Jeremy Danielson…
Lost in her eyes, all of the pain of the past few weeks has faded to almost nothing. Having her in my arms again - has the world tilting back into place. I don't feel disjointed anymore. I don't feel lost anymore. I don't feel like I am slowly suffocating anymore. And I don't feel hopeless anymore.
I am, however, still angry. I followed her home from the bakery where she was working and while I am grateful that she didn't see me, I am angry that she wasn't paying attention. Even more furious that when she got back to this house where she has clearly been staying and she didn't even shut the front door properly, just came into the bedroom, fell face down on the bed and was asleep by the time I walked into the room.
I stripped her of her clothes, and she didn't even stir. I lifted her up and placed her head on the pillow at the head of the bed and she didn't so much as flinch. I am beyond livid that she clearly isn't taking care of herself.
And I know that anger is seeping into my kiss, I attack her eager mouth with vigour, but she doesn't complain, she matches me with just as much pent up energy. My hands roam roughly along the contours of her body, and she goes still for a moment, her body tense and panting, "what's wrong?" I asked, pulling my lips away from hers.
The moment I saw her in that bakery - laughing with the older gentleman who had been her last customer - it was like I was home. The way her blonde hair appeared, lighter in the sun here, the vibrant way she would smile, and the sweet harmony of her laugh were all rallying calls - beckoning me home. The curve of her body is more pronounced - a side effect of not having seen her for nearly three weeks. Almost a fucking month.
A month!
I had been sure that I was dying slowly with the lack of her presence. I ached for her in ways that I hadn't ached for anyone before.
"There is something that I have to tell you-" her voice dropped until she was barely even whispering, nerves surged through her; I could see it. I had always been able to read her so well. Now, was no different.
"What is it?" Carefully, I pulled myself up from her body and rested back on my knees as I watched her closely.
"I'm pregnant!" She blurted it out because that was Dakota - she was straight to the point in the same manner that Charleigh was. I suspected that was the reason the girls got along so well.
"Pregnant?" I asked, my heart stopping in my chest as I tried not to get too excited. I have to know if, she is sure. I have to know this is real because I am terrified to get my hopes up.
"Yes-"
"Are you sure?"
"I did three tests yesterday, Remy. I am as sure as the tests are positive. I have been tired the past couple of days, like dead-on-my-feet tired regardless of the sleep I am getting. My boobs have been overly sensitive and achy, and I missed my period. I was sick this morning but that was the first sign of morning sickness," she explained calmly, as I got up from the bed and moved to my jeans on the floor, "where are you going? Are you leaving?"
My head snapped back to her, "do not even ask me that. I would never walk away from you-" the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I may as well have just physically struck her. She recoiled from me for a few seconds before she jumped up from the bed and pulled on her robe.
"Well, aren't you just the lucky bastard who has never felt fear for their life before!" She spat as she pushed past me and left the room.
Great job asshole!
How could I throw that in her face? Yes, I may be livid with her, but I never intended to make her feel small because of it.
This should not be how this goes. I just found out that she is having my baby and I was about to pop the question and my big mouth had to ruin it. Fucking moron!
"Come back here, 'Kota?" I demanded.
"You know, I don't mind you being angry by, what I did. I would have been fucking furious if the roles were reversed but I will not sit by while you pass judgement on me. You weren't in my shoes. You never lived the life I did so who the fuck do you think you are by making snide little comments -?"
"That's not what-" no, she was right. I had judged her for what she did. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart, please come back to bed and talk to me-"
The one thing that I loved about this girl - she never allowed her anger to linger. The ability that she has to accept an apology and let the anger go is one of the most remarkable things about her, because I know that wasn't something that Anna taught her. Hell, there wasn't much Anna had taught her, if you didn't count the way she had taught Dakota to look out for herself. Another thing that I loved about her.
Just look at the life she has made for herself here in a couple of short weeks. It is truly inspiring. I don't know many 20-year-olds who could have done what my girl did.
Just as I suspected, she turned and walked back towards me and sat on the edge of the bed. Which was actually pretty convenient if I am being honest. Being able to kneel in front of her without her knowing what was coming was what I wanted so I dropped down at her feet and rested my hands on her thighs as I stared up at her.
