by JM Kelley
Swiftly, I’m being tugged by the arm of my suit jacket, as Sarah leads me into the house. “Seriously Brad, what the hell are you doing here?” She frowns, backing up to put some space between us. “I’m here to tell you how things are going to be.” Every step I take toward her, she takes a step backward until her back is against the wall. “Baby, I’m here to tell you that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I've been hurting so badly. I screwed up when I let you go fourteen years ago. I’m telling you now, I will never let you go again.” “Brad I…” I don’t let her continue as I cage her against the wall. “Brad, this is not going to work. You live in California and…” I press my fingertip to her lips. “Actually, I don’t live there anymore. I’m kind of in between places right now.” “I don’t understand.” “I sold my house, and I don’t have a job right now either.” “What are you saying?” “I’m saying that this unemployed, homeless man is here to stay. I love you. I want to make a life here with you, and Ashley. Let me give you the moon. I want to wake up to your beautiful sleepy face every morning and love you to sleep every night. Sarah, you’re all I’ve ever wanted. Only you.” Her eyes twinkle and she gives me a slow, sexy grin. “You have me.” She whispers. “Yeah?” “Yes, Brad I want to fight for us. I’m not scared anymore. I want this. I want us. I don’t want a life without you in it.” She smiles at me with such intensity, I can feel her love. I can tell how badly she wants me when her body melts into mine when we kiss. “Yes, Brad, you have me.” Her hands roam across my back, my arms, my chest, causing goosebumps everywhere. She groans into my mouth, and I kiss her forceful and needy, quickly wanting to be inside her. The desire for this woman, the ache is so strong, I feel like my body is on fire and she’s the only one who can put it out.
She squeals when I swoop her up in my arms and carry her to the bedroom. I kick the door shut behind us, and drop her gently onto the bed. Quickly, I begin to undress, flinging my jacket and shirt to the floor, never taking my eyes off hers. “Brad, wait, I need to tell you something first.” I crawl onto the bed and settle my hips between her legs. “We have so much time to talk Sunshine, but right now I’m dying to be inside you.” “Brad, wait, seriously, I have to tell you something.” I tilt my head to meet her eyes, my mouth quickly coming down on hers. Her hands roughly push against my chest. "What's wrong?" I push up on my arms and study her face, concerned with what I see. “Dammit Brad, let me up. I’m not kidding.” I sit up on my knees watching as she hops off the bed and sprints to the bathroom, leaving me confused and wondering what the hell just happened. She’s back in the doorway within a few seconds, staring at me with shimmering eyes. “Baby, talk to me.” She flings something small and white across the room, hitting me square in the chest. “This is what’s wrong.” She hisses. I stare down at the white plastic stick, knowing exactly what It’s going to say. I’m off the bed in a split-second, caging her face with my palms, kissing her gently on the lips. “Brad you know what that means, Right?” “Yes, Sunshine, It means I’m right here where I belong, and everything is perfect.” I drop to my knees in front of her, lifting her shirt to kiss her belly. “Perfect.” I whisper. “Sarah, you don’t know how happy you’ve just made me.” I choke the words out. I Lift my head up to find her staring at the ceiling. “Brad, I’m scared.” I bounce up on my feet and force her to look at me. “We can be scared together. I’m not going anywhere ever again. I’m finally home.” “But your job…And what is Ashley going to think? And the coffee shop…” I place my finger under her chin and tilt her head up to look at me. “Baby, do you think Ashley is going to be anything but ecstatic? I can work here, they have hospitals in Texas, don’t they? Maybe I can get a job at this little coffee shop I know.” Her mouth curves up into a half-smile. “I want forever with you. I’m going to buy a house big enough for our family, and take you guys on vacations. I want to make you coffee every morning and cook you dinner after you’ve had a long day. I want to get to know my daughter better, and I want to watch our new baby do all the things I missed with Ashley. I want everything with you. Don’t be scared. We’re going to have so much fun. There will be so much love in our home.” Her eyes shimmer with tears but I know they’re happy tears because she’s smiling.
