by Tory Jane
“You’re on. Tonight? I don’t care where we are, as long as we ring in the New Year with me inside of you.”
Hearing Jack say it turns me on. “Oh, bring it. You have yourself a deal. Can we sneak off and start now?”
“What do you think about finding a place of our own, with more privacy? It’s great having the apartment upstairs, but living with my parents? Not sexy.”
I squeal and climb into his lap. “I didn’t want to say anything, but yes. Please.”
“I may have an option for us.”
“I thought we agreed on no more surprises.”
“This is a project Ben and I have been working on for the last few months. I planned to move there until the house on Johns Island is finished, but I admit, I designed it with you in mind. Would you like to go take a look at it?”
“Seriously? And should I call Wallace about tonight?”
“Yeah, I think that's a great idea. Charlie and Tucker are close to the same age. Charlie should be spending more time with other kids. We need to start thinking about pre-school for him. We can ask Wallace about that, too.”
“Please. You know where your parents will insist he goes. You might as well put him on the list for Ashley Hall or Charleston Day now.”
He rolls his eyes at me. “You’re right. He’ll turn two in July. He could start pre-school in late August. We’re keeping Miss Margaret, though. I hope you don’t mind, but we’ll need her while we’re working and she can help us with Jack and Belle time.”
“I have no objection to that.”
“Do you realize how blessed we are? All the opportunities we have? Despite the losses you've suffered, we have the means to start fresh, Belle.”
“You're right. As stressful as it is, those bastards didn't come close to ruining us. They fucked-up their own lives. We are together; we're a family.”
He cups my face and caresses my cheek. “You are strong and beautiful. I love you.” He starts with gentle kisses and then crashes into me, and I take his tongue into my mouth and suck. I know he loves that and he is moaning. He pulls back and he sucks and bites my lower lip.
His passion inspires me. I pour my love into him, and we are making love with our mouths and tongues and teeth.
“We need to play. Start the New Year, right?” He’s wiggling under me, pushing his hips into me.
I feel him think and hard pressing into me. “Yes, god, I want to play. But what about Charlie?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, what if he tries to crawl into bed with us?”
“I have a lock on my bedroom door. He won't be able to walk in on us while we are in the middle of a sixty-nine. That one would be difficult to explain.” He laughs at my expression. I must look mortified.
“I'm sorry. I know it's going to be a transition for you. I promise we'll make it work. You’ve seen the size of my truck. If we have to spend the night in the truck, I'm game.
“I’m joking. We’re not going to sneak around and make love in the bathroom or the truck, at least not all the time. We will make this work. Are you up for it?”
“Absolutely. You know I like an adventure,” I smirk. “Being creative and naughty is fun.”
“Can we make that part of our wedding vows? To always find ways to be creative and naughty?”
“In front of our five hundred guests at St. Michael's? Oh, absolutely. Make sure you add in an example. Be specific and say something about your huge cock and how much you love to eat my pussy.”
“Annabelle, you’re a genius! You have found a way of saving us from an out of control wedding. We write our vows and read them to our parents? How much do you want to bet they'll limit the guest list to six, maybe ten tops?”
He kisses me, chuckling. “You know, you are handling all of this amazingly well. Do you have any doubts at all?”
“About us or about pornographic wedding vows?”
“About us, marriage, being a mother? We haven't talked about what Charlie said yesterday.”
“He called me Mama. He called us Mama and Daddy.”
“How did you feel about that?”
“Honestly? I thought, ‘well, this is a done deal.’”
“Me, too. I think everyone in the room did. Like he put his seal of approval on it and made it official. Annabelle. You’re a mother.”
“Holy shit. I’m a mother. I love it. I love him. I love us. It’s crazy.”
“I told you that you were ready.”
I kiss him hard. “You were right. Do we need to talk with him about it? What do we say?”
He raises his eyebrows and laughs. “I have no idea.”
“Jack. You’re his father.”
“Yeah, well you’re his mother.”
