Unspoken Fears (The Unspoken Love Series Book 4)

by H. P. Davenport

  A table and chair sit alone on the beach, the setting for a romantic dinner for two. My parents have Leah for tonight so Rory and I could enjoy ourselves.

  Placing my hands in my pocket, my fingers brush over the velvet box. Every day, every hour, every moment of every day, Rory and Leah fill my mind.

  With my hand on Rory’s back, I guide her to the table, sliding her chair out for her to sit.

  “This is beautiful. You did this?” she asks, her emerald green eyes taking in the scenery.

  My eyes hold her gaze. “I wanted a quiet evening with my love.”

  The waiter stands beside Rory, holding the menu out to her and places one in front of me.”

  “Gracias,” she says smiling.

  “De nada,” he replies.

  After browsing the menu, we place our order, and the waiter retreats only to return with a bottle of wine, pouring us each a glass.

  Once dinner is finished, I take her hand and we walk along the beach. The beach is dark, only the light from the tiki torches and candles in jars scattered along the beach illuminate the area. Waves crash against the shore. The surge makes loud shushing sounds as they roll forward and draw back out to see. A warm breeze swirls around us, sending her hair in different directions.

  I stop walking, causing Rory to turn to face me. Slowly, I get down on one knee. Her chest rises and falls, and her hand quickly covers her mouth. She looks at me and the way she does will forever be imprinted in my mind, burned into my soul. My heart beats for her, and that little girl of hers.

  She is my everything. My future, my life.

  My hand finds hers, my thumb moves over her wrist and feels her racing pulse. “You make me a better person, you make me want things, things I never thought were possible.” She gulps hard, tears slipping down her cheeks.

  “When I met you, it was if you’d walked out of a dream. The past year has been the best year of my life. I love you and Leah. I love our little family. I want to grow our family. I want Leah to have siblings. I want to have that with you and Leah.”

  Rory tucks her auburn hair behind her ear, joining me on her knees. “You are my heart, my soul, my everything. You are my today, my tomorrow, and my forever. I choose you Rory. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. What are you doing for the rest of your life because I want you to choose me?”

  She cups my cheeks, tears falling down her cheeks.

  “Will you marry me?”

  I claim her mouth, capturing her lips with mine.

  “Yes,” she murmurs against my lips in between kisses. “I choose you. I love you, Christian. Forever.”

  Celebratory hollers come from behind us. All of our friends and family join us, offering their congratulations.

  Rory’s hand covers her mouth when she sees her parents and Brandon join the group.

  Cupping her face between my hands, “You didn’t think I would do this without them here, did you? They’re your family, and now mine.”

  “You’re amazing. Just when I think it’s impossible to love you anymore, you prove me wrong.”

  Rory stands behind Karsen at the front, as Camryn begins her walk down the aisle, holding Jaxson’s hand while he carries a black chalkboard, with, ‘my daddy asked, my mommy said yes’ written in white chalk in his other hand. Leah follows Jaxon, with a white basket filled with sea shells, bending down and placing each one neatly in the sand. Suddenly, she stops and walks back and begins picking the shells back up, placing them back in her basket. “I keep, Mama?” she asks Rory, holding a handful of shells up. The guests laugh at her.

  “Yes, sweetheart, you can keep them. Follow Jaxson, honey.”

  The groomsmen and Lincoln stand at the front of the white pergola ceremony structure. We’re all dressed in tan linen pants and white shirts with buttons down the front. Perfect for a beachfront wedding.

  The Wedding by James Horner commences and Morgan stands at the beginning of the aisle in a cream gown and begins to make her way to Lincoln. He is one lucky man. Good thing he wised up and put a ring on her finger. The two of them had a rough time a couple of years ago, but I’m glad they were able to find their way back to each other.

  When she reaches Lincoln, her father places her hand in his.

  Morgan and Lincoln exchange their vows, promising to share their lives together, to cherish and love one another always and forever until they take their last breath.

  Lincoln takes full advantage of the opportunity to kiss his bride until Jamie clears his throat behind me. “Kids are present. Let’s keep this PG.” He nods toward my niece whom he is holding against his chest.

