“What if they don’t approve?” Lacy asks, nerves making her voice quake.
I give her hand a squeeze as we make our way into my parents’ house. “Of course they approve. I think they like you better than me.”
She giggles but I meant what I said. Ever since that night when the Johnston boys assaulted her and my parents got involved, they’ve latched onto Lacy. I don’t know any other way to explain it. Mom watches her like a guard dog at church and enjoys taking her and her mother out to lunch often. Dad spends a lot of time in prayer with her after church. I don’t know what he says to her or what they pray about but she looks so serene. Both my parents adore her. The night after Lace and I showered at her house, my parents made it known that they didn’t approve of our age difference and the illegal nature of our relationship. Not that age matters anymore now that she’s eighteen. They did, however, approve of our love. And with Lacy, we have so much love, it’s infectious.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Mom says as she steps into the foyer. “You look gorgeous in that dress. Yellow brings out the blue in your eyes.”
Lacy beams at her and then steps away from me to hug my mom. “Thank you, Lydia.”
“Easton tells me we’re celebrating something. Did my boy treat you right this past weekend in the city?” Mom questions.
I smirk and Lacy sends me a warning glare. I treated her real nice when I pinned her against the bathroom sink at the hotel I booked for us—while we were in New York City—with her blonde hair in my brutal grip and forced her to watch me as I fucked her from behind. It was erotic as hell.
“He always treats me better than I deserve,” Lacy breathes.
I laugh and give my mom a hug. “She deserves much more than me but I’m thankful she’s a blonde and hasn’t come to that conclusion yet.”
She elbows me and Mom gives me a pinch. “You’re insufferable, son.”
“I’m teasing,” I say with a wicked grin. “Lace is the smartest girl I know. Did you tell Mom what you did?”
They know we went to New York for the weekend, but they think it was a romantic getaway. And while it was romantic, that wasn’t the real reason we’d gone.
Lacy’s cheeks burn bright—and it’s not for the fact that she’s not wearing panties under her dress. “I finished Mikey the Majestic.”
Mom’s eyes brighten. “Oh, how wonderful. When do I get to read the rest?” It warms my heart that Lacy shared her story with both our moms.
“Actually,” Lacy murmurs, her throat burning bright red. “It’s with an editor.”
“At a publishing house,” I finish for my modest girl. “We met with the publisher on Saturday. They picked up Mikey the Majestic and better yet they want her to turn it into a series. A five-book deal, Mom. Lace didn’t want to say anything until we knew for sure.”
Lacy had been worried when I suggested she submit it to a publisher. We scoped out some that fit her story, researched them to make sure they were legit, and then she wrote a letter explaining the emotions and heartache that went into writing her book. A reputable publisher snagged her up in a hurry. She was shocked. I sure as hell wasn’t.
“Oh my word,” Mom gasps in delight. “This is wonderful news. A time for celebration!”
She hurries from the room calling for Dad. Lacy turns and smiles at me. Despite all the crap she’s been through, Lacy is strong and resilient. She survived Sean Polk, Nolan Jenkins, and the Johnston boys. All men who saw her innocence as a weakness. Something to be devoured and destroyed.
“You heard, Mom. Time to celebrate,” I tell her as I snag her wrist and pull her to me. I kiss her forehead as she brings her hand between us.
“We didn’t even get to this part yet,” she murmurs.
The diamond engagement ring on her finger glimmers beneath the foyer chandelier. I’d given it to her last night before I nearly plowed her into the hotel mirror. That’s how we celebrate.
I tuck her into my side and then walk her into the kitchen where Mom is babbling to Dad about Lacy’s book deal. He’s listening intently, pride shining in his eyes.
As my parents gush over my future wife, I can’t help but smile. Several weeks ago, we closed the Sean chapter on her life. We went straight to Sheriff McMahon and told him about Sean violating his restraining order. He located him that night and arrested him. The trial went quick once testimonies came out that Lacy wasn’t the only one he stalked after his release. He terrorized his ex-girlfriend who had his baby, as well as, a few other girls he’d molested. Judge Maximillian Rowe seemed almost gleeful to announce that Sean Polk was going back to prison.
And I certainly was not.
It still worries me that I blacked out that night. When Lacy and I got into the car afterwards, I’d come out of my haze. She had to explain all that happened. I went black with rage, much like I’d done against those three men in prison, and beat his face to a bloody pulp. Lacy says she likes knowing I can go into Hulk Mode—her words, not mine—when she’s threatened.
“The Johnstons put up a ‘for sale’ sign in the yard last week,” Mom tells me, jerking me from my inner thoughts.
My eyebrows raise to my hairline. “That so?”
Dad nods. “Bobby apparently confessed what happened to them. It wasn’t until they received Lacy’s letter though that they put the house on the market.”
I glance over to her and peace shines on her face. “What did you say?” I ask.
