I bring my hand to cover his that’s on my cheek.
“Remember when you asked me how I felt about moving to Baja for a while?”
“Yes.” I search his eyes, somewhat confused by the sudden question.
“Do you still want to do that?”
“Can you really do it?”
He nods, contemplating. “I’d have to prepare. It can’t happen immediately. I thought, maybe in a couple of months. You can work on that project of yours and Iris can help with the baby now that she’s getting stronger. I think it’ll do her good, having us close to her.”
“I think it will do all of us good. I think it’s perfect.”
Chapter 36
Moment in Time
Daniel
Six months later
Surfboard under one arm and baby huddled under the other – a flailing and gurgling bundle of contagious, angelic giggles – I head toward the water. I straddle the board, holding Emma in my arms so she’s facing me, and let the waters slowly rock us in calming little sways. She looks at me with those big brown eyes, full of joy, making my chest double with adoration and pride.
She brings her little hands to tap the board’s surface, splashing water on us. Her eyes grow bigger with ecstasy along with her smile.
“Hey Em, say daddy. Da-ddy.” She lets out a string of sweet blabber that makes my lips stretch so wide. Taking in her amazing resemblance to Hayley, I smile at her. With the thought of her resemblance to her mom and how she’d probably look when she’s older, I try another word.
“Repeat after Daddy, Em. Celibacy.” She giggles. “Say it, Em. Ce-li-ba-cy.” The sweet rolling sound continues with more water splashing. I chuckle and mutter, “No joking now. It’s a serious matter.” I take her in my arms, hugging her close to my chest and inhaling her powdery scent. I sit her with her back to me, embracing her with one arm while paddling gently with the other. For a while, we float on the board, just me and my baby girl, enjoying the peacefulness till it’s time to get ready.
. . .
“She looks like a little angel, doesn’t she? Aren’t you, tiny one?” Julie, Hayley’s mom, kisses Emma’s bouncy curls. Emma looks up at me with her smiley, gleaming eyes, holding her arms out. When I take her in mine, she rewards me with a sweet, happy sound.
“She’s a mini Hayley, eh?” I plant a kiss on Emma’s tiny nose. Stretching my arms up, I hold her above me, making her smile brighter.
“She is. It’s like seeing Hayley as a baby all over again,” Julie confirms, smiling at us both. “Though, I think that smile of hers is you.”
I grin at Emma, studying her slightly crooked, adorable smile. “You got Daddy’s smile? Sorry for that, Em.”
Julie squeezes my bicep, shaking her head humoredly. “We should get going. Do you want me to hold Emma?”
I shake my head. “We want her to be a part of it.”
Julie’s eyes mist over. “I better go now. Congratulations, darling.” She gives me a one-arm hug before stepping out the patio door and heading toward the beach.
“Let’s makes this happen, Em. You ready?”
Everyone is waiting on the white sand of our Baja home slice of private beach. Under the soft afternoon sun and light, warm breeze, Ian and Josh, Natasha and Rafa, Iris, looking healthier with eyes shining and some ruddiness on her cheeks, Steven, Hales’ brother, his mother by his side and right next to her the only person who doesn’t smile at me. There’s a hint of warmness in Dr. Grace’s otherwise solemn stare. That sliver of affection goes to the baby. I bet my left nut on it.
“Thanks to you, baby girl, we finally made it here,” I whisper to Emma. She titters when I say, “Your mother finally agreed to get married when you were born, so Em, I owe you big time.” Emma looks at me with shiny eyes and lets out a string of adorable noises.
Noticing everyone’s attention gradually shifting toward the house, I turn my gaze. With a shy smile caused by the attention, Hayley walks toward us in a simple white dress and small white flowers in her hair. However, nothing about her is simple. The light wind sways loose curls away from her delicate, freckled face, the soft sun bringing out her exquisite beauty. I’m sure the wild pummeling of my heart is bruising my ribcage.
I drink her in.
