Slipping his hand between our bodies, his skilled fingers find my sweet spot. I arch my back as my pleasure goes stratospheric.
Tightly gripping his tight ass, I detonate around him, the most euphoric waves of pleasure crashing through me with the strength of a tsunami, flashes of light exploding behind my eyes.
I am free falling, soaring. Dom follows a few seconds later with an explosive release, stiffening, then grunting into my neck, as shudders of ecstasy course through his sweat-dampened body.
The warm ripples of pleasure flowing through my centre slowly fade like a receding tide. Still joined together, both of us are out of breath and boneless. My limbs embrace every delicious inch of his hard body. I feel possessed, branded. Not wanting him to move an inch, but to just stay deeply rooted inside me, I grip him tighter.
“Kate, sweetheart. The hottest…hottest sex I’ve ever had.” He gazes at me lovingly and I feel my heart fill with adoration.
I have tears in my eyes from his declaration. But, he isn’t finished. “Makin’ love is so much more when you love somebody as much as I love you, darlin’. Body and soul is what we just shared. You’ve made me whole. I was lost for so many years post war. Driftin’. You’ve grounded me. Literally,” he says, grinding his hips into mine, winking mischievously, and causing me to gasp as the aftershocks of pleasure still wash over me. His eyes burn into mine, his gaze sweeping my face before dropping a kiss to my forehead.
“I love you, Dom. And just so you know, the earth didn’t just move for me baby, the planets re-aligned. That was mind-blowing and so worth the wait,” I say while placing my hand over his heart, feeling its galloping cadence against my palm. He smiles wide and wiggles his brows.
“We’ve got all night, darlin’. Wrap your legs around me and I’ll have those stars back behind your eyes in no time.”
~ Dominic ~
With my gloriously naked bride curled against my side, my mind and body completely sated with the smell, touch, and taste of her, my thoughts drift back to our wedding earlier in the day...
Watchin’ the woman I love graciously move down the aisle to stand by my side, my heart swelled. Her beauty and elegance was captivating. Gone was the fragile shell of a woman I first met when our paths crossed over a year back. She’s come such a long way, and the courage she demonstrated along the way makes me so proud of her. Her beautiful eyes caught mine and emotion clogged my throat.
She’s the air I breathe. And God, I’ve needed to be inside her more than my next breath. But rings first.
Then, during her vows, she referred to me as her life raft, said I’d loved her back to living but having her love, her heart, I know that I’m the lucky one.
She’s accepted me for what I am. Military baggage and all. When we first met, we were both tryin’ to escape the demons of our past, both too raw to be any good for one another initially. Over time, somehow those emotional barriers fell away, and we cautiously bared all to one another.
I eventually breached the walls she’d put in place to safeguard her own heart, and when I did, I knew there’d be no turnin’ back for me. She owned me. Restored my faith in love itself.
Daniel was one lucky man to have been her first love, to have had her for the five years he did. I know a part of her heart will always be his. I’ve accepted this, secure in the love she has for me, and her confidence in our future together.
Looking down at her sleeping form, a smile breaks across my face. A few hours ago I’d experienced making love in the truest sense of the word, and nothing I’ve experienced before could ever compare to the connection I feel with her now. My eyes were opened to the superficiality of my past with the many drive-by shags I’d engaged in over the years. Enter the love of my life, and all that shallow screwing is a just a faded memory. I’m now a certified hearts ‘n’ flowers man. I do strings attached well, it appears, as proof of this lies moulded to my side, bound to my heart, and legally mine. Tonight, we’d made love slow. We’d done it hot and heavy, while Kate begged me to talk dirty to her in Italian. She’s a little minx in bed, very adventurous, and let’s just say, the pole dancing has made her insanely flexible.
We decided to forgo any birth control. If, and when, she falls pregnant, whenever that happens, we’ll be overjoyed. We’d been starved for one another tonight, and if the multiple times we’ve made love tonight alone results in a little baby being conceived on the very day we wed, I’ll be a genuinely happy man. A woman after my own heart, Kate came up with the really beautiful suggestion of naming a daughter we will hopefully have one day, Dayla: A combination of Daniel and Layla’s names.
