Made In America
Page 22
“Sorry,” he murmurs.
“You don’t have to be sorry,” I answer softly. “Not anymore.” He looks at me with a questioning gaze—head tilted slightly—and I nod, “I forgive you.”
Drawing him close, our lips touch in the tenderest of ways. I can taste the salt from his tears on them as my tongue laps sweetly at his mouth. This kiss is different from all the others. I can feel it in my heart. It’s not a kiss of passion or desire or the unbridled hunger we’ve experienced in the past. It’s a kiss of love. A deep, longing sort of love that connects us in a way we’ve yet to imagine. It’s a kiss that melts our souls together, searing them as one.
When we part, Grant rubs my shoulders, whispering, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I chime.
We trade places, and he sits behind his desk, loosening his tie before lazily hanging his arm over the chair and releasing a tired sigh. “Amanda’s gone,” he says.
I stand, unsure of what to do or say. His eyes rake up my body and land on my face to see my baffled expression. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Tito, McCreedy, take your pick. I couldn’t tell you something like that with them here.”
I shoo his knees together and sit down on his lap, placing an arm around his shoulder while trailing my fingers whimsically up and down the buttons of his shirt. “I’m so sorry. I would’ve been there with you had I known, you know that, right? Despite everything, I never want your pain to be yours alone.”
“It had to be, Raven.”
His gaze is telling, letting me know his statement is final, and there’s nothing more to say. He might tell me what happened in time, or he might not. That’s his decision to make, and certainly not mine to force out of him.
Clenching my lips together, I move my fingers up to his hair, playing aimlessly with it as I look into his eyes. “Are we going to be okay?” I ask.
He takes a deep breath and places a hand on my thigh, rubbing it gently. His touch is electric and soothing all at once.
“I feel…hopeful,” he smiles, his words echoing my own from earlier this morning.
“Me too.”
I lean in and give him another kiss, and it isn’t long before we find ourselves in his apartment, doing nothing but cuddling the night away.
- EPILOGUE -
Grant
10 Months Later
“God you feel so fucking good,” I grunt, grabbing Raven’s hips and pummeling her from behind. Her face is smashed up against the bathroom mirror, and her dress is hiked up around her waist and I can’t…stop…fucking her.
“Shh,” she manages between pleasurable gasps for air. “They’ll hear you.”
Outside, the beach is awash with guests ready to get the party started. It’s been a beautiful day for a wedding, and having Tito and Frankie tie the knot on Edisto Island couldn’t have been more picturesque. With the sun shining and the ocean waves crashing in the background, they exchanged lifelong vows that Raven and I both held hands through, gazing into one another’s eyes while the feelings of desire rose to a fever pitch.
As soon as they both said I do, we were out of there, heading back to the beach house for a quickie.
“Fuck me harder,” she begs.
“Don’t have to ask me twice,” I smile, catching her glance in the mirror.
Our flesh slaps maniacally together as we both lose ourselves to each other. She pushes back, and I heave forward, burying myself deep inside her pussy from behind while gazing down at her glorious ass.
The last ten months have been a whirlwind of sex, work, and honest nights spent telling each other everything about our lives. After saying goodbye to Amanda, I found it easier to open up, and though that day still haunts me and I’ve yet to speak about it to Raven, I’ve told her just about everything else there is to tell about myself, and she—in turn—has done the same. Former lovers, crazy family gatherings, workplace horror stories; we’ve shared almost as much as two people can share with one another, and it’s only left us hungry for more.
“I love your cock so much,” she purrs, reaching down to rub her clit as I furiously fuck her.
I can’t imagine my life without her in it, and I’m glad I don’t have to. As much as I hurt her, the healing process has been one we’ve both been able to get through together. It hasn’t all been roses and champagne, though. It was hard at first to tell her things about myself, and that did cause some tension as we worked on our relationship, with Raven’s temper and my mouth getting the better of us sometimes, but in the end we always found our way back into each other’s arms, and for that I couldn’t feel more blessed.
“I’m going to come,” I groan.
“Do it,” she begs. “Fill me up.”