“You suck. Okay, we’ll think about it together. Maybe we can ask Wallace and Ben for advice, or my mother. In the last week, I’ve grown to appreciate my mother’s wisdom. She’s a cool woman.”
“All right, woman. Get off me. We have things to do. Call Wallace and then we’ll go look at our project.”
***
Jack is waiting for me on the piazza. I’m in fresh clothes and boots. I played with my hair a bit and think I look presentable. I miss my products and make-up. It’s time for a shopping trip.
I twirl for him. “Will I do?”
“Always, my beautiful pixie.”
He leads me to a shiny new BMW mini-SUV. I point at him and laugh. “You drive a mom car.”
He’s indignant. “This is not a mom car. It’s practical. Besides, you’ll be driving one, too. We’re going car shopping next week. You have to have a car that accommodates a child’s seat. You think that little Mini Cooper you drive will accommodate a kid and all the stuff that comes with him?”
“Okay, now I’m going to hyperventilate. I have to give up my cute little car, too?”
“How about a cool four-door sedan? An Audi or a Mercedes? They're both safe. We can test-drive whatever you want. I promise you'll still look cool.”
“I’m going to need some time to get used to this development.”
“You have a few days,” he chuckles.
“Ugh. Okay. Where are we going?”
“Do you not understand what a surprise means?”
We drive up Ashley Avenue to Hampton Park Terrace. He pulls off onto Moultrie Street and parks in front of a gorgeous, renovated turn of the century house. It is a Charleston double, which traditionally has a main hallway and four rooms on each level, with horizontal tiered piazzas on each level. The house is across the street from Hampton Park, the largest park on the Peninsula in Charleston.
“I love it. I love this neighborhood. It overlooks the Park. It’s perfect for Charlie. Can we get a dog?” I'm bouncing with excitement.
“You haven’t seen the inside, yet.”
“I don’t care. I already love it.”
We walk up a bricked walkway and steps, with beautiful Phillip Simmons ironwork railings. Everything is original and lovingly restored.
We step in, and I gasp. The inside has all the original plaster, floor to ceiling windows, wide plank pine floors, and twelve-foot ceilings. He has retained the original charm but modernized it. The rooms feel airy and open with original glass-paned French doors and the addition of columns and half walls. A grand stairway floats in the middle of the main hallway, flanked by two large rooms on each side. A formal living room and dining room on the left, a library and office on the right. It needs paint, fixtures, and other finishing touches, but it's nearly complete. He has added a half bath and a closet tucked under the staircase.
We walk down the main hallway into a massive gourmet kitchen that takes up the entire back of the house. This is clearly an addition and I have walked into heaven. Windows line the room, which is equipped with every amenity I could imagine. French doors lead out onto a screened in porch.
Upstairs, he has combined what would have been the front two bedrooms into one large master bedroom suite, which stretches across the front
of the house and leads out onto the upper piazza. It has a sitting area, fireplace, two huge walk-in closets, and a modern master bath. There are two bedrooms on either side of the main hall. In the back, above the kitchen addition, a hallway runs horizontally and leads to two smaller bedrooms on each side, with a bathroom and a laundry room in the middle. Children’s rooms.
“What do you think? Do you think you could live here for a while until the house on Johns Island is finished?”
“Are you kidding me? I could live here forever. Jack, it’s gorgeous. You and Ben have done an amazing job.”
“Will you help me choose the finishing touches? And decorate, of course.”
I squeal with excitement. “Yes. Whatever you want. How soon will it be finished?”
“Well, now that you have some time on your hands if you help pick out the paints and fixtures, I think we could have the workers finish it up in a few weeks.”
“Are you kidding me? A project. My mother is going to go crazy. Can we go crazy?”
“Yes, Bella Belle. Go crazy. Have fun.”
“Can we come back tomorrow with Mama? Has your mother seen it? She can come, too. And Julia.”
“Whatever you want. It’s yours. It’s ours. I’ll make sure you have keys.”
