12. Jaime
Having Emma in my arms at our sacred spot made all of my boyhood fantasies pale in comparison.
Maybe I should”ve taken her back to the truck—at least there was the bench seat to lie on—but it seemed fitting that we christen the spot where so many memories had been made.
I could sense Emma”s conflict, but we”d fallen back into our old habits. Talking and laughing, and just enjoying each other, but when I brought up anything relating to the future, I could see a shadow cast over her expression.
I didn’t want to push her too hard, too fast because, despite her recent revelations about her father, her life was still very much intertwined with his. He was the only family she had, and I could see her wrestling with what she wanted now that she’s accepted the truth about him.
I suspect John Carter’s feelings about me haven’t changed, so my fate was in her hands. I was determined to hang onto her, to make her see how amazing her future could be—if she just chose me.
That’s why I brought her to the lake. I knew I had fallen in love with her the second I saw her, but I was fairly certain it was our trips to the lake, looking up at the stars that made Emma finally fall for me.
When I first returned to Pine Crest, I”d come out here with a six-pack of beer and let myself wallow in my memories. But now… now I was back in the arms of the woman I loved, and I was going to savor this moment.
Her wet kisses became more demanding, and I’d never been more grateful that I thought ahead and brought a blanket. I shifted my weight, settling in next to her, and a thrill shot through me at her moan of protest.
”Just changing positions, Bella. I want better access to this gorgeous body… and XXX,” I said, sitting up and encouraging her to straddle my lap.
She gave me a slow grin as she ground her heat against me and kissed me again, moaning against my lips.
I ran my fingers through her hair and down her back, slipping them around her waist, pulling up her t-shirt so we could be skin on skin.
”I can’t tell you how many times I dreamed about taking you here.” I whispered against her mouth as I helped her out of her shirt, my hands immediately unhooking her bra.
I slipped the straps off her shoulders and marveled at her magnificent breasts. This hadn”t gotten old, and I don”t think it ever would. I clutched her to me then, burying my face in her neck and showering her with kisses and enjoying the way her fingers dug into my hair, massaging my scalp.
”I”m thinking about as often as I”ve dreamed about you here,” she answered breathlessly as my mouth found a nipple and sucked it in between my lips, teasing it with my tongue and teeth.
She let out a cry, and her hips worked against my hardness again, coaxing a growl from my throat. I needed her as close as I could get, but I also enjoyed teasing her entirely too much.
”I”m sorry it took so long,” she whispered, and I could hear the sorrow in her voice.
That made me stop, and I pulled my head away from her so I could look into her eyes. ”You don”t need to be sorry about anything, Emma.”
She huffed out a laugh. ”You sure about that? I mean, I was the one who…”
”Emma, no,” I insisted, ”you were forced to choose, and you did what you thought was best. Don’t get me wrong, it hurt like hell, but I understand why you did what you did.”
Over the last few days, I’ve seen the weight of the guilt she carries and while her betrayal will always exist between us, every new memory we make eases the pain in my heart.
”Besides,” I teased, ”maybe it”s a blessing we didn”t get to experience this with each other until now. I actually know what the hell I’m doing.”
She giggled. ”You certainly do.”
”Be glad you never had to experience the fumbling hands of my teenage self,” I said, leaning in to kiss her neck.
She said her next words so softly, I almost didn”t hear them. ”I would”ve loved that, too.”
I knew she was speaking the truth, but I didn”t want to think about it too much because it stabbed at an old wound that remained unhealed. The same wound that had me fantasizing about hunting down John Carter over the years and making him pay for what he had stripped away from both of us.
Determined to distract the sadness away, I urged her to stand so I could strip down her jeans and panties, while I quickly disrobed myself.
Then she was straddling me again, our mouths fused together, and I let out a moan at the feeling of her wetness against my erection.
God, I needed to be inside her.
Would that sense of urgency ever go away? Of not surviving one more breath if I wasn”t surrounded by her warmth, her love?
I was embarrassed to say there was little foreplay, but it didn”t seem to matter. We just needed to be joined together. Without prompting, Emma rose on her knees and positioned me at her opening before saying, ”Jaime, I need you. I can”t wait.”
”Wait. What about protection?” I asked.
”I’m on the pill… and I really want to feel you. All of you. With nothing in between us.”
She didn’t have to say another word. I urged her down over me, and she seated herself on my cock, letting out a long moan. Once I was buried deep inside her, I let her set the rhythm, reveling in the way those lips breathed out pleas and sighs of pleasure as her pussy spasmed around me.
