“I just want to make sure you know where I stand.”
“What do you mean?”
“I lied to you when I said we’d always have the Dodgers.”
He grinned. “I know. You’ve been making me watch the Giants on and off for a week now.”
“But you have to admit, I look better in orange and black, right?”
Vinny hesitated for a moment. “Well, to be fair, I haven’t seen you in Dodger blue.”
“And you never will.” I chuckled.
“Come on? Don’t you want to see if blue would look better on you?”
“Don’t you want to see if nothing would look better on me?” I countered.
His eyes widened, and he whispered, “Yes.”
I moved toward him and lifted my arms above my head. “Then let’s see if you’re right.”
Vinny faltered for a moment, and then reached down and lifted the jersey off of me. “I’m right.”
He pulled the covers back, and I crawled onto the bed and straddled his hips after sliding his basketball shorts off, leaving him naked like I was. “You look better in nothing too.”
“Are you sure about this?”
I nodded. “I need this. I need you.”
“You have me, sweets.”
“I know,” I agreed. “But I need all of you. I need to remember your touch and not his.”
He stared at me for a beat. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
“Then make love to me. Make it so that you’re the last man to touch me everywhere.”
Without further hesitation, Vinny lifted me and flipped us so I was on my back looking up at him. His mouth descended on mine, his tongue urgent as it parted my lips. “I’m going to taste you everywhere.”
I moaned in response. His mouth returned to my lips, tasting, devouring, claiming. He continued down to the valley between my breasts, stopping to suck each one into his mouth again. His lips felt right, perfect against my skin as he sucked each nipple into his mouth, making each one pucker. With each swipe of his tongue, I tried to focus on Vinny and not the past. Of course it was different, and honestly, not hard to focus on the man currently loving on my body.
Vinny’s hand reached between my legs, and I gasped as he touched my clit with his finger. I arched my back off the bed. While it had been months since I felt his fingers between my legs, my body reacted as though it knew it was him. My arousal flowed and coating his hand, and while he rubbed the nub of nerves, he continued his trail with his tongue. He licked his way to my stomach, dipping into my belly button and going further south until his lips met my center.
At the first swipe of his tongue against my pussy, he noted, “Sweet like fucking candy.”
I didn’t respond as I enjoyed the feel of him working and tasting me. He flicked my clit, nipped it with his teeth and brought me closer and closer to coming with each second. He spread me open wider, and while he used his fingers to work my core, he continued to use his mouth too.
“I’ve fucking missed this,” he stated against my heat.
“Me, too,” I panted.
My body started to tighten as I was on the verge of shattering. Vinny pumped his fingers faster, hooking them just right to make my back arch off the bed again as his tongue worked my bud. I clenched his head with my thighs as my orgasm raced through me, and I moaned with pleasure.
Vinny rose off his belly, licked his lips and crawled back up my body. Our eyes were locked as he bent his head down, capturing my mouth with his. My tongue darted out to taste myself on his lips and tongue. I moaned again, running my hands over the light hair on his chest and down his rippling washboard abs to grab his cock. I pumped him a few times with my hand, and he pulled out of my grasp and eased himself between my thighs. He pressed the tip of his shaft against my entrance while looking into my eyes.
“You okay?” Inch by inch he slid inside.
I nodded. “Yes. This is what I need.”
He kissed my lips again. “Me, too, sweets.”
He increased his speed, working me deep, and I knew at that moment it was Vinny, not Duane, who was making love to me. I wasn’t sure if I’d actually ever meet Duane Wood in bed because he was on a break—hopefully for good—and Scarlett was no longer in existence. I never wanted to be Scarlett again. She died the moment I stepped out of that wedding dress.
Our bodies had a light coating of sweat as our hips rocked in sync. I moaned, and he groaned, and the pleasure grew so intense that I knew another orgasm was coming.
“I’m close,” I panted.
“Me, too,” he groaned.
Vinny rested his weight on his left forearm, continuing to pump into me as he reached between my legs and rubbed my clit. He claimed my mouth again, and while he massaged my nub harder and faster, grinding his hips into me as fast as he could, I moaned his name as I came beneath him. He groaned, and came a few moments after.
“I love you,” he said into my ear as we stayed connected.
I smiled. “I love you too. Always have and always will.”
He leaned up and stared into my eyes. “Forever?”
I nodded. “Forever.”
Four Months Later …
A lot had happened in the last four months.
Gabe and Autumn got married three weeks ago, Tessa was about to pop, and Seth and Cat moved to Las Vegas and were planning a wedding. Colton started making even greater strides in his progress. He began to verbalize here and there, which was huge. It meant he was hopefully going to be able to one day verbally communicate with us. We also threw him a birthday party and everyone came, including some kids from school. Neither the Giants nor the Dodgers won the World Series, but it didn’t keep Tessa and me from having our continued rivalry. Even in the off-season.
Tessa and Colton still lived with me, and honestly, I was okay with that. I didn’t want them to leave. My nights without Tessa in my arms and bed were the worst nights of my life. I never wanted to feel that emptiness again.
