She doesn’t answer, instead she just starts laughing, a laugh so free I can’t help but join in. We’re both laughing at the absurdity of this entire situation. I still want to ask her a million questions but her lips are like a magnetic force I never want to be away from. My mouth falls onto hers again and I taste shock, disbelief, and sheer joy.
E’s mouth never leaves mine. He’s breathing in all my emotions and I’m tasting his. I taste shock, relief, happiness, and love and it’s all mine. “I don’t understand, your name is Ian.” It’s the one thing that doesn’t make sense and I feel his lips smile before he answers.
I’ve spent my entire life having my name spelled wrong. When I was younger it really bothered me but as I became older, I learned to embrace it and began to really love having an unusual spelling. With our foreheads still pressed together and my smile firmly in place, I say, “With an E.”
It takes my confused brain a minute to realize what he said. Of course, he doesn’t spell it the traditional way. That would have been too easy. This time instead of a laugh, I groan and ask, “Who spells Ian with an E?!”
She’s so absolutely adorable. Her face is scrunched and I can see the wheels spinning in her brain. My smile is broad as I say, “Me.” And when she asks why, I start to laugh. I can’t help myself. I laugh out loud, a deep soul-filled laugh, because it’s so true and I’ve heard that question a million times. “My mom chose to spell my name with an ‘E’ instead of an ‘I’ because if anyone wanted to give me a nickname and my name was spelled with an ’I,’ then my nickname would’ve been ‘I.’ She wanted my nickname to be ‘E’ because that’s how my name’s pronounced, therefore…” I wave my arm around like a magician about to reveal his trick. “E-A-N!”
I swat him lightly on the chest. “Stop laughing. This isn’t funny!” I’m trying to be serious but failing miserably, and when he laughs harder, I can’t help but join in. This is seriously the stupidest, most unbelievable, most hilarious thing that has ever happened to me.
“Hi, Dani with a D,” I reply, still laughing, and kiss her again because, well because I have to and because I can. I haven’t put her down! I’m never putting her down. I haven’t stopped kissing her. I’m never going to stop kissing her! She’s my life and I’m never letting her go.
“Hi, Ian with an E.” We kiss deeper this time. Our kiss is slow and sensuous, like the kisses we’ve “shared” through our texts. But this time it’s real and so incredibly perfect. We take our time exploring each other’s mouths, caressing each other’s tongues, giving and taking in each other’s moans. We just hold on to each other, clinging to one another, unwilling to ever let go.
I finally break the kiss, pull back, and look deep into her eyes. “Your eyes, Dee, they’re magical. It’s the only way I can describe them.” I throw back my head and groan. “Do you know how many times I’ve looked into your eyes and thought the exact same thing?! This is insane!” I shake my head because this is just too crazy. “I’ve been captivated by your eyes from the first moment I saw you as Dani! But, as Dee, I’ve fallen asleep dreaming about what they might look like more nights than I can count.”
“I know, this is absolutely unbelievable! I’ve seen your eyes a million times before and each time I’m in awe by the beauty of them. But, E, with you…I see your soul.”
I kiss her, hard, showing her the urgency that I feel when I say, “We have to get out of here! I need to be closer to you. I need to be inside of you. We need to leave NOW! I walked here! Where’s your car?!”
“Back that way.” I nod behind us with my head and start laughing because he is suddenly full of piss and vinegar. “You walked here? That’s far!”
I shake my head and answer her as I briskly head towards her car. “Don’t ask. But I have to say, right now, it’s pretty damn convenient I did, because we need to be at your house. Like yesterday!”
“Like yesterday,” I repeat, agreeing wholeheartedly while peppering kisses all over his face as we head to my car, wrapped up so tightly around one another there’s no room for even air to pass between us.
“Keys,” I ask, once we reach her car. The same car that I’ve seen countless times parked on the street in front of my house and I just groan. Un-fucking-believable!
I laugh at his groan when we reach my car. I feel the exact same way, complete shock mixed with utter happiness.
There’s no question, no discussion. Just need! We let each other know through our kisses how much we need each other. We don’t stop touching as we quickly head towards my house. Neither of us willing to be separated, not for even a second. And now that E and I have truly found one another, that will never change!
THE MINUTE WE GET TO my house and through the door we’re on each other; kissing with more intensity than I’ve ever felt before. My lips are bruised, my tongue is sore. I need him and nothing else matters. Clothes are flying off and once we’re naked I’m back in his arms and he has me backed up against the wall.
“Fuck, Dee! It feels so good to be wrapped up in you! I’ve wanted you for so long.” I kiss her with an intense passion that’s mixed with fierce desperation and raw hunger. “I need to be inside you, Dee, I need to feel you, to love you, all of you.” I still can’t believe this; it’s so surreal and so fucking good!
He tells me he’ll pull out, I tell him I’m on the pill. We both know we’re clean. The only person we’ve been with this past year is each other and that was through text.