“We need to have built-in bookcases in the office and the library.”
“Make a list, love. I’ll take care of everything.”
I run down the wide staircase and down the hall to the kitchen and strip off my clothes. I hop up on the kitchen counter. By the time Jack finds me, I am sitting on the island, waiting for him.
“Belle?”
“Jack.”
“Yes, my love?”
“Get naked and help me christen this house.” I boldly spread my legs and lean back, arching my back.
His eyes immediately zero in between my legs. I touch myself and show him that I'm already aroused. I scoot to the edge of the counter, exposed and open to him. He grabs my hand and sucks my fingers.
He is tearing off his clothes. He flings his sweater and t-shirt on the floor, and he dives between my legs like a starving man. I brace myself with my arms as he grabs my ass and lifts me, plunging his tongue and fingers in every opening. He's never done this before, and I love it. He fills me, and between the friction and the pressure, I come harder than I've ever come, screaming his name.
He sets me down and kisses me hard. “Did you like that? Oh, the things we're going to do. I love this body. I love you. I want to explore for the rest of our lives.”
I slide down off the counter and kneel before him. I kiss and lick him over his pants and run my fingers over his magnificent erection. I want it. I want him. As I'm sucking him through his pants, I undo his belt buckle and pants and slowly slide down his pants and boxer briefs. He is gorgeous. I turn him around, so he is leaning against the counter. He's hard and stiff, pressed up against his belly, and I have to pull him gently down to take him in my mouth. As soon as he feels my tongue, he groans and pushes into me.
He wants to be deep in my mouth. I spin around, lean back against him, arching my neck, and relax my throat, allowing him to slide into my mouth. He buries himself in my throat, but he's so long I can't take him any further. I wrap my hands around him and stroke and massage his base and balls.
He is moaning and mumbling. I hear a lot of “oh, fuck” and “my God.” Then he asks, “Bella? Please? May I move? I'll try to be gentle.”
I nod and start moving my mouth in rhythm with his thrusts. I remember what he did to me the other night, and I begin to hum around him, creating vibration. Losing control, he is pumping faster, harder and I have to back off and use more of my hands. I suck as hard as I can, hollowing my cheeks and look up at him.
We lock eyes. Jack cannot stop thrusting into my mouth and hands as he stares at me with awe. “Yes, Belle. God, I love you,” he yells as he spurts down my throat.
I rise, and we're kissing and clutching at each other again. I can feel him stiffen again. “Really?”
“Oh, yes, really.”
He kicks off his shoes, slides down his pants and lays on the floor. “Climb on top of me. Cover me. I want to feel all of you.”
I join him on the floor and cover him with my body, rubbing myself against him.
“Sit on me, Belle.”
I'm so ready for him; he slides into me with ease. He sits up and kisses me everywhere. He massages my breasts and sucks my nipples. He bites, and I feel him pulsate inside me. My body moves on its own, grinding against him, sliding back and forth.
He rolls me over and takes control. “Harder, Bella. Are you ready?” He spreads me wide, pins my legs down with his, and proceeds to ride me. Hard. He is in a frenzy. Thrusting, pivoting, and hitting every sweet spot. I'm almost there. My eyes are rolling back in my head. Suddenly he leans down, bites my nipple, and sucks as he grinds into me. “Oh, Jack. Yes, that's it.” I feel the intense orgasm roll over me, and he keeps going.
“Come on, Belle. One more time. Let me ride that wave with you. You know how much I love to surf.” I didn't think it was possible, but he rotates and pops his hips, harder, faster. He takes one hand and presses down on my mound, swiping his thumb over my clit.
I'm screaming in pleasure. Each orgasm gets better and better. I move my hips and match his thrusts, bucking up against Jack; my orgasm seems to last forever. He cannot hold back any longer. He slams into me and collapses onto me, shaking. He's kissing me, murmuring how much he loves me.
He rolls over. “Holy shit.”
We lay there, panting, trying to catch our breath. I giggle.
“You’re giggling?”
