Relinquishing Liberty (Second Chances)

by Mayer, Maureen

  “Fuck, baby, you look good enough to eat.” He stalked towards me, licking his lips.

  “Well that was kind of the idea. Why don’t you come over here and get a taste for yourself?” I sprayed some whipped cream on my finger and slowly sucked it off, teasing it with my tongue and clearly getting a response out of Shayne. The bulge threatening to rip through his pants was a dead giveaway.

  He pulled his shirt over his head in one swift movement while I traced my tongue across my bottom lip admiring him. His jeans hung low on his hips, the top button undone, and his feet were bare as they padded across the linoleum floor. The way the moonlight trickled in through the window and highlighted every single one of his rippling muscles… Dear Lord, I was about ready to say screw the dessert, tear his pants off and fuck him right here!

  When he reached me, I was propped up on my elbows, and he placed a hand on either side of me, caging me in. He slowly bent forward, and dipped into the whipped cream surrounding my breast. His tongue swirled around my nipple and scooped the cherry into his mouth while he gently nibbled at my rosy bud. I threw my head back as pleasure surged throughout my body, drawing a soft moan out of me.

  “Mmm, so fucking good. I’ll never get enough of your sweet, delectable body. In fact, I think you’ve now become a staple part of my diet.”

  My body arched towards his mouth as he moved over to the tightly beaded peak awaiting him. “Well I guess it’s a good thing we live together now, in case you get any late night cravings.”

  “Late night, morning, afternoon…I crave you all the time, baby.” He slid my body closer to the edge of the table so that my legs were dangling over the edge, and he kneeled down in front of me. “Now for the main course.”

  He lifted my legs over his shoulders and dove right in, lapping at the whipped cream surrounding my sex, mixing it with my own creamy arousal. I ran my fingers through his silky hair, holding him in place while my pelvis rocked against him, and he continued to devour me. His velvety tongue circled my entrance teasingly before leaving a moist trail leading up to my throbbing clit. He flicked over my swollen nub rhythmically, leaving me just teetering at the cusp of my climax and then he would switch to soft gentle strokes that left my head spinning, delirious with desire.

  “Please, Shayne. I need you to make me come. Please make me come.”

  He smiled up at me with a hungry look in his eyes, and I knew that was all the begging he needed. He sucked my clit with fervor, taking it between his teeth and gently nibbling away at the sensitive flesh. At the same time, he reached up and pinched my nipples, rolling them between his fingers, and paying no attention to the sticky mess he was making. A shockwave of intense pleasure shook through me, and I shouted Shayne’s name over and over.

  “Remind me to write a thank you letter to Cosmo.” I breathed out, panting heavily as I came down from that earth-shattering orgasm.

  “Oh, that one was all me, sweetheart. Cosmo had no influence over those moves.” I giggled as Shayne leaned forward and licked more whipped cream off of my breast. He took my hands, slinking them around his neck and lifted me off the table with my legs wrapped around his waist. “Why don’t we get this sticky mess cleaned up before I get you in bed and have my dirty way with you?”

  He carried me off to the bathroom, where we hopped in the shower and thoroughly lathered each other up. He even took the time to wash my hair, gently massaging the shampoo into my scalp as I leaned my head back into his chest. I was in heaven…or so I thought, until he carried me back to bed and made love to me, slowly exploring every inch of my body until the sun was just about to come up.

  I rolled over, stretching my arm out towards Shayne but found he wasn’t in bed. I rubbed my eyes lazily, trying to bring the numbers into focus on the clock next to Shayne’s side of the bed and noticed it was almost one in the afternoon. One in the afternoon?! How the hell did I sleep so late? And more importantly, why hadn’t Shayne woken me up before he left for work?

  I dragged my ass out of bed, threw on one of Shayne’s shirts and made my way towards the kitchen to start the coffee maker before jumping in the shower. To my surprise, Shayne was standing there, leaning against the counter in a pair of lime green boxer briefs, already enjoying on a fresh cup of joe.

  “Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” I said as I sauntered over to him. “I hope I get to wake up to this view every morning.”

