27. Amos
AMOS
T here's a trapdoor in the hallway just outside the main bedroom. I tug on the string that hangs down, and wooden stairs slide into position. Alana looks at me in amazement, her eyes wide.
"There's another level?"
Her amazement makes me grin. "After you."
She goes up the small steps, and I follow.
The attic is large, and it will be good for storage.
But the part I want to show her is toward the back of the house.
We step over dusty floorboards to get to a rickety wooden door that leads out to the top of the roof.
I have to shove it hard to get it open. Just one more thing to add to the list of repairs the house needs.
We step out onto the flat part of the roof, and I watch Alana's expression as she takes in the roof terrace. Her eyes go wide in amazement, and then she frowns when she sees the small wrought-iron railing around the edge, the only thing separating us from a fall to the ground.
"This is definitely not kid-proof," Alana says.
"We'll need a higher railing and a lock on the door. But this space is just for you and me."
I come up behind her and slide my arms around her waist, and she leans back against me.
From here, you can see the lights of Hope in one direction and the dark woods in the other.
I tilt my head back, and above me stars twinkle in the night sky.
It's a warm spring night, and a soft breeze whispers across my bare arms.
I kiss the top of her head and breathe in the scent of her. It feels so damn good to have her in my arms.
The terrace is L-shaped, and I take her hand and lead her around the corner. I've set up two beanbags and a rug. A bottle of champagne sits in a cooler, already on ice.
Alana gasps when she sees it. "Amos! How did you get all this up here?"
I chuckle. "Easy."
It was far from easy, lugging those beanbags up the wooden stairs. But I wanted this to be special.
I pop open the champagne and pour us two glasses.
"To us," I say. "To the rest of our lives."
We clink glasses, and I take a sip. It's too sweet for my taste. I'm more of a beer man, but tonight I want everything to be perfect for Alana.
"How did you keep this all secret?" she asks.
I set my champagne down and sink into one of the beanbags, patting the place next to me. Alana comes and sits on my lap, and I wrap my arm around her, my hand resting on her thigh.
"I've been waiting for you for the last six months," I tell her. "And I've not been idle. The military was always my purpose in life. I couldn't imagine anything past being a SEAL. And then Sam came into my life. And you came into my life. And you gave me a new purpose."
I tap my chest, just above my heart.
"We can make a difference here, Alana. I kept an eye out for places that might work. This one's rundown, but it's huge. I couldn't have afforded it if it didn't need so much work. But I figure Joel and the guys owe me a few favors. Paige will do the garden for us."
She raises her eyebrows. "Paige?"
"She's a landscaper. And she's already got ideas."
I stand and walk to the railing, and Alana joins me as we look down on the backyard.
"That big oak is perfect for a fort. We can put the trampoline in that corner. I'm thinking a few veggie beds too. Gardening's a good skill for kids to learn, right? There's already an apple tree, and we could plant more fruit trees. Show the kids where their food comes from.
"All the rooms need painting, and a few repairs are needed. But mostly, it's just work. Three levels will take some time. But we'll start with the rooms we need and work our way through. Furniture might be sparse at first, but between what I've got and what you've got, we'll fill this place out."
I glance back at her. "I figure for the first year, we just get Sam and Kyra settled. Once the house is ready, and they feel comfortable, that's when we start taking other kids in."
Alana puts her wineglass down on the small table and takes my hands in hers.
"You've got a big heart, Amos. I loved you already. But now? You're a saint."
She looks so pretty in the moonlight with her eyes shining up at me. I lean in and capture her lips in mine. It's a slow kiss. Exploratory. A kiss we've waited a long time for. A kiss that shoots through my body, making me hungry for more.
My hands grip her hips, and with our lips still joined, I walk her backwards to the beanbags. She sinks into one, and I sink to my knees before her. My arms are around her waist and hers slide around my neck.
"Do you think you'll be happy here?" I ask.
She grins. "Amos, I'd be happy anywhere with you. But here? This will be beyond happiness."
I kiss the corner of her mouth and move my lips down her jawline, over her throat, to the soft part behind her ear. She lets out a moan that drives me wild.
