“No, Ruthanne. I was desperate! I was out of options! And you? You knew it and took advantage of a teenage girl.”
Honor turned on Simon. “And don’t think I didn’t realize your part in this soap opera,” she said, hazel eyes fierce. “You interfered in my relationship with your son, convincing him that I wasn’t good enough to live in this town. That I wouldn’t stay. I was madly, desperately, completely in love with him. I was having his baby. I would have moved to the Moon if it meant I’d have my family.”
She was magnificent, Spence thought, watching as she slayed her dragons.
“So don’t you dare come in here, attacking us like we somehow betrayed you. You betrayed us! You lied to us. Threatened. Bullied. Made sure everything was your way and then you fled like cowards.
“The only problem is – you couldn’t control us for forever. Spence and I came back together and it’s our love for Noah that will guide us in the future.”
She felt Spence approach her back, covering her. Backing her. “Don’t you dare think you have any rights here. You’re both lucky I don’t have you arrested for kidnapping my son.”
Spence slow clapped behind her before throwing his own words into the mix. “Go back. Either to San Diego or to your house in town. When and if Honor want to discuss the future with you, we’ll find you.”
He hated seeing the tears forming in his mother’s eyes but knew they were mere drops against the gallons Honor had shed.
Together, they watched them climb into their rental car and head in the direction of their family house.
“You were amazing, baby,” Spence said, brushing his lips against her hair. “Truly fucking amazing.”
Honor smiled, her trust and love shining in her eyes. “I know.”
Chapter Eleven
“I’m nervous!”
Emma laughed, zipping up the back of Honor’s dress. “How can you possibly be nervous? You two have been practically attached at the hip since September.”
Honor bit her lip, staring at her reflection in the mirror over her bureau. “That’s different. Noah is always with us. This is like our first date.”
“You dated in high school.” Emma pointed out.
Honor rolled her eyes at her friend. “Stop arguing semantics with me. You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do. I was just trying to tease you out of your nerves.”
“I know,” Honor said, immediately contrite. She hugged Emma. “It just all feels so fast!”
“Your son is almost five years old. How is that fast?” She held her hand up to cut Honor off. “I know, I know. Semantics.” She handed Honor a tube of Vixen Red lipstick. “Come on, Cinderella. Let’s get you ready for the ball.”
“In some ways, I wish I could go back,” Honor confided. “Make different decisions.”
“I’m sure Spence does, too,” Emma said, softly. “But the decisions you made turned you into the amazing woman and mom you are today. You can’t regret that.”
“You sound like Mills,” Honor accused.
“A wise and respected woman of the community. Thank you. That’s a lovely compliment.”
Honor sighed with a smile. “No, I don’t regret it. Too much. I mean, I can’t. I have Noah. I have you. And I think I have Spence.”
“You definitely have Spence,” Emma said.
“Did you see something?” Honor demanded.
“Oh, honey, I don’t need to have a vision in order to see he is crazy mad in love with you.”
Twenty minutes later, precisely on time, Spence rang the doorbell.
Honor opened the door, her face breaking out into a smile at the sight of Noah and Spence on the front stoop.
“Wow,” Spence said, “you look amazing.” He reached for her hand, and linked their fingers. Honor licked her lips and took a deep breath, trying to control her nerves.
“Hey, Emma. We have two handsome men at our door. What should I do with them?”
“Well don’t just leave them there, invite them in, for goodness sake!” Emma said, coming up behind her. “We can hide them until Spence gets here.” She smiled and winked broadly at Noah. “Oh, hey, Spence,” she said and Noah laughed.
“I love you, Aunt Emma,” Noah said, rushing into her arms.
“I love you, too, dude. I thought we’d bake chocolate chip cookies tonight and watch a movie.” When Noah wrinkled her nose, she rushed to add, “It’s your mom’s recipe. She pinky swore to me that I couldn’t mess it up.”
