Chapter 40 #2
I take her palm and bring it to my lips. “No, sweetheart. I’m the lucky one. Because you’re everything I never thought I could have. You’re beyond beautiful, smart, kind, brave, and a fighter.”
I don’t let myself go down the path of what-ifs. I stay in this moment, because all we have in life is this. We have the here. The now. The hopes of the future, but none of it’s guaranteed, and I want to enjoy the now.
“I’m already a sure thing, but if I wasn’t, that would’ve done it.” Lark grins. “Now how about you let me show you just how lucky I feel.” She slides down my body, kissing her way as she goes.
Fuck. I’m never going to survive tonight.
“Lark,” I say her name, both a plea and a prayer.
Her beautiful green eyes stare up at me as she wraps her lips around my cock. “Holy shit,” I mutter, staring up at the string lights.
I focus on the filaments, doing my best to ignore the sensations of her sucking my dick.
I count—it doesn’t help.
My gaze moves back to her. She bobs her head and moans as if it’s the best thing she’s ever had.
“Fuck,” I groan and grip the comforter.
I’m going to lose it. It feels too good. The heat. The wetness. The sight of her enjoying it—yeah, I’m way too close.
“Lark, I’m going to come, baby.”
She glances up at me. I can see in her eyes she doesn’t want to stop. Damn it. I’m so close.
“You gotta stop,” I say through gritted teeth. “I can’t hold back.”
Right as I finish the last word, she stops, and my head is swimming with the effort it took to restrain myself.
She crawls up my body. “I think you liked it.”
“You have no idea. Now lie down on your stomach,” I command.
Without a word, she does as I ask. I move my hands across her back, rubbing the muscles as I go lower. She lets out a deep moan when I hit one spot in particular.
“Feel good?” I ask.
“Very.”
I keep rubbing, working out the tension for her. Finally, I reach her panties and pull them down.
“I think I’m going to feel very good soon,” she says with her head tilted to the side.
“Oh, I know you are. Lift up on your knees.”
When she moves, I position her ass higher, her upper body resting on the bed. I want her so badly. I need to taste her, to make her scream. My tongue slides against her entrance, and I love how wet she is. That she is this turned on from sucking my dick.
I moan against her, and her breath catches. “Please,” she whimpers. I wanted to tease her, to make her go crazy with desire, but right now I just want her to come. I need it more than my next breath.
Knowing exactly what she likes, I focus on her clit, adjusting the pressure, driving her higher.
“Tristan, yes, there!” she yells, her legs starting to tremble.
I move my tongue harder right where she asked for it. Her breathing is labored, and a series of exclamations bursts from her: yes, please, there, Tristan, oh God, baby, fuck.
When I push my finger deep inside her, her lower body damn near collapses, but I don’t stop. She’s close. I can feel her muscles tightening around me.
Lark’s voice is frantic. “Oh God. I’m close. Oh, God. I can’t. Oh, please, yes. Tristan!” she finally screams out, letting go.
I lick, suck, and push another finger in, letting her orgasm crash around me. When she lies on her back, I nestle between her legs.
“Look at me,” I say gruffly, needing to be inside her. Lark forces her eyes open. “I love you. Without permission, you stole my heart, and I never want it back. It’s yours, as is my love.”
Tears form in her green eyes. “I love you, and you have my heart. Please don’t break it.”
“Never,” I vow and then push inside her, feeling complete for the first time in a long time.
Lark and I are lying in bed, her hand resting over my heart. She lifts her head and sets her chin on her hand. “Tristan?”
“Yes?” I ask hesitantly.
“I’d like to visit Emmy Jo’s grave.”
I stiffen, my head pulling back to look at her closely. “Okay, but…why?”
She lets out a long breath through her nose. “I feel like I need to explain things to her. Maybe ask for her blessing.”
I grin, imagining the look that would be on Emmy Jo’s face.
At first, it would probably be shock. She knew my disdain for the Gatlin family—not that I like the lot of them, but the one in my arms is pretty spectacular.
After getting over that initial part, I think she’d be happy because she knows I’m happy. “I know what she’d say.”
“She’d probably laugh at first. The idea of us,” Lark says with a chuckle.
“She would,” I agree. “Then she’d say it makes sense.”
“I think she would, too, but Mary Lou might not.”
I can see the worry in Lark’s eyes, and I hate that for her. Mary Lou might not get it at first, but I know her well enough to predict she’ll get over it quickly.
“She’s the one who was trying to get me to date a few years ago. Telling me I needed a woman.”
“Yeah, but I doubt her best friend was her idea of the woman.”
I snort a laugh. “We’ll deal with all of it. Together.”
Lark rests her head back on my chest. “Still, you’re okay with me going?”
“Of course. Whatever you need to do, Lark, I support you.”
She pops her head back up. “Do you want to go with me?”
I shake my head. Going to Emmy Jo’s grave isn’t something I do often. I go when Sadie asks, which is rare. “I made my peace with Emmy Jo’s death years ago. I understand that it’s important to you, and I completely understand, but for me, I know how I feel about you and us.”
I’ve already said what I’ve needed to say in my heart. I knew my wife, and we’d talked about this possibility before she died. Her hopes. Her dreams for me and Sadie. What her vision of my future looked like. And that’s exactly what I’m building now.
“You’re sure?”
I lean down and kiss her head. “Positive, but if you want me to take you, I will.”