by Tia Wylder
“I’m all ears,” she said softly, drawing her lip nervously between her teeth. He nodded, bracing himself for whatever may come.
“I wanted to begin by telling you that… well, in the days since we met once more, it’s only grown increasingly evident how deeply I feel for you. As much as I might have wanted to dismiss the feelings, it’s simply not an option anymore. I’ve felt this way for a long time, and… hell. I’m just going to come out with it. I love you, Kelly Carpenter. I always have. I’m sure I always will,” he blurted. Her eyes widened, as if in disbelief, but he wouldn’t let himself be slowed down. “I know I’ve had a pretty bad way of showing it. When I left, I should have warned you ahead of time. I shouldn’t have just abandoned you and given up any chance of seeing you again. I thought you would be better off without me,” he murmured, cut short by a soft laugh.
“How could I ever be better off, Paul? You know how deeply I cared about you. You were my first,” she murmured, tightening her grip on his hand.
“I thought of no one but you the entire time I was on duty. I thought of the future I left behind. I especially thought of what a goddamn fool I was for giving you up. I never stopped loving you, never for a moment. I know I was a fool, and there’s no way I can take that back, but I intend to make it up to you, if you’ll give me the chance. I want nothing more than to be with you. I want nothing more than to be there for your son…,” he began, cut short by a weepy laugh.
“Our son,” she corrected, and Paul hesitated for a moment, smiling a bit at her attempt.
“Well, I’d like to call him as such someday, but right now,” he tried again, only for her to cut him off once more.
“Jeffrey is our son, Paul. I… I was afraid to tell you. I knew you might be angry that I had gone so long without trying to contact you again. I thought you made yourself pretty clear in never wanting to speak to me again. Then, we reunited, and you were so angry over the idea of another man touching me. Another man holding me, and calling me his own. For a while, I thought you might have known. I thought the entire ruse may have been an attempt to extract the information from me,” she paused, and Paul stared at her with disbelief in his gaze. Certainly, she couldn’t mean… but it seemed very much that she was implying…
“Jeffrey is my son? He’s… but, there’s no way,” Paul muttered, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. Tears spilled from her eyes, and a shuddering breath pulled itself from her lungs.
“You thought I was seeing someone else, right? Because of his conception date? I can assure you, I’m confident in your paternity. After all, you were so worried but you had nothing to fret over. I never let another man touch me, you were my first and my only,” she wept. Paul felt tears begin to prick his own eyes, and he lurched to his feet, drawing her into his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder, clinging tightly to him as he rubbed her back. “I’m sorry I kept it from you. I told him last night, and he insisted upon me coming clean. He thought you deserved to know the truth, and… well, I know he was right. I understand if you’re angry with me, or if you hate me, but please… for the sake of our son…,” she trailed off meeting his gaze with watery eyes.
Paul couldn’t deny feeling taken aback, but he reached a hand out to brush the tears away from her eyes. She pressed desperately into his touch, and he fought the desire to smile. He knew what a serious situation it was, knew that he had no right to feel happy with the sheer misery that she felt, but he couldn’t help the delight that brewed from within him.
“I would never abandon you, or our son. Never again, Kelly. Do you hear me?” He asserted, pressing a kiss to her lips. He was aware of an excited chattering in the next room, and as he and Kelly drew away from each other, she glanced towards the living room where both young boys were watching them with delight in their gaze.
“We really are brothers from another mother,” James laughed, pulling Jeffrey in for a hug that quickly turned into a noogie. “I’ve always wanted a brother, and I felt from the moment our families met that I would never have a better one than you, Jeff. I guess I was right,” he grinned. Jeffrey looked nearly overwhelmed with happiness, until Paul cleared his throat and the two locked eyes. Jeffrey shifted uncomfortably under his father’s gaze, and Paul could only wonder what was racing through the boy’s mind.
“I… I hope it’s not a disappointment,” Jeffrey said nervously, and Paul’s eyes widened before he rushed forward to pull the boy into his arms. He spun the boy around, ruffling his hair with a smile.
“Oh, lord, Jeff. I only wish I had known sooner. I just want you to know, with every fiber of my being, I promise to be the best father that I can be to you,” he murmured. The boy buried his face against his father’s chest, mumbling against his shirt. Paul tilted his head, unable to discern what Jeffrey had said. “I can’t hear you, buddy. You’re going to have to talk where… where dad can hear you,” he said in wavering tones. Jeff pulled away, looking Paul in the eye with tears spilling from his own.
“I said you’ve already been the best dad I could ever ask for,” Jeffrey said, nervously. Paul’s eyes lit up with delight, and he pulled the boy in for another strong hug. Kelly stepped up beside the two of them, and Paul wrapped an arm around her as well, pulling her into the embrace. Unwilling to be left out, James rushed forward and placed himself in the middle of the two adults, wrapping his arms around both Kelly and Paul.
“S-so… does this mean we’re going to be a family? For real?” Jeffrey muttered, drawing away slightly to look between both of his parents. Kelly glanced towards Paul with uncertainty in her gaze, reaching out to caress his cheek. While the man was happy to know that she had waited for him, had waited so long, he couldn’t begin to expect her to actually want to be with him.