I grab her hand and lead her to the bed, but she turns the tides when she pushes me down onto the mattress. She leans down, her eyes full of lust, and her warm lips crush mine. Breaking the kiss, she stands before me, with a devilish grin spreading across her lips. She grabs the hem of her shirt and seductively pulls it over her head. “You know I’m not the easiest person to live with. I’m a very needy person.” She says with a suggestive smirk, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of crimson. “What kind of needs are we talking about here?” She straddles my thighs, and her hands begin to work my belt. “Well, for one thing, I’ve recently discovered how much I really, really love sex, and I’ve heard that pregnant women are always horny. So there absolutely needs to be lots of that.” She smoothes her palms across my chest feeling every crevice. “You don’t think we should wait until we get married? I mean we need to set a good example for our children.” She giggles, and I love that sound. “I think that ship has sailed, and you really need to get these pants off right now.”
She stands awkwardly, and we both chuckle when she trips over my leg that’s dangling off the side of the bed. She works my pants and boxers off in a flash and my cock stands at attention. I scoot back onto the bed and she quickly shucks off the rest of her clothes. My heart pounds in my chest, when she straddles my thighs and runs her tongue across my abdomen, my chest, and my neck, licking, kissing and sucking me everywhere. Every press of her lips sending a bolt of electricity straight to my groin. “Sunshine, I want to taste you,” I beg, starting to lose control as she grinds her wet pussy along my throbbing cock. “We have this house to ourselves for about four hours, so we have plenty of time for that stuff later. Right now, I just want to ride your cock.” She murmurs against my cheek, and I am not about to argue.
She kisses my lips and gently nibbles on my chin, and it's so erotic when she sucks on my tongue. Slipping her hand between us, she seizes my dick, stroking and rubbing the head against her clit, jolting from the contact. My hand's fist in her hair and our tongues duel in a wild, sensual kiss. “Christ, Baby your pussy is so hot and wet.” She draws her hips up and lines the head of my cock up to her center. Hovering, she gives me a seductive smile. Her mouth falls open and releases a soft moan as she slowly inches her way down the length of my dick. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything as good as this feels. “Fuck Brad, It’s so tight.” I pull her body down, gently gripping her hair, and pull her lips to mine for a long and desperate kiss. I cup her breasts and roll her tight nipples between my fingers. I lean down and take her pointy red nipple into my mouth and suck it firm. She moans with pleasure as I alternate to the other side and do the same. Her fingers continue to clutch my hair, her head falls back with a groan, and her nails dig into my scalp. “So good Brad!” “Baby, It feels so good. Fuck me, Sarah.” She rocks her hips against my pelvis at a slow pace, but it doesn’t take long before she lets loose and starts to fuck me hard. I fight to keep in rhythm with her thrusts. I can tell, from her whimpers and moans, and the way she arches her back, that she's close already. “Brad, I love you.” My fingers dig into her hips as her movements become faster and deeper. “So deep this way!” She slides up and down my length. “Oh! Right there.” Her pussy locks down on my cock so hard, It’s dizzying. “Oh shit. Yes, Yes!” She chants as her pussy contracts, milking my cock and pushing me over the edge. I explode. My legs tremble, and I come so violently that the animalistic noise that just left my throat sounded painful.
Still connected and not ready to feel the loss of her yet, I roll us over, nestling myself tenderly on top of her. I kiss her everywhere, not wanting to miss an inch of her skin. “I will never, In one lifetime, be able to get enough of you, Sarah. I’ve wasted so much of my life, and I promise to make
up for it every single day. My heart is beating again. You make me feel alive.” Her palms rest against my cheeks and we stare into each other’s eyes. “I love you so much, and I don’t want any more wasted time. Will you marry me, Sarah?” She sucks in a deep breath and squeezes her eyes closed. I’m suddenly panicking. I’ll be crushed if she says no. “Sarah, baby,” I fret, trying to read her reaction. “Brad, I want to. I do, but It doesn’t feel right yet. With everything that's going on with Ashley, she needs my full attention.” “Okay.” I swallow down my pride. “But what about…” She quiets me with a finger to my lips. “Brad I want to marry you. Of course, I’ll marry you. I just think that maybe we could wait until Ashley gets her clean bill of health. Please don’t be mad.” “Baby, I’m not going anywhere, I’ll wait for forever if I have to.”
