“Hi,” she said barely above a whisper. Her hair was a completely tangled mess. Her lips were swollen, cheeks a rosy pink. She was holding up a sheet to cover herself. Asleep or awake, unkempt or primped, I loved the sight of her and wish I had more time to devour her again, but we needed to leave before I changed my mind.
“Come here, baby,” I called to her.
She teasingly took her time walking over to me. I loved that. When she was close enough, I pulled her into my arms, and she let out a giggle. Oh I love to hear her simple laugh. I love everything about Reese.
“How did you sleep? Can I get you anything?”
“I slept well, and I can use a snack. Some sex fiend really worked me over, and now I’m simply ravenous for food.”
“Sex fiend? Well, we can’t have you starving now. He may want to have his way with you again.” She blushed, as I fed her a piece of sweet melon. I kissed the sweetness off her lips and fed her some more.
“From what I heard you mention to Jenny, I gather you decided to still leave for your trip? Where are you going anyway? And when should I expect you back?”
“Not just me, my love. We are going somewhere, as a matter of fact, and our destination is New York. You need to get your very bitable ass off of my lap, before I take you again right on my desk, or do you prefer the bed? You know how I love multiple surfaces.” I wickedly grinned.
“Walker, we can’t go to New York. What about all the wedding arrangements that still need to be completed? I have the grandparents arriving soon, and Freddy is in town for me. I can’t leave now. What will the kids think? We can’t just drop in on them during their vacation. I think that would be a violation of the kid’s trust, and we said they can have their time together on this trip.”
“Reese, they have been gone for weeks now. I believe they spent more than enough time together. It’s time for them to come home. We’re not crashing their party. I was hoping to spend some time with them and finally share our good news. I know you are dying to tell Riley, and I really want to tell Jackson. You are out of your first trimester, and no one even knows yet.”
“Wrong! Freddy and Fabrizio know our news, so does Priscilla, and don’t forget Jenny.”
“Okay, smartass, don’t be so cute. Freddy is always the exception, and our staff does not count. I want our children to know. As for the other details: One, I have paid an obscene amount of money to hire the best planner to complete every last detail for our wedding. I have the utmost confidence in Rosalyn. Secondly, I spoke to Lila and Thomas this morning. They have decided to stop at the Grand Canyon and take a few days for sightseeing. Lila assured me that she will have plenty of time to pull off the best rehearsal dinner California has ever seen. Thirdly, Freddy and Fabrizio are now at our home and I’m sure are enjoying another very expensive bottle of my vintage champagne and lounging by our pool, probably wearing nothing. By the way, my love, thank you for giving Freddy the combination to our wine vault. It may be empty by the time we return.”
“Oh baby, you know I crack under the best friend power of persuasion tactics.”
“Don’t worry. He makes you smile. All I want is for you to be happy. Let them enjoy and have their fun.”
“You seem to have all your T’s crossed and I’s dotted, Mr. Reed. So fine, I will go to New York, but you have to answer some questions first, agreed?”
“I endeavor to always be honest with you, my love.”
“Are we leaving because you heard that they plan on seeing Samuel tomorrow? Walker, Riley needs to work things out with her father, and Jackson will be right by her side.”
“I know that, Reese. I trust them both. I don’t trust that bastard of an ex-husband, but I do trust our kids.”
“Walker, you need to get past this with Samuel. I have.”
“You are too good. I am not as forgiving, and I never forget. Why do you think I am struggling with moving forward from my past with my father? It’s an internal power struggle that I face daily to not have my past define me.”
I took a deep breath and said to her, “The truth is, my son has never been this far away from me, and for this length of time. I am trying very hard to come to terms with his independence, but some days are harder than others, like today. Before disappearing this morning, Elizabeth’s ghost said that she would always be looking over us, and Jackson would need me more than ever. I called out to her, but she faded away into thin air. Reese, I know I should probably be getting a brain scan after what I experienced, but it felt very real, and I know what I heard. Something deep inside is telling me that I need to check on my son. I have to know that he is okay. Reports from Richard and a few short phone calls will not reassure me until I see for myself. Please tell me you understand?”
