Emerald (Steele Investigations) (20 page)

“Now you’re turning
me
on because you’re being cute,”

“Sorry, baby.  I love you,” he kisses my nose.

I slap his chest.  “Now you’re being sweet.  Stop it!

“Bossy, mama.  I like it,”

“Look who’s being sassy now,” I grumble.

“Night, baby,” he murmurs against my lips.  Then his mouth
starts to move.  Slowly, leisurely, he makes love to my mouth with his.

Two months later.

“Almost ready, babe?” Travis asks as he pokes his head into
the bathroom.

“Almost,” I answer as I sweep the blush lightly across my cheeks.

“You got five minutes, then the car will be here to pick us
up.”

“Okay, honey.”  Two minutes later I’m finished and I walk
out of the bathroom and into Travis’s (now mine as well) closet to put on my
shoes.  I slip my feet into the pale turquoise colored pumps and assess myself
in the mirror.  My black hair is swept around to one side and hangs in curls
off my shoulder and down over my breast.  My one shoulder, floor length dress
fits me perfectly.  Made from layers of chiffon is pale rainbow colors, it
looks beautiful on me, even if I do say so myself.  It was the first thing I
brought when the money landed in my account.

Under Travis’s instruction, Carl had hacked into my father’s
accounts and refunded me every penny I had paid him over the last six years,
plus I’m not certain but I think Carl added a bit more on top.  I wasn’t
worried, that money was mine to begin with and my father had no business taking
it from me.  So I bought the dress and I also bought myself a sexy little
canary yellow VW Golf convertible.  It was second hand but in really good
condition and Travis managed to talk the guy at the dealership down in price so
I was even happier with it.  I love that car, but Travis is not so keen at
being seen it, it could be the yellow fluffy dice that I have hanging from my
rear vision mirror, or the Tweety bird car seat covers, I think they look
cute.  Travis thinks they look ridiculous.  I don’t care though.  Since I moved
into Travis’s just over a week ago, I drive my car to work and on errands but
if Travis is coming with me we take the Camaro.  It all works out.

“Do I look okay?” I ask as Travis walks in the room and
stops dead.

“Baby.  You look fucking amazing,” Travis says as he tucks a
loose tendril behind my ear.

“I can’t believe Rae and Elliott are getting married today,”
I smile.

“Come on, babe.  We don’t want to be late.” 

I grab my clutch and we head down to the lobby to wait for
the car which will drive us to the wedding. 

******

“Rae looks gorgeous,” I whisper to Judy as we sit front row
as Rae and Elliott say their vows in front of their nearest and dearest.  The
wedding is only small, immediate family and friends, but it’s nice; intimate. 
Beside Elliott is Travis, both the men looking handsome in tailored black three
piece suits.

Standing with Rae is Kami.  She has a floor length baby blue
designer dress on.  Hugging her around the boobs, it then falls straight to the
floor.  Rae’s wedding dress is strapless with intricate crystal and pearl
beading over the entire dress.  It elegant and so Rae. 

“Doesn’t she,” Judy replies, dabbing her eyes.

“I do,” Elliott says, looking deep into Rae’s teary eyes.

“I do,” Rae replies.

“You may kiss your bride,” the preacher says as the
congregation erupts into applause.  Elliott lays a kiss on Rae which I’m sure
some may say would be classed as inappropriate.  It doesn’t bother any of us
though – we’re used to their displays of affection.

I catch Travis’s eye as he makes his way down the aisle
behind the newlyweds.  He winks and mouths ‘I love you’.

I blow him a kiss in return and file out of the church with
the rest of the family headed to the reception.

Elliott and Rae have hired out a local winery.  Everything
about it is stunning – the view, the rustic design and feel of the function
room, the use of wine barrels as decorations (they range from antique to modern),
the wine and the food.  It’s all amazing.  I’m seated with Judy and Grant, Tom
and Harley.  I give a small wave to Rae’s mom when I notice her at a table not
too far away.  She waves back and then turns in her seat to listen to the speeches. 
Travis speaks first and he has us all laughing as he tells stories of him and
Elliott growing up.  Then he as most of the women crying as he describes how
happy he is that Elliott finally got Rae to come around and love him back.

