Noises I’d never made before were flying out of my mouth. I couldn’t handle any more pleasure. I couldn’t take the pressure and the throbbing and thrusting. It was going to drown me. Eat me alive.
“You’re going to ruin me,” I sobbed as my body tensed with an impending climax. Even my damn fingernails throbbed with the need to release.
“Good. Let’s fall apart together, Xari. Come for me.” He slid his thumb in my soaking wet pussy then his fingers found my clit. It took approximately one and a half strokes to my bundle of nerves before I exploded.
“Fuck!” Evander and I both shouted. My heart threatened to leap from my chest it was racing so hard and fast. Evander eased out of me and flopped over on the bed while I turned to dandelion fluff and floated all around the room or at least that’s what it felt like happened.
“So…” I said with a hoarse voice. “After I conquer the world playing the harp and all…”
“Uh-huh,” he chuckled, kissing my dewy forehead.
“I’m giving you babies.”
“How many?” He asked, still amused.
“I don’t know. A lot? I’ll be like the Costco of baby-making for you.”
“So I can get like a tub full of babies? Cool.” He poked my side and I laughed. It was a deep and cathartic laugh that I didn’t know I needed. Evander was always good for making me happy when I didn’t know I needed it though.
That was him. He showed me lessons I didn’t know I needed to learn, and he did it with such ease. I couldn’t love him more. It was impossible. If I tried, I’d pop.
“Are these babies coming before or after I make you Mrs. Freeman? Because that’s happening.”
“I don’t care. I’m with you forever so if the babies come before marriage or after, it doesn’t matter.”
Forever? Wow.
I was head over heels for him. I used to never want to be with anyone forever. It was terrifying to think of but that was before Evander. That was before I knew what peace and growth looked like. After he showed me what love could be, forever didn’t seem like long enough.
I wanted ten forevers with him.
Only him.
Always him.
Epilogue
Two years later…
“Mrs. Freeman, time to wake up.” I motioned for Frankie to go around to the other side of the couch and wake Xari up too.
We were trying to wait for midnight before we sprang the good news on her. She’d been so tired lately that she fell asleep before the show we were watching was over.
“Xari,” Frankie sang. “Wake up.”
“Xari hid her face behind her hands, blinding me with the ten-carat wedding ring on her finger. I knew she wouldn’t mind if I went with a bold choice for her ring. There was symbolism behind it though. I’d never give my wife an empty and meaningless ring.
She told me before I proposed that one forever wasn’t enough with me. She wanted ten. I made sure her ring reflected that. Diamonds were forever and I gave her ten carats. Ten forevers.
It was tough winning Mr. Lucas over but after a long fishing trip, we hashed everything out and I had his blessing. He finally warmed up to me and ever since, he’d been an amazing stand-in father since mine disowned me when I left the senate. I still kept in touch with my mother but things were done between me and my father.
“I’ll catch up on the rest of the episodes later. Just let me sleep,” Xari whined, still covering her face.
“Nah, we gotta get you up. We have somewhere to go,” I said, tugging on her hand.
“Somewhere to go? Excuse me?” She cracked open one eye and still managed to glare at me. “It’s almost midnight. The only place I want to go is to bed.”
“At eleven? Wow, you’re getting old,” Frankie snorted.
“Whatever, little girl,” Xari laughed. “Where do we have to go?”
“The movies, then IHOP,” I told her. She frowned a little and sat up straighter, tossing the blanket off.
“Are we celebrating something?”
“Duh,” Frankie laughed.
“Anyone wanna tell me what we’re celebrating?” She was on her feet by then.
“You,” I said simply, taking her hand in mine. Our wedding rings clinked together and she looked down at our hands. I loved how she still smiled when she saw our hands pressed together or our fingers linked. I can’t lie…I did the same thing.
“Me?”
“Are you a parrot?” I tapped the tip of her nose and she rolled her eyes. “We have something to tell you, Xari,” I said.
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“You got something in the mail and you also got a voicemail on the house phone that I may have listened to before you.”
“Evander what the hell is going on?” She asked, punching my arm.
“Please tell her, Dad. It’s killing me and I already know.” Frankie clasped her hands together under her chin and shifted from one foot to the other.
“Okay, okay,” I sighed. “Xari, you got the spot for principal harpist with the National Philharmonic.” She’d auditioned three weeks ago when the spot opened, and they notified her via letter and phone call today. I happened to intercept both the letter and the phone call.
The high-pitched squeal that exploded from her mouth let me know she was happy with the news. She hopped up and down and then right into my arms where I wanted her. I spun her around in a full circle then sat her on her feet.
“Evander please tell me this isn’t a joke.” Her words were a rush of excitement.
“Nope. Not a joke.” I motioned to Frankie