“I do, Walker. Thank you for telling me the truth. I love you. I’m sure the kids are fine. I’m actually excited to travel to New York. It will do us both some good. One more thing…”
“Anything, baby.”
“Did I hear you right? Are you actually summoning Dr. Lemay to your plane? I’m fine, Walker, I promise.”
“Oh how your memory is short. Are we seriously going to revisit the conversation about you accepting all the parts of me?”
I now deliver her one of my smiles that she loved so much. I saw her deeply concentrating on what she wanted to say, which was probably calling me crazy, but she didn’t. Reese loved everything about me and knew I would never change.
“I’ll see Dr. Lemay and hold my tongue while you keep grinning at me. You’re lucky you’re so hot.” She winked at me and pinched my butt.
“That’s my girl. I love you too.”
“Do we have time for a shower?” She fluttered her eyelashes at me.
Oh, she is such a tease. I scooped her up into my arms, as she let out a very girlish squeal. I carried her into the bathroom in the private suite.
“Oh baby! I love how you think and know me so well,” I said, excitedly.
Letting the sheet fall away to her feet, I was once again treated to her beauty. This was one vision that I would never shy away from. Soon after, the warm spray of water showered over us as I lathered her body with her favorite body wash. Her breast swelled beneath my touch. Her nipples pebbled, inviting my mouth to suck on them. Reese let out a whimper of pleasure, as I continued to bite, pinch, and suck away at her tender flesh.
Opening up wider for me as my hands parted her legs, Reese was on the edge. I took my time with my sensual assault on her body. My tongue made its way down to her swollen clit. Plunging my tongue deeper and deeper into her folds, her hands found my hair and pulled me in. It was beyond erotic, listening to her moans and feeling her body shake with the orgasms that she was having.
“I can’t take anymore! Please, Walker, I need you inside me…now.”
“All in good time, baby. I’m not finished with you yet. You need to be completely open for what I have planned for you.”
With one more flick of my tongue and a loud piercing cry from Reese, we reached a level of pure ecstasy between us. She was wrecked by my sensual assaults on her body. I knew she was craving more from me, but how I loved to tease her and drive her mad. It was my insatiable need for her that drove me to the edge of my control. Her eyes alone ignited the feral desire that raged through my body and needed to take her at any given moment. She rights all things in my world. My heart holds her and her alone.
“Wrap your legs around my waist, baby. Hold on to the bar above your head and don’t let go,” I said to her.
“I can’t, Walker. I have no strength left.”
“Yes, you can, baby, and you will. This is for the both of us. I’m going to fuck you now and hard. Eyes on me. Be here with me. Right now.”
That’s all she needed to hear because once her eyes found mine, her legs tightened around my waist, and I took her to new heights of pleasure.
“Hold on baby, and don’t let go. This is going to be quick,” I whispered.
As we reached our climax togeth
er, Reese bit down on my shoulder, and fucking hard. For once, I whimpered in pain.
“Baby, what the hell? I love that you leave marks on me, but that was even rough for you.”
My Georgia Peach was in vixen mode and smiled at me with glimmer in her eyes.
“Oh sorry, baby, couldn’t help myself,” she said.
“You’re forgiven, and you can bite me anytime. I love it all, from our hard fucking to our sweet love making. Every time with you Reese is amazing. You own my ass.”
“Good to know, baby, and what an amazing ass you have. I love you so much. You do know you own mine as well.”
“Oh baby, that is one fact I am most certain of. You. Are. Mine. Forever.”
She gave me one of her sexy winks that earned her a slap on her delectable derriere as she skipped off to dress. Without a doubt, Reese Mitchell—soon-to-be Reese Mitchell Reed—owned all parts of me. Parts of me that were so closed off until we reunited. As much as I was in bliss with Reese, I don’t doubt we would hit a stumble or two along the way.