"You are right - I am fucking furious that you walked away, no, ran away-"
"You don't say!" She gave me a sassy little smile and I growled playfully at her.
"And you were right, I was judging you for it, although I didn't even realise that was what I was doing. But I do know that you had your reasons and putting your full trust in me isn't going to just happen over-night, but you have to know that I will always have your back. I will always go to bat for you. There is nothing in this world, or any other, that I wouldn't do for you." I began, trying to get my thoughts into some semblance of order, "when you disappeared, it felt like someone ripped my heart out. Then I read your letter and that just made it all the worse because you told me you loved me for the very first time in a fucking letter-" I let out a humourless chuckle at that, "you told me you loved me always and forever, but I didn't get the chance to tell you that I love you, sweetheart. Always and forever. There is nothing on this planet that will ever make me change my mind or fall out of love with you."
"You do?"
"With every damn fibre of my body, 'Kota. Realising that you were gone - it broke me, sweetheart, my heart felt like it was shredded to a million pieces and my soul just felt destroyed. I ached for you. Not just in a sexual manner but more than that. Somewhere along the way, you have become an intrical part of my life. I told your dad when he and I had it out, that I wanted him to be a part of my life, but I needed you to be a part of my life. Without you there is no me baby, without you I have nothing and without you nothing makes sense. I love you so much that it hurts when I think about you being gone. I love you so much that knowing we have created a beautiful little baby from our love makes the world feel right again. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you-" shuffling myself around until I was on one knee and the ring box was in my hand, "I want to spend the rest of my life as your husband, I want to marry you and spend the rest of our lives giving you everything that you have ever wanted, so what do you say, want to get started on that?" Opening the box and holding it up to her, my eyes drank in the surprise on her face and the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! There is nothing that I want more-" she replied as I slipped the ring onto her finger, it was thankfully the perfect fit, thanks to Charleigh, "this ring is beautiful Remy, I love it-"
"Thank God for that because-" I began as I reached my hands for the little belt that held her robe closed and tugging until it fell away and exposed her body to me, damn she was fucking stunning, "everything is set for the day after tomorrow!"
"Come again?" She placed her tiny hands on my chest and held me back for a few moments.
"We are getting married the day after tomorrow!" I explained to her.
The moment that we had found out where Dakota was - Jason and I made the plans we needed to get married here in Italy. I had my mind set on it from the moment it entered my thoughts. And there was nothing that would deter me from my goal.
"But we can't - I want my dad at the wedding and I don't even know if he is ok with us-"
"Sweetheart, he is on board. In fact, he is even paying for half of our honeymoon as a wedding gift-"
"Are you serious?"
"I wouldn't lie about this,"
"But I can't get married without my dad to walk me down the aisle!"
"Good thing he is here then, huh?" I grinned at her and watched the smile spreading over her beautifully flushed features.
"He's here? Where?"
"He and Charleigh are staying at a hotel in Rome tonight, they wanted to give us the night alone together, but I promise you that he is very much on board. In fact, I think the fact I asked for his blessing to ask you to marry me, helped his acceptance along-"
"Charleigh is here too?"
"I figured you would want a bridesmaid!"
"You figured correctly!" She wrapped her arms around my neck, "but what you are saying is that we are all alone for tonight?"
"Yes!" I couldn't stop the groan when she spread her legs and wrapped those Heavenly thighs around my waist and pulled me down on top of her.
Just before her back hit the mattress, I unclipped her bra and pulled it from her back, snaking the straps slowly down her arms and watching the stunning snowy globes come into view.
"Please be gentle, they are so sensitive right now!" She moaned when my head dropped to encase one pebbled nipple in my mouth. Keeping her request in mind, I allowed my tongue to lap against the hard points with gentle but firm strokes. "Mmmmmm yes just like that!" She moaned out as one hand firmly cupped her other tit - they even felt heavier than normal.
My other hand moved down over her defined curves until I was sinking under the waistband of her panties to find her soaking and swollen pussy.
"Jesus, you are soaked already!" I grunted desperately.
