The Storm

“Swear to God, you scrambled my brain.” I shake my head back and forth.

She grins as she walks out of the closet, arm in a sling, holding boxers, track pants, and a tee.

“Why the boxers?”

“Can’t have you walking around here like a little ho with your giant dick swinging free.” She laughs.

That grin, that laugh, my Gwendolyn.

“I love you.”

She nods. “I know.”

I step out of the dress pants, which are still around my ankles. “Promise me, Gwendolyn. Promise that no matter what we face, we do it together and never let anything put us?—”

“Two things.”

“Okay.”

“What happened due to my choice with my body aside, I wasn’t ready. I was embarrassed that I’d gotten pregnant. I was on the pill. We were careful. No one would have believed it. Right now, listening to myself say …” She shakes her head. “It makes me angry that I cared about what people might say or think. I know?—”

“You don’t have to explain,” I interrupt her with some truth, stepping into my boxers. “I’m all about her body, her choice.”

“I waited so long, Leland.” She holds her hand to her belly. “I waited because I’m selfish. I didn’t have you, but I had part of us.”

My eyes burn as I step to her and take her face in my hands. “Don’t fucking do this to yourself. What healing comes from that?”

She scowls and starts to argue, but I’m not having it.

“Would you say any of this to nineteen-year-old you?”

She nods.

“Bullshit. You wouldn’t have said it to yourself a week ago. You’re scared. Fuck, so am I. But I’m also having a hard time not being able to be a little stoked that there’s a mini us chilling inside you. You’re a mom, and I’m a dad, have been for all these years, and now we get to be that together. Mama June’s up there, singing to our first. I mean, it’s off-key as fuck, but she’s still doing it, giving it her all. She’s gushing about that ring on your finger, and our kid’s probably wanting to tell her it’s downright ugly. But he’s not because he’s part you and part me, and she’s Mama June. Our boy would never say that to her, would he?”

She smiles sadly, shakes her head and, at the same time, a tear falls down her face. Fuck, so doesone of mine.

“Please don’t,” she whispers.

“My tears are just chasin’ after yours.” I press my forehead to hers. “No matter what, I got you, and you got me. We’re gonna laugh and cry, and fight and fuck, and we’re gonna do all that a lot more than maybe what some consider normal. But we don’t care, do we?”

She shakes her head.

“On three, say it with me—fuck them.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“One … two … three … fuck them.”

“Fuck them,” she whispers.

I wipe her tears, and she wipes mine. Then I kiss her quickly and stand.

“Ready?”

“Fuck yes.” She smiles, bright and beautiful.

I start to walk out, but she tugs my hand. “Pants, Locke, pants.”

“Shit.” I laugh and grab them up.

***

Walking out into the living area, I pull her back so we can take in everyone sitting around the table together. I mean, their phones are in their faces, but it’s cool.

Mom shakes her head. “That’s not going to work for us. I have an appointment.”

“So, it’s the seventeenth after the early game or the eighteenth.” Ms. Deb looks around the table. “What works for you all?”

“I think the seventeenth would be too much with having to return to Arlington the next day for another early game,” Chloe adds.

Blaze looks at AJ. “We can make the eighteenth work.”

“Use some of those frequent flyer miles we’re racking up to catch a flight the next day.” AJ holds out a fist, and Blaze begrudgingly taps it.

“Progress,” I whisper and kiss her cheek.

“What are y’all planning?” I ask.

“Barbeque in Walton so the boys can see where the people they’ve been held up with are from.”

“You sure you can carve out enough time?” Gwen asks. “You’re gonna need a good … I don’t know, thirty minutes to tour the entire town.”

Pope leans back and links his fingers behind his neck. “Good barbeque and great company are all you need.”

“Nothing beats a Texas barbeque,” Dad adds.

Ms. Deb stands up. “Who’s hungry?”

“Me.” AJ stands. “I’ll help.”

Blaze follows suit. “I can, too.”

He stops in front of looking at where my arm is around her waist, then up at me, totally fucking stone-faced. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks, man. Appreciate it.” And I do that while trying not to laugh because, straight up, what the fuck?

He then looks at Gwen. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling better, thanks.”

“Are you here under duress?”

“What?” She laughs so hard she snorts then hugs him.

To that, he smiles. “Congratulations, Gwen.”

“The fuck was that about?” I ask him.

And he looks at me, again stone-faced as he leans in and whispers, “That ring? Do better next time.”

“You asshole.” I laugh, “Bring it in.”

Gwen smiles and heads toward her Mom.

He gives me a half-ass hug and steps back. “Love her the right way.”

“You got a crush on my girl, Bennett?” I ask.

“She’s special. She and CeCe. You or Hart fuck up …” He arches a brow and walks away.

“Kid’s a trip.” Pope hands me a beer.

“He’s getting more confident on and off the field.”

