Behind Closed Doors, page 21
“It doesn’t feel like early days for me and you though, does it?” he replies with a smile. “I feel like we have been in one another’s lives forever. This kinda feels like the next natural step for me and you, doesn’t it?”
I nod along, understanding what he means completely. Looking back now, it seems weird to imagine that there was ever a time when he wasn’t around. I can’t even imagine it. But hopefully, if things work out as I want them too, then the future won’t ever have to not include him again. By the look on his face, he isn’t going anywhere.
I almost want to call Marnie up and tell her that I didn’t need to worry because this man has chosen me anyway. Despite all of the odds being stacked against us, we are going to make. I want to cry again, only this time for joy.
Luckily, before even a tear can fall, Leo grabs me, and he crashes his lips to mine making my heart explode. Of all the ways that this conversation could have gone, I wasn’t expecting this. Or more I didn’t dare to hope for it, but I wanted it to be this way. I’m so glad that we’re here and his hands are snaking around my back. He holds me close to him and darts his tongues between my lips, causing me to melt.
“Oh, wow,” I moan, tossing my head back as his lips move down my neck. “Leo, you are everything.”
His hands cup my ass and he scoots me back towards the wall. I rest against it, allowing it to keep me upright as his fingers edge towards my panties. Instantly, I’m on fire, flames lick all over my skin because the man of my dreams has me once more. The closer those velvety fingers get to my core, the more excitable I feel. So much so that I rest my foot against the wall and part my thighs for him. Knowing how good he feels between my legs makes it that much nicer for me. I can’t wait until he stops rubbing my hyper sensitive clit on the outside of my underwear and he plunges inside. In fact, this teasing is starting to drive me a bit insane. The pregnancy hormones work in another way apparently and they are making me scream out for him. Every fiber of me wants him.
“I have missed you so much,” he moans, his breath tickling all over my throat. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” I reply honestly while allowing my eyes to slide closed in sheer desire. “So damn glad.”
As he finally gives me what I want by slipping in to my underwear and massaging me until I can barely handle it, my knees begin to buckle. It might not have been that long since we were last together, but since it’s been such an intense period of separation where I really thought that we wouldn’t end up back in one another’s arms, it makes everything that much more powerful. He’s phenomenal and it’s utterly killer. Every time he thrusts and plunges his fingers deep in to me, my head spins. I’m pretty much seeing fucking stars.
“Leo,” I purr, loving he way that his name feels on my lips. “Oh, Leo, Leo.”
Now that I have him again, it’s sheer bliss to repeat his name like a damn prayer. I want to keep saying it over and over again until I’m sure that he’s mine forever. I cling to him tightly as I shudder, almost digging my fingers in to his arm, just to keep him exactly where he is, doing just what he is to me because it’s incredible.
But just as I’m about to tip right over the edge, Leo does his classic move of yanking his hand away to kill me. And it does, I bend double and I nearly scream with frustration. I was so close then that having that snatched away from me is too much. I might lash out and give him a slap this time around.
But instead of smacking him, I fiddle with his trousers instead and tug them apart, allowing them to slip down with ease. I fix my eyes on his as I take him out and stroke his length, loving the heat of his cock between my fingers. I have missed this man’s body as well and I am so glad to have him back.
The more I touch him, the more I don’t want to move from where we are, so I angle him towards me needing him to take me up against this wall, right where I am, but just before he connects with my core, I have the amazing idea of spinning around to poke my ass out to him instead. I glance over my shoulder to see his eyes almost pop out of his head with pleasure. Good. I absolutely love doing that to him.
“I need these panties off,” he growls as his fingers curl around them. “I really need to see the curve of your ass.” He drags them all the way down with ease until I kick them off my ankle. “Oh, fucking hell.”
I splay my fingers out on the wall and bend over. With my eyes still over my shoulder, I see him coming towards me with a dark, hooded desire in his gaze. His cock is in his own hand now, which is a sight so hot I feel the wet heat pooling and crying out for him. Luckily, he’s pressing himself against me already, teasing my entrance with his thick, throbbing erection. I lean back against him, not wanting to be teased.
I groan loudly as he slides all the way in to me, really filling me up. His cock is so massive, so delicious, so perfect for me. Every time me and this man are together, I realize that I couldn’t live without him. I tried to tell myself that I would be able to get by, but with every intense thrust, I know that I can’t.
The pleasure comes for me quickly, it rushes through me like a tsunami, rushing over me in powerful waves. My legs tremble as my organs all explode and shatter in bliss. I don’t know if it’s the hormones or the fact that we have made it back together again, but I’m pretty sure this is the most powerful orgasm I have ever experienced. It seems to claim every single part of my body and swallow it up whole. Luckily, Leo hooks his arm around my waist to hold me up, so I don’t tumble and fall to the ground hard, enduring pain with the pleasure.
“Oh fuck.” Leo’s growling voice murmurs in to my hair, making my heart hammer. “Fucking hell.”
