by Jude Ouvrard
''I think you’re right. We should do it, sooner rather than later.'' I have to admit, I was scared, too.
''Dad will take care of it. You don’t need to worry about Dean anymore, Abbie. I’m going to keep you safe from now on, I promise.''
“I trust you, Presley.'' I never trusted Dean like I do Presley. He wants my wellbeing more than anything in this world.
We stare into each other’s eyes for a long moment before we start kissing with hunger. I’ll never get tired of this, his lips, his body pressed against mine.
''You look tired, baby,'' I say when I draw back and look into his eyes. The shade of his eyes seems darker; a grey mixed with a midnight blue.
''I am.'' He rubs his eyes. ''I wanted to play a little and clear my head before I tried to sleep. I hope I didn't wake you.''
''No. I had a bad dream but I’m okay now.''
I can see the concern in his face, but he doesn’t ask what the nightmare was about, and I don’t want to relive the details.
''Do you want to go back to bed now? Do you think you’ll be able to sleep?” he asks.
''Yeah, I'm tired. I just wanted to come and listen to you play.''
He takes my hands and pulls me up with him. ''Come on. Let’s go to bed, my love.''
We walk to our bedroom in silence, Presley keeping my hand in his. As we enter, he lets go of my hand before we part in opposite directions, heading for our separate closets. I'm still fully dressed, and I want to get more comfortable for the night. I slowly take off my sweater; trying not to touch the tattoos. They don’t hurt, but I’d rather be careful. I unbutton my jeans and let them fall on the floor. Clad only in my underwear, as I reach to undo my bra, I hear one of my favorite songs being played in the background. I turn to look around the room. Presley is standing naked behind me, replacing my hands with his on the closure of my bra. He undoes it, slowly letting the straps fall down my arms until it drops to the floor. The touch of his fingers running down my back sends chills all over my body.
The melody of the song gives me butterflies each and every time I hear it. Presley reaches around me from behind, pulling me against him, as he whispers the words to one of my favorite romantic songs in my ear. His lips flutter against my skin. He places feather light kisses my neck, and then continues singing each and every word of ‘Say Something’ by A Great Big World. He covers my breasts with his hands and massages them so delicately, my whole body feels like I’m in a trance. He whispers more of the song's lyrics as he takes my hand in his and places it over his heart, while he holds his hand against mine. He sings the next verse to me. Presley slides his arm under my knees and lifts me, walking us over to our bed. He lays me on the sheets. His eyes are fierce, so romantically intense and blazing with desire. He rests his whole body over mine, and he kisses me, his lips and his tongue, dancing with mine. Slowly building the tension between the two of us, our kisses deepens and becomes more erratic.
Unable to better control my emotions, my eyes leak tears of joy. “My love”, he whispers repeatedly. I force him to turn over so that he’s lying on his back and I'm straddling him. The expression on his face is priceless. I need him. I look at his perfection, our matching tattoos, his pierced nipples, and then I lean down to kiss them. He groans, and I feel his hardness pressing into me. This is just the beginning, and already my insides are tightening. The connection between us is at its strongest stage. I know what he wants and he knows what I want. Right now, we both want this, there is no doubt.
He pulls my hands to his mouth, forcing my body to lean on his. He kisses the top of each of my hands and intertwines our fingers together as he moves our hands over his head. I feel like I'm in heaven with him; how can it be this good all the time? He always pleases me. I'm facing his newest addition, the bee, right next to both of my tattoos. All this in, to show our love and endless passion. ''So hot,'' I whisper. For some reason, the sight of our tattoos together totally turns me on. I release one of my hands to feel him, touch his body. I work my hand down, caressing his piercings softly, gliding my nails over his abs, and slowing down at his happy trail. I feel him move underneath me. He pushes his hips up, letting me know what he wants. I want it too. He takes over, thrusting with his hips to mine; it's everything I want. He thrusts deep into me and we both exhale as if we’ve been waiting for this moment all day. Our bodies are in synch and our needs are the same. He moans my name while his movements quicken. My grip on his arms tightens as the tension in my muscles intensifies.
