by Dahlia Rose
Realization finally hit him and he looked up. “You mean we can…”
“Uh-huh.” Cherish nodded slowly.
“Well, damn, baby, let’s cancel this trip. I can call my parents and tell them some other time.” Aidan grinned.
She laughed. “No, we’re not. We’re going to go introduce our wonderful little man to his grandparents and then come home for a relaxing night. Now, tomorrow night, my mom is coming over to babysit. We’re going out for a nice dinner and I booked us a room with a Jacuzzi at the Hamilton Inn. You’re going to romance me, Gunny Brooks, and then make love to me all night long.”
His desire kicked up a notch and his jeans felt tighter just thinking of what he would do to her tomorrow night.
“That sounds perfect to me.” He picked up the baby bag and walked over to her. Aidan drew her into a long kiss. “You grab Marc and get him in the car seat, and I’ll get this stuff downstairs.”
“You taking the Pack ‘N Play?” she asked when he picked up the extra bag sitting beside the door.
“Yep, all the essentials for baby’s first trip out,” Aidan replied. “We’re prepared to handle everything.”
Her laughter followed him as he headed out the door. They’d found a good center and he felt a sense of peace run through him. After a half an hour they were on the road and heading towards the home where he grew up. They were in his new car that he had purchased two weeks after Marcus was born. Gone was his sleek sports car and now he drove a silver Nissan hybrid SUV. He had felt no loss trading in his old car for the new one. In fact, he had felt a sense of pride. A sports car gave the impression he was still looking to sow his oats. He glanced through the rearview mirror at the car seat in the back which held Marcus who was fast asleep, and a small smile crossed his face. He’d sown his seed quite well in his opinion. Maybe one day he would get a motorcycle and he and Cherish could go out riding in the mountains. That would be when Marcus was much older, of course. His life was with them both, which made his future brighter than it ever had been before.
His parents’ property came into view after they had passed through a small, seemingly empty town. This was the place he had grown up after years of bouncing around in the Charlotte foster care system. Darlene and Matthew Brooks wanted a child and they saw through his churlish I-don’t-give-a-crap attitude. They adopted him even though Aidan had thought most adoptive parents wanted babies and young children they could mold. The small farm they owned had horses, cows, chickens and Fred—an old rooster that seemed to be immortal he’d been around so long. Aidan fit right in and soon felt as if he’d lived there all his life. They were good people and even when he got out of line, Mathew could talk him down out of his anger or box his ears if necessary. Everything they did for him was out of love.
He parked the car and got out and stretched. He looked up and saw his parents open the front door and rush across the patio and down the steps; happiness was written all over their face. Cherish got out of the car and before she could even close the door behind her, his mother had her in a tight embrace.
“Oh. Oh, okay,” Cherish said in surprise and gave a little hug back.
“We’re so happy to see you—meet you. Oh, goodness. Look at me, I’m about to cry,” his mother said.
“Cherish, meet my mom, Darlene Brooks,” Aidan said amused. “That big, burly lumberjack is my dad, Matthew.”
His mother pulled away and beamed at Cherish. “Please call me Darlene. We’re so very thrilled to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” Cherish’s voice was warm.
Aidan took the car seat from the car. “And this is Marcus Aidan James, your grandson.”
His mother made a sound that was a mix of a squeal and a coo. “Look at him!”
Matthew Brooks came over to look. “He’s a fine one, that’s for sure.”
“Come inside so we can get him out of that thing and I can hold him,” Darlene said. “I’ve made chicken pot pies for lunch.”
Cherish followed Aidan’s mother while Aidan and his father trailed slowly behind. “You look good, son, happy.”
“I am, Dad. I couldn’t tell you how much.” Aidan grinned.
“She’s the one, then, huh?” his father asked.
“That and more. Look at the boy she gave me,” he said. “It’s like all the pieces of the puzzle of my life have fallen into place.”
His father nodded. “I know the feeling, and I’m happy for you.”
