rips open the packet and rolls the condom onto his erection. I stare, fascinated by the sight of him fully erect and by the sight of his hands smoothing the condom in place.
Oh, my God, I get to have some of that.
When I settle myself on his lap again, straddling him and ready to take him inside me, he reaches for the hem of my shirt and starts to lift it. I grab his hands to still his movement.
“What’s wrong?” he says.
“Can’t we just leave it on?” I really don’t want to be topless. “I mean, what’s the point?” There aren’t any breasts for him to nuzzle. There aren’t any nipples for him to lick or suckle.
His shoulders fall. “Molly.”
“Please. I just don’t feel comfortable being shirtless like this, in a brightly-lit room.”
“Charlie won’t care,” he says. “Neither will Gus. And if you think I mind for one second, then you’re dead wrong, and I’ll prove it to you.”
He never once let go of the hem of my shirt. He leans forward. “Kiss me.”
“Jamie – ”
“Kiss me and trust me.”
I’m shaking, and I know he can feel it. Reluctantly, I release his hands and suck in a deep breath as he lifts my T-shirt over my head and drops it on the seat cushion beside us. Then he reaches behind my back and unclips my bra. As the heavy, weighted breast forms fall into his hands, I feel suddenly very chilled, and I cover my bare chest.
He carefully sets my bra aside, his hands covering mine, and he grips my hands firmly. “Put your hands down,” he says.
When I don’t, he says, “You realize I can’t even see your chest, right?”
I laugh nervously. “I know.”
“Then why the shyness?”
“It just feels weird, being open, being exposed.”
He blinks. “I let you see my eyes.”
“I know, but that’s different.”
“How so?”
“Your eyes look normal – they’re beautiful. No one would even know they’re prosthetic unless you told them. My chest… doesn’t.”
He bites back a chuckle as he tries valiantly to remain serious. “Molly, you have to trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
“I mean with your body.”
“I do,” I insist.
He shakes his head. “Trust means letting go of your fear. Letting go of your insecurities.”
I make a sound that’s part frustration and part growl, and Jamie laughs. He encircles both of my wrists with his fingers and tugs gently.
“Okay, fine!” I drop my arms and sit rigidly on his lap.
When he lays his warm hands on my chest, I flinch. Slowly, his hands slide across my skin, his thumbs brushing along the path of my scars, over my sternum and across my ribs.
He gives me a moment to get used to his touch. Then he says, “Do you know what I feel?”
“Nothing. Because there’s nothing there.”
“Wrong. I feel the body of a survivor. I feel the courage and determination of a woman who took her health and future into her own hands.” He lays his hands over the ribs that cover my heart. “Your heart is inches beneath my fingers, just beneath your ribs.”
He leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to my sternum, making me shiver. “I love your body, Molly, because it’s yours. I love every inch of it. Every scar. Can you trust in that? Can you trust your body to me?”
Hot tears prick my eyes, and my throat tightens. I’m afraid if I say a word, I’ll start bawling like a baby. All I can manage is a vague, “Mmm-hmm.”
He smiles. “Is that a yes?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I’m taking that to mean yes.”
Jamie wraps his arms around my back, drawing my body against his. Our chests are touching, his muscular, with a light furring of dark hair, mine pale and flat and scarred. I swallow so hard it’s audible, and he smiles again.
“That’s not so bad, right?” he says.
“Mmm-hmm.” I still can’t trust myself to speak.
He leans forward and places a gentle, almost reverent kiss on my lips. I don’t even realize I’m crying until I taste the salt on his lips.
Jamie reaches up and brushes my tears away. “Tonight is a new beginning, all right? You’re safe, you’re going to remain safe, and we have each other.”
I nod, my throat still tight. I don’t know what I did to deserve this second chance at happiness – to deserve Jamie. He’s exactly what I need, and I’ve never been so happy. I wrap my hands around his neck, threading my fingers through his thick hair, and lean forward to kiss him. “A new beginning.”
The End… for now
Epilogue
Molly
It’s only been two weeks since the night Todd broke into my apartment. The police investigation into Todd’s death is over, and Jamie has been cleared of any wrong-doing. I never doubted that would happen, but I certainly breathed a sigh of relief once we had the official report in our hands, and Troy assured us Jamie had nothing to worry about.
The coroner performed an autopsy on Todd, as part of normal procedure. As next of kin, Todd’s parents received the report, and his mom shared the findings with me. His parents had been just as confused as I was by the changes in Todd’s behavior and personality over the past couple of years, and it turns out he had a tumor in the front lobe of his brain. It was benign, but it was impacting the parts of his brain responsible for personality and behavior.
