Forever After: Book Five in the Unrestrained Series

by S. E. Lund

  Chapter 15 : Drake

  The Thursday before Christmas, I spent my afternoon at the Foundation, finishing up some paperwork for a project in Africa providing equipment and supplies to a field hospital near the war zones in Sudan. Although they had removed my name from any promotional materials, I still wanted to be involved. Dave was there and updated me on his recent work. After our business was finished, I said goodbye and made my way to a jeweler not too far from the 8th Avenue apartment to see about my gift for Kate.

  It was the same jeweler where I got Kate’s diamond collar and her anniversary earrings – a family business that went back to the 19th Century and was owned by old Mr. Naismith. This time, I was getting an antique locket inscribed for Kate.

  We bent over the locket, which was underneath a magnifying glass. The locket was an estate piece that I bought at Macy’s. It was gold and had delicate filigree engraving on the front. Oval in shape, it was on a thin gold chain and would come to rest right above Kate’s delicious cleavage. The locket opened and I wanted to enclose a photo of Sophie and one of Kate’s mother, but I was having difficulty getting images of the right size. Mr. Naismith said he’d have his grandson resize the photos I brought to him.

  “Did you decide on an inscription? It can’t be too long,” Mr. Naismith said as we examined the locket. “There’s not much room.”

  “I have,” I said, remembering Kate’s favorite song that Mersey played. “And I love her.”

  “Ah,” Mr. Naismith said, nodding. “The Beatles? A great choice and a great song.” He smiled and peered down at the locket. “It’ll be tight, but I’ll make it work.”

  “You liked the Beatles?"

  "I heard them play when they came to New York, in fact." He smiled at me.

  "I know it’s late but I appreciate your work.”

  “No problem,” he said and waved his hand. “You’ve been a very good customer these past two years. I’m glad to do this for you. It’ll be ready tomorrow afternoon. We’re open until five thirty.”

  “I’ll be back,” I said and we shook hands.

  Then I went out into the snowy Manhattan evening and home to my beloved wife and my sweet baby.

  The next day, I swung by Naismith’s to pick up the locket and Mr. Naismith came out from the back of the store with the locket in a nice black velvet box, displayed with the locket open so I could see both tiny pictures inside. We stood at the counter and I bent down to examine the locket under his magnifying glass. One picture was of Sophie at about three months, taken just a few weeks ago. The other picture was of Kate’s mother, from a McDermott family Christmas picture, taken before she became ill. I turned the locket over and saw the delicate script:

  And

  I

  Love

  Her

  It was beautiful. I hoped Kate would love it as much as I did.

  “Thank you so much,” I said to old Mr. Naismith. I was so pleased with the results. I shook his hand and clapped him on the back when he came around the counter to hand me the box.

  “My pleasure, Dr. Morgan.”

  I tucked the box into my jacket pocket and left, satisfied that my gift shopping was all done and I had the perfect gift for Kate. I’d put the other gift under the tree – a beautiful cream satin and lace nightgown and robe along with a pass to the day spa she liked.

  Kate had been a bit bedraggled after the accident, and then the adjustment to nursing, and getting used to Sophie’s sleeping and feeding schedule. I wanted to pamper her so I had ordered a day trip to the spa for her and Elaine and Christie, so the three of them could relax while I looked after Sophie. I included an additional gift certificate so Kate could buy whatever she wanted – soaps, lotions, and all the other products they sold at the spa gift shop. I wanted Kate to feel pampered like a queen when she returned.

  I wanted her to slip into bed, wearing that beautiful full length lace and satin nightgown with spaghetti straps and a low bodice, so I could very slowly and very deliberately run my hands all over it. Then, I planned to strip it off her luscious body before making her come very hard while restrained with my new lamb’s wool cuffs for her wrists and ankles. They would be under our tree, not Ethan’s, on Christmas morning. I realized they were as much for me as Kate, and smiled when I thought about reintroducing a bit of kink back into our sex life, now that Kate was pretty much fully recovered from the accident.