“You’re sure you have everything? My cell number? His insurance card is in my purse,” Honor rushed, pulling out her bag and grabbing her wallet.
“Go, Emma said, pushing them out the door. “Noah and me? We got this.”
“I’m a little nervous,” Honor admitted after she was settled in the car.
“You aren’t the only one, Honor. But I said I wanted to do this right. Take things slowly.”
She linked their fingers after he started the Jeep and put them in drive. “So, where are we going?” she asked, her voice husky. These last few months of stolen kisses and hidden touches had driven her mad and she was actually hoping he was taking her home.
“I have reservations at Harper’s Steakhouse. And then, afterwards, Ray’s Hall is having a local band playing,” he said, referring to the old vaudeville era theatre on Main Street. After it had been remodeled and modernized, the owners had become determined to turn it into an eclectic center of the arts in their small town.
Honor grinned. “That sounds like an amazing evening.”
Spence tightened his hand on hers and smiled at her. “We’re going slowly, right?” he said. “That’s what we agreed to. I thought a dinner and a movie was the classic and perfect first date.”
“Not exactly a first date,” Honor said, ignoring the fact that she was sounding like Emma. “I mean, our son is almost five years old.”
The early afternoon traffic was light as they pulled into parking lot overlooking the Paulinskill River. “Wait there,” Spence said, turning off the engine and then racing around to open the door for her. “Let me be a gentleman,” he said, helping her down from her seat.
“Let me thank you,” Honor said, winding her arms around his neck and leaning in closely. “You smell so good,” she said, nuzzling his neck and giving his ear a gentle lick.
Spence’s arms tightened around her and he pulled her close. He reached down to kiss her, pulling her into him and absorbing her heat. He took a deep breath and for a long moment, they simply held each other.
“Food,” Spence finally said, releasing her. He gently laid his hand on her low back and they entered the cool, dim interior.
The hostess guided them to their table and as Spence pulled the chair out for her, she “accidentally” brushed against him. His face hardened and his eyes focused intently on her.
“What are you doing?” he said, his hands stroking her spine before trailing down her arm, causing her to shiver slightly.
Honor had the insane need to rub against him like a cat in heat and demand he take her home and make love to her until they were both too exhausted to move. Her hands ached to explore his hardened body and taste the essence from his body. Her nipples ached and she desperately wanted to brush them against the hard planes of his body. She longed to play in the dark strands of his chest hair and her mouth needed to feel his on her.
The waitress approached with a smile and ran through the day’s specials before looking expectantly at the couple.
As though from a distance, Honor heard Spence put in his order for food and a bottle of table red for them to enjoy. But Honor couldn’t focus as her extended abstinence and frustration grew into a haze of desire that left her afraid of her own feelings.
“Spence?” Honor interrupted, smiling politely up at the waitress. “Would you mind terribly if we ordered and took it home with us? I think a dinner in our own dining room would be divine.” Her eyes begged him to understand what she was unable to say in front of an audience.<
br />
Spence stopped, mid-order and looked – really looked – at Honor. He nodded once, curtly, before turning to the waitress and finishing their order. “Can we get all of that to go? I’m afraid I need to take my girlfriend home.”
***
He stored the food in the refrigerator for later and then turned to her. “Come here,” he invited and she propelled herself into his arms, meeting in a kiss that brought a groan to both of them.
Sill kissing, they stumbled into his bedroom, lit only by the ambient light coming from the kitchen. “I need you,” she whispered, unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it out of the waist band of his pants.
“You have me,” Spence said, his voice low and full of desire. His deft fingers unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor. She stood, wearing only her bra and panties and the three inch heels Emma had insisted she borrow.
Spence’s talented fingers unclasped the bra and it released her breasts with a sibilant hiss. She kicked out of her shoes and reached for the large bed that dominated the room.
The heat of their kisses had enveloped her and let her forget she was getting really naked and exposed with a man for the first time in her adult life. She reclined on the bed as he reached beneath her hips to pull her panties down her legs.