“Bedroom, NOW! It’s down the hall, the only room on the right,” I command. I don’t care if I’m being demanding. The urgency I feel is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before and my need for him is so vital it surpasses the need for air.
Dee and I hurry down the hall wrapped tightly around each other and fall onto the bed as one. Never even an inch separating us. Once she’s beneath me, I say, “Dee, I promise I’ll take my time with you and worship every inch of your body but right now…I just need to be inside of you and I know I won’t be able to control myself.”
“In. Me. Now. E!” I demand, gripping him with my arms and my legs, trying to bring us closer together. A year of sexual tension, waiting, dreaming, teasing, and sexting. I can’t wait one more second. I want if fast, I want it hard, I want it raw, and I want it NOW! I need his passion, I need him to claim me, I need him to make me his.
Our lips slam together. We’re holding onto each other so tightly we can feel our hearts beating as one. Without taking my eyes off her, I enter her in one swift motion until I’m so deep I can’t tell where she starts and where I stop. I ask her if she’s okay and when she says, “I’m more than okay,” I let loose. I really want to take my time with her but right now…there’s no way.
We both cry out when he enters me. E’s inside me! It’s so unbelievable and so incredibly amazing! I can’t tell where he begins and where I end.
This isn’t slow sensual passion; no “getting to know you.” We already know each other. We’re hungry! Desperation laced with such a strong need that our bodies are moving on their own accord. “God, Dee, hearing you, your passion! I’ve dreamt about this for so long.”
“EEEAAAAHHH!” I cry out. “You feel so incredible.” This is so amazing, so much better than anything I’d ever imagined. “Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop!”
We capture each other’s mouths again, our kiss rough and demanding. I put one hand behind her head, grabbing her silky hair to bring us closer while my other hand moves over her gorgeous body, memorizing every glorious curve. We’re out of control! I keep praising her, I keep telling her I love her, and I keep saying, “So fucking good!” Because it really is, so fucking good.
He’s slamming into me and I’m meeting him with such force we’re sure to break one another but we can’t stop. This frantic need cannot be contained. The only sounds that can be heard are the deep sounds of pleasure erupting from each of us. The chanting of Dees and Es, mixed with the sound of our bodies as they come together in our passionate dance. It’s music
! Beautiful, joyful, amazing music!
I feel my body tingling, my muscles tightening, my body begging for release. My orgasm blindsides me; I fall and fly at the same time. Blinding white lights explode behind my eyelids. Everything ceases to exist. I scream his name and explode! My body shaking, my breath ragged, my ears ringing. I couldn’t stop this force even if I tried and I never want it to end.
Watching Dee fall apart, my name falling from her lips and the feeling of her clenching around me is my undoing. It hurls me over the edge and I fall with her. Flying! I roar so loudly the walls shake as I come with more intensity than I’ve ever come in my entire life. My arms give out and I fall against her, both of us clinging to each other, drenched in sweat, gasping for breath.
“I can’t feel my bones but I don’t want to squish you.”
“Stay! I don’t care! This is too amazing.” I don’t want him to ever move, breathing be damned. Having his weight blanketing me feels too good.
“You know, I’m sure I blacked out there for a minute,” I say looking into her amazing eyes.
“I don’t think that my minute’s up yet,” I reply, still reeling from the most passionate orgasm of my life. What we just experienced was an emotional connection rather than a sexual act. It was intense, powerful, and incredibly amazing.
We look deep into each other’s eyes—deep into each other’s souls. I brush her hair back off her face tenderly with my fingers and she closes her eyes, leaning into my touch. “My Dee,” I say reverently, in a quiet voice to show her how deeply I feel, and give her a gentle, passionate kiss. A kiss that’s a promise, a vow, of eternal love. “I love you.”
“My E,” I whisper to him. “I love you so much.” I breathe him in through the tears that are suddenly and quietly rolling down my face. “I can’t believe you’re really here, really in my arms; really inside of me.” I return his passionate kiss, pull back, and say, “We made it, E. We survived the un-survivable and this is where we’re meant to be.”
We wipe each other’s tears and touch our foreheads together. Though I’m holding my weight on my elbows, we’re still one, still connected in every possible way; mind, heart, body, and soul. We did make it. We did survive, and we did it together. “My Dee.” I kiss her passionately and coo words of love. “I’m whole.”
My tears keep flowing. I’m overwhelmed by the wholeness I also feel. I’m really lying here in E’s arms. We’re connected in every way. One heart, one body, one mind, and one soul. “We’re together, E. We’re really together.” I kiss him with all the love I feel in my heart. “We’re home, E,” I say and then add, “move in with me!” The thought slips out of my mouth unbidden but it feels so right and I go with it. “Right now, E. Let’s go next door and get your things!”
Dee feels like heaven and I can’t stop the smile that overtakes my face, as I say, “Marry me.”
I gasp, exhale a sob and with a smile that matches his, I say the one word that makes my soul shine. “YES!”
