Chapter 21
Smokey
The waiting was finally over. She was back in my arms, and on top of that, she was carrying my kid. I felt whole again, like the missing pieces of my soul had returned, and there was no way in hell I was ever going to be without them again. I led her into my old bedroom, and when I glanced around the room, I was pleased to see that Guardrail had managed to do what I’d asked. He’d gone above and beyond to change my old small bedroom into our new master. By knocking out the wall to the office next door, he’d made the room twice the size it was before, and he’d also added a full-sized bathroom with one of those fancy whirlpool tubs. As requested, he’d replaced all of the old, dated furniture with a dark mahogany bedroom suite, including a new king-sized bed. It was perfect.
I walked over to the edge of the bed and lifted her into my arms before playfully tossing her on top of the covers. She immediately sprawled out across the comforter, letting her hands roam over the soft, new fabric. I watched with satisfaction as a smile snuck across her beautiful face. She looked up at me excitedly and said, “Ahh… I like this. It’s so comfy, and there’s room for both of us.”
“You saying there was something wrong with the other one?” I teased.
She shrugged and looked at the ceiling as she answered, “Well… yeah. The mattress was kind of hard and it was too small for the both of us to sleep on… and it kind of smelled like mothballs.”
I sprang on top of the bed, hovering over her as I asked, “Mothballs? I’ve never had mothballs in here.”
“I’m just saying,” she laughed. “It smelled a little like an old—”
I dropped my mouth to hers, silencing her with a kiss that was long and hard. Her mouth was warm and wet as I delved deeper, exploring every inch of it. I’d never known it was possible to feel such a connection with another person, but I felt it with her. Being with her was like slipping into a dream. Every breath and every touch made me fall deeper. It was almost too perfect to be real.
The cool touch of her fingertips caught my breath as her hands slid beneath my t-shirt. I looked down at her, seeing the lust that filled her eyes and urged me on, as my hands dropped to her waist. I gently tugged at the hem of her shirt, carefully pulling it over her head and tossing it to the foot of the bed before I set to work on her jeans. Moments later, she was lying before me, wearing only a pair of black lacy panties and a smile. She was too damned perfect, and she was mine—forever mine. I leaned over her and watched the goosebumps rise along her skin as I began to trace the slope of her breast with my fingertips. A hoarse moan echoed across the room as I settled my head between her thighs. I ran my tongue across the edge of her panties, teasing her—tormenting her—as she squirmed beneath me. Her scent was intoxicating, and I was overcome with the need to taste her. I slipped her panties down past her ankles while trailing kisses slowly down her thigh. She clawed at my t-shirt, yanking it quickly over my head and throwing it onto the bedside table. Her fingers tracked the lines of my ink while her eyes roamed over my bare chest. She wanted me. It was clear to see by the heated, needful look on her face, and I had every intention of giving her exactly what she wanted.
I slid my hands beneath her, gripping her hips as I lowered my head between her legs, and watched her clench her eyes in ecstasy. I loved how her body responded instantly to my touch. Seeing her coming unhinged spurred me on. I couldn’t get enough. With the sounds of her moans echoing through the room, I placed my hands on her thighs, holding her in place while I continued to work her over with my mouth. Her taste had me throbbing with an uncontrollable need to be inside her, and when I couldn’t wait any longer, I quickly removed my jeans and slid myself between her legs.
As I hovered over her, she looked up at me, and I could see the love in her eyes as she whispered, “I’ve missed you so much.”
“No more than I’ve missed you.”
She pressed her lips to mine in a possessive, demanding kiss. Her spell had been cast, and I was lost in the magic of her touch. A little moan vibrated through her chest as my cock brushed against her entrance. Impatience overcame me as she wrapped her legs around my waist, forcing me closer. When I couldn’t wait a moment longer, I lowered my mouth, nipping and sucking along the curve of her neck as I thrusted deep inside her. I began to move, slowly and deliberately, and relished the sounds of her groans as the jolts of pleasure shot through her. Each shift forward sent her closer to the edge. I rocked against her, driving deeper inside her with each and every thrust. I watched in fascination as her teeth raked against her bottom lip and she tried to fight the trembles of her impending orgasm. Her fingers dug into my hips as she guided me back and forth, over and over again, until I reached a demanding pace. Her back arched against the bed as I continued the relentless rhythm I’d set. I felt her body tremble beneath me as her climax built, burning through my veins.