“He is. Gonna be better than his old man was at his age.” Pope cracks his open and smiles in the direction of Dad and Danny. “How’s he doing?”

“Second knee replacement’s healing up good.”

“And how are you?” he asks.

“Pissed I missed all those years with her, grateful she’s alive and, honest to God, I can’t wait to live our lives together as husband and wife.”

“How are you gonna feel when she’s chasing bad guys again?” he asks.

I take a drink and let that sink in a bit, and then I tell him straight up, “No clue.”

“I get that.”

Well, shit, how am I going to feel?

“Vander didn’t show,” he points out.

“I see that.”

“Where’s Nour?”

“His sisters in town. Been a while since they’ve seen each other.”

“From what AJ said, it’s been years.” He shakes his head. “She’s a vet. Has an interview with CeCe.”

“CeCe looking to expand?”

“Whit said she wanted a more flexible schedule.” He smiles as Danny heads toward us. “Love will make you look at things differently.”

“Hey, Coach and I were talking about roasting a hog for the little get-together after the series in Arlington. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a big job to take on when you could be drinking beer in the stands, rooting against one of your state’s teams and for the Jags.”

Danny laughs. “Good reason as any to roast a damn hog.”

“We’re due for a loss.” Pope shrugs.

“Bite your tongue, man. I want that ring.”

***

Before heading to bed, I could tell Gwendolyn was tired and suggested she should turn in. I told her that I’d get everyone settled. I swear I saw that temper flare for a second, but Ms. Deb piped in and offered to help me.

Whit went with her to check on her wound and gave me the thumbs-up when she came out.

“She in bed?”

“She is, but that doesn’t mean her mind is not going a mile a minute. I wish she could turn me off just for a second.”

I fight back a smile.

“Oh my God.” She smacks me.

I try not to laugh as I defend myself. “I didn’t say?—”

“And I don’t wanna hear it, but if it works, go put your girl to sleep.”

“I second that.” Ms. Deb laughs.

“I’ll third it, even though I haven’t a clue as to what you’re talking about,” Mom says, holding up a glass half full of red wine.

“Just like you didn’t know what was going on above the garage in the game room,” Dad pipes in.

“Shit, I forgot about that.” I laugh. “MVP baseball on the PlayStation. She kicked my ass ninety percent of the time.” Before taking a drink, I look at Danny and whisper, “Let her win. Played for sexual favors. No better way to find out what your girl likes best.”

He holds out his fist, and I tap it.

***

When I walk into the room, the bed is empty, and the door to the balcony is open. My pulse quickens for the few steps it takes to get close enough to see her standing there, leaning against the balcony, in pajama pants and one of those cardigans.

Placing both hands on either side of hers, I lean in and kiss her cheek. “This one’s new.”

“Not now.” She turns and looks at me. Then she closes her eyes as I dip down to kiss her nose.

“Haven’t seen this one. Tan one and the dark gray, never maroon.”

“I stole the tan one from Mom when I went to college, and it was like wearing one of her hugs. The gray one, I thrifted and pretended it was my dad’s when asked.”

“Yeah?”

She nods.

“And this one?”

She smiles and turns back to look at the moon’s reflection on the water. “I stole this from you the night we broke up. It’s your letterman sweater.”

“I like that,” I admit.

“That I’m a cardigan thief?”

“Don’t mind that at all, but I love that you’re talking on a deeper level.”

“Don’t get used to it. Apparently, all these hormones are making me a giant ball of mush.”

I rest my chin on her shoulder. “I love you in all your forms.”

“That’s a good thing, because I’m all over the place.” She leans back into me. “And Locke, I love you the same.”

“I know.” I smile.

A few minutes of silence passes, and then she clears her throat. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t mention this earlier with all the excitement and all, but when Mom and I were walking to the beach, and I was under the impression she just wanted to see the sunrise with me, she told me all three moms were in the kitchen when I went off last night.”

“No shit?”

“Nope. She was acting shady, and I called her on it. They heard a few things.”

“Like?”

“Me going off about ‘Our Song,’ pro-baller cum, Big Mac’s and, yeah, me telling you to fuck rocks.”

“I wanna laugh, but more than that, I don’t wanna piss you off, so go on.”

She sighs. “She, well, they heard me say she was a strong role model and that she’d fight a bag of bones to protect my child if I got locked up for murder. She told me, of course, she would, but asked that I not get locked up. And then I made her promise not to talk about me being pregnant because of what happened in college.”

I pull her closer as she exhales.

“And then she freaked because, well, they didn’t hear that part.”

“Well, fuck.”

“Mmhmm. I made her promise not to tell. Not a word would be said, not even to Annie, until an actual baby was in my arms because I couldn’t handle it emotionally or physically.”

“And?”

“Of course, she promised. Jesus, Locke.”

“All right,” I say.

“Then she laughed and told me that she, Annie, and Theresa laughed their asses off when they later discussed my mental breakdown.”