  Lincoln and Morgan’s reception is held on a veranda off the beach. The sound of the waves crashing ashore can be heard, making the evening extra romantic.

  By Your Side by Sade begins to play, and Lincoln leads his bride to the dance floor. I lace my fingers with Rory’s, and place a soft kiss on her lips. “Have I told you how gorgeous you look?” I whisper against her neck, kissing the spot she loves.

  “I think a time or two.”

  While the song plays, my thumb rubs circles on the top of her hand. Listening to the words, I’m reminded of how much I love this woman sitting next to me. How far we’ve come, and how I plan to spend the rest of my life with her.

  When the song ends, Lincoln walks over to the DJ and takes the microphone in his hand. “As always, this group shares everything, and I do mean everything. A huge congratulations are in order to our best friend Christian who proposed to Rory yesterday. I knew this day would come. You may not have seen it, but we did.”

  Morgan pulls the microphone toward her, smiling wickedly at us. “This song is for you, grab your woman and bring her to the dance floor.”

  I gather Rory in my arms as Better Today by Coffee Anderson begins to play. After a few moments, all our friends join us on the dance floor, each holding the woman they love.

  “I love you,” I whisper into Rory’s ear, pulling her closer to my chest. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You make me a better man.”

  She takes my hand in hers, and lifts it to her lips, placing a kiss on the inside of my wrist. “You’ve always been a great man, Christian.”

  I shake my head. “You’ve made me want this. You and Leah.”

  I slide my hands through her hair at the nape of her neck and pull her toward me, capturing her mouth to mine. “Listen to the words. Listen closely. It’s as if this song was written specifically for me. To you.”

  This is what I’ve been thinking of since the moment I met her. Kissing her, holding her, marrying her, having a family with her. This is it. Life doesn’t get any better than this.

  We say our goodbyes to our friends, stopping by the table where my mom sits with Leah asleep against her chest, and Sophie, my niece, asleep on my dad’s shoulder. Rory’s parents accompanied mine and they seemed to enjoy each other’s company tonight.

  Brandon is off in the distance standing next to Karsen by the bar. The two of them have been inseparable tonight. It’s sad Lindsey isn’t here to celebrate with us but she’s made no attempt to apologize to myself or Rory for her wrongdoing. The girls, on the other hand, want blood. Morgan refused to budge on her stance of her not attending unless she fixed things with all of us. Lindsey hasn’t even reached out to congratulate my sister on the birth of her daughter.

  Rory leans down, placing a kiss on Leah’s head. “Are you sure you don’t mind keeping her?”

  “Not at all, sweetheart. We love every opportunity we get with her,” my mom speaks up. “You kids go enjoy yourself. We’ll see you at breakfast.”

  My dad coughs, “Maybe lunch, if we’re lucky.”

  Heat fills Rory’s cheeks and they turn a crimson red. My dad made a sex innuendo in front of her parents.

  Her father lets out a hearty laugh, while her mother simply shakes her head, then says. “Go have fun, we’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Taking Rory’s hand in mine, I tug her behind me till we reac
h the veranda, then I toss her body over my shoulder and carry her to our room, which is just down the path.

  Once in our room, I place her gently on the bed and come down over her. My greedy lips consume the exposed skin of her neck, marking her while she unbuttons my pants.

  Pushing down my pants, my aroused cock springs free. It doesn’t take long before I’m lying naked before her, her dress discarded on the floor.

  Rory’s soft gaze holds mine, hands framing my face. “I love you, Christian. I want to be with you, only you.”

  She rubs my shaft up and down. A small drop of moisture leaks out of my tip. Her fingertip spreads the droplet around my sensitive head causing me to lose my breath.

  Rory takes me, sucking hard, hollowing her cheeks. The tip of my cock hits the back of her throat, causing me to see stars. If she keeps this up, I’m bound to lose my shit, real quick.

  “Stop. You need to stop,” I growl.