I didn’t know what to think of that bombshell. Todd’s increasingly erratic and violent behavior never made any sense to me. He’d become someone I no longer recognized – he certainly wasn’t the same young man I fell in love with in college. In the past year, all of his good traits had been erased, replaced with narcissism and aggression.
Since the night Todd died in my old bedroom, I haven’t slept in my own apartment again. I’ve been sleeping with Jamie i
n his place, and it feels like home.
To celebrate the end of my nightmare, Shane and Beth have organized a dinner at their place tonight, and we’re heading there now in an Uber ride. We invited Chloe to come with us. She moved into her new apartment on the ground floor just a few days ago. Cameron Stewart moved in just this morning, so the building’s full again. Chloe will come join us at Shane and Beth’s place as soon as she gets off work. Cameron offered to wait and ride over to the dinner with Chloe.
“Do you know if Cameron has a girlfriend?” I ask.
Jamie shakes his head. “Not one I’m aware of. Why?”
“Why? I saw the way she was looking at him at dinner last night. And I saw the way he was looking at her when she wasn’t looking at him. I think I saw some sparks there.”
Jamie takes my hand in his and links our fingers together. “Are you matchmaking?”
“Well, it doesn’t hurt for them to get to know each other. After all, they’re neighbors now.”
As Jamie’s thumb absently rubs the back of my hand, I glance up at him and indulge myself for a moment, admiring his handsome profile. I reach up and brush his hair back, and he leans into my touch, turning his face so he can kiss the palm of my hand.
We arrive at Shane’s building, which is a towering architectural masterpiece. It’s a beautiful building with lots of glass and lights, situated in a prime location on Lake Shore Drive overlooking Lake Michigan.
As I gaze out the car window and look up at the massive structure, I shake my head in disbelief. “I can’t even begin to imagine what a building like this costs.”
“Some of the apartments are reserved for his employees, and the rest are leased out to the public. Lia and Jonah have an apartment here. So does Jake and also Liam.”
As we walk through the front lobby doors, an elderly doorman dressed in a fine uniform smiles when he sees Jamie.
“Jamie!” the elderly man says, his dark eyes lighting up. He reaches out for Jamie’s hand, and the two men shake. “How’s it going, man?”
“Hi, Frank,” Jamie says. “It’s going well. How about you?”
“Fine, fine,” Frank says. “You must be here to see Mr. McIntyre. Did you know his missus is going to have a baby? Well, of course you do. You’re family.”
“Frank, this is Molly Ferguson. Molly, this is Frank. He runs this place.”
Frank laughs as he slaps Jamie on the back. Then the old gentleman smiles at me. “Don’t listen to a word he says, Miss Molly. The only reason Mr. McIntyre keeps me around this place is because I’m too old to fire.”
Frank glances down our hands, which are linked together, and grins. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ferguson.”
After we take our leave, Jamie summons the private penthouse elevator with a top-secret code. When the elevator arrives, we step inside the car, and the doors close.
I glance around at the posh interior, with its thick burgundy carpeting, mirrored walls, and fine gold trim. “I can’t believe your brother lives in the penthouse apartment and has his own elevator.”
“There are certain advantages to having a private elevator.” He backs me up against one of the mirrored walls, tips my chin up, and seals his mouth over mine. He nudges my lips apart so he can slip his tongue inside to play with mine.
I sigh into the kiss, loving the feel of him, the taste. I unzip his jacket so I can slip my arms inside and wrap them around his torso. Jamie looks absolutely edible in a pair of distressed blue jeans and a white button-down shirt. And with his dark glasses on, he looks sexy and mysterious. But as much as I like the look, I prefer him without the glasses. He no longer wears them when it’s just the two of us at home, so I don’t begrudge him wearing the glasses when we’re out in public.
It feels like I have a delicious secret – and that’s seeing him without any barriers between us. He’s getting more comfortable letting me see his beautiful eyes, and I’m working on getting more comfortable letting him touch my chest. We’re both working on our insecurities.
Jamie releases me when the elevator stops at our destination. I peek briefly at my reflection in the mirror to check out the scar on my cheek. The adhesive dissolved just as the doctor said it would, and the scar is healing nicely. It’s just a faint pink line now. I can live with that. I shudder when I think how much worse it could have been.
When the elevator door opens, we step out into an elegant foyer with a marble floor and a massive crystal chandelier hanging over head. I reach for Jamie’s hand and lead him across the room to the door that presumably leads to his brother’s apartment.
Jamie and I have developed our own protocol. When it’s just the two of us going out, he often leaves Gus at home and relies on me to be his eyes. I suspect we both enjoy this arrangement because it keeps us close to each other.
We walk through the door to find a great room filled with familiar faces. “Wow, everyone’s here,” I say, scanning the room. “Lia, Jonah, Jake, Liam. Shane and Beth are on the sofa. Cooper. Miguel. Your sister Sophie. Beth’s friend… what’s her name? The redhead?”