I jump from the bed and throw my pants on because I shouldn't be naked when I propose. Sarah sits herself at the edge of the bed and wraps herself up in a sheet, curiously surveying me. I reach into my pocket and take out the sparkling solitaire diamond, nestled in a diamond-crusted platinum band. Its simple, elegant and timeless, just like my girl. I open the box then fall to one knee. “Sarah, you would make me the happiest man in the world if you'd be my wife. We’ll wait until the time is right. Let’s get our baby girl better first, but I want the world to know your mine. By the way, I did ask Ashley for her blessing first.” Her hands are covering her mouth, but I can tell she is smiling. “Baby, you are the most beautiful, loving, caring person that I know. I love you with all my heart. I promise to make you coffee every morning and let you boss me around whenever you want. I promise to sex you up every night until you can’t see straight. And I promise to protect you and Ashley and our baby with my life. I will always love the three of you with all my heart. Sarah Marie Thorensen, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” “Yes,” She whispers, taking me by surprise when she jumps off the bed, drops the sheet and pounces me, pecking my face with sloppy kisses. “Yes, Brad, I will marry you. I love you, and you’ve made me the happiest woman in the world. Now can we get back to what you said earlier? Something about wanting to taste me.”
We lie tangled together for a long time just holding each other, listening to our hearts beat, and I know this is where we were always supposed to end up. We make slow passionate love, our hearts, our minds, our bodies, our souls finally as one.
EPILOGUE
5 MONTHS LATER
We're sitting on pins and needles, anxiously awaiting the phone call from Dr. Collins. I've been trying to keep myself busy since Ashley had her tests two days ago to see if her Leukemia is in remission. I'm currently playing some stupid family game called “Apples to Apples” which has nothing to do with freaking apples, and I really don’t give a shit about apples or anything else right now. “He said he would call first thing this morning. It’s fu…It’s eleven-thirty already.” “Relax Baby, he’ll call soon.” I rise from the table and grab a bottle of water from the fridge, even though I’m not thirsty. I'm fucking on edge right now, and I can’t sit still. In my heart I know it will be a good outcome, it has to be. I can’t imagine my life without Ashley, we’ve become so close these past few months. She just recently asked if she could start calling me Dad, and even though I insisted she continue to call Ben Dad, I was thrilled. Hell, she can have two Dad's. She can have anything she wants. I can’t imagine my life without Sarah either, and it still saddens me sometimes to think about all the years I wasted without her.
Sarah sneaks up next to me and runs her hand up and down my back trying to soothe the savage beast. I smile when she leans her big belly bump against my back. The one that’s carrying our second daughter. She struggles to get her arms around my waist, and when I feel a kick, I’m so full of emotion it nearly brings me to my knees. My life has changed for the better, and even though I’m no longer a rock star cardiologist from Los Angeles, I have everything I could ever want or need. I’m doing some consulting work for the hospital in Houston, and they even offered me a position, but I haven’t decided if I want to take it yet. I’m having too much fun with my girls. Sarah even lets me help out at the coffee shop occasionally, since business has been booming. We just closed on a new house, only seven blocks away from this one and we’ll be moving in right after Christmas. Ashley will still be close to her friends and school, Sarah to her shop, and our new place will have plenty of room for our growing family. Maybe I’ll just be a stay at home Dad. I think it will suit me just fine.
Sarah’s phone rings in her pocket, making the three of us startle. “Hello!” Sarah puts the phone to her ear with shaky hands. I move back to the table when I see the worry on Ashley’s face. “It’s okay, Angel. It’s going to be good news.” I take her tiny hand in mine as we wait. “Yes, I understand…Uh huh, okay, thank you.” Sarah places the phone back in her pocket and turns to look at us with a huge grin on her face. “No bad cells found. The scan was clean, and everything looks great.” Loud shrieks erupt. Sarah marches over to Ashley with tears in her eyes, and wraps her in a great big bear hug. I rise and take them both into my arms, a few tears threatening my own eyes. “Can I go to Jessie’s house early to tell her the good news?” Ashley asks excitedly, breaking the hug. Yes, Jessie is a girl, and Ashley’s best friend. No boys allowed until she’s thirty-five. “I thought you were going over there later for the sleep-over?” Sarah questions. “I am, but I want to tell her the good news. So can I go over early?” “Sure Honey! Brad can drive you in a few minutes.” I clear my throat. “Um, before you go I want to give you and Mom an early Christmas present.” “Brad, Christmas is weeks away.” Sarah scowls at me with her hands on her hips. So damn Sexy. “I know, but I want to do this early, hold on a minute.”