As the pleasure tenses up through him and eventually shatters, I try my best to reach back and hold him because I want to support him through the orgasm like he did for me, but I can’t quite reach him. He’s oddly out of my reach which is annoying. I miss him already. The second that he’s gasping through the post orgasmic bliss, I spin quickly and grab him for another kiss, wanting to have him pushed up against me as much as possible.
“You aren’t going to run out on me again, are you?” he murmurs. “You really are staying her for good?”
“I am.” I nod while listening to his heart racing against his chest. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“And we’re going to have a baby…” He pulls back to look at me. “So, we probably should move in together, don’t you think? We don’t want to live apart while parenting, that will be too complicated.”
“Steady on, will you?” I chuckle. “You don’t need to shoot along at the speed of light. We still have a few months yet. Why don’t we start small by you taking me on a lovely date?”
“Well, alright.” He shrugs and smiles. “But it really doesn’t feel like I’m moving too fast with you. Not when I love you so much.” He sucks in a breath. “I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to tell you, but I do love you.”
“You… you do?” I feel happiness ball up in my chest like I’m about to burst. “Really?”
“I don’t expect you to say that you feel the same way, I just wanted you to know.”
“But I do.” I grab his cheeks and stare in to his eyes. “I’m just shocked that you love me. I can’t believe that you have fallen for me like I have you, it’s amazing. I love you more than anything in the world.”
We kiss again, this time with an even deeper intensity. The love flows between us, circling around us, and capturing me in a bubble with just Leo. The rest of the world is still around us, but it’s blurred out by this kiss. I can really feel it now, even more powerfully than I ever have before, that me and him are going to be in love forever. That we can have the future that we always wanted. Me, him, and the baby too. I can’t believe it. It might not be what either of us planned on, but that doesn’t wreck how incredible this is now.
As I pull back to look in to his eyes, I can’t stop myself from grinning like crazy. Eventually I will move in with this man and we will have our child. I’ll also have a career somehow; I will find a way to make it work. Then I will finally have the future that will make my father proud.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Leo
Seven Months Later…
I watch my students file out of the class with a grin on my face, happy with how things are going. I really feel like every single one of them is making progress in the right way, and I’m over the moon. The best way for me to prove myself as the great teacher that I can be is in the student’s results. That is what will define me. So far, everything is just as incredible as I want it to be, but I won’t relax and let myself grow comfortable.
“Hey!” Nicole is the first person to slip into my class once I’m alone, which has become very common these days because as it turns out she actually does want my advice on her love life these days. She has become such a good friend of mine that she is one of the rare people who knows the truth about my situation. It’s a surprise that we have gotten to this point, but I’m happy for it. “How are you? You look all happy today?”
“I have the latest ultra sound picture,” I burst out excitedly. “Do you want to see it?”
She nods enthusiastically. “Oh yes, for sure. Did you find out what gender the baby is?”
“No, we don’t want to. We’re going to leave it as a surprise and find out on day zero.”
She takes the picture from me and looks at it with shining eyes. “That’s exciting. I like that idea actually. Ooh look, your baby is so cute. So much bigger now. I bet you are over the moon, aren’t you? And Lauren as well.”
“We sure are. And it shouldn’t be long now until our baby is here. I have been dying to show you the image for ages. But you have been on your vacation with your boyfriend for what feels like forever.”
“I know, I know, but you can’t be the only one in love, can you? We need to share it around…”
“Tell me about it,” I ask, wanting to know what’s going on with her. “I want to know everything.”
As she talks, filling me in on everything that happened while she was in Greece, I spot Noah entering the room. He rolls his eyes at Nicole’s story as if he doesn’t want to hear it, but I ignore him. It doesn’t matter what he wants, my friend is here to talk to me about her trip. I don’t want him to go though, because I have something to tell them both and I’m excited for them to hear it. I need his advice as well as Nicole’s.
Eventually, she finishes her tale and I curl my fingers around the little box in my pocket. God, I can’t wait my friends to hear about this because I know that they will be happy for me. Even Noah can be, now that Lauren isn’t a student anymore and there isn’t anything for him to worry about. I can’t get caught out doing anything wrong and his recommendation can’t be tossed out the window. All is good… particularly since we’re having this baby together and we are both very excited about it, showing that we are forever.
“So, guys, there is something that I need to tell you both, something that I have been planning…”
“Oh no,” Noah groans. “I have a feeling that this is going to be something crazy.”
He was the first one to tell me that I was mad to ask Lauren to move in with me so quickly, but I proved him right on that one. The last five months have been absolutely wonderful, smoother than I ever could have hoped for, and even Noah can see now that it was the right thing to do. Living with Lauren is everything that I thought it would be and more. We click so well, I look forward to seeing her every single day, our chemistry keeps growing stronger all the time as well. There isn’t anything bad about us at all.
“Don’t be so negative,” Nicole slaps Noah on the arm. “This might be something amazing.”
I smile at her and slowly bring the right out of my pocket. Noah shakes his head and sighs. “Oh, Leo, you never learn, do you? Being engaged hasn’t exactly worked out for you in the past, has it?”
