Always with You (WIth You Trilogy)

by Sable, R. J.

  Louisa Karlsson

  1967 – 1996

  Brave and beloved mother.

  Ben and I had eventually agreed on the epitaph. He barely remembered her, which I regretted on his behalf, but we were both agreed on the fact that there needed to be no mention of her role as wife. She never got to see how a wife should be treated, so in our minds she’d never been one.

  “Did you say what you needed to say?” Jamie asked cautiously, her arms around my waist and underneath my formal shirt.

  I think I loved skin on skin more than she did. My whole body burned for this woman and that intensified to the point of distraction when her delicate skin made contact with mine.

  “I didn’t say anything,” I replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Turned out I didn’t have anything to say.”

  “I could never talk to my parents like that either,” she whispered into the nook of my neck. Her favourite spot. I had to admit, I liked having her there as well.

  She’d come a long way since the scared, timid, but beautiful girl I’d met almost four years previously but talking about her loss was still painful for her and I knew she was doing it for me.

  “I like to think they know what I need them to without me having to say it out loud. I bet she’d be proud of you Jason. I am.”

  I nodded because if I spoke, I’d sound like a pathetic pussy because my voice would break. Instead, I pulled her closer to me and tilted her chin up to lose myself in her lips.

  With one final look at the grave, I tucked my little squirrel under my arm and walked her towards my Nissan GT-R. Despite my sombre mood, my new car brought a slight smile to my face. Jamie obviously noticed because I felt her relax against me and roll her eyes whilst muttering something about boys and their toys.

  She could pretend all she liked; I knew she got turned on watching me drive it. Christening the hood was priority number one as soon as I drove my baby out of the showroom.

  Once Jamie graduated from Leeds with her degree in English and I got my doctorate, we made the joint decision to move to Derby to be close to her family and mine. Jamie started at the local university to get her PGCE and become a teacher and I kicked my plan into gear.

  Whilst it was cute that Jamie always showed interest in my doctoral thesis, I knew she never really understood it. It was fine. I loved her passion for books and language but I barely even knew the difference between an adverb and an adjective.

  My doctorate focussed on the concept of a new type of battery technology with specific focus on renewable energy. I got the idea when I was a teenager watching Ben warm his hands in his pockets when ‘the Bastard’ was too cheap to turn the central heating on. Ben wrapped his hands around the mobile phone I’d bought him with my winnings from fighting because it was holding the residual heat from his body.

  Almost everybody has their phones in their pockets these days and we’re almost constantly moving, always generating thermal energy. I put every penny I had into it and the technology I developed allows for a mobile phone, watch, or other small digital device to charge through whichever combination of kinetic, thermal, or solar energy offers the best potential charge at the time. Ben created the code that allows the device to identify this combination.

  Basically, we developed a mobile phone battery that meant you would never have to think about charging your phone. Benji bought into the idea straight away and helped me develop the product last year. Jake caught wind and he came to work with us a few months ago. It was a year of living on next to nothing. We ate at the Carter household more times than I care to count. It killed me that I couldn’t provide for Jamie in the way she deserved during that time but I hoped to hell it would be worth it. I wanted to give that girl every single thing she could ever dream of.

  We went public two weeks ago. One week later, I bought the Nissan and every time I looked at my bank balance, it felt like my brain was malfunctioning. It was hard to believe it was real but it was, and knowing that I could give Jamie and Benji everything they needed was worth every sleepless night, every soldering burn, every blister, and every cut.

  Jamie-Lea, of course, was none the wiser. Well, she knew I went live, but seeing as I was the one in the relationship that actually had a poker face, she didn’t know anything that I hadn’t told her, and I hadn’t told her much.

  She’d stood by me through everything over the past year. On the nights where we sat huddled on the sofa under a hundred blankets because we couldn’t afford to turn the heating on, she giggled and saw it as an excuse to press skin on skin and warm each other up through some very enjoyable and inventive under the cover exploration.

