by K. C. Lynn
He picks me up off my feet, hugging me tight, before placing me on the counter and coming to stand between my legs. Reaching up, he brushes a piece of my hair out of my face. “I’d do anything to make you happy, Sam. That’s all I care about.”
The love and devotion in his eyes makes my heart leap. I know he means every word. Not just by the conviction in his voice, but the fact that he made peace with Sawyer proves it, too.
Picking the gift back up, he brings it between us. I accept it with a smile. “What’s this?”
“Open it.”
Plucking the red silk ribbon that’s wrapped around the box, I remove the lid and push aside the mounds of tissue paper to unveil a beautiful peach ornament made entirely of glass.
With shaking hands, I carefully reach inside and pull it out, my breath freezing in my lungs when I discover a ring attached to the stem.
My watery eyes shoot up to his, hope filling my chest.
“I’ve done a lot of thinking this past week,” he starts, removing the ring from the stem. “And I’ve come to realize that Madam Juju might not be such a whack job after all.”
His comment takes me by surprise but I can’t help but smile. “Why do you say that?”
His warm eyes hold me captive, rendering me speechless and helpless to this incredible hold he has on me. “Because I know, without a doubt, that I loved you before I ever met you.”
“Oh.” My breath catches on a sob. It’s all I can manage at the moment.
“I left it all behind, Sam,” he says, confusing me. “My job, my life back in Colorado. I left it all. I start at the Charleston Fire Department in two weeks.”
“Jase, no,” I breathe. “You don’t have to do that. We can talk about it. We’ll work something out. We—”
He presses a finger to my lips, silencing me. “Nothing matters more than your happiness, and I know how much it means for you to be here with your family.”
“Yes, it does, but your family is important too, and I won’t take that from you.”
He shrugs. “My family will come visit and we can go back there. It’s not as important to me as it is to you.”
I shake my head, guilt plaguing me. “I can’t do this to you. I can’t take that away from you.”
“You’re not taking anything from me, baby. I’m gaining so much more,” he says, making me fall in love with him all over again. “You’re all I need, Sam. Just you forever and I’ll be happy.”
Taking my left hand, he slides the ring on my finger, and it fits so perfectly that I swear it was made just for me.
“Marry me.” He leans in close, his breath tickling my lips. “Marry me or I will have no friends here.”
I burst out laughing, tears of joy spilling down my cheeks.
His smile fades as he rests his forehead on mine. “Say yes, Sam.”
I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him as close as he can get. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Nothing would make me happier than to be yours forever.”
He flashes me that sexy smile of his. “You are way better at words than me, baby.”
His mouth seals over mine, effectively cutting off my giggle. The kiss is deep and soul shattering. My fingers thread through his hair while his slip beneath my skirt, his touch setting my skin on fire.
I moan into his mouth and lock my legs around his lean waist, needing him more than my next breath.
With a growl, he cups my bottom and lifts me from the counter. “Where’s your room?”
“Down the hall, last door on the right,” I mumble against his lips, our heated mouths never severing as he carries me to the bedroom. He lowers me onto my mattress, his heavy weight settling over top of me as his skillful tongue coaxes mine, fueling my hunger. A stark, ravishing hunger that only he can bring out of me.
We waste no time tearing at each other’s clothes, our hands urgent, each of us desperate for the other. Pleasure steals my breath when I feel his heated skin upon mine.
“Oh god, I missed this. I missed you,” I cry, my fingers digging into his strong shoulders.
“I missed you too, baby. So fucking much.”
I lift my hips, seeking more of him, needing him inside of me. “Jase, now. Please, I need you.”
A harsh groan rumbles from him, vibrating against my lips. “I wanted to take my time with you, taste every inch of you that I’ve missed this past week, but fuck it. We have forever for that.”
“Yes, forever,” I breathe, my heart soaring at the thought.
With swift precision, he rolls us over, positioning me on top of him. “Ride me, baby. Show me how much you missed me.”
I quickly obey. Aligning myself above his hard cock, I sink down on him. My head falls back on a blissful moan as he completes me, body and soul.
“Jesus, Sam,” he grits between clenched teeth, his fingers digging into my hips.
“It’s always so good.”
“Always, baby. It’s like coming home. I don’t ever want to be anywhere else.”
His words light up my soul. He is home.
My home.
His hips pump up, burying his cock deep inside of me. A harsh whimper parts my lips, my nails raking across his muscular chest as the most exquisite sensations whip through me.
“Tell me you love me. Tell me you’re mine forever,” he demands, sheer dominance filling his expression as he keeps his pace, relentless with every thrust.
I smile down at him. “I’m madly in love with you, Jase Crawford, and am yours forever.”
“That’s right, baby, and I’m going to fill this hungry pussy every day. Sometimes slow and sometimes fast, but it will always be me.”
“Always.”
He moves a hand between us, running his knuckle through my slick heat, finding the bundle of pulsing nerves.
A heated whimper breaches my lips. Grabbing his wrist, I ride against the pressure of his hand. “Jase. I’m going to come.”