Next is Kami.  She tells Rae how beautiful she looks and
thanks her for being her best friend their whole lives.  She speaks of how
happy she is that now, not only is Rae her best friend but she’s also her
sister “by law”.

Grant stands to toast the happy couple and officially
welcome Rae into the family, even though she’s been classed as family since she
and Kami were in Kindergarten.

Rae’s stepfather also proposes a toast and again, the tears
come as he explains how happy he is to have to not only have a daughter, but
also to now have a son.  Both of which he thought he’d never have.

With the speeches over and the food eaten, the music starts
to play and Travis takes my hand and leads me onto the dance floor.  We sway
slowly to the soft music, lost in each other’s arms.

“Your speech was great, honey,” I tell him.

“Thanks, babe.  I can’t wait until that’s us,” he says
looking into my eyes.

This is the first mention of marriage that has ever been spoken
between us.

“You want to marry me?” I ask, holding back the tears that
threaten.

“Yep.  Gonna marry you and knock you up on the honeymoon,”
he state, smiling.

“You want to have babies with me?” My eyebrows are raised. 
“How many?”

“Guess we’ll start with three and see how we go,” he grins
at me.

“Okay,” I whisper as I feel the warm cloud of silk tighten
again.

He kisses me softly and continues to move us around the
dance floor.

Grant and Judy move up to us as the next song starts to
play. 

“May I have this dance?” Grant asks holding his hand out to
me.

“Of course,” I reply with a smile.   Travis lets me go into
his father’s waiting arms and he joins his mother. 

“You make my son very happy, Jemma.  Thank you,” Grant says
as we waltz around the floor.

“Your son makes me very happy, Grant,” I reply, feeling my
cheeks heat.

“Must be a perfect match then.” He smiles genuinely. 

I’m sitting chit chatting with Kami towards the end of the
night, when Rae and Elliott announce they are leaving.  We all make our way
over to them to wish them well on their honeymoon – the location of which
Elliott has kept from everyone.

“You looked beautiful today, Rae,” I say as I give her a
tight hug.

“Thanks, so did you.”

“Have a great time, don’t forget to send us lots of pictures
and think about us back here, stuck slaving away at work,” I joke.

“Of course I’ll be thinking of you when I’m relaxing in a
tropical paradise, whereabouts unknown,” she laughs.

“’Bye,” I wave to her and move sideways so Rae’s mom can say
her goodbyes and I can give Elliott a hug.

“’Have a great time away.  You looked very handsome today.”

“Thanks, Jem.  Look after the shop for Rae and keep an eye
on Kami while we’re gone.”  I think he’s joking, well I hope he is. 

“Sure will,” I reply.

Not long after Rae and Elliott departed the reception, the
car comes to take us back to Travis’s.

“What a day,” I remark as I let my dress fall the floor
before I pick it and drape it over a chair. 

“Hmm,” Travis agrees and I turn to face him.  He’s looking
at me with hungry eyes.  They roam up and down my body and my eyes immediately
go to the bulge in his suit pants.  I’m standing in nothing but a black
strapless lace bra and matching thong, and my turquoise pumps.

“Come here,” he says huskily.

I walk slowly over to him, slightly exaggerating the natural
swing of my hip.

When I reach him, I run my palm over his perpetual five
o’clock shadow, loving how rough it feels beneath my palm which reminds me of
how it feels when it rubs the inside of my thighs.  I feel a tingle in two
separate places.

“You. Look. So. Fucking. Sexy.” Travis states as he traces
the lace trim of my bra.  “Lay back on the bed,” he orders, and this time
there’s no tingle – both places feel a significant quiver.

I lie back on the bed on my back, legs straight out in front
of me.

“Open for me, baby,” he rumbles.  My legs immediately
comply, spreading wide for him.

Torturously slowly he places small wet kisses from the arch
of my foot to a few inches below where I want him to be.  Where I
need
him to be.  Then he starts the process on my other leg.  Finally reaching my
drenched panties, he inhales me scent and groans, “You smell so good, Jemma.”

My hips involuntarily raise up to meet him but he pulls his
head away and shakes it. 

“Please, Travis,” I pout.

He doesn’t answer.  Instead, he slowly peels my panties down
my legs and tosses them aside.  Leaning back in, he runs a finger through my
folds and then follows with his tongue.

