The Defendant (36 page)

But she wanted this time to be special. She wanted it to be all about him. He’d been so patient and gentle and understanding. She wanted him to know how much his compassion and his love meant to her.

She eased the boxers down his hips and once again, he accommodated her by aiding her in her task. They went the way of his other clothes. He stared at her through eyes shadowed with need and eyelids heavy with desire. Yet again, she closed her hand around his cock and this time, bent low and took him in her mouth. She swirled her tongue around his head and dipped it into his slit.

It was warm and salty and wet and she tamped down on her own need. Opening her lips over him, she took him all the way back in her mouth and sucked like she’d never get enough.

“Oh, Christ, Jose. That feels so good. Babe, you need to stop though. It’s been awhile and if you keep that up, it will be over before it’s begun.”

She listened to his words and was once again filled with satisfaction. That she could make him feel so desperate sent a shaft of pleasure racing through her. The heat of it centered in her core and her clit tingled with need.

Chase gently tugged her upwards and she released him with a soft sigh. His cock scraped across her belly. She lay stretched out on top of him, her breasts crushed against his chest. The satin and silk lay between them and all of a sudden, even that thin barrier was too much.

She sat up and straddled him and then worked the negligee over her head. He stared at her with his mouth slightly open, as if he couldn’t drag his gaze away. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the nightie to the floor and then slid down the length of his hard body, making sure she stopped when his cock slipped against her cleft.

Her lips were warm and wet and throbbing. She needed him inside her. Reaching down, she manoeuvred his erection until the tip of his cock pressed against her entrance. A wiggle of her hips and he slipped inside her and they both breathed sighs of relief.

“You feel so good,” she whispered.

“I’m hearing you, babe.” Chase groaned and surged up inside her.

Josie moaned at the feel of him stretching her wide, and began to move her hips. Fire and need built deep inside her and her movements became more frantic. She leaned over him and clung to his shoulders and cried aloud when he reached up and squeezed her nipples.

The action catapulted her over the edge, and this time, she cried out in relief. Her muscles contracted around his thick cock and she gloried in the feel of it. Slowly, she returned to earth and smiled down at him.

“Now, it’s your turn.”

He didn’t need any more encouragement. In one quick movement, he flipped her over onto her back, his cock still buried deep inside her. Surging into her, he thrust once, twice, three times. The fourth time, he groaned and collapsed against her, spent.

It took awhile for their breathing to ease. Chase rolled off her and gathered her close in his arms.

“Wow, I’ll take that homecoming any day. What brought that on?” he asked softly.

Heat rushed up Josie’s neck and buried her face in his side. Now that the moment was over, she was shocked at her forward behavior.

Chase moved slightly and tilted her chin up so that she was forced to meet his gaze. “I’m not complaining, babe. Anything but, believe me. I guess I’m just…a little surprised.”

“I met with Daniel this morning. He’s doing so great. He… He told me you were responsible for engaging the services of Blake Harton Jr and that you footed the bill.”

She stared at him and loved him even more when he blushed and looked away. The fact that his kindness and generosity embarrassed him only served to reinforce how wonderful he was.

“Is that what brought this on?” he murmured, indicating the rumpled bed where they lay.

She smiled and shook her head. “No, but I just wanted to tell you it was an incredibly generous thing for you to do and the knowledge makes me love you even more. I also had another counseling session. I think Daniel’s quiet strength made me realize it was time. I need to put the whole thing with Jones behind me. I need to reclaim my life. My life includes you. There’s no me without you. It’s just the way it is.”

Chase’s arms tightened around her and he pressed a hard kiss against her hair. “I love you so much, Josie Munro. I’m never
ever
going to let you go again.”

“I love you, too and for the record, I’m not going anywhere.” She lifted her head and kissed him softly on the lips.

They lay in companionable silence until Chase spoke. “I want to talk to you again about babies.”

Josie tensed and then eased out her breath. “I’ve already told you. It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to lie and tell you I wasn’t disappointed when I learned that you were more than likely sterile, but like I said before, I don’t care. I don’t love you only because I’d like you to father my child. You’re so much more to me than that.”

Chase squeezed her arm. “I love that you love me, despite my lack of fathering ability, but you know, all might not be lost. At least, that’s what the doctors told me a decade ago.”

He said it so quietly that for a moment, she wasn’t quite sure she’d heard right. She pulled away from him and sat up. “What did you say?”

Chase sighed softly. “When the doctors started talking about removing my testicles and words like chemo and radiotherapy were bandied about, the word infertility also crept into my vocabulary. The doctors talked to me about the effects of the drugs I’d be taking and they urged me to have some of my sperm cryogenically frozen.”

He shrugged. “I was nineteen. I’d just been diagnosed with Stage Two testicular cancer. I couldn’t even think past the looming surgery with all its possible pitfalls and complications. The last thing I could focus on was fatherhood, despite all the dreams we’d shared. Lucky for me, my mother was more clearheaded.”

“What did she do?”

“Mom was with me the whole time and it was she who insisted I do what the doctors suggested. And so I did.”

Josie frowned and shook her head. “You froze your sperm?”

“Yes.”

“Where are they?”

“I don’t know. In a lab somewhere in Sydney. I have the paperwork in my office.”

The implications began to leak into Josie’s consciousness. “Do you think they might still…work?”

Chase shrugged again. “Who knows? They told me it was my best chance if I ever wanted to be a father.”

At first, Josie’s smile was hesitant, but the more she thought about what he’d just told her, the wider it grew.