Now? We’re doing okay. Like all relationships, it’s a process. One we work at every single day to improve, but we’re in a good place. Tito and Frankie helped indirectly with that. Seeing them together getting ready to be married was something the both of us hoped we could work toward one day, and with their love being ever-present in our lives, it made it easier to show the love and affection we have for one another, despite the bumps we’ve experienced along the way.
“Fuck,” I groan, shoving hard and deep before emptying myself inside Raven.
She arches her back and I reach around to steady her as she presses against me, my hands cupping her soft breasts before giving her nipples a tight squeeze and kissing her ear.
“We better get back,” she says.
“Do we have to?” I growl, wanting more of her.
She pushes back against me and I lose my balance. My cock slips out as her dress falls back into place as she turns to face me.
“You know we do, but maybe later we can sneak away before dessert.”
“We’re insatiable, you know that?”
She grabs my shirt collar and yanks me close, planting my lips with hers in a warm, wet embrace that leaves us both gasping for air.
“Don’t I know it,” she smiles. “Now come on, everyone’s waiting.”
We wash up, and present ourselves back on the beach to knowing smiles from Tito and Frankie. The reception has already started, with music and dancing, a buffet of food laid out for people to enjoy, and games for the few children present with their parents. It’s a totally relaxed affair, and one I couldn’t be happier to have provided for them.
“What were you two up to?” Tito winks.
“We were, um, just checking on the muffins.” I frown at my lame excuse for an answer.
“English muffins,” Raven adds playfully.
“Oh Lord,” Frankie rolls his eyes, but it’s no secret that Raven and I can’t get enough of one another.
A server walks by carrying a tray of beers and I stop him to nab a couple. Handing one to Raven, I chink my bottle with hers and wink, “To muffins.”
Her laughter fills my soul with happiness as the four of us bask in the warm sun beating down on the beach.
“I’m going to miss this place,” Tito muses, turning from the ocean to look at the pair of beach houses.
“Well,” I tell him, “you’re both welcome here any time, you know that. Whether Raven and I are here or not, doesn’t matter. These houses are your houses.”
“Thanks, Huffy,” he clasps my shoulder in appreciation. “You’re all right.”
“Yeah he is,” Raven beams, threading our arms together.
“We’ll catch up with you later,” I say to the happy couple. “Go on, enjoy your party.”
“Don’t go too far,” Frankie says. “You still have to make your toast, Rave.”
“Yeah, and hopefully with you being my best man and all, it won’t be anything like the last toast you made for us,” Tito warns, reminding us all of the night of their engagement party.
“Keep it up and it’ll be worse,” Raven scolds before I take her hand and we drift away to let the two get back to their guests.
Walking down the beach, we both fal
l silent, enjoying one another’s presence under perfect conditions. A laughing gull flies overhead, and we can’t help but smile at the memory of the first time Raven encountered one, telling silly knock-knock jokes before erupting in a fit of giggles.
Hopefully we can make more happy memories like that in the future, leaving the not-so-pleasant ones to accompany them by the wayside.
“I don’t want to go back to work,” she says, squeezing my hand. “Let’s just live on the beach forever.”
“But you’re so good at it,” I tell her.
And she really is. Despite still holding the title of Assistant, Raven’s become an intricate part of my company over the last few months, really proving herself a valuable asset. Way more valuable than Alan Danziger ever was. Her knack for understanding numbers and finance is second only to my own, and I often heed her advice when it comes to important business matters, knowing she’d never steer me wrong.
Which is why I have a little surprise planned for after her toast.
“Maybe,” she says, “but a girl can dream, can’t she?”
“Always,” I smile, kissing her hair.
After making our way back to the reception, I take a seat at the head table next to Raven, who remains standing while clanging a fork against her bottle of beer to get everyone’s attention. The DJ cuts the music, and the people on the dance floor gather around. All eyes are on her, and despite that, Raven doesn’t seem the least bit nervous.
“First off,” she begins, “I’d like to thank you all for coming, and to those who were at the engagement party I can assure you that this time I am completely sober, and I’m going to keep this short.”