“It’ll take time. We have a lot to talk about, a lot to work through. But if your father and your brother are willing to give it a chance…,” Kelly paused, glancing towards the other males. “I’d love to be a family. I can’t think of anything I’d like more in the world,” she asserted. James nodded his head fervently, tugging on his dad’s pants.
“Of course. Of course!” Paul asserted, setting Jeffrey down for a moment. He turned to face Kelly, taking her cheeks in his hands and staring deep into her eyes. “I know this will change a lot. I know you’ve gone years without a man to help you, or provide for you. But I can swear to you that you will never go without, never again,” he promised, leaning in for a tender kiss. She pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his neck as their lips worked together in perfect synchrony. A soft whine pulled itself from her throat, and James cleared his throat loudly. Jeffrey had the decency to avert his eyes, but the older boy was staring at the adults with a serious expression.
“I only have one thing to say,” he began. Paul tilted his head, feeling Kelly grip his hand tightly. Wondering what on Earth his son could possibly want to say, Paul gestured for James to continue.
“I think it would be prudent for you to keep the mushiness to a minimum when there are young eyes present,” he smirked, dissolving into laughter as Kelly reddened and Paul felt his own cheeks growing warm as well.
“You’ll understand someday, when you’re in love,” Paul said dismissively, waving the boys off.
“Does that mean we should go play video games now?” Jeffrey said carefully, and before Paul could say no, Kelly quickly nodded her head.
“Mr. Stalone and I just need a bit more privacy,” she said, keeping her voice leveled in spite of the flames that seemed to be keeping her cheeks alight. Paul considered her with a raised brow, and she smiled nervously as James dragged Jeffrey away. Paul could hear the boys muttering about sappy adults, and before he could think to say anything on his own, Kelly drew him back into her arms. Their lips met in a furious kiss, one filled with passion that Paul hadn’t felt in what seemed an eternity. He tangled his hands in Kelly’s hair, groaning against her lips now that they were truly alone.
“Bedroom…?” He implored weakly, trying to i
gnore the strain of his manhood against his pants. He hoped his erection wasn’t the most obvious thing in the world, but Kelly lewdly gripped it through his pants as she led him out of the dining room and upstairs towards her room. He prayed that the boys would stay in Jeffrey’s room, prayed even harder that what he thought was happening would actually happen.
When Kelly pushed open the door to her bedroom, he all but stumbled inside, pushed none too kindly by the woman that he adored. He turned to face her, and she was back on him in an instant, sinking her teeth into the flesh of his neck. He moaned under his breath, kicking the door shut before guiding her to the bed.
“We have a lot of lost time to make up for,” she explained, shimmying out of her cocktail dress and revealing the lacy lingerie that she wore underneath. Paul’s eyes widened, and he realized with a start that she had been anticipating this moment as much as he had. He rushed towards her, pinning her against the bed and kissing a trail down her neck. She moaned openly, rocking against him as his clothed erection settled against her stomach.
“They won’t hear, will they?” Paul asked uncertainly, moving to unbutton his shirt. Kelly shook her head, moving her body sensually against his as he shed his button up shirt. She splayed her hands across his pecs, thoroughly enjoying the expanse of his broad chest.
“No. Jeffrey knows to turn his games on blast when Mr. Stalone comes by,” Kelly said, with a sly smile. Paul blushed a deep shade of red, reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. As it fell away, her perfect breasts heaved temptingly. He couldn’t get past the thought that this woman was his, and his alone. These breasts had not been touched by hands other than his own. Moreover, he thought as he lowered his head to her chest, they hadn’t been touched by lips but his own, either. He flicked his tongue out against a nipple, and she swallowed a sharp cry. She tensed a hand in his short hair, pressing him closer to her breast. He seemed all too eager to oblige, shamelessly rutting against her clothed womanhood as he lavished her breasts with attention.
In one swift move, she shoved his pants and boxers down on his hips, exposing his stiff and throbbing member. She wrapped her hand around it again, and Paul groaned, happy to have the skin on skin contact. She slowly moved her hand up and down his shaft, brushing her thumb to the head of his manhood. He was already trickling pre ejaculate, and she smirked as she edged back on top of her mattress, raising her hips to allow him to pull off her panties. His member twitched at the sight of her, and she pulled him on top of her with little preamble.
“I take it you’re not feeling particularly patient right now,” he mused, positioning himself at her entrance. She quaked in his grip, pressing their lips together in yet another passionate embrace.
“Lost time, and all,” she breathed, lips quirked in a sly smile. He grinned, pushing her back against the bed and slowly pushing into her. She sighed breathily, sinking into the mattress and throwing her arm over her eyes. “Ugh, so good,” she gasped, tensing as Paul leaned down to ghost his lips to her ear.
“I can imagine so. Tell me, love, did you miss me terribly?” He murmured, causing a shiver to run through her body.
“Of course. What kind of question is that?” She giggled nervously, sinking her nails into the flesh of his back.
