Jordyn's Army, page 28
A shiver races up my spine.
Doing as he asks, I ease onto the bed, in the center, my gaze on him. My eyes follow him in the glow of the candlelight as he makes his way to my roses, the same type of bouquet he’s given me every year. He plucks one out of the vase before disappearing into the bathroom. I stay still, waiting. The anticipation of what he’s going to do next takes hold. My thighs quiver because my body knows. It knows what he can do to me. It knows how he does exactly what’s needed to turn me on.
“Hey.” He climbs on the bed next to me, rose still in hand. “Had to get rid of those thorns,” he says, in the way of an explanation before he bends to kiss the corner of my mouth.
“Why?” My voice doesn’t sound like my own.
“This.” He takes the silky rose petal and gently swipes it over my hard nipple—one then the next. He doesn’t stop there. He traces the column of my neck and slides the bud between my breasts. My breathing accelerates as he softly caresses me with his symbol of our marriage.
“I need you.” The words are a whisper, but I know he hears them.
“Where do you need me, baby?” he asks. “Here?” He again traces my breasts, sure to drag the bud over my nipples. “Maybe here?” A slow descent takes place as he glides the rose down my belly and stops just above my pussy. Where I need him. Lifting my hips, I seek more of whatever he’s willing to give me. Just more.
“There,” I moan as he guides the rose petal lower. Never in a million years would I have thought that could be a turn-on. And in reality, maybe it’s not the rose. Maybe it’s just Rhett and the anticipation, but in this moment, my body burns for more.
More of his touch. More of him.
My breathing is labored, and my body is on fire. I fight the urge to squeeze my thighs together. “Please,” I beg.
I watch in fascination as he brings the flower to his nose and inhales. Pulling back, he looks at the bud and grins. “You’re wet for me.” Before I can make a smartass remark that he knows is coming, he turns the rose and shows me his evidence. The petals he just stroked over my sex are wet from my desire for him. He’s toying with me. Taking his time might sound romantic, but it’s driving me crazy.
Well, two can play that game.
As I close my eyes, I glide my hand slowly over my breasts. I pinch my nipple and my back arches off the bed. I hear him suck in a breath and inwardly smile. I’ve got his attention. Sliding my hand further, I don’t stop until I reach my pussy, taking two fingers and circling my clit.
“Saylor,” he growls, a low sound deep in his chest.
“So wet,” I moan.
“Fuck,” he hisses, and I know I’ve got him.
I open my eyes just in time to see him move to hover over me. I spread my legs, making room for him, and he settles between my thighs where he belongs. I don’t stop teasing my clit. His whiskey-colored eyes grow dark as night. “Your pleasure is mine,” he says, barely holding onto his control.
“Show me.”
He nods and, in one swift thrust, he’s buried deep inside of me. “Move your hand,” he says, and I do as he says. We both know I don’t need any help getting there with him inside me. Especially not tonight. I can’t remember a time I’ve ever been this hot for him. Not even all those years ago when our relationship was still brand-new.
I slide my hand out of the way, and he smirks. “Hold onto me.” I do as he asks, sliding my hands under his arms to grip his back. He pulls out and slams back in. Over and over again, thrust after thrust, he takes me. My nails dig into his skin, and my legs tighten around his waist as I hold on for the ride.
One more deep thrust and he stops. He rolls over, taking me with him. I settle on top of him, bracing my hands on his chest and begin to move. He sits up, and his cock slides deeper. His hands grip my face as his lips crash with mine. I don’t stop moving. No. I grind against him, seeking the sweet release that only he can give me. His hands fall from my face and wrap around my body, holding us impossibly close. I don’t stop seeking the sweet oblivion that I feel building inside me.
“I need….” My voice trails off. I can feel it. The pressure builds. I’m there. I just need… more.
“I’ve got you,” he says. His hands fall to my hips, and he lifts me slightly, then pulls me back down onto his hard length. Over and over he does this until I crumble into a million pieces. Tingles race through my body.
“Fuck,” he says, his lips next to my ear, and I feel him pulse inside me. That alone sends another tidal wave of pleasure coursing through my veins.
My arms wrap around his neck, and I bury my face there as well. His strong hands gently trace up and down my spine. “Happy Anniversary, Short Stack.”
“Best. Anniversary. Ever,” I say between pants, making him laugh.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Of course. What more could a girl ask for than Whiskey and roses?”
His deep throaty chuckle meets my ears. “I love you madly.” He breathes the words against my lips.
“I love you more.”
A moment later, he lifts me off him, and we head to the bathroom to shower. Afterward, we climb into bed, naked, and he wraps his body around mine. This is how we fall asleep every night, and it’s perfect.
There was a time I never thought I’d have this. This deep-rooted love that I know will stand the tests of time. I never thought I’d have a family of my own, but Rhett, he changed all of that. He made my dreams come true.