My breath quickened as she tightened around me, and I was struggling to maintain my control. Panting and gasping for breath, she was close to the edge as her muscles began to quiver with her impending release. With my hands beneath her, I lifted her higher and angled myself inside, finding the spot I knew would send her over the brink.
“Yes!” she cried over and over again as her nails bit into my chest. Her eyes clamped shut and her mouth formed a perfect O as her orgasm surged through her body. A loud, torturous growl roared through the room as she tightened around me. I was unable to hold back as I found my own release.
I was still inside her as I lowered myself on top of her, resting my head on her chest. I listened to our breathing slow together into a steady rhythm. After several minutes, I rolled to the side, pulling her over to me as I said, “It’s good to have you back, beautiful.”
“It’s good to be back,” she answered. She placed the palm of her hand on my heart as she said, “I love you.”
“I love you more than you know,” I told her.
We’d been lying there in silence for several minutes when she lifted her head to face me and asked, “Are you really going to make me wait until morning to see all the renovations?”
“I think I can manage a quick tour, but it’s gonna have to be quick,” I teased.
She reached for my t-shirt and pulled it over her head as she bounced out of the bed and said, “Let’s do this.”
I rolled over, and by the time I’d pulled on my boxers, she was halfway out the door. I followed her downstairs and turned on the lights as we walked into the living room. The walls had been painted a pale gray, and the entire room had been filled with new furniture, including the L-shaped sofa I’d slept on the night before. I was completely captivated as I watched MJ walk through the room with wide eyes and a bright smile. She ran her hands over the cushions of the sofa and recliner, feeling all the different textures of the fabric. “I can’t believe Guardrail did all this.”
“He had some help, but yeah… he’s good at his job.”
I trailed behind her as she started walking towards the kitchen. I flipped on the lights and watched her eyes dance with excitement when she noticed all the new appliances. She made a beeline for the new stove. “It’s all so fancy!”
“Do you like it?” I asked, even though the answer was written all over her face.
“Are you kidding? I love it!” she cried. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly as she said, “It’s perfect.”
“I’m glad you like it,” I told her as I held her close.
I felt the warmth of her breath against my neck as she whispered, “I love you, Smokey. I love you so much.”
“Love you, too, beautiful.” I smiled as I reached for her hand, leading her towards the stairs. “Tour’s over.”
“Wait! I haven’t seen it all,” she giggled. “I want to see the rest.”
As we started up the stairs, I turned to her and said, “Oh, don’t worry… I’ll show it to you.”
I knelt down and slipped my arm behind her knees as I lifted her up and over my shoulder. Laughing, she began to kick her feet and screamed, “What are you doing? Put me down!”
I lifted my free hand up to her bare ass and gave her a light pop as I said, “I’m giving my girl what she asked for. You wanted a tour and now you’re going to get it. Room by room.”
“So you’re saying we’re going to christen every room?” she giggled.
“Maybe not all of them,” I told her as I carried her into the spare bedroom. I slowly lowered her feet to the floor as I said, “I was thinking this could be the nursery.”
Her eyes widened in surprise as she asked, “Nursery?”
“Figured we’d need one pretty soon,” I said and smiled.
“But how did you know?” Her look of confusion slowly faded into one of frustration as she muttered, “My father told you?”
“Yeah, he might’ve mentioned it.”
She let out a deep breath as she ran her fingers through her long, blonde hair. Her dark eyes were filled with regret as she said, “I didn’t want you to find out that way. I wanted to do something special.” Her eyes dropped to the ground as she tried to hide her disappointment. “I’d been thinking of all these cute little ways to tell you… I thought about putting a copy of the ultrasound on the refrigerator or maybe a little pair of baby biker booties tied to your bike, but now my father messed it all up.”
“He was upset. He wasn’t thinking when he said, but none of that matters now. We gotta leave all that in the past and focus on the future.” Trying to assure her that everything would be okay, I took a step towards her and asked, “So… do you think this room will make a good nursery or should we use one of the rooms down the hall?”
She stepped back and looked around the room, studying every nook and cranny as she imagined it as our baby’s room. I waited patiently for her response, wondering if she liked it. When I noticed the tears filling her eyes, I walked over to her and pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly. She laid her head on my shoulder as she said, “I think it’d make a wonderful nursery.” After several moments passed, she took a step back and looked up at me with concern. “Are you okay with all of this? I know it’s early, and we’re just getting…”
“I’m more than okay with it, MJ. I love you, and starting a family with you is just the beginning. I want my ring on your finger and my patch on your back. I want it all. The sooner the better.”
