Fate had allowed me to meet the very person I needed even when I myself hadn’t known how empty my life had been before.
It was hard to think logically as the rest of the evening flew by in a daze of feelings. Before I knew it, Declan’s mom had come to collect her grandchild for the weekend and to see the ring.
Not only had she known beforehand, but it was obvious from her beaming expression that she very much approved. I couldn’t help but envy what it must’ve felt like to be loved without conditions. I said as much to Declan the moment we were alone.
“Can’t understand why you’re so surprised,” Declan said. “If your grandmother could have been here, I’m pretty certain she would have been on our lawn doing back flips after we told her of our engagement.”
I smiled at the image in my head of my grandmother, nearing ninety years of age, hiking her skirts up and proving to us all that she was still a lively little thing.
“Perhaps you’re right,” I admitted.
“There is no perhaps about it,” Declan growled as he put a warm hand to my cheek. “I’m pretty damn sure that she would have approved of anyone who genuinely loved you. And do you know what else I’m pretty sure of?” Declan paused, his intentions clear in his eyes. He knelt before me again and rubbed his face against my crotch.
“Stop that,” I demanded.
“Why?”
“Because you’ve promised to marry me, so I’m done giving away the goods until you’ve kept your word.”
Declan laughed. “Well, in that case, you had better get an ordained minister over here pronto because I’m about to lick you hard then suck you dry. And after I’m done—”
There was an after?
I wasn’t sure I would be able to hold out until the first round was over, yet here was this wicked man talking about an after.
Hamlet was right: Declan surely was a bastard. There was just no resisting such a determined man either. Especially when he nuzzled his nose against my cock again and it rose to the occasion.
“Declan—” I began.
“Mr. Davis. Please do us both a favor and shut up.”
I could do that. There was nothing to be said that couldn’t wait, plus I didn’t want to break Declan’s concentration by talking.
What I could do instead was feel.
The pleasure was acutely intense as Declan stroked me with his tongue, making sure that I was rock-hard and panting before he stripped me bare.
There was so much pleasure to be had just by being exposed and naked before the man I loved, and I felt it all now. There was hunger and there was promise. So much promise in the way that Declan looked at me with darkened eyes. Eyes that told me that he would forever be in awe of me.
Everything that I had ever dared to hope for was now found and all the pleasures of the universe sat on the fingertips of the man who traced the length of my body. His slow caresses sent my pulse galloping and made me drunk with lust.
I wanted this moment to last forever until I remembered that we now had all the time in the world to perfect the art of Declan driving me mad with desire until I was painfully hard and swollen and desperate before he decided to take pity on me.
“Come for me now,” Declan demanded gruffly before taking me into his mouth again.
The pace grew quicker and there was no denying the onslaught of pleasure as Declan worked his magic on me. Perhaps one day in the future I would have gotten so used to our lovemaking that I would no longer lose myself in the thrill of sensations of his touch.
Perhaps one day—but I somehow doubted that.
Not with the way Declan later rode me hard and demanded things from me that no one else had ever dared. There was no retreating to that place I had always reserved inside myself where no one had ever touched, nor did I feel the need to hide there now. I trusted my man and was no longer scared to explore all the thoughts I had previously repressed.
After—
Boy, was I surprised that I could even stand after.
But after the first round, Declan surprised me yet again by suggesting we switch positions so I could prove to him what a good student I had been so far.
At first I was hesitant, shy even, as I used both hands to gently explore Declan’s body.
Declan demanded, “Touch me like you mean it. I can take whatever you got.”
I was shocked, appalled, but so very turned on by Declan’s willingness to let me do as I pleased with him.
Declan was usually the one who took me and made me scream for more; who fucked me for hours until neither of us could move and were laid together in tangles.
But tonight, it was my turn and I had the authority to do as I pleased.
The plan was to first taste Declan all over, then fuck him senseless as I embraced my temporary role as boss. And then if we both survived that, I would come up with a new plan.
Because one thing was for certain: I had found my match and this man was willing to take a chance on me too.
“I love you,” Declan whispered over and over as his eyes glazed over in pleasure.
“I love you,” I rasped back.
“I love you.”
“I love you.”
I lost count of how many times we said it, whispered it and groaned it throughout the night, but by the time the sun rose the next morning it was an integral part of us that I knew would never change.
Chapter 27
Declan
We woke up the next morning entangled together. I didn’t move an inch and tried to keep my breathing even so I wouldn’t wake Ivan. I wanted to absorb the sight and memorize it. I wanted to be able to remember this moment and relive it for the rest of my life.
I took in every detail. We were facing each other, our bodies mixed together under the sheets. The morning light hit his face just right, accentuating his chiseled features. He looked like a work of art. His thick lashes moved slightly as his eyes danced to whatever he was dreaming about. I hoped he was dreaming of me. His full lips were slightly parted. I decided to wake him with a kiss, just as soon as I finished taking in his image and that moment.
Ivan grumbled slightly and I smiled. I had a feeling he was reliving last night. I looked down and saw his arousal. He was moving slightly, rhythmically.