“I just wondered… did you touch yourself often? Thinking of me, and me alone? Have I been the only one on your mind for all these years?” Paul continued, slowly beginning to push the entirety of his length inside of her. She gasped, body quaking as she desperately nodded her head.
“I’m yours, Paul. Yours, and yours alone,” she asserted, clenching around him as he began to draw back out, inch by pleasurable inch.
“That’s what I want to hear,” he smiled, gently touching her cheek before bottoming out inside of her again, pistoning his hips at a rapid pace. The change seemed to send a thrill like no other through Kelly’s body, and she all but screamed as he angled his hips to hit her just right. The mattress squeaked loudly and lewdly beneath them, the headboard bumping against the wall each time Paul slammed into her. Soft whimpers were pulled from her throat with each thrust, and Paul could tell she was growing close to her peak. He couldn’t lie, he was growing rather close as well.
“I… I love you, Paul,” she cried out, a single happy tear streaming down her cheeks. His heart warmed at the sight, but more than anything, he was certain he had never been so aroused in his life. If possible, he moved even faster, his member throbbing painfully as he tried to finish them both off. When she came, she clenched almost painfully tight around him, and he hilted himself inside her a final time before spilling his seed deep inside of her. She howled in pleasure, her inner walls flexing and milking him for every last drop. He buried his face in her neck, squeezing his eyes shut against the sensations.
When she began to come down from her high, her tightly clenched walls began to release him, but he remained settled comfortably inside of her. He pressed a kiss to her cheeks, her forehead, the tip of her nose, and finally, her mouth. She giggled at the attention, though it was clear she was as spent as he was, if not more so.
“I love you, too,” he said, gently. Adoration swept over her expression, and she buried her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, knowing that he could never love another woman as much as he loved the very one in his arms. For all the doubt he had shown her, for all his missteps and misgivings, here she lay, having given him a chance he didn’t deserve. “This is the first time I’ve truly felt at home since getting back from duty,” he admitted shyly, meeting her gaze.
“Well, Paul Stalone, I have only one thing to say to you,” she murmured, brushing her fingers through his short hair. He rumbled contently at the sensation, getting wrapped up in the comfort of being in his love’s arms again. “Welcome home.”
EPILOGUE
Busying himself with mowing the lawn, Paul couldn’t deny the delight that shot through him upon seeing his lover sitting on the front porch, eagerly awaiting him with a glass of ice cold lemonade. He knew there was no need to rush, and though they both knew he could be called back into duty any time, the family was simply enjoying their time as one unit.
The house next door had been placed up for rent again, and Kelly had offered absolutely no hesitation when Paul offered his home to both her and their son. Jeffrey was as delighted as ever to know his father after so many years. With the school year starting soon, the boys were enjoying as much time together as they could, the summer weather soon to be but a distant memory. All the same, as Paul cut the front lawn, he could distantly hear them shrilly laughing and cutting up in the back yard.
When the final section of grass was cut, he shut off the lawn mower, to later be stored in the garage. He slipped out of the seat, approaching his beautiful girlfriend with a broad smile. She met him with a kiss, and the lemonade gripped in her hand almost went forgotten.
So much had changed since they confessed their mutual feelings, almost entirely for the better. Paul knew that his beloved Kelly was often distraught by the idea of his having to leave again someday. He also knew that any time he left for active duty, there was a chance he may not return. It wasn’t a thought he liked to entertain, but it was something he had to consider. Kelly was currently ineligible to be placed on his life insurance policy, and as it stood, she would be left with almost nothing if something happened to him.
That particular facet of the potential future wasn’t what plagued her, he knew that good and well. He knew she only worried over the idea of losing her boyfriend, and her son losing his father. They had only had such a short time together, after all. There had been many times he’d caught her simply staring into the distance, tears pooling in her eyes as she obviously lost herself in the possibilities of ‘what if’. He knew that he couldn’t soothe her fears altogether, was well aware that he could never abandon his role in keeping his country safe. Yet, he knew there had to be some action, however small, that would comfort her. Something that would show how much she meant to him.
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Paul had been considering his options for some time, and as he took the lemonade from his girlfriend’s hand, he could tell by the distant look in her eye that she was worried as well.
“I was thinking we could go out for dinner this evening. Then, maybe take the boys to the arcade,” he suggested, trying to take her mind off of what plagued her so deeply. She nodded quietly, taking a sip of her own drink. “Let me guess, that drink is a bit more stout than mine?” Paul teased, and Kelly couldn’t help but laugh softly. He had been working on his alcohol problem, and tried to stay as far away from the stuff as possible. At least, as far as his own ingestion. He was worried that Kelly might go down that same road someday, but for the time being, he knew she was in control of her own desires. Where the alcohol had taken over his life at times, she never seemed to suffer that same side effect.
“Just needed something to take the edge off a bit. My therapist just advised that I not let the issue get out of control, and… well, I have too much at risk to lose myself,” she replied idly, taking a long sip from the drink. Paul nodded, taking a seat beside her on the front porch. The area was covered, with a fan to keep the air circulating in the heat of summer. While summer had nearly come to an end, it was still hot enough to justify the use of it. He stared at the blades of the fan, getting lost in the steady circular spinning.