I dash to the bedroom and sprint back with excitement. The girls are sitting at the table, studying me with curious eyes. “So I was going to wait to give you guys these but, in light of the good news, I decided to do it now.” I slide the envelope over to Sarah, and she carefully opens it, glaring at me in the process. “Brad, what did you do?” Sarah's eyes grow wide when she slides the airline tickets from the envelope before sliding them over so Ashley can get a gander. “We will be celebrating Christmas in Bora Bora this year ladies,” I say proudly waiting for their reactions. “Oh my god! Isn’t that the place with the huts on the water? Please tell me we are staying in one of those huts.” Ashley says, practically vibrating in her seat. “We are so staying in those huts, Angel.” I wink at Ashley who looks like she’s about to burst. “Brad, we can’t go to Bora Bora. What about the Bean?” “We can close the Bean for one week to take a vacation. Besides we have to close because Harper, Matty and her Mom will be coming with us.” I turn to Ashley. “Jessie is coming too, Angel.” Ashley squeals with excitement. “Brad, really?” I slide the velvet jewelry box over to Sarah, who still looks taken back. “Open it Sunshine." She takes her time opening the box. “Wedding bands?” “Yup! We're getting married on the island, Sunshine. I figured you’d want Harper there.” Sarah’s jaw is still hanging on the table. “Brad, this is all too much.” Sarah whispers, a little choked up. “I’m not taking no for an answer. Now go get ready. Harper's coming to take you guys shopping in a little bit.” I say, handing my credit card to her. “Brad, you’re insane.” “Oh and Angel I thought you'd like something special too.” I slide the other jewelry box from my pocket. Ashley’s eyes grow wide when she opens the sparkling silver Pandora bracelet with one charm attached. A diamond studded heart because I want her to know she will always have mine. I figure I can fill it with new charms, every new milestone we encounter in the future. “Oh my god Dad, this is beautiful.” Ashley jumps up and gives me a great big bear hug. I help put the bracelet on her wrist and give her a kiss on her head. “Jessie’s really coming with us?” I give her wink. “You need some company since Mom and I will be on our honeymoon.” I wrap my arms around Sarah and kiss her on the neck. “Gross! I’m out. I’m going to call Jessie and see if she wants to go shopping with us.” Ashl
ey rubs Sarah's belly before escaping to her room.
“I can’t believe you did all this.” She wraps her arms around my waist and melts into my arms. “I can’t wait for you to be my wife. I love you so much.” She looks shell-shocked, and It makes me a little nervous. “You do want to marry me right?” "Of course I do. I just thought we were waiting until after the baby is born." Sarah has been slowly getting over her trust issues, and I think she finally realizes that I’m not going anywhere. “Please, please, please, make me the happiest man on earth and say yes." She lets out a giggle, and gives me a smile that tells me she loves me and wants to be my wife more than anything. "Well, since you said please so many times, I won't let you suffer anymore. You were willing to change your whole life for me, the least I can do is marry you. I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but yes, my answer is yes, Brad. I would love to be your wife." In an instant I have her pushed against the countertop, my dick already straining to get out. This woman turns me on to no end. I press my lips to hers, and she slips her tongue into my mouth slow and sweet. It’s A kiss full of love. I hold her face between my palms forcing her to look at me, not wanting her to miss the emotion on mine. “Sarah, I adore you and our children. I’ll never do anything to hurt you. It’s you and me, Sunshine, for the rest of our lives. You will always be my forever. You, Ashley and this baby are the best things that have ever happened to me."