  Shayne smirked and bent down to give me a kiss before handing me a mug of steamy caffeinated bliss, just the way I like it. “Well if you keep me up like that every night, I think I’m going to have to quit my job and spend all day sleeping just so I can regain my strength to keep up with you. You gave me quite a workout last night, little lady.”

  “Speaking of: aren’t you supposed to be working right now?” I raised my eyebrow over the mug as I took a sip.

  “Actually this is one of the few days out of the year that my dad and I take off. I was kind of hoping you’d go somewhere with me today, if you don’t already have plans.”

  “Nope, I’m all yours today. Any hints as to where we’re going?”

  “Well, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. Someone who’s always held a special place in my heart, and today happens to be her birthday.”

  “Shayne, anyone who holds a special place in your heart holds a special place in mine. I’d love to meet her.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” He smiled down at me and ran his fingers through my messy hair. It was then I realized I hadn’t even bothered to look in the mirror since I woke up, but honestly I didn’t really care. He might as well get used to my crazy bed-head hair since he was going to wake up to it every morning from now on.

  “Why don’t you go get ready, and I’ll get started on making us some lunch? What are you in the mood for?”

  I gave him a sly grin, but he shook his head laughing after picking up on what I had in mind. “Well since I can’t have you, I’m sure anything you make will suffice. I trust your culinary skills, Mr. Thompson.”

  “So glad you have faith in me, Ms. Davis.” He winked at me, beaming that adorable, crooked grin that made his dimple stand out.

  I spun around and giggled as I flounced down the hallway to the bathroom with a little extra bounce in my step. I contemplated taking a cold shower to calm my insatiable libido. Shayne wasn’t kidding when he said he unleashed a sex kitten in me. I just couldn’t get enough of him!

  After finishing up in the bathroom, I threw my still wet hair into a high ponytail and changed into some denim cut-off shorts paired with a flowy, teal-blue tank top. I wasn’t sure where Shayne was taking me, but the days were growing hotter, and I figured whatever the occasion it was best to dress light.

  I made my way back to the kitchen, but before I got there, something caught my attention out the corner of my eye as I passed the living room, and I had to do a double take. I burst out laughing and Shayne came out of the kitchen, still in his boxer briefs, but now he was wearing a “Kiss the Chef” apron and lobster oven mitts on his hands. I don’t know what made me laugh harder: Shayne or the inflatable Statue of Liberty from my birthday party propped up in the corner of the room. It had Travis written all over it. The sneaky bastard must have slipped it past me yesterday when I wasn’t looking. Shayne shook his head and went back in the kitchen to finish up our lunch.

  When I walked into the kitchen, it smelled absolutely divine. It felt like I had stepped directly into a pizzeria, and the aromas swirling in the air instantly had my mouth watering. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until Shayne sat the homemade French bread pizza in front of me, and by the time Shayne turned around to set his own on a plate, mine had already been devoured.

  “I guess you did work up quite an appetite,” he chuckled to himself before biting into his own slice of heaven.

  “Hey, you should be happy that I have a healthy appetite. Unlike some of those bitches that eat a piece of celery and call that a meal.”

  “Hey, I’m not compl
aining. You can eat me out of house and home, and I’d love you just the same.” He licked some of the pizza sauce off of his fingers and smiled deviously at me across the table. “Besides, I wouldn’t want you to lose those gorgeous curves. I’d have nothing to hold onto while I’m thrusting deep inside you.”

  I smiled as I picked a slice of pepperoni off of his pizza and popped it in my mouth. He knew how much I loved when he would grab the swell of my hips as he plowed into me with everything he had. The slight, fading bruises were proof enough. It was that little hint of pain mixed with the pleasure of him filling me that always threw me over the edge and had my mind spinning. Just the thought of him taking me from behind like he had last night caused a flood of warmth to pool in my belly, and I clenched my legs together to diminish the ache.

  He popped the last bite of pizza in his mouth and placed our dishes in the sink. “I’ll be ready to go in about five minutes. I already showered so I just need to get changed.”

  I stopped him before he could remove his apron. “I don’t know, Shayne. I kind of like the sexy chef look on you,” I said giving him a wicked smirk.

