by Parker, Ali
He stood up. I didn’t back up. I put myself in his space, forcing his body to rub against mine as he rose from the couch.
“Are you still hungry?” he whispered.
“Not for pizza,” I replied.
“Thank God,” he groaned, grabbing me and lifting me up.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. He held me, carefully navigating the many boxes strewn about as we moved into the bedroom. He walked across his bedroom and carefully sat me on his bed—our bed.
He made no move to undress himself or me. I looked into his eyes and saw pure adoration. “Mason?”
“I’m just taking a second to look at you, admire your beauty. You are so beautiful. I want to remember this moment forever. This is the moment I make love to you in our bed, in our home,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
“I’m going to remember this moment for the rest of my life, but not just because it is going to be our first time as a couple living together, but because it is the first time I tell you how I feel,” I told him.
“How do you feel?”
I smiled. “My heart is full, so full I feel like it can hardly beat in my chest. Every time I look at you, I get that feeling of warmth that is so pure and good, it pushes away any negativity in my life. I love you. I love you so much that it terrifies me.”
He said nothing. My heart raced. I hoped I didn’t just spill my guts and tell him something he wasn’t ready to hear. I had been holding on to the secret for too long. I needed him to know I was completely in love with him. I needed him to know because I needed him to understand I wasn’t only half in. I was all in, just like he said he was.
“You have no idea how happy that makes me. I love you. My God, I love you so much I can’t think of anything except for you. I will do anything to make you happy. I want you in my life forever. You have my heart. It’s yours,” he said.
I got off the bed and walked into his open arms, letting him hold me close, his mouth nuzzled against my neck. I had never been lucky enough to experience true love. I had a new understanding for those couples I saw in the street that looked ooey-gooey in love and acted like there was nothing else in the world other than each other. I felt like that.
I reached my hands into his hair, gently pulling until his face turned up enough for me to kiss him. His kiss was tender and sweet and infused with the love we shared. His hands dropped to the hem of my shirt and pulled up. I raised my arms, letting him pull it off and discard it on the floor before reaching for his shirt. I was suddenly very desperate to be with him. I wanted to seal our words of love with the sharing of our bodies.
“I need you,” I whispered.
“I’m here.”
“Hurry,” I gasped, pushing my shorts down.
“I don’t want to hurry. I want to take my time with you.”
I groaned, his words sparking pleasure deep within. I leaned my head back, his mouth moving to my neck and over my throat while his hands worked to pull off my bra. My hands ran up and down his bare back, scraping my nails over his flesh and encouraging him to move faster. I was hot and ready.
He stepped away from me and quickly removed his shorts and underwear. I stepped out of my panties, standing before him nude and unapologetic. We both looked at each other’s bodies as if we hadn’t seen each other in weeks. I reached out with the tip of a finger, running it over the tattoos on his chest before moving to the spot where the angry bruise had mottled his skin for so long.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I blurted out.
He smiled. “I’m glad I’m here too.”
“That day,” I said, stopping the rest of the words from tumbling out of my mouth.
“I know. I’m okay. I’m here with you and God willing, I’m going to be here for a long time.”
I bent down, pressing my lips to the area. The heat from his skin set me afire. I moved onto the bed, anxious to have him inside me. I needed him more than I ever had before. He climbed up beside me, lying on his side against me while I laid on my back, looking up and into his eyes. His mouth lowered to mine, parting my lips with his tongue and moving inside. I moaned, sucking on his tongue while my free hand ran up and down his bicep, feeling the strength under the skin.
“Please, baby,” I groaned, his mouth running a trail of kisses over my jawline and then my collar bone.
“I am. I’ve got you covered,” he promised.
My legs fell open, blatantly encouraging him to take what he wanted from me. I wanted him to have it all. When his hand finally slid over my breast, headed south, my breath hitched. His fingertips were tracing a circle around my belly button before brushing over my core. I was already so hot for him, I could feel the moisture coming from my body.
“Mason.” I said his name, tasting it on my lips and loving it.
“I’m here,” he replied, his fingers sliding over my slit with more pressure and parting my folds.
I gasped. His gentle touch was going to be my undoing. We tended to run hot all the time. It was new, like the first time. I closed my eyes, letting myself drift away on a fantasy while he worked his fingers over me before ever so slowly pushing one inside. I nearly wept with ecstasy. Being with a man I loved heightened the pleasure. Everything felt so much more intense.
“More,” I groaned, not opening my eyes.
His finger pushed in higher, holding steady before sliding out. I could feel how slick it was as he slid it over me once again. I felt like I was on fire, my body overheated, flushed and twitchy. His finger pushed inside again. When he tried to pull it out, I clamped my legs closed, holding him inside me as my body erupted into flames. I cried out, my body relishing the release.
He kissed me, leaving his finger inside me as his tongue pushed into my mouth, sweeping in and extending the orgasm. When it finally subsided, I unlocked my legs, letting them fall open before opening my eyes to find him watching me.
