3 BOOK BUNDLE "Her Last Love Affair", "Her Last Love Affair: Breathing Without You" AND "Her Last Love Affair: The Final Journey" (28 page)

The Final Journey

Six months later...

R
eece pushed the door open wide and lead the way
into the luxurious apartment. When he reached the middle of a ridiculously
high-ceilinged room, he slowly turned to face her. There was an unmistakable
look of discomfort on his face and he rubbed his palms together nervously.

Allie entered the room much more gradually, her mouth open
as she surveyed the spacious living space and the floor to ceiling windows that
opened out onto his eighth floor balcony. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she
muttered, mostly to herself.

“So, umm,” he hesitated, his bashful face watching hers
closely for signs of disapproval. “What do you think?”

Feeling herself drawn to the windows, she moved almost
hypnotically toward them. The sun was just beginning to set and it caressed the
horizon with a beautiful amber glow. “So, this is what you didn’t want me to
see?” she whispered, sure that he’d hear her.

“Well,” he hedged, considering the question carefully before
committing himself to an answer. “People see this and they instantly get an
idea about who I am.”

Allie’s body still faced the window, but she tossed her face
over her shoulder. “But I know you,” she softly pointed out.

“Yeah,” he nodded, walking toward her with large strides.
“But we’ve both changed since high school and I just...” he sighed, as he
reached her side. He wasn’t quite close enough to touch her, but the heat from
his bare lower arm was radiating through her thin sweater. “I’ve discovered
something over the last few years,” he said, tackling the topic from another
angle. “Money, even all the money in the world, can’t bring you happiness. In
fact, it tends to bring the exact opposite. People only want to know you
because you’re wealthy; there are those who want to try and rip you off, and
those who just think they can ride your coattails for a while,” he exhaled,
rocking slightly on the heels of his feet. “I just decided that it would be
better to keep all of this,” he muttered, gesturing to the room behind him,
“secret, because that way I could live a normal life.”

“You have a condo with a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate
Bridge,” Allie sarcastically pointed out. “I hate to break it to you, Reece,
but that ain’t normal.” She was smiling, as she shook her head. “I still don’t
understand why you couldn’t tell me,” she added. “You have to know that this
could never change the way I feel about you.”

Reece’s face dipped to his feet and he studied the red oak
floor. “I suppose,” he breathed. “It had become a bit of a habit to hide it,”
he admitted with a shrug. “And I knew that if I told you, I’d never know for
sure, whether it would matter to you. If you didn’t know, then I could be
certain you loved me for me.”

Allie was hurt by his confession. Although she understood
where his concern came from, it was difficult for her to accept that he could
doubt her motives. Nevertheless, she had no moral high ground to take. She had
done her fair she of deceit when they first got back together “So,” she
eventually said, “now that I do know, how can you be sure I don’t want you for
your money?”

Turning, Reece placed his hand on her hip and coaxed her
body around so they were facing each other. “I’m so sick of playing games,” he
said. “I don’t want to hide anything from you and I sure as hell don’t want to
ever risk losing you again.”

Allie’s eyes searched his and found only sincerity and an
almost desperate desire to express himself. “I’m not going anywhere,” she
smiled, lifting her right hand and running it through his hair.  “And for what
it’s worth, I’m done hiding things from you, too.”

“Good,” he grinned, with a quick nod of his head. Before the
word had completely left his mouth, his face was moving; lunging forwards and
dipping to hers. He caught her lips with a passionate kiss, slipping his tongue
into her open mouth and tasting her as if it was the very first time he’d done
so.

Unconsciously, Allie found her body leaning into his. Her
arms instinctively finding their way over his shoulders and interlocking at the
back of his neck. Reece’s hands meanwhile were at her waist, the fingers
creeping up beneath the hem of her thin, wool sweater. As he was met with
nothing but soft, warm skin, he groaned into her mouth. Her own breathing
becoming labored, Allie pushed herself more firmly against Reece’s muscular
body.

It had been far too long since they’d experience each other
like this, and both felt that lack with a voracious hunger. However, Reece was
cautious and carefully pulled away from the kiss. Smiling down at her, he
stroked his hands through her hair, which was now in a short, pixie style. He’d
always thought he’d prefer long hair on her, but he had to admit, there was
something cute about the way she wore it now. “Are you going to grow this out?”
he wondered aloud, his hand lingering through the soft strands.

