“Ah, Asher. Don’t stop, please don’t stop. I’m so close.”
Like fuck I was stopping. I continued my ravenous assault and she moaned the sexiest sounds to ever bathe my ears. Yeah, I might have said that before, but these sounds didn’t exist before. This beautiful music was a mixture of relief, ecstasy, and complete satiation. And together we were making this happen for her. I lapped every last drop of her climax and waited for every last spasm and twitch to pass before I gently unfolded her legs back onto the bed, kissing each thigh before doing so. Then I kissed her stomach, each nipple, her neck, until landing on her lips.
“Thank you,” she breathed into my mouth.
“Don’t you ever thank me, Teeps. Ever. Feeling you writhe beneath me, listening to those sexy sounds leaving these suckable lips. Feeling your sweetness strangle my tongue. Get ready. Because if you think I’m not gonna make that happen every day for the rest of our lives, you’re sadly mistaken.”
Her eyes bulged and I absolutely loved it, but her next words had me spinning. “Quit talking about what you’re going to do to me for the rest of our lives and make it happen all over again right now.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Oh, I see my gentleman is back,” she giggled.
“Fuck no,” I hissed, burying my entire throbbing length. A deep throaty groan left my mouth when I reached her core. I knew I wasn’t gonna last long, it felt too good. Warm, wet and so tight, I rocked into her, creating a punishing pace. She gripped my ass, pulling me closer. “Come for me again, Tal.” I watched as her caramel eyes glazed over. With every thrust she milked my cock, driving me wild. Our mouths met again and I devoured every cry of pleasure she released. Her fingers slid up my back and forcefully dug through my hair as she began to clamp down around me. Pure bliss washed across her beautiful face when I ground my hips against her and staked my claim once again. She was never running from us again. Hell no. This union solidified that we were in this together. We were on the ride of our lives. “Come with me.” She gasped and with every bit of strength she had left she lifted her tiny hips one last time before allowing the intensity of her climax to roll through her. Each spasming ripple caused me to erupt over and over again, matching her tidal wave of ecstasy. “Mine,” I groaned, spilling the last of my seed.
“Forever,” she mouthed.
“I love you.” She grinned as I collapsed some of my weight against her slick chest. “Wow,” I mumbled, unable to come up with anything else to describe the magnitude of this moment.
“Rendered speechless, huh, counselor? Doesn’t happen too often.” She laughed.
“Umm.” My other head had yet to turn on. Shit. She giggled more and kissed me.
“I love you so much. I knew you just needed time. Look...”
I lifted my heavy head and followed her finger to the side of the bed where her suitcases were sitting open on collapsible racks—fully packed.
“I wanted to be ready when you came to take me home.”
Was she kidding me? She was waiting for me to dig my head out of my ass this whole time. “I’m sorry it took me so long. God, Teeps. I’m so sorry. But I will tell you this: I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. You thought I was clingy before…”
Her brows creased and it looked like she was going to say something. I didn’t let her because I learned my lesson a thousand times over.
“I’m kidding, kidding.” Her face relaxed and she smiled. “But I’m not kidding about making it up to you. I’m glad your bags are packed because we are leaving, but we’re not going home ... yet. I promised to strip you bare under a secluded Hawaiian waterfall and I’m done breaking promises.”
Her eyes lit up with surprise and she gave me a heart-stopping look, one she reserved just for me since we were kids—like I parted the Red fucking Sea. Shit, how had I had it all along and never realized?
“And while we’re there we’re gonna do something about that last name of yours.”
“Talia Craig ... sounds perfect.” It didn’t seem possible, but her eyes twinkled even brighter, especially when she said perfect. My sentiment exactly. “But if I remember correctly, our deal was I would take care of you under that waterfall.”
“Woman, you are gonna kill me.” And just when I was starting to feel the blood circle back up through my brain.
“When are we leaving?”
“After round two, or maybe three, I could promise four … and maybe five…”
There was no rush.
We had a lifetime.
And because this was us, we had further.