This wasn”t just sex—this was the joining of two souls who had been separated for far too long, reunited at the spot where it all began.
I could tell she was getting close because she was grinding on me hard, sliding her tight channel up and down my shaft, making me cry out. ”Fuck Emma, that”s my girl. Keep going, come for me,” I coached her until her fingers dug into my shoulders, and she cried out my name.
Her orgasm radiated through her as she continued rocking her hips, encouraging my release. I came hard inside her, groaning out, ”Fuck, yes. Your pussy is so fucking perfect. I can’t get enough, my gorgeous girl.”
The next thing I knew, her mouth was on me and we lie in the dirt kissing for what seemed like an eternity before she pulled back and looked down fiercely into my eyes. ”Jaime,” she pleaded, ”make love to me again.”
As I gazed into her eyes, I knew I couldn’t deny her. I just hoped she’d let me prove that to her for the rest of our lives.
***
The following days were a bit nerve-racking. I was in seventh heaven during my stolen moments with Emma, but I couldn”t help but feel the stress emanating from her. I chalked it up to nerves about coming to Sunday dinner.
It wasn”t that my mother disliked Emma. When we were younger, she loved having Emma over to the house, but my mother had a sixth sense for people, and she knew before it became an issue that John Carter would intervene.
I was young and brash enough to brush off her concerns, even though she tried to tell me as diplomatically as possible that people like Mr. Carter didn”t like their offspring mixing with people not of the same breed. Whether she meant because we were immigrants or because we were Spanish or because we were poor, I was never completely sure. But she was certain he was likely to cause trouble.
Meanwhile, I thought love could conquer anything.
When everything went down with her father and Emma made her choice, I”d come home to my mother, and at first didn’t want to share anything because I figured she would gloat. But she took one look at my heartbroken face, clucked her tongue, and said ”oh Mejo” and the next thing I knew, I was in my mother’s embrace, crying my eyes out.
She never said ”I told you so.” She let me mope what she believed was an appropriate amount of time, before encouraging me to get out there and experience life.
Still, when I decided to leave Silverpine, she wasn’t very happy about it. When she told me to get out there and experience life, she didn’t mean leaving the town limits, and I always wondered if she”d blamed Emma for that.
Emma having dinner with the family wasn”t the only thing making me nervous. I pulled my truck in front of the Bank of Silverpine and sucked in a deep breath before climbing out and squaring my shoulders. I had a different battle to fight today that had nothing to do with Emma, but still concerned our upcoming family dinner and I wasn”t looking forward to it.
As I walked through the doors, my eyes immediately found the familiar face of my oldest sister. She was just finishing up with a customer, smiling professionally, but as her eyes roamed the lobby and landed on me, her smile dropped and her posture tensed.
”God give me strength,” I muttered to myself as I marched over to Sofia. ”Hey sis. You”ve been dodging my calls.”
She sniffed. ” I haven”t been dodging Jaime. I”m just simply not answering. Why are you here? Are the deposits not going through?” She asked, referring to her weekly contribution to Mom”s account to help pay for the at-home nurse and any other essentials she might need.
”Nope, they”re arriving like clockwork,” I said, ”but you know that”s not why I’m here.” I hesitated before diving in. ”Maria and I want to bring back our Sunday dinner tradition.”
”Oh, God,” Sofia groaned.
I pressed on, undeterred by her antics. ”And it”s not Sunday dinner without all of us there.”
She leveled me with an annoyed stare. ”I”m pretty sure your mama would disagree, if she could remember.”
I let out a frustrated sigh. ”Sofia, I know things have been rocky between you and Mama. I get it. But… we’re running out of time, and this has to stop. I don’t want you to live with regrets after she’s gone. You need to make peace, and soon.”
Sofia cocked a brow, her nostrils flaring in anger. ”You think I don”t know that? I think about it every day. You make it sound so easy… like I can just go over there and play nice. You, of all people, should know it”s never that easy with Mama. She really hurt me, and every time I try to gather up the courage to go see her, it just… I”m just reminded that it”s going to be another heartbreak.”
I sighed. I felt for her I really did, but time was running out.
There were more bad days than good, and that metaphorical hourglass has become more insistent—the sand slipping through faster than any of us expected. Maria and I worried about them never mending things before Mama passes.