“The last time that I was engaged, it wasn’t the right move. I didn’t see it at the time, but now I can see everything so much clearer. Emma was clearly wrong for me from the start, but this is different. Lauren is different and the way that I feel about her is so much more incredible. Plus, she’s the mother of my child, isn’t she? So, this is totally different. This is brand new. She is the woman for me.”
“Oh, that is so romantic,” Nicole coos. “That is amazing. You two are going to be so happy together forever.”
“You think so?” I feel a glow all the way through my body. “I hope so. Do you think she will say yes?”
“That girl clearly adores you so of course she is going to say yes.”
Noah scoffs and rolls his eyes. “She will say yes, but you two are both so crazy. I don’t know how to slow the pair of you down. I keep wanting to tell you that you’re moving at the speed of light, but you do anyway.”
“I know. But it feels right, and if it feels right, then I’m sure it is.”
I stare Noah down knowing that I’m making the right move, sure that I’m correct. My mind is set on the future with Lauren anyway and there isn’t anyone that can tell me otherwise. There might have been a lot of drama for us in the beginning nearly tearing us apart, but the last few months have been blissful and wonderful, proving to us that we can survive the stormy weathers and the calm oceans in equal measures.
“So, what are you going to do?” Nicole asks, shoving Noah to one side. “How will you do it?”
“I don’t think that Lauren will want anything too extreme because she is so heavily pregnant at the moment, so I was thinking of decorating the house up and cooking her a nice meal, do it there.”
“That’s how I would like it.” She nods and agrees with me. “Not too showy or for other people. Just a lovely romantic proposal for the two of you. It will be perfect. You will do awesomely. Do you know what you’re going to say yet? Have you planned out your little speech yet? You need to get your words right.”
“He will say something sappy and sweet,” Noah chimes in. “And I’m sure you will get it right because for some reason, even though you fucked up the first time around, you seen good at this love stuff now.”
“I think that’s a compliment… is it a compliment?” I laugh. “Thank you, I hope so.”
I flick the ring out then and show them what I have chosen. A classic princess cut diamond on a white gold band that I think she will adore. I hope she does anyway. It’s complicated and non-fussy beauty.
“Now that is lovely,” Nicole coos. “I love it. She is one lucky woman.”
“Come on, Noah.” I nudge him playfully in the side. “Tell me that you are happy for me.”
“I am. I’m happy for you.” He nods slowly. “Everything is working out, huh? Oh, but actually I think there is someone else that you should tell this to. Another friend of yours who will be pleased for you.”
“Oh yeah? Should I know who this is?” I furrow my eyebrows. “It isn’t just you two?”
“What about the friend who saved your life? Please tell me you haven’t already forgotten being hit by a car?”
“Oh, James!” I clap my hand to my forehead hard. “Of course. Shit, can you give him a call?”
Noah nods and does this for me while Nicole plays around with the ring a little. I reassure her that she will soon be the one who’s getting married and settling down with a man who makes her happy, hopefully the man who she’s with now because they seem to be a really good match. She’s enjoying her time with him and right now he seems to make her happy. I met him once briefly, and he seems nice enough.
By the time Noah hangs up the phone, he indicates for me to follow him towards wherever James is, and I go willingly, happy to see the guy who really did save my life. I haven’t had much chance to see James recently because we have both been so busy with life and everything, so this will be nice. He’ll be happy for me, without all the bullshit that Noah gives me, so I’m looking forward to that.
* * *
On the drive home, I have a giant smile on my face. Just as I predicted, James was over the moon for me and even turned Noah around a bit. Now all of my friends are on board with the engagement which just makes me that much happier about what’s to come next. But I need to call Lauren first to check that I have time for my plan.
Ring, ring… Ring, ring… Ring, ring…
The nerves kick up a notch as I call her through the car phone, and I wait for her to pick up. She’s at work, so she might not pick up, but I’m really hoping that she does. I don’t want to plan the perfect night blind.
“Hey, babe!” she says happily as she answers much to my relief. “How are you?”
“All good, all good.” Oh God, can she hear the anxiety in my voice? “How are you? Is work good?”
“Oh, work is incredible. I am enjoying it so much. You have no idea…”
She talks for a while, telling me all about everything that she has been up to, which warms my chest. For a long time, I was worried that she would end up regretting giving up the job opportunity in Washington because it really did sound like it could have been a big step for her, and I didn’t want her to resent me, but as it turns out she was right to wait for a better chance to come her way because now she has the perfect balance. A job that she enjoys and feels passionate about, but also one that she can work around her life. Her boss has been very understanding when it comes to her pregnancy, so I’m sure that will remain when our child is born too.
“Anyway, you didn’t just call to hear about my day, did you?” she laughs. “What’s up?”
“I was just wondering what time you will be home tonight, just so I can get dinner sorted.”
“Oh, well aren’t you just the perfect man! I will be leaving here at six thirty.”
I grin to myself, glad that I will have plenty of time to do everything that I have planned. “Okay, no worries. I will get something sorted for when you get in. Looking forward to seeing you already.”