The next morning, I wake up alone. The bed beside me is cold, so I know he’s been up for a while. Laughter drifts from downstairs, and I smile. He’s such a good dad. Once out of bed, I brush my teeth, and get dressed in pajamas, then head downstairs.
“Finally,” Lilah says, exasperated. “We’re starving.”
“It smells yummy. Did you make this?” I ask her.
“I helped,” she says proudly.
“You’re up early,” I tell my husband, standing on tiptoes to kiss him good morning.
“Let us take care of you for a change,” he says, pressing his lips to mine. “Speaking of that, you need to eat, and then get ready to go.”
“Go? Where am I going?”
“Spa day.”
“What?”
He shrugs. “Jake and I got you and Molly a spa day. The works.”
“But it’s our anniversary,” I remind him.
“Exactly. This is my gift to you. You bust your ass taking care of us, and you deserve a day of pampering. I mean, you’ve put up with me for sixteen years.”
“I’ve loved every second of those sixteen years.”
His eyes soften. “Me too, baby.” Snaking an arm around my waist, he kisses me, slow and deep.
“Eww,” Lilah moans. “Bubby, Gracie, Nora, save me,” she whines, making us pull away from the kiss and laugh.
“Eww is right,” Rhett tells her. “Boys have cooties.”
“Then why you kissing him, Momma?” she asks.
“He’s my husband. You can kiss your husband.”
“No way. I’m never getting married.”
“Good girl,” Rhett praises. He winks at me, and I shake my head.
As soon as my plate is cleared, Rhett ushers me upstairs to get ready. Apparently, there is a car coming in an hour to pick us up. I hesitate, not wanting to be away from him today. “Go, baby. You deserve this. It’s a few hours. The kids and I are going to hang out today. Tonight, we’ll be together.”
“Oh, I bought the stuff to make individual homemade pizzas. I thought that would be fun.”
He grins. “Sounds great, Short Stack. Now go get ready.” With another quick kiss and a hug from each of the kids, I head upstairs to shower.
5
Rhett
The older kids are giddy. They’re excited to be in on the surprise for Saylor. Lilah, she’s just happy that everyone else is happy. Jake dropped Molly off, with the guise he was going to hang out for a while. As soon as the limo we rented them to drive them around today pulls out of the driveway, we jump into action.
“What are we doing?” Lilah asks.
“We’re going to have a surprise party for Mommy when she gets home.”
“Yay! I won’t tell her,” she promises.
I love my little girl, but a secret keeper she is not. “Okay. Well, I need you to take this and dust all the tables in the living room.”
“On it, boss.” She races toward the living room.
“Dad,” Number Four says. “Mom did that yesterday.”
“I know.” I smile. “But she doesn’t. Now, let’s get started.” I toss out responsibilities to each of the kids, while Jake and I unload everything from his car. I’ve been shopping for this for a while—decorations, and whatnot. Jake and Molly have been hiding them at their place. Molly knows to keep Saylor occupied today until we tell her we’re ready for them to come home. The driver I hired is also in on it. If needed, he can claim car trouble or traffic or getting lost. Hell, I don’t care as long as she does not come home until we’re ready for her.
Three hours later and the house has been decorated. The caterers have the food set up, and the kids have all had showers and are ready to party. “Thank you,” I tell them, holding my arms open for a group hug. They all come willingly. “I couldn’t have done this without your help.”
“Mommy is going to be so surprised.” Lilah cheers.
“I hope so.”
“Knock, knock,” Jake calls.
“In here,” I tell him.
“Hey, I just talked to Molly. They’re about thirty minutes from being ready to go.”
“Perfect. Guests should be here any minute.” As if they heard me, the doorbell rings and I rush to answer it. That’s how the next twenty minutes or so goes. My parents are here, as well as a few of our kids’ friends’ parents that Saylor and I have become close to. That was necessary if my kids ever wanted to spend time at their house. You can never be too careful. Turns out they’re now some of our best friends.
Saylor: On our way home. I missed you, but today was great.
Me: That’s great, Short Stack. We missed you too.
Saylor: Love you.
Me: Love you too.
“They’re on their way,” I tell the room. Everyone nods and gathers into the living room. She’s going to see all the cars when she gets here. I thought about having them park up the hill behind the old barn, but then we would have to worry about transporting them to the house; it’s a pretty far walk. I decided that was too much to ask of our guests. Besides, she’s going to find out regardless. She’ll be surprised all the same.
I hear the limo pull up, and I can’t contain my smile, no matter how hard I try. Once outside, I stand on the front porch, with Jake right beside me.
“Rhett, what’s going on?” Saylor asks as she gets closer. “Why are all of these cars here?”
“This is our anniversary party.” She takes hold of my outstretched hand, allowing me to pull her against my chest. “Happy Anniversary, Short Stack,” I say quietly, just for her.
“I can’t believe you did this. How did you pull it off?” Her eyes shimmer with tears, and her smile is blinding.
“I kept it from Lilah,” I deadpan, and she throws her head back in laughter. “In all seriousness, it’s been hard. I felt like I was lying to you. Sneaking around is hard as fuck.”