“You’re not naked yet.”
“We’ll get to me after I take care of you,” he said. His body surrounded her, comforted her, and she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. “Let me take care of you, Honor.”
“Do you have a condom?” she asked, stroking his body, kissing his neck, finding his small male nipples in the dark and stroked them. “You like that?” she whispered, trailing the backs of her nails over his well-muscled chest and giggling a little nervously as he shivered in response to her touch.
“In the nightstand,” he said hoarsely. “And yes.” He kissed her belly button, nuzzling the soft skin of her belly and tracing the silvery lines their son had left on her body. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, looking at her helplessly.
“Thank you,” she said. The dimly lit room let her see the gleam of his brown eyes and she brushed her fingers through the softness of his hair.
His kisses trailed lower, his lips as soft as petals brushing against her and contrasting with the velvety softness of his closely cropped beard. She arched into him, helpless with need. His lips strayed lower still and Honor felt herself tense. “I. um. I’ve never done that before,” she said, a little embarrassed. No one had ever wanted to taste her for the simple reward of her pleasure only. One slim hand clenched the soft sheets of his bed, the other reached for his hand. She found it, held it, and relaxed into him.
“Shh,” Spence said against her core. “Just relax and let me, okay, baby? I’ve been thinking of this for weeks now.”
The first touch of his lips surprised her and she arched her back to lessen the impact. But Spence was having no inexperienced nerves get in the way of the pleasure he wanted to both give and receive. Releasing her hand, he cupped her ass cheeks in both hands and delved deeper, licking, tasting, devouring her with his tender mouth and agile tongue.
Small whimpers pulled at her and she found herself arching into him, tangling her hands in his hair, holding on to the delicate and amazing pleasure. She was wet, so wet and what was her and what was him she couldn’t and wouldn’t sort out. Deeper he went, exploring her. Small whimpers turned into louder moans as she realized she was close. So close. Oh, fuck, she was actually going to cum before both of them were fully undressed. And then it washed over her, releasing her, and stars danced brightly in the room as she forgot to breathe. “Oh, fuck,” she wailed, grinding her pussy into him, begging for more. Softly, his sexy, agile tongue brought her down from her orgasm with gentle care.
He rose over her and her hands reached for his pants. Frantically, she undid the button at the waistband and slid them down his lean hips. “We’ll go slower next time,” he promised.
“And then fast again?”
“Anything you want, Honor. Any way you want it.”
“Deal,” she said, as he fumbled for the small foil package. It tore in his hands and she watched as he slid his boxer briefs off and his cock stood, proud and thick. Her mouth watered, eager to learn the feel and taste and scent of him.
“I’m sorry,” she said in a rush, sitting up slightly and sliding her tongue along the underside of his cock. “I need to taste you, too.”
“Oh fuck yeah,” he said. “Just like that, baby.” He gently rocked his hips, mouth fucking her. “Your mouth. Your lips. Everything. You’re perfect,” he said, his hands back in her hair and her hands reaching for any available skin to caress and touch. “Anything to make you happy.”
Her tongue swirled, absorbing him. “You,” she said. “You make me happy. Your cock in my mouth makes me happy.” The tip of her tongue reached out, flicking along the head. “Your scent over me, on me, in me.” She rubbed her nose along the shaft. “You, Spence. Just you.”
He pulled back from her, unwilling to forgo the pleasure of her body for the temporary relief of her mouth. “I want to be inside you,” he said.
The condom slid on with a wet sound and Honor’s fingers toyed lightly with his sack.
He laughed a little breathlessly. “I don’t think you’re helping much,” he said.
“I can help more,” she offered with a teasing smile in her voice, but grew serious again as he settled into place between her thighs.
He pushed in, slowly at first, letting her absorb the feeling of the head just inside the walls of her pussy. “Is that good?”
