Kitchen Promises (Riverside Trilogy, #3) (The Riverside Trilogy)

by Brooke Cumberland

  “Girl, aren’t you ready yet?” Michael called down the hall as I zipped up my dress.

  “Just about!” I called back. The event was tonight and I was a nervous wreck. I wanted it to go perfectly. I knew Michael had everything under control, but I wanted this to be a success, to make Project Anchor a success.

  Both of my parents drove in together to come to the event. They were excited to officially meet Stanley, and to thank him for his contribution. I told them to just act normal, but they insisted. Stanley and Violet would both be there, as well as Blakely and Colin. As a non-couple, they sure were together a lot.

  “You look stunning,” Drake whispered in my ear, slowly wrapping his arms around my waist. “I’m not sure we’ll make it tonight after all.”

  “It astounds me we ever make it anywhere on time,” I muttered, enjoying his lips exploring my neck.

  “You astound me. Every day.”

  “Oh, no you two don’t,” Michael interrupted, standing in the doorway. “No time for hanky-panky or a feelski-uppy or whatever you two kids are doing. It’s time to go!” He pointed at his watch with an annoyed look.

  “Did you just say ‘hanky-panky?’” Drake asked amused.

  Michael rolled his eyes as I laughed. “Fine, we’re going.” I grabbed my clutch from the end of the bed and began walking toward the door. “You look adorable, by the way.” I kissed Michael on the cheek.

  “I was aiming for desirable or even irresistible, but adorable? No,” he grimaced.

  “Fine, you look irresistible.”

  “That’s better.”

  “And adorable,” I added. I smiled as I continued, “Ready?”

  I kissed Stella and the twins goodbye before we left. I told Shirley I’d call her later and to make sure Stella didn’t stay up to late.

  Leaving the house felt different now. I no longer had this weight holding me down, as if something bad was bound to happen the moment I left. I knew they were always in good hands with Shirley, but now it was like my heart felt complete…finally.

  -----<>-----

  20

  Drake

  Watching Molly brought back memories of the first night I laid eyes on her. The event was hosted in the same room where the orientation was held that night. Except tonight, I could watch her and know she was mine.

  She walked from table to table, introducing herself and greeting the investors and their spouses. Molly was a natural—you wouldn’t know by watching her that she’s actually shy around new people, however, tonight, this was something she was passionate about, and loving every minute of it.

  I greeted people as I walked around, scouring the buffet. I already knew the majority of the investors, but I stopped and spoke to them anyway, thanking them for their contributions.

  I was so proud of Molly. She was entirely selfless in her need to help others. I listened as she gave the intro speech, welcoming everyone. She played a slide show of the company’s stats and future projections. So far, she had successfully matched six people with their biological parents. Most were already in their thirties or older, but to hear about their stories of always wanting to know where they came from and to finally meet their biological parents made me understand why Molly did this. Even the parents, after all these years later, were beyond excited to meet their children.

  A daughter and mother even spoke about their journeys to finding each other. The mother had tried years earlier, but gave up after losing thousands of dollars to an attorney who just milked her of her money long enough to get away with it. And it was only because of Project Anchor that she was able to find her daughter.

  The event was a huge success. I had no doubt in my mind that Project Anchor would be around for a long time.

  The evening ended, leaving the caterers and staff to clean up. Molly was still walking around, thanking everyone for coming and donating more money. There was a private auction held to the side where a hundred percent of the profits went right into the charity.

  The money was used for resources. Molly used my security and staff to do most of the work, and with the investments, she was able to pay them accordingly. Not only that, she used the money to fly her clients to meet each other. In most cases, the children and biological parents were states apart and neither had a lot of money to travel. So Molly would set something up for one of them to fly to meet the other. She was truly doing a beautiful thing…

  “You look exhausted,” I whispered in her ear as I wrapped her jacket around her.

  “My feet are going to kill in the morning,” she muttered, buttoning up.