  She shakes her head with my dick still in her mouth. She pulls back some, only to run the tip of her tongue along my swollen head. My stomach muscles tighten form the sensation “Can I come in your mouth?” I growl.

  Rory nods, meeting my eyes, letting me know I have her permission.

  My hips begin to pump faster. Gripping her hair hard, I guide her mouth along my shaft. My head falls back and my cock pulses, pumping semen into her mouth

  “I sure as hell hope so. I just put a ring on your finger,” I say jokingly.

  My remark earns me a smack on the chest.

  Rory shoves my chest, pushing me down onto the bed and climbs on top of me, her knees straddling my hips as my hard cock nudges the aching spot between her thighs. Rory bites her lip to stifle the outcry of delight when I grind my thickness against her wet pussy. She is ready for me.

  My cock slides through her wet folds easily. I grind against her a few times, coating my dick. I find her entrance and in one quick thrust, she welcomes me into her body. Rory grinds her pelvis against me, taking every inch I have to offer. She finds a rhythm and rides me. Rides me hard and fast.

  Her hands roam over my chest before she digs her nails into my skin. This is all her. She takes what she wants, quickening her pace. My thumb applies pressure over her swollen bud, causing her to moan.

  “Christian!” she cries out. A shudder passes through her. Her eyes lock with mine as our breathing blends together in unison.

  “That’s it. Take us both there. Make us come, baby.”

  She grinds her core against my dick in perfect sync as I thrust my hips deep into her. Her naked body lays on top of mine, her bare chest against mine. She bites my shoulder as she comes causing my balls to tighten and I lose it right along with her.

  Rory shifts off me, lying on her side next to me. My dick still stands at half-salute...bare.

  Rory rode me bare back. “Rory, I have to tell you something,” my voice drops nervously.

  “What,” she pants, still trying to catch her breathe.

  “We might have a slight problem in nine months,” I respond jokingly.

  She leans up on her elbow, “What are you talking about?”

  Pointing at my cock, Rory laughs. “I’m on the pill, we’ll be fine.”

  Tossing on her on back, I move my mouth over hers, devouring its softness.

  “We’re never using condoms again,” I murmur against her neck. “That shit was amazing.”

  Epilogue

  Rory

  Two years later

  My diamond wedding band sparkles as the hot summer sun beats on us.

  Our wedding day was special. It was a small ceremony with our family and closest friends. Christian and I exchanged our vows, then Christian exchanged vows with Leah, while he knelt down before her, and placed a platinum Claddagh bracelet with a diamond in the heart, on her left wrist. The hands on the Claddagh represent friendship, the heart love, and the crown loyalty. Leah is Christian’s best friend, she owns his heart and is his little princess, so it was truly fitting. She wears it on her left wrist, so it’s closer to her heart.

  Christian decided on a bracelet, something Leah can have with her forever. When she grows, and it no longer fits, we can exchange it out with a longer bracelet, but the charm will always be the same.

  Today is Christian and Camryn’s birthday, and what better way to celebrate, than a family bar-b-que here at our new home. Our mothers are in the house putting the finishing touches on the food spread, while Mark, my father-in-law, mans the grill.

  Christian’s arm lies across the back of the swing, his fingertips sweeping delicately across my exposed shoulder, while his free hand lies on my swollen belly. I’m ready to pop, my due date is next week.

  My eyes land on the two roses sitting above the watch on the right-hand side. Their petals are trimmed in white, accenting each petal. Christian added two roses to his pocket watch when we got married. One for his love for me, and one for Leah. I also added a rose to my clock tattoo symbolizing my everlasting love for Christian. In the distance, Jaxson and Leah play in the sandbox building sculptures with buckets in the corner of the yard, while Sophie picks up handfuls of sand and throws it at them.

  “Sophie, that’s not nice,” Jamie tells his strong-minded daughter. “You be nice to Jaxson and Leah. Okay, sweetie?”

  “No,” she says, throwing handfuls of sand outside of the box on Christian’s perfectly mowed green grass.

  “That little girl is going to give them a run for their money. She is a spitting image of Camryn when she was younger.”