“Gabrielle.”
“Right. Gabrielle. Oh, and your parents.”
I lead Jamie further into the room, our hands linked together and give him a narrative run down on the inhabitants of the room. “Most of the guys are at the bar... your brothers, Jonah, Miguel, and your dad. Your mom just went into the kitchen with someone wearing a catering uniform. Beth’s on the sofa with Shane, and it looks like he’s giving her a back rub. Let’s go say hi to our hosts.”
“Hi, Molly! Hi, Jamie!” Beth says when she sees us.
She starts to get up, but Shane catches her hand and pulls her back down. “No, you need to rest,” he says. He looks at us with a suffering expression. “She’s been on her feet all day.”
Beth rolls her eyes at us. “If he’s this bad now, I can’t imagine what he’ll be like when I’m as big as a house.”
Jamie’s mother hands Beth a glass of water and gently brushes her hair back. “Here, drink this, honey. You need to stay hydrated.”
Shane smiles at us. “Make yourselves at home. Drinks are at the bar – alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic. Dinner will be served in about thirty minutes.”
Jamie and I walk over to the bar and take our seats. After taking our orders, Jake hands Jamie a cold beer and me a bottle of Pepsi.
While Jamie’s giving his family an update on the investigation into the break-in and Todd’s death, I casually study Cooper, who’s standing behind the bar with his arms crossed over his chest, looking rather formidable. Other than giving us a polite nod hello, Cooper hasn’t said a word. Jamie did mention something about Cooper’s boyfriend, Sam, abruptly leaving town the morning after the wedding, but I don’t know the whole story. All I know is Cooper seems distant and unhappy, and glancing around, I see no sign of Sam.
Chloe and Cameron arrive shortly after we finish our drinks. When they walk through the foyer door, all eyes turn their way. They make a striking pair. Chloe, with her long, dark hair and dark eyes, and beautiful café au lait complexion, is the perfect compliment to Cameron, who’s a blond, blue-eyed mountain of a man.
“Chloe!” I wave her over to the bar, and she takes the empty bar seat beside mine.
Cameron follows her over and shakes hands with Jake and Jamie.
“Can I get you a drink?” Jake asks her, after I make all the introductions.
“Sure, I’ll take a beer. Whatever’s on tap.”
I lean close to her, whispering, “That was nice of Cameron to wait for you to get off work and ride over with you.”
“You mean Thor?”
Of course Cameron overhears her. He looks my way and rolls his eyes. Thankfully, he seems amused by the comparison. Not that being compared to Chris Hemsworth could ever be considered an insult.
“Oh, come on! He looks just like Thor, don’t you think? In the movie when his hair was cut short. He’s certainly built like him. All he needs is a hammer.”
> I try not to laugh.
“Here you go, Thor,” Jake says as he hands Cameron a beer.
“I told you!” Chloe says. “Even the bartender thinks so!”
Cameron maintains a straight face as he accepts a bottle of beer from Jake. Chloe does have a point. Cameron’s a big guy, tall and muscular. He’s probably the tallest man here, and that’s saying a lot. He must be at least six-and-a-half feet tall. I have to admit, his short, dirty-blond hair, scruffy beard, and blue eyes do remind me of the actor in question.
Cameron seems completely unfazed by Chloe’s teasing. If she’s trying to get a rise out of him, it’s not working.
But I do catch him watching her when she’s not looking, and I think maybe he’s not as unaffected as he appears.
* * *
Dinner is a lavish affair, with multiple courses, from potato soup and salad, to baked chicken breasts marinated in a delicious lemon and mustard sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, and warm dinner rolls with butter. The catering staff serves everyone at the table, and it’s all very fancy.
Several bottles of red wine are passed around the table, and there are also local craft beers available. Although I’m not a big beer drinker, I opt for one of the local brews, and Beth has water. For dessert, there’s a pumpkin cheesecake topped with real whipped cream.
I can’t remember the last time I had such a delicious meal.
There’s lively conversation at the table that lasts long after the dishes have been cleared away by the catering staff. Jamie and I happen to be sitting directly across the table from his parents, and his mother asks me all sorts of questions about my art studio, while Jamie and his dad chat about Chicago basketball.
Bridget’s pretty blue eyes light up whenever Jamie leans close to me and whispers in my ear, or he reaches over to fiddle with my hair or touch my hand. She smiles warmly at me, and I’m relieved to have her tacit approval.
A couple of times, I glance around the long table. Chloe’s sitting on my other side, and Cameron’s seated at the far end of the table beside Shane’s gorgeous sister Sophie, who is a curvaceous, brunette bombshell. A couple of times, I catch Chloe watching Cameron, who’s conversing easily with Sophie.