“Okay, then that’s all there is to it.”

“It is, because I don’t care if I get to where I look like I swallowed a watermelon, you and I are not pregnant until a baby is pushed from my vagina and I see it breathing.”

“Gonna say this one more time, but your body, your choice. And straight up, I got no problem telling off any jackass who dare ask if my wife is pregnant. Shit’s rude. They’ll deserve my ass-chewing and be damn lucky if I don’t give them a beat down, too. You say the word, and I will fuck them up.”

She shakes in silent laughter. “Hush.”

“I’m hushing.”

“Well, your dick’s not.”

“Can’t help that I get hard when you’re acting a little”—I pause to come up with something that’s not gonna get me unlaid, knowing I’m going raw tonight and feeling her with not one thing between us, not even secrets—“emotional.”

“Good save, player.” She nudges me gently.

My nose flares when she nudges me a second time, and then looks back at me with those blue-grays, giving me a silent plea for more than just my covered dick resting on her back.

I slide my palms up her shirt, happy that the sling is gone, cup her tits, and toy with her nipples, giving them equal attention. I lick a slow sensual line behind her ear before sucking on her lobe and feeling her body shiver against me. Then I slide one hand down the tight, soft skin of her belly, pushing my fingertips under the waistband of her pajama bottoms, and smile when I feel that she’s not wearing underwear.

She reaches back and runs her hands up the back of my neck, lightly scratching my scalp with her fingernails as she leans fully into me. I push my hands farther down, cupping her bare pussy, rubbing the palm of my hand back and forth slowly, causing her to whimper. Then I run a finger lightly over her split slit, but not pushing it inside of her, not yet.

Rolling her nipple between my fingers, plucking gently, while still teasing her pussy, her hips begin to thrust.

“I fully plan to go to a town on this hot fucking body of yours, but right now, I just want to feel you, Gwendolyn. Feel my fiancée, the woman I’m going to marry,” I whisper, dipping my fingertip between her wet folds just a little bit more.

She turns and looks up at me, lips parted, breaths more labored, and I press my lips to hers. Our tongues immediately find each other’s, and the deeper she licks inside my mouth, the deeper my finger goes and the harder she rocks against my palm.

She turns and faces me. “Leland, take me to bed.”

I grab two handfuls of her luscious ass and lift her up. Her legs are around me, and her lips crash against mine again, kissing, fucking kissing this woman, my girl. I could do this all day, every day, three hundred sixty-five days out of the fucking year, for the rest of my life, and I plan to do just that.

After setting her on the edge of the bed, I walk over and shut the door, peeling clothes off as I return to her and start stripping her.

She’s naked, and I’m between her legs when she whispers, “I want your cock. I want it so bad.”

“Never been one to deny you, but I need a lick first.”

Pulling her legs up gently, resting them on my shoulders, I lean down and hum against her cunt, sucking on her lips, tasting her fucking essence, and loving every second of it.

Her hands twist my hair, and not in a way that’s gentle. Oh no, not my girl. She has always known what she wants and has never been afraid to ask for it, demand, or just take it. It’s so fucking sexy. So fucking Gwendolyn.

Peering up at her, my mouth still on her pussy, I ask, “You need to be filled, sugar?”

She closes her eyes tight and nods. “So badly. I wanna feel that barbell inside of me.”

“Fuck yeah, you do,” I groan then suck on her clit while pushing one finger inside of her, kinda feeling how wet she is. I curl it up and rub her G-spot to the same rhythm I suck on her clit. Her hips rise up, and she begins to fuck my face desperately, trying to find her release.

I move my finger faster now, in and out of her, helping her get there, fucking her deeply while my tongue works her clit, until she begins to tremble, her pussy weeping, juices now coating my mouth.

“I could fucking bathe in you.”

Her nails sink into my shoulders, biting into my muscles, and her thighs clamp against the sides of my face. “Yes, yes, yes, oh fuck yes.”

Her nails retract, her uninjured arm rises above her head, and her hand grips the duvet as her body starts to shake and she cries out my name, a dozen or so curse words, as well, shaking and rocking against me, taking what’s hers.

When her body starts to relax, I gently lay her legs back on the bed and stand up, eyes glued on her glistening pussy. Beautiful. Hand on my cock, I stroke myself as I watch her tits rise and fall.

Once she notices, she drags herself up to the top of the bed. I crawl up, kissing up her thighs, across her abdomen, up her torso, stopping at each tit to lick and suck, all but eating one and then the other.

With one hand, I push up, making sure to keep my weight off of her as I drag my cock up and down her drenched seam. Her eyes flutter open, and she’s got that post-orgasmic haze clouding her beautiful blue-gray eyes as I sink slowly, inch by inch, into her hot, wet, tight pussy.

She whimpers as I fill her slowly, and when I’m balls deep, fully inside her, consumed by her, she whispers, “Love you.”