It's the breath you're holding because she's still a step away. It’s this feeling you feel that’s somewhere between bliss and pain. Another step, and another, her eyes meet mine and she smiles a smile that trickles into me. A flinch of ache constricts my chest with that smile because it's in response to me. I take her hand in mine and walk the three of us together. Reaching the priest, Hayley bites on a mischievous smile, winking at me. Unspoken, she sends me a private message I read loud and clear. It’s somewhere along the lines of here I am, yours, forever and for always.
I grin at her, closing the gap between us. When I lean in to chastely kiss her cheek, she shifts her head so our lips meet. As our mouths touch, there’s nothing chaste about it anymore.
“There’s a wedding night for that, gorgeous,” Ian says, his words followed by a wave of short laughter around us.
The priest clears his voice, humor coloring his eyes as he looks at us. “You’re about to make promises to each other.” He starts then Emma cuts him off with some demanding noises, asking to be held by her mom. Hayley takes her from me. Our baby looks at Hayley for a sweet moment and then makes it clear she wants to go back to me. Crowing and gurgling, wriggling my way with the most beautiful smile.
“Can’t really blame her,” Hayley says with a smile of her own and shrugs. A few chuckles surround us as I take Emma back into my arms.
“Amen to that,” Ian says. I shake my head and nod at the priest to carry on.
“Here, you’ll vow to be there for one another, take care of each other, find happiness and bliss together.” The intimate ceremony resumes, with these words, our closest people, the sounds of waves, and delightful baby tittering. As I slide the ring on Hale’s finger, I tip down to whisper in her ear, “No going back, Mrs. Stark.”
Slowly, she lifts her eyes to mine, her lips stretching into a gentle smile. She puts the ring on my finger, pulling on my hand to slightly make me bend till my ear is close to her lips. “You’re stuck with me now, Husband.” We hold a beaming stare.
“You may kiss the bride.”
“This will require my complete attention,” I say, winking at Hales. I turn to look at the people behind us and hand Emma to Ian. “Start practicing, man.”
“Hey,” I say to Hayley before lifting her in my arms. I let her slide just enough for our mouths to meet. Subtly touching my lips to hers, I gaze into her eyes. Like in a slow dance, our mouths part. Unhurriedly closing the distance. Slowly meshing with one another. Hayley’s eyes flutter closed, mine follow as I savor her taste, her nearness. I hold her close to me, our mouths fusing in a perfect, sensual match. We slowly ease back, smiling at each other, bonded in a union that’s sacred beyond words. Hayley’s heavy leaded stare as though she's drunk by my presence alone, makes me feel larger than life. No one in this universe could ever rise up to her level. No one out of an entire humanity is her.
When we take a step back and turn to face our family and friends, my smile turns into a smirk I’m trying hard to subordinate. Dr. Grace’s glare on me can easily constitute as aggravated assault.
Congratulations and hugs fill in the next long moments. I let Hayley be the focus of that and step back to thank the priest and exchange a few civil words with my father-in-law.
Walking up to the house, my gaze follows Hayley as she’s holding Emma with one hand, chatting with her friends and Iris. I look at her with fresh eyes. This incredibly striking woman. She’s smiling her heart-stopping smile. A smile that shines from those big browns eyes. This woman in the flowy white dress over golden skin and loose waves. The mother of my daughter, my best friend, and the undeniable love of my life. My wife.
“Hey.” Hayley tugs on my hand as we step up the deck.
“Ye
s, Mrs. Stark?” I say with a grin.
“Um, when’s the wedding night starting?”
My grin doubles. “On it. Let me just get rid of everyone.”
Chapter 37
Breathe a Little Better
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” –Emily Brontë
Four months later
I drop to a chair, my shoulders sagging as I observe the flotsam and jetsam of the day. Scream, run away, or at the very least, flip off the clatter around me – that’s all I want to do. Clearly, it’s not what I’ll end up doing. This being an adult thing sucks.