For her part, Maria has been trying to get through to our sister. But being the baby of the family, Sofia easily pushed her aside, no matter how much Maria begged. But I was her big brother and our father had deemed me the man of the house before he died, so I was hoping to God I would have some sway in the situation.
”Sofia, I can”t force you to be there, although I”m tempted to just throw you in a potato sack and drag your ass there kicking and screaming just put an end to this stupid thing, but I won”t do that,” I said after she gave me a look that told me she would murder me first. ”Time is running out, Sofia. I”m not misleading you or exaggerating. You need to decide what you can live with and you need to figure it out soon,” I told her before turning on my heel and storming out of the bank.
When I got behind the wheel of my truck, I let out a frustrated growl. She could be so stubborn. I understand she’s hurt, but the stakes are too high.
My frustration, however, would melt away when I saw I had a text from Emma.
Emma: I can”t stop thinking about you. ??
I grinned, feeling like a boy again before I texted back.
Jaime: Naughty thoughts, I hope…
Emma: Of course. I was just thinking about that old truck of yours…
Jaime: What about it?
Emma: I can’t believe you still have it. I thought for sure I’d lose my virginity in that truck.
Jaime: Really? I wish I would have known that back then—you definitely could have had your way with me.
Emma: Lol. I’ve never had sex in a vehicle before… want to take my virginity, so to speak?
Jaime: Tell me more.
Emma: I’m getting wet just thinking about it… thinking that we might get caught, so I try to stay quiet, but soon I can’t take it anymore and I’m screaming your name while I come all over your cock.
Holy shit. Her fantasy had me swallowing hard and shifting in my seat, trying to ease the ache from my growing erection. I glanced around the cab of the very truck she was referring to and grinned like an idiot. I’m the luckiest son of a bitch in the world—dirty talking Emma had my full attention. But what was even better was knowing she had fantasized about me over the years and it was a shot to the heart and the groin. All this time I’d wondered if she thought about me the same way as I did her and now… I was a man on a mission.
Jaime: I can’t think of anything better than feeling you wrapped around me in this truck, screaming my name. There’s no sweeter sound than you losing control just for me. Promise me you’ll lose control with me, and let me inside in all the ways.
Her reply was one word, but it was one word that wrapped around me and worked to fill in all the cracks in my heart.
Emma: Promise.
And this started an afternoon-long text exchange.
I love days like today, where we were still connected, even when we couldn”t be together and her messages comforted me knowing I was still on her mind.
What I didn’t love was her having to deal with this prick business associate I”d been hearing rumors about.
It wasn”t just the man I was hearing rumors about, but the entire company he was a part of. One server, Susan, informed me his company was known for land acquisition, and she asked me nervously, ”You don”t think they”re trying to buy the land behind the resort, do you?”
The people of Silverpine never wanted to see that land sold off. We appreciated the revenue the resort brought in, and the jobs that were created, but expansion would give us over to pure commercialism. We were proud of our lack of strip malls and big box stores.
If there was anything most Coloradans were familiar with, it was the term ”land acquisition” and how it would often lead to the destruction of the surrounding beauty.
Silverpine managed to avoid capitalistic takeovers thanks in large part to Lydia Carter, and now Emma, who was honoring her mother’s wishes.
But I didn”t like the rumors I was hearing.
Susan continued with bated breath, ”Get Outdoors did the same thing in Alaska, apparently. There was this town that held out even longer than we have. Then the Travers’ came in and, within months, flattened everything. Now they have a bunch of steel storage container-looking buildings, a McDonald”s and Starbucks and all the wildlife has run off.”
I was a little taken aback when Susan’s eyes turned to me then pleading, ”Jaime, everybody knows you”ve been hanging around Emma Carter, maybe you can find out for us.”
I stuttered, ”Look, I”ve lived in Silverpine for a long time. Every few years there”s some threat of impending development, and every time it gets shut down. Let’s not make things worse by giving into the hysteria of the rumors,” I tried to reassure my staff.
Emma hadn”t said much, but I knew the deal was weighing heavily on her, and yet I hadn’t asked her about it. I didn”t want to ruin our time together by talking about work or the family business.
Besides, at this moment, I had more pressing matters—namely how I was going to juggle a family dinner with an old flame and my bitter oldest sister.
***
When I picked up Emma, she was a bundle of nerves, but still a sight to behold that took my breath away.