  Until now, I had been so careful with her, not demanding anything from her, letting her take the lead when it came to reestablishing our sexual and D/s relationship in the bedroom. Kate was ready to begin again and so was I, my body warming just at the thought of tying her up again. I was certain it would happen one day very soon, when I felt and she felt the time was right.

  When I arrived home that night, Kate had a radiant smile on her face, and Sophie was bright eyed and smiled when she saw me. The two of them like that, greeting me when I got home after being away all day, did something to my insides. I almost felt like I had to pinch myself to be sure this wasn’t some fantasy I’d concocted when trying to get through the day.

  It was real. Kate and Sophie were real.

  “My two loves,” I said and after I hung up my coat and took off my boots, I went right over to them, pulling them into my arms for a hug and kisses. “How did I ever get so lucky? What did I do to deserve this happiness?”

  “You were you,” Kate said and kissed me again. “You deserve to be happy. You deserve a family who loves you totally and completely, Drake.”

  I squeezed her and then took Sophie from Kate, carrying her to the kitchen while Kate went to the stove and tended something in a pot. It was Karen's day off so Kate was cooking.

  “What’s for dinner?”

  “Braised beef shanks Cuban style,” she said. “I’ve been watching Anthony Bourdain and it looked so good, I had to try it. There’s smashed potato with garlic and fresh steamed broccoli.”

  “Smashed potatoes? Sounds delicious. What about Sophie?”

  “She’s too young for beef shanks,” Kate said and then turned around to give me a huge grin before turning back to the stove.

  “Oh, you,” I said and pinched her ass. “You know what I mean.”

  “It’s the breast for her,” she said and took Sophie from my arms. “I need to feed her and then she’ll go down for a nap. Then, we can eat.”

  “I want to eat you,” I said and pulled her against my hips. She laughed and wriggled out of my arms, and I managed to tickle Sophie as Kate went by. I was rewarded by a big smile.

  “My girls,” I said, following Kate to the living room. Kate took a seat on the sofa and opened her sweater, pulling down the flap that covered her nipple. She had a breast pad on marked with an X so she could keep track of which breast Sophie fed from first. Finally, she got Sophie settled in the crook of her arm, fed her a nipple and Sophie was off, one hand on the soft swell of Kate’s breast, her eyes latched onto Kate’s.

  What a beautiful sight. It choked me up with happiness, seeing the two of them doing so well. Only a few months earlier, it could have all ended in tragedy.

  I checked my watch. Christmas was on Sunday and Christmas Eve fell on Saturday.

  “Are we going to St. Stanislaus on Christmas Eve?” I asked, stroking Kate’s hair. “I loved it last year.”

  “I’d love to. We’ll have supper at my Dad’s as usual and then open a present. Then we can go to the cathedral to listen to carols.”

  “Sound like the perfect Christmas Eve.”

  I smiled and leaned in to kiss Kate, and couldn’t imagine that anything could make me happier.

  I raced around on Christmas Eve day and did some last-minute shopping, picking up some wine for Christmas Eve dinner at Ethan’s, fresh cream and a baguette from our local grocers, and some bagels from the deli down the street. Then, I went home and changed into a suit and tie for dinner at Ethan’s.

  Kate was wearing a nice new black taffeta dress with bare shoulders and a built-in bra, plus
black sheer stockings, her black lace garters and thong underneath.

  “I feel way too sexy, Dr. Morgan,” she said as she pulled up one nylon and attached the garters.

  “I know,” I said with a lascivious grin. “I remember another day a couple of years ago when I first saw your garters. I think I was a goner at that moment. Yep,” I said and licked my bottom lip slowly when she met my eyes. “Captured and tamed at that precise moment.”

  “You’re crazy,” she said with a laugh. “It took more than that.”

  “No,” I said and shook my head. “Seriously. I had two prospective subs lined up, both of whom were very desirable, but all I could think of was you and those bloody knees and torn nylons with your black lace garters…”

  “Really?” she said and stood up, straightening her dress. “Two?”

  “Yes,” I said, remembering them. “I turned them both down because what I wanted was to capture you and debauch you, convert you to my depraved ways so I could tie you up and make you scream out my name.”