I want him to slow down, but I can’t bring myself to say it out loud. Everything around us is shut down. I can only focus on him and what he is doing to me. It’s perfect. Blissful.
Caressing my breast with ownership, it pushes me closer to the edge. I try to keep control of my body but I know this is going to last more than seconds. I find his lips and lose myself into kissing him. I kiss him to oblivion until my body can’t hold it anymore. It comes crashing into me, sending waves of desire and love. It feels like I’m floating above the bed. I feel so good.
''That was intense.'' I feel his body relax after our mutual climax. And we both laugh. We're covered in sweat and out of breath. I think we both gave it everything we had. It's way better than a gym session and probably more efficient too.
I roll onto my side, and he places his arm around my waist, ten seconds later, he is fast asleep. I smile at the thought that I was the cure to his sleepless night.
Presley
My phone is screaming at me from the nightstand. My head is pounding. Dear God, help me, please. It feels like I've only been asleep for about fifteen minutes. I snatch up my phone and open one eye to discover who’s calling. It's the jewellery store. Great!
''Hello,'' I answer, my voice rough with sleep.
''Mr. Williams?''
''Yeah,'' I grunt, leaning on one elbow as I check the clock.
''This is Pacific Jewellers, Maria speaking. We would like to inform you that the ring has been resized, and is ready for pick up.''
''Great, I'll pick it up later today. Thank you.''
''My pleasure, Sir.''
I wonder if Joshua received a call about Alicia’s ring, too. I'm anxious for his proposal to Alicia. She's going to be so happy.
Abbie is already awake, and by the smell spreading through the house, she’s prepared our breakfast. My body is incredibly stiff. It's not a feeling I like. I head into the shower first. I need the hot water to relax my aching muscles. I stay for a long time with my eyes closed, and I swear I could fall asleep again. I'm way too tired to function like a normal human being.
When I walk into the kitchen, Abbie is barefoot and wearing one of my ‘The Doors’ t-shirts. I think she is totally hot. I love to watch her when she doesn't know I'm looking. She's so pure, natural and simple.
''Good morning, future Mrs. Williams.''
''Good morning, Prince Charming.'' She offers me a glorious smile. “I remember when I first found out your name was Presley...it was the morning when we filed a report against Dean with the police. You’d spent the night with me and I thought your name was William.''
''Yeah, we got off to a rough start. We went through a lot but—''
''It’s brought us closer together, faster.'' She finishes my sentence. ''I'm surprised you didn't run for the hills.''
''It wasn't an option.'' I cup her cheek with my hand. Our eyes meet. ''It never will be.''
''Your eyes, Presley...I would miss them. When I'm dreaming, I see them. When we aren't together, I miss them. They speak for you. Just by looking at them, I know your mood, how you are feeling. I see your passion, your lust, your love...everything.''
''I could say the same about you, my love.'' I take her in my arms and we hug for a few seconds. She feels so perfect in my arms. It’s where she’s meant to be.
''Oh...before I forget...Joshua stopped by earlier, and we’re having dinner with the whole family.''
''Great...I’m sure it will be a special night!'' I roll my eyes; certai
n I will have to explain why.
As I suspected, Abbie doesn’t miss the insinuation. ''Every night is special with you but... why is this one so special?''
''I shouldn't tell you. Joshua has a surprise for us tonight.''
''Okay, Presley, I won't torture you for the details. You just need to dress classy, no beanie. That’s what Joshua told me.''
''All right! Now let’s eat.'' As much as I love to be in her arms, I think I'm starving to death.
I sit at the table in front of a plate full of blueberry pancakes. They look delicious. There’s a small jug of maple syrup in the middle of the table, and Abbie brings another plate of bacon and eggs, along with a bowl of fresh fruit salad. She’s made enough food to feed at least four other people, but I'm not about to complain. Abbie just loves to cook breakfast. I eat as much as I can, but it doesn’t take long before I’m starting to feel full, and I think Abbie does too.
I hear three quiet knocks at the door and I shout out, ''Come in.''
Derek strolls in and sits at the table, as if we’d invited him for breakfast. He is special in his own way.
''I think there will be leftovers, right? Can I join you guys? Joy-Anna is gone...''
