Cherished (Wanted) (42 page)

I turned and glanced at the clock. It was two thirty in the morning. I rolled onto my back and attempted to go back to sleep. I could hear Ari breathing next to me, and the sounds she made while she slept drove me insane with lust. I turned my head and looked at her. I gently moved to my side and watched her sleep for the next five minutes.

I love her so damn much.

I placed my lips against her neck, right under her ear, where I gently kissed her.

“Mmm…” she said as she moved slightly.

Son of a bitch, I just have to look at this girl, and I want her so much.

I slowly slid my hand down her side and into her panties. I lightly brushed my fingers against her, and she pushed her hips into my hand.

“Jeff…” she whispered.

“Baby, I want you.”

She opened her eyes and looked at me. The smile that spread across her face was my green light. Before I knew it, I was pulling off my boxers and crawling on top of her already naked body.

I slowly pushed myself against her while she let out the softest, sweetest moan. Her fingertips moved lightly up and down my back, causing a million and one jolts of electricity to move through my body.

“Jeff…please go slow.” She pulled me closer to her.

I gently sank into her and let out a moan. I started moving in and out of her oh-so slowly. “Baby, you feel so good,” I whispered against her neck.

“Oh god…what a wonderful way to wake up!” Ari said as she moved her hips in perfect rhythm with mine.

This had to be my favorite thing to do—being buried inside the woman I was so desperately in love with, taking my time in making love to her, giving her nothing but pleasure and pure love.

I moved my lips up to hers, and she gently took my lower lip in her teeth. When she lowered her hands down and grabbed my ass, I almost felt like I was going to come.

“Don’t stop, Jeff. Please don’t stop,” Ari said against my lips.

“I’m trying not to come, baby…but you feel so fucking good.”

She smiled and let out a small giggle. “Mmm…it does feel good…so, so good.”

I moved again, slowly in and out, trying to take in every sensation that was traveling through my body.

“Jeff?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Will you please go faster?”

I smiled as I buried my face into her neck. “Faster, huh?”

She bucked her hips against me. “And harder.”

“Harder, you say?” I continued to move slowly, up and down and then in a slow circle.

“Ah…Jeff, please…I need you to go faster,” Ari pleaded.

“What do you want me to do, Ari? How do you want me to make love to you?”

She grabbed my face with her hands and gave me the sexiest damn smile ever. “I want you to fuck me, Mr. Johnson. Fast and hard, please.”

I winked. “Anything for my beautiful wife.”

It didn’t take long before Ari was throwing her head farther back while calling out my name. Every time with Ari felt like the first time. I wasn’t sure how she did it, but she made me feel like I was taking her to heaven and back every single time we made love.

The smell of bacon was calling me into the kitchen even though I was running late this morning. I needed to go help Gunner with a few fence repairs, and then we were going to head into town for a few errands.

When I rounded the corner, I couldn’t help but smile at what I saw. Luke and Ari were both dancing to Keith Urban’s “Even the Stars Fall for You.” Grace was busy eating, and she couldn’t have cared less about what Ari and Luke were doing. The second Grace saw me, she smiled and held out her arms for me. I walked up and took her out of the high chair. Then, I began dancing with her to the music. Grace started laughing, and Ari rolled her eyes.

“Oh, sure. For you, she drops her food and gets into it. For me and Luke, she ignores us for Cheerios.”

I laughed as I leaned over and kissed Ari. I bent down and got a big hug and kiss from Luke.

“I love ya, Daddy!” Luke yelled over the music.

“I love you, too, buddy.”

After the song was over, Ari turned off the music and helped Luke up into his seat. I put Grace back in her high chair, and she wasted no time in shoveling the little Os into her mouth.

“Where in the hell does that girl get her appetite?” I asked with a chuckle.

Ari shrugged her shoulders. “Beats me. Your mom said Ellie used to eat the same way up until she was about two.”

I grabbed the orange juice out of the refrigerator and started pouring Luke, Ari, and me a glass each. I glanced over at Ari scrambling eggs and humming.

“Ari, are you happy?” I asked her as I set the orange juice down.

She stopped everything and turned to look at me. At first, her face was serious, but then she gave me that smile that I’d do anything for.

“I’ve never been so happy in my entire life. Are you happy?” she asked with a wink.

I walked over to her and pulled her close to me. I placed my hand on the side of her face and gently brushed my thumb back and forth over her soft skin.

“I’m so happy I could burst with joy, baby. I swear, every morning I wake up, I have to pinch myself because I can’t believe this is my life. You amaze me, do you know that? The fact that you finished school online with two kids while helping me with our business and Ellie with the cattle business and spending time with my mother and father…I’m just in awe of you. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life waking you up in the middle of the night to make love to you. When I’m near you, Ari, I feel like I’m walking on a cloud. Your love is amazing. You are amazing.”

She smiled bigger, and I saw tears building in her eyes. I thought back to that day when she’d come to me as I’d sat against the oak tree.

“Jeff…” she whispered.

I kissed the tear from her cheek, and then I leaned down and kissed her lips. Our kiss quickly turned from sweet and innocent to passionate and full of need. More than anything, I wanted to make love to her right then and there.

When we finally broke away from each other, she gave me the sweetest smile.

“I love you so much, and the way you make me feel…I…” The tears rolled down her face, and she quickly wiped them away. “You make me feel so loved, Jeff, so very loved and needed, and I would never want to spend a single day in this life without you.”