  She never once complained when I was too exhausted to explore as much as I would have liked. Nor when I passed out before cleaning up my mess. She just gave me a back massage and took care of it. Now I’d be able to take care of her for the rest of my life. If she’ll let me.

  As I sat with the Carter boys watching my girl receive the certificate that would let her find her dream job, I knew what I was planning was perfect. She’d never need to work a day in her life if she was so inclined but I knew that wasn’t what she wanted. She was going to be an amazing teacher. The sort I’d have had wet dreams about as a teenager. Fuck, who am I kidding? She’s still my wet dream up and dressed.

  The pride in her brothers’ eyes was obvious but they had nothing on me. Jamie-Lea was my world, my reason to be, the motivation my heart needed to beat. She was my little squirrel and I would always love her.

  Always and forever. Those two words stuck in my throat as I watched her step away from the stage and make her way back to sit with Adam in the crowd. Those two were inseparable and it was a no brainer for him to move back to Derby with Jamie and start his teacher training with her.

  Always and forever. That’s what I want with Jamie. It was what I’d wanted since the words ‘I love you’ started trying to break out without my permission. I knew that was what she wanted too. I knew her down to the deepest depths of her soul. Still, the niggling doubt lingered. She’s only twenty-two, what if she thinks she’s too young? In my mind, we’d waited long enough. She’d been mine for almost four years and, if those four years were anything to go by, I was going to be a very happy man for the rest of my life. I only hoped Jamie would give me the chance to make her twice as happy every day for the rest of our lives.

  Asking Ian for Jamie’s hand in marriage was the most terrifying fucking thing I had ever done. If looks could kill. Evil fucker made me sweat at least ten minutes before he even spoke. If he’d have said no, I’d have done it anyway, and he knew that, but Jamie would have hated it. Her brothers meant the world to her and what was important to her was important to me.

  He eventually said yes and it only took agreeing to let him castrate me with a rusty knife if I hurt her for us to shake on it. That’s fine by me. I’d die before I hurt her.

  “You look beautiful, baby. I’m so proud of you,” I beamed at her when we met her outside the large room where the ceremony was held.

  “Thanks,” she blushed.

  Fuck if my dick didn’t almost ache with the need to take her every time she blushed. Four years in and she still blushed. I loved it. Part of me couldn’t help wondering if she was blushing because she’d had to accept a compliment and she was thinking about getting a spanking if she hadn’t.

  Fuck me. I had to stop thinking like that or the ache in my balls was going to kill me. At the very least, it was going to have me dragging her off into the nearest bathroom caveman style and she deserved better than that. She deserved Egyptian cotton, penthouse suites, diamonds, pearls, caviar… or whatever the hell the vegetarian alternative was. She deserved the moon and I’d get it for her if she asked.

  “Danny!” She motioned her brother over and whipped her phone out of her tiny handbag. “Take a picture of us, please.”

  “Jamie,” I groaned, dragging my hand over my face as I clocked her phone. “You don’t have to use the prototype. It’s b
uggy as crap, I can give you one of the new ones.” I knew it was pointless to make the offer considering I’d made it a million times.

  “It’s perfect,” she pouted, clutching the phone tightly to her chest.

  Damn, I wish I was that buggy ass phone.

  “You’re crazy,” I grinned against her forehead, pressing a kiss there before obliging her by posing for the photo.

  “About you,” she grinned back. Her smile would always be the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

  I chuckled and pulled her in for a proper kiss as soon as she had her phone back in hand. My cock was rock solid as her warm, pliant body merged into mine. I knew she felt it by the mischievous look in her eyes when we pulled away and the way she brushed her perfect little behind against it as she turned around.

  The nerves returned somewhat at the notion of what a lucky bastard I’d be to live with the little minx for the rest of my life. If she’ll have me.

  “So, Mr Reed, what’s the plan?” She beamed as I led her out to the Nissan.

