by Lisa Evans
I love him, I really do.
The bright morning light wakes me up to an empty bed. Clark’s gone, and so are his clothes, and I start to wonder if I just imagined it all. What if it was just a dream? No, it couldn’t have been a dream. I couldn’t have made all that up in my head.
Crawling out of bed, I peek out the bedroom. That’s when I notice Clark walking up the stairs with a tray in his hands.
Rushing back to bed, I pretend to be asleep. He probably wants to surprise me with breakfast in bed, and I’d really hate to ruin his surprise.
Hearing him opening the door, I try my best not to crack up. Breathing softly, I think about how good it felt when he held me last night.
“Good morning, sweetie,” he says, and sits down on the bed. Stroking my head, he bows down to kiss me. His kiss is soft and not as hungry as when I left his house yesterday morning, but it’s sweet. There’s love in this kiss. I can tell.
“Good morning,” I say, and open my eyes. “What’s this? Breakfast in bed?” He’s made me my favorite pancakes again, and my face cracks into a big smile.
“Look, Alicia. About yesterday,” he says, and rubs my cheek with his thumb. “I’ll never do that again to you, you hear me? Stand you up, I mean. It’s just. Suzy, well you know how she is. She’s a bit cuckoo.”
“I know,” I say, still smiling.
“Well, and she comes up with these sudden ideas of hers, and then she ends up in some kind of trouble, and then I have to go fix it.”
“I know.”
“Which was why I needed to go see her last night. But guess what, turns out she had good news for once.”
“She did?”
“Yeah, she’s met this guy and she… Well, to cut to the chase – I’m going to be an uncle soon.”
“Really?” I blurt out. “Wow, that’s great.”
“Yeah, I guess it is. It feels weird, you know, being an uncle. But I guess there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“You’d make a very cute uncle,” I tell him, and kiss him on the forehead. Touching his jaw, I run my fingertips through the stubble on his skin. He’s so sexy when he doesn’t shave. I love it.
“Anyways, Alicia. There was something else I wanted to tell you. Or rather, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
Clearing his throat, Clark turns around for a moment, and then gets down on his knees.
Whoa, what is this? What’s going on here? Is he…? No, he can’t be…
“Alicia,” he says, pulling something out of his pocket. Holding it up between us, he reveals a giant diamond ring to me. “Will you marry me?”
Marry him?
Now?
So soon?
My heart screams YES but my brain wants me to think about it for a moment. Is this really what he wants? Or is he just trying to do something that he thinks that I want him to do to please me?
“Alicia,” he says. “I’ve loved you for years already, and I know you’re the one for me. So please… Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”
My head is spinning. And I can’t really think of how to respond, I mean, nobody’s ever really proposed to me before so I don’t know how to react.
All I know is that I love him. And that I want to be with him.
In the end, maybe that’s all I need to know.
Maybe love is all you need.
Chapter 10
CLARK
STANDING HERE ON my knees, waiting for her to answer to my proposal, I feel so weak. I’ve never been in this position before, leaving my whole life in another person’s hands like this. If she doesn’t say yes, I don’t know what to do. I guess I’ll just have to leave town, and never come back. She’ll break my heart if she turns me down now, and I don’t think that I could survive that.
Don’t think I could live with a broken heart.
It wouldn’t be a heart.
Not without Alicia’s love.
“I… Clark, I…” she mumbles, looking all worried again.
Crap. Maybe I’ve gone too fast. I probably should have waited a bit longer before I got down on my knees. But it felt like the right thing to do, and when I went and saw that ring at the jeweler’s, I just knew it was meant for her. It’s one of a kind, and Alicia is too, so she deserves nothing less.
“Look, I…” I begin to say, and breathe in deeply. My stomach’s on tenterhooks and I don’t know if I can stand waiting for an answer.
“Yes, Clark,” she says out of the blue. “Yes, Clark. Of course I’ll marry you.”
“You will?”
“I will.”