Rolling my cotton dress’ sleeves up, I mentally prepare myself to literally get my hands dirty. It’s been one of those days when nothing gets done. An orgy of incomplete tasks. The kitchen counter full of dishes and baby bottles, boxes all around me labeled “Kitchen” in black sharpie. A mess that can only be described as white noise that is getting on my very last nerve. I push out a surrendered exhale and dig my hands in the sink. Why don’t you ever listen, ah? Why do I always have to prove a point? Why couldn’t I just say yay to hiring people for the unpacking part too? “Oh, c’mon, it’s just a few boxes,” I said. “I don’t like strangers touching my stuff,” I said. Not my finest stubborn hour.
I trip over a basket full of dirty clothes as I scramble to find a dishtowel to dry my hands. That’s it. I’m calling someone first thing tomorrow morning.
Empowered by my decision, I reach for a bottled water. Something to do with the hand-mouth coordination miserably fails and a stream of cold water runs down the valley of my breasts. Observing the damage with irritation, reaching for the dishtowel again, I murmur, “Fuck me,” under my breath.
A low chuckle comes from behind me. “Is that a request?”
I turn to see Daniel standing at the door, the very picture of hot, tall, and deliciously sinful. His scarred lip tipped, making my own lips follow suit. His crooked smile draws me in, and for a span of a moment, I’m lost in him.
His eyes roam over me, lazily stripping off my dress. I lick my lips, scanning him appreciatively from head to enticingly bare feet. “Oh, yeah,” I say in a smoky voice. “It was indeed a request.”
An extent of a blink is the exact length of time we manage to hold our faces straight. Our eyes, wrinkled at the corners, dance at each other. His light chuckle and my easy giggle meet. Daniel holds out his hand with a tilt of his head and a thin smile asking me to join him. I take a few steps to reach him, lacing my fingers with his.
In pleasant silence, we cross the inky lit living room. As though reading my thoughts, Daniel stops by Emma’s room. Standing in the doorframe, we both pause to watch our Em, a sweet, serene expression on her adorable face. I rest my head on Daniel’s shoulder, drawn to his warmth. And everything feels better. He dips to leave a kiss on my hair and tugs on my hand, signaling for me to follow him.
“What’s that?” I say in surprise as we round the corner to the master bedroom of our Baja home. Nearly six months after tying the knot in this exact location, we finally moved in. From the door, I study the medium size, light blue box in the middle of our bed with two forks on its side.
Daniel pivots my way, his joyful eyes on me. “Brought you something from home.”
I release my hold on him and near the bed. I lean in with two hands on the bed, my leg slightly raised up for balance, and read the label on the box. A wide grin colors my face in happiness. I turn my head to look at Daniel over my shoulder. “If I weren’t already married to you, I would marry you all over again.”
Daniel’s bad-boy grin makes an appearance. “Just stay in this position with your sublime ass up in the air and we’re good.”
Biting on my smile, I slightly shake the praised body part. Before my next exhale, large hands grab me by my hips, pulling my ass back against his jean-clad groin. I let out a surprised squeal, finding myself unceremoniously flipped over on my back. Daniel nudges my legs apart, causing my knee-length dress to pile up in a heap of fabric on my hips. He holds himself above me by his arms on either side of my head, his face tipped down at me. A few clusters of golden hair fall on his forehead, nearly hiding his arched brow. “What will it be?” he says in husky timbre. “Me or the chocolate cakes in that box?”
I put on a grave expression, bringing my finger to my lips. I tap them lightly, twisting my mouth from side to side. I sigh. “Tough choice, to be honest.” Daniel narrows his eyes at me, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “And just so you know, calling those Pavés ‘chocolate cakes’ is blasphemy!”
Daniel hangs his head down in defeat. He slightly shakes it from side to side, pushes himself to drop on his back beside me. “I never stood a chance, did I?”
I turn to lie on my side, facing him. “How about we share?” I wiggle my brows.
He cranes his neck to look at me, rolling his eyes animatedly.
“A moment, please.” I smile. “I’m just going to change into something less wet.” I wave at the front of my dress.
He shakes his head, stopping me by a grip on my wrist. “Just take it off.” The rough edge of his voice seeps into my core, spreading warmth.
I lift my dress up my thighs and stop. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
A flirty grin adorns Daniel face as he sends his hand to the back of his shirt and pulls it over his head.
