Up for Forever
Page 20
“You know you’re going to have to let me put a ring on your finger sometime soon, right?” He said it lightly. Like it was something he said every day. My muscles clenched until I silently chastised the reaction.
A smile broke out across my face. “Yeah.” I made a point of sighing loudly. “I figured after all this you’d want to.” Even though it scared the ever-loving shit out of me, I kind of wanted that, too. Not to say I wanted to hop onto that boat right away. Actually being married still was an issue to me but I figured if we did baby steps, I’d be able to deal with all the freak outs one at a time.
“Please.” He scoffed. “I saw the look in your eyes when it was official today. You might not want to admit it but that’s something you could see yourself doing one day.”
“You’re right. I can’t even believe I’m saying this but, yeah, that might be good.” It didn’t sound like a resounding “please spend eternity with me” but Adam knew me well enough to know that that was as close as it would get. At least for the time being.
“As long as we’re on the same page.”
He dropped a soft kiss to my lips, pulled me into his side, and held me until I fell asleep.
Epilogue
We slept in late the morning after our best friends got married. We’d earned it both with the excitement of the big day and the extra exertion after we got home. My eyes popped open to find that Adam was already awake and watching me sleep.
“’Cuz that’s not creepy.” I smiled up at him to be rewarded with his lips on my forehead. Sitting up, I let the morning stretch completely take over my body, which pulled his shirt up my thighs. His hand took that as an invitation to slide up my leg for the promise land.
It didn’t matter that we’d just woken up or that morning breath might be involved, his mouth crashed against mine then he tugged that shirt over my head. In that brief moment where our lips separated, mine immediately missed the connection. But he went right back to work, pushing me down into the pillows and settling himself between my legs.
Adam let his hands explore as if they hadn’t already touched me a hundred times, his touch gentle and soft with no sense of urgency. When they finally snaked between my legs, I pulled back and groaned. He knew my body as if he’d made it himself to his very own specifications. Wet, soft kisses trailed down my neck into the valley between my breasts, his unoccupied fingers working each peak to attention. Still further, his mouth made its way down my stomach to the inside of one thigh.
I knew what he intended to do and most days I was totally down for all kinds of oral play for each of us, but this morning, I just needed him inside me. I think I was still making up for lost time. So before he could land at his destination, I clasped each side of his head to pull him up to me.
“I need you … now.” The voice didn’t even sound like mine. It was breathy and full of need in a way it never had been before. Need for the physical pleasure he’d bring me and need for the way he was about to own me emotionally in the best possible way. After everything that had passed, this wasn’t just about the coming together of our bodies but of us. And I wanted it. Wanted it like I’d never wanted anything.
A deep groan vibrated against my breasts but he did what I wanted. With a condom in place, one roll of his hips and he was seated inside me and my whole body relaxed. This was right, this was us, and I was never going to lose it again.
I hung on to him, my fingernails digging into his shoulders, but he didn’t complain once. His breath came in heavy bursts to match mine yet somehow he found a way to whisper how much he loved me in my ear, tell me that I was his forever. In my past life, that kind of thing would have freaked me out. The idea did freak me out once. And to be honest, my stomach did tighten just a notch at his declarations but as soon as I agreed that I was in fact his, all of that slipped away.
He drove my body to the edge, sent it over then brought me back to him until he found his way to his own release and fell in beside me. I wiped a hand over my face, letting it come to a rest at the base of my neck feeling my heartbeat right there until we were both back to normal. I’d set a box of tissues next to the bed so he could take care of the condom quickly without leaving the bed.
“Hey, how are we going to do this living in separate cities thing?” I asked, showing just how much things had changed. Before this seemed like a no brainer. People lived apart all the time but for the first time I let myself understand just how much I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to be with him as much as possible, but we were each on our own path and I didn’t want either of us to lose that. I was such a mess of confusion on the inside.
“We’ll figure it out. It’s only about forty-five minutes from my place to yours so it’s not a big deal. We both have leases so we have some time before we can do anything about it anyway.” His eyes flit from mine to his hand then back again. “Can I tell you something without you freaking out about it?”
“Oh God, what? Did you really sleep your way through the company?”
