Hearths of Fire (36 page)

“And you don’t want that?” Charlotte whispered in a hopeful tone that made his breathing
a little easier. He wasn’t sure what her reaction would be at even the tiniest of
suggestions, considering he’d basically told her that he wasn’t sure he could forget
how easily she’d walked away before. Time had put things into perspective…that included
the time they’d spent together these past six days. She shook her head and pursed
her lips, causing his step to falter as he walked toward the bed. “Wait. Before you
answer that, let me say something.”

Charlotte rose on her knees and scooted over to the edge of the bed, holding out one
hand. It was then that he realized she held something in her other. He was distracted
though when she grabbed his fingers and brought him closer to her. She tilted her
head back and looked up at him with eyes that he’d seen every night in his dreams.
Was she about to send him back to those or make them a reality?

“Making the decision to not marry you back then…I don’t know if it was a mistake or
not. The man you are today is maybe not the one you would have been had we married.
I might not have turned out to be the woman I am. If we spend the rest of our lives
on
what ifs
and not living it to the fullest, well, we’d be cheating ourselves.” Charlotte raised
one hand and traced the edges of his tattoo, which seemed to have become a focus for
her. “I didn’t make that decision because I didn’t love you. I made it because I did
and if I know one thing…it is that my love for you has never faded. It’s as strong
as it was the day we were to be married. Standing in that clearing, waiting for that
knife to end my life, made me see that
we
are worth fighting for. And the home that I thought you would never return to? It
isn’t Hearth. It’s me…and I now know that you will always come home to me…wherever
that may be. I love you, Neal Bauer.”

Neal had to grit his teeth to keep from interrupting her and saying that he agreed
with every word she said. He could see this was something she needed to say, but that
wasn’t what kept him silent. It was what was in her hand and what she was now holding
up for him to see. It was her engagement ring from so long ago. The gold ring with
a single small marquise cut diamond that was all he could afford back in the day had
taken his breath away. She’d kept it all this time. With a tremor in his fingers,
he took it from her.

“I listened to everything you had to say. Now it’s my turn.”

‡

C
harlotte felt like
she was suffocating, similar to how she’d felt on their wedding day. Only this time
it wasn’t because of her decision, but from waiting to hear Neal’s. He hadn’t interjected
at all during her little speech that she’d gone over and over in the shower. She was
relatively sure she’d missed half of what she wanted to express, but she did get the
I love you
out. Would what she said make a difference in his decision? It had sounded like he’d
wanted her to move to San Diego with him, but now she wasn’t sure if she’d misinterpreted
what he’d been saying.

“Neal, I—”

“There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that you didn’t cross my mind. I’d wondered
what you were doing, how you were doing. The day I got out of the service I thought
coming home would make you see that I could keep my promise. But that wasn’t what
either of us thought it would be. Being in this town with you continuing on as if
I wasn’t here was hell, and the first decent offer I was given to leave Hearth I took
it.” Neal looked down at the ring that was now in his large fingers, making the symbol
of love look rather tiny. To her it was larger than life. “It’s taken me this long
to understand that coming home to Hearth wasn’t meant to be. It was coming home to
you that mattered. You are my real home, Char. You are the keeper of my heart, the
guardian of my soul, and the woman I love more than life itself. We’ve been apart
these past eight years and we’ve both gained some life experience. I’ve lost some
close friends and managed to keep from getting hurt in more than a few scrapes. I’ve
gained the respect of my teammates, the special operations community, and that of
my nation for the sacrifices I’ve had to make while serving. You’ve had to raise your
sister on your own, being a mother and a father to Mandy without anyone for you to
rely on but yourself. Even with all of the troubles that go with raising a child when
you’re not much more than one yourself, at that stage you also managed to pick up
a fledgling small business and make it into an institution in this small town. We’ve
both come a long way in our lives and even though we’ve both managed to overcome some
really daunting obstacles, there remains one undeniable truth when it comes to you
and I—we’ve always been better together. You’ve made me realize I can be a stronger,
healthier man with you in my life. Will you marry me, Charlotte Florence Whitefall?”

Charlotte did her best not to cringe at the use of her middle name and she succeeded.
She was too busy wiping away the tears that had fallen and the ones that wouldn’t
stop. She couldn’t even find her voice and nodded her head frantically in response
to his question. Yes, yes, she’d marry him and move to San Diego to start their new
life together. He was placing the ring on the ring finger of her left hand and it
was only when his palms touched her cheeks was she able to draw breath. She’d found
her home as well.

Neal leaned down and captured her lips. It was the most tender, warmest, most real
kiss she’d ever experienced. His taste was sweet and her tears salty. By the time
he tilted her head she’d gotten herself mostly under control and would have pulled
him down to the bed had he let her. Instead he drew slowly away as he gradually parted
her robe and exposed her breasts. His green eyes, which had held a wild look to them
last night as if he was part tiger hunting for his prey, had softened into that of
a lover. She could almost feel the caress of his gaze as they took in the ample flesh
of her breasts and the rouge of her sensitive nipples.

“We’ll have to save your spanking for a later time,” Neal murmured, finally pushing
her robe until it fell off of her shoulders. It took a moment for his words to sink
in, for by the time her shock registered his rich laugh resonated through the air.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle when I administer it, but don’t think you’re getting
away without any chastisement for leaving the bookstore when I specifically told you
not too.”

“You’ll have to catch me first,” Charlotte said, reaching up with her hand and pulling
him down on top of her. “Right now I just want to experience us actually making love
in a bed. For a moment I thought you had a fetish regarding chairs.”