“Oh, fffuuuck,” she said, drawing the word out and shifting her hips to encourage him to enter her more fully. “Yes, please,” she begged.
“It’s been forever,” he said, clenching his teeth and hoping not to fail her. He groaned, words leaving him as bliss washed over him, engulfed him, and set him adrift. The deep moan reverberated in his chest and she felt it against her lips as she pressed a kiss to his torso.
His hand gripped in her hair and she cried out at the pleasure/ pain of it.
Bit by bit, he entered her and her body cradled his. Held him. Deep. Tight. With breathtaking care, he pulled out and slid back in. Faster than before but still at only half speed. She needed to catch up before he lost control.
He licked his thumb and sought out the small pearl of her clit.
“Oh, God,” she said, “it’s too much, Spence.”
“I know,” he said with a satisfied smirk. His hips rocked and his thumb brushed and teased, spiraling her out of control and screaming into a second orgasm.
The soft pulses pushed him on, propelled his hips into finding instinct’s own rhythm and he felt his own orgasm surge through his body. His groan sounded powerless. Helpless. Pulled from the depths of his soul until it shattered in the darkness of the bedroom.
She held him, anchored him to her and absorbed his final, shuddering movements. I love you, she thought, somehow afraid to say them in this moment. Afraid, in some way, of tarnishing them by combining them with the dizzying euphoria of their lovemaking.
He dismounted with care and she whimpered slightly as he left her body. She needed him again. Still. Always.
“Let me clean up,” he whispered. He went to the bathroom, disposed of the condom, and returned with a wet, warm washcloth.
He cared for her, cleaned her, and gently tucked her under the soft quilt.
“Stay the night,” he said. “We’ll get Noah first thing in the morning.”
She nodded, letting him cradle her body into his. Her head rested on the crook of his elbow, his arm holding her tight against his chest, and his warm satisfied cock nestled in the curve of her ass. She drifted off to sleep, relaxed. Content. Satiated.
“You are amazing,” he said in the still of the night. “I am so blessed to have you back in my arms and my life and I will love you forever.”
Tears clogged her throat and she pushed past them. She relaxed into him further
, arching back so she could look into his eyes. “I love you, Simon Spencer,” she whispered brushing her lips against his.
His voice was muffled by her hair but the words rang with clarity and love. “I treasure you, Honor Thompson.”
Epilogue
One year later
The “plus” symbol watched her with the emotional sentimentality of a brick. It was as unapologetic as it was consistent with its siblings which lay scattered about the brightly lit bathroom.
She was pregnant.
Carrots watched with his dull embroidered eyes and Honor nuzzled him. Silly little animal had been with her since she was a toddler and some part of her wanted to share the good times with him, too.
“Well?” Spence said from the other side of the bathroom door.
She opened it, grinning up at him. “I’m pregnant!”
Spence laughed, picking her up and spinning her once before setting her lightly back on her feet. “Then it’s a damn good thing I’m marrying you this weekend,” he said, loving on her, nuzzling her neck for the sheer pleasure of it.
“Or it’s a good thing I’m making an honest man out of you. Could you imagine the scandal? Two babies born out of wedlock?”
Tongues tangling with need, he propelled her towards their bed in the middle of the room. “As long as they’re all your babies,” he vowed.
She giggled as they bounced in the midst of the before settling. “We don’t have any time for this, Spence. You know we need to get Noah from Em’s house. She has a date.”
Spence groaned in mock frustration before blowing a raspberry into the sensitive crook of her neck, making them both laugh with pleasure. “Why did Nuge have to decide to join me in New Jersey?”
“Shush,” Honor said with a giggle. “I think it’s sweet. I’m so proud of you guys going to work for Homeland. And, according to Nuge, he loved the scenery.”
“Yeah, I don’t think it was the scenic view of the mountains,” Spence said dryly while Honor giggled harder.
No, David Nguyen had come to visit after Spence left the Navy and was instantly intrigued by Emma.
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