Cami didn’t say anything; she simply nodded before I ripped every piece of fabric from her body. Her bra and panties became scrapes of useless lace in a matter of seconds. I had my wife pinned to the wall, making my intentions known.
Cami’s mouth opened slightly, her warm breath grazing my mouth. I planted my lips to hers and hungrily kissed my wife. When I released her wrists, Cami’s hands landed on my waistband. She jerked my pants open and yanked them down along with my boxers.
Once I stepped out of my clothes then lifted Cami in my arms, she wrapped her legs tightly around my waist as she latched on with her arms. We devoured each other with our mouths while I held my wife tightly to my frame as I walked out onto the balcony. The sensation of the cool, summer rain connected with our hot, passion-filled bodies as I found a chair and sat down. Cami straddled my hips and gracefully lifted her body then attached it to mine. I filled her warmth just as Cami released a moan of pleasure.
The rain saturated our skin, and my mouth found her tits, sucking the rain from her taut nipples. I savored every drop as it fell onto Cami’s body.
Cami wasted no time when she began to ride me hard. The rain dripped from the wet strands of her hair, sticking to her skin, her body perfectly matched with mine. We’ve always had the strongest physical connection, and the night I said I do was the night our relationship was forever joined.
Her body bounced up and down, allowing me to be deep inside her with every movement. In the distance, lightning flashed, brightening up the sky. The white light illuminated her perfect form. She looked incredible. I remember thinking, if angels do exist, then Cami is one of them.
“I want you to come, baby,” I whispered into her ear.
Cami released my shoulders, and her palms came around to my face. She bent forward and ran her tongue from the base of my neck up to my ear and then latched her lips around my lobe.
“You too, baby,” she whispered back before biting the tip of my ear.
My intense side overtook me then. Before I could have stopped myself, I was up with my wife attached to my hips. I walked forward while rocking into her depths until I found a wall. Then I slammed her into the barrier and drove my cock into her hard. I pounded and pounded until she couldn’t bear it another second. Just as I was going to slow it down, Cami came undone.
She dug her nails into my back, ripping my skin away as she rode out the intensity of her orgasm. I growled in her ear, soon surrendering to my own building pleasure. The blood ran down my back, mixing with the rain. I remember thinking there were more scars added to the rest, but those were the good ones. She could rip my skin to shreds as long as it felt that good when it happened. I couldn’t imagine a better wedding night fuck with the woman of my dreams.
The boiling water from the spaghetti noodles begins to sound, transporting me back to making supper for my family. I grab the noodles from the cupboard and dump the contents of the box into the water. Then I pull out the frozen garlic bread from the freezer and toss it into the warming oven. Just as the oven door shuts, Hunter and Cami walk in the back door, looking happy to be inside.
“Hey, Dad!” Hunter shouts as he rips off his winter gear and runs into my arms.
I pick up my son in my embrace and hold him tightly to my body. This moment right here makes me so unbelievably grateful for everything I have in life. Holding my son and watching him grow into this intelligent, happy boy makes all the pains in my life worth every second. All of the shit I had to live through has taught me the greatest lesson as a parent—I never want to be like my parents.
Whatever my mother or father did, I know to do the opposite. I don’t abuse; I console. I don’t tell my son he’s a worthless mistake; I tell him he is amazing and perfect. I don’t tell him I hate him and wish he’d never been born; I tell him I love him and couldn’t imagine my life without him.
I quickly set Hunter down and attend to dinner.
“Hey, buddy. How was your day?” I ask as I turn to stir the sauce bubbling on the stove.
“Fine.” Hunter takes in a big breath and lets out a big groan. “It smells…” He takes another deep inhale in and smiles happily. “It smells like garlic bread.” He gets on his tiptoes and looks into the pan on the stove. “Are you making my favorite, Dad?”
“Well, of course.” I turn to Cami and look into her tired eyes. My wife has removed her coat and is wearing blue hospital scrubs, her hair pulled back in a bun, and the little bun in her oven has recently started to really show.
