by K. L. Jessop
“And I’ll happily kiss the shit out of him for it. I’ll just follow through with a sucker-punch at the end.”
“You’re evil.”
“Shut up and kiss me,” I order. And boy does she kiss me.
“You never answered my question about my dress. Do you like it?”
I hook my fingers under the thin pink material of her strap. It’s a low-cut front, a sweetheart shape I think they call it, with a small flower embossed print. I’ve not seen this before and I wonder if this is from another one of her and Megan’s shopping trips. “Is this new?”
“Yeah, I made it.”
My eyes flick to hers and her smile widens. “You… You made it?”
“I’ve not been sleeping much and… In fact, I’ve hardly been sleeping at all, so I asked Rosa to help me learn how to use the sewing machine you got me to take my mind off things. I finished it last night.”
Pride like never before fills my heart. “I love it. And I love you like you wouldn’t believe.” I kiss her softly and rest my head on hers, thinking how lucky I am to have found this rare bird that gratifies me with each day with something different. I can’t lose this. I just can’t. “Never stop loving me, Tori.”
She pulls back, her eyes searching my face. “Where’s that come from?”
“Just with everything that’s happened, it’s made me realise what I want from life, even though I already knew before. I want and need you because I’m nothing without you. Don’t stop loving me.”
“That is never going to happen. I love you more than life itself; you know that. There was a time when I wished that I’d met you sooner, but I’m glad I didn’t because here and now is our time. It’s our chance. Our future for all three of us.”
“How is the little guy?”
“All over the place and missing his daddy.”
Daddy?
I grin. That sounds too fucking good. “His daddy? You want me to be known as that?”
“Only if you want that.”
“Of course, I do. I love that dude as if he were my own. And someday soon I want our family to grow.”
“You do?”
I don’t know why she looks so surprised.
“Yes. I want to have children with you, Tori. I want to see our child growing inside you. I want to experience all the things a parent does. I want to look at you every day knowing that my children have the most beautiful talented mother they could ask for and that I’m the luckiest guy in the world because I get to wake up beside you every morning and live my life standing beside you. I want to spend every second of it with you and our kids.”
Before I have a chance to do anything, she straddles me, kissing me softly as her salted tear seeps into my mouth. I kiss slow but with a passion and love I know will set her on fire. But it’s what she says next that set me alight in so many ways.
“Lucas Simmons, will you marry me?”
“What?”
“Will you marry me? I too want the life and family like you’ve just said, but right now the important thing for me would be to take your name before anything else. I don’t want to be a Foster anymore. I don’t want to be a part of that dark world when I have a brighter one waiting for me with you in it. I want everything there is of you. Marry me?”
This woman. Seriously. This fucking woman.
“Yes! Yes, yes, fucking yes.” I ravish her mouth with a deep hungry kiss, dancing my tongue with hers as my hands smooth over the soft fabric of her dress. She starts to rock against me. The last thing I want is a hard-on in hospital, but it’s been weeks and Jesus Christ I’ve missed her.
“Lucas, we need to stop. You need to rest and I’m getting too excited.”
“I love it when you get excited,” I tease.
“Yes, but this is not the time or the place.”
“You could always lock the door.”
“You could just do as you’re told.”
I kiss her once more and the little moan that escapes from the back of her throat makes me smile. The woman may be my weakness, but I am her starvation. I pull back, thinking about that proposal. “You do realise that we did that all wrong? When marriage was going to be brought up, I wanted to be the one that popped the question and got down on one knee.”
She links her arms around my neck. “Well, we can do it again properly once you’re out of the hospital. We can do rings and candles and all that romance shit that comes with it.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“But I can assure you that the only thing you’ll be going down on is me.”
My low laugh brushes against her mouth and I slip my fingers into her knickers. “I’m so glad we’re on the same wavelength. Now lock that fucking door.”
Epilogue
Six Months Later. Victoria.
“Charlie will you hurry up and get down here. We’re going to be late.”
“I coming, Mummy.” His cute, little voice always makes me smile. Not so long ago, he was hardly saying a word, and now with the support he’s had, he’s almost forming sentences. He steps his way down the stairs in the two-piece suit that I made for him as we head out of the house to my husband who’s waiting in the driveway.
“Daddy!” Charlie beams as Lucas picks up our son and practically throws him up in the air. As soon as Lucas was well enough to leave the hospital, the wedding plans were in full swing and we got wed one month later with a small gathering of friends in the church up on the hill and the reception in Rubies.