"It's all you!" She looked down at me and I couldn't get over the shine of love in her eyes, "you know it just occurred to me, I haven't said it to your face yet-"
"What?" Playing dumb made her giggle softly as she fixed me with a look of disbelief. Of course, she didn't believe that I didn't know what she was talking about.
"I love you, Uncle Remy!"
"Goddamn!" I growled and quickly pulled her panties to the side, "this isn't going to be a marathon sweetheart, just hearing you say you love me - I need you now!"
"Then take me, I am all yours!" She whispered as I grabbed the root of my cock and began to guide my way towards her dripping entrance.
The first inch breached her tight, slick walls and we both groaned out at the amazing sensation of being back together. "More!" She pleaded with me.
Not ever wanting to disappoint my woman, I pushed forward until my entire length was buried deep inside her and we both just lay there, connected as we let our bodies find the muscle recall from being together this way again. Our eyes locked on one another's as our breathing was loud and husky. My heart was jackhammering in my chest, my soul was screaming to move, to let that delicious friction build to the most rewarding release I have ever known.
A slight tremble began in Dakota's body which was like a starter pistol - it was always the same, whenever I felt that tremble inside of her, I knew that it was time to move and slowly I retreated until only my sensitive bell-end was being smothered by her tight walls waiting a single beat then I thrust forward with purpose, and we were both moving. Faster. Harder. More desperate with each stroke.
My heart soared at that moment. Not only did I have my girl back, but in less than two days she was going to be my wife and in 9 months or so, I was finally going to become a dad. All thanks to Dakota.
The love of my life.
A Couple of Hours Later…
Dakota Roth…
"Say it again!" Jeremy said as we lay in the hot-tub watching the moonlight dancing on the calm waters of the ocean in the distance. The sky was almost cloudless, and it gave the most amazing views of the stars, as they sparkled like little diamonds against a velvet back-drop. The scent of Jasmine was in abundance as the flower seemed to grow almost naturally around this part of the world. It has quickly grown to be my favourite scent next to Jeremy's scent that is.
We had made love for hours - indulging each other as the relief of being back together consumed us both. It was passionate. It was furious. It was gentle. It was hard. It was slow. It was fast. And my body felt completely sated now. The numb-like buzz was so satisfying that I just knew I couldn't wipe the smile from my face even if I tried.
"Say what again?" I teased him and he literally growled in response.
"Naughty girl - you want to be put over my knee again?" Yes, he had spanked me for running and honestly, it was the hottest thing in the world to see how possessive he was that I had cum so hard I left a puddle on the bed, and we had to change the sheets. Automatically my thighs clenched with a need all of their own, "fuck sweetheart, you have to give me some time to rejuvenate otherwise I am gonna dehydrate!"
"I love you!" Giving him what he wanted, and the smile transformed his features into the most stunning man I had ever laid my eyes on, "no more sex tonight baby, I can't handle anymore, my poor pussy feels like she took a battering-"
"To be fair, she kinda did!" He winked and I laughed, I loved being like this with him, just us enjoying each other's company, I had thought for sure that I had lost him, lost all that we had built, "I love you, sweetheart!"
"You like saying that don't you?"
"Are you kidding? I love saying it. I really thought that I lost you and I would never get the chance to tell you, so now I am going to tell you every damn chance I get," he confirmed as he moved through the water until he was easing his body in behind mine, his arms wrapped around my belly and curled around the mostly non-existent bump, "when did you find out?"
"Yesterday. I had been so busy setting up my life that I figured I was late because of all the stress but something inside told me to just take a test to be sure!"
"And you are sure this is what you want?" He asked me.
"Remy, I have never been more, sure of anything in my life. This baby is a product of our love for each other - why wouldn't I want that? This is a part of you inside me and I have absolutely no doubt that you are going to be an amazing dad. I love you and I want to have this family with you-"
"How many kids do you want to have?"
"Two, maybe three. You?"
"I was thinking more like five or six!"
"Ha-ha!" I sarcastically retorted, but he just placed his jaw along my shoulder and sighed happily, "you are serious?"
"Of course!"
"Baby, if we have six children, it will begin to feel like a fucking cave down there, no more tightness as I will be so stretched it will be like a fucking magicians cuff!" I exclaimed and instantly he threw his head back and roared with laughter.