  “Baby, I’ll wear it every morning as long as it puts that beautiful smile on your face.” He bent down to place a soft kiss on my lips. “But I really don’t think it’ll be appropriate for where we’ll be going.”

  I pouted, and he slapped my ass before heading down the hall to our room. He came back wearing khaki cargo shorts and a plain white V-neck t-shirt. I swore that man could make anything look sexy, but I still preferred the apron and oven mitts. There was nothing sexier than a man who knew his way around the kitchen.

  Shayne grabbed his keys and locked up before we headed out. After a 30-minute ride, we made our way through a quiet rural area that I remembered passing through when I first came to Savannah. I was thankful he had his Jeep because the dirt road we were on wasn’t exactly a pleasant ride, but I knew his Jeep could handle it.

  We pulled up to a small, wrought iron gate with the sign “Mount Hope Cemetery” embellished in the archway overhead. I looked over at him completely baffled as to why he would take me here of all places: a cemetery. Who could he possibly want me to meet here?

  He pulled the Jeep over to a small clearing where a few weeping willows were widely scattered along an open, grassy area. Shayne still hadn’t said a word as to what we were doing here, and I was beginning to feel anxious in a not-so-pleasant way. He pulled a bouquet of flowers from the backseat and stepped out of the Jeep. How did I not notice those before? I guess it was a good thing I hadn’t because I would’ve assumed they were for me and made of fool out of myself. At the same time, I felt a pang of jealousy that he had bought flowers for someone other than me.

  As we approached one of the weeping willows, a headstone came into view, and it became all too apparent as to why we were here. Now I felt like a huge asshole for harboring any feelings of jealousy over the flowers that he had bought for another woman; a woman whom he said held a special place in his heart. A woman who helped bring him into this world and was torn away from him too soon.

  “Rebecca Jane Thompson,” I read aloud. I turned to Shayne, reaching for his free hand as I spoke to him softly. “You brought me here to meet your mother?”

  “Not exactly who you were expecting, huh?” He said with his head down and shrugged one of his shoulders. He gently placed the colorful bouquet he was holding on the grass beside the other fresh flowers already neatly placed there; I can only assume they were from his father. “Happy birthday, Mom.”

  Shayne crouched down, and I kneeled beside him. His hand tightened around mine as though he was searching for any source of strength to get through what he needed to say.

  “Mom, I’d like you to meet the most beautiful, funny, kindhearted woman I have ever met…next to you of course.” I let a small laugh slip out, but caught myself as my hand flew over my mouth. I had a tendency of laughing at the most inappropriate moments, and I wasn’t sure if this was one of those instances.

  Shayne smiled and peeled my hand away from my mouth before placing a kiss in the center of my palm. “It’s okay, Liberty. It was meant to be funny.”

  I grinned sheepishly at him, and turned my attention back to the words engraved on the headstone. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Thompson. I’m so sorry I never got to meet you in person, but from what Shayne has told me you were you were a very beautiful woman, inside and out.”

  Shayne let out a soft laugh. “If she were here right now, I guarantee she would be hounding you to call her Becca and not Mrs. Thompson.”

  “I guess she has that in common with your dad, huh?” I playfully leaned into his shoulder.

  “Yeah, my grandparents on both sides of the family were older when they had them, and my parents never wanted to be viewed as the ‘old parents’,” he said while raising his hands and making air quotes. “So they always made my friends refer to them by their first names.”

  “I don’t blame them. I’ll probably do the same thing with our kids’ friends.”

  Shayne quickly turned and captured my lips before I could even process what was happening. Then realization washed over me as the words I had just spoken replayed through my mind. I had just referred to my future children as “ours” without even giving it a second thought. I smiled against his lips and felt him smile in return. He slowly pulled away and brought his hand up to brush his knuckles across my cheek.

  “I’m sure you just made my mother’s birthday by saying that. She’s probably looking down on us and doing a little happy dance up in heaven now that she knows I’ll make her a grandma one day. The chance of that happening was kind of hit or miss with the way my life was heading before I met you.”