  “I’ll take care of that for you.” I grinned.

  Molly was so exhausted, she fell asleep on the car ride home. Michael exited the car and left it open for me as I carried her out.

  “Thanks, man,” I said to Michael as he quietly shut the door behind me. He nodded back and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked ahead.

  Molly stayed asleep the entire way up to our place. I lay her on the bed gently, and tried my best not to disturb her. I slowly took her shoes off and threw them to the floor. I stared at her, laying so peacefully, wondering how the hell I got so lucky to have her. She was breathtaking. And she had such an amazing heart. She truly was the one person that changed it all for me. I never expected to fall in love with someone, and I never expected to fall in love so fast. However, it was uncontrollable. My heart knew before my head knew. And I couldn’t be anymore thankful that it did. Having her in my life has changed everything and for that, I wanted to give her everything—promise her the world.

  Luckily, after the Denny situation, our lives went back to normal. I loved coming home to a beautiful wife and four amazing children. They gave me a complete new meaning to life. It was no longer about work, girls, and partying. Those days were far over and never missed.

  * * *

  It was Molly’s birthday and I had something extra special planned. Between the kids and the charity, she had been super busy, even after I got home from work. My plan was to take her down to Florida where fireworks would go off over the Walt Disney castle and have a romantic evening just the two of us.

  Unfortunately, we didn’t make it out of the hotel room in time for those fireworks.

  -----<>-----

  Molly

  “Oh my god! This sight is breathtaking!” I squealed as I overlooked the view from our hotel room.

  “Isn’t it beautiful here?” Drake wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, enjoying the view with me.

  “I can’t believe how hot it is. I’m going to sweat to death.”

  “I guess we’ll have to spend our time naked then,” he quipped.

  “Oh…that was your plan the whole time, wasn’t it?”

  “Perhaps.”

  I spun around, locking my arms around his neck. “You’re a clever one, aren’t you?”

  “I prefer…proficient.”

  “Well, in that case…” I took a step back, throwing my shirt off and over my head. “Let’s see how proficient you can be.”

  “I do love a challenge!” he exclaimed, roaming his hands up and down my sides.

  I quickly grabbed his shirt and tore if off. Before devouring his mouth, I took an extra second to let my eyes wander up and down his chest. Damn, he had a good body. Gym or no gym, this man was built like a God.

  Drake swooped me up and landed us on the bed. His lips went from my lips, down my jaw, to my collarbone, and continued making a trail down my body. He unbuttoned my skirt and shimmied it down off my legs until it hit the floor.

  “If you wear nothing the rest of our trip, I won’t complain,” he muttered against me.

  “I’m sure you won’t. However, I’m sure the kind people of Florida might see an issue,” I retorted back.

  “Then it’s settled. We’re never leaving this room.”

  And we didn’t.

  I pulled him back, pushed him to the bed, and straddled him. “Since it’s my birthday…I get to be in charge.�
� I smiled at the victory I was finally getting. I lifted my shirt off and over my head, tossing it to the ground along with the rest of our clothes.

  I pinned his hands above his head as he always did to me. My breasts fell between us, just barely in sync with his mouth. I watched as he tried to consume it, but I pulled back just enough to be out of his reach.

  “You play dirty,” he teased.

  I leaned back in, just barely brushing his lips, but enough to taste his musky scent. “I play my way.”

  I worked my way down his chest, feathering kisses on him until I was met with his perfect V. I leaned back on my thighs as I pulled his briefs down, exposing his hardness. Reaching for it and was greeted with pulsations against my hand—he was definitely ready.

  Drake was always a vicious teaser, so I decided to play his game. I leaned down, just barely wrapping my mouth around him. I put both hands on the mattress, one on each side of him. I lowered my head and kissed the inside of his thigh, making sure to be just close enough to touch him, but didn’t. I made my way to the other thigh, doing the same thing as the other.