“I’m happy. I love you. That was amazing sex. So, yeah, I’m giggling.”
He laughs and kisses my shoulder. “I think we christened the house properly.”
“And introduced ourselves to the neighbors.”
“There’s just one more thing.” He inches his way down my body, kissing me. What is he doing? He makes his way back up to me. We lay side by side, staring into each other’s eyes.
“Annabelle Leigh Tucker, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Jack?”
He holds out an open ring box with the most stunning antique art deco ring I’ve ever seen. A huge, emerald cut diamond sits horizontally, accented by sapphire baguettes on each side, in an elegant platinum setting.
I sit up. “What is that? Is this happening? This is happening.”
He rises and faces me, taking my hands in his. He’s trying to keep a straight face while I act like a fool. “This is happening. Now calm down so I can give you my prepared speech.”
“You have a speech? Proposals come with speeches?”
“Hush woman, I’m trying to be romantic.
“Belle, I have loved you my whole life. I admired you from afar until I could no longer resist the exotic beauty dancing under the stars. You are a remarkable woman. You make the world a better place with your kindness, your strength, your humor, your generosity, your joy, and your free spirit. You are a mischievous sprite, the sexiest, most beautiful woman I've ever known. I respect you, I love you, and I trust you. I thank god that I finally opened my eyes and found you.
“Bella Belle? Marry me?”
“Yes.” I throw my arms around him, crying, and laughing. “Wow, Jack. That was quite a speech. Good job.” I almost give him a high-five, and then realize that may be an inappropriate reaction for the moment.
“Thank god. She said, ‘yes’.”
I hold out my hand, and he slides the ring on my finger. “Jack, it's gorgeous. I love it. Thank you.”
I’m a woman who convinced myself I didn't care about rings or engagements. Yet, I love this. I want to show the whole world. I wave my hand around, catching the sunlight, admiring the ring. I'm being a complete girly-girl. It's perfect.
“Ack. We’re fucking engaged.”
“Always the charmer, Belle,” he laughs.
I’m still floating around the
kitchen as Jack watches me with a bemused expression. When he starts to get dressed. I pout. Back to reality.
“Is the water turned on? Plumbing? Do you happen to have anything to drink in that fridge? We worked up quite a thirst.”
“Yes, to all three. Go. Do your business. Get freshened up. We need to head out soon. No pouting.”
I gather up my things and tiptoe to the half-bath in the hallway. As I’m washing my hands, I stare at my newly engaged face in the mirror. Without a speck of make-up, I’m glowing. The light comes from within.
I step out, still bouncing around and Jack hands me a cold beer and a cigarette and leads me to the screened in porch. We lean against the railing and grin at each other. He's glowing, too.
We share the beer, enjoy our smokes, and continue to beam at each other. “You are beautiful, Jack. You're glowing.”
Tears glaze his eyes. “I think you’re seeing the light reflecting from you. You are magnificent.”
It is late afternoon as we drive to his parents’ house, the magnificent mansion South of Broad. My head and heart remain at the house in Hampton Park. It will be our home.
I wave my hand around, catching it in the sunlight and admire the prisms of light that fill up the car. Dancing in my seat, I give him a thousand kisses during the short drive back. He's laughing. He hasn't seen me this happy in far too long. I don't remember ever feeling this giddy, silly, and carefree.
The last week has sucked, but what if it all part of some divine plan? Jack and I will start anew; build new dreams, without the threat of Sofia hanging over our lives. We are a family.
Does that mean I could adopt Charlie? Be his mother, officially?
The slate is clean. From here on out, it’s all new beginnings. Together.
New Years’ Eve
We wander into the kitchen, and our friends and family are waiting for us.
Jack picks me up, twirls me, and shouts, “She said yes!”
I'm stunned and touched. I do not mind this surprise. I'm in such a girly-girl state of mind that I'm thrilled to show off the ring and tell the story of how he proposed (well, not the entire story). There is champagne flowing, hugs and laughter.