Chapter 44

 

 

One Year Later

 

Chloe

 

 

 

“GRAHAM, STOP IT,” I said, smacking his hand away from my breasts. We were just leaving the nursing home he’d visited the year before; he’d played Santa again and I’d dressed up as his elf assistant. Although the Gold Vipers had selected a different retirement home this year to visit, this one held a special place in Graham’s heart. So, we’d stopped at the dollar store and purchased a bunch of small gifts for the residents. They’d been so grateful and sweet. I could see why Graham wanted to make it an annual tradition.

“I can’t help it,” he said, pulling me close. “I got all worked up in there watching you walk around in the elf suit.”

This year, Graham had picked out one for me and it was almost as bad as the sexy one Tank had ordered the year before, in error. The only reason I’d worn it to the nursing home was that it came with a jacket that covered the bodice. My breasts were not in the least bit on display, but Graham still couldn’t keep his horny hands off of me. Normally, I didn’t mind, but we’d just walked out of a nursing home and he’d given Ed, a resident, a blow-up-doll, to my horror. The deaf, old man had been ecstatic, and in fact had disappeared to his room shortly after.

“I still can’t believe you gave that man a sex doll,” I said, shaking my head, but smiling. “What were you thinking?”

“He asked Santa for one last year. He had to deliver. Speaking of deliveries,” he said, taking my hand and placing it on his rising cock. “I have a special package with your name on it.”

I gently pushed him away. As much as I wanted to open up that gift, I had something for him.

“You’re no fun,” he said, as we approached his SUV.

“Quit pouting, Santa,” I said.

His lip went down like a petulant child and I began to sing the words to “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.”

He grinned. “Speaking of coming to town,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. “I think Santa needs to pay a visit to yours. Unless you want to come to my North Pole instead?”

“Happily. When we get out of here and back home,” I said, getting into the SUV.

Still smiling, Graham got inside and started the engine.

“You know, there aren’t very many couples living there,” I said, looking over at the nursing home. “It’s kind of sad.”

“You mean married couples?”

I nodded.

He sighed. “Yeah. It gets pretty lonely for some of them not having a partner.”

I looked back at him. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived long enough to be together in something like that?”

“I hope I never have to,” he replied. “Live in one, I mean. They’re sad.”

“Sometimes you have no choice,” I said. “Which is why I think that we should start planning ahead. For our future.”

“What do you mean? Start up a retirement fund?”

I held back my smile. In the last year, so much had happened. For one, Graham and I had fallen deeply in love. It hadn’t taken long, especially with there being so much passion between us. In the summer, we’d even purchased a house together and I’d even talked him into letting me get another dog, from one of the shelters. It was a mutt, but an adorable one who loved his new family. His name was Vinnie and Graham spoiled the hell out of him.

For two, Kai had kicked Trey to the curb and was now dating a professional basketball player. Apparently, he had gotten sick of Trey’s free-loading and just kicked him out one day.

And final, for three, Graham was now a fully patched Gold Viper, which couldn’t have made him happier. He’d also taken a DNA test, along with Raptor, and it was confirmed that they were more than likely brothers. Interestingly enough, Jordan refused to take the test. Jessica said it had something to do with a previous occupation, which she wasn’t allowed to discuss.

Talk about intriguing.

Even Graham had no idea what it was all about.

Feeling nervous suddenly, I pulled a small package out of my pocket and handed it to Graham.

“What is this?” he asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

“Open it.”

He tore open the red wrapping paper and inside was a box with diamond and gold ring. Graham looked at me, not understanding, which I’d expected. He’d approached me with the subject of getting married last summer and I’d brushed it off. The truth was, I’d wanted to ask him, so he’d understand how truly I loved the man. Bonnie’s cheating had left Graham insecure and I wanted him to realize that there was absolutely no reason for it. He was everything to me and all I would ever want.

I took his hand and told him how much I loved him.

“I love you, too,” he said, searching my eyes.

“I know that you brought up the subject of marriage already. I didn’t sound very interested, but,” I smiled. “I wanted to be the one to ask you. Even then.”

He looked surprised.

Being the emotional woman that I was, my eyes filled with tears. “I know you love me. I can feel it every time you look at me. Every word you say and everything you do is an affirmation of how big your heart is. I want you to know there will never be anyone else for me. Ever. I want you to be the father to my children. I want to grow old with you and if we end up in a nursing home, I want us to be together.”

“So, what you’re saying is that we absolutely, positively have to have children?” he asked, smiling.

I groaned. He was always teasing me about not wanting any. But, I knew that he did. “Yes. That’s not negotiable.”

“Fine,” he said, chuckling as he pulled out a small package from his Santa suit. He handed it to me. “Curiously enough, I was going to ask you the same thing. Only, tomorrow. Merry Christmas.”

“Hold up. You haven’t answered me yet,” I said, seriously, nodding toward the ring I’d spent hours picking out. Adriana, who owned a jewelry store with her mother Vanda, had helped me look through dozens of rings.

Chuckling, he took it out of the box and slipped it onto his finger. “Yes, Chloe, I will definitely marry you. Hell, I’d marry you right now if I had the chance.”

“Thank you.” I leaned over and kissed him.

“Now, open yours,” he said.

I ripped the packaging off and opened up the ring box. It was a sparkly, diamond solitaire and everything that I could have ever wanted. Smiling, I slipped it onto my finger and kissed him again. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

He glanced down at his ring. “You did a fine job of picking this one out, too. I’m not much for jewelry, but I’ll wear this.”

“You’re damn right you will,” I teased. “That’s not negotiable either. I don’t care what kind of rules the Gold Vipers have, you’re wearing my ring.”

“Back to having children.” He tapped the front of my costume. “Since we’re going to make it legal, I say we start making a brood of little elves to help us with the holidays.”

“A brood?” I asked. “How many?”

He started driving out of the parking lot. “As many as it takes. The more the merrier, right? Ho, ho, ho. He, he, he.”

I chuckled. “You really have found your Christmas spirit, haven’t you?”

He grabbed my hand. “No. Something much more important.”

I smiled. “Me?”

He turned on some Christmas music. “I was going to say the last blow-up doll at Sex World for old Ed. Do you know how hard those things are to find?”

Gasping, I slugged him in the shoulder and we both started laughing.

 

 

 

The End