I lean down and kiss her pregnant belly then plant a swift kiss on her lips. “Spaghetti sound good to you, baby?”
“Anything of substance prepared by you sounds perfect.”
I really have no idea what she just said, but I simply nod and accept the compliment.
Cami shoos Hunter into the bathroom to wash up as I finish getting things settled for supper. Soon after, we all sit around the table, laughing and talking about the events of the day. Again, something very normal for most American families; however, when I was a kid, sitting around a table for dinner would have been strange. Laughing and talking with my parents would have been unheard of. I’m glad everything I’ve done as a dad is the exact opposite.
The ER was very busy today. I was running back and forth for my entire twelve-hour shift.
I love my job. It is very rewarding, yet at times, it’s incredibly depressing. The majority of our clients are admitted because of their affiliation with drugs. Some are addicted and having overdoses, while others are suffering injury because of the violence that surrounds the underworld.
Every time I see a man brought in from a gunshot wound or stabbing, I think of Jeremy and thank God he’s in a better place.
I am very proud of my husband and the accomplishments he’s had since he reentered my life. It wasn’t an easy road when Jeremy first moved in with us. He knew nothing about us, and we really didn’t know much about the real him. He was always so closed off before he went to prison. I only got glimpses here and there of his true character. It took awhile before he was the happy man he is today.
I didn’t know much about his life before he entered mine. I knew his parents died when he was a boy, and Reggie raised him, but I didn’t know what his life was really like before all that happened. When he finally shared the horrors he had survived, and the verbal abuse he was forced to listen to, I soon realized it would be me teaching him how to be a caring parent.
Jeremy had zero experience with kids and how to care for them. I had to remind him a lot in the beginning that he needed to be Hunter’s father, not his friend. This was hard for Jeremy because he just wanted to give him the world and live a life without any boundaries. Then I told him it’s his responsibility to raise Hunter into a man as well as teach him the right and wrong ways of life. Jeremy seemed to get it and was able to adapt to parenting.
Today, I couldn’t be prouder of him. He still has issues with self-loathing and needs to be reassured of how wonderful he is, but all in all, Jeremy is one amazing person. The bond he’s reformed with Drake and the rest of his brothers has also done wonders for him. He loves working with Jake at the shop along with spending time with Reggie and Drake in their free time.
When we have gatherings with the family, I will sit and observe him. He doesn’t really say much, but he looks on at his family like they are the best people on earth. In fact, he looks to Hunter and me like that, too. This only signifies how happy he really is with life as a family man.
Once the supper mess is cleaned up and Hunter is in the bath washing the spaghetti off his face, Jeremy and I get a few moments to ourselves. “All of Me” by John Legend comes on the radio, and out of sheer surprise, Jeremy turns me around and starts to dance with me in the kitchen. It is completely out of character for him, but I won’t complain.
My palm is tucked in his as he holds our joined hands against his chest. While we sway slowly to the beat, moving in the small confines of our kitchen, I lean my head forward and place it
against his chest.
From the moment I met him, I knew he’d be someone special to me. The feeling of security, curiosity, and desire immediately overwhelmed me when our eyes connected. In my opinion, Jeremy was an angel sent on a mission to find me, and together, we began to find each other. We saved each other from the horrible path we were on. Now, as I dance with the man I love, all I can think about is how wonderful our life truly is.
“I love you, baby,” Jeremy whispers.
I pull my head up to look into his rich, brown eyes, pools I drown in every time I gape at them. “Whenever I hear this song, nothing else explains our love for each other.” He shakes his head and begins to clench his jaw. “Sorry, that sounded really fucking lame, huh?”
“Absolutely not. You dancing with me and telling me you love me will never be lame. It’s wonderful. And I love you, too.” I lean up on my tiptoes and kiss his full, soft lips. If it’s not his eyes, it’s his lips that completely take over the moment I see them or feel them.
I lean back down and resume resting my head against his chest, closing my eyes to see my husband behind my lids. From his dark, brown hair, which I love running my fingers through, to his strong, chiseled jaw down to his cut, lean chest; washboard abs; and perfect ass … Yeah, I’m one of the luckiest women in the world. His six-foot-two frame is perfect and has only gotten better as the years have gone by.