Her long red hair was sweeping down her back in loose curls, and she gave her makeup a lighter touch resembling the girl I”d fallen in love with.
But what caused a stirring in my pants was that she’d worn a modest sundress. It wasn”t like the sexy, slinky dress I had seen her that first night and yet there was something about the simple calico cotton hugging her curves in all the right places that had my imagination racing.
I wanted to take her back to the lake, lift that skirt up over her hips and slide into her, making her scream out in pleasure.
At my perusal, her eyes widened. ”Is this okay? Should I go change?” She nervously clutched the bakery box in her hands.
”No Bella, you”re gorgeous as always. Just a little too gorgeous for my libido. We might have to make a stop before we get to my house.”
She looked at me sideways. ”Oh, no, I remember how important it was for you to be on time for these dinners. There”s no way I”m going to be the reason you”re late,” she said, shifting her skirt around her knees as I closed the door after her.
When I got in the truck, the smell of whatever was in that bakery box had taken over the cab. I inhaled it deeply. ”That smells delicious… is that what I think it is?”
She smiled. ”Yeah, I remembered how much she likes them… I don”t know if she still does, but I thought I”d take a chance.”
I gave her a warm smile. I cranked the engine, remembering the first time Emma met my mother and presented her with a slice of cake from the bakery at the resort. It was triple chocolate with chocolate mousse and chocolate shavings on top. My mother took one bite of that chocolate treat and her eyes rolled up in her head. She said it was the best cake she”s ever tasted. And there had been many times over the years where Maria had been asked to order the cake special for Mom”s birthday. Thankfully, my mom was kind enough not to ask me to go anywhere near Pine Crest after everything that went down with Emma and her family.
The smell brought back memories, but right now I only focused on the sweet ones.
As we drove to my childhood home, I coached Emma, ”Things may get tense tonight—if Sofia shows up. She and Mama have not been on speaking terms in quite some time.”
”And if Sofia doesn”t show up?” Emma inquired.
I let out a long sigh. ”I don”t know. They may not make amends before my mom dies. I”ve tried everything I can think of to get through to Sofia, but she”s stubborn. Ironically, she”s just like Mama, which makes it even more difficult to deal with. I don”t want her to find out the hard way that life is short and we only get so much time before it”s gone,” I replied before I thought better of it. But then I noticed Emma was quiet, and I looked over and saw her staring out the window, worry creasing her brow.
”Oh hey, I”m sorry. What am I doing? If this is making you think about—”
She turned to me and gave me a watery smile. ”Jaime, you don”t have to edit your thoughts because it might remind me of my mother. To tell you the truth, there”s very little that doesn’t remind me of my mother. But that”s okay, because they are lovely memories. I was just thinking I really hope Sofia shows up. Those last months with my mom were precious and I rely on those memories a lot to get me through. I don”t know what I’d do if I didn”t have them.”
I wanted to pull the truck over and wrap her in my arms to erase the sad look from her face. Instead, I stared out the windshield, thinking about my own mother and hoping tonight went well.
Maybe after dinner was over, Emma and I could talk about what was bothering her, but for now, I needed to help bring my family together before it was too late.
There was no sign of Sofia”s car as we pulled up to my house, and I couldn”t help the stab of disappointment. Even though I knew her absence would mean less drama at dinner, I really wanted her to be there.
I walked up the steps to the front door, and I kept my arms slung around Emma”s waist. I could hear her sucking in a nervous breath before I opened the door, but as soon as we crossed the threshold, she was all smiles. Emma could talk to anybody, and there wasn’t a challenge she wouldn’t face head on.
Still, I felt for her. Facing down Esmeralda Acosta was no easy task even when you were related to her, and considering Emma was the girl who broke her baby boy”s heart? I’d be nervous too.
The first face to appear was a glowing Maria. ”Emma?” she asked, beaming. ”Is that you?” she continued, putting her arms out for a hug.
I hadn”t told anybody Emma was coming. I just said I was bringing a ”friend.”
Maria had been suspicious at the time, but she didn’t say anything knowing that things were a little tenuous with my situation.
”Oh, my God Maria, you”re all grown up,” Emma said, throwing her arms around her.
”And out,” Maria laughed as she pulled back, showing off her impressive belly.
Emma grinned at her. ”Jaime told me he’d be an uncle soon. Congratulations! Although it’s a little hard for me to wrap my brain around you being a mom. Seems like just yesterday you were still in pigtails.”
