The One I Love

by Mia Ford

  Not now, though. I moved from the rental and bought a house that had an amazing view of the mountains from the front porch. It had four bedrooms and three bathrooms, with a large backyard. I made it clear that I was here to stay and even set a retirement date for when I turned fifty. It felt strange having a solid future as opposed to moving when I wanted to or needed to, but I wanted more to it than what I’d done so far. I wanted Molly to be a part of my life and with each night that we spent together, I knew that I wanted to make her more of a part of it.

  We met friends at a bar every Friday since the other girls opened the cafe on Saturdays. They were loved by the regulars as much as Noel and Molly. It gave all of us a chance to get out and relax, watch some music, or shoot pool. Michael was dating a local girl now and she was sweet, fitting in well with the small group. I loved watching Molly, now confident and comfortable, socialize and dance with Noel as the local band played. She was beautiful and free of the pain that Lance caused her now. She was my everything: my submissive when I wanted it and my best friend when I needed her. It was the most serious relationship I’d ever had and as slow as we were taking it, I knew that I loved her more than I was willing to say.

  My friends saw it. Her friends saw it. All the women in the cafe asked me when I was going to make an honest woman out of her when Molly wasn’t looking. I was glad that we’d scaled down from the hot topic of the town to a long-term relationship that everyone admired. I was lucky to have Molly and I needed to tell her that in the right way.

  I needed to sweep her off her feet in the best way. I needed to show Molly how special she was.

  I was leaving the base one night, later than normal due to a problem with some upcoming classes. I was supposed to meet Molly for dinner at the place where we had our first date and of course I was running late now.

  Tonight was the night I was going to ask her to move in with me. It was a step towards what I wanted, but Marta and Noel were going to help me with the rest of the process. They knew her best after all.

  I was just pulling through the green light when I felt my car twist around, hearing the sound of an impact as my world turned upside down. I hit something and the car started moving violently, closing my eyes as I tried to breathe. Everything hurt and I took a ragged breath as Molly’s face flashed through my mind.

  “Molly. I love you, Molly.” Why had I only told her that a few times when I knew how true it was? I heard the sounds of voices around me before my head dropped back and everything went black.

  Epilogue 1

  Six months later

  Molly

  I stood at the trees, waiting for my cue. The lilies were in my hand and I was beyond emotional as I glanced back at Noel. She looked beautiful in her white wedding dress with the sweetheart neckline and long, flowing train.

  It was her wedding day and despite the planning nearly killing me, I was happy to see it happening before my eyes. It was a hard time for me but I wasn’t selfish. I told Noel to go ahead with her plans and that I was there for her.

  I heard the violin and I blew her a kiss before I walked out, turning left to walk towards Nate as he waited for his bride. It was March in Idaho and gorgeous today. There was a light breeze and I felt the curls blow around my head as I made my way down the aisle.

  I saw Marta sitting in the front with my parents, sniffling as she clutched a tissue. She wasn’t the only one and I moved my eyes forward to look at the men standing beside Nate, nervously shifting on their feet.

  Robert stared at me, his eyes intent on my face. He looked gorgeous in a black suit with a white shirt, blue tie blowing in the breeze. It matched my dress and I smiled at him, taking my place to the left of the minister as I looked down the aisle.

  The last few months had been so intense. I’d gotten the call that Robert was in an accident on a night like any other. He’d been hit by a drunk driver and his entire car was smashed up with his broken body inside of it. Keith and Marta took me to the hospital in the next town over right away and waited for news. Noel came with Nate and Michael even showed up to wait.

  Robert was my life but I’d held that inside. He was my everything but I was moving along like we had forever and now life proved to me that we didn’t.

  Marta sat down beside me and took my hand as we stared forward. I couldn’t talk with my thoughts jumbled together the way they were. I couldn’t make sense of the regret and the pain that was eating me up inside. I couldn’t stand the fear that held me back from committing myself to him completely.

  I thought that I wouldn’t have the chance at all.