  I grinned at her and she smiled back, wagging her eyebrows. “Caught, debauched and converted,” she said with a light laugh. She came to me and slipped her arms around my waist, pulling her hips against mine. “Waiting impatiently to scream out your name again and again.”

  I pulled her into my arms and we kissed. On her part, Sophie bounced in her bouncer, a wet drooly smile on her face. I held my hand beside my mouth and whispered, pretending to keep Sophie from hearing.

  “Tomorrow night, if you’re up for it. I have something special planned…”

  She grinned. “I’m almost always up for it,” she said, grinning as she leaned up and kissed my jaw.

  "You are," I said and returned her grin. "And I'm a very happy man as a result."

  Dinner at Ethan’s and Elaine’s was perfect, as usual. The apartment was decorated in reds and greens and golds, and the meal was delicious. All my life, I'd wanted a real Christmas, the kind with gifts and a fireplace and a tree, roast turkey and all the trimmings. Most of all, I wanted a family who loved me.

  I had all that now. Besides Ethan and Elaine, Heath and Christie were there with their two kids, and so with Kate, Sophie and I, we were a very loud and happy dinner table. Sophie took turns sitting on Kate’s and my lap, and occasionally, when she got fussy, she spent time on Elaine’s.

  Ethan sat at the head of the table in his wheelchair, with Kate on one side and Heath on the other, and we took turns speaking about our year, and our hopes for the future.

  Kate took my hand. “I couldn’t be happier,” she said. “Life’s so good.”

  I squeezed, smiling at her. “Life’s the best.”

  We opened presents after dinner and Kate was very happy with her gift of the nightgown and robe and the spa passes. She got me a great volume of Sherlock Holmes stories, which she saw me eyeing during a trip to a local bookstore. That plus several framed rock band posters for my office featuring Cream, The Beatles, The Stones and a few others. I couldn’t wait to hang them, and listen to their music while I worked on my fellowship research paper. Although I had taken a leave of absence, I wanted to continue working on the research paper to keep my mind fresh.

  Once we were finished with the presents, and after tea and coffee, we left the apartment and made our way to St. Stanislaus’s for late mass and the choral music Kate loved. Kate would have liked for Ethan to come but he was still too immobile and didn’t want to go to all the fuss so the three of us went alone.

  It was perfect. The perfect family Christmas. The only two things that would have made it better would be if my father had been alive, and if Liam had been part of my life, but I didn't want to feel ungrateful.

  I was a very lucky man, and I knew it. It was all because of Kate – and Ethan. I had one resolution for the new year. I would never let either of them forget how much I appreciated and loved them both.

  Chapter 16 : Kate

  On Christmas morning, I woke to bright sunlight streaming in from the window. Drake was asleep beside me and I could hear Sophie sucking her pacifier over the baby monitor on my nightstand. I snuck out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth. Then, I went downstairs to the kitchen and put on a pot of decaf coffee from Starbucks, before squeezing some fresh orange juice for our breakfast. I pulled out some bacon and eggs, planning on a special breakfast for us.

  When I heard Sophie cry out over the second monitor we had in the kitchen, I put down the handful of green onions and went to Sophie’s bedroom, to find her rolled over into the corner, her head pressed against the bumper pad.

  “Hey, baby girl,” I said when I went to her, picking her up out of the crib. “How’s my little one?” I kissed her cheek and took her over to the change table, to get her out of her wet diaper. She kicked and flailed her arms around while I changed her and put her in a clean romper for the morning. I’d bathe her later and get her ready for dinner at my father’s later in the afternoon.

  I fed her quickly, moving her with ease from one breast to the other, burped her, then I put her into her jolly jumper swing downstairs in the kitchen. Then, I proceeded to make an omelet for our breakfast. I chopped up green onions, green pepper, and bacon, and then beat the eggs in a small mixing bowl. The scent of frying bacon mixed with the aroma from the onions and peppers smelled delicious. It was enough to make my mouth water.