“I could come just watching you in the throes of an orgasm,” he said, his voice husky.
I smiled, glad to know he took great pleasure in giving me pleasure. He was a generous lover, always making sure I reached a climax at least once, usually several times before he took his own. I loved that he loved to please me. It wasn’t just a kind gesture; it was very telling of the kind of man he was. I didn’t think he even realized how good he was. I was going to make it a point to show him and tell him every chance I got that he was a good man, deserving of the best in life.
“I want you inside me,” I told him, looking him straight in the eyes.
He crawled over me, his heavy dick hanging down. I reached for him, guiding him to my opening and waited for him to push himself inside me. His eyes held mine as he slowly slid in. I bit my bottom lip to keep from crying out and closing my eyes. I wanted to watch him like he watched me.
“God, you feel so good,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
“I love having you inside me.”
“I love being inside you.”
“Deeper,” I gasped as he moved.
He groaned, his eyes sliding closed as he pushed himself inside me. I cried out with pure pleasure and joy. The man was mine. He loved me and I loved him. I felt complete.
“Baby?” he whispered, his voice full of concern.
I opened my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Did I hurt you?” he whispered, using the pad of his thumb to brush away the lone tear that had slid out from my eyes.
I smiled, slowly moving my head back and forth. “No, not at all. I’m just so overwhelmed with all of this. I never knew I could love someone like I love you. I feel whole, like a whole person and not a person just going through the motions. I know it’s silly, but you complete me. You make me want to live every day with you by my side.”
“I’ll be there. I will be with you.”
I leaned up, kissing him and telling him how happy he made me. His body began to move, a slow grind that tickled all of my nerves. I could feel myself winding up f
or another orgasm. It was a slow burn, one that promised an explosion in the end. I watched him move, looking down my body as he slid in and out of me. His large, tattooed body was rock-hard, pushing me deep into the mattress as his tempo increased. I couldn’t watch any longer.
My vision was blurred by the fireworks going off in my brain, bright pinpoints of light erupting in front of my eyes as they dropped closed. I let out a long, low keening sound that matched his own sounds of pleasure as he erupted inside me. Our bodies were joined in every sense of the word. Our hearts and souls fell into a rhythm that I hoped would never be broken. I wanted him in my life, just like this, for the rest of my days.
His weight dropped on me for a brief second before he rolled to the side. I could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he struggled to catch his breath. I leaned up to kiss him, gently bringing him back down from that place he had floated away to. I had been there myself. It was our place; only the two of us together could reach it.
“Are you still hungry?” I asked him.
He burst into laughter. “I could eat.”
I sat up and patted his chest. “I’ll go grab you a plate,” I said, sliding out of the bed and walking naked into the living room to grab the pizza box, abandoning the damn plates before grabbing two cold beers from the fridge.
“Pizza in bed?” he asked with a sexy smile.
“I need to keep you fed and watered, or beered, I suppose,” I said, handing him the beer.
“Does that mean you have wicked plans?” he teased.
“I do. Nasty, wicked plans that involve your body. I need you in the best shape possible with plenty of calories to burn,” I said with a laugh.
“I’m game. I’m up for whatever you want to give me.”
“I want to give you everything,” I told him, taking on a serious tone.
“You have and I know you will continue to. You have given me everything a man could want and so much more,” he said, his tone serious as he looked at me.
I slowly nodded my head, anxious for an exciting future together.
Chapter 74
Mason
I walked out of our bedroom to find Adelaide staring at the dining room table. She moved a few feet to the left and stared again, bending over and getting eye level with the linens and plates. I stayed quiet, watching her move around the table, adjusting the silverware a tiny bit before stepping back and studying it again.
“Does it talk to you?” I asked, startling her.
She jumped and spun around. “You scared me.”
“Sorry. You were really intent on whatever it is you were doing there. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Does it look okay?” she asked, nervously chewing her lower lip.
“It looks good, I think. I don’t know that I’m really the person to ask,” I confessed.
She sighed. “It has to be perfect.”
“Adelaide, it’s fine. Really, it is.”
She scowled at me. “I’ve been to your family’s mansion. The table was set with fine China and perfectly arranged. I can’t compete with that.”
“You’re not competing. This is a dinner. It’s about welcoming them into our lives. You’re on more solid footing here. Relax and try to enjoy yourself,” I told her.
“I have to get dressed,” she mumbled, pushing past me and heading into our room at the end of the hall.
I didn’t follow her. She was stressing out and needed a few minutes to collect herself. I knew once she was dressed and ready, she would feel more confident. I moved around the living room, staring at the shelves with the pictures of her and her father alongside some of the little figures and other things she had collected. Her feminine touch in the apartment was noticeable. I liked that it felt homier than it ever had before. I was anxious for my family to see it. It would send a message that I was okay. I was going to be okay. I’d had a few rough years, but I was ready to start my life with her.