A trickle of applause wafts through the crowd.
“Now then, on to Tito and Frankie,” she beams at her two best friends, a wide smile present on her glowing face. “If you were to look for love in the dictionary, you’d see their two mugs grinning back at you as the definition. I don’t know two people more suited for another than T and F, and we should all be so lucky to find a partner in this life that lifts us up, that encourages us to be ourselves, and makes us feel the way they make each other feel. Trust me, I’ve spent enough time in their company to know they’re absolutely crazy for one another.”
“You’re one to talk!” Frankie yells out, winking over at me.
Raven laughs. “Touché,” she adds, “but this day isn’t about me, or the love of my life. This is about the love you have for one another. We witnessed something special today. A short while ago something like this never would have been possible. Tito and Frankie were never allowed to marry one another. They could act like it, talk like it, but they could never commit to one another the way a man and a woman could, and despite your beliefs, your political leanings, or your personal values, I think there’s one thing we can all agree on, and that is love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
“Those words are from the bible, and since I know Tito and Frankie both believe in God, I trust that God also believes in them, and the love they will share for the rest of their lives. So raise your bottles, your glasses, and your voices, and let us cheer the happy couple. To Tito and Frankie, may they live happily ever after!”
A thunderous applause rips through the guests and we all stand to hoot and holler. There’s not a dry eye in the house, and I couldn’t be more proud of Raven and her speech. She catches my eye, blushing with embarrassment at all the attention, but I smile and wink, letting her know it is well deserved.
As she hugs her friends, I make my way up to the front, waiting for everyone to quiet down. When the applause and good cheer subsides, I nod to Tito and Frankie, who are in on my little surprise for Raven.
Lifting my bottle, I say, “And one more thing, ladies and gentleman. I’d like to take this moment to thank Rave for her lovely words, and to congratulate T and F on their vows. As most of you know, Raven and I have a somewhat…complicated relationship. She’s not only my lover, but she’s also my Assistant at work.”
“Grant, what are you doing?” she scolds.
I turn to her, look her in the eyes, and say, “But not anymore. Raven, you’re fired.”
Gasps of disbelief ring in my ears, but my smile doesn’t falter. Not even when her face drops and she clutches on to the table for security. The look of shock on her face is genuine, which is exactly what I was going for.
“You’re fired because you’re commitment is impeccable, your devotion unwavering, and your work ethic second to none. You know me, you know my company, and you know the secrets we both hold. I’m sorry, but that’s just too much power for a lowly assistant to have.”
“Grant,” she whispers shakily, “what are you—”
“The good news is that I’m rehiring you immediately, but not as my assistant, as my partner. My company…is now our company, and I have no doubt that together we’re going to do great things, because like the love our good friends Tito and Frankie have for one another, we share a love equally as special, and as I think we’ve proven here today, love always wins.”
Raven looks at me, looks at the newly married couple smiling back at her, looks at the crowd of people offering their applause, and then the expression on her face changes from shock to pure joy as she runs down from behind the table and into my arms.
I lift her off the ground and spin around, holding on tight as she plants kiss after kiss on my face. When she lands on her feet, she continues clutching me close.
“Are you sure about this?” she whispers in my ear.
“Baby,” I grin, “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
She kisses my lips, and I happily reciprocate as the music kicks back into swing and people resume dancing and laughing and having a good time.
I don’t know what the future holds for us, but whether it’s marriage, kids, or just the two of us spending the years enjoying one another’s company, I do know that with Raven by my side I’m looking forward to experiencing everything life has to throw at us, because I know we’ll be able to get through it…
Together.
ALSO BY
JAMIE DESCHAIN
Saint Nicholas
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jamie Deschain currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, and stepdaughter. When not writing, Jamie can be found doing any number of things including:
Making his own iced coffee
Browsing the shelves at his local BAM!
Netflix and chill
Reading copious amounts of romance novels on his Kindle
Cooking, cooking, and more cooking
Scrolling through Facebook
These might seem like mundane tasks, but they are very important in the writerly process, and help to keep Jamie sane.
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