“Oh, trust me…you’ll get to know all of my many fetishes.” Neal brushed his lips down
her neck and nibbled the sensitive area in her collarbone. It was hard to concentrate
and enjoy the feeling when his fingers were roaming lower. When his thumb traced over
her abdomen she couldn’t help but arch up. “One of them is for a particular blonde
woman who screams my name when she comes. How many times do you think that might happen
tonight, huh? Can you keep track?”

Charlotte lost her breath to answer when the pads of his fingers brushed over her
clit. She widened her stance, ensuring that he had full access to do whatever he wanted
to do. Right now he was making small circular motions against her nub and totally
ignoring the cream that was gathering at her entrance. Around and around he stroked
her until she wanted to scream. When his tongue took the place of his lips to trail
down to her breasts she grabbed a hold of his bicep. Even though she wasn’t looking
at his arm she knew her fingers were touching his tattoo. His skin felt hotter there
and the image of it in her mind made him all the more sensual.

“Do you need more pressure?”

“Yes, more,” Charlotte whispered, bringing her hips up into his touch. Instead of
a pressing firmer he slid her clit between two fingers and gently rubbed up and down
until she was digging her own fingers into his muscles. “It’s not enough.”

“I’ve come to the conclusion I will never get enough of you, but it’ll be a wonderful
life while I try.” Neal traced her areola with his tongue, similar to what he was
doing to her clit. It wasn’t enough. As if he’d heard her thoughts he simultaneously
sealed his lips over her nipple and squeezed her clit. By the time he lifted his head
Charlotte thought she’d lost her sanity. “That better?”

“Yes!”

Charlotte sucked in air as he suckled her nipple, gyrating in his hand. She cried
out again when he released the now engorged tissue and slid his middle finger into
her pussy. It was what she wanted, but clearly not enough. Never enough. When he added
another finger she felt the tremors of an orgasm and was shocked that he was able
to bring one on so suddenly. He hooked his fingers and rubbed against the area inside
her pelvic bone, causing the tremors to be more like waves. When his thumb pressed
firmly on her clit and mimicked what his fingers were doing she lost all control.

“Neal! Neal! Neal!” Over and over she screamed his name as he weaned her down from
that all time precipice. By the time it ended she was a puddle in the bed. He slowly
pulled his mouth off of her nipple, and for once she was grateful since her entire
body felt like one big exposed nerve. He was trying to get off of the bed. “Wait…where
are you going?”

“I need to grab one of those condoms you keep under the sink.” Neal once again tried
to shift his weight off of her but she held on. “I’ll be quick.”

“Neal, have you looked at the expiration on those things?” Charlotte finally had the
energy to open her eyes and see his questioning look. She should fess up that she
knew they might be expired, but she hadn’t wanted to stop what they were doing to
go and buy new ones. “I think they’re old.”

“They are old, but we made it by a month,” Neal replied with a lopsided grin. “I would
never have put us in a situation that we weren’t ready for, Char.”

“I guess now isn’t the appropriate time to ask if you want children.” Charlotte was
surprised the statement had popped out, but by the time she realized what she was
asking it was too late. She released his arms to place a hand over her mouth. He threw
his head back with a laugh and lay down next to her. She’d followed him with her eyes
and finally, slowly, lowered her fingers to her chin. “Sorry. Such bad timing.”

Neal reached for his zipper and removed his jeans before pulling her closer. She willingly
climbed on top of him, laying her body over his. The heat that was coming from him
was better than any fireplace could have offered. He didn’t appear mad at her inquiry
and she waited for what he would say.

“We always wanted a family. I remember talking about it with you before, but I wasn’t
so sure that answer still stood since you’ve never had time to live for yourself.
You’ve always been there for Mandy. You were basically her mother.”

Neal pulled her hair back so that it didn’t slide into her face. He thought she wouldn’t
want children because she raised her sister? Didn’t he know that it was different?
That being pregnant with his child was something she’d dreamed about since high school?
She used to draw pictures of a house, a minivan, two kids, and a dog. She’d been drawing
their home and hadn’t even realized it.

“I want children with you, Neal. I want a son who’s got green eyes, dark blonde hair,
and a smile that reminds me of his father. I want a little girl with her father’s
mischief and his charm. I want them with you, wherever we make our home.”

Neal studied her, his intense stare not intimidating but more comforting. His love
for her made her understand that he would do anything to make her happy. When he placed
his hands on her hips and lifted her slightly, it was then that she comprehended his
intentions. The tip of his warm cock was at her moist entrance and all it would take
from her was a nod of acceptance—which she gave gladly. When he slowly pushed his
cock into her the entrance of her pussy stretched to accommodate his size. She couldn’t
keep the moan from escaping her lips as the slight burn was ignited.

“Neal,” Charlotte breathed, not even knowing why. Being with him this way was so more
intimate than she’d ever imagined. They were connected and when his seed was released
into her, their future would be made. “You feel…”

“Take all of me, Char.”

Charlotte knew for that to happen she needed to truly straddle him. She pushed her
palms against his chest and sat up, her movement doing exactly what he wanted. His
cock went deep within her until her sheath widened and accepted all of him. When the
entrance of her pussy was at the base of his dick, she’d never felt so full. He reached
up, cupping her breasts and grazing them with his thumbs. It sent a shock clear to
her clit and she could no longer stay still to savor the fullness. She wanted to scream
his name again.