As long as we were together and our two hearts beat as one, I knew I could handle anything with Reese by my side. Her love and commitments of forever made the impossible become possible. Our love was strong enough to conquer anything, even the ghosts of my past.
I COULDN’T BELIEVE how nervous I was. It had been nearly two months since I had seen or talked with my father. I had never been away from him for more than a few days, let alone two months. My heart missed him, but my brain was having difficulty catching up. I was still so angry with him and his treatment of my mother. He played victim so well, but I now saw him as a bully. He physically hurt her not once, but twice—that I know of—and the verbal abuse was endless. Even after our Bahamas trip disaster, my mother forgave him, and he still behaved like an ass, instead of the loving father I always knew him to be.
The rational side of my brain was telling me to move on from this. My father made a mistake driven by his hurt and loss over his marriage. I knew this deep in my heart, but the difficult part of all of this was trying to forget. My mother was blissfully happy, probably the happiest I had ever seen her. I took a breath and crossed my heart I would try. I remembered that no matter how emotional this day would be for me, I was doing this for Jackson, and Jackson only.
He’d been feeling so much better since he came clean with me and explained his headaches. He just wanted a second opinion without raising any alarms with his father. He felt my father was the best choice to help him. For me, the jury was still out. I had played out every scenario in my head and most of them ended up badly. I had a very short temper lately, and I wanted my father to say yes. Jackson repeatedly told me that if he said no, then we maturely say “Thank you for your time” and leave. Jackson has the patience of a saint. Me…Not so much.
I thanked the travel gods for our form of transportation…Mr. Reed, that is. He didn’t want us driving the four hour plus car ride to Maryland, so he chartered a private plane for us. Forty five minutes is better than four hours. I let Jackson sleep in this morning since we were up way too late the night before. I kept him up by talking about everything that popped into my head.
The topic of marriage came up again. He kept dropping hints of waiting for a better time. He told me he loved me a hundred times, but he didn’t want me to make a rash decision that I could regret later on. Was Jackson crazy? I loved him more than anything else in the world, other than my mother and of course Mr. Yankees Bear that he gave me, a token of his love to try to persuade me to love the New York Yankees.
He even reminded me last night that our marriage would be doomed if I didn’t accept my fate and love Derek Jeter. I took the wind out of his sails when I reminded him that this was Derek’s last year as the beloved Yankee captain, as he would soon retire. Oh, my poor future husband. He pouted for an hour after that. Although Jackson was born and raised in California, he is a die-hard Yankees fan.
We never really settled the marriage argument. It was tabled for now until our visit was finished with my father. I loved Jackson, he knew that. It wouldn’t matter to me if we got married now while dressed in sweatpants or years from now dressed to the nines.
He also hinted that he knew the perfect spot where he wanted to make me his bride. I had an idea, but I wasn’t telling him what I suspected. One thing at a time Riley! Let’s get through a visit with Dr. Samuel Briggs first.
PLEASE GOD, LET me get through today. I’d been feeling sick since early this morning. My head began to throb to the point where I needed to take a pill. I didn’t want to, but it was stupid to suffer through a headache when I had the medicine to help me. I tried to do some yoga and work on my breathing, but nothing helped until I took my migraine medicine.
I said a silent prayer to my mother in heaven asking for strength to get through today. I hadn’t heard from my father, and I failed to call him like I said I would. He was unpredictable, to say the least.
I truly felt today was my only chance to convince Dr. Briggs to give me a consult. I was due to see Dr. O’Larien next month, and I would have no choice but to keep the appointment. My father always accompanied me through my check-ups and testing. I knew why he did what he did, and that’s why this was so hard to do. I was going behind his back and keeping him purposely out of the loop in the name of sparing him any worry. He would never understand my reasoning. He would most likely be deeply hurt if he found out, another request I asked of my mother today.
The pill was beginning to take effect. Once I ate breakfast, I was feeling much better and steadier on my feet. Riley popped her head in a few times to hurry me along. The fight in her quickly tampered down with one smile from me. I knew she was anxious to leave, no more than I was. Richard was getting antsy as well. He wasn’t looking forward to the trip, but he had his orders to be my shadow.