  Just then, Drake came out of the bedroom and peeked into the kitchen at Sophie and me.

  “There’s my two girls,” he said with a smile. “It smells great in here.”

  “There’s coffee,” I said and gestured to the pot. “Decaf, but if you pour me a cup in my mug, you can make some hi-test.”

  “I might do that,” he said as he washed out my coffee mug and poured me a cup. Then he made regular coffee.

  “Shall we open a present here first?”

  “You’re eager to get to the presents?” I asked, smiling at the happy expression on Drake’s face. He loved Christmas. He ate it up, loving everything about it – the decorations, the lights, the gift buying and giving, the big Christmas dinner.

  “I am. I can’t wait to see what you think of my gift.”

  “I can’t wait for you to get my gift.” I smiled, thinking about it. My gift would make Drake’s Christmas.

  With Sophie still in her swing, we sat beside the tree which was decorated all in gold and red, and Drake handed me his gift. I was eager to see what it was and quickly tore the paper off to find a pair of lamb’s wool ankle and wrist cuffs. Seeing them sent a jolt of excitement through me. We hadn’t done anything kinky since the attack.

  “So this is what you had planned for tonight, hmm?” I said, wagging my eyebrows at him.

  He grinned. “Guilty as charged.”

  I tried one cuff out to see how it felt, imagining Drake tying me up and making me come again and again.

  “I’m looking forward to Master D making an appearance,” I said and bent over to kiss Drake. “He must be feeling very deprived with his very vanilla lifestyle lately…”

  “Not at all,” Drake said, ever the gentleman. He turned my face to his and looked deep into my eyes. “I thought you might like a little spice now and then. I’m perfectly happy the way things are, but don’t want you to feel cheated out of the man you married.”

  “I don’t feel at all cheated,” I said, and I meant it. I knew that we had been way too busy dealing with the attack, Sophie’s premature birth and the aftermath to be involved in the lifestyle. When we had more time, I looked forward to us returning to our previous interests. I even imagined attending a dungeon party, if one were available.

  Next, Drake handed me another gift. I opened it, realizing as soon as I saw it that it was a jewelry box. I pulled off the wrapping and opened it. Inside was a beautiful gold locket on a thin gold chain.

  "Oh, Drake, it's beautiful. It looks ancient."

  "It's from an estate sale," Drake said. "I like the delicate filigree. Open it up."

&nbs
p; I did open it. Inside were two tiny pictures. One of Sophie and one of my mother.

  "It's beautiful," I whispered, tearing up.

  "Look on the back," he said, his voice soft.

  I turned the locket over and in tiny script was engraved And I love her. I covered my mouth to stop from sobbing.

  "Thank you," I managed, before pulling him close so I could kiss him. "You are such a beautiful man." We pressed our foreheads together for a moment and I wiped my eyes. "I love you."

  "I love you."

  When I had recovered, I pulled my gift for Drake from under the tree. “This is for you.”

  “Another present?” he said, opening it eagerly. Inside was the action figure I’d bought for Liam, on the hope that Maureen relented and allowed Drake to see Liam during the holidays.

  “Iron Man?” he said, his expression confused.

  “Read this,” I said and handed him the card I received from Maureen’s mother, Brenda. Drake opened cautiously, a frown on his brow.

  “What’s this?” he said and glanced at me. He pulled out the folded letter and read it, his mouth open. The letter had come only a few days earlier. I was afraid it would never come but it finally arrived and it announced we were on for a visit before supper on Christmas Day.

  Today.

  “Does this say what I think it says?” Drake asked, looking up at me from the letter.

  I nodded, my eyes welling up with tears at the expression of shock on his face.

  “Yes,” I said. “The present is for Liam. We can wrap it before we go.”

  “What?” he said, still confused.

  “Maureen’s mom was able to talk with Maureen and convince her that this is the right thing to do for Liam. We’re invited to come over this afternoon. Maureen is going to talk to Liam before and let him know that you’re his biological father.”

  Drake shook his head. “Today? This afternoon?” He read the letter over again, and I could tell he was still in disbelief.