Sitting on the bed cross-legged in our underwear, facing each other, I ever so carefully lift the lid. “Beautiful,” I say reverentially.
“Hales, it’s a fucking cake.”
I lightly shake my head, putting a finger to my lips, and shush him. I dip a fork in the layered delight of chocolate heaven and bring it to Daniel’s mouth. His amused mouth closes around the fork. Retrieving the fork, I bring it to my own mouth, sucking on the taste of faint sweetness and Daniel. “Perfect,” I murmur.
Taking a forkful for myself, I lick my lips and say, “Thank you for bringing me this cake all the way from home, I’m grateful for everything you do for me.”
A soft smile comes as a response. “I’m grateful for everything you are.”
I bring another spoonful to his mouth and lean in to press a kiss on his lips. He sends his hand to my cheek, in a soft caress trailing it down my neck. His finger moves along my bra strap, slowly reaching the mound of my breast. A light shiver runs through me as the palm of his hand hovers over the cup of my bra. His voice is a tone rougher as he says, “I’m grateful that even after all this time, this is your response to my touch.”
My mouth dries and my lips part as he sets the box aside and pulls me to sit astride him. Daniel’s lips trace the path of my skin his hand left a moment ago. His hands come to my waist, gently caressing up my back till they clutch around my shoulders. Gently, by the hold of his hand on my shoulders, he arches me back. His mouth descends to my bellybutton. In scorching kisses and a mix of gentle sucks and bites, he makes his way up my stomach, between my breasts, along my stretched neck. With one hand still holding me arched, his other splays between my breasts, slowly moving to lightly squeeze one while his mouth kisses the other. Through the lacy fabric, he sucks on my hardened nipple. A needy whimper floats from my lips. He eases back to push the fabric down, exposing my breast to him. He slowly bites on my nipple, only to soothe it with his tongue right after. The sensation spreads in my body in a warm wave. My breath becomes heavier when his free hand slides inside my panties. When I say his name on a breathy expel, he tilts me forward to look at him. With his eyes captivating mine, his fingers find me, and slowly, excruciatingly slow, dip into me. I hold his stare as I send my hand to his boxers, to wrap around him, high on the raw sound reverberating from his chest.
My hand sliding around him and his fingers working my desire, we meet for a wild kiss. Fighting for domination, for more. Consuming each other’s taste with our mouths. Daniel lifts us up enough to free himself from his boxers, never breaking our kiss. A moan travels from my mouth to his when he pushes my panties aside
and sinks into me. Moving around him, I cup his cheeks, my eyes swallowing him in. His brows set in concentration, his scarred lip agape, letting his labored breaths caress my lips. I tip enough for my tongue to roam over his lips, for my mouth to kiss the scar on his sharp cheekbone. The feel of him in me, the erotic sounds coming out of his lips as he pleasures me sends a surge of heat climbing up my thighs, washing over me in inconceivable pleasure. I’m quaking around him, my core shaken, a light shiver bathing me as I drop my head back and through moans of ecstasy say his name.
His hands swing to my waist, shifting my body so he can reach deeper in me. His grip on me becomes tighter as he works my body to ride him faster. When I tighten around him and call out his name this time, my name comes out of his lips in a strained harmony to his last forceful drives.
“I love you,” I whisper next, rested on his chest, in his arms.
“Love you, Hales,” Daniel says, tracing little circles on my skin.
It’s just another day. Uneventful. Another day that when the first stars appear in the calm Baja sky; I linger for a brief moment on the patio, soaking in the exotic breeze that has become familiar, then return inside to our home, feeling utterly content and blissful. Utterly complete.
With our baby tucked in bed and me being held in the arms of my Daniel, I feel like I am filled to brimming and I breathe a contented sigh.
We both freeze at the demanding wail coming from the room next door.
“For fuck’s sake,” comes a husky grumble. “How can something so sweet reach those decibels?”
I lightly chuckle and murmur through a yawn, “Your turn.”
I wait for a few moments to pass and for silence to blanket our home before tiptoeing to Emma’s room. This never gets old. The sight of Daniel singing to our daughter, rocking her to sleep.
Outer Core Page 16