Chapter 17
Lena
“You know, it’s fucking warmer outside than it is in the house,” Storm said.
Well, in that case, I winked at him as I walked to the fridge, tagged two beers, and then offered him my hand.
He took it but took the bottles from my hand and together we headed outside and settled in one of the loungers.
Yes, it was going to be hotter, because Storm put out massive amounts of body heat, but I didn’t care.
I lived for the moments when it was the two of us.
He popped the top on my beer first, handed it to me, then popped the top on his.
At the same time, we took sips, well, mine was a sip, not Storm.
Just then we heard a boom of thunder. Being in South Carolina it was rare to get snow on Christmas Eve.
But apparently, the heavens decided to give us a thunderstorm. Thankfully, the reindeer are magical and can fly in anything.
I was listening to the thunder in the distance when Storm randomly said, “Tell me.”
I tilted my head to look up at him, “Tell you what, Vance.”
“Tell me what will make you happy,” he said, his eyes looking off into the distance.
That was the fourth time I felt a drop of rain hit my skin.
I didn’t answer him, I just snuggled deeper into his embrace, at exactly the right time.
The clouds released the storm we had been waiting for.
I lifted my head from his chest, ignoring the water, and smiled, “You make love to me right now.”
He blinked as water pelted down on our bodies, drenching us. “Are you serious?”
I nodded, “Yeah, it’ll be hot as fuck.”
He grinned, “Your wish is my command.”
And I knew that if we hadn’t already had a baby growing in my belly, we would have made one that very night.
Because anything that occurred during a thunderstorm was powerful.
We were back in the house after checking on Krys who was sleeping soundly with Skylar cuddled up in bed with her.
We were both dry and lying in bed. My head was on his chest as I finally gathered up the words I wanted to say to him, therefore, I whispered in the dark, “I need you to work on something for me, okay?”
“Alright,” he said.
“I need you to stop worrying about what will make me happy, and just be you. I fell in love with you when you were being yourself. And Vance, I love every single thing about you.”
He sighed, “I get where you’re coming from, Precious. But I need to do this. Haven’t ever worried about a woman leaving me. In the past, if they did, it wasn’t no skin off my nose. But with you... fuck... just the thought of losing you? Feels as though someone has reached inside my chest, gripped my heart as tightly as they can, before they pull it out.”
I held back the tears at his words, good lord, the power this man has over me, I whispered, “But they won’t ever be able to do that. Want to know why?”
He shifted, and my head fell off his chest to rest on his bicep, his chest melded with mine, and a soft kiss landed on the top of my nose, “Tell me.”
“Because I’ll always hold it safe. I’ll keep it protected behind barbed wire, claymore mines, concrete slabs, you name it, I’ll use it.”
And that was how he didn’t use his words to show me how he felt about my proclamation, oh no, he used his body.
Expertly so.
So expertly so that a word for what we did has yet to be created.
***
When we woke up to the sound of Krys’s squabbles we both got up and went to get her. After we had emerged from the hall and she saw the Christmas tree lit up, her little face was lit up at all the gifts under the tree.
When I sat her down in front of the tree and handed her a tickle me, Elmo, she went crazy with happiness. I went into the kitchen, made us some hot cocoa, and carried the mugs into the living room.
While we were opening gifts, I paused to see Storm staring at a wallet I had engraved for him. On the outside, it was the MC’s logo, and, on the inside, I had engraved it; Thank you for empowering me .
He was my all and my everything. My beast and I, his beauty.
He showed me his thanks by kisses. Best. Payment. Ever,
Christmas brought out a magical time for everyone.
And as I sat there beside Strom as Krys opened the rest of her presents I couldn’t help but smile and lift my head up, sending my mother a silent prayer of thanks for sleeping with my dad.
Because had she not, I wouldn’t have this life.
This life that I would kill for, bleed for.
I smiled as I rubbed my belly, wondering if it would be a he or she.
Storm reached over then and did the same thing, “Just think, this time next year, we’re going to have double the presents.”
I smiled wide at him, just in time for our front door to open as Raine walked in, well, more like waddled in with Tank at her back with Elijah riding piggyback.
She was due any day now and I couldn’t wait to meet Saylah. But I sent out another prayer to the baby they lost.
“ Mom, if you can, wrap Peanut in your arms and keep him smiling until we make it up there to y’all.”
Krys saw them and then jumped up and ran to Raine saying, “Sissy, come look what I got.”
Raine smiled down at Krys and then allowed her to pull her to the floor.
Hours later we found ourselves at the clubhouse, and thankfully, my man had the wherewithal to find a place that rented tents.
Because even if we had packed everyone into the clubhouse there still wasn’t enough.
Thankfully we had fire pits going every fifty feet or so and with the sides lowered, it kept the area pretty warm and toasty.