I smile and let out a small giggle. I can get lost within a daydream in seconds when I think of my husband’s body.
The vibration of Jeremy’s chest breaks my thoughts as I listen to the deep, muffled bass of his voice. “What’s so funny, babe?”
“You,” I say, not revealing my thoughts.
“What about me?”
“Do you even know how beautiful you are? Please don’t think I’m a pervert, but I will find myself spacing off only to ogle your body.” I am so embarrassed. This is not something I have ever admitted to him. As long as I keep my head tucked down, it’s like it never happened.
“Is that why you married me, for my pretty face?”
I lean up and see his perfect teeth shining behind his flawless smile.
I kiss his lips again. “Maybe.”
We finish dancing to John Legend and our perfect song.
“I got the letter I’ve been waiting for,” Jeremy blurts out, and I freeze.
We’ve been waiting on the letter from the parole board for a while. I would be lying if I didn’t say I was scared out of my mind. Jeremy has been waiting for the final part of his past to be just that—in the past. I know the waiting has been driving him crazy. Frankly, it’s been driving me crazy, too.
With hesitation, I ask, “What … What did … it say?”
“I haven’t opened it yet. I couldn’t do it without you by my side.” Jeremy takes a step back and pulls the sealed envelope off the counter. He stands still as he gapes at the paper, the uncertainty looming in his mind. “Here, I can’t open this.”
I take the envelope from him and turn it over. With my index finger, I slide between the sealed flap and start running it down toward the center. As I’m starting to detach the other side, Jeremy’s pocket starts to vibrate. While he looks baffled, my finger freezes.
“It’s Reggie.” Jeremy pushes the button and answers. “Yeah? Now? Okay … I’ll be there shortly.” He tucks his phone back in his pocket and looks back at me. “Reggie needs to talk with me about something.”
“Is everything all right?”
“He didn’t say if anything was wrong, but then he always sounds like that on the phone.” Jeremy leans forward and kisses my lips. He takes the partially opened envelope from my hands and puts it back on the counter. “We’ll deal with that later.”
Jeremy walks to the bathroom to give Hunter a kiss before he heads out the back door and to the car. The sound of the Challenger roars past the kitchen window as I move from the kitchen to get Hunter out of the bath.
I’m not really sure, but that seemed a little odd.
As I help my son into his pajamas, I allow my mind to take over as I wonder what is going on with Reggie. I hope it doesn’t throw my husband back into the past he’s so close to leaving behind.
Reggie didn’t say much when he told me he needed to speak to my brothers and me right away. I’m glad his house is only a couple of blocks away because my mind starts to race with horrible thoughts the moment I get into my car.
Cami was so close to opening the letter. I was scared shitless, waiting for her to pull the paper from the envelope. Not that I would go back to jail or anything, but I am ready to leave this life behind and start anew. I am ready to just get away from all the hell this town has to offer to make a better life for my wife and our children.
Humph, children. Finding out I had a son was shocking, but when Cami told me she was pregnant, I have to admit I was a little worried. She had just started up at the hospital as a nurse, and I was trying like hell to make the money we needed to get the fuck out of town. Besides, I had no idea what to do with a baby. I missed that step with Hunter, and when Mia was little, I barely saw her. I was too wrapped up in the hunt for Carter and living my double life. As for Jake’s little bastards, I wasn’t comfortable holding them until they could walk and weren’t so fragile.
I pull in the driveway just as Drake puts his car in park. We are better, so much better than five years ago. He can tolerate speaking to me now, and we actually spend time hanging out. Cami and Zoe are really close, as are Mia and Hunter, so you could say our family has left us no other choice than to be tolerable with one another.
In all actuality, our relationship was better before all that shit happened. We talk about more than cars and always manage to laugh. I never thought I would see this side of him again. After what I did, I didn’t deserve to. However, life has a way of making things work out and it did. We are close as brothers should be.