“Was planning on it,” she replied, nodding in confusion at
his sudden change in focus.

“I like it like this,” he hummed.

Giggling, Allie reached up to remove his hands from her
head. Holding both of them in front of her, she encouraged them back to her
hips. “You also said you liked me bald,” she reminded him.

“It’s not my fault you look so damn good all the time,” he
responded, grinning.

Carefully, Allie coaxed his fingers back up the inside of
her sweater. “Now, where were we?” she said, holding his hand to her abdomen.

“I don’t want to start something we can’t finish,” he
regretfully groaned.

“Who says we can’t finish it?” she argued.

“Well...” he shrugged.

“I’m fine,” she told him firmly. “I can assure you, I’ve got
my strength back,” she joked, winking at him. “And so far, so good, right?” she
added. “I’ve got the all clear.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, happily nodding. “So far, so good.”

Allie felt sure that his hands no longer needed her guidance
and slowly released them. Her fingers then sought out the waistband of his
jeans. “Actually, that reminds me,” she said, her voice sounding distracted, as
she only half-concentrated on what she was saying. “I owe you money.”

“Al,” Reece muttered. “You’re not serious. I told you
before-”

“No,” she insisted. “You agreed that we’d talk about me
paying you back after it was all over.”

Rolling his eyes, Reece sighed. However, he didn’t remove
his hands from the warmth of Allie’s skin. On the contrary, they roamed a
little higher the fingertips finding the edge of her lacy bra. “I don’t want
you to pay me back,” he stated calmly. “I don’t need you to pay me back.”

“That’s not the point,” she dismissed, her index fingers
looping inside his belt and tugging his lower half against hers. “We had an
agreement. I said I’d only accept the money if you’d let me pay it back.”

“And you want to talk about this right now?” he asked,
mischief twinkling in his eyes as he inched his hands higher and cupped her
covered breasts.

Her grin growing wider, Allie nodded. “I think now is a
perfect time,” she sighed. “You see, I’ve been thinking and I obviously can’t
afford to pay you back all at once.”

“Uh huh,” he responded, only half listening, as his fingers
molded her soft curves.

“So, I figured we could set up some sort of payment plan,”
she suggested. “And,” she added slowly, her hands moving to the belt buckle and
leisurely unfastening it. “I was wondering if you’d accept payment in kind?”
she suggested, her eyebrows dancing saucily.

Reece broke into light laughter, before clearing his throat
and trying to affect an air of seriousness. “Well,” he said, as though he was
considering the proposal. “I don’t know about that.”

Looking up at him, Allie giggled as she unfastened his belt
and made short work of his fly. “What’s the problem?” she asked.

His hands suddenly slid down from her breasts and he grasped
the edge of her sweater. “I don’t know exactly what that will entail,” he
explained, eagerly pulling the fabric up and over her head.

Allie’s hands left his pants momentarily, and shot above her
head to ease the removal of her top. “I was thinking unlimited and exclusive
access to me,” she grinned, as her sweater hit the floor.

Reece’s face turned suddenly serious as his eyes landed on
Allie’s abdomen and the small scars he found there. One was just beneath her
navel, the other was to the right of her ribcage. They were small circular
marks, where doctor Luitger had entered and removed the cancer from her organs.
Realistically, Reece knew that they were miraculously small scars for the job
that had been done, but they were a potent reminder of just how close he’d come
to losing her. It gave him somber pause for thought. “For how long?” he
whispered, his eyes not moving from her belly.

“Huh?” she asked, oblivious to what had captured his focus
and busy trying to edge his pants off his hips.

Reece quickly stilled her fingers, covering her hands with
his own. “How long,” he repeated. “will I have unlimited and exclusive access?”

“Oh,” she chuckled, still in a much dizzier mood then he
was. “Umm, how long do you want?” she added, turning the question around.
“Maybe we can negotiate.”

Silently, Reece shook his head at the suggestion. “There’s
no negotiation,” he told her flatly. “I’ll only agree to this deal on one
condition.”