"I've waited a long time for this."
"I know," she says. "Thank you for being patient."
"I'd wait a lifetime for you."
I slide my hands up her top and pull her t-shirt off. There's a fleece blanket by the bean bag, and I wrap it around her shoulders.
"Thank you," she murmurs. "I'm quite hot though."
I unhook her bra and slide my palm up to cup one breast, bringing the nipple into my mouth. Alana makes little murmuring noises as I caress and kiss her breasts.
"It feels good, Amos. So good."
I keep the blanket wrapped around her shoulders as I kiss between her breasts and move down her body.
I kiss over her stomach, loving the softness.
My thumbs hook into the top of her leggings and I pull them down with her panties, too impatient to go slow.
I drag them off her ankles, kicking off her shoes as I go.
She's naked now apart from the blanket around her shoulders. In the moonlight, she looks like a goddess. So fucking beautiful.
I lean in and kiss her thigh, and her body responds to me. My mouth snakes up her thigh until I reach her center. I kiss her everywhere, loving the sounds she makes and how responsive she is. My lips move over her, tasting her most intimate places.
Her juices flow over my tongue, and I drink in her sweetness.
Alana leans back under the stars, breasts lifted to the night.
I slide my hand up her belly to cup a heavy breast in my palm and tease her nipple until she writhes under my touch.
Her body trembles then shatters as she convulses on my tongue.
She cries out into the night, and it's a contrast to the muffled moans of our previous love making.
I want to make her come again; I want her to make those sounds again.
So I don't stop.
I relentlessly draw another orgasm from her, loving the way she screams my name into the sky. When I finally rise, she's still trembling.
I unbutton my jeans and she sits up and helps me out of my clothes, pulling my t-shirt over my head. Her nails scrape my skin, making my body jerk with the sensation.
My lips crash against hers, and there's nothing gentle now. Our bodies collide, hungry with need.
"We don't need condoms," she says. “I’m on the pill, and I haven't been with anyone since you.”
"Me neither."
I kneel between her legs, and she spreads out in the beanbag beneath me.
I run my length along her entrance, and she shivers at the contact.
The sensation nearly undoes me, and I grip her thighs to keep from losing control.
My tip slides inside and her body tugs at mine, making every part of me come alive.
"Fuck, Alana. I'm not going to last long. You feel too good."
"Don't slow down," she pants.
She thrusts her hips forward and I sink deeper, making us both cry out. Her pussy clenches around me, and she's got me so tight I might explode.
This was worth waiting for. She's everything to me, and I stare into her wild eyes.
"I love you, Alana."
"I love you too."
I kiss her gently. Then the need is too much, and I'm overcome with my urge to be deep inside her. I thrust again, and she wraps her legs around me as we move together, entwined in this beautiful dance that sets every part of my body on fire for this woman.
I pull back to sit on my heels and pull her onto me. Alana hisses out a breath as she slides deeper down my length. The sensation of filling her up is pure heaven, and I call her name into the night.
My balls pull up tight and I'm holding on by a thread, but I want to make her moan again.
My hand slides between us, and I make little circles on her sensitive center. She tosses her head back, and my teeth scrape against her throat. I move my mouth down to her breast, tugging at her nipples in the way she likes.
"Amos..."
Her face twists in ecstasy, and she calls my name into the night as she explodes around me. I let go, shattering inside her. Stars explode in my vision, and I don't know if they're in the sky or behind my eyelids. All I know is that this moment is perfect.
Alana collapses onto my shoulder, panting. Her hair is slick with perspiration, and I peel it off her cheek and kiss her neck.
"You okay?"
"Better than okay, Amos. I waited a long time for this too."
"No more waiting. You don't have to save the world on your own anymore, Alana. I'm here with you. And every day, I'm going to make sure you take time for yourself too. I'm going to treat you right and love you like you deserve."
She kisses my neck, and I feel myself stir inside her.
I'm never going to get enough of this woman. And that's fine by me. We've got the rest of our lives to explore each other.