  “I love him,” I'd told her as she looked at me.

  “He knows that,” Marta assured me as I gazed at her.

  “I haven’t told him enough, Marta. I’ve held back.” I felt tears slide down my cheeks as I dropped my head forward. I’d dressed up for dinner, planning to tell him how much I cared for him. I’d given my body to him so willingly but held my heart back and tonight, I was done with that.

  Life might be done with us.

  Robert had some broken bones but I sobbed when I found out that he was going to be fine. His family was flying out and got to see him first after a rushed meeting with me. It wasn’t what I would’ve chosen but I knew that we could make up for it later. When I finally walked into the room, I dropped beside the bed and took his hand gently. “Molly,” Robert gasped as he looked at me with tired eyes.

  “I thought that I lost you,” I had told him as I started to cry again.

  “I’m here. They told me I’m going to be okay. Don’t cry,” he said as I shook my head.

  “No, I want to cry. Damn it, Rob. I love you. I am in love with you and I never told you. That was the plan tonight and…” I closed my eyes. “Is it too late?” All the emotions rushed through me and I squeezed his hand as I looked at him.

  Robert chuckled and shook his head before he winced. “No. I have a confession to make as well.” I looked at him. “I asked you to dinner tonight to make things official. I want you to move in with me for now and I had plans for later. I had a key in a box but it’s in the car somewhere.”

  “You were going to give me a key?” I asked as he smiled.

  “Yeah, I was. I will as soon as I can if you say yes.” He stared into my eyes as I leaned forward to press as kiss to his lips.

  “Yes.” His face was bruised and he looked awful, but he was mine, all mine.

  I came back to the present as Noel walked down the aisle on Keith’s arm. She looked like an angel and I wiped the tear from my eye, trying to save the professional makeup job I’d sat through earlier. This day was so perfect and I smiled down at the grass as I took a deep breath. Nate took her arm after he shook Keith’s hand, standing before the minister as they said their written vows. It was a short ceremony but sweet and heartfelt and I think every woman was dabbing their eyes at the end.

  The minister announced them and Nate held up her arm as he led her down the aisle to the cheers of the crowd. They kept the kiss innocent but I knew that they were around the corner making out like high school students. I was with Noel when she bought the best kiss proof lipstick that money could buy. I smiled as Robert held out his hand, taking it as we walked past the crowd.

  Living together was amazing. I loved the idea that I didn’t have to leave apart from working; that we could make dinner every night and mess the sheets up before we fell asleep. We still had dinner with Keith and Marta a lot and even went to Nate and Noel’s as often as we could. I still worked with her but since we were best friends, I couldn’t get enough time with her. I loved her and Nate together now that they’d worked through the harder parts.

  Rob got along with everyone and he and Keith were getting to be good friends. They got together for games at the house and even at the corner bar sometimes when Marta and I were doing girl things. Nate joined them when we brought Noel along and it was like an extended family. I loved it. My parents came out more and more and Dad started talking about moving t
o Mountain Home next year. They might be here by the holidays.

  One year later

  I came home from the bakery on a Friday with a bag full of muffins for the weekend. Rob still loved them though he liked all the flavors now. I knew that he was planning on cooking something for dinner since it was so beautiful outside and I looked forward to relaxing. I pulled into the garage and parked, shutting off the engine of my car with a smile. It ran great and I loved getting around on my own. I slipped out of the driver’s seat and headed into the house through the breezeway, calling out Rob’s name.

  The house was only lit with a few lights and I looked around for him. The patio was even darker, lit with candles placed around the table. “What?” I asked as I set the bag down and walked outside. Rob had a screened in patio that we ate dinner in a lot and it was gorgeous tonight. There were vases of light colored roses placed on the tables and it smelled beautiful, something like vanilla in addition to the fragrance of the flowers. “Rob?” I called out as I looked around.