  I could feel Drake squirm under me, dying for more. I knew he wanted it. He was practically thrusting the air between us, begging for my little hand to grasp it.

  “If I don’t get to squirm, neither do you,” I ordered.

  I smiled against him as I continued kissing, down one thigh and back up the other. I brushed my lips against his happy trail, letting his hardness beg for my touch.

  I was burning in desire and need for him, but I didn’t let up. I wanted to torture and tease him as much as he did to me. However, I wasn’t very good at it, because I was about to surrender at any moment and give in.

  Just before I waved my flag of defeat, Drake grabbed my arms and flipped me on my back.

  “What the hell?” I screeched.

  “I let you have your fun…” He smirked. “Now it’s my turn.”

  “That’s not fair,” I whined. “You always—”

  Drake cut me off my crushing his mouth to mine. I succumbed to his lips as he kissed me fiercely and full of passion. Our mouths connected as one, synchronizing and tasting each other fully.

  His mouth traveled down my chest, trolling his tongue around my nipple, making it instantly hard. He kissed to the other one, doing the same. He rolled both nipples in between his thumb and finger as his lips made their way down my body, riveting sensations all throughout.

  “Oh my god, baby…” I cried out. I arched my hips up to greet his mouth, wanting his mouth all over me. “So good…” I mumbled.

  He pushed his tongue inside me as he continued thumbing my nipples, tugging and grasping my breasts. Heat instantly released from my body. I was sweating and panting as he devoured me, giving me release after release.

  “Hold on, baby.” He jumped off the bed, leaving me breathless. I heard him digging in the ice bucket on the counter that we filled right before. “I’m about to cool things down for you.” He smirked.

  My eyes widened. “I thought you were supposed to heat things up.”

  “Oh, I will be.”

  Before I could respond, he took an ice cube and pressed it on my leg, slowly raising it up as it melted against my heated skin.

  “H-oly s-shit,” I stuttered. My head arched back as I got used to the cold. It was almost too much—too unbearable to take.

  He took the other piece in his other hand and did the same to my other leg. I could feel the water dripping down my legs as he slowly brought the cubes to my center. It was a burning feeling, burning for him, and burning for more.

  “Shit, babe.”

  “You like that?”

  “More than I could have possibly imagined.”

  So, yes?”

  “Yes. Oh yes.”

  He brought the ice cubes up my stomach and twirled them around each breast, letting the cool water drip from both sides of me. He eventually made his way to my collarbone, tracing the cubes around. His lips landed on mine just as the ice cubes melted to nothing against my neck.

  His body rose over mine, and he forced himself inside me. My hips greeted him with pleasure, arching toward him as he thrust harder and harder.

  The ice melted between us made for an erotic sensation as he pulsated in and out of me. My body happily greeted him every time he came in and out of me, grinding deeper and deeper.

  “Oh, Drake…god, yes!” I screamed as he gave me my release. It built stronger and stronger as he continued going, not yet milking his own.

  “How do you need it, baby?” he asked, panting.

  “Deeper. Harder,” I demanded. “God, yes. Like that.”

  He complied, grabbing my right leg and placing it on top of his shoulder. My body felt completely wore out, but I wasn’t ready to give him what he needed yet. I wanted more.

  “I wanna hear you scream my name, sweetheart. I wanna hear it as you come, baby,” he growled.

  Just the way his deep, demanding voice vibrated in my ear was enough to do exactly as he wanted.

  Many times over.

  We both sank to the mattress, panting as we tried to catch our breaths.

  “Well, that’s a happy birthday if I ever had one,” I said breathy. I lay my head on his chest, trying to sync my breathing with his.

  “I think that should go on record as being your most memorable birthday, ever.” I could tell he was grinning.

  And he was right.

  It was definitely a birthday to remember.

  -----<>-----

  Epilogue

  Five Years Later

  * * *

  Michael

  Being in my new house, I could actually enjoy the freedom it gave me. I walked around with just a towel wrapped around me, letting the feeling surround me.