“Here,” I say, anxious to have her try on the ring. It’s a little big for her tiny finger, but we’ll get it fixed soon enough.
“Whoa,” she blurts out, eyes dazzling. “This is… This must have cost a fortune. I can’t, I can’t accept this.”
“You can and you will.”
“Oh Clark,” she says, and places her hands on my cheeks. It feels so good, and when she kisses me, I know that this is finally happening. My dream is coming true. Finally, I’ll be a real man with a wife and a family. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, really.
“I love you Alicia.”
“I love you too,” she mumbles between our hungry kisses.
All the excitement of this morning is taking its toll on me, and I cannot hold back my urges any longer. I need to have her right now. I’m already hard and ready to go from lying so close to her all night, and when I undress before her eyes, I see her smile as I pull off my boxers.
“Oh Clark,” she says, eyes big and full of desire.
Reaching for her sweater, I pull it off her, along with her panties. They’ve got to go. I need my woman right now, and I need her bad.
Lying down on top of her, I kiss her on the mouth, pushing my tongue inside, I reach my hand down below for her beautiful wetness. She’s slick and ready for me, so I don’t waste another moment.
“I want you Clark,” she mumbles weakly, already drowsy with passion.
Soon as I push into her, I feel her tense up. It’s a glorious sensation, thrusting into her, one that I’ll be enjoying for the rest of my life.
As I fill her up with my cock, I hold on to her soft hips. Between us, her smooth breasts rub against my chest, which turns me on so much I feel like I’m going to come right away.
“Oh Clark,” she moans, eyes closed. Her arms wrapped around me, she holds me close while we make love. This is the best feeling there is, and this is exactly where I belong. “Clark, yes… Yes… I love you…”
“Aww, baby,” I murmur, and thrust deeper and deeper into her warm, wetness. Sensing her tense up again, I can tell she’s on the brink of coming. And as I continue pushing hard and deep inside of her, I make her come.
“CLARK…” she gasps, whimpering and moaning underneath me. “Clark… I love you…” she whines, digging her nails into my skin. All the while, I feel her body convulsing, and when I thrust into her once more, I come. I come long and hard inside my fiancée.
“I love you baby,” I growl into her ear, enjoying the sensation of coming inside of her.
This is all there is.
The two of us together.
We’re perfect.
“It’s too big for me,” Alicia says about half an hour after we’ve finished making love. “Really, I don’t know if I can…”
“What is?” I ask, and look at her. She’s lying on her back, admiring the ring on her finger. It’s a big diamond, so I hope she’ll wear it with pride. Rolling my fingertips in circles on her naked belly, I wonder if life with Alicia will be full of moments like this. No worries, no problems, just love.
“This ring, I mean, it’s a size or two too big.”
Elated that she doesn’t seem to have a problem with the size of the rock on it, I tell her we’ll get it fixed. “The man at the place said I could come back after I tried it on your finger.”
“Can we?”
“Of course.�
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“Good, because I really do love it. And I want to be able to wear it, you know. I want the world to know about us. I want to show the world that I belong to you.”
“Good,” I tell her, and kiss her breasts. Moving my hand down to her crotch, I cup her sex in my hand, and say, “Because you do belong to me. All of you.”
Reaching for my head, she pulls my face up to hers. Telling me that she’s happy as can be, she kisses me deeply.
So this is what it feels like, to be an engaged man. It’s odd to think of myself as someone about to get married, but I like it.
Loving her is what I was born to do, that much is obvious. So that’s what I’m going to dedicate my life to from now on. And the first thing on my list is to start revealing this mission to the world, starting with Suzy.
Calling her up on the phone, I let her in on the news. Though I didn’t really know what to expect, I feel good when Suzy tells me she’s happy for me.
“I always knew there was something special going on between the two of you. She’s the only one who could ever put you in a good mood, even when you were having one of your worst days.”