”Yeah, sometimes it”s hard for me to wrap my brain around, too. Then I have days where all I can feel is her kicking to get out and there”s no doubt it”s real,” Maria said, laughing. ”It”s so good to see you again,” she said, putting her arm around Emma”s shoulder and walking her to the dining room. ”I can”t wait to hear about everything you”ve been up to.”
Their voices faded as my little sister stole the woman I loved away, but my heart warmed at the sight of them. The house was full of the smell of Sunday dinner and I was immediately comforted. No matter how much our circumstances were changing, especially with Mama, some things remained the same.
When Maria launched herself at Emma, I swiped the cake from Emma”s hands to save it, and I carried it to the kitchen. I wasn’t expecting to find my mother there looking pensive.
”Mama?” I asked, concerned.
She eyed me, worry etched on her face. ”Jaime, that girl you just brought into the house… have I met her?”
She was genuinely curious, not accusatory.
”Yes, mama. A long time ago,” I replied.
”She broke your heart,” she said matter-of-factly.
I sucked in a long breath. ”Well, yes, I guess you could say she did. But we were kids, and she didn”t mean to.” I found in situations like this, it was easiest to explain things simply to Mama instead of bogging her down with all the details.
She watched me for a moment and she didn”t look like my mother, but a young, scared girl. ”I don”t remember her—how could I forget the person who broke my baby”s heart? Jaime, what is happening to me?”
I could see the tears in her eyes and I rushed to her, putting my arms around her. ”Mama, it’s okay. Please don’t cry. Sometimes when we get older, we get forgetful. But don’t worry, we’re here to help you remember, okay? You’re in a house full of people who love you. We won’t let you forget.”
She pulled back, looking at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. ”Oh, my handsome boy, you”re too sweet for words, just like your father.”
I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat. When Mama got her diagnosis, we were warned about how hard this would be, but nothing could prepare us for these moments. I was struggling for the right words to say when the sound of the front door opening had us turning curiously.
Sofia walked in cautiously, stopping to take in a long breath. “Well, look at who the cat dragged,” my mother said, moving away from me and towards my sister. Sofia immediately tensed at the sound of our mother’s voice.
“Hi Mama,” Sofia said.
“Hi Mama? That’s all you have to say to me? I don’t see you for weeks at a time and all I get is ‘hi mama’?” she groused.
Sofia opened her mouth to respond but Mama just put up a hand, “Come on, you’re going to make us late for dinner,” and with that she shuffled towards the dining room, leaving a startled Sofia to stand gaping at me.
I shrugged. “You heard the woman. Let’s go eat,” I said, trying to sound jovial as I put an arm around my sister’s shoulder, hoping she could derive some comfort from the gesture. “I’m really glad you’re here,” I whispered in her ear as we made our way to the dining room.
She made a face. “Jury’s still out for me.” As soon as we hit the doorway, Sofia stopped and exclaimed in surprise, “Emma?”
Emma smiled from her seat next to Maria and rose to greet Sofia. Sofia rushed around the table and gave her a big hug. “My God, I can’t believe you’re actually here. I heard you were back in town, but I never expected to see you here.” I was glad Sofia seemed so relieved by Emma’s presence. Maybe that would help dinner go a little more smoothly.
Before Sofia could start picking Emma’s brain, Mama took her place at the head of the table and announced, “There will be time for chitchat in a minute, but first we say grace.”
We took our seats obediently and joined hands. I couldn’t help but squeeze Emma’s hand as Mama said grace. She smiled at me warmly, and I couldn’t stop my mind from imagining a lifetime of Sunday family dinners with this woman by my side.
Slow down Jaime.
My heart definitely knew what it wanted, but I would be a fool to think everything was going to just magically fall into place. Emma had been through a lot and had some big decisions to make before I had any hope of keeping her around permanently. I had to be patient.
The conversation was formal at first. We kept to safe topics, like how things were going at work or Maria’s impending bundle of joy. Soon Mama started talking about the joys of having a daughter and Sofia’s disgruntled sighs were audible.
“Is there something you wish to add, Sofia?” Mama asked tersely, and the food I’d been chewing turned to sawdust in my mouth. Maria and Emma stilled, watching carefully even as they continued to push their food around.
For a split second, I saw the same expression on Sofia”s face as I had when we were children and she’d gotten in trouble, but it was quickly replaced with obstinance. Sucking in a deep breath, she forged ahead, “Well, Mother, I just find it ironic that you preach the closeness of the mother/daughter relationship when you threw out your eldest daughter over your own prejudice.”