I sighed. A man’s work was never done, was it? I decided to make his dream a reality and kissed his open lips, darting my tongue inside.
His eyes flew open, then he kissed me back. I felt him push himself closer so that he was rubbing himself on me. My length reciprocated the movement back to him. We moved in unison, just rubbing on each other while we kissed deeply.
We made beautiful love in that morning light. It was amazing we could after the night before, but somehow we managed. When our morning lovemaking concluded, he had the audacity to fall back asleep.
I smiled then got up to shower. It was such a welcomed feeling, the warm water hitting my aching muscles, sore from the night before. I made it a quick shower though, because I planned on giving my love breakfast in bed.
I made everything I could find, feeling famished, and knowing Ivan would be too. I made coffee and added everything to a large tray and carefully brought it to him. He probably had another hour sleep from the time I left him to shower and cook, so I didn’t feel too guilty for waking him up.
I entered the room. “Rise and shine.”
“No. Go away. I’m in heaven, sleeping.”
I placed the tray on the bed beside him. “Whatever you do, roll over carefully.”
Ivan was laying on his stomach with his head in his pillow. He slowly lifted his head and surveyed the tray. We both heard his stomach growl and he laughed. “Okay, I give.” He grabbed a piece of bacon while he slowly turned over. I propped up his pillows for him so he could sit up.
He gave me a pleased smile. “Thank you, Declan.”
“My absolute pleasure, Ivan.”
I lifted the tray up and put it in his lap, then carefully sat beside him. We fed each other and lau
ghed. All the while I couldn’t believe how lucky I was that this man agreed to marry me.
Chapter 28
Ivan
It was the last day before winter break and I should have been thrilled. Winter break meant two weeks of blessed silence from the hellions that took up so much of my energy and time during the week.
I should have been thrilled, elated, probably doing back flips just like my grandmother would have after my engagement. But it was hard to feel joyous when the lead actor for the play still hadn’t arrived yet. In less than five minutes we would be on.
“Katie,” I whispered. “Do you know where Tommy is or at least why he’s not here?”
We were hiding backstage behind the closed curtains, scanning the crowd for any sight of the little lad. Tommy had tried out for the role of Hamlet and had promised to do a good job if given the part, so by God I was going to strangle Tommy if he let us all down now.
“He said that he’ll be here,” Katie offered hesitantly before she sighed and continued explaining. “He also said that he was going to be late just so everyone would worry.”
I closed my eyes and groaned, feeling the start of an instant migraine.
I didn’t blame Katie for not telling me from the start what the rascal had planned. Who could blame her for being a loyal friend? But now I was in a frightful and terrible place as I waited for Tommy to appear. We all knew that it was impossible to successfully pull off the play if the main character wasn’t present.
“Your prince has arrived!” Tommy called out as he slipped backstage already dressed.
At that point I wasn’t sure if I wanted to scold him or hug him, but either reaction would have to wait as we were due on stage that very moment.
Katie shined just as I knew she would, and I didn’t miss the proud look in Declan’s eyes once the play was over.
She had said her lines without a stammer, and she never missed a cue. A little actress in the making, perhaps?
Once the play wrapped up, Declan met me backstage and gave me a hug. “It never would have been possible without you,” he told me.
“No, it wouldn’t have been possible without us working together,” I corrected. “We’ve both done our parts so it’s only fair that we take our share of credit for her stunning performance tonight.”
Declan smiled and hugged me again.
“Daddy,” Katie began as she walked up to where we were standing. “Can I hang out with Tommy for a little while after the play? Tommy’s father is taking the entire cast out for pizza as long as everyone’s parents say yes, so I’m asking you now.”
“Of course, baby,” Declan crooned.
I rolled my eyes but didn’t bother to point out that Katie was likely to stop tolerating being called ‘baby’ and ‘darling’ soon enough, and so her father would have to come up with a new term of endearment.
Still, I was glad he granted her wish. It sounded like a great outing for the kids to socialize and mark the last day of school for the year. So while the kids enjoyed themselves in the pizzeria down at the boardwalk, we joined the other parents who milled about outside and waited for the fun to be over.
We were standing by ourselves when I noticed a few parents eyeing us. At first it made my back stiffen when the fellow parents wandered over, but I soon realized that I didn’t need to be apprehensive in the least.
“You’re Katie’s dad, right?” a father asked Declan, who nodded. “Great to meet you. Our children are both in Mr. Davis’s English class. I was telling the others that I was almost certain you were the fireman we saw on the news the other day. The one who helped save our neighborhood.”
Again Declan nodded and shook a few thankful hands.
“Well, that was a fine job you did young man,” the father said, and several of the other parents chimed in with their agreements.
Declan bowed his head and mumbled something under his breath that sounded vaguely like a thank you.
“No. Thank you,” one of the mothers said. “If it weren’t for you, most of us wouldn’t have a roof over our heads. And I take it that you two are an item?” She motioned at our engagement rings.