I brushed my lips against hers and whispered, “Arianna…thank you, baby, so much for loving me and for giving me two of the most precious gifts I could have asked for. Thank you for saving me.”

I stood outside and watched Jeff drive off toward Gunner and Ellie’s place. My stomach was still quivering from what Jeff had said to me this morning. I touched my lips with my fingertips and smiled. He said I’d saved him, but he’d saved me.

I glanced down at Luke, who was attempting to help Grace walk. I chuckled as I bent down and brought them both in for a hug.

“Do you want to take a nap, y’all?” I asked.

Luke made a face and quickly shook his head. “Too old for naps, Mommy,” Luke said.

I pulled my head back and gave him a shocked look. “A person is never too old for a nap, son.”

I picked up Grace and looked toward the driveway. Ellie was pulling up. I grabbed a hold of Luke. He was ready to bolt out to greet Ellie, and I was sure he was hoping Alex was with her.

Ellie jumped out of the truck and smiled as I let Luke run up to her.

“Mellie!” he screamed. “Alwex?”

“She’s with her grandma and grandpa, baby boy.”

Luke pushed Ellie away, turned, and stomped into the house. Ellie looked at me and laughed.

“I wonder where he gets that attitude from?” she said with a wink.

“Not from his loving mother, that’s for sure.”

Ellie shook her head as she walked up to me and took Grace from my arms. “Oh, baby girl, you’re getting so big!”

“Where’s Colt?”

Ellie smiled. “Grace and Jack begged me to let them watch both of them. Who am I to argue? Besides, we have a bachelorette party to plan for tonight.”

I rolled my eyes and turned to walk into the house. I pulled out the little rolling walker, and Ells put Grace in it. Grace took off and started going around the kitchen island.

“Gesh. I take it she likes that thing?” Ellie let out a giggle.

Luke came walking in with his cars and started setting up shop under the kitchen table. He knew to stay away from the threat of a speeding walker.

“Okay, so we have a problem,” I said as I grabbed a Diet Coke for Ellie and a water bottle for me.

“With what? The bachelorette party?”

I nodded my head. “Yep, Jessie is being a pain in my goddamn ass.”

Ellie smiled slightly. “What’s she doing?”

“She doesn’t want a stripper, and she won’t stop threatening me. She said that if one is there, she wouldn’t go tonight!”

Ellie choked on her Diet Coke.

“Huh…Jessie had the same reaction you just did, Ells.”

Ellie looked shocked. “A stripper? Oh my god, Ari! Don’t you think we’re all past that? I mean, we all have kids now. We can’t do that stuff anymore! Amanda just had Taylor, for god’s sake, Ari.”

I rolled my eyes at her again and put my hands on my hips. “Would you just pull your granny panties back up, you pussy?”

Ellie dropped her mouth open. “I don’t wear granny panties, you bitch.”

I raised my eyebrow up at her. “Really? Prove it.”

“What?”

“Pull your pants down. I want to see what type of undies you have on.”

Ellie’s mouth dropped open, and she shook her head. “Are you insane? I’m not pulling my pants down to show you what kind of panties I’m wearing.”

I turned and walked toward the pantry to get Luke and Grace a snack. “Because you got granny panties on.”

Ellie stood up and stomped her feet. “I do not!”

I tried like hell to hold my laughter in.

“Fine, you bitch. You want to know what kind of underwear I have on?” She began unbuckling her belt and then her pants.

The next thing I knew, she turned around and pulled down her jeans to expose her very nice pink lace cheekini panties.

She looked back at me and said, “Happy?”

“Nice…very nice, sweets,” I said with a chuckle.

“What in the hell are you two doing?”

I quickly looked up to see Josh and Heather standing there, each holding one of the twins. Heather was trying to hold in her laughter, and Josh was standing there, waiting for his question to be answered.

Ellie jumped and pulled up her pants as she called me every name under the sun.

“Really, Ells! The kids’ innocent ears don’t want to hear your filth,” I said with a wink.

“You are too much, do you know that? You got me to do that.” Ellie pointed to me, and then she turned to Josh and Heather. “She was accusing me of wearing granny panties.”

Josh let out a laugh. “And you wanted to prove to her that she was wrong? Why?” he asked, stressing
wrong
and
why
.

Ellie grabbed her Diet Coke and took a quick drink. “It doesn’t matter,” she said as she sat down on the bar stool with a thud.

I couldn’t help it at that point. I lost it and started laughing my ass off. Luke jumped up and started laughing, too.

“Luke, you don’t even know why you’re laughing, bud,” Ellie said with a smile.

“Mommy is laughing!”

Good enough reason for me.

“Well, hell, girls, I’d love to stand here and talk about your granny panties…or lack thereof…but I was supposed to be at Gunner’s place to help with some stuff thirty minutes ago.”

Josh put Will down, and he took off, walking over toward Luke. They both started playing with the cars, and I caught Josh’s smile as he watched them.

He leaned over and kissed Libby and then Heather good-bye. “I don’t think we will be long, baby.”

“Take your time ’cause y’all are watching the kids tonight,” Heather called out over her shoulder.

As soon as Josh shut the door, Heather put Libby down. She also took off walking—a little wobbly but still walking—toward the boys.

“Is Grace walking yet?” Heather asked.

“She took three steps last night and fell on her ass. She must have cried for a solid fifteen minutes. Now, she won’t even attempt it. She’s in her safety net right now,” I said as I pointed to Grace whizzing in her walker past Heather.