  I loved hearing my name on her lips and imagining her being my Mrs Reed in the very near future. I didn’t miss Craig eyeing the Nissan longingly as we neared it. I chuckled to myself; I’d probably cave and let him play with it at some point but damn if I wasn’t enjoying torturing him by making him wait.

  “We’re off to celebrate private style, then we’ll meet up with the others later,” I answered, holding the door open for her once she’d hugged her family.

  Her eyes gleamed happily as I reached across to belt her in and pressed a hot kiss to her lips before shutting the door.

  “That thing safe, son?” Jamie’s grandfather’s gravelly voice resonated in my ear when I turned around.

  “She’ll always be safe with me, Peter,” I nodded.

  “You better make her happy.” He levelled me with a glare that did nothing to settle my nerves.

  “That will always be my goal in life, sir.” I met his gaze so he would understand how serious I was.

  “She doesn’t need these flashy cars and fancy money to make her happy. She just needs your love.” He narrowed his eyes even further and I swallowed past the anxiety.

  “She’ll always have that and more.”

  He studied me for an excruciating second or two before nodding contentedly and clapping me on the shoulder. I shook my head a few times trying to shake off the nerves. I knew we were made for each other, I just had to see whether or not she needed convincing of that fact.

  “What was that all about?” Jamie frowned as I lowered myself into the driver’s seat.

  “What?” I blurted, momentarily panicked that she might have heard our conversation. “Oh, he’s worried about me driving you around in this beauty.” I revved the engine and wiggled my eyebrows at her, eliciting the laugh that I swear made my heart skip a beat.

  “Don’t worry, I trust you.”

  I just hoped she trusted me with her future.

  “Good, because I need to blindfold you.”

  “Blindfold me?” Her expression changed to one of puzzlement.

  I nodded, barely containing the grin on my face.

  “I always knew you were a perv,” she smirked, tilting her head forwards slightly to allow me to slip the blindfold over her eyes.

  “I assure you, my plans are of a mostly non-pervy nature,” I smirked,

  “Mostly?” She giggled.

  “Baby, it’s impossible not think with my dick at least a little bit where you’re concerned.”

  “I like to think he makes pretty good decisions for the most part,” she teased.

  I laughed and pulled onto the ring road, slipping one hand onto her thigh and allowing myself to dip under the hem of her summer dress.

  “Non-pervy my rear-end,” she tried to scoff, already parting her legs slightly in invitation.

  I just smirked and focussed on the moment I’d been planning for months and the little velvet box burning a hole in my breast pocket.

  “Where are we? Can I take the blindfold off? What are we going to do?” Jamie-Lea demanded once I pulled the car to a stop on the brickwork driveway.

  “So many questions, little squirrel,” I laughed. “Keep the blindfold on and you’ll find out soon enough.”

  I guided her into the house, knocked down by the lack of hesitation in her step as she trusted me to guide her.

  “I’m going to remove the blindfold but I want you to keep your eyes closed, okay?” I prompted once I guided her into the lounge.

  She just nodded and licked her bottom lip in anticipation causing me to adjust myself in my trousers. I couldn’t believe she still didn’t fully grasp the power she had over me.

  “Before you open your eyes, I need to explain,” I paused, waiting for her to nod. “It doesn’t look like much but I promise you it will be a dream when we’re done.”

  Her brows pulled together in confusion as she tried to make sense of my words.

  “You know that saying ‘location, location, location’? Well, that’s kind of the thinking here. I mean, it looks like crap but I swear, baby, we can do whatever you want with it and I-”

  “Jason, you’re rambling and I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jamie interrupted me with a sweet smile that I just wanted to kiss.

  I ran my fingers through my hair, rapidly rethinking my plan. As soon as she opened her eyes she was going to see what a dump this place was and she was going to hate it. Fuck, what was I thinking?

  “Can I open my eyes now?” Jamie said, her voice curious and excited.