''What do you mean, she’s gone?'' Abbie asks anxiously. I'm sure she thinks something bad happened between Derek and Joy, but I know what’s coming.
''There’s this family dinner tonight, and apparently none of the dresses she owns are good enough, or whatever. She's out shopping for an outfit.''
Abbie bursts into laughter. I grab a plate for Derek, and I'm suddenly happy that my shirt is too big for Abbie. She's under-dressed for company. I know for a fact that she has nothing on but my shirt. It's a turn on, but at the same time, I'm a little uncomfortable knowing she’s practically naked.
''I'm going to let you guys talk; I need to go take a shower.” Derek is way too focused on the food to notice Abbie’s lack of clothing, which is a good thing. When Abbie stands up, she pulls down the shirt to make sure nothing is revealed. She winks at me before she enters our bedroom.
''Do you know what's up with tonight?'' Derek asks casually, putting a forkful of pancake in his mouth.
I plead ignorance. ''No...I haven’t got a clue. Just a regular family dinner, I assume.'' I don't like lying, and I hope he doesn't guess that I am. There’s no way I'm going to ruin this surprise for my brother. Alicia is the most precious person in his life and she deserves her special night.
''Yeah, I guess.''
Derek manages to eat almost everything that we’d left. I can hear Abbie humming as she’s getting dressed after her shower. It's part of her daily routine. She is adorable. Derek leaves when Abbie returns with the lotion to spread on her tattoos. I apply it for her. I’m loving her tattoos. They’re cute, and at the same time they add a bit of an edge to her sweetness.
''You were right baby, I want more tattoos now,'' Abbie laughs. ''I never thought I would, but it’s addictive.''
Just tell me what and when.'' Tons of designs and ideas are already flowing into my mind.
''I will,'' she answers with a little grin.
''Any ideas now?'' I ask, because the idea of giving her another tattoo is killing me. Tattooing her is so different, nothing like any of the tattoos I've ever done before. It makes me so proud and my only goal is to give her the perfect tattoo.
She looks at me from beneath her eyelashes, she knows she’s killing me and she enjoys it by teasing me some more. ''I don't know... yet.''
''Alright, well, you know where to find me when you do.'' I get up and clear all the dishes from the table. I hear her chuckling. I drop the plates into the sink and turn around, my arms crossed over my chest. She starts laughing uncontrollably. Then she grabs the camera sitting on the table and start taking photos of me.
''I see what your game is, Ms. Rylee.''
''Smile for me, Williams. Come on!'' She begs, and takes few more pictures. ''You need to help me out here. How long have you been modelling?''
This is the version of Abbie that I love–free-spirited, humorous and a little bit of a smart ass. Why not play her game to please her? I pull my shirt off, showing off my tattoos. Whenever I'm shirtless, Bee can't stop staring. I can see that her cheeks are turning red behind the camera. There, gotcha love. I continue to pose for her. She ends up giving me back the camera in defeat. My laughter is so loud. She rolls her eyes at me. Wait, what? ''Did you just roll your eyes at me?'' I take a photo of her, she’s acting, trying to seem mad. ''Come on, smile for me, Rylee?''
She can’t hold it in for second longer. ''Oh shush! You aren’t funny. You know what you're doing, and I don’t.''
''Love, just stay natural. This is your thing, you are a natural. A beauty.''
She blushes some more and I take a few more shots. This moment is exactly why I'm going to marry her. It’s easy to be joyful around her, she is pure sunshine! I'm the luckiest guy in the whole damn world. I continue taking photos, even as she tries to hide away from the camera. Sometimes, the candid pictures are the best ones.
Chapter TWENTY-FOUR
Alicia
I'M WEARING the red cocktail dress Joshua suggested. He’s wearing a matching tie with a black suit. He’s handsome. We're all dressed up and it feels special. I have no idea why the Williams family have decided to celebrate tonight, but I’m not complaining. We’ve reserved a section in one of the finest restaurants in Seattle, and even Bee is wearing heels. It has to be something unusual, to get Bee in a pair of high heels.
