Davenport Harbor (Six Degrees Book 3) (42 page)

“
John.
”

“
Later, you
’
re going to tell me,
”
his voice was thick with his own need.

“
Yes,
”
I whispered, biting my lower lip, his touch too much, egging on my orgasm.

“
Promise me?
”
His touch slowed, and I growled and whimpered at the same time.

“
I promise.
”

“
Good. Kiss me and try to stay quiet,
”
he ordered as his finger became two and our lips locked. When I closed my eyes, I saw nothing but stars bursting as he took me over the edge, his fingers never leaving me. He just kept petting and caressing. When I finally opened my eyes, I adored the expression on his face. It was one of triumph and love. He loved me. One day he would say it.

I watched, utterly captivated, as his fingers slipped away and he straightened my dress and licked his fingers, closing his eyes, his Adam
’
s apple bobbing slightly.

“
Best taste in the world, Kitten,
”
he remarked and I blushed. His hands stroked my cheeks, as if tracing the pinkness.
“
You
’
re the best thing that
’
s ever happened to me,
”
he admitted. His voice was serious, and my heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.

“
John.
”

“
We
’
re a team, you and me, in and out of the bedroom. Partners. Okay?
”
He said and I nodded, unable to speak, too much emotion running through me, all of it good. Better than good.

“
What about you?
”
I asked him, noticing the bulge straining against the front of his slacks.

“
Later.
”

“
But
…”

“
It
’
s lunch now.
”

“
Lunch?
”
I asked, surprised at this, and watched him bring out a bunch of different containers from the picnic basket.

“
Reading and lunch,
”
he announced, bringing out two books, something about World War Two, and I instantly recognized the cover of the other.

“
How did you get this?
”
I asked in wonder, grabbing the book from his hands and sitting up. I heard him laugh as I stared at the front cover of Sophie Samuels
’
s upcoming book that wasn’t going on sale for another two weeks.

“
Believe it or not, I know people. I noticed you liked reading her books. They were all over the guest house.
”
He laughed, and I playfully stuck out my tongue at him.

“
Thank you. This is awesome.
”
I touched the cover one more time and looked up at him.
“
Did you know she
’
s a total mystery? No one knows who she is, what she looks like. All anyone really knows is she
’
s from California, but that
’
s because she says that in the section about herself.
”

“
Really?
”

“
Yeah.
”
I sighed.
“
I
’
d love to meet her.
”
I watched his eyes twinkle, so I kept talking,
“
I know it sounds stupid, but her stories, they
’
re brilliant. Each one is different and beautiful.
”

“
What if I told you I think I could arrange for you to meet her?
”

“
Are you serious?
”
I gasped and he laughed.

“
I
’
ll see what I can do.
”
He smiled and opened up a container of bright and delicious looking fruit.
“
Come here, I need to feed my future wife.
”
He grabbed a plump strawberry and fed me.

We smiled and ate. I asked him about his book, and he admitted he loved books about history. Tons of people were all around the front and inside of the house, yet in our little spot, it felt like it was only the two of us in the world as we lay down on the comfy quilt, his head on his bunched-up suit jacket, mine on his chest as we both read under the blue sky.

Anne

Sitting at a pretty white vanity that John had insisted on buying for me, there was a woman taking pictures behind me as I fixed my make-up. I looked into the mirror, my eyes leaving my now pink-stained lips and moving up to my eyes as I put the lip tint down onto the table. She was so quiet I kept forgetting she was here, but maybe it was because my mind was filled with so many things.

How many times had I looked into a mirror and hardly recognized the girl that stared back at me?

Too many times. She used to be broken, bleeding and bruised, both physically and emotionally. It had shone through the eyes that had stared back at me.

But it was somehow different now.

I was no longer a girl staring into a mirror with her life in chaos, her heart aching and filled with disillusioned dreams, a girl who had no idea how she'd let her life head down the dead-end road she'd once been on; the once bruised and broken girl with hopeless eyes, with no hope of anything other than the mess she
’
d made of her life...thankfully, that girl no longer stared back at me.

I would never regret being that girl. I was thankful for that girl. I was thankful to her, because without her, the woman that was currently staring back at me wouldn
’
t exist, nor would Zoey.

I was wiser. Stronger. I knew what I was made of and what I could give. I knew my worth.

The woman staring back had been through her own storm and she was more than ready to take this next step, putting one foot in front of the other as she walked towards her rainbow. The reflection of the woman in the mirror was smiling back at me. She was serene. Not nervous, not scared but utterly calm.

John was far from perfect, but I loved that about him. I didn
’
t need perfect. I didn
’
t want that. I only wanted John.

There was only one thought, one slight whisper in the back of my head that made me hesitate about today. He still hadn't said that he loved me. There was no doubt in my mind or heart that he did. I knew he did. He showed me and Zoey with everything he did. There was no doubt he was making the three of us a family. He had adopted Zoey! Without having to ask him, he'd known. He
’
d gone to the Downeys and had done it legally, all so I’d never have to face them again.

He
’
d tell me when he was ready.

I watched the door open and turned, smiling at my beautiful baby girl in Birdie
’
s arms.