  He didn’t answer and I walked to the door to look into the backyard. He was by the barbeque making something and I licked my lips at the sight of him. He was more gorgeous every time I looked at him and I just stared for a few minutes.

  He must have felt my gaze because he turned towards me and grinned. “Hey, baby.”

  “Are you trying to burn down the house in here?” I teased him as he shrugged and pulled something from the grill.

  “I thought we’d have a romantic dinner tonight. It’s the weekend and you have it off, for a change.” He approached me with a big plate of meat and vegetables, leaning over to brush his lips against mine briefly.

  We finally had a weekend off. The girls were great at the cafe and since Noel baked for the next couple of days, we decided to relax. There were no real plans yet but I could just stay in bed with Rob all weekend and be completely content. I watched as he went into the house to plate the food and carry it out to the patio. I grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge and opened it, pouring two glasses. I joined him and took another look at the room as I placed the glasses on the table.

  Rob pulled my seat out for me, kissing me when I approached him. There was something different in this kiss, something more urgent and it took my breath away. I was just melting into him when he pulled away, his eyes dark and hungry. “Let’s eat.”

  I licked my lips that were still tingling and nodded, taking my seat. The sun was starting to set and we could see it well from where we were, so I sat down and looked at my plate. He’d fixed some salmon and grilled broccoli, along with a fresh salad. “This looks so good.”

  “I want to get some practice in for the summer. With your folks moving here and mine visiting, we’ll be doing a lot of entertaining.” He smiled and I gazed at him. I picked up my fork and broke off a piece of the fish, moaning as I tasted it. “Good?”

  “Amazing,” I replied as I grinned. “You can be my personal chef anytime, handsome.”

  “I’d like to be more than that,” he said as I blinked at him, still chewing the fish.

  “What do you mean?” I asked as I stared at him.

  Rob cleared his throat and stood up slowly, moving to drop down before me. He stared into my eyes as he reached out to take my hands. “Molly, I have gone through my entire life at the speed of light. I was only focused on work and getting ahead to reach the end, and I never let anyone inside. I never thought that moving here would change all of that, but the morning I walked into the cafe and saw you…everything changed. I think I fell in love that day but I was so unsure. I didn’t think we’d make it or that I was good enough for you.” I sucked in my breath as he stayed there. Understanding was setting in and I felt my heart begin to pound. “Will you give me the rest of your life so I can love you? Will you marry me?”

  “Rob,” I whispered as tears slid down my cheeks. “Yes, I want to marry you so badly. I love you so much.” He stood up and pulled me into his arms tightly, holding me as I cried happily.

  “I was going to wait until after dinner and take you outside when the sun was just going down over the horizon, but I couldn’t wait.” I laughed and looked at him as he pressed a kiss to my lips. He reached into the pocket of his slacks and revealed a beautiful ring with a delicate stone in the center and tiny diamonds on the band, taking my left-hand to slip it on.

  “It’s so pretty,” I said, appreciating the candlelight as the ring shimmered in the warm glow. “Thank you.”

  “Let’s eat because we’re going to Marta’s for dessert. Just a random thing,” he joked as I laughed and wrapped my arms around him.

  “Everyone knew but me?” I guessed as he nodded and kissed me softly.

  We stayed there for a long time and ate cold food, but it didn’t matter. I was going to marry him and live my life with Rob, the man of my dreams.

  Hot Deleted Scene 1: The forest

  I walked through the forest with Rob in the morning, not up for a run. I’d heard so much about what he called beautiful backyard and wanted to see it for myself, since I had the morning off. It really was gorgeous and I looked over the meadow with a hundred types of wildflowers as he walked ahead of me, looking around.

  Rob turned and came back to me, pulling me into his arms for a deep kiss as I moaned. The sun was warm as it beat down on us and my skin responded to him easily, my thighs aching with need as his tongue swept against mine. “C’mere,” he said as he walked backwards, kissing me again. I laughed and followed him through the trees to a soft blanket that was spread out on the ground and I realized why he dashed out of the house earlier, claiming that he was getting something out of the car. Rob walked right to the center of it and dropped down on his back, pulling me over him. I wore a skirt today since it was already so warm, and the hard ridge of his jeans brushed against my clit as I bit my lips.