"Instead of pulling bunnies from it, it will be children!" He chuckled and it was my turn to throw my head back and laugh because damn, this man could be funny.
"That would be some disgusting trick!"
"Hey, giving birth is a beautiful thing-"
"Says the man who doesn't have to do all the work,"
"I may not be able to give birth, but I will be right at your side through it all. I will listen to you call me all the bastards under the sun, I will hold your hand until you break bone and I will encourage you when you want to give up, this is a joint effort sweetheart and there is nothing and no-one that I want to do this with more,"
"I should hope not considering we are getting married!"
"I can't wait to be able to call you, my wife!" He grinned, holding me a little tighter, "but speaking of kids, have you thought of names?"
"Well, I was thinking, for a girl - Jasmine?"
"I like it, no I love it. Does it have anything to do with the scent in the air?"
"Yes. I have grown to love the floral scent, I am not normally a floral-scent type of girl, but this has been around me so much I have grown to appreciate it,"
"And a boy?"
"There is an old man in the village that I have grown to kind of love, like he is the perfect epitome of a grandfather, and his name is Antonio-"
"Is that the old man I saw you talking with in the bakery just before you left this morning?"
"It was, he is such a sweet old man, Rosita says that he is a grumpy old sod, but he has always been so nice and welcoming to me, I would go as far as to say that he made me feel safe just by knowing he was close by, it's silly I know-"
"It's not silly, sweetheart. I am glad that you had someone like that, maybe I could meet him?"
"I would like that, but beware that he is really a grumpy sod, with people-"
"Except you?"
"Except me, apparently!" I laughed. It was true. The older man had been rude and abrasive with people around him. I had watched the way he would almost alienate himself from everyone. Something about me had broken through the grumpiness though and a part of me revelled in that fact.
Antonio was I would say maybe 70-years old, but he was a bit like Sylvester Stallone - heavily built with muscle and tanned to within an inch of leather, dark hair that was scattered with white and a smile that could either disarm or rattle, depending on his mood. I think that he may have been in the forces at some point but for a man of his age he was remarkably spry.
"Then Antonio it is,"
"Really? You don't have any counter suggestions?" Turning my head to look at him.
"No. I like the reasoning behind your choices, and I love you!" He said it again, making me smile even wider.
Once we had finished making love, Jeremy explained how he found me and then how he had followed me home this morning finding the door open and me face down on the bed fast asleep. It was a stupid thing to have left the door open like that but in my defence I was so exhausted that it wasn't intentional. My man had taken care of me and then he stripped down and curled up next to me as his jetlag kicked in.
"Rem'?"
"Mmmm?"
"What happens now?"
"What do you mean, sweetheart?"
"Well, aren't Anna and Stuart still looking for me?" I asked, addressing the elephant in the room because if they were, how could I possibly ever go back to the states?
"We told them you were still with us. We didn't want them knowing you had taken off because we were worried that they would continue to hunt you down. Now all of our secrets are out in the open, so Anna has nothing to blackmail you with!"
Was it really going to be that easy?
Could I really just slip right back into my life with Jeremy, my dad and Charleigh?
"What are you thinking?" He asked me softly.
"I guess I am wondering if it really could be that simple!"
"If you want it to be, yes it could!"
"I love you and I want to try, baby," I nodded eventually.
My mother had dictated the course of my life for far too long and now was the time for me to take back control. I was in love with my fiancé, and I fully intended on marrying him. I loved my dad and best friend and that meant that I had to put my faith in them. It was time for me to grow up and start letting people in. I had to start trusting the people I hold close because there isn't a damn thing that I wouldn't do for them. I have to trust that the feeling is mutual. I mean look at the lengths they have already gone to, to get me back.
We have a baby on the way. I don't want my kids to grow up like I did. I don't ever want to give them anything but love and confidence that they can do anything that they set their minds to.
I am getting married the day after tomorrow and then we are going to travel across Italy - Jeremy told me about dad's generous offer and I couldn't believe that this was happening. I am going to get to do what I have always wanted to do.
The future starts here, and I honestly can't wait.