Maria let out a long sigh, muttering, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” and Emma’s hand squeezed my thigh beneath the table, though I’m not sure if that was meant to comfort me or reassure herself. “Sofia,” I started, feeling like I needed to say something as the oldest, but mama wasn’t having it.
“No Jaime, it’s okay. I can fight my own battles, though I am confused as to why Sofia is picking a fight. I would never throw out one of my children…”
Sofia snickered. “Maybe not literally, but your attitude told me everything I needed to know. I opened myself up to you, brought someone I cared about to meet you and you spent the whole time making your disapproval known.”
“How?” my mother demanded to know.
“Maybe this isn’t the time or place—” Maria started, but mama put up her hand to shush her and Maria obeyed.
“Are you kidding me? You kept saying things like ‘you brought her here’ or ‘this woman is who you are with?’ I mean, it doesn’t get more transparent than that. I was terrified to come out to you and it turns out all my fears were justified.”
Our mother sprang from her seat, nearly knocking the chair over in the process, and everyone tensed even further. “How dare you come into this house—my house—and show me such disrespect? It’s one thing to put up with your sulky attitude, Sofia, but I will not have you coming in here and implying that I’m a bigot. Especially not towards my own daughter.”
Sofia stared at our mother sullenly and my hand found Emma’s beneath the table, and this time I knew for sure I was holding onto it for my comfort. Emma cut her eyes to me and gave me a reassuring smile.
My mother continued, “Why on earth didn’t you tell me this was how you felt? I would have been more than happy to explain.”
“Explain what Mama? That you didn’t want a lesbian for a daughter? Maybe I wasn’t ready to hear you say the words,” Sofia said, and even though she sounded tough, tears welled up in her eyes.
“Sofia,” our mother breathed in shock as she sank back into her chair. “I’ve always wanted you, Meja, no matter who you love, as long as they make you happy. Don’t you know that?” she asked, her voice cracking. “My memory may be fading, but I remember that day perfectly. Nothing I said had anything to do with you preferring to date women and everything to do with the woman that you brought to my house.”
Sofia’s brow furrowed. “What?”
Mama let out an exasperated sigh. “You kept going on and on about this woman, but I could tell you weren’t happy. You were changing all these things about yourself just to make her happy. Then when I finally got to meet her, she showed up late for dinner, complained about the food and talked over people. My little girl deserves someone who treats her like the queen she is and that trash was not worth your time!”
Mama’s pronouncement was followed by a long, strained silence until Maria offered, “Um Sof, not to pile on but that girl was totally trash.”
I couldn’t help it. The tone of Maria’s voice made me choke back a laugh and before I knew it, everyone at the table was laughing, including Mama and Sofia.
Once we caught our breaths, Maria muttered, “I cannot believe all of this was a simple misunderstanding. Emma, you must think we’re nuts.”
Emma smiled as all eyes turned to her. “No, not at all. It’s not like my family doesn”t have its fair share of crazy.”
Mama observed Emma, then spoke. “Emma with the emerald eyes.”
Emma’s eyes widened, but Mama continued, “I remember you now. Jaime would come home with stars in his eyes, talking about his ‘Emma with the emerald eyes.’”
Emma’s gaze shot to mine and I could feel my face burning. It didn’t help that Maria and Sofia were chiming in with “oooh Emma with emerald eyes, oooh my fair Emma.”
Mama’s expression turned stern. “You two quit teasing your brother. Emma, tell me,” she said, facing Emma now and the fingers that had been grasping my thigh were now digging into me, “Is your father as bullheaded and unreasonable as he was before?”
“Mama,” Maria hissed, but Emma was more than gracious.
She smiled slowly and I could tell she was trying to come up with a diplomatic answer, but after a moment she let out a long breath before laughing and admitting, “To be honest, ma’am, no, not really.”
Her answer surprised me. She was always so careful in how she talked about her family, but that was probably the most honest thing I’d ever heard her say regarding her father.
Mama nodded in approval at her honest response. “I see. I can’t say I’m too surprised. Some old goats refuse to evolve. As long as he’s not still pulling your strings, you’ll be good enough for my boy.”
“Mom,” I threatened.
Mama looked at me with wide eyes. “What? The Emma I remember was not a stupid girl. She knows I’m speaking the truth.”