  “Well I wasn’t planning on it coming out like that, but I did mean it, Shayne. I told you last night that I see things eventually becoming more permanent between us, and that includes having kids one day. I’m just glad you didn’t freak out when I said it. I was a little worried since our relationship is still so new, and we obviously haven’t discussed it yet.”

  “Sweetheart, I would love nothing more than to see my child growing here inside you.” He placed his hand against my flat stomach, and I felt the butterflies inside me take flight. I don’t think Shayne even realizes the effect his beautiful words have on me. My heart was on the verge of exploding with all of the love I held inside for this wonderful man, the father of my future children. It was such an overwhelming feeling once I let it finally settle in.

  My emotions changed course as tears began to cloud my vision at the thought of his mother never being able to hold her grandchildren. My heart ached for her, for the loved ones our children would never get the chance to know…and then my thoughts went somewhere I wasn’t expecting them to, and that was all it took for me to breakdown in Shayne’s arms.

  “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” He brushed away the stray hairs that had fallen from my ponytail and tenderly held my face in his hands. I shook my head. I didn’t want to ruin this time with his mother. He shouldn’t have to deal with my crazy emotions. “Talk to me, please. Tell me what’s going on in that pretty, little head of yours.”

  “It’s j-just…” I took a deep breath trying to compose myself. “Being here reminds me of my brother, and how I never had the chance to say goodbye. I mean, I never even went to the cemetery the day of his funeral Me. His own sister. I should have been there, but instead, I was a coward and ran.”

  “Liberty, you can’t blame yourself for that. Your brother had just taken his own life, and you were hurting. At least with my mother, we all saw it coming so we were somewhat emotionally prepared for it. But you…you weren’t given that chance. You were thrown into it without any warning, and that would fuck with anyone’s emotions. And I hate to say it, but your brother was the coward. He took the easy way out instead of dealing with whatever it was that he was going through.”

  I knew he was right, but I still felt this heartrending guilt for not having the decenc
y to ever visit his grave in the four years that he’d been gone. Shayne pulled me into his chest and let me have my release. He gently stroked his hand over my hair, while whispered soothing words into my ear.

  “You know, you can still say goodbye. You don’t need to be there to tell him. But if you do ever make it back home, you should visit him. I think it might help give you some closure.”

  I knew exactly what he meant. I was still angry with my brother and never really forgave him for what he had done. I’ve been through hell and back these last few years, and to say that I was still bearing a grudge was the understatement of the century. But would saying goodbye really be worth it after all these years? Would it really help to erase the pain or was I so far gone that I would have to carry this burden with me for the rest of my life? Considering I didn’t know for sure if I’d ever go back home, I might never find out whether there was any truth behind his words.

  When I was finally all out of tears, Shayne pulled me up and said his goodbyes, pressing a kiss to his fingertips and placing it upon his mother’s headstone. This simple gesture caused my heart to swell, and I felt truly blessed to have this beautiful, selfless man, who bore his father’s eyes and his mother’s smile, in my life. I could only hope that one day our children would carry those very same features. I had to fight back the images before I began to tear up again and let my emotions get the best of me.

  “Ready to head home, sweetheart?”

  Home. Funny how every time I heard that simple four-letter word my thoughts immediately drifted to Shayne. Home wasn’t necessarily where you were born and spent your youth growing up. Home wasn’t just a building with four walls, a roof and a white picket fence. Home was where you felt loved and cherished; where you felt like for the first time in your life you truly belonged. We could be anywhere in the world, and as long as I was with Shayne, I knew I was home.

  We hopped into his Jeep and made our way back down the bumpy dirt road. He reached over the console and held my hand, slowly drawing circles across my delicate skin with his calloused thumb. I looked over at him, and he was staring straight ahead with the most complacent smile on his face. That smile of his always brought out those adorable dimples I had come to love so much. I knew in that moment that no one would ever make me feel the way that Shayne did. No one would ever love me as passionately and unabashedly as he did. No one could ever put up with my crazy emotional and irrational outbursts the way he did. It was him and only him who could fill my heart to capacity with the one feeling that had been missing in my life for so long…