  Molly was my roommate for nine years before I finally decided it was time. I had been in Stella’s life every single day since she was a baby and now—she was ten years old.

  River and Miracle woke up to me almost every day since they came home from the hospital. Even when Molly was home, I would rush in there every morning to see them. They had the best giggles and smiles, making it a great start to each day. They were now four.

  Liam was now nine, just a year younger than Stella, but they were still inseparable—always getting into trouble together.

  I’d miss them all. I’d miss waking up to the chaos that once echoed the walls every morning. Stella was never a morning person, and once the twins began walking, there just wasn’t enough hands to grab everyone. But it was perfect. Life with Molly and Drake was perfect.

  The sound of my buzzer grabbed my attention back. I quickly looked in the peephole before opening it.

  “Hey, babe.” Trey’s eyes lit up as he roamed his eyes up and down, noticing I was just about naked.

  “Hi, baby,” I greeted, excited to finally see him. He froze as he continued staring me down. “Well…come in.” I backed up just enough to let him slide through the door.

  Trey and I had been apart for two months while I made the move. I was offered a high paying job in San Francisco a few months ago. It was for a fashion magazine, and it was everything I had ever dreamed. I was really torn on the decision—I had to leave my whole life behind just to venture out into a new one, but in the end, Molly and Trey both supported me. Molly cried the last week before I left, and Trey dropped everything to follow me. He wasn’t able to move until he found a job and rented out his old place, but now he was here. We were here together.

  “Oh my god…I love this!” he squealed as he walked in. It wasn’t a huge place, but it was filled with history and detailed wood architecture.

  “I know. Isn’t it incredible?” I gushed with him. I was pretty proud of my new house. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his neck. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

  “Me, too,” he whispered. “I’m really happy.”

  He turned around and grabbed my face with both hands as he forced his mouth over mine. Just as I was reaching to r
elease my towel, he stopped me.

  “Hold on,” he panted, grabbing the towel to keep it in place. “I have something for you first.”

  “Okay?”

  He leaned back, grabbed something from his pants pocket and knelt down in front of me.

  “Oh my god. Oh my god! What are you doing?”

  “Michael, my love. I want to spend the rest of our lives together.” Both hands covered my mouth as I watched over his perfect body in front of me. “Will you please marry me?”

  “Really?” I squealed.

  He giggled lightly. “Yes, really. You know I don’t kneel down in my favorite pair of pants.” I laughed as I remembered how much wrinkled pants bothered him. “Answer me.”

  “Yes! Of course! Oh my god, yes!”

  I leaned down before he could rise and kissed him hard on the lips. I was never expecting him to want to marry me, nevertheless, propose to me. I was in complete shock.

  “Wait, there’s more,” he said, breaking the kiss. He grabbed my hand and led me back to the door. He opened it with six sets of eyeballs looking back at us.

  “No way! No freaking way!” I gushed. Stella ran up to me, wrapping her little arms around my waist. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “You think we’d miss your special day?” Molly smiled as she pushed through to hug me. “Congrats, bestie. I’m so happy for you guys.”

  “Um, I’d hug you. But…I don’t hug dudes in towels,” Drake snipped, looking extremely uncomfortable.

  “Sorry man. Wasn’t expecting company.” I grinned. “I’ll go change. You guys go and take a look around.”

  Trey escorted them in. I went and changed quickly, too excited to get back to them all. Stella and Liam were going through all my cabinets in the kitchen as the twins both ran around freely around the dining table.

  “I still can’t believe you guys are here!” I squealed as I walked down the stairs to where they were. “So…how long has this been planned?” I turned my head to Trey.

  “About a month or so. We all flew out here together. Molly, Drake, and the kids just stayed behind while I came in. And I knew they would be impatient, so I had to be quick before they barged in.” He grinned.