“Yeah, you are, and it’s going to feel so fucking good on my cock.” He switches the angle of his thrusts, sending me over the steep edge.
Ecstasy explodes through me like a violent storm, stealing my breath and washing through me like a tidal wave. Reaching up, he hooks a hand behind my neck and pulls me down to swallow my cries, his greedy mouth inhaling everything I have to give him. He doesn’t hold back and follows along with me.
Our bodies merge, souls tethering together by a love so strong, so powerful, neither one of us ever stood a chance against it.
Afterward, we lie together, my cheek on Jase’s hard chest, a feeling of contentment settling over me with the calming sound of his steady heartbeat.
“I still can’t believe you’re here,” I whisper. “That you came for me.”
“I’ll always come for you.”
Peace wraps around me like a blanket, heavy and warm. His strong hand moves over mine where it lays on his stomach. Lifting it in the air between us, his thumb smooths over the ring on my finger. “We’re going to have a good life, Sam. I promise.”
I turn his hand palm up and bring it next to mine. Our fingers instantly curl, displaying the heart that only we create. “Yeah, we are.”
He drops a kiss on the top of my head and it’s not long before I feel his breathing even out. Before letting myself follow along with him, I slip out from under his strong arm and throw on my robe before tiptoeing to the kitchen. Digging through my purse on the counter, I grab my cell phone out and call Sawyer.
He answers on the first ring. “You’re calling to tell me you said yes, aren’t you?”
His grumpy voice doesn’t deter the smile on my face. “I’m calling to tell you that I love you and to say thank you.”
There’s a long moment of silence before he speaks again.
“I just want you to be happy, Sam. I don’t ever want to see you hurt the way you did this week. Not ever again.”
My throat clogs with tears. “He makes me happy. So happy.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
/>
I smile, my heart bursting at the seams with love for all of the men in my life.
“Can you do me a favor though? Just this once?”
“What?” I ask, willing to do anything for him.
“Give him one good punch in the nuts for me. Just one.”
Except that.
Rolling my eyes, I burst out laughing. “Good-bye, Sawyer.”
He grunts but it’s half-hearted. “I love you, Sam.”
“I love you, too,” I whisper back.
Hanging up, I crawl back in bed with Jase, making sure to be as quiet as possible. I can’t resist brushing a soft kiss across his lips before lifting his arm and resuming my spot once again, my head resting on his chest. Lifting my chin, I gaze up at his handsome face, loving that I will get to see this every night for the rest of my life.
I know with every fiber of my being, no matter how many lives I live, or where I go after this one, we will always find each other.
EPILOGUE
Rose
September 2, 1869
We met in a peach grove. I had been out picking to make jam when he appeared out of nowhere. He was tall, dark, and handsome, but most of all, mysterious.
He arrived in town six months ago and was supposed to be just passing through, but days turned into weeks then eventually months. Many of the town’s folk were wary and didn’t trust him, but the day I met Joshua Lawson, my lonely existence changed forever.
The first moment our eyes connected, my breath was stolen. Then, he smiled at me and my heart stopped beating altogether. I will never forget the first words he said to me.
“Peaches and a pretty girl. My two favorite things.”
My stomach dipped and a shy smile had stolen my lips, but I did my best to hide the effect he casted upon me. “I guess what the women in town are saying about you is true.”
His dashing grin had spread even wider, making the spot between my legs tingle. It had made me blush furiously. “Depends what you’ve heard. I am quite charming.”
Bold and arrogant had been more like it, but yes, that was what the women in town had said. Many of them. It was a cold reminder of why I had to leave before I fell under the same spell. The feelings I experienced in that moment were wrong.
Without so much as a dignified reply, I picked up my basket and gave him my most polite smile. I was a lady, after all. “Good day, Mr. Lawson.”
Awareness prickled my skin when I had brushed past him.
I didn’t make it far before he called out after me. “Don’t believe everything you hear, Miss Emerson. None of those women in town are near as beautiful as you are.”
Butterflies danced in my tummy when I realized he knew my name.
That was our first encounter and it wasn’t our last. I had gone back every day after and he was always there, waiting for me. With his charming smile and quick wit. I fell for him instantly.
It all started with subtle looks and touches. He had familiar eyes that felt like home. They were welcoming and warm. He also made me laugh and that was something I didn’t do often. Not anymore. Not since losing my entire family when I was only ten years old in a train derailment.
We spent a lot of time together in that grove and quite a few nights, too. The first time we met I knew we shared something special, something indescribable. But the first time we kissed, it was as if our souls had become one. Then he made love to me under a star-covered sky, and I knew I’d never be the same again.
It was the most beautiful time of my life, yet it was also a sin because I’ve been promised to another man. A terrible man who’s cruel and does not know what it means to really love someone.
My uncle took me in after I lost my family and promised me to his business partner’s eldest son, Kenneth Harold the third. Our marriage arrangement had nothing to do with love.
“It’s what’s best for the family.” My uncle always said.