The flight was easygoing, and we made it to Johns Hopkins Hospital by ten. Hand in hand with Richard following close behind, we entered her father’s expansive wing…courtesy of my father. We paid respect to my mother’s memorial. Riley had given me a moment alone and that’s when I said more prayers. Dad always said I could talk to my mother anytime, and it wouldn’t matter where I was, she would always hear me. I always felt comfort while admiring this portrait of her that graced the entry way of the building. She was beautiful. Her eyes were Irish Green, and you could almost see your reflection in them, or so I was told. I looked just like my father, but I had my mother’s eyes.
Continuing to walk the path that would lead us to Dr. Briggs’ new wing, I stopped to pull Riley aside and talk with her. Richard had raised his eyebrows at me in confusion, but then figured I needed a minute alone with my girl. He gave us the privacy I requested, while Riley was apprehensive all of a sudden. I guess that was my fault for giving her all my crazy mixed signals, but I needed to get a few things off my chest before going in to meet with her father.
“Jackson, what’s wrong? My father is waiting for us. I want to get this over with it as quickly as we can. We have a date with a minister today.” She sheepishly smiled.
Oh, my girl! I have no chance when she looks at me that way.
“Riley, that’s what I want to talk to you about. Please don’t be upset, but I cancelled that meeting.” By the look on her face, I wasn’t sure if she was going to scream or cry. With Riley, any reaction was possible.
“Why would you do that? Jackson, I told you that I don’t care about having a big wedding, or my father walking me down the aisle. I thought we were only messing around earlier. I never thought you would cancel the minister.”
“It just doesn’t feel right. This entire plan of mine doesn’t feel right. I had another headache earlier, and it was bad enough where I needed to take my medicine for it.”
“Dammit, Jackson! You can’t keep doing this. Do not shut me out. Is this the way we roll? You’re this Alpha male, and I’m what, the quiet little mouse that submits? I don’t think so. Do you trust me or not?”
“Riley,
keep your voice down. Richard is watching and no doubt listening. Of course, I trust you. I trust you emphatically with everything I have, but this shit is scary. I’m fucking scared! You can’t even begin to understand what is running through my mind right now. And to top it off, I’m lying to my father. I feel terrible that I am deceiving him like this. Believe and trust me on this. When he finds out what I’ve been up to, his reaction is not going to be pretty. I almost want to leave you here so you can reconcile with your dad, while I do the same with mine.”
“Jackson, you’re not at odds with your dad, and you have nothing to feel guilty about. So you got a copy of your medical file, so what? We are planning to get a head start on our future by marrying now. Again, so what? I don’t see any crimes here, do you?”
“You are impossible, Riley. Please stop trying to move me off course to what the real issue is. The moment I began to have the headaches, I should have been honest with you, more importantly, my father. I chose to deliberately keep this from everyone who cares about me. Riley, right there is the crux of my problem, and I feel sick about it. Our entire lives changed from the minute our parents reunited in that restaurant. I feel like I’ve been on this nonstop roller coaster ride with no end in sight.”
“So what are you trying to say? Do you regret all this? Do you want out, Jackson? Because if you do, don’t be a dick about it. Excuse my tone, but I have a heart to protect here and you are about to crush it.”
Does she even know me at all? She actually believes because I’m hesitating on getting married, that I wish to end things with her? She’s got me spinning in every direction. I don’t even know how to set her straight. I could almost shake her, because she is that stubborn. She has her arms crossed over her chest, fighting to hold back her tears. This is a disaster. It was a mistake to come here.
Richard was stoic in his corner, watching us and the rest of the room from a safe distance. I took a breath, and instead of engaging in this crazy conversation, I let my body do the talking. Wrapping my arms around her, with her back to my chest, I just held and breathed her in. Riley fought against my hold and tried to put up a brave fight.
Our Forever Promise Page 11