“I want that, too… more than you know,” she told me as she looked up and kissed me tenderly. The sun was just starting to rise when we finally crashed. While we’d made love several times during the night, we’d spent most of our night just talking. There were so many things that I’d missed when she was gone, and I wanted to know everything. She told me all about her time at her Aunt Miranda’s, including all of her wild antics, and her visit to see Dr. Webb and her surprise phone call several weeks later. I told her about Boozer and the funeral, and I could see that she was upset that she hadn’t been there. I wish she could’ve been there too, but that time had come and gone. The future was all that mattered now.
It was almost lunchtime when I heard a knock on the front door. When I went downstairs, I found Emily and the kids waiting on the front porch. She had a worried look on her face when I opened the door and asked, “Hey, Em. Is everything okay?”
“Is that MJ’s car?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Did… umm… Did you two talk last night?” she asked with her voice sounding almost frantic.
“Em… everything is fine. We talked. Got everything sorted.” I smiled. “And I’ve got some news to share. Why don’t you and the kids come in and I’ll fix us something to eat?”
Her demeanor instantly changed as she smiled wide and said, “That sounds great!” She took Shelby’s hand and started inside. She walked into the kitchen and as she sat down at the counter, she asked, “Where is she now?”
“Upstairs, sleeping,” I answered. I turned on the small TV by the sink and then looked in the fridge for something I could fix for lunch. I grabbed the hamburger meat and some cheese, and asked, “How about some burgers?”
“Burgers sounds great,” she smiled.
I’d just started patting out the burgers when MJ walked into the kitchen wearing one of my t-shirts and her hair was pulled up in a messy bun. She looked beautiful as she shuffled over to me, wiping the sleep out of her eyes before she kissed me on the cheek and said, “Morning, babe.”
“Morning, beautiful.” I motioned my head over to Emily and the kids and said, “We’ve got company.”
“Hey there, MJ!” Emily smiled. “It’s good to see that you’re back.”
MJ walked over to her and gave her a quick hug. “It’s good to be back.”
“Smokey said he had some news,” Emily started. “You two gonna fill me in or keep me waiting? I’m dying over here.”
I finished putting the last burger in the skillet, then turned to her and said, “It’s kind of complicated. I’ll explain the details later, but MJ’s pregnant.”
“Well, that was kind of anticlimactic,” MJ scolded. “We’ve really gotta work on your delivery before you tell anyone else!”
Emily reached for MJ and hugged her. “That’s wonderful news. Congratulations!”
MJ whispered something in her ear and as she gave her another squeeze, she said, “Thanks for everything.”
Emily wiped a tear from her eye. “I’m just glad you’re back.”
They continued to talk back and forth as I finished up the burgers. I was just about to put them on the table when Emily pointed over to the TV and asked, “Hey, MJ… isn’t that your dad?”
We all looked at the screen and sure enough, MJ’s father was holding a press conference in front of the police station. I watched as the news feed scrolled beneath him, and when I read, “Sheriff Deputy Michaels arrested for murder and obstruction of justice.” I quickly turned up the volume, and we all listened as the reporter explained that her father’s suspension had been lifted and Michaels was going to jail with no chance of parole.
I looked over at MJ, seeing the relief on her face, and said, “Looks like things worked out for your old man after all.”
“Thank goodness,” she sighed. “I was so worried.”
I placed the burgers on the table and said, “I need to make a call. You guys eat up. I’ll be right back.”
I walked out on the porch and dialed Cotton’s number. When he answered, I asked, “Did you see the news?”
“I did,” he answered. “You did good, Smoke.”
“And the shipment?”
“It will go out as planned,” he answered. “We’ll roll out in the morning.”
“I’ll be ready,” I assured him. “See you first thing tomorrow.”
I hung up the phone, and just as I was about to open the door, MJ stepped outside. Her eyebrows were furrowed with doubt as she asked, “Did you have something to do with all this?”
“What?”
She placed her hand on her hip. “With no real explanation, you just up and go over there. Then miraculously, the next day my father has uncovered all this information on this Michaels guy and he’s been cleared of his suspension. You don’t think that sounds a little coincidental?”
“Nope.” I smiled. “Sounds like he got what he needed to clear his name. Simple as that.”
“Smokey,” she sighed. “For whatever you may or may not have done… thank you.”
Unable to confirm her suspicions, I redirected her by saying, “Let’s go grab a burger. I bet our boy is getting hungry.”
“Boy?” she scoffed as she shook her head. “You mean our daughter. Definitely our daughter.”
“We’ll see about that,” I laughed.