We nodded in unison and everyone smiled.
“Good for you, Mr. Davis. You seem to have found a keeper.” Several of the other parents nodded.
Their approval was such an amazing relief that I could barely thank them as we parted ways.
“That went well,” Declan commented on the walk toward the beach. “Now that we have the neighborhood’s blessing, how about we find a nice secluded spot on the beach?”
“For what?” I asked dumbly.
“So I can show you all the things I wanted to do to you on the first date we spent here.”
Of course I couldn’t say no to his offer, and of course we ended up on the beach doing just that a few minutes later.
The allure of Declan was just too much and the tug on my heartstrings had been too strong for me to tell him no and mean it.
That was why when the time finally came when I was asked ‘Do you take Declan to be your husband?’ I knew without a doubt my answer would be ‘Yes.’
When it came to Declan, it would always be yes, for now and forever.
Epilogue
Katie
No more lonely nights, Katie’s dad had promised. But it wasn’t until after he and Ivan were married that his promise had been fulfilled.
Katie could still remember the wedding day. She was the flower girl, of course. She remembered how happy she had felt as she watched the ceremony. She remembered the smile on her dad’s face as he said the personalized vows that he wrote.
It was fate and faith, he had said.
Fate had brought them together while faith was what they needed to face the future together.
Tommy had been there, as had his father. Katie had been so happy to see Tommy there because she had felt a little apprehensive about what the other kids would think when they learned her father married another man.
But lucky for her, Tommy was on her side, and all the kids were a little afraid of Tommy and his supposed temper.
Grandma had also been there and even Grandpa had come. Katie remembered the surprised look in her dad’s eyes when he realized his father had not only come, but supported him.
Even Hamlet and his family had made a guest appearance in the backyard where the small ceremony was held. He flew overhead and screeched about what a b-word Declan was so loudly that all the guests had roared with laughter.
So no, it would not be a day that she would ever forget.
It was summer now, and all the happiness in their little home was brighter than the sun outside. And what made it better was that it felt earned. Katie worked hard at school, and now she was rewarded with a well-deserved break to spend with those closest to her. She just felt bad for kids like Mary, who had to take summer school while she was enjoying the warm sun.
There were long days when Daddy was at work and it was only her and Ivan in the house; long days of reading new books, of lazing about and watching television, with the occasional visit from Hamlet who still stopped by to practice his speaking and make sure everyone was doing well.
There would be no more saying ‘Mr. Davis’ until September came again when she was due to return to school. And maybe after that, there wouldn’t be any saying ‘Mr. Davis’ ever again as she had been aiming to call him Dad for the longest time now. She knew that eventually she would have the courage to say it.
She had two dads and she felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
Katie looked at her two dads now, both of them in the kitchen together, trying out a new recipe that smelled as if it wasn’t going too well.
She sighed in contentment and wondered just how soon it would be before either of them realized that the sugar they thought they were adding to the mix was actually salt.
She should know, as she had pretended not to see Tommy switch the bottles the last time he had visited. It was his vengeance for her dad t
hreatening to send a team of highly skilled assassins after Tommy if he was ever caught kissing her again.
But it had been a good kiss, a simple one on the cheek. It had been worth the lecture that had followed as her father uncomfortably stammered through a confusing conversation about the birds and the bees. For everyone’s sake, she had listened and nodded like she understood anyway.
For now, all was good again and their family was both happy and content.
Because, like Grandma always said, a little faith could go a very long way and she was just happy to be going on this journey with them.
*
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A sample from Stormy Hearts
Ash
A knocking at my door woke me up. I groaned as I flung off the covers and glanced at the alarm clock. 6 o’clock? Who would wake me up so early, and why?
I pulled on some pants and headed for the door. I opened it a crack to see Chelsea’s grinning mug. “What is it?” I asked, not really a morning person.
She answered in a hush voice, “He’s having breakfast! You gotta come out quick, before he’s gone.”
“What?”
“The hot guy you met earlier. You told me he was a buff construction-looking guy, right? With tattoos? And a dog?”
I rubbed my eyes. “Yeah.”
“Well, come on. He just stepped into the breakfast lounge and I could barely contain myself. I had to run up here and get you.”
Any other time of the day, and I would be happy to receive this bit of intel. But god did I hate early mornings.
Chelsea continued, “I’m heading back down there. I’ll get you some coffee. Lots of milk and sugar, right?”
She was persistent, and I was too tired to fight her off. Especially if there was coffee to be had. “Yeah, fine, okay. Make it a big cup, though.”
Chelsea threw me a thumbs up and flew off. I closed the door and rummaged through my clothes for a nice dress shirt. My hair needed a quick combing, and my facial hair was a bit messier than I liked it, but I looked passable anyhow. I then turned, about to head out, when I remembered Sasha. I peeked at her in the bed, seeing she was still fast asleep, or at least pretending to be. She wouldn’t leave that bed ever since we checked in last night. “All right, you be good,” I said softly, then turned and stepped out.
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