Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Sebastian
“W e’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.”
I smiled down at Raven, moving her hair from her face as the water rained down on us. “We’re going to also have to be very quiet, because Nora is bouncing around the living room, waiting for us to get you ready.”
“I think I can be quiet,” she whispered, and then her hand was on my dick, and it was hard for me to think.
I crushed my mouth to hers, water sliding over us. I parted her folds, my fingers sliding over her clit. When she shivered, I grinned against her, playing with her before I inserted one finger and then another. She groaned, spreading her legs for me, and I continued to pump in and out of her, matching the rhythm she was pumping on my dick, using the soap so it was a smooth glide.
I humped against her, thrusting into her hand, and before I knew it, she came on my hand, a quick motion that had her shaking, and I gripped her hip, keeping her steady.
“You okay? Don’t want you sliding in here.”
“Then you better get inside me and keep me steady. I’m really glad that your shower has a bench.”
I grinned, then adjusted us so I could slide deep inside her in one thrust.
We didn’t need a condom, not now. We were tested, exclusive, and she was mine.
I licked at her neck, played with her breasts, loving the way she tugged on my nipple rings.
When she came again, I followed, filling her as I continued to pump my hips, my knees shaking.
“We’re going to use all the hot water,” she whispered against me, kissing my throat.
I pinched her hip, and then slid out of her, grateful we had already washed our hair.
We were quick cleaning up after that, and then we tumbled out of the shower, laughing.
We got ready quickly, getting dressed first so Nora could run in, talking about how excited she was for the recital that night.
“Are you going to wear your blue dress?” Nora asked, bouncing on her feet.
Raven and I didn’t live together, not yet, but she spent the night at my place more often than not. Nora even had a little bed over at Raven’s place, for the few nights that we spent over there.
In the weeks since everything happened, since I’d almost lost her, we had gone full into who we were. Into the relationship we wanted.
Nora only knew parts of what had happened, she didn’t need to know it all, at least not yet. But she knew Raven had been hurt. She was an adorable little nurse to bring Raven back to full health. And during that time Raven had stayed with us, and we had fallen full swing into the family that we were becoming.
Every time I saw them together, it reminded me that Marley was still here with us, just in a different sense. She had brought Nora into my life, and I would be forever grateful for that.
And now I loved Raven. And the thing was, a human was able to love more than one person. They were able to open up their heart as full as they needed to. Marley was my past, Raven and Nora were my future.
I was one blessed man, even if it took me nearly losing everything to realize that.
Raven met my gaze at Nora’s question, and then nodded down at my daughter.
“I was going to. I think it will match your dress perfectly, don’t you think?”
“I think it’s perfect. And I’m excited to go over to Grandma and Grandpa’s for dinner after!” She paused. “Daddy’s mom and dad. Not other Grandpa and Grandma. Although I’m going over there tomorrow. And I’m really excited because we’re going to make cookies!”
The idea that my daughter was excited to go to Marley’s parents was still a surprise, but ever since our talk—our blowout—things had changed. I knew they were going to therapy now, something they should have done five years ago, like I had, but there was no way to force someone into healing. But things were better for now. They weren’t perfect, and they would never be, but we were finding a way to work together. The fact that they no longer talked down to me or made my daughter cry meant something.
“I have to blow dry my hair real quick, and then I’ll be ready to go.”
“Can I help?” Nora asked, and Raven smiled and nodded. “You’ve got it.”
I’m pretty sure it took twice as long as it would have without Nora’s help.
They looked adorable though, and I loved watching the two get ready.
Nora had plenty of women in her life. My sisters, my mother, and all of my cousins and aunts. But she never had a mother. And one day, when I proposed—and it would be soon, even though it seemed like it was just yesterday that I fell in love with her—we would be a new family figuring out who we were. This wasn’t the family I thought I’d have, but it was the family I had now, the family that was exactly what I wanted.
I was damn blessed to have these women in my life, the girls that were my everything.
I was so grateful that Nora loved Raven, and she didn’t feel the lack of not having Marley. If anything, she had the future she wanted.
“Do you have your costume?” I asked.
Nora turned to me, wide-eyed. “I do.”
“Why don’t you double check, and we’ll make sure Raven’s all ready to go. We need to meet up with Molly and Shane and their families for photos.”
“Okay!”
I moved out of the way as Nora barreled past, going a thousand miles per hour, like always.
“She’s too cute, but I have no idea how you did this alone for so long.”
“I was never alone. I had the Montgomerys. And now I have you. So maybe I will actually be able to sleep in once in a while.”
“Sure. Like you know how to sleep in.” She rolled her eyes before moving to slide her feet into her heels. She was so damn beautiful. Sometimes it was hard to breathe just looking at her.
“I love you.”
“I’m never going to tire of hearing that. I love you too.” She kissed me softly, and then we were out the door, star costume in hand for the winter recital.
The children were shouting and full of sugar and exhaustedly happy as they did their evening recital for the dance studio. They already had the school recital for the winter break, and the soccer season was over for now.
There should’ve been a break for us just to breathe, but of course that wasn’t the case.
“So, after this we have dinner with your family, and then all of the holiday chaos with presents and pictures and food and family. And then school and work and sports start right back up?” Raven asked, laughing.
“Pretty much. It’s a little exhausting. But we’ll figure it out.”
She smiled at me and I hugged her, as we watched Nora dance along as a star.
My immediate family were in the audience, as we hadn’t wanted to take over the entire auditorium.
After this, we would all head over to my parents’ house and have dinner. We’d eat too much cheese, laugh too hard, and have fun.
I was so damn happy that somehow we had made this work. Somehow we had found a way to not break when the world had come against us.
I kissed the top of Raven’s head as I watched Nora dance along the stage.
She was a star in every way possible, and she was mine. And one day soon, she would be ours.
I thought about the ring I had already picked out, the one I would use to ask Raven to be my wife.
I had an idea in mind, one that involved Nora, if she wanted.
We had gone full steam ahead, and now we were finding our place. But I knew I was holding my future wife and watching our daughter on the stage. This had been a long time coming, but this was everything.
And as Raven smiled up at me, I grinned right back, and I couldn’t wait for that evening, and then the next morning, and the next everything.
After all, this was just the beginning.