Her eyes sparkle. “You keep surprising me. Even after all these years.”
“Gotta keep the spark alive.” I wink.
She leans in close, so close there isn’t an inch of space between us. “You’re so getting lucky tonight.”
I grin down at her. “My work here is done.”
“Come on, you two.” Jake pulls open the door and ushers us in.
With my arm around my wife’s waist, I lead us into the main living room. All of our friends and family yell out, “Happy Anniversary!” Saylor grips my arm tightly. I look down at her and find her looking up at me with tears shimmering in her eyes. “Good surprise?”
“The best,” she confirms.
I bend to kiss her, and the room cheers for us. The kids rush toward us and offer hugs, and eagerly tell Saylor how they helped. Lilah was so proud of herself that she didn’t spoil the surprise. They pulled Saylor across the room to show her some of the decorations. The three older kids were in charge of building a collage of our lives over the past sixteen years. They did an amazing job, and I know my wife is going to cry when she sees it.
I watch them from across the room, and sure enough, her hands lift to wipe under her eyes. She hugs each one of them fiercely, and my heart lurches in my chest. Saylor never asks for anything, which is the point of this party. Sure, it’s technically for both of us since it’s our anniversary, but in my eyes, it’s all for her. The love of my life. The woman who stole my heart completely and promised never to let go.
She’s come a long way. We both have. I wanted this night to be a reminder of how many people she has in her life who love her. A reminder to her that sometimes what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.
I thank my lucky stars every day for that weekend. I don’t know if we would be where we are right now without it. I’d like to think that we would, but life has a funny way of working out.
6
Saylor
This night has been incredible. With the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes it’s hard to take the time to stop and just enjoy time with your friends and family. That’s exactly what we did. The kids were so excited that they got to help and pulled off the surprise. And Rhett, well, he proved yet again what an amazing husband and father he is. Not that I needed a reminder.
“She’s asleep,” he says, sneaking into our room. “I had to read three stories, but she’s finally conked out.”
“Too much excitement.”
“Yeah,” he agrees. He strips out of his shorts and T-shirt, and slides into bed. He moves toward me and opens his arms. Just like he does every night.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Good surprise?” he asks again.
“The best.”
“I thought about waiting until we got back from our trip next week, but it would have been hard to coordinate everything while we were gone. Not to mention, the kids were so excited to be involved. I was afraid by pushing it off, one of them might spill the beans.”
“How did you manage to keep it from Lilah? She’s a nosey little thing.” I laugh.
“We did work.” He chuckles. “I told her there was a special trip for you, but you already knew about our four days away.”
“She told me,” I confess.
He chuckles. “I knew she would.” He kisses my shoulder. “You still worried about leaving them?”
“It’s not a worry. I know your parents will take good care of them. It’s more the fact that I’m going to miss them like crazy.” We’re leaving Monday morning for a four-day trip to Hawaii. Just the two of us. That’s where we went on our honeymoon, and we go back every year on our anniversary. Only this year, we’re not taking the kids. Previously, they’ve taken the vacation with us. “I feel a little guilty too. That we’re taking a trip without them.”
“That doesn’t make us bad parents, Short Stack.”
“I know that. I’m just so used to them being where we are. It’s going to be odd not having them there.”
“I promise you won’t have time to feel guilty.”
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?” We’ve been there so many times, there’s really not anything we’ve not seen or experienced.
“I don’t plan to let you out of bed.” His voice turns husky. “Just like our honeymoon.”
“You think you’re up to that, old man?” I tease.
He pushes his hard length against my ass. “What do you think?”
“I think it sounds like I can pack light.”
“Clothing is definitely optional.”
We both laugh softly as I burrow further into his hold. I can’t help but think about our life together. The way we started out, our second wedding, the birth of each of our children, and even losing Gramps. Through all of it, my husband has been by my side, anchoring me to him, and our love. The moonlight glows through the room, and my eyes catch a glimpse of the roses. One for every year. Memories from the first time I laid eyes on him flash through my mind. When I first met him, I never would have thought this sweet, romantic man would be hiding behind those mesmerizing whiskey-colored eyes.
“Hey, Whiskey,” I whisper softly.
“Hmm,” he says, already half asleep.
“Thank you for the roses.”
“Anything for you, baby.”
Closing my eyes, I let sleep claim me as I drift off with my Whiskey and roses.
About Kaylee Ryan
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Where I Escape
Michelle Dare
1
Blair
There are a lot of things people see when they look at me. They might see their favorite author. That’s a hat I proudly wear. It’s a job I love and a passion of mine. Others see a friend, a boss, and a fighter.
My life hasn’t been easy. I’ve been beaten, raped, and lost my unborn baby at the hands of the man I thought loved me. Witnessed him shoot the ones I love. And was there to watch his life end. I’ve seen more death than I care to think about. I hope I never see that kind of carnage again.