“I’m not going to pretend your news doesn’t thrill me. Even the possibility of having your baby makes me go warm and soft inside. It would be amazing and so unbelievably lucky—a miracle, even—but I still stand by what I told you earlier. The truth is, baby or no baby, I love you. I always have and I always will.”

EPILOGUE

Four months later

Josie hung up another framed picture on the wall of her new living room. They’d purchased the house on the edge of town a day after their whirlwind wedding. The purchase had been completed just days ago, but already she was decorating.

Chase was still at work, but she’d completed her clinic early. She wanted to get home and finish what she’d started in their living room. A new leather couch, big enough to seat three, stood against one wall, in front of the widescreen TV. Matching reclining armchairs stood on either side. Cushions in hues of orange and red complemented the butter-colored leather and gave the overall room a warm and sunny feel. On one armchair, Josie had set a calico cushion that was very dear to her heart.

While she hadn’t been able to bring herself to return to the cottage on Whiskey Creek Road, her longing for a little land outside of town hadn’t diminished. The house they’d managed to find was perfect.

On the opposite side of town, it was still far enough away from the town limits that they weren’t bothered by noise and traffic. Their five acres was also large enough for the coveted veggie patch. They were even planning to run a handful of chickens.

Josie hung the final picture—her favorite one taken at their wedding—and stood back to admire her handiwork. It looked good—no, it looked great. Just liked she’d imagined. She couldn’t wait to show Chase. And that wasn’t the only thing she couldn’t wait to show him. Although their first attempt at IVF a month ago hadn’t been successful, she was still excited about her news.

As if conjuring him up, she heard his vehicle pull into the drive. Hurrying into the kitchen, she riffled through her handbag and pulled out the envelope she’d stowed there. Hiding it behind her back, she rushed to meet her new husband at the door.

He stepped up on the porch and greeted her with a soft kiss.

“Happy birthday, darling. I’m sorry I couldn’t get away earlier. There was a car accident out on the highway and it tied us all up for hours. You probably heard it mentioned on the news. If you give me a few moments, I’ll shower and change and then take you out to dinner, like I promised.”

She smiled. “Take all the time you need. It sounds like you’ve had a hard day. But just before you go, I want to show you something.” Keeping the envelope concealed behind her back, she took him by the hand and led him into the living room.
“Voila!
What do you think?”

His gaze traveled around the room, taking in the new curtains and pictures. She’d also added a walnut-colored coffee table and sideboard, their hominess completing the room. His gaze paused on the photos of their wedding and then dropped to the solitary cushion on the armchair. His eyes darkened with emotion. He drew her in close against his side. When he spoke, his voice was husky.

“You kept our cushion.”

She smiled and nodded, too choked up to speak.

“It looks beautiful, sweetheart. All of it. It feels like home already.”

She stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his mouth and wondered how she’d gotten so lucky.

“There’s something else I want to show you.”

He quirked an eyebrow upward in silent question.
“Mm?”

With a deep breath, she drew her hand out from behind her back. In silence, she handed him the envelope.

He stared at it for a moment and then tugged out the letter inside. He scanned its contents. She knew the instant he comprehended its meaning.

“Foster parents? We’ve been
approved?
How did they process it so quickly?” His voice was full of wonder, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Josie beamed and nodded. “I don’t know, but they did. I suspect Belinda Murphy might have had something to do with it.”

Chase whooped and hollered and swung her around in the air, lifting her feet off the floor. His laughter rumbled through his chest.

“I don’t believe it! When we talked about it, I was so excited at the possibility but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. In fact, I tried not to think about it at all, especially after our attempt at IVF.” He shook his head and laughed again. “Who’d have guessed we’d be approved the first time we applied?”

He spun her around again with a smile wider than the Mississippi and then set her back on the floor. His lips met hers in a loving kiss.

“I have so much to be thankful for and I owe it all to you,” he murmured.

Josie gazed at him and her eyes filled with tears. She thought of Daniel and hope filled her heart. He had a month of his sentence to go. He would get through this, she knew he would and when he came out, she and Chase would be waiting to help him in any way they could.

Chase drew her close and pressed his lips gently against her tears. “Don’t cry, sweetheart.”

“They’re happy tears. I can’t believe we’re now qualified foster parents. We can help other kids in need.”

Chase hugged her hard. Josie sighed with happiness and contentment. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my birthday.”

QUESTIONS FOR BOOKCLUB

1.
 
In Australia, a child aged between twelve and eighteen is entitled to apply for a minor’s gun license to be used in conjunction with the supervision of a licensed adult. Do you think twelve is too young for such a responsibility?

2.
 
When Daniel came upon the scene with his mother and Neil Whitcomb, his first instinct is to get a gun. Do you think this reflex was a result of the fact he was familiar with firearms from a young age, or would anyone have reacted this way?

3.
 
As a teenager, when Chase makes the decision to turn away from Josie without explaining why, he did it for her benefit. Do you think he made the right decision? If not, why not?

4.
 
Daniel is charged with murder. Do you think this was the right thing for the police to do? What other choices did they have?

5.
 
Daniel decides to plead guilty to manslaughter against the advice of his lawyer. Do you think he made the right decision?

6.
 
Daniel was sentenced to a two-year custodial sentence. Do you think this was fair? Why or why not?

NOTE TO READERS

I do hope you have enjoyed reading Chase and Josie’s story. Please feel free to leave a review for The Defendant. Every review is very much appreciated and I thank you for taking the time to leave one.