He full on snorted at me. “No. Ok, Um … ” He pushed himself so that he was sitting with his back against the headboard looking down at me, the sheet covering him to his hips. “After we got back together, and yes, I know that was just about a month ago, I knew things would be fine. We’d work everything out and be … well, here.”
“Yeah … ” I drew the word out.
“I went out and bought you a ring.”
“You did what now?” The familiar brick sat in my stomach. I broke it apart. Forced it out of my system. This would not freak me out. I said it so many times to myself that the words lost meaning. But I took the extra time to bring myself up next to him, clutching the same sheet to my chest.
“I bought an engagement ring hoping that one day you’d agree to wear it. Agree to marry me. But I had no plan on how I would do it. I’m not Cain. I don’t need to make it a big thing to repay you for fighting for me. The way I’ll repay you for that is by being a good, honest, faithful man … and husband if you’ll have me.”
“Of course I’ll have you. It scares the crap out of me but isn’t that what this summer has been all about?” He nodded as the biggest, cheesiest grin I’d ever seen took possession of his face. “Where’s my ring? Do you have it with you?”
“Of course I have it with me.” Adam hopped out of bed, dug through his duffel that sat at the end of the bed, pulled out the telltale black box then climbed back up next to me. “You’d really wear it now?” He looked like a kid asking for an expensive gift for Christmas, shy as if I might say no.
I cupped his face, my fingers gently stroking his strong jaw. “Course. I’m not saying that we should run out tomorrow … ”
“God no,” he agreed.
“But yeah, I want everyone to know I’m taken as much as you do.”
He slowly pulled the box open. Holy crap that thing was beautiful. Big but sparkly and gorgeous. A regular solitaire on a white-gold band. I would’ve picked this, maybe two carat diamond out myself. He slipped it quickly on my ring finger then leaned over placing a kiss right on it.
“I love you, Kendra.”
“I love you.”
His lips caressed mine at the same time he gently pushed me back onto the pillows. At that worst possible moment, my phone beeped alerting me to a text message.
“Ignore it,” he murmured.
“I can’t. What if it’s Flannery? She might only have a couple of minutes for a response.”
“Fine.” He rolled off letting his head hit the mattress with a groan.
“Oh my God.” I laughed, reading the text again before typing out a quick response.
“What? Who’s it from?”
“Flannery. It just said that Sam hijacked their honeymoon.” I glanced at the clock and doing the calculations in my head, I knew they’d already made it to California.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I have no idea.” I sighed, falling beside him, bringing Adam and me face to face. “I tol
d her to have fun with that.” He laughed loudly. “What? I’m sure it’ll be an epic story when they get back.”
“That’s for sure.”
His hand trailed down my hip until it hit skin then switched direction going back up while the other hand pushed the sheet aside at the same time. After getting me uncovered, his eyes lingered over every part of my body from head to toe. I snickered quietly at the thought that he’d just proposed to me while being completely naked. I suppose that wouldn’t be a surprise in the story of our life together. I wanted him to see me, to see everything. I’d decided months ago that I wasn’t going to hide anything from him if he ever gave me another chance. This was it. This was my second chance. He knew everything I’d tried to hide before. All the things I thought people would judge. And he still loved me.
“So we’re getting married?” Adam smirked but his eyes worried like he was expecting me to freak out or something. I’d had time for the idea to sink in. I was happy with this decision.
“Adam, all I know is whatever happens, I don’t want any of it without you. This summer sucked ass and I never want to do it again.”
He leaned in, taking possession of my lips with his. That’s really what it felt like and I didn’t mind a bit. When he slid on top of me then into me I knew that while Cain and Flannery were on their honeymoon, we sort of were too because we had so much time to make up for starting right that moment.
***
A week later, we had moved the few items from Cain and Flannery’s into my own apartment and we had one last weekend before classes started for me. I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom surveying myself again. I didn’t look different. This new and improved Kendra who was fine with the idea of forever. I felt different. Happier. Even more confident, if that was possible. But I looked exactly the same. Scratch that. I did look happier.
“Come the fuck on,” Adam called down the hallway. “Kendra.” His voice was suddenly so much closer. “Wow, you look beautiful.” He kissed the side of my neck, which distracted me from the butterflies in my stomach. I wasn’t wearing anything special. Dark jeans with knee-high boots and purple top. “So, what’s going on?”
