Page 83 of A Kiss at Midnight

“The man at the bar. You shouldn’t have done that.”

“The man at the bar?” I’m lost for a few moments in my sex-induced coma. Then my eyes snap open, and I draw back so I can look at him. “Wait! Is that what this was about? Another man spoke to me, so you had to screw me into submission to show me you’re better?” I ask with horror.

“No,” he says, his voice almost deadly. “I was holding back because I thought that was what you wanted — needed. When you allowed yourself to be vulnerable with another man, I decided it was time for me to remind you I’m here,” he tells me, not releasing his hold on me. “Ready, anddefinitelywaiting.”

“But... this makes no sense, Blake. We’ve seen each other almost daily for weeks and you haven’t touched me. Why would speaking to another man upset you?”

“I told you, I was trying to give you space. But I’m done with that. I’m so hungry for you, I can’t think straight. And you’re just as hungry for me. We belong together.” He rolls back on top of me and presses his manhood against my core. I’m not surprised when my body instantly responds to his.

“I assumed you didn’t want me anymore,” I tell him. While lying in his arms fully naked, I can’t hide any of my body’s secrets from him. I might as well open my heart too. If he’s going to crush me, I’d rather he do it in one fell swoop than keep dragging the suffering out.

“You assumed wrong, Jewel. What we have is a failure to communicate, and that’s going to end right now. Iwillmarry you soon.”

He doesn’t proclaim love, and this hurts. But at least I have him. It doesn’t seem our passion is ending soon, so I should have him for a very long time. Will it be enough? I hope so, because he’s an obsession... and I can’t walk away.

I cover my sadness by reaching for his head and pulling him down to me, being the one to initiate the kiss this time. When he groans into my mouth, the sense of emptiness begins to ease. Yes, our relationship is nowhere near perfect or conventional, but it’s working.

“I want you, Blake,” I say, instead of saying what I so desperately want to say. Blake doesn’t reply. His body joins with mine, and he loves me again and again until the early hours of the morning. This is enough. I’m convinced I’ll believe this if I say it enough times.

Chapter Review

Chapter Forty-Seven

Jewel

The sun is settingas I walk by Blake’s side, my hand in his, sounds from his old neighborhood our background music. I’m taking it all in, and grateful that we’re here. This is progress... This is about so much more than just a walk. This is us in an almost normal relationship... and I love it.

Justin’s hanging with his new favorite uncle Tyler and assured us to take as long as we want. I think we’re both smothering him a little too much and he wants some fun uncle bonding time where he isn’t asked every two minutes if he’s okay.

“I have a lot of fond memories from living in this neighborhood,” he tells me, seeming far mellower than I’ve seen him before.

“Yes, growing up with good people can do that. Before my mother died, she was my best friend. I don’t understand how people can so easily dismiss their parents these days. Kids think they’re smarter than their parents, and they simply don’t value them. I’d give anything for one more day with my mom to tell her thank you for all she did for me.” As soon as the words come out, I want to take them back. His fingers tense while holding my hand. Before I can apologize, he speaks.

“Not all parents deserve honor or respect,” he says. “And not all parents are those who gave you their DNA.” I fully agree with this. Family can be so much more than blood.

“Do you consider Bill and Vivian Berkshire as replacement parents?” I ask as we stop in front of the home Bill still occupies, though it doesn’t appear as if Blake and I are going inside.

“No. Bill was best friends with my grandpa, so they were far more like grandparents, but they’ve always had all of our respect. It hurt when Vivian died. And there’s nothing we won’t do for Bill today... if the stubborn old man will simply let us,” Blake says with a rare laugh.

“That’s a bit like the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I know. But there’s stubborn and then there’sstubborn,” he says with a roll of the eyes.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you think Bill’s more stubborn than you,” I tell him.

We’re moving forward. I’m a little disappointed not to stop in and see Bill, but I’m not sure what Blake has planned tonight. He parked at the coffee shop around the corner, and we’ve been walking through his old stomping grounds since. It’s actually pretty dang close to perfect.

“What made growing up here special?” I ask as the two of us approach an empty playground.

“I don’t know. Maybe it was the normality of living here. Tyler broke his arm over there on the baseball field when he was five, and Byron and I got into a fight with a couple of older kids over a girl Byron had kissed behind those bleachers,” he says, pointing to a set of bleachers that appear to be in pretty good shape. I bet he gave the money to keep this neighborhood looking so beautiful and quaint. He won’t admit it if I ask.

For a man who has so much pride and likes to act like he rules the world, I’m discovering he’s not who he portrays. He gives a lot, and he does it with zero fanfare. With every bit of information I learn about him, it makes me love him more.

“Who won?” I ask as we approach a swing set.

“I’d love to say us, but we got our asses kicked,” he tells me as he gets behind a swing and motions for me to sit.

“What are we doing?” I ask, looking pointedly at the swing.

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