Perfect.
I loved the salt water spray off the ocean and the way my toes felt wiggling in the warm sand—actually, I just loved being able to wiggle my toes. The sun was over the horizon but was still strong enough to keep the breeze from giving us chills. At least those kinds of chills—I had plenty of the other kind. Standing among family and friends, my heart warmed, but I only had eyes for him. He was nervous. He would never admit it, especially not to me, but I could tell. He shifted from barefoot to barefoot, but his smile and those eyes told me everything I ever needed to know. He was head over heels in love.
“Love you,” I mouthed as the acoustic guitar began to play. Because I did, more than anything, more than walking, more than life itself. Tack gave me the greatest gift the day he was born. He made me a mother and introduced me to unconditional love. Loving him and watching him grow (way too quickly) taught me that life was short and there’s no time to waste on regret and fear. And the beauty of unconditional love, once you recognized you’d been blessed with it, was that it was not just reserved for the one who bestowed it upon you ... oh, how I knew this, madly and deeply. Tack was on his way to finding it and nothing made me happier as a parent.
Chase and Lili had started the beach wedding tradition, not that I was there, but Ash and I followed suit with my surprise Hawaii wedding. Of course he pulled it off, there was nothing that man couldn’t do. The day after he found himself and came back to me, we arrived in Maui and a week later on a very similar beach day to this, I became Mrs. Asher Craig. I could still barely stand, but with Tack carrying me, and Asher waiting for me at the end, there was no other path I felt so secure on. It was perfect, he made sure of it. Everyone who mattered looked on as I promised my heart to the only man I ever loved. Even Pop made it for his final trip. Unfortunately, the following year we suffered his loss. But he was and always would be forever inked on our hearts.
Now twelve years later, my Tack was doing the same.
Everyone turned to gaze up. Ava grinned from ear to ear as she floated down the sandy aisle. Her gorgeous sky blue silk dress was fit for a princess and highlighted her porcelain skin. With her thick black hair twisted and loose curls framing her face, she looked beautifully mature for her ten years and I knew I was in trouble. Luckily she, too, only had eyes for her brother, at least for now. I could only pray I had a few more years.
After witnessing his five nieces grow up, Asher warned me that we were going to keep her locked away until she was twenty-five. I laughed and scoffed, but in this moment I thought he might have been on to something.
I heard a sniffle beside me and I looked over to see my dear friend’s smile and sweet blue eyes light up when her twin sons took their places standing tall next to Chase. One a complete Colton clone like his father and uncle, the other a spitting image of her. Both undeniably charming. And although Lili had more than her share of testosterone to deal with, I knew she wouldn’t have had it any other way. In fact, she loved when Asher teased Chase that God gave him boys for a reason, because ‘he only had time to be one Tarzan to his Jane.’ Ash was not wrong. Chase’s intensity could be a bit over the top, always had been, but that didn’t take away from how amazing he was with his family.
The music slowed and Pachelbel Canon in D began to play. My soon-to-be daughter-in-law emerged at the top of the staircase slicing straight through the dunes. Flanked by tall green sea grass, he
r stark white gown glowed against the bright blue sky. The sheer lace V-neckline was overlayed with a classic organza that clung to her slim frame and fell in open waves to the ground. As she began to descend the stairs, the fabric opened, exposing her long legs. The dress reminded me a lot of mine.
At the time I was still very much dependent on my wheelchair, and it was a good thing I at least had the ability to cross my legs, otherwise the thigh-high slit Asher drooled over when he took me shopping for my wedding gown—right after he chartered a plane and flew us to Honolulu to peruse Harry Winston’s ring display—might had proved indecent. Not that I would have cared. He requested to see ‘my sick legs while I made him the happiest man alive’ and I decided—two point two seconds after he slipped the most stunning princess cut diamond on my left hand—that I would never begrudge him anything. Ever. If you hadn’t figured out—Ash was obsessed with legs and ass. His hands were glued to mine most of the time.