By the time they got inside, his mother had the baby in her arms and was cooing down at him. His father took him next and sat in his recliner, rocking him in his arms. Aidan saw a look of pride cross his father’s face as the tiny baby was nestled safely in those big arms. Marcus would have a lot of love in his life from all of them. It was a blessing he had never been aware of until the Brooks came into his life, but now, his son would have it from his very first memories.
Later, while Marcus napped in his Pack ‘N Play, they ate lunch around the table and his parents regaled Cherish with stories about life on their small farm. Including stories of Aidan’s youth that made him wince at the memory.
“You make me sound like a holy terror, Mom,” Aidan teased after yet another story of his teenage years.
“I think Mr. Newton would say that you were especially when he caught you in that souped-up car you owned parked near the woods,” his father chortled.
“You were fresh,” Cherish teased.
“Hey, I was a seventeen year old with raging hormones,” Aidan pointed out. “The girl said she wanted a ride and I wanted her at the time. I came to find out though that she was more trouble than I cared to deal with.”
“All stories aside, he was a good boy,” Darlene said with affection in her voice. “When we adopted him, I knew there was a loving boy beneath all that anger.”
“We shouldn’t talk about that, honey. He’s here with his girl.” Matthew patted his wife’s hand.
“No, it’s okay, Dad. I don’t mind her knowing things about my life, even the bad parts,” Aidan said and looked at Cherish. “She’s a part of it now.”
The look that passed between them was almost electric. Yes, she and the baby were the most important part of it now.
“You don’t have to,” she said gently.
Aidan shook his head. “I want to.” He took a breath. “I don’t even know how long I was at the foster homes,” he said. “It’s all I ever knew. One of the workers said I was there from the time I was only two years old. I got bounced from one home to the next. Mostly it was people looking to cash in on a government check and took kids until they didn’t want to foster anymore. After a while, I became so hardheaded and willful I just stayed in group homes. I got into trouble at school and basically was an arrest looking to happen. I was fifteen sitting outside in the front yard of the home when these two came walking up.” He smiled at his parents. “I’d just bummed a cigarette off a guy and my dad slapped it out of my hand and said, ‘Those things will kill ya, kid,’ and I said, ‘We all gotta die sometime, old man.’”
His dad chuckled. “That’s when we knew this one was meant for us. Darlene said when she saw him that he was ours and she was right. We didn’t care how old the child was, just as long as he or she needed love and a family, and he was it.”
“The rest was history, so to speak. He came to live with us as a foster child and then we adopted him a year later,” Darlene said with a smile. “The day he legally changed his name, his exact words were, ‘I don’t need a name—that means nothing to me. You two are my real parents.’ Family means a lot to him, Cherish. You and Marcus will always be treasured. I can promise you that.”
“I have no doubt of it,” Cherish answered, smiling at Aidan.
Just then Marcus chose to give a little cry and Darlene shot up out of her chair. “I’ve got him. Oh, I get to feed him this time.”
“He’s going to be spoiled rotten by the time he’s one,” Cherish said with a laugh.
“As if
there was any doubt,” Aidan’s dad said. “Load the dishwasher, kids. We’re going to play with our grandson.” He left the room and followed the sound of Darlene’s fawning over Marcus into the family room.
“I love your parents,” Cherish said as she stood and began to gather up the plates.
“And I love your mom,” Aidan said. “We should have a christening party when it’s time for him to be baptized.”
“You really want to do all that?” Cherish asked.
“Yes, I do.” He came around and pulled her into his arms. Even though she was holding dirty plates, he kissed her deeply.
Cherish broke from the kiss. “Your parents are in the other room.”
“Trust me. They kiss too,” he murmured.
She laughed. “We were told to load the dishwasher.”
“But I’m getting my dessert,” he teased.
“Okay, one more kiss and that’s it,” she agreed.