“
What do you think?
”
I asked her, and Birdie
’
s smile told me everything I needed to know.

“
You
’
re beautiful. Oh, Anne!
”
Her green eyes were wet and shining with emotion. She closed the door behind her and hugged me tightly.
“
Thank you for letting me be here.
”

“
You
’
re my best friend. If we had done a wedding party, you have to know you would have been my Maid of Honor,
”
I told her and she nodded.

“
I
’
m very grateful to have you and Zoey in my life, too!
” She h
anded me my bouquet, and I sighed at how beautiful it was. Bright yellow sunflowers with white daises in between, mixed with baby
’
s breath and kept together with a beige satin, overlaid with vintage lace,
“
Here you go.
”

“
It
’
s beautiful!
”

“
Sabrina
’
s people did an amazing job. You should see how they set up the area for the ceremony!
”
I smiled, and my heart was full.

I was excited to see our spot decorated. I couldn
’
t wait to say
‘
I do
’
and promise to cherish the man I loved wholeheartedly in the spot where we’d met. Where the storm had washed me in and had brought us together.

“
Mama!
”
Zoey squealed, her little chubby arms flailing in the air, and we both laughed as I reached down for her.

She was dressed in a soft yellow dress that had layer after layer of tulle as the skirt. The top was beige lace, and she wore a headband of tiny sunflowers in her brown hair. Her blue eyes stood out, and I couldn’t help but smile at my beautiful angel. Holding her close, I kissed her forehead, leaving light pink lip marks on her there. She looked up at me while I looked down at her.

“
Dada!
”

“
Yeah.
”
Something tightened in my throat at how beautiful it sounded for my baby girl to call for her
‘
dada
’
, knowing that she meant John. Knowing that John was now legally as well as in his heart her dad took my breath away. The papers I’d signed had been officially filed first thing yesterday morning, a mysterious call coming in before dinner, after which John had told me it was done. Official. I knew that these things took time normally, but I knew John had ways to get things done at the speed he wanted, and this time, I was glad. Every single time this floated through my mind, I smiled. God, I loved him. His actions spoke louder than words, and that
’
s why I could live without hearing them out loud.

Shaking my head, I tried to blink away the tears of what that beautiful man had done for us. Those three little words spoken out loud didn't matter as much as I’d thought.

Not in the grand scheme of things.

I looked at Birdie and I knew she was thinking the same thing. She liked Zoey having someone to call dad. Someone that was as good as John. I didn’t know much about Birdie Morgan
’
s family, but I did know they weren’t the best of people. Blinking furiously, trying not to cry, I laughed as Birdie picked up a magazine and fanned me.

“
NO crying! You are going to ruin your make-up and then we will have to have them come back in and John will not be happy about waiting any longer to see you.
”

“
Have you seen him?
”
I asked her and she smiled.

“
Yup. Last time I saw him, Mike and Nick were teasing him about being impatient and ruining the floors in his study from all the pacing, and he growled something back that I really shouldn
’
t repeat in front of Zoey.
”
She laughed and then she settled. Tilting her head, she asked,
“
You okay?
”

I looked at Zoey in my arms, then at the beautiful ring on my hand and what it meant, and my eyes meeting hers, I nodded and smiled, because I was not sure I could say the words without crying and ruining my make-up.

“
I
’
m good.
”

“
Well, Princess Zoey and I will see you outside. We just wanted to give you this.
”
She handed me a small white box with a sunflower on top.

“
What did you do, Birdie?
”

“
Nothing. It
’
s not anything fancy, it
’
s your something blue,
”
she shared with me and I opened the box. A delicate baby-blue, beaded anklet was staring back at me. It was beautiful and simple and I couldn
’
t love it more.

“
Thank you.
”
My voice was soft. Birdie nodded and while Zoey was sitting at my feet, Birdie helped me put the anklet on, as well as a sixpence she’d found in a thrift shop in my shoe.

Hugging me tightly, Birdie and Zoey left with the photographer. Looking at the clock, I realized I had twenty minutes to go. I should have probably asked them to stay with me.

At a knock at the door, I stood, and just as I was about to turn the knob, I heard his gruff voice asking,
“
Kitten?
”

“
John?
”
I asked, completely surprised he was right outside the door.

“
Open the door,
”
he pleaded, his voice frustrated, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“
Sabrina would have a fit if you saw me now
…”

“
Just open the door. I promise not to peek.
”
Rolling my eyes at his sweet impatience, I opened the door slightly, his huge hand slipping into the opening, waving at me. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“
Hold my hand, Anne.
”
His voice was raspy. I wondered what was going on with him, so I held it. Standing facing the door, I put my hand in his and looked at them together. He intertwined our fingers, and I loved the beautiful way our hands looked together, how great that connection felt.

“
John?
”
I whispered
, “
You okay, honey?
”
I asked and he squeezed my hand, clearing his throat.

“
I didn
’
t want to
…
shit.
”
He growled, and I started to get nervous.

“
John, you
’
re scaring me, do you not want to
…”

“
No! God, no! I can
’
t wait. I just...'' He sighed deeply, then I heard the soft thump of his head touching the other side of the door.