It was August and we were on the serene beach behind Chase and Lili’s Cape Cod home. Tack and Paige couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day. Gorgeous as ever, she tried so hard to hold herself together, but those happy tears betrayed her and streamed down her beautiful face when her father lifted her veil and kissed her cheek. Fathers and daughters … it pierced my soul every time. But I buried that deep and watched with pride as my grown son shook his hand before linking his with Paige’s. My eyes welled and I reminded myself to breathe when Tack mouthed the only words that ever mattered to his stunning bride. The words that Ash repeated to me over and over again, enough to last a lifetime.
It was a traditional and simple ceremony but they chose to write their own vows. We listened as love poured from their young souls, bringing me right back to when Ash and I recited our own promises. Yes, we vowed to love, honor and cherish, but for us that was easy. It was a given. Neither of us knew what it was like to not love the other. We finally saw it for what it was, unconditional. The true promise we made that day and every day after was to live life on one unified path. And if that path curved or came to a bump we would only take the next step together.
We had paved a beautiful life.
“And by the power vested in me, by God, and the state of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
The cackles and hoots filled the warm air around us. I smiled through my glassy eyes as Tack cupped her cheeks and kissed his wife. Then I glanced at my girl who had giant crocodile tears rolling down her sweet cheeks. It was perfect.
“And now it is my honor to introduce to you for the very first time as husband and wife, Doctor and Mrs. Tack and Paige Craig.”
I couldn’t hold back any longer, through my stretched cheeks, I let my tears spill down my face. For so many reasons.
“Hey, Ma, Tack wanted me to find you. It’s almost time for the mother-son dance. Then Paige is gonna dance with her dad.” I loved that Ava copied her father and called me Ma. She was definitely an ACE, our Ava Evelyn Craig. And despite his objection, her grandmother made sure she had the monogrammed backpacks to prove it.
“Okay, honey, thanks.” I grinned from the depth of my soul.
Our beautiful daughter was life’s ultimate gift. Two years into our marriage, and after Ash insisted we start the process early, we flew halfway across the world to complete our family. Adoption was an extremely lengthy process, full of delays, disappointment, and added stress. So much so, at times our family questioned why we didn’t just try the good old fashioned way. But Asher had his reasons, and Tack, Chase, and Kimi were indisputable proof that love was thicker than blood. And we had more than enough love to go around. In fact, I’d pick nurture over nature six days a week and twice on Sunday. When our sweet baby girl was placed in our arms, we were done. Everything we thought was stressful or time-consuming evaporated into thin air. She was ours and we were madly and completely in love. Unconditionally.
“Where are the kids, Ave? Go find them and bring the herd to the dance floor to watch.”
Our little girl was lucky she had a slew of honorary cousins. Between Layla, the Colton twins, and Asher’s older nieces, there was no shortage of family. I loved that for her. I loved that for me. When my parents died, I accepted that it was going to be just Tack and me, and honestly, that would’ve been enough. It was enough. But once loud holiday dinners and fun family vacations become your norm you couldn’t imagine life without it. Ash gave me that. He gave Tack that. He gave us the family we never knew we were missing.
Sierra knocked my elbow and pulled me from my thoughts. She sipped her margarita through a huge grin on her face. I was too curious not to ask, “What are you cheesing about?”
“The first time Asher pulled you out on the dance floor at the KimCore New Year’s party. I thought for sure he was gonna bang you right in front of everyone.”
“Sierra,” I snapped. “Shh.”
She was never quiet. Ever. And to this day I never knew what was going to fly out of her mouth. I’d come to expect the unexpected. And it was fabulous.
“What? You were humping his leg. Don’t even try and deny it. It was hotter than porn, seriously. Tell her, Lil.”
Lili walked up to us, rolling her eyes at her BFF. Some things never changed. “Aww, he was so in love with you even then.”
“Aww,” I cooed back. I couldn’t help it. Sierra was so right. “That was the night we decided we were done being just friends, god, that feels like yesterday.”