“I guess that’s true.” It is. Nobody has ever melted my heart the way Alicia does. Guess it takes a sister like Suzy to notice.
We talk for a while on the phone, talk about the future and what plans we each have for our lives. And it feels good. Maybe a kid is exactly what can make Suzy happy, I sure think I’ll be happy once Alicia and I start having kids. Suzy asks me when the wedding is coming up, but I tell her we haven’t discussed the details yet. In my heart, I wish we could just elope to Vegas or something and get it over with like yesterday. But I kind of figure Alicia is one of them ladies who wants to make a big splash out of it, and if that’s true then that’s what she’ll get.
Hanging up, I get another call. Checking caller ID, I realize it’s Alicia. The love of my life. My one and only true love.
I’m standing in my kitchen looking out the window as I answer the phone.
“Hey beautiful,” I say, admiring the scenery outside. I’m pretty sure she’ll like it here. No, she’ll love it.
“Hey Clark, look. There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Hit me. What is it?”
“I… I think we’d better talk about this in person. I need to ask you a favor.”
Favor. It won’t be a favor when it comes to her, it’s my duty to do everything and anything for her. I’ve heard enough. Telling her I’ll come pick her up in twenty, I hang up. Wondering what’s going on, I tell myself I’m going to make damn sure I fix whatever it is that’s troubling her.
Twenty minutes later, Alicia gets in the car with me. We drive out to the lookout point by the lake, and sit there and talk. All the while, I’m so taken by her stunning beauty that all I want to do is undress here right here and right now, and seduce her.
“Tell me sweetie, what’s buggin’ ya?” I ask where we sit in the car.
“Clark, I…” She refrains from looking at me, and it’s starting to get me real worried.
“It can’t be that bad, can it? Come on, talk to me.”
I can smell the scent of her bubble gum flavored lipgloss from here, and it’s driving me nuts. I’m growing hard already, and when I steal a glance at her cleavage, it gets even worse.
“You know how Janelle and I were about to rent that place?” she says, and fidgets with her hands in her lap.
That’s right. I’d forgotten about that.
“Uh-uh?” I say, and pay close attention to her.
“Well, now Janelle’s decided she’s moving in with Jerome, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to make rent on my own, and the lease has been signed, and…”
“Wait a minute. Janelle’s moving in with Jerome?”
“Yes.”
“That’s great. That’s just awesome. Good for them.”
“I know, but like I said. I don’t know if I’ll be able to make rent now, so I don’t really know if I’ll be able to stay there on my own, and Janelle said the landlord’s a real grump and –”
“Whoa, she said what?”
“She said he’s a grumpy kind of guy and she don’t know if he’ll accept it if we try and pull out of the deal right now because a deal’s a deal, and I’m really worried about this because I’ve gotta call him and ask him to meet with me and – ”
“Hey, calm down, kitten. Don’t worry about it. I got you.”
“But what if that grouchy guy decides he wants to sue Janelle and me or something?”
“Hush, baby. Easy. Don’t worry. I said I got you. And that crotchety old grump or whatever Janelle called him – well, you’re looking at him.”
“What?”
“Yes, she didn’t tell you it’s me? That I’m the one who’s leasing you the place?”
“No she didn’t.” Sitting here in silence for a moment, none of us speak. “But then again, neither did you.”
“No, and I know I probably should have said something sooner, but I was planning on asking you to move in with me first. I didn’t figure it was even an issue, considering I’m that grouchy guy who signed the contract with Janelle.”
“Oh, please don’t be mad at her,” Alicia says, pleadingly.
“Of course I’m not mad at her. I know what people think of me, and they’re right.”
“They’re not. I’ve never thought that way about you.”
“No?”
“No. I’ve always thought you were the sweetest man ever.”
Her words warm me, and when she looks into my eyes with her big, blue gorgeous marbles, I melt. Wrapping my arms around her, I kiss her.