Closing my eyes, I think about the night I told Joshua I was being forced to marry another. I’ll never forget the anger in his eyes. The possession. And his vow to me.
“I swear I’ll never let that happen. You are mine, Rose. You always have been. You always will be.”
Oh, how I long to be with him now. To have him hold me in his arms. To hear his voice, but instead I lie in bed the night before my wedding, tears of sorrow soaking my pillow.
Kenneth and my uncle found out about us and moved the wedding up to tomorrow. I searched all evening for Joshua, frantic and scared, only to find out he left town this morning after being paid a visit from my uncle. I can only imagine what was said to make him leave without saying good-bye.
The thought has me crying harder.
It wasn’t supposed to end like this. I was supposed to have time. Time to find a way out of this loveless deal.
A sudden bang sounds from downstairs and pulls me out of my turmoil. It’s so loud it vibrates my bedroom walls.
“Rose!”
I sit up quickly, trying to dispel my despair long enough to hear the commotion beyond my door.
“Get the hell out of my house!” my uncle yells.
“I’m not leaving here without her.”
Joshua.
Relief floods my body as a sob of joy tumbles from my lips. I dash from the bed, lifting my white cotton nightgown as I descend the winding staircase. I halt mid-step when I see Joshua standing over my uncle who is lying on the floor with blood trickling from his lip.
“Joshua,” I breathe. My mind is still trying to catch up with everything that is happening but my heart settles on the man before me, his dark eyes filled with love and determination.
“Don’t marry him. Come with me instead.”
“Where?” I ask.
“Chicago.”
My eyes widen in shock, a sliver of fear creeping up my spine for the unknown.
“The train leaves in thirty minutes. I have a job lined up at the fire department there.” He closes the distance between us, coming to stand at the bottom of the stairs. “I love you, Rose. I want to build a life with you. I want you to have my children. I want to wake up to your beautiful face every day for the rest of my life.”
Tears stain my cheeks and a smile dances across my lips. It vanishes though the moment I meet my uncle’s furious gaze.
“If you leave here with him, you leave with nothing but the clothes on your back. You will lose everything, including your place in this family.”
“I lost my family long ago,” I choke out. “I’ve been nothing but an obligation to you and you know it.”
“I’ve done right by you!”
“You are forcing me to marry a man I don’t love.”
“It’s what’s best for you,” he bellows. “I mean it. Leave here and you will lose it all.”
I turn back to Joshua and find him watching me, his dark eyes strong and filled with promise. He extends his hand to me. “Trust me, Rose.”
Those three words seal my fate.
Smiling, I take his hand, my heart leaping with anticipation, excitement, and yes, love. I knew I was gaining so much more than I was losing.
“Don’t you ever come back, Rose! You hear me?”
I ignore my uncle’s furious voice and run behind Joshua, trying to keep up with his fast strides. The night air is warm as we make it outside and bound down the porch steps. I smile as the cool grass tickles my bare feet, the taste of freedom teasing my heart as we flee our past to start our future.
Joshua stops halfway across the lawn and pulls me in for a soul-shattering kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck, my tears of joy mixing with our passion as he lifts me off my feet.
“I can’t believe you came back for me.” My heart is so full, nearly bursting at the seams with love for this man.
He places me back on my feet, his strong hands framing my face as he pulls back to look at me. “I’ll always come for you.”
They are words I’ll remember forever.
“Are we really doing this?” I ask with a
laugh.
He quirks a brow. “Second thoughts?”
I shake my head. “Never.”
He graces me with that charming smile. The same one that melted my heart all those months ago when we first met. The same one I can’t imagine living without.
“We’re going to have a good life, Rose. I promise.”
I reach up and cup his strong jaw. “I know.”
“We’ll get you new clothes as soon as we arrive. Anything you need,” he promises.
“As long as I have you, I have everything I need.”
He gives me one more toe-curling kiss before we head to the train station, catching it just in the nick of time.
We made it to Chicago safely and were married in a small ceremony shortly after we arrived. We couldn’t wait to start our lives together. Joshua supported us, working as a firefighter, and I found a job as a teacher in a local school. We were happy. We made love often and laughed everyday. We were ready to start our family.
But fate had robbed us of our destiny. Two years later, the Great Chicago Fire took three hundred souls, including my beloved husband. But the child he sacrificed his own life to save, lived. Because of him.
I lost so much more that day than the man I loved. I lost a piece of my soul forever. I never remarried. I knew I would never be able to love someone the way I did Joshua. Even knowing our outcome, I will never regret the decision I made that night to leave with him. Those two years were the best of my life. Every second I had with him was magic. I lived in the memories we created together and carried them with me into eternity.
It wouldn’t be until 2016 when the stars realigned and fate had its say once more for Joshua and Rose. Samantha and Jase lived a long and happy life together, building the family they’d always dreamed of and sharing a love that would span many lifetimes to come. Soul mates until their dying days, only to find each other somewhere down the road once again.
Most likely…in another peach grove.
The End…for now.