Chapter 43
As soon as the door closed in their hotel room, Jeremiah lifted Joci and carried her to the bed. “Jesus, I can’t wait another minute to be in you.”
“Jeremiah,” Joci whispered.
Cupping her face in his hands, he looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you crazy, Mrs. Sheppard. Always have, always will.”
She held his eyes in hers. “I love you crazy, Mr. Sheppard.”
He fit his lips over hers and mated his tongue with hers.
Slow, sensual, loving. He reached around her and unzipped her dress.
He gently pulled the dress from her shoulders and down her arms. He stepped back to help her step out of it.
Holding her left hand, she grinned at him as she lifted her left foot slowly out of her dress.
His breath caught. “Joci…I don’t have words,” his voice cracked.
He continued to stare at her foot while swallowing back the emotion.
“Do you like it?” Her voice was soft.
“Jesus. Joci, it’s beautiful. I’m…stunned…honored. I’m speechless.”
She’d had her tattoo finished by Julie, Deacon’s wife. Where once had been a bud without a flower on the top of her foot, was a beautiful, gray flower with blue detailing and edging.
He bent down and lifted Joci onto the bed.
He sat on the edge and pulled her foot onto his lap.
He looked at the tattoo. It was still fresh, but so beautiful, the coloring perfect.
His two favorite colors. He touched it and ran his finger around the little flower.
He looked up at Joci, and tears slid down his cheeks.
Joci smiled and wiped the tears away from his face.
“I love you crazy.”
“God, I love you, too. Thank you so very much for trusting me. For marrying me. For having my baby.”
He leaned in and kissed her very tenderly. He framed her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. It was hard to speak with all the emotions clogging his throat. “What’s this, Joci?”
Her voice cracked. “It’s my family.”
Jeremiah raised his eyebrows in question.
Joci swallowed to wet her throat. “We are all bound by a tenuous little vine, which, if not nurtured, can wither and die. The vine is only as strong as the people who take care of it. The flowers are the fruit of that labor of taking care of each other. Each flower is one of the people in my family who help me nurture this vine. Each flower is the person’s favorite color. ”
Jeremiah touched the little white violet on Joci’s ankle and asked her about each flower.
“How about this new little orange flower?”
“JT.”
“And this green flower?”
“Ryder.”
Trailing his finger down the vine to the top of Joci’s foot to a beautiful gray flower with blue edges, he asked, “And this?”
Her voice was full of emotion when she spoke, “That’s the one man who loves me completely, doesn’t let me down, doesn’t betray me, keeps me safe, holds me when I’m sad, shares my happiness, and wants me and no other.”
“Yes, it is,” Jeremiah said, his voice husky.
He leaned over and kissed her, deeply and with the utmost tenderness. In unison, they worked at their clothing. Jeremiah positioned himself on top of her, gently sliding his forearms under her shoulders and holding her close. “This is without a doubt the best day of my life. Yeah?”
“Yeah. Mine, too.” Never looking away, Joci slid her hand into Jeremiah’s hair at the nape and squeezed.
“I’m coming in, baby. Open up for me.”
She smiled as she wrapped her legs around him. He tilted his hips and pushed himself inside, causing each of them to groan.
She closed her eyes at the feeling of him sliding into her. There was no other feeling on earth like this. “Open your eyes, Joci. Watch me make love to you.”
Opening her eyes, she met green eyes, full of love. “Yes. What a beautiful idea.”
He slowly moved in and out of her. Loving her like this was sensual. Staring into her beautiful eyes, he continued the easy rhythm.
“Your hot little pussy is always so wet and ready for me, Joci. Do you know what that does to me?”
“All I know is when I see you, touch you, even hear your voice, my body responds.”
Their breathing grew ragged. “What do you need, Joci? I need you to come.”
“You. All of your passion. Give that to me, Jeremiah.”
With a groan, he began his sweet assault on her body. Pushing into her, his rhythm increased, his breathing labored. His body tightened, and he implored, “Joci. Now.”
She tilted her hips forward, feeling all of him as he plunged into her. Rocking her hips with his, the feel of him sliding into her was quickly pushing her to the edge. She whimpered as her core tightened. He pushed into her with more force. “Jeremiah…I…”
She cried out as her orgasm hit her. He pushed into her and held as his cock throbbed and pulsed with his release. He rested his head on her shoulder, waiting for his breathing to slow. She began gently massaging his head; her hand still tangled in his hair.
She lay in Jeremiah’s strong, warm arms. Her three boys were happy and thriving, and her baby was sleeping in her tummy.
Life had a way of breaking people apart and bringing them together.
It was strong, this family unit. Joci’s last thought before falling asleep was, “Thank you, God, for bringing me so much joy.”