  “You can see the determination in her eyes. She will destroy their castle, if it’s the last thing she does,” I laugh.

  Jaxson and Leah are inseparable since they’re only a couple months apart. Morgan and I make it a point to have playdates at least once a week. We love seeing our children grow together. Morgan and I have become close over the past few years. Camryn and the girls accepted me in their inner circle with open arms.

  Having my cousin Lindsey being friends with them was an added bonus. Things between Christian and Lindsey were rocky for a little while after their blow up, but everything managed to work itself out in time. Lindsey apologized multiple times, Christian accepted each time, he just needed time to process why she would try to intentionally try and hurt him. Lindsey was able to mend her relationships with Morgan and Camryn. Once they saw Christian was able to move past it, they accepted her apology.

  She was looking out for me, thinking she was protecting me from getting involved with a man who didn’t want children, but if I’m being honest, I think her intentions were to put distance between Christian and me because she harbored some unreciprocated feelings toward him.

  In the end, everything worked out. Things happen for a reason. Being apart from him was an eye-opener for me and made me realize how much I needed him, wanted him in my life. In our life.

  “Go away, Sophie,” Jaxson yells, picking up a handful of sand and throwing it at her. His eyes, framed with thick lashes, flickering with defiance.

  Sophie screams, throwing herself on the ground, kicking her feet. She covers her face with her hands, crying for her mom. Camryn runs over, picking her daughter up, brushing the sand off her tear-stained face. The sun highlights her chestnut brown hair, loosely gathered in pig-tails.

  “Hey, do that again, and you’ll be sitting in time out. Do you hear me?” Lincoln’s voice is stern with discipline. “You play nice with Sophie. She’s a baby.”

  “We’re not babies,” Jaxson’s nose twitches and his dark blue eyes glare at his father.

  These kids are going to be the death of us. Each one has their own personality. Each child more determined, strong willed than the next. I hope they grow up being as close as Christian, Camryn and their friends are. A tight-knit family, all not related by blood, but tied together by love and loyalty.

  “No, son, you’re not. Being three years old is so much older than Sophie,” Lincoln says sarcastically before kneeling down, so he is eye level with his son. “
You need to play nice with everyone, it’s not nice to exclude Sophie. Would you want Leah to only play with Sophie and exclude you?”

  “Leah’s my friend, not Sophie’s,” Jaxson says, his lip quivers on the verge of crying.

  Lincoln reaches out, rubbing the top of his son’s head. “Sophie’s your friend, too.” Jaxson’s round face draws into a pout. “You play with Sophie, Daddy.”

  “Oh Lord, we’ve got a possessive little guy who only has eyes for Leah,” Christian exhales, watching this unfold before our eyes.

  I let out a laugh and lean back against the swing. “He’s three, Christian. He doesn’t have eyes for Leah.”

  “If he was a dog, he’d lift his leg and piss on her.”

  I lift my hand, smacking Christian on the chest. “That’s disgusting.”

  Christian’s forehead furrowed. “Jaxson’s marking his territory.” Christian points to his sister and best friend standing over by the grill. “You say that now, but this is exactly how Jamie and my sister’s relationship began. Now look at them.”

  My eyes focus on my brother and sister-in-law. Jamie’s arms are wrapped around his wife’s rather large belly. Camryn is only five months along, but she’s as big as me, and I’m due any day. When carrying twins, one tends to be bigger. They will be welcoming two little boys in a few months and we couldn’t be happier for them. Christian and I love Leah having cousins to grow up with.

  “I want to give you your present. Help me up.” Christian stands from the swing, extending his hands out for me. Grabbing hold of him, he pulls me up, because I would never be able to get up on my own from the swing. With my protruding belly, one quick movement, and I lose my balance easily. Hence the reason, I’ve gone on maternity leave early. I couldn’t risk anything happening at the hospital.

  “Can everyone gather around?” I announce to our guests in the yard. Christian and I are no longer living in the crazy, hectic City. We’ve moved out of my condo and are now living in a beautiful single family home, close to Camryn and Jamie. What better way for Leah to grow up, than being close to her cousin, Sophie?