After that lip lock, he wanted to throw her down on his parents’ dining room table and ravage her. After they loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen, they made their way into the family room where all attention was on Marcus. It was well after six when they finally said goodbye and got on the road back to Charlotte. Traffic was thick and by the time Aidan unlocked the door to Cherish’s condo and they got inside, Marcus had gone from a whimper into a full-fledged wail.
“I think his first trip out has left him a bit grumpy,” Cherish said. “Time for a feeding and a change.”
“I’ll get all this stuff put away,” Aidan said.
While he unpacked the bag and rinsed the bottles, she sat on the sofa and unbuttoned her blouse to breast feed the baby. Aidan’s hands stilled under the running water as he watched Cherish free her full breasts and Marcus settle on a nipple. It was an amazing thing watching her nourish their son, but even more than that, desire curled in his belly. It had been a long time since he’d touched her and felt her skin against his, and it had been even longer since he’d seen her breasts. She must have felt his gaze because she met his eyes and hers spoke volumes. They wanted the same thing—each other.
“I’m going to go grab a shower and…” He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’ll be in the room. If you need me, yell.”
“Okay,” she said.
Was he crazy or could he also hear her need in that one word? Being home with her after the nine-month stint in Afghanistan had been heaven, but it had also been torture. He couldn’t stop dreaming of her and that first night they had together, and now the doctor gave her a clean bill of health. His mind couldn’t settle on anything more than making love to every inch of her silky body.
In the bedroom he paced the floor and did pushups to try and work out the restless energy. After half an hour of that, Aidan blew out a frustrated breath, walked into the bathroom, undressed, stepped into the shower and turned the water on cool, hoping that it would also cool the heat coursing through his body. But of course the images in his head were of taking her in the shower, her wrapping her long legs around his waist and burying his cock deep inside her. Her breasts were bigger than the last time he’d seen them. Lord, he wanted to bury his face between them. He sighed and turned the water colder. He let out a yelp as the water turned colder than he had anticipated and he could only stay under it for a few seconds. He jumped out and found one of the thick cotton towels from under the sink. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. He walked out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around his waist and stopped in his tracks. Cherish stood a few feet from the bed, completely nude.
“Marcus is down for a few hours and I figured that tomorrow was a bit too long in coming. Make love to me, Aidan.”
He couldn’t even pretend to say no. Aidan let the towel fall from around his waist and strode over to pull her into his arms. Their lips met and he lost himself in her smell, her taste and the way her body felt pressed against his. Her nipples were already beaded hard and her skin begged to be touched. He planned to taste all of her. He’d dreamt of her every night for most of the year even when he didn’t want to. He sat on the side of the bed and pulled her to him and kissing her stomach.
“I hate the stretch marks,” she said.
“You’re simply gorgeous, and this body brought my son into the world,” Aidan said. “Don’t ever try to hide your body from me.” He skimmed his hands up her waist to cup her breasts. “They’re bigger and heavier than last time.”
“That’s because I’m nursing,” she said breathlessly.
“Is it okay to kiss you there?” he asked.
She laughed huskily. “You better.”
He lifted the fullness in his palms as he kissed the hard nipples and sucked them gently. There was a little squirt of milk on his tongue and it was sweet. The taste surprised him and he sucked again deeper. The taste of her milk filled his mouth and Aidan groaned. He didn’t know that it could be so arousing tasting the milk that nourished their son. He heard her inhale as his fingers moved lower between her legs while he played at her breasts. He found her pussy already moist and slick as he moved his finger slowly over her clit. She gasped out his name and spread her legs farther apart in a silent plea. Her body trembled and it delighted him to no end.
“You want me to make you come like our first night together?” he asked softly, his finger continuing its manipulation of her clit.
Cherish nodded, but he wanted to her say it. He teased her by slipping his fingers deeper between the folds of her pussy, circling the entrance of her slit. Yet he didn’t give her the pleasure she sought. She lowered her hips to force his digit inside her but Aidan moved his finger back out to circle the sensitive bud.