“What’s that?” she asked, searching his eyes for the cause
of his seriousness.

“I want you forever, Allie,” he replied softly.

Instantly, her eyes filled with tears, and she offered him a
shaky smile. “You’ve got me,” she mumbled, her hand sliding out from beneath
his and clasping around his neck. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I want that in writing,” he stated.

Despite the tears that were leaving a salty trail down her
cheek, she laughed aloud. “You mean you want a contract drawn up?” she
chuckled.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he agreed, his mouth moving to hers and
caressing her lips sweetly. “Marry me, Allie,” he whispered against her mouth.

Allie’s head tipped back in surprise and, for a moment, she
was no longer sure whether they were still joking. The look of sincerity in his
eyes didn’t allow her to doubt him for long. “I...I...I...” she babbled,
wide-eyed. With a delighted laugh, she pulled him in for another kiss, before
shouting a gleeful. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”

Reece smiled, as his hands swept around her waist and
scooped her up. Kissing her deeply, he twirled her around, before setting her
back on the floor. Her back was now to the window and he stepped forwards
pressing her between the solid glass and himself.

 Suddenly, Allie found his eyes and noted the desire in
them. She could also feel the unmistakable swell of his groin prodding at her
belly. Her breath caught in the back of her throat as her own arousal leaped to
meet his. “Make love to me,” she pleaded.

Before the words had left her mouth, Reece was already
moving. His hands were at her back, unclasping the bra, while his mouth dipped
between her breasts and began kissing the inner curve of soft, pure white skin.
He leaned back, just long enough to pull the lacy underwear down her arms and
it was quickly tossed behind him.

Once her breasts were fully exposed to him, his mouth
clasped over one rigid nipple and sucked it between his warm lips. As he did so,
Allie’s head dropped back and she struck it on the window with a thud. It
quickly prompted an embarrassed giggle, which reassured Reece that she was
okay.

While he continued to lick and kiss her breasts, Reece
grappled with the button and small zipper on Allie’s dress pants. Hurriedly, he
pulled them and her panties down her thighs. Allie assisted, by shimmying and
coaxing them further. When they hit her ankles, she kicked herself out of her
shoes and stepped out of the puddle of fabric. It was only when her bare ass
touched the chilly glass, making her squeal in surprise, that she experienced a
flash of concern. “What if somebody sees?” she panted.

“It’s okay,” he chuckled, his lips and teeth nibbling at the
soft skin of her collarbone. “They’re tinted, people can’t see in.”

“Oh,” she replied. It was a noise meant to convey her
understanding, but soon become an elongated sound of desire, as Reece’s fingers
began to creep between her thighs.

When he found her damp, his patience reached its end. Hurriedly,
and with one hand, he shoved his pants and underwear off his hips. “I need you,
Allie,” he groaned, gripping his erect member in his hand and directing it
toward Allie’s entrance.

Allie parted her legs, shuffling until her feet were
shoulder width apart and then lifting her left leg. Reece instantly hooked his
hand beneath her knee and wrapped the leg around his waist, as he bent at the
knees. Slowly and gently he began to edge forwards. Conscious of the fact it
had been a while, he didn’t rush Allie’s body to accept him. Instead, he dipped
in slowly, gently moved back and forth, and allowing her sex to stretch and
adjust.

Her breath coming faster, Allie gripped the shirt at his
shoulders. Reece kept his eyes on her face, watching for any sign that she was
in pain. With her mouth open, drawing in quick gulps of air, she tried to smile
at him.

Gradually, Reece sheathed himself within her. Allie watched
the tiny muscle in his jaw twitch, as he gripped his teeth tightly together.
Just like the night in the hospital, he was holding back; worried that he’d
hurt her.

“I’m okay,” she whispered, her hand massaging the back of
his head.

With a muffled grunt, Reece’s hips involuntary jerked.
Allie’s back slid another inch up the glass and she cried out in pleasure. That
sound broke the thin hold Reece had on himself. No longer able to control the
impulse, he pulled back and thrust into her with a force that knocked the
breath out of them both. Still, he watched her closely, and when she did
nothing but scream his name in delight, he found himself readying to thrust
again.