Bentley orders a bottle of champagne and the waiter pops the cork at the table. Okay, this is obviously a very special night. Bentley usually only orders champagne on rare special occasions. Maybe Abbie is pregnant? Or Joy-Anna? Probably Joy-Anna, she’s been married for a while now. I know she wants to start a family. There’s no sign of a baby bump though, and I imagine she’d wait until she hit the twelve-week mark before she and Derek would tell anyone. There has to be something else going on. The waiter pours a glass of champagne for everyone. And then, Joshua turns to me. He kisses my lips and everybody is watching us.
OH. MY. GOD. It’s us. He is....He really is...P-R-O-P-O-S-I-N-G...
''Alicia Hale, I used to see you running around the house with my brother. I used to think you were a spoiled brat.'' Joshua laughs and I join him. Fresh tears are already welling up in my eyes. ''One particular night brought us closer, and I’ve never stopped caring for you since. After that, my feelings for you changed, and I fell in love with you.''
Lucia hands me a tissue, and I realize that my tears have finally begun and I'm crying. Joshua is so handsome and romantic in his own way.
''You’re an exceptional woman, generous and thick-skulled, and I'm pretty sure we can all agree that I'm telling the truth.'' Joshua shows his white teeth in a gigantic grin.
''I'm not that bad...come on guys,'' I protest in my defence.
''I know we’re meant to be together. I thought we would be married before ’Ley, but my brother beat me to the proposal stage.'' Joshua eyed Presley with menace, but Presley just burst into laughter and muttered an apology.
''I could go on and on about this, and I wish I could give you everything, but I hope that this ring is enough to show you the depth of my love. The love I feel for you is endless,'' Joshua says.
Joshua gets down on one knee and presents me with a ring; it's perfect. ''Baby, will you marry me?'' Joshua proposes, gazing into my tear-filled eyes.
''Yes.'' I say very quietly. ''Yes... YES!'' I grow louder, practically screaming in happiness. Joshua slides the ring onto my finger, and everyone starts to cheer for us. Lucia comes to me first to hug me warmly.
''Welcome to the family, officially.'' She is such a sweetheart. Bentley hugs Joshua, and tells him how happy and proud he is.
''Wow. Please, people, wait. I want to kiss my fiancée first.'' Oh my God, my heart is melting. Isn't he cute?
Joshua lifts me up in a bear hug; kissing me passionately. I'm probably blushing. “I love y
ou,” he whispers in my ear before he sets me on my feet.
I straighten out my dress, and Joy-Anna and Abbie both hug me. We laugh and we cry simultaneously. We're all going to be related--sisters. We are family and I love them to death. This evening has turned out to be the most fantastic moment of my life. I truly am blessed and happy; I don't think I’ll ever stop smiling, but I also think the champagne is kicking in. I have a smile on my face and I can’t make it stop. Dinner is served, but I don’t eat much because of all the excitement, mostly because it’s hard to eat when you can’t stop staring at the sparkly engagement ring on your finger. I'm so freaking happy.
For dessert, Joshua asked the waiter for chocolate fondant cake. It’s irresistible and delicious. I'm not good with speeches, but I want to thank the Williams family for everything they’ve done for me. I get to my feet and take a deep breath. My hands are trembling.
''I’ve always considered each and every one of you my family. I'm closer to all of you than to my own family. You’re all very important in my life, and I'm so happy that I got to share this evening with you. Thank you!''
There, I did it, and I think it went well. The emotions get to me. I try to control the happy tears but I fail miserably. Joshua kisses my tears ago. I’m so overwhelmed by the proposal, I didn’t expect it.
After dinner, we go outside and Presley takes photos of us. All the couples: all the girls, Lucia and Bentley, brothers and sisters. We had a blast. I made Presley promise to give me the photos tomorrow. It’s growing late and the night has been blessed with lots of champagne and wine. The only thing I have in mind now is spending time with my Joshua. I'm ready to say goodbye and go home because it’s impossible to take my hands off him. We spent all night with our family, now I want privacy.
As if he read my mind, Joshua wraps his arm around my waist and presses a kiss to my cheek. ''Hey gorgeous. Do you mind if we don’t go home tonight? I’ve organized a night at the hotel. Doesn't that sound good?''