“I want you to tell me what you want,” he encouraged. “I want to hear my name on your lips.”
He wanted to be in her every thought and breath. She was so accustomed to being strong that Aidan wanted to prove to her every day for the rest of their lives that she could depend on him to love her and please her in every way. He was going to make sure she gave herself to him totally. This was a new start for them both.
“Aidan, it’s you who is always in my heart. Please put your fingers inside me,” Cherish begged.
“Oh, baby, I’ve been waiting for you to say that for so long,” he whispered.
He slowly slipped his finger inside her, not wanting to hurt her in any way. He groaned when he felt her pussy contract around his finger and she began rocking her hips back and forth as he pleasured her. He pushed deeper and Cherish cried out. He felt her hands tighten on his shoulders. Aidan pulled her nipple deep into his mouth and sucked ravenously while he fucked her with his fingers.
“Oh, don’t stop, Aidan. Please, please, I’m going to come!”
Her pleas sent the heat of desire shooting through him and his cock throbbed painfully between his legs.
“Yes, baby, come for me,” he groaned.
He watched her body tremble as she reached the height of pleasure. He found her g-spot buried within and used his fingers to send her over the edge. Cherish gave a little scream and her juice flowed against his hand. Her moans were driving him crazy. He’d never wanted a woman as much as he wanted her, never loved anyone like he did her. Aidan pulled her down to the bed and lay next to her. She came to him willingly and pushed her body against his and their kiss was fierce and hot. His tongue dueled with hers and then twined sensuously together.
“I need you,” she whispered against his mouth.
Cherish climbed over him and took his cock in her hand. She positioned him at the entrance of her pussy and slid slowly down on him. He was thick and her pussy sheathed him like a velvet glove. God, she’s so tight! Aidan gritted his teeth as pleasure assaulted him. His hands cupped the smooth cheeks of her ass as she moved up and down on him. The rhythm of his thrusts became hers and they were soon moving in unison.
“Jesus, God, Cherish,” he panted.
She was slick and with each move, her wetness took him deeper until he thought he would die from the sens
ations that assaulted him.
“Cherish, I love you. I love you so much!”
“I love you too,” she said and rode him faster, picking up the speed and then slowing down again.
He arched his neck as she sucked on the sensitive skin near the base of his collarbone. Cherish took his turgid length inch by torturous inch slowly and then picked up the pace, driving him insane with the pleasure of it. Aidan raised his head to take one of her nipples in his mouth. He grabbed her hips and held her still while he pumped into her hard. He was rewarded with a low cry escaping her lips. Their harsh breathing filled the room. She surrounded him in every way—her scent, her voice and smell. Aidan felt himself reaching the pinnacle and impaled his entire length into her repeatedly until they both went over the edge into their orgasm and Cherish slumped against him. His orgasm had been so intense it left him reeling. After lying together for a while, he went to the bathroom on shaky legs and came back with a cloth to clean her up.
“You don’t have to do that,” she protested.
“I want to. You’re my world, so let me take care of you,” he murmured. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Not that I know of, but I might be a tad sore later,” she said with a smile and then patted the bed beside her. “Come to bed.”
Just then they heard Marcus’s soft wail coming through the baby monitor and Cherish laughed. “I don’t think I even needed to bring the monitor in. I can hear him without it.”
Aidan grinned. “I’ll go get him and warm some milk.”
He threw on some pajamas and by the time he came back with Marcus she was sitting up in bed wearing one of his army T-shirts. He sat beside her feeling like he’d won a million dollars. There was no better sight than seeing the woman he loved in his bed and their child cradled between them.
Chapter Six
“Mom, are you sure you have everything you need?”
Cherish chewed her bottom lip worriedly as she watched her mother holding Marcus. She knew she was having a case of separation anxiety. It was the first time she would be away from Marcus since he was born. She should’ve gone for a simple night out and then come home instead of staying away until morning. She was beginning to doubt her plan.