And that was why I was going to ask her to marry me tonight. I even had Colton’s permission.
“Hey, buddy, before we head home to Mommy, we need to make a quick stop.” I looked at Colt through the rearview mirror to where he sat in his car seat in the back seat of my SUV.
He didn’t respond, but I knew he heard me, or if he didn’t, I’d deal with it when I got to the jewelry store. I needed to hurry because Tessa might worry if we weren’t home at our usual time after school. Based on Gabe’s advice, I had designed and ordered the ring online, and I just needed to run in and pick it up.
When I pulled into the parking lot, my heart rate kicked up a beat. I never thought I’d be buying an engagement ring, but I also never thought I’d ever have the desire to be with one woman for the rest of my life. But, here I was, grabbing my girlfriend’s son from the back seat and walking into a jewelry store.
After giving the sales clerk my name, I told them I had a ring to pick up. I looked around at the people looking into the glass cases. Most of the men looked as though they were going to get choked by the collars of their shirt because they were nervously tugging at the hems or cracking their necks when the women they were with would point to a ring she liked. I didn’t know what kind of ring Tessa liked, but if she didn’t like the one I’d designed, I’d buy her whichever one she wanted.
“Do you know why we’re here?” I asked, looking at Colton still in my arms. He shook his head, and I bent down, setting him on his little legs. Crouching in front of him, I gazed into his blue eyes that matched his mother’s. “I’m going to ask your mommy to marry me. How does that sound? Can I be your dad?”
His little hands started to flap excitingly, and he nodded his head. “Dad—dy.”
My heart swelled at his progress, and I was beaming because we were on the same page.
I just hoped his mother was too.
Tessa and I hadn’t known each other for even a year yet, but I knew I wanted her to be with me and only me for the rest of my
life. If you were to bet me a year ago that I would be living with a woman and her son and ready to pop the question, I would have gladly taken that bet because nothing like that was even on my radar. I never saw it coming, and I never realized being in love would bring me more joy than traveling to new places and living a life of luxury. I still wanted those things, but I wanted Tessa more. I wanted to be a father, and it didn’t matter that we didn’t know if the baby she was carrying was mine or his. What mattered was I was going to raise it as my own. Of course, there was a part of me that wanted to know, and eventually, we would, but we’d made the decision to wait until the baby was born to find out.
“Are you almost ready?” I asked, coming into the bathroom where Tessa was getting ready for Seth and Cat’s wedding. I brushed her hair off her shoulder and kissed her bare skin that smelled of cotton candy.
“Almost. Are Sophia and Valentina here?”
“Yep.”
Valentina was cleared by the FBI. When Tessa found out, she and Tessa had a heart to heart. I wasn’t sure what was said, but I knew Valentina assured Tessa she was only loyal to Sebastian because she thought she’d have to live with him forever. She feared he’d send her back to Colombia. Then Tessa introduced Valentina and Sophia. Those two ladies hit it off instantly, and since Sophia had lived in her apartment for several years and her lease was month to month, she and Valentina got a place together. Once a week they came over for dinner, and on Saturday nights they watched Colton so Tessa and I could have a date night. It really worked out for all of us.
All of us except Sebastian, who was still awaiting his trial.
I went back downstairs to the kitchen where both ladies were preparing dinner for themselves and Colton.
“Do you have the ring?” Sophia asked.
“Of course,” I replied, and patted my suit jacket.
“I’m glad my cariño is marrying the one she loves,” Valentina stated.
I chuckled. “She has to say yes first.”
“She will.” Sophia winked.
Tessa walked into the kitchen. “She who?”
All of our eyes became huge. “You,” I replied.
“Me?” Tessa questioned, her hands to her chest.
“You’re going to make us late, and Seth will kill me if we are. After last night, I’m sure he’s pissed at all of us.”
The night before, for Seth’s bachelor party, the guys and I, including Seth’s best man, Gibbs, took a limo around town and got him wasted. I only had a few rum and Cokes because I didn’t want to forget coming home to Tessa. I’d never take a day for granted again. We never knew if it would be our last night together because that was life. You just didn’t know. One minute you meet a girl you can’t get out of your head, and the next she’s being held hostage because she witnessed a murder. Or in some people’s cases, you drive to work and get into a fatal car accident. We never knew what our future held, and I wasn’t taking a second for granted. Of course, I was never letting Tessa go to a party without me or at least Joss since she was an FBI agent. The girls went out the night before too, but at the end of it, Tessa and I fell asleep in each other’s arms.
“Well, let’s go. I’m ready,” Tessa stated. She moved to Colton. “You be a good boy, and in the morning we can have waffles before school.”
He nodded and made an exaggerated “O” which we knew meant “Okay.” My heart beamed each time I heard him talk. He was amazing.
And yes, Seth and Cat got married on a school night because Seth wasn’t wasting any more time being without the one he loved and because venues booked up fast and all the weekend dates were booked solid for at least a year. That was okay because after what I had planned, I wanted it to be an early night.
