40. Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Jamison
I woke with the sun peeking through the slits in the blinds the next morning. A smile filled my face when a soft moan reached my ears. I turned over, wrapped my arms around Lilly’s naked body, and kissed her neck.
Her sexy, sleepy moan got a little louder and woke up all parts of me. I cuddled into her back to feel her heat and skin as close to me as possible. I kissed her neck again, then traveled down to her shoulder. I slipped my hands around her body and laid them to rest on her soft, firm breasts and kneaded them until her nipples hardened.
She scooted her bottom up against my hard-on and lifted her leg around my lower body and situated me at her opening. “God, Lilly.” She was as wet as I was hard.
“You’re not the only one wanting something this morning,” she said, her voice groggy. Her hands traveled down to my ass, and she pushed me against her and moved herself until I slid easily inside her. “Jamison.”
Her voice threw me over the edge. The arm that was under her cupped her breast, while my other hand found its way down her stomach to the sensitive area between her legs. While we moved together, I fondled her. I wanted to feel her come apart while I was inside her. From this position, I could push deeper into her and feel her most sensitive areas, which was exactly what I did until we both exploded at the same time. I slowed our rhythm and caressed her skin.
Lilly rolled over and faced me, and our lips met in a small, gentle kiss.
“Now, that was the perfect way to say good morning,” I whispered against her lips.
I felt her smile. “Yes, it was. Do you think the girls will want to spend the night with the grandmas every night?”
“We could see, but first, we’ve got to get up and get our day started. I feel like we need a shower.”
I pulled her from the bed, and not long after an amazing shower, we were dressed and heading to pick up the balloons, cupcakes, and cake. With everyone getting to the house at one, we had four hours to do everything, and from what Lilly described as her vision, she’d probably need every bit of those hours.
“Is it just me, or does it look like a bottle of Pepto Bismol exploded all over a Hawaiian beach?” Lance asked as he joined Bryson, Adler, Kai, and me at a table far away from the screams and splashes from at least fifteen kindergartners.
He wasn’t wrong.
You could tell the book club women, led, of course, by Kaye, were making up for all Madeline’s birthdays they’d missed. The party was a combination of princess and Hawaiian themes. There was a pink princess castle bounce house in one corner of the yard, and food tables covered in pink tablecloths with luau grass table skirts wrapped around each one. Food was piled high on the food tables. Cookies in the shape of castles and crowns, cupcakes with princess-themed picks and Hawaiian picks, and a ridiculously large princess castle cake that sat in the middle of what seemed to be a beach.
I had no idea who was going to eat all this sugar, but everyone better take something home or we will be eating it for the rest of our lives.
The girls were running around with crowns on their heads and hula skirts around their waists. They even attempted to force the few boys in attendance to wear them also, but James made his thoughts known early on, and the boys became knights and saved the girls from the make-believe dragon that lived on the tropical island.
Lance placed a well-camouflaged cooler on the table. “It’s okay, you old men can thank me later. I come bearing gifts.” He opened the cooler. “I stopped by Jerry’s Pub and loaded up on Raging River IPA and SunnyDays Lager. Take your pick.”
It wasn’t hard to get us on his side. “You do realize you’re older than me, right?” Bryson asked as he grabbed a can of IPA.
“And me,” agreed Adler.
Lance narrowed his eyes at Adler, “I think you’re one month younger than me, and anyway, it’s not age that makes y’all old. You’re married and fathers. I’m single, childless, and available. Parenthood ages you. It’s a scientific fact.”
“Scientific fact?” Adler asked. “Well, it’s another scientific fact that regular sex keeps you young.”
“If that’s the truth, I must be a teenager,” Bryson said with a grin.
“I’m there with ya, man.” Adler lifted his beer can. “To our beautiful women and them keeping us young.”
“Where am I in all this?” asked Kai. “I’m not married yet but get regular sex.”
Lance glanced at him over his beer bottle. “You’re on your way out. You better enjoy your young years for the couple months you have left. It’s all downhill from here.”
“It’s no wonder you’re single.” I jumped into this conversation. Lance and his negative attitude on relationships was getting old.
“So, where do you fall in this, big brother?” Bryson said with a raise of his brows.
I glanced around the table. Kai and Adler had shit-eating grins on their faces, and Bryson was still challenging me to answer. Lance, though, was messing with the label on his bottle, and his cheek was sucked in. I knew that look. He was irritated and refused to meet my gaze. This was my chance to stick up for Lilly and me, let them all know where we stand, or back off and give Lance what he desired.
Sorry, Lance. I was tired of doing the “right” thing for my friend. It was time to think of what was best for Lilly and me. Maybe I cared more about Lilly than my friendship with Lance. “Looks like I’m on the same team as Kai. Not married but have a beautiful woman, and the sex is amazing.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I relaxed.
Kai raised his beer. “That’s what I’m talking about. To Lilly and Jamison.” He and I clinked beer bottles.
Bryson pounded me on the back. “I’m proud of you. You and Lilly deserve each other, finally.”
“Did I hear my name?” I turned and Lilly, Kora, Darlene, and Leila were there. “I don’t remember allowing alcohol at my daughter’s five-year birthday,” Lilly said as she made herself comfortable on my lap. I wrapped my arm around her waist and held her tight.
Just the simple act of sitting on my lap in front of our family and friends put my pulse in overdrive. This beautiful woman was mine and would be as long as possible. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t bring it. Lance did.”
“Thanks for throwing me under the bus. No one forced you to take one,” Lance said.
“Well, you sort of did. You called us old,” Kai said as Kora sat on his lap.
“Yeah, you did, and then we started talking about what keeps us young,” Bryson responded.
“And what was your answer?” Darlene asked as she sat on his lap and took a sip from his beer.