“Clark,” she whispers. “Clark I really do love you. You’ve made my life worth living…” she says, while I kiss her neck. My cock grows even harder than before, and I know I won’t be able to relax again until I’ve had my share of Alicia.
“You’ve made my life worth living too. I love you baby,” I tell her, and reach down for her thighs. She’s wearing a skirt, and as I slip my hand up the inside of her thigh, I sense her gasping. Nudging my fingers against the fabric of her panties, I hear her panting even before I reach inside.
“I love you baby,” I whisper, and slip my fingers inside. Dipping them into her glorious wetness, I feel my shaft pulsating with eagerness to be inside there too. Pushing my fingers as deep as they’ll go, I move them around in her tight tunnel, reveling in the delight of having her warmth enclosed around my fingers.
She comes quickly, and when she does, her entire body convulses. That’s it, she’s all ready for me now, I think to myself, and without further ado, I lift her to my side of the car.
Straddling me, she waits for me while I unzip my black jeans. Looking at her face, I pull out my erection and get ready to receive her.
“I love you baby,” I tell her as I feel her slide down on me. She supports her weight against my shoulders, and when I slowly begin to lift her up and down on me, I see her cheeks reddening more and more. She’s gorgeous this way, and when I feel her coming on me, I come too. Together we cry out each other’s names, taking our time to enjoy this moment of perfection.
I love her.
I’ll always love her.
Forever.
Epilogue
Epilogue
ALICIA
HERE I AM. Standing with my big belly, wearing a pretty dress and a pair of high heels that make my feet ache. But I’m going to have to suck it up. Because today is a very special day, and there will never be another one like it.
Turning away from the mirror, I look at Janelle. She’s so beautiful. She’s my best friend, and I am so happy that I get to share this day with her. It’s an honor, and I just hope she’s as happy as I am.
“Are you ready?” I ask her, and walk over to her. Holding the bouquet in my hand, I can hardly believe this day is here.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Janelle replies, and smiles at me. She’s got tears in her eyes already, so
I put the bouquet down on the table, and run to her rescue. Grabbing some napkins, I hand them to her.
“Here you go,” I say, and take a moment to look at her while she pats the corners of her eyes.
“I can’t believe we just did this and now we’re here doing it again so soon,” she says, sounding like she’s about to break down and cry.
“I know. I can’t either. But it is happening, and it’s a good thing. Life is so good to us, don’t you think?”
“Uh-huh,” she says, nodding her head.
“Hush, don’t talk,” I tell her, I oughta know. I couldn’t talk without crying either last year. “Let me just fix this,” I say, and grab hold of her veil. She looks so perfect in her off-white dress. And her long brown curls are exquisite. She looks like a princess straight out of a fairytale.
A knock on the door lets us know it’s about time we got moving. “Come on ladies,” Clark’s voice hollers from the other side. “The groom is getting antsy.”
“Okay, be right there,” I holler, before turning to Janelle. “Alright sweetheart,” I say, and grab the bouquet off the table. “Let’s do this.”
As we exit the door arm in arm, I feel like the most beautiful maid of honor that ever walked the earth. And I am so proud of my friend, the prettiest bride ever. She and Jerome will be good together, I can tell. Just like Clark and me are good together. That’s what everybody says, and they’re right. We are good together. I love him. I love him dearly.
Outside, Clark’s eyes meet my gaze. I know what he’s thinking, because I’m thinking about it too. It was only last year him and I got married, and it was the happiest day of my life. That is, until we found out we were pregnant.
“Janelle, you look astoundingly beautiful,” Clark says. “The groom really doesn’t deserve you.” His remark makes Janelle giggle, and I’m glad my best friend and my husband get along so well. He is a true sweetheart. Just like she is. “And you, wifey,” he says, his eyes glued to mine. Damn he’s handsome in a suit. It’s almost like I can’t stand looking at him, he’s so hot. “You look breathtakingly beautiful as well.” Giving me a brief kiss on the lips, he wishes us both luck, before heading back inside.