The music switched and I heard the first couple notes of our favorite Dave Matthews song. Traditional mother-son it wasn’t, but neither were we.
“Hate to break it to you, sweetie, but from everything that man ever told me, you were never just friends, not to him.” Lil took the Prosecco from my hand and swatted me away. “Now go. Go dance with your son so Sier and I can cry our eyes out and get it over with.”
“Okay.” I left the two best girlfriends in the history of all girlfriends, and slid through the guests congregating at the edge of the dance floor to join Tack in the center.
He looked so unbelievably handsome, my heart flipped. No longer small, no longer playing under tables. I could only pray he’d never stop dreaming. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck and sang in his ear, Take these chances, as we sailed across the floor. My right leg never regained full strength, but you would never know the way my son half held my weight. He was a smooth and great dancer, just like Asher.
I laughed as he practiced his fancy moves on me. “Taught from the best,” he whispered. Asher loved to whirl me around any chance he could get. “Let’s get Ava up with us.” He finger curled for his sister and she practically ran across the floor to squeeze in between us. Her infectious smile was contagious as she stared up into her brother’s eyes. Unconditional … have I proved my point yet?
“Having fun, sweetie?” I asked.
“This is the best night ever. Tack, this is so awesome. I can’t wait to get married,” Ava giggled. Tack’s grey eyes went wide and when his brow creased, I had to laugh. Like father, like son. I loved when I thought that.
“You have time, baby. Lots of time.” He spun us both once more while the song came to its closing chord. Tack picked her up and kissed her forehead.
“Thanks, Tack-ers.” Ava skipped her patent leather mini heels off the dance floor. Yup, all Sierra.
Tack slung his arm over my shoulder and dipped his mouth to my ear. “Mom, you keep telling me this is our day, but will you please reconsider performing the song? It would really mean so much to Paige and me, everyone actually.”
“I don’t know, honey.”
“Not taking no for an answer.”
Ahh. Bossy and persistent, yet so full of love and compassion. The mixture of all of them, it was frightening. Tack walked away to mingle with his guests and I squeezed my eyes shut for a minute. How could I not sing it?
A warm hand slid into mine and I blinked open my eyes. “A beautiful evening for two beautiful people. Everything
is just lovely, darling. You should be so proud.” I quietly returned Maggie’s loving squeeze because any other response was unnecessary. She was a mother; she knew exactly how I felt. “You know, people always say that a son’s wedding day is harder, because you lose part of him to his new wife. Don’t listen. It’s not true. The day Asher married you, we not only gained a daughter, but you put a light back in his eyes we hadn’t seen in years, thought was lost forever. Hope and promise … nothing hard about that day, nothing at all. We loved every second...”
It had been over a decade and she still spoke in plurals, we. I understood it now. God, did I.
“You look beautiful, Ma. Did you have anything to eat?” I changed the subject. I couldn’t engage her right now.
“Does it look like I’m wasting way? Molly made me a plate.”
I chuckled. Asher was the first to say Molly was his second mother.
Chase came around the other side and kissed Maggie’s cheek. “How’s my beautiful Mags?” She beamed at him, absolutely loving his endearment. “Tal, I need you for a minute, it’s time.”
“Go, dear. I’ll check on the girls.” With one last squeeze she released my hand and walked away.
“Not you too.” Chase had the same look as Tack. Who was I kidding? Chase never didn’t have this look.
“Come on, Tack wants us to go on now, before speeches. They just announced for everyone to take their seats for dinner.”
“I still haven’t decided,” I said that out loud, but my heart told me the opposite.
“Yes, you have.”
Ugh.
The band slipped off to the side, abandoning their instruments. Lili was at my side whispering words of encouragement, while I fought with the swarm of butterflies, maybe bees that took up camp in my stomach. I couldn’t believe I was about to do this. It was part Asher’s fault for making me sing at our wedding, and part Lil’s fault for insisting we try the ‘band’ thing one last time at her boys’ first birthday bash. Right, one last time.
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