I opened my mouth to speak but Emma cut in, “She’s right, Jaime. I messed up back then. He was pulling all the strings, but,” she continued, straightening in her chair, “I’m my own woman now, making my own choices.”
“Amen to that. Who needs a man making choices for you?” Sofia said, raising her glass.
Mama and Maria laughed, raising their glasses as well, and I laughed in delight to see Emma being embraced by my family, even as I wondered if what she said was true. Was she really no longer controlled by her father’s wishes? If so, then we might actually have a shot at making this work.
God, please…
***
After dinner, Emma was hugged within an inch of her life by the women in my family and told to come back soon.
It warmed my heart, especially knowing my mother”s reservations, but Emma was so charming, none of them stood a chance against her. I was also relieved Sofia and my mother reconciled. It had been a good evening—one I didn’t want to end just yet.
After Emma and I climbed into my truck to head back to her hotel, I asked, ”Are you up for a detour, Miss Carter?”
She smiled, and even in the dark of the truck cab, I could see the excitement in her eyes. ”I”m always up for a detour with you.”
Giddiness raced up my spine as we went in the opposite direction of the resort, reaching the outskirts of town. As we approached our destination, Emma’s eyes lit up when she recognized where we were. I turned off the main road onto a dark driveway that wove through the trees until we hit a clearing and found the remnants of an old drive-in theater where we used to come as kids.
When I put the truck in park and turned off the engine, I looked over to find her biting her lip excitedly.
”I”ve been waiting to kiss you all night,” I told her, leaning towards her across the bench seat as she lunged at me, our mouths meeting enthusiastically.
The fantasy she revealed early had been burning in my brain ever since. I would do anything to fulfill her fantasies, and thankfully, this one was pretty easy to accomplish.
She broke away from my mouth long enough to say, ”I can”t believe this is finally happening,” before her mouth started trailing kisses down my neck as her fingers started fiercely working at the buttons on my shirt.
I chuckled at her eagerness, but when she undid the snap of my jeans, that laugh died in my throat.
”Bella,” I whispered, hearing the strain in my voice, needing to taste her again like I needed air.
Our mouths fused together again as our hands wandered all over each other like love-sick teenagers, and that”s exactly how I felt.
Even though we”d spent the last several nights exploring one another, there was something about being in the cab of this truck, reliving those moments when we almost took it too far. But now there’s no going back—I wanted her in every way.
When my tongue delved into her mouth to taste her again, her hand dove into my pants beneath the waistband of my boxers and her delicate fingers wrapped around my shaft, stroking me as I groaned into our kiss. ”God, you’re amazing. Your hands feel so good on my cock. Do you like stroking me like that?”
I could feel her smile against my lips. ”I do. But I think I’d like it even better with you in my mouth.”
And that”s when, to my surprise, she shoved me back into my seat and dropped to the floor of the truck so she was on her hands and knees, her head over my lap. She locked eyes with me as her hands stroked my cock, and I let out a moan of appreciation not just of her touch, but in anticipation of what she was about to do.
I should”ve been embarrassed to admit there hadn”t been a whole lot of foreplay the few times Emma and I had been together. We just needed to be as close to each other as quickly as possible.
”Bella,” I growled in a ragged breath. Her smile grew before her hair fell over her face and she leaned down, jerking my shaft free of my underwear and flicking her tongue against my tip.
I hissed in agony and pleasure, trying to keep my hips from bucking up towards her mouth. I could feel her husky laugh against the sensitive skin, and then her tongue was swirling around the head of my dick. Before I could draw in a breath, she sucked down half my shaft, eagerly moaning in the back of her throat. Just that sound alone was enough to make me completely unravel, and I was loving every goddamn second of it.
As she took me into her hot, wet mouth inch by inch, and I gritted my teeth against the incredible sensation. This was my Emma, on her hands and knees, giving me the fantasy of a lifetime and groaning in pleasure because of it.
I swept her hair away from her face and gently fisted my hands in her hair so I could watch her slowly glide up and down my hard shaft.
I felt like if I took a breath, everything was going to shatter into a million pieces and didn”t want this feeling of closeness to stop.
She had shown vulnerability earlier that night at dinner when discussing her father and her vehement conviction that she was her own woman now. And now she was being vulnerable with me in another way, and all the pain of the last twelve years seemed to melt away beneath her ministrations.