Life is so very short, we both know it, we’ve both lived it. We’re deeply in love and have been for a very long time. We’re soulmates. We complete each other. The fact that fate had brought us together in not one way but two. The fact that we could fall in love with each other as two completely separate couples, never knowing the other existed. The fact that we are now joined as one. E and I are each other’s home and will be…forever.
We spend the entire night in each other’s arms. Talking, exploring, tasting, touching, worshipping, and making love. We learn all the things about each other that we never knew. Things we couldn’t talk about as Dee and E and things we didn’t want to talk about as Dani and Ean. The last puzzle piece has been snapped into place. I’m with Dee and my soul is finally at peace.
We connect the dots and tie both couples together as one. We discover exactly how much we have in common, but the biggest thing I discover is that I knew her husband, Scott. We went to the same high school, we were friends and teammates. He knew my parents and we shared the same friends. Sadly, we lost touch when he went away to college. I never knew he died and I never connected her last name to his.
When I find out he was friends with Scott, I’m shocked but not surprised. It’s yet another stunningly coincidental thing we share. It’s unbelievable how many things we have in common. When we texted as Dee and E, we discovered we had so much in common. We shared the same values and the same thoughts. Our personalities have always been so similar that we were able to open up and truly be ourselves. We never shared facts about ourselves but what we shared was so much deeper, we shared our souls. And as Dani and Ian our conversations always flowed like a fine wine. We always shared a deep connection and even though we never revealed our shared history, we opened up in the ways that count. The one thing we had in common, as both couples, was laughter, we were always laughing. It’s always been so…easy.
Dee will always have a piece of Scott in her heart and I rest easier knowing he’s up there taking care of Alyssa, the baby, and Alex. We talk about our future and Dee cries when I tell her that I want to legally change both her and Chloe’s name to be a combination of both Scott’s last name and mine separated by a hyphen. I want to honor Scott’s life and I deeply feel combining our names is the best way, aside from making sure his memory is kept alive, that I can do that.
When E tells me that he wants to keep Scott’s last name and add it to his, and his reasons for doing so, I become swallowed up by so many emotions I’m unable to answer him around the lump in my throat. And when he tells me he wants to adopt Chloe, I lose it. She’s going to have a dad again.
We decide on a Christmas wedding; we don’t want to waste any more time. We also decide on setting up a gathering with our families and friends to surprise them with our story and the news of our engagement.
The more we plan, the more excited I get. I can tell he feels the same way. Joy reverberates from his entire being as he tells me he wants to take me to Tiffany’s in Beverly Hills later today to buy a ring and then to brunch at the Polo Lounge to celebrate. Later today? Confused, I look towards the window and see the early morning sun peeking through the dream catchers I have hanging in front of my windows. Yes, we both bought ourselves the same gifts.
I feel like no time has passed but clearly it has because the sun’s already started to rise. I snuggle deep in his strong arms and secure embrace, surrounded by his gorgeous, woodsy scent and drift off into the most peaceful sleep I’ve had in a very long time. I feel safe, I feel loved and knowing that when I wake up, I’ll still be in his arms…I feel joy.
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL FALL EVENING and our friends and families are all gathered together for a barbecue at Dee’s house. At least that’s what they think. I smile at what they’re really in for. All our friends know how close Dani and I are but they have no idea about the rest of our story and they’re going to be completely blown away. I can’t wait.
We told our families our story and about our engagement last week, and to say they were surprised was an understatement. In the end, they were delighted with the way things turned out and are here tonight, with the promise of keeping quiet, to see everybody’s reaction.
My parents were friends with Scott’s parents and they too lost contact with one another. They never made the connection because they respected our wishes and never read any of the articles written about the accident. They also didn’t attend the trial because it didn’t get that far. The bastard admitted his guilt and accepted his fate. Dee and I spent a lot of time texting about him. I wanted him to be killed, like he killed my family, but Dee, in her infinite wisdom, showed me the power of forgiveness. You’ll never forget, but you need to forgive. And that forgiveness has helped me heal.
Lysee and Justin are here, as a couple. They’ve been inseparable since they met that night at Hennessey’s. Lysee brought Tonya and Maurice from The Spot and Justin brought his mother, Mary, who came with her longtime boyfriend, Charles Ericson.
Charles became a huge pa
rt of Justin’s and Mary’s lives after the death of Justin’s father. Even though it was clearly a case of self-defense, Charles made it his mission to protect them and never stopped. He took Justin under his wing and he and Mary fell in love.
Justin inherited his father’s share of the firm, which Charles ran while he was in college. Justin graduated, on the dean’s list, with a double major in economics and political science, and a minor in digital communications. He’s always been incredibly driven and is brilliant. He spent his summers interning under Charles, attended USC Law, and the minute he passed the bar, he literally drove across town to assume his role as the Sinclair at Sinclair and Ericson.
Chance is here with his college friend, Kyle, who met Josh when he came into Josh’s shop to get his car repaired after a small fender bender on the 405 freeway. Josh and Kyle hit it off immediately and are here as a couple.
Saving Each Other (Saving Series Book 1) Page 15