Yeah, I finally made it through the doors of that place much to everyone’s delight. I didn’t want to go all out with fancy cars and a big poofy dress. Everything I wanted was waiting for me at the altar of the church and that meant more to me than anything. Not sticking to tradition, I wore a long, lilac silk dress with a split up the side and white and purple flowers in my hair with Megan’s hairpiece she wore on her wedding day. Charlie was our pageboy and Marcus gave me away. It was the most beautiful day of our lives and being Mrs Simmons is the best feeling in the world.
Today is another milestone for me.
Today is the day I open my little shop on the seafront and start my career in fashion. Once I left the hospital, I told Wes that I was no longer going to be working at the club. I wanted to spend time with my family and that’s exactly what I’ve done since that day. Lucas has also had some leave from work and together we spent time with each other and Charlie.
I can’t say that the aftermath of what happened has been an easy one, because it hasn’t. I’ve not relapsed, but I have voluntarily put myself back into Lucy’s care and I’m attending regular meetings alongside therapy sessions to try and overcome all the anguish that’s played a huge part in my life. Everyone has been amazing, helping Lucas and me recover as well as helping me get my dream up and running.
I’ve made a slight change in direction and decided to create a beach clothing line for children and toddlers; heading into the world of adult fashion required too much knowledge and experience that I don’t have. This way, in my little shop, I can create my own line and sell the stock just for me. Plus, I have an excellent model and assistant in Charlie.
“Are you ready, my lady wife?” he grins getting into the driver’s seat.
A wave of excitement and nerves flutter in my stomach. I’m so ready for this. “I’m ready husband.”
“Charlie, you ready?”
“Daddy, yes. Gooo,” he singsongs out with his fist in the air like Buzz Lightyear.
As we head down to the promenade, my smile spreads across my face when I see all our friends along with other locals gathered around my shop with balloons, cakes, champagne and a huge banner of congratulations. If only they knew how fitting that banner is right now. I look to Lucas with tears in my eyes and I know that he was behind all of this.
“Congratulations on your new venture, Tori,” Felicity beams. “Holy shit that dress is beautiful. Business-like but very you.”
“Thank you.” I smooth my hand down the deep red pen
cil dress with a black lace trim. One I made myself of course. As I enter my shop—named Charlie’s Tots—a sea of people congratulate me with smiles and handshakes. Marcus approaches, along with Amelia and her ever-growing bump, and I fling my arms around them both. “Why do I feel like shit just got real?”
“Because shit really has just got real. This is all you, Victoria. Enjoy it.”
“I want to put in an order for baby clothes please,” Amelia adds. “If this kid’s sickness is anything like mine then just keep the supplies coming.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Like a nauseated round blob,” she chuckles.
“Right, Simmons,” Megan says, joining us, Andrew right behind her. “As a duty to your sister-in-law, I hope you’re still going to make my clothes now that you’ve changed your mind and turned to kids?”
Before I can reply, I’m taken back by the waiter approaching me with a tray of drinks.
Where the hell did he come from?
I take a glass of champagne knowing I won’t drink it anyway and glance at Marcus with an arched brow as if to tell him he’s been rumbled for all the celebrity type tweaks he’s put into today along with Lucas. His grin confirms all I need to know, and I turn my attention back to Megan. “Of course. I have to earn my money somehow.”
“Isn’t it about time we have a baby from you, Megan?” Jack adds.
“Ugh, Jesus, not you as well.”
I smile around the group but my eyes latch onto Lucas out of the window. He’s playing down on the beach with Charlie and a few other kids. Pride overwhelms me and my love for him increase more each day. I never knew you could love someone as hard as I love my husband.
We are a family. A partnership. Survivors of our demons.
But there’s something I’m not telling him, and I hate the fact I’m keeping it from him. The warmth of a hand touches my arm and I find Amelia’s big blue eyes smiling back at me.
“Go for it,” she mouths, knowing where my head is at, and before I know it, I’m heading down to the beach.
“Everything getting a little too much for you in there, Raven Bird?” He throws a pebble into the water before wrapping his arm around my shoulder. The words leave my mouth before I even realise.
“I’m pregnant, Lucas.”
The biggest grin beams from him as he tips his head back to the sky. “Finally, she tells me.”
My mouth drops open in shock. “Wait. You knew? How did you…?”
“Birdy, when are going to get your head around the fact that I know you better than you know yourself? I’ve noticed your body changing. Your emotions have got a little more heightened and you’re eating like there’s no tomorrow.”
“You calling me fat now?” I tease.
“Absolutely not. You’re perfect.”
“Are you happy?” I knew he would be; I don’t know why I freaked out.
“I’m always happy when I’m with you. Thank you for making me a daddy.” He wraps his arms around my waist and is grinning like a teen. “Plus, I’ve noticed your boobs have got bigger.”