As much as I wanted this to go on forever, I also desperately needed to be inside of her. I needed to look her in the eyes as I took her in the cab of that truck. ”Emma, my love, please, I need to be inside you,” I begged, ”I need to feel your tight pussy around me,” and with that I helped her into a sitting position, sliding her panties down and yanking the skirt of her dress up over her waist. I kissed her fiercely as my hands explored her folds, thrilled to find them soaked. She was ready for me.
I laid her on the bench seat, peppering kisses over her face. She moaned against my mouth, ”Jaime, that was so hot. I loved feeling your hard cock in my mouth,” she said, and I groaned.
”Well, I hope you love the feeling of me sliding inside of you just as much.”
”I do. I love all of you,” she said as her hand reached to position me at her opening.
All the emotions I’d been trying to keep in check for so long were no match for that confession. Everything in me broke apart, and I surged inside of her as she cried out. I buried my face into her neck. ”Fuck Emma, I love you so much,” I said, thrusting into her. ”I always have.” I said the words, and I fucking meant them, because here in the dark cab of my truck as I fulfilled her fantasy, there was no stopping the truth pouring from my lips. This was the woman I loved, the only woman I have ever loved, and I wanted her to know it.
Her hips struggled to keep up with mine as I pounded into her, swallowing her cries with my mouth and tasting her as her pussy began spasming around my shaft.
She ran her nails down my back as my thrusts became more frantic. The sound of her pants, moans and screams in the truck would be branded as a soundtrack on my brain.
”That”s my good girl. Come for me,” I coaxed, as I felt her tightening around me, desperate to hold back my release until she was fully satisfied.
Her hands shot to my ass, digging her fingers into my skin as she pulled me deeper and cried out my name, the syllables filling the cab of that truck reverberating through my hyper-sensitized body. She came hard around me and I followed almost immediately, shouting out my release.
I collapsed on top of her, trying to catch my breath and loving the fact that every time I inhaled, I was surrounded by the scent of the woman I loved. I felt almost feral, gathering her up in my arms and holding her close to me, whispering nonsensical, sweet nothings into her ear.
When I finally regained my senses, I realized what I was saying. ”I never want to let you go. Don”t make me let you go. I can”t do it again.”
Startled that I let myself go so completely, I pulled back and looked at her face to see her eyes shining with tears, but she was smiling at me.
She reached for my face, rubbing her thumbs over my cheeks, admitting, ”I don”t want to let you go either… I won’t let anyone get in our way ever again.”
Relief flooded my body as I leaned down to kiss her, and soon we were feverishly making out again.
I would have stayed with her all night, holding her, and making plans for the future except for the insistent ringing of my phone.
I ignored it the first two times, but then Emma said, ”Maybe you should answer that. What if it”s Maria or Sofia?”
I dug my phone out of my pocket and answered. ”Jaime,” Maria”s voice sounding strained, ”I need your help. Mama doesn”t recognize me and she”s freaking out, trying to lock me out of the house.”
”Shit, hang in there. I”ll be there as soon as I can.”
I hung up the phone and glanced at Emma, concern etched on her face. ”Mama doesn’t recognize Maria,” I explained while I quickly rearranged my clothing and fired up the engine.
She stayed in the center seat next to me, instead moving over to the passenger side, rubbing my arm as I rushed back to the resort. ”I hate that you have to go through this with your mother, Jaime, but she”s lucky to have kids who are so patient and determined to stick by her side.”
I laughed. ”That”s how we were raised. No one gets left behind.”
Emma”s touch stiffened slightly, and I grimaced internally. Before I could clarify, she said, ”That”s a good quality to have.”
We pulled up to the front of the resort and I was about to open my door and walk her to her room, but she stopped me. ”Jaime, that sounded pretty urgent. I can get myself to my room, though I appreciate your chivalry.”
”Are you sure?” I inquired, and she huffed out a laugh, kissing me sweetly. ”Jaime, I can manage, but call me any hour of the night if you need to talk,” she said, kissing me again, deeper this time. I wanted nothing more than to follow her back to her room, but she was right. I needed to get home to Mama.
”Goodnight, Bella,” I whispered against her lips.
”Goodnight, Jaime, sweet dreams.”
I didn”t pull away from the curb until I saw her disappear behind the double doors of the resort. I thanked my lucky stars this brilliant woman understood how important my family was to me.
I rushed home uncertain of what I was waiting for me, but it couldn”t dampen the warmth in my chest when I thought of the time we just spent in each other arms.