~ Kate, the next morning ~
I wake up to the rhythm of our lovemaking still washing over me like a gentle wave, feeling sated and pleasurably sore. From my vantage point under the covers, I watch Dom exit the bathroom with a small towel draped around his hips. Women pay good money to have male strippers bare all. I have a front row seat to a private showing that would see my girlfriends getting flustered and hotter than a Christchurch summer. And he is for my viewing pleasure only. I doubt that I will ever get used to his beauty, virility, and masculine grace. I’m unequivocally completely gone for this man. I love him with an intensity I never thought I would ever find again. He is my drug, and I am thoroughly addicted, and there is nothing in this world sexier than hearing him say, “ti amo,” I love you, while he’s buried deep inside me. Last night I discovered that Italian words are my aphrodisiac, and Dominic was only too pleased to feed them to me.
“Mornin’, sweetheart.” He smiles as he stalks towards me, dropping the towel just before he reaches the bed. He climbs onto the bed, and I squeal as he tugs my body down towards him.
“Just spent the night mappin’ my wife’s fine body with my hands, but I think my mouth wants a refresher, amore mio*.”
* * *
Sometimes life can define you by small moments of time. Twenty-four seconds. Irrevocable changes. Ultimately what you do with these precious moments determine what significance they hold for you. Life includes death, but living means embracing these moments, these snatches of time, that unless lived to the full, will be lost forever, perhaps taken from us in the blink of an eye. Living includes letting go of the past, allowing it to steer you in new directions, which can include risk, pain, and conflict along the way. But unless we experience hardship and affliction on our journey of life, we can never fully appreciate the healing and transformative power of love.
~ The End ~
*Italian to English translation:
Mi scusi - Excuse me
Bella sposa - Beautiful bride
Si certo - Yes, sure
Come sei, bella - You are beautiful
Lo vado a fare l’amore con te adesso - I’m going to make love to you right now
Amore mio - My love
* * * * *
Acknowledgements
To my husband, Chris, who is the talented cover designer, my very first beta reader, and my greatest fan. There were many a day when beyond exhausted, I wanted to shred the manuscript and forget the whole idea of writing. But with just a text message from you, or a call, I picked myself up and pressed on. You’ve always believed in my ability to write, encouraging me from when we first started dating back in high school, and I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I truly appreciate the many nights you’ve spent formatting my book into the polished version it is now. I love you.
To my family, my mom, especially. Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement, and for taking care of the boys while I spent hours at a time, tapping away furiously on my iPad creating this story.
And thank you to my boys, Tristan and Jadon for your support and the patience you have both demonstrated, especially during the editing process. You are both my greatest achievements and my love for you boys is immeasurable.
To my best friend, Shereen Carbonel, who ironically isn’t a reader by any stretch of the imagination, but who forced herself to read. Welc
ome to the wonderful world of books, my friend!
Marion Archer. Your encouragement and support has meant so much. You are truly an editor extraordinaire and have coaxed a better writer out of me, urging me to get right inside the character’s head. You helped nurture this novel from the fledging stages to giving it the lift required to take off, all while patiently sifting through loads of emails from me. Many were filled with ramblings of self doubt, and as always, you buoyed me back up with words of praise and encouragement. Thank you.
To my beta readers: Elizabeth Wilson, Tanya Larsen, and Marion, thank you. Also a special thanks to two lovely author friends I have made along the way, Lilliana Anderson and Alana Albertson. Your powerful insight and timely advice has been fantastic. You’ve both given of your own free time to read for me and to offer your feedback. I truly appreciate this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ladies.
To Kimberley Gold, who was the inspiration behind my decision to go independent and to take that first step.
To other author friends I have hooked up with on Facebook, thank you for the advice and words of encouragement given to me. I salute you all, but a special mention to Carlie Sexton, Jani Kay, Lilli Saint Germain, Lily Malone, and Nina Levine. Writing a novel is a LOT of hard work, and all of you ladies have multiple titles published. An amazing feat.
I would also like to thank Nicole Blanchard from Indiesage Promotions for promoting my book.
To my readers, thank you for reading Fractured. Feel free to leave a review at your favourite retailer.
About The Author
Leanne Pearson grew up in Durban, South Africa. She later immigrated to New Zealand, where she now lives with her husband and two children. During her down time, if she’s not reading, she can be found relaxing outside, sipping on an apple cider, soaking up the sights and sounds of rural New Zealand. Leanne has had a few feature articles published in the newspaper over the years and has had a flair for creative writing from a very young age.
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