I roll my eyes and slap his shoulder. “Can we ever have a conversation that doesn’t end in something dirty?”
“Not when I’m around, Mrs Simmons.”
My smile is wide. “Remind me why I love you?”
He grips my chin lightly, tilts my head up and whispers against my lips. “Because one touch was all it took.”
The End.
Acknowledgments
Book number five!! I still can’t get my head around the fact I’ve got one book released let alone five! It’s a crazy kind of scary but in a good way LOL. Saved By You wasn’t an easy story to write for me. I feel like Lucas had so much to live up to with the different times we have seen him in the other two Spring Rose Books. I knew he had to have this hot-headed personality along with his glorious physique, but I never really knew where his story was going to take me. And then there was Victoria, her story just poured out of me and blow me away at the same time. That being said, a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears went into the pair of them and at one point I didn’t ever think I’d get the book finished. But I got there in the end with a lot of patients and banging me head against the wall, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. Throughout this process there are always people that support me and if I name them all we would be her all day. So here are just a few that are a huge part of my life and the book world.
To my Mum and Dad and the rest of the gang: First off, I’d like to say ‘Hello’, I don’t feel as though I’ve seen you this past year or so other than coming out of the cave for food and alcohol LOL. Thank you for being an amazing bunch of people that know and understand that I need to hide away when the deadlines are looming. You guys are the ones that keep me going more than you realise and I love you all so much. Xx
Twonk: My number one girl in my life and my rock. I love you long time. You are amazing, keep that shit up! Xx
Amanda Wylie: I know you are likely to kill me for putting you in this special part of my book again but get used to it LOL. Words cannot express how much I love you for being my crazy incredible best mate. You are one of the nicest, most genuine people I know and prove what friendships really are no matter the distance. Thank you for being you, this Girlpants loves you SO much! Xx
Amy Gough: Over the last year or so that I’ve known you, you have become one of my closest friends. You listen, you let me cry on your shoulder, you let me moan when I need too (which at times is a lot) and you make me laugh. Thank you for being my “at work rock” but more importantly, thank you for being an amazing friend. X
Kelsey Jensen: Jesus girl, I love you hard. Thank you for your constant encouragement and random Facebook messages I get, whether it be drunken ones or just the I love you’s. One day we will make that trip to Vegas! I promise. X
Brooke O’Brien: This book world can be crazy at times, but you have always been there to carry me through it when things get tough and I can’t thank you enough for that. You are and always will be one of my top author buds! Xx
Eleanor Lloyd-Jones: I cannot thank you enough for all the hard work that you do. For me, the worst part of this book world is pressing that send button in my emails knowing that my book is out of my hands and in the professional ones of yours. I felt physically sick when I sent this book to you and cried hard dreading the outcome. However, the reply I got back was nothing like I was expecting and had me crying again for a completely different reason. I appreciate everything and that positivity you give is slowly being installed in this crazy head of mine. I can’t wait until we finally meet at our next book signing so we can hug it out and have that beer! Thank you! Xx
Najla Qamber: This has to be one of my favourite covers that you’ve created for me. I love it when I get ‘that’ email and the butterflies of excitement come out. Thank you for being an amazingly talented person to work with. Xx
Special thanks: Thank you to Pink Elephant Designs for your part in the makings of this book. To the bloggers that have read and reviewed and the ones that have become dear friends in the process. But most importantly, to my readers: Thank you for being an amazing bunch of people and supporting me with each book release. I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for you, your encouragement and you love.
Thank you!! XX
KL’S Books
If you liked reading Saved By You, why not dive into my other books.
The Promised Series:
The Promise Of December #1
The Promise Of Forever #2
The Spring Rose Bay Series
Found By You #1
Unworthy Of You #2
About the Author
About the Author.
About the Author.Growing up as a child, writing was never my course of direction as I disliked everything about it due to being dyslexic. However, over time I got back into reading/writing and fell in love with adult romances.
I live England just outside the city of Plymouth and
on the edge of Dartmoor where the moorland goes on for days. It's beautiful, breath-taking and occasionally rather wet.
I have a love/hate relationship with chocolate and my mum makes the best cupcakes EVER! I’m a sucker for a heart fluttering romance and can't help but go weak at the knees for a guy with a five o'clock shadow. ;-)
Website
http://www.authorkljessop.co.uk/
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Let’s connect
Website
http://www.authorkljessop.co.uk/
Facebook Reader Group: KL’s Reading Room.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1767422160204329/
Goodreads
http://bit.ly/GReadsK-L-J
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/user/k.l.jessop