  “Yeah,” I sighed. “If you hate it, it’s fine. I got a bit ahead of myself. We can sell it.”

  Jamie opened her eyes and they widened as she looked around her. The place was a real mess. All I’d done was gut it of all the shit that had been left behind and the sight that met her eyes was of bare walls and floors. I saw the potential of a home, our home, but what would she see? What if she hates it?

  “Jason, what am I looking at?” She asked cautiously.

  “A house,” I answered, hoping to hell she couldn’t hear my voice shaking. I hadn’t been this nervous since the first time I’d told her I loved her.

  “Why?” She probed, turning on the spot to look around her.

  “I bought it for us,” I explained on a cringe. I could usually read my girl like a book but I couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. If anything she just looked confused.

  “You what?” She span around, her eyes wide.

  “It’s our house.” I cleared my throat and ran both hands through my hair. She hates it, oh fuck, she hates it. I mentally castigated myself. I should have let her pick. We should have made the choice together.

  “Jason… how?” She managed eventually, after staring at me like I was insane.

  “Well usually you give someone money and they give you a house,” I joked, trying to infuse some humour into this horrifying situation. “Paperwork went through yesterday.” After I threw in an extra twenty grand so that they’d hurry the fuck up.

  “I… I don’t know what to say…” she stammered. “Did you win the lottery?”

  “Sort of,” I smirked. At least there was no way she could hate that news. I fished my phone out, logging into my banking app.

  Her eyes widened to almost comical proportion as she looked at the exceedingly long figure detailing the contents of my bank account. Well, one of my bank accounts. Ben worked his numbers magic and split everything up into different funds and savings accounts.

  “I don’t understand,” Jamie looked up at me, her beautiful eyes almost taking my breath away.

  “The company went public, baby,” I smiled. “Reed Systems is out there for the world to see.”

  “I know but… where did you get all the money from?”

  I laughed; she was so cute when she was confused. And when she was sleeping, and when she was smiling. When she was coming… then she wasn’t cute, she was fucking exquisite.

  “Baby, we’ve got inves
tors climbing over each other to get to us. The SQ12 battery is exactly what the industry has been waiting for. It will push mobile technology to the next level. Every single manufacturer wants to be first to offer it to their customers. We were rich on day one.” I tried to keep my voice calm to hide my excitement at the prospect of being able to buy her anything and everything she wanted and I thought I did an okay job but it was almost impossible.

  “Rich?” She raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.

  “Yeah, baby,” I grinned. “Filthy rich.”

  She studied me a while longer as if she was sure I was playing some sort of joke. “I like you filthy,” she grinned. “The rich part?” Her grin broadened. “Meh,” she shrugged nonchalantly.

  That was why I loved this girl. Because she loved me and only me. She’d loved me through the good and the bad, now all that was left was the fucking amazing.

  “You told me you spent all the money you got on the Nissan,” she frowned.

  “A little white lie,” I smirked. “I bought the Nissan with the profit Ben made with our money in one week.”

  “One week?” Her jaw dropped and I pushed it closed with one finger, smirking at the look of disbelief on her face.

  I nodded.

  “Jason this is… I don’t know what to say…” She stared at me blankly for a few seconds, her eyes still wide but a smile soon crept onto her face. “I’m so proud of you!” She threw herself at me and wrapped her slender, toned legs around my waist.

  I had to give my dick strict instructions, which it ignored, because there were bigger fish to fry. There’d be time for that later. Jamie’s lips crashed onto mine, their tender, soft skin like nectar to a starved man. Pure, golden, deliciousness. Her kiss was hurried and fervent, yet no less amazing than every single kiss we’d ever shared. Kissing her was never anything less than perfect.

  “You bought us a house?” She said breathlessly.

  I nodded, my anxiety returning as I set her down and watched her eyes travel around the room again.

  “It’s…” she hesitated and I held my breath. “It’s perfect!” She beamed.