  “Are we alone out here?” I asked as he nodded.

  “I’ve never seen anybody out here on any of my runs.” He reached up and pulled my head down to kiss me firmly, his hand sliding into my hair. “I’ve always thought of us out here, in nature doing what the animals do.”

  “Oh, my God. You’re terrible,” I said before he kissed me again, claiming my mouth this time. His tongue slipped between my lips and I pressed against him and forgot all about where we were.

  Rob kissed me senseless and I felt him roll me onto my back, so he was between my legs and kissing my neck. I spread my thighs open, feeling the breeze on my legs as the skirt rose. Rob drew my skin between his teeth as I cried out, thrusting my body up against him. I wanted him and I didn’t care where we were.

  Rob unbuttoned my shirt and tugged the cup to my bra down, sucking a nipple into his mouth before he slid a hand between my legs. He moved aside the material to my underwear and stroked my clit as I fought the urge to scream. “Rob,” I moaned as he slid a finger inside of me and curled it, still teasing my swollen nub. He knew that this would make me come and I dropped my head back.

  Birds chirped around us and I blinked as he dragged his finger against my sensitive spot. Oh, fuck. I was already so close to the edge and as he pressed my clit I shook with my release. Rob eased his finger out of me and told me to get on my knees, and I reached up for him to help me.

  Once I was positioned and ready for him, Rob smacked my ass making me jerk forward. I cried out, losing all my inhibitions as he pressed his cock into me and gripped my hips. “I am going to fuck you now, Molly.”

  And fuck me he did, with hard strokes of his thick cock. Rob slammed into me as I pressed back, needing all of him. I tried to be quiet and keep in mind where we were but moans escaped my throat as I felt my body tightening around him. Rob pulled me up, finding my hard nipple as he caressed it, still going so deep inside of me.

  I screamed as I came and he jerked one more time before filling me, my name a whisper on his lips. We both tumbled down to the blanket, breathing heavily and recovering as he pulled me against him. “You are the hottest woman I’ve ever seen,
Molly. I love the way you give yourself to me anywhere I want you.”

  “You make it hard to say no,” I said huskily, still feeling the aftershocks in my body. I looked up through the tall trees and smiled at the sun and the feeling of being in his arms.

  This was a totally new experience for me; being outside like this. I would have never considered it before but there was something so organic about being out here with Robert. I knew that I was safe with him and a part of me never wanted to end this with him.

  Hot Deleted Scene 2: Restrained

  The night that Robert moved into his new house, he insisted that I stay that night with him. I didn’t want to be anywhere else, despite the busy day. He had plenty of help with family and friends from the base and it went smoothly, but there’s always that element of sheer exhaustion once the sun goes down.

  Robert grabbed some water and led me to the bedroom; a gorgeous, sprawling room that offered a beautiful view of the forest behind his house. It was similar to the one behind his rental, but this was his house. I hoped that someday it might be ours though I’d never say that.

  He pulled me into his arms, kissing me hungrily as I pressed myself closer to him. Our lips crashed together in the dim light of the room from a single lamp, our tongues pressing together as I let out a low moan. “I want to do something tonight, baby,” Robert murmured to me as I blinked and looked at him. “Take your clothes off and get on my bed.”

  I stepped away from him and removed my leggings and oversized t-shirt, tossing the bra and underwear in the pile. I glanced back and moved to the bed, set against the back wall and across from the fireplace. Robert watched me intently as he stripped off his own clothes, taking my breath away as he always did. He walked over to the closet and grabbed a few things from it before coming over to me and moving beside me. Robert lifted my right arm, securing it to the iron with little wiggle room and then proceeded to do the same with the left arm. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been tied up before now but there was something different about this. There was an electricity in the air; an intensity.