“Hey,” Drake says as he moves up the back steps. “Do you know what this is about?”
“Nope, Reggie didn’t say. However, my gut is telling me something major is about to happen.” I stomp my boots on the doormat, getting some of the freshly fallen snow off my feet, then step in the house.
Reggie stands from his chair and walks to us, giving both Drake and I a slight squeeze on our shoulders. The only time Reggie is friendly like this is if he’s had a drink or two, or he’s trying to comfort us from something horrible. When I don’t see or smell booze, my gut sinks to my feet, thinking whatever we’re here for is not good.
Jake is the last to arrive, and of course, his mouth is talking a hundred miles per hour. “You know, Reggie, you could have done this over the phone. Going outside when it’s ten degrees outside is torture, but not near as bad as explaining to my very tired, very bitchy woman I’m leaving her alone with my four hellion kids.”
We all laugh to break up the uncomfortable air surrounding us.
I look around, noticing it’s just the four of us. Darcie isn’t even here. This has to be life changing if she’s not here. My anxiety level has now jumped to skyrocketing heights.
I follow Jake and sit next to him on the couch while Drake takes the loveseat, and then we all stare at Reggie, awaiting the horrible news. He just needs to blurt it out before I lose my shit. I can’t handle the anticipation.
Reggie stands in the living room, staring at all of us, and then excuses himself to the kitchen. We all share confused glances before Jake finally says what I’ve been thinking.
“What the hell, man? Just tell us what the fuck is going on.”
Reggie returns from the kitchen with a bottle of Jack Daniels and four small glasses. He pours the whiskey in three of the glasses and passes me the one filled with soda.
“Let’s have a drink first, okay?” Reggie motions for us to stand with him as he holds his glass in the air. “To my brothers, the pains in my ass and the best friends a man could ask for. I am so very proud of the men you’ve grown to become.” He looks to Drake, resting his hand on his s
houlder. “I don’t think I’ve met a stronger man than you, brother. The atrocities you’ve had to endure from the moment you were born astound me, but the way you’ve managed to live through each and every one proves no other man could be as strong as you are.” Drake nods his head, and then Reggie moves to me.
He puts his heavy hand on my shoulder. “You’ve proven to be the biggest mystery of all, Jeremy. After your arrest, I would replay the events of your childhood over and over in my head. I constantly fought with myself over what I could have done to help you before your life got so far out of control.”
My guilt comes to the forefront. He has never really said what it was like for him dealing with my arrest, but from random comments here and there, I know it wasn’t easy.
“Then I stopped wondering what I did wrong and finally listened to my wife. I started to figure out what I could do to help you get better. However, my help wasn’t needed. You made mistakes, and like a man, you owned up to them. I only wish happiness to you in the future, brother, and happiness within yourself.”
His touching words remind me how important my family is. For the first time in five years, I’m thinking moving may not be a good idea. As much as I want to get away from this place, I don’t want to leave my brothers and their family behind. We’ve always proven to be stronger because we remain together. It was a thought I had the afternoon at the barbeque when I finally told Drake about Carter. I looked at each member of my family and knew we’d be able to handle anything because we were together. If I leave, I’m splitting up our strong family dynamic. I will be weakening our family.
Then it finally dawns on me. We have to stay because we have to be together. The Evans family can only thrive as long as we are together.
“Finally, Jake. You’ve proven to be one of the biggest pains in my ass. Your crude, loud mouth has gotten you into so much shit over the years. I’m still not sure how I survived your teenage years and your early twenties, for that matter.” Reggie shakes his head and laughs. “Man, all the shit I’ve taken from you or had to take care of. Surprising me the most of all, you’ve proven me wrong time and time again.” Reggie shifts on his feet, almost appearing to get a little emotional. “I didn’t have much hope for you in the future. However, you’re an amazing father. You provide well for your family and always manage to be there for any of us if we need it. All it took was meeting that one person who can truly challenge you. I am proud of the man you are today, even keeping your true, asshole self intact.”
Everlasting Love Page 7