“So wet for me, baby.”

“Yes,” I moan.

He starts to work his tongue and I grip his hair to hold him
to me.  It doesn’t take long before I come apart at his expert touch and I
shudder and moan through my orgasm.

Rearing up over me, he slams inside of me and begins to
thrust.

“Ah,” I cry out, my back bowing off the bed.  I wrap my arms
and legs around him and raise my hips to meet his rhythm.

“Come for me, Jemma,” he pants in my ear.

“Yes.  Oh, please.  Don’t stop,” I cry out as another wave
hits me, tearing through my body like bolts of pure pleasure.  My muscles
squeeze him tightly and trigger his own release.  He comes violently inside me
and then collapses on me, giving me his full weight.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the feeling of you
being bare inside me,” I say idly as I return from cleaning myself up in the bathroom. 
We stopped using condoms around a month ago after I went to the doctor and he
prescribed the pill.

“Me either,” he says, pulling me close, “But I’m happy to
help you out as you try to get used it,” he smirks.

“Insatiable,” I mutter with a shake of my head.

“Only for you, mama,” he says with a kiss.  “I love you.”

“I love you too, honey.  Night,” I tell him.

He turns out the lights and snuggles into me.  Tonight, just
like every night I’m with Travis, I know I’ll have an uninterrupted sleep, I
also know I’ll go to bed feeling safe and wake up feeling the same way.  I also
know that the warm cloud of silk has never left me and I figured out what it
represented – security, contentment, fulfillment, safety and most importantly,
love.

******

Epilogue

Ten months later

I smooth my bone colored skirt over my legs as my feet jiggle
nervously.  I take a deep breath and slowly let it out.  Travis clutches my
hand and brings it up to kiss the inside of my wrist, over the tattoo I had
inked there three months ago.  In scrawly writing, it says simply,
My Safe
Haven
.  He lowers my hand and leans over to whisper in my ear as he runs
his thumb his thumb over my engagement and wedding rings, “Don’t be nervous,
baby.  You’re gonna be great,” I nod my head and try to calm myself.

“How’s my baby boy doing?” He asks as he rubs a hand over my
swollen stomach.  Six months ago, we got the surprise of our lives when we
found out we were expecting.  Travis wanted to conceive on our honeymoon, but
we’re pretty certain our bundle of joy was conceived the week of our engagement
instead; maybe it was even the night he proposed.  He took me up to the lookout
where we ended out first date, and there was a picnic set up.  It was simply
beautiful.  After we had eaten, Travis got down on one knee and made me cry by
telling me all the things he loved about me and how he wanted to spend the rest
of our lives loving and protecting me.  After I said YES about a million times,
we laid down on the blanket and made love - twice.

Because of the pregnancy and because Travis’s family and
friends are my only family and friends, we had a small wedding and reception
two months ago.  There were only twenty guests in attendance but it was the
most romantic day of my life.  We didn’t have bridesmaids or groomsmen, instead
we had two witnesses – Elliott and Tom, because he was the very first friend
I’d ever made.

“I think I’m pregnant,” I hesitantly tell Travis as we
sit down to dinner a couple of weeks after our engagement.

“Really,” he asks sounding hopeful, which surprises me.

“Well, you know how I’ve been feeling off?” He nods and I
continue, “I took a test and it came back positive, so I took another one and
it was positive as well.”

“Sounds like you are pregnant, babe, no ‘think’ about
it,” he grins.

“I haven’t been to the doctor yet,” I explain.

“I’m going to be a daddy,” he whoops, lifting me up out
of my chair and spinning me around kissing me passionately. 

“Are you happy?”

“Babe, I’m fucking ecstatic,” he shouts.

“Me too,” I laugh.

I smile for the first time today.  “
She’s
doing
fine.  I think she may be having a party in there,” I reply. 

Toda is the day I have been waiting almost a year for.  The
day my father gets sentenced.  My mother copped a plea and got a reduced
sentence in exchange for her making a statement against my father.

“Jemma Calloway,” the bailiff appears from the courtroom
doors.  Travis and I are outside the court room because I didn’t want to go in
the room until it was my time.  It appears, now is that time.