Tessa and I held hands as we watched the happy couple say their vows in the primrose garden courtyard at The Wynn. For once I wasn’t in the wedding party. Both Paul and Gabe had asked me to be a groomsman, and while I didn’t mind, I loved sitting next to Tessa in the audience more.
The entire time we waited for Cat to walk in, Mark gave me a look. I hadn’t told him I was officially leaving S&R, but it had been over seven months since I’d had a date. Galen more or less became my replacement after Red Diamond closed due to the owner being locked up and then losing its liquor license as a result. Mark had to know I was quitting the game.
Seth and Cat said their goodbyes after dinner. Since the wedding was booked super-fast, there was no reception—just the ceremony and dinner.
“Walk with me?” I asked, looking down at Tessa after the happy couple made their escape.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” I smiled and grabbed her hand. Both Gabe and Paul gave me a nod because they knew what I was about to do.
We walked out of the restaurant, which faced the Lake of Dreams at the hotel, and I led Tessa down the walkway and to the next restaurant.
“We’re eating again?” she asked.
“No, I figured we could get a cup of coffee or something.”
“Coffee?”
I smiled down at her. “Well, decaf for you.”
“Here?”
“Yep.” I stepped up to the hostess stand. “Reservation for Reed.”
The hostess looked at her list and then grinned. “Right this way.”
“We need reservations for coffee?” Tessa asked as we followed the hostess through the restaurant.
“I didn’t want to take a chance there wouldn’t be a table.”
“You know we can just go to Starbucks, right?”
“Yes,” I replied, and left it at that.
The hostess took us to a private cabana overlooking a small man-made lake with almost forty silver spheres that appeared to be floating. “All this for coffee?” Tessa asked after I helped her into her seat and then went around to my side.
“You know I like nice things.” I smirked.
She chuckled. “Yeah, but I didn’t take you for a guy who wanted to have coffee in a cabana with a chandelier.”
“We were next door.” I shrugged.
“True.”
“Want dessert?” I handed Tessa a menu to distract her from the fact that I’d pre-planned coffee.
“We just had cake.”
“But we didn’t have ice cream, and you can’t have cake without ice cream.”
“So you want to get ice cream and coffee?”
“Sure, why not?”
She laughed. “Okay.”
While Tessa looked at the menu, my palms started to sweat. I wasn’t sure why I was nervous. This was Tessa, the only woman I’d ever loved, and we more or less lived together. I was certain she was going to say yes, but in the back of my mind, I thought about how this wasn’t her first marriage proposal. What if it was too much for her too soon?
As I started to have a mini panic attack, I saw a waiter approaching with a tray of two champagne flutes. One had champagne, and the other was sparkling apple cider. He set them on the table.
“I thought we were going to have coffee?” Tessa asked.
I nodded to the guy, and he turned and left.
“Vin—”
I got out of my seat, smoothed my tie down, and knelt on one knee beside her. Her hands flew to her mouth. The menu fluttered underneath the table, and my heart started to pound in my chest. I pulled the princess-cut diamond solitaire ring from my pocket and held it out in front of me.
“Sweets, I promise I will love you until there are no more stars burning in the sky. I want to spend forever with you. Will you marry me?”
She didn’t hesitate as she stood, her chair falling backward as she threw her arms around my neck. “Yes!”
My lips found hers as I held her in my lap squatting like a catcher. My thighs burned, but nothing in the entire world would burn more than the love I had for this woman.
Forty-Five Days Later …
They say everything happens for a reason, and that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. After everything I went thro
ugh, I realized it was all true. Granted, I wished my story was different. Autumn, Joss, and Cat all had scary stories to tell too, but thankfully, we all had strong men in our lives who were there when we needed them. And now, I was engaged to mine.
But right now, I was barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen—literally.
“Sweets, let me do that,” Vinny offered as he came into the kitchen where I was making Colton a grilled cheese.
“I can still cook.”
“You need to be off your feet.”
“It takes—” I doubled over as pain radiated through my stomach.
“Tess …”
“I’m okay,” I groaned.
He bent down so he was eye level with me. “You don’t look okay.”
“Just Braxton Hicks.”
“No.” He shook his head. “From everything I’ve read, those don’t hurt.”
The pain went away, and I straightened. “See? I’m fine.”
He eyed me and then left the room. I finished Colton’s sandwich and brought it to where he sat in front of the TV. Yes, I was one of those moms. I didn’t care. Colton had been through a lot, and if he wanted to eat a grilled cheese while watching PAW Patrol, he could.
Vinny walked back into the room and sat next to me on the couch. “I was thinking for our wedding colors—”
“You were thinking of our wedding colors?” I asked.
“Well, I was thinking that since you won’t let us get married at Dodger Stadium, that we could have blue and—”
“No!” I held up my hand. “No blu—” Another wave of a cramp raced through me.
“That’s it.” Vinny stood. “We’re going to the hospital.”
“I’m fine. I’ve done this before, remember?”
He didn’t answer as he ran up the stairs. While he was gone, another cramp washed over me. Just as I was about to grab my phone to look up Braxton Hicks, he ran back downstairs.
“Sophia and Valentina are meeting us at the hospital.”
“Vin—”
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