“Just you, baby,” Bryson answered as he kissed her. Her arms wound around his neck.
“How do you two not have a million kids?” I asked. “You’re both always all over each other.”
Bryson and Darlene stared at each other, and Darlene shrugged.
“I don’t know that a million would be possible, but two would be perfect,” Bryson said, his eyes still on Darlene.
“What?” Kora squealed.
“Yep. Baby number two is due in April,” Darlene said, her face radiant.
“But we were supposed to be pregnant together,” Kora whined.
“I guess we better get busy then, babe,” answered Kai. “I don’t think anyone would be offended if you were pregnant for the wedding.” Kai glanced around. “Anyone?”
“Go for it, man,” Adler said. “Then the grandmas would each be happy.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lilly.
Leila’s sweet face lit up, and her shoulders met her ears. “We’re finally pregnant.”
“What?” Was the question of the day.
“We told Diane and my dad last weekend,” Leila answered.
Leila and Adler had been trying to get pregnant soon after they were married but were having trouble, and Leila had a miscarriage earlier in the year. This was fabulous news.
“We’re already four months along,” Leila said. “I’m due in February.”
“Is that the appointment you had to go to a few weeks ago?” Lilly asked.
She nodded, and Adler’s face radiated happiness.
“Great,” Lance said. “Looks like next year is going to be busy. Just what this group needs is more babies.”
“Someone really needs to get laid,” I joked.
His glare was harsh.
“Dude, relax,” I said.
“No, seriously, don’t worry about me. I’m good. Jayla’s keeping me busy,” Lance said. He took a drink but didn’t take his eyes off Lilly and me. “And all joking aside. I’m happy for you two. It will take a bit to get used to, but who better to be with my sister than my best friend? At least it will be easy to kick your ass if you hurt her. I’ve done it before.”
I laughed. “Well, good thing for me, I don’t have to worry about that happening. I won’t hurt your sister.” The mood around the table changed and became serious. I could feel all eyes on us. I fixed my gaze on Lilly’s and picked up a lock of hair. “I love her and promise I will always keep her safe.”
Lilly’s smile filled her face, and she leaned in and kissed me. It was a gentle kiss. I cupped the side of her face and kissed her longer when she went to pull away. I loved the feeling of warmth that appeared deep in my gut every time she kissed me. It calmed me and made everything right.
“Umm, y’all . . .” Bryson’s concerned voice alerted us.
“Daddy, why are you kissing Lilly?” It was Darcie.
I held Lilly’s gaze for a beat. Her eyes were wide, and my heart thumped against my chest.
We had an audience. Darcie and Madeline, along with Lena, Skylar, and a couple other princess’ and hula-dressed little girls, stood there watching us.
Darcie’s expression was clear, but Madeline’s was shrouded.
Lilly got off my lap and kneeled on the ground in front of Madeline, and she climbed on her lap.
Darcie came to me at the chair. “Daddy, do you love Lilly?”
To have the simplistic look on life that most five-year-olds do. It was easy to see why. Everyone whom Darcie knew who cuddled and kissed loved each other. I glanced around. She grew up with all of these people.
I looked at the group of grandparents on the deck, all eyes on us. Love was everywhere.
I was lucky. We were lucky. “Yes, princess. I love Lilly.”
Darcie’s eyes lit up. Madeline’s face was confused. “Maddie, is it okay for me to love your mommy?” I needed Madeline to be okay with this. If she wasn’t, I wasn’t sure Lilly would see us through. Hurting Madeline more than she had already been hurt was not in the cards.
Darcie placed her arm around Madeline. “This is good, Madeline. Your mommy makes my daddy happy, and you said your mommy is happy for once. That’s what it’s like when people love each other. They make each other happy.”
Madeline looked at Darcie, then at me, her large brown eyes red with unshed tears. Lilly pulled her chin up so their eyes met. “Darcie’s right. Love is a good thing, Maddy, and I love Jamison with all my heart, and he loves me.”
I got out of my chair and kneeled on the grass next to Lilly. “Maddy, hon, I love your mom, but I also love you, and I hope you will be okay with me loving both of you and spending more time with you.”
Madeline’s lips pinched together, and her large brown eyes became thoughtful. Her gaze passed over all three of us, and when it met Darcie’s, it lit up. “Does this mean Princess Darcie and me are going to be sisters?”
The girls wrapped their arms around each other and jumped around in a circle.
Lilly laughed and got the excitement under control as nerves coiled inside my gut like a bunch of snakes. “Girls, one step at a time. Let’s just spend more time together and start there,” she said.
The girls stopped jumping.
“So, are you good with this, Maddy?” I asked her.
She smiled and jumped into my arms. When her arms linked around my neck, the snakes in my gut disappeared. She pulled away and looked deep into my eyes. “You love my mommy, Jamison?”
Her expression was serious. “I do. Very much.”
“Good. My mommy needs someone to love her.” Madeline pulled Lilly’s arm to me. “You can hold her hand and be part of our family.”
Lilly and I smiled at each other. Everything was going to be all right. I kissed her, and the girls giggled. Little arms wrapped us in a group hug.
I looked between both girls. “So, it’s okay for Lilly and me to date each other?” Dating sounded immature for what I felt for her, but it was an easy word for the girls to understand.
“Yes,” Madeline answered with a nod and a wide smile.
I looked at Darcie. Her look was thoughtful, and she placed both her hands on my cheeks and looked thoughtfully into my eyes. “You’re happy now, Daddy.” She turned to Lilly and smiled. “Thank you for making my daddy happy.”
“Oh, sweet girl,” Lilly said as a tear rolled down her face.
I pulled them in for another hug. My heart was full, and the hole that had been in it for so long was filled with love for my girls.