When Adelaide emerged in the pale blue dress that hugged her figure, I reminded myself again that she was mine. The dress was elegant and sexy. The spaghetti straps showed off her gorgeous shoulders. She’d put a clip in one side of her hair, holding it back and leaving the other side down.
“You are truly the most beautiful woman in the world. I don’t know how I got so lucky to get you, but I’m never letting you go. You are stuck with me for the rest of your days.”
“Well, good, because I don’t plan on moving out of here anytime soon,” she said with a laugh.
There was a soft knock on the door. Her eyes widened with fear. “Relax. Everything looks great and you are stunning.”
She closed her eyes, exhaling a breath before opening her eyes and pasting on a smile. “I’ll get the door.”
I stayed back a few feet, still feeling very protective of her. When she opened the door, I saw it was Deanna and Dalton. I was the one breathing a sigh of relief.
“Oh, thank God,” Adelaide murmured and pulled Deanna into the apartment.
“I’m not sure what that means, but hi,” Deanna said, looking from me to Adelaide.
“I’m nervous as hell. You’re here. You’ll be my someone to talk to,” Adelaide said.
“Hey, am I chopped liver?” I protested.
Both women looked at me with scowls. “You know what she means,” Deanna retorted.
I looked to Dalton for help. He shrugged his shoulder. “Don’t ask me. Where’s the alcohol?”
“Wine, whiskey, scotch?” Adelaide asked, quickly sliding into hostess mode.
“Scotch sounds good.”
“I’ll have wine,” Deanna chimed in.
I took care of pouring the drinks while Adelaide pulled Deanna to the table to get her opinion on the situation. I watched as the two women moved the candlesticks father apart and slid a plate over by an inch. It seemed like a lot of fuss to me, but clearly it was a big deal to them.
When the bell rang again, we all froze. Deanna and Dalton had met my family, but they mostly knew them through me, and I had not been kind in my assessments of them.
“I’ll get it. Everyone relax. Don’t make this weird,” I ordered.
It was my mother and James. James shoved a bottle of wine in my hand. “Here. Mom said we couldn’t come empty handed.”
“We might need the extra wine,” I said, carrying the bottle into the kitchen.
I watched as Adelaide greeted my mother. It wasn’t exactly a warm welcome, but it was a step in the right direction. Jack and Natasha arrived next.
“Hi!” Adelaide rushed at Nat, grabbing her hand and very exuberantly introduced her to Deanna.
Everyone else, minus Channing and Colt, arrived. I served drinks while Adelaide expertly navigated the room. She chatted and mingled with everyone. Things were going much better than I had anticipated.
“Your place looks nice,” my mother said, coming to stand next to me.
“Thank you. I believe they call it the woman’s touch,” I said with a laugh.
She smiled and nodded her head. “We do have a way of softening the edges.”
“Yes, you do. Look at Grayson. He looks normal,” I commented, watching my brother actually laugh as he talked with Adelaide and Hannah.
“Women have a way of doing that. Grayson was living his life in a box. I don’t know if he ever got outside of it until she forced him to. Now look at him. He’s happy,” she said, clearly proud of him.
“I think it’s his kid,” I said with a laugh.
“His kid, Mason? That kid is your niece. She is a very sweet little girl. I’m hoping you get the chance to know her. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have all of you, well almost all of you, in the same room and actually getting along. It is a rarity.”
“It’s not always that bad,” I argued.
She rolled her eyes. “You didn’t have to be the referee.”
Jack made his way over, drinking his scotch with a smile that reminded me of a cat that had just got the canary.
“Well, I
take it things worked out,” he said.
“No shit. You figured that out all by yourself?” I said dryly.
“See, this is what I mean,” my mother muttered and walked away.
“Things look like they are going good,” he said in a quiet voice.
“They are. I could have never asked for more. She’s everything and then some.”
“I’m happy to see you happy,” he said, nodding his head.
“Are you going to make it to Sinclair’s?” I asked him conversationally.
He nodded. “I am. I was thinking about drinks with Grayson on Monday. Maybe you could meet us there.”
“Sure. I’m usually there anyway,” I told him.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I actually served drinks and bussed tables,” I told him.
He choked on the whiskey he was drinking. “What?”
“Sinclair’s took off with quite a bang. We weren’t really expecting it to be that busy. Adelaide and I both had to jump in. It was kind of cool,” I said with a laugh.
“Did you get your ass slapped?” he joked.
“Nope, but I did get a collection of phone numbers written on little cocktail napkins.”
He glared at me. “What the hell? Aren’t you supposed to be devoted to her?” he hissed.
I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t save the numbers. Adelaide walked away with quite a few business cards,” I said, using air quotes.
He burst into laughter. “Gotcha. That’s when you know you’re in a real relationship, when you can talk about how much you got hit on and neither of you gets jealous.”
“If any of them had pushed it too far, I would have knocked them on their asses,” I growled.
“I know you would have.”
“She fits, right?” I asked, wanting his opinion and knowing he knew what I was talking about.
He nodded his head. “She fits. She’s different and knows none of the same people we do. I like that.”