Page 88 of Rebound

She mumbles and smiles, then her eyes flutter open. She looks adorable, her eyes widening with surprise. “Elijah… What are you doing here?”

I cuddle into her and kiss her cheek. “I wanted to be with you. Is this okay?”

She pulls my arm more firmly around her. My fingers gently explore her, and she sighs as I caress her breasts. Her nipples are immediately taut under the silk of her slip. She wriggles her backside against my already-stiff cock. “Yes. This is okay,” she murmurs, her voice still sleepy. “It’s more than okay.”

She stretches languidly against me, and I kiss her slender neck as she makes contented little noises. I push up her slip and let my hands wander. Her skin is soft and warm, and she angles herself perfectly to take me. “Oh baby, you’re already soaked.”

“I know. I was dreaming about you. It was a very naughty dream.”

I groan and slide my cock deeper. She feels like heaven. She gasps, leaning her head back against me. Her pussy is tight and wet, and it takes all my resolve not to rail into her. Instead, the moment is sweet. Our bodies work as one, perfectly timing each thrust, both of us moaning at the simple pleasure of being together again. I reach around to stroke her clit as we make love, and it doesn’t take long for me to get my reward. Her perfect pussy squeezes around me, and she lets out the most divine little cries as the ecstasy takes her. We ride it out together, and I build up my rhythm. Her coming is enough to push me toward my own release.

“I love you, Amber,” I whisper as I shudder against her.

We stay like that for several minutes, her lean body snuggled into mine, my arms wrapped around her. She strokes my hands and kisses my fingers, and it’s pretty much one of the most perfect moments of my entire fucking life.

Eventually, she rolls over to face me, and her whiskey-brown eyes are sparkling. She places her palm on my cheekbone and smiles. “We don’t seem able to stay away from each other, do we?”

“No, we don’t—and why the fuck should we? You’re mine, Amber, and I’m yours. We can’t give up on us. I won’t give up on us. Not ever.”

“Did you tell them where you were going?” She doesn’t need to explain what she means by that.

I shake my head and hope like hell she understands. “I didn’t, but not because I didn’t want to. It was because it wasn’t my night. Drake proposed to Amelia.”

She looks delighted and laughs, and the tension eases out of me at the sound. “Let me guess—at the stroke of midnight, on the balcony?”

“Yeah, how’d you know? Did he tell you what he was planning?”

“No, it’s just… Well, it’s classy. It’s romantic, and since he met Amelia, so is he. I’m thrilled for them, and I completely understand that you didn’t want to step on their toes. Was your dad pleased?”

I examine her words for any traces of pain, any evidence that she’s faking this, but I find none. “He was, yeah. Everyone was, including me—but all I could think about was this. You. Being here by your side. And if you’re willing to give us another chance, I will tell them, I promise.”

She looks solemn, and my heart sinks. “I think I am, Elijah. Willing, I mean. But I’m still… I don’t know, scared?”

“Of course you are.” I drop a kiss on her forehead and pull her closer. “So am I, truth be told. But I believe in us. We can do this.”

ChapterForty-Three

AMBER

Elijah had to leave the night after he arrived to get back to work, and I bid a fond farewell to Granny Lucille a few days later. She was smug about being right, and I was too happy to mind. The fact that he left his family and flew all the way to see me proved he wants to rebuild our relationship from the ground up. This time last year, he never would have done that.

Like Lucille said, this has all been a wake-up call. No matter how difficult the road ahead might be, I believe Elijah and I are better off together.

I’m both excited and nervous about what the future holds. There are a lot of challenges ahead. When I first ran to Charleston back when all of this began, Granny told me I needed to be brave and bold. I had no idea then that being brave and bold would mean agreeing to a fresh start with my own husband.

Now here I am in Queens, where I’ve just finished leading my first dance class of the new year. It was for the younger age group, and as ever, it was a blast, and I was surprised and pleased by our special guests, Melanie and baby Luke.

Luke loved every second, slamming his chubby fists down onto the mat with the music and struggling up onto wobbly legs to join in. He’s a joy to be around, and Mel and I are laughing at his playful antics as we chat.

Mel looks a little tired and seems grateful for the chance to sit and let Luke enjoy himself with the other kids. He’s big and active for his age and is sitting in a circle with some other toddlers, bashing the floor with a large Duplo until it’s abandoned in favor of the rice cake he’s gnawing on. Guess it’s so good it requires all his attention.

Mel and I keep our conversation surface-level, and I feel rotten for not being able to open up to her. Despite her dubious taste in men, my sister-in-law seems like a lovely woman, and I’m hoping that we’ll become friends. For now, though, she avoids the subject of Elijah and me with admirable diplomacy. Instead, we talk about Drake and Amelia’s engagement, which is safe and pleasant ground.

“Sorry. I’m not sleeping well,” she says after a big yawn, looking embarrassed. “It’s great here, isn’t it?” She gestures at the bright, cheerful room.

“It is, yes. I really enjoy it. You know my history, I’m sure. It’s taken a while for me to feel comfortable around children. Now it seems like they’re everywhere I look.”

She pulls a sympathetic face. “I… I had miscarriages. One before Luke, and two when I was younger. It’s not something I talk about much, but for a while, I wasn’t sure if children would ever happen for me. And now, I’m… Well, here I am.” She clearly stops herself from saying more, and I suspect I know what it is. The tired eyes, the yawning. The decaf coffee. I won’t put her on the spot—she’ll tell people when she’s ready—but it seems the James clan is about to get even bigger.

---