“Nothing, just, I’ve never done this before.” Never thought I would either. So much had changed. Rolling my eyes, I responded to the smartass retort I figured he had at the ready. “And yes, I realize there isn’t much I can say that about.”
“Ok. But here’s the question … do we care how this turns out?”
“No.” I didn’t need to think about the answer.
“Then what the fuck ever. Let’s go.” Sighing, I allowed him to lead the way.
I’d spent months getting to know my brother again in the time that I didn’t have Adam. We hadn’t seen each other but he and his girlfriend were coming to visit just for the day on their way somewhere else. I couldn’t remember where. When I mentioned that Adam and I were basically engaged, Kevin insisted they meet. While neither of us cared to have our parents in our lives, we found it wasn’t so bad to have each other.
The bright sparkle of the big rock on my finger caught my attention when we got to the living room. “It’s just a symbol of what our future holds,” Adam said. In the moments that I allowed myself to think about it, I thought that maybe I wanted to elope, whether to the courthouse or some exotic destination, but I didn’t want a whole wedding with witnesses beyond Cain, Flannery, Sam, and whoever he decided to bring because I wouldn’t deny him that. I guess I wanted Kevin there too but that was such an odd thought to me. It felt surreal to have someone from my past in my present. Someone who witnessed the things I had.
“Man, did it have to be so big?” I turned the ring on my finger again. Even though I loved it, there were moments when it felt completely overwhelming.
“That’s what she said.” A quick slap on his arm did nothing to stop his laugher. Truth be told it wasn’t actually that big because I would’ve killed him if he’d bought some gaudy attention grabber. “I thought girls liked everything big.” I couldn’t resist when he smiled at me like that. Sweet and playful. Like I was the only girl in the world that mattered.
“Only certain things.”
“Well, then I guess it’s a good thing you’re with me.”
“Oh my God, you’re so full of yourself.” He folded my hand in his to pull me out the door.
I still had a long road ahead of me before I finished law school but even I knew we wouldn’t be waiting until I graduated to make it official. For the time being we both had leases, his would end in June mine in August of next year so we’d reevaluate then.
Until then, we weren’t really going to think about it. It didn’t matter if it was his place or mine as long as we were together.
He was my forever.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A big thank you to everyone who read and loved Up for Grabs and have (patiently?) waited to see what was in store for Kendra and Adam. I hope you enjoyed them. There are a couple of you in particular that not only loved Flannery and Cain but pushed others to love them as well. You have no idea how much that means to me! Thank you, thank you thank you!
My family sometimes has to deal with the crazy and they do it without complaint. I couldn’t ask for better support and the occasional butt kicking. My husband and kids push me to want to be better and I love them for that!
To my crit partner and longtime BFF, Sarah Zolton Arthur, who turned “Burger” into a verb. You make some of the harder parts so much more fun! You’ve been Burgered! Or better yet … You wish you’d been Burgered!
To my thinly concealed book club girls (it’s really an excuse to drink wine and eat food), thanks for sometimes talking about my book and not making it weird. Or weirder than we already are. You guys are such an important outlet for me not just for my writing but so I don’t go crazy. And Keri, thanks for giving me a hilarious scene that worked so well for Kendra!
And lastly, I have to thank everyone at Swoon Romance … Georgia McBride and Mandy Schoen for giving me a chance and loving the story I’d created. My editor for helping me sound like English is my first language (especially since it is) and for making me realize I have poor comma usage. I’m not 100% sure that’s going to change.
HEATHER YOUNG-NICHOLS
Heather Young-Nichols was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan and graduated from nearby Saginaw Valley State University with a degree in sociology. The only thing that rivals her love of reading is her love of baseball. During the season you can find her gushing about both.
Heather’s debut new adult contemporary romance, Up for Grabs (Swoon Romance) released in May 2014 with the follow-up, Up for Forever (Swoon Romance) due in May 2015. A young adult fantasy, Grounded, releases May 19, 2015 with Limitless Publishing.
OTHER SWOON ROMANCE TITLES YOU MIGHT LIKE
UP FOR GRABS
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SWIRL
WHERE YOU ARE
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-
Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Other Titles from Swoon Romance