She bites on her plump bottom lip for a moment. “I told Jennifer in detail what happened. How terrified I was. But…” She looks over at my dad and he nods. “I told her I forgave them. Bryce and Bobby for hurting me. Jennifer and Jay for taking their sons’ side versus the woman they victimized. I feel better getting that off my chest.”
My sweet, brave, beautiful girl.
“I’m proud of you,” I tell her, my lips quirking on one side. She reaches for me and my mom gasps. We get intercepted as my mom snags her hand.
“Easton! You proposed to her?” Mom shrieks.
Lacy and I both laugh. “I sure did,” I tell her, a smug grin on my lips. “She even said yes, believe it or not.”
Dad chuckles and grips my shoulder. “You’re quite the catch,” he says, pride in his voice. “At least that’s what she tells me every chance she gets.”
The rest of dinner is full of laughter, family, and fun. Even her mom shows up in time for dessert. Steph fusses over Lacy and with good reason. I can’t stop fussing over her either. Eventually my mom, ever the perceptive one, lifts a brow in question.
“We’re not done celebrating yet are we?” she asks.
Steph beams happily and shakes her head. “Not even close.”
I sit down on the couch in the living room and tug Lacy into my lap. Steph sits beside us while my parents find their recliners. My palms protectively rub over Lacy’s still small stomach.
“You guys are going to be grandparents.”
“They handled that well,” Lacy says as she exits my bathroom, a towel wrapped around her supple body.
My eyes are glued to the way her tits are barely contained in the towel. They’ve already started growing in the few weeks she’s been pregnant. I can’t wait to watch her body change and grow as it accommodates our baby.
“You’re giving me the look.” Her hands are on her hips and she arches a brow up at me. Blonde hair that is usually golden and lighter, is darker being that it’s wet. She doesn’t look so innocent with that pouty bottom look trapped between her teeth.
“What look?” I feign innocence. We all know I’m guilty.
“That look. The I’m going to devour you very shortly look.”
Smirking, I shrug and sit up to peel off my T-shirt. “I am going to devour you very shortly.”
“You’re insatiable, Preach.”
“Stop being so delicious, honey.”
She beams at me. “I love you but are you sure you want me here?”
My brows furl together. “Of course I want you here. You’re going to be my wife and you’re carrying my baby. The only place you belong is here with me. From here on out.”
Her nervousness fades away as she walks over to the dresser that is now half filled with her things. Steph had been sad when Lacy moved in with me not even two days after we ran into Sean at the club. I think she’d seen the seriousness of me wanting to care for and love her daughter until the end of our existence. I did, however, ask Steph’s blessing when I wanted to propose to Lacy. She cried, took my cheeks in her palms, and told me thank you for bringing her daughter back to her.
Lacy pulls a pair of silky purple panties from the drawer and drops her towel. My dick thickens and strains against my boxers seeing her perfectly round ass. I don’t know why she bothers with panties. I’m just going to take them off. I like seeing her bare and ready as often as possible. She gracefully slides them up her thighs.When she finishes, she turns to me. Tears shimmer in her eyes. My boner softens as worry niggles at me.
“Come here,” I growl.
She runs over to me and straddles my hips on the bed. I hug her to me so that our bare chests are pressed together.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m so happy. You make me happy.”
I chuckle. “Happiness is a good thing, Lace.” Her list of things that make her happy is so long now that she has devoted a notebook to adding in entries. It’s something I sneak a look at often. At least once a day. Seeing what makes her happy makes me happy.
“What if God takes this baby too?”
I squeeze her and kiss her temple. “God doesn’t take babies,” I murmur. “You know this.”
She nods. “I’m just scared.”
“Have a little faith, honey. Everything is going to work out. I promise.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“With a love like this, how could it not?”
She lifts up and stares at me with such adoration it’d knock me over if I weren’t already lying down. Her body rises as she sits on her knees. An offering. I’ll take it because I’m starved for anything she gives me. With a growl in my throat, I hook my finger into her panties and pull them to the side revealing her smooth pussy. She works my aching cock out of my boxers and positions it at her entrance. Then, she slides down until she’s completely seated on my cock.
Pleasure zings through my body but it’s the look of unfiltered love on her pretty face that has my heart feeling as though it’s just been zapped.
She fills up parts of me that were empty.
She makes me sin when I’ve vowed not to.
She loves me so hard and I’ll die trying to prove that I love her even more.
As she starts rocking on me, my entire body seems to flood with a peaceful sensation. She and I, we were meant to be. Always a part of the big, complicated plan. The big man upstairs knew what he was doing.
Love finds a way.
Love always wins.
Love is everything.
I clutch her beautiful neck and pull her to me. Our mouths crash, her teeth nicking my lip, and we kiss as though it will be our last.
But it won’t be our last.
It’ll be the first of many.
This was always his plan. A broken girl and an ex-convict. Two people who were just jagged enough that they slotted together perfectly in a way no other two people could.
God works in mysterious ways.