Read A Matter of Honesty Online
Authors: Stephanie Morris
of honesty.”
“Lauryn, I trust you. I trusted you with the most important thing in my life. I
hired you to watch my little girl. I wouldn‘t have done so if I didn‘t trust you.”
She shook her head. “But you didn‘t trust me enough to tell me of your financial
status. Just like my father didn‘t trust me enough to tell me he couldn‘t afford to pay
all his bills.” Lauryn looked unable to keep the feelings of sadness from swamping her.
“You can‘t trust me halfway. It‘s all or nothing. It‘s a matter of honesty, of trust.
Without it, we have nothing.”
Steve pulled her closer. This time she allowed him to without resistance. “I
know that. And I‘m sorry. I hope you will forgive me enough to say yes. Give me a
chance to prove to you that I love you. I trust you. I‘m sorry I wasn‘t honest upfront. I
just wanted to know that you wanted me for who I am and not the money I have.”
Lauryn dropped her head and looked at the ring box Steve held in his hand. She
was head-over-heels for this man. There was no way she could just walk away and
not look back. How could she blame him for being shaped by his past when she was
influenced just as much by her own? She cared deeply for him. From what she could
see, what she was hearing from him, he felt the same. Knowing she would never make
a better decision in her life, she lifted her left hand, telling him with this simple action
what she couldn‘t force her voice to say. Steve took the ring out of the box and fitted
it on her finger. He placed a passionate kiss on her lips. When he lifted his head, they
were both breathing heavily.
“I love you, Lauryn.”
“I love you, too.”
Lauryn went up on tiptoe and placed another kiss on Steve‘s lips. When she
pulled back he was smiling. It was then she realized just how quiet the house was.
“Where‘s Hannah?”
“With Johanna and Dillon. They kept her for me last night.”
“Why?”
He gave her a sheepish look. “Because I had this to take care of.”
He waved a hand around the room and she smiled. “And it is all very lovely.”
Steve took her left hand and lifted it to his lips. The diamond ring sparkled on
her finger. The ring looked at home on her finger. It hit her. She had just said yes to
marriage. Said yes to the man of her dreams. A man who was so attractive it was hard
to keep her hands off of him. Couldn‘t see a reason why she should. Desire surged
through her. She brought her gaze up to meet his. His eyes began to darken as they
always did in the first stages of desire. He wanted her and she wanted him.
“When are you supposed to get Hannah?”
He began to back her toward the bed. “Later.” He pulled the T-shirt over her
head. Her breasts came into view and he moaned. “Much later.”
Lauryn smiled and rubbed her protruding stomach as she gazed out over the
grassy fields of Steve‘s family‘s land. She and Steve had celebrated their two-year
wedding anniversary a few months ago. Shortly after they‘d got engaged he‘d helped
her to enroll at the University of Oklahoma. She juggled fulltime school, planning a
wedding, and running a household. Fortunately, they‘d smartly calculated the
conception of their child. She was due to give birth during the summer sessions so she
wouldn‘t get behind in school.
Her decision to major in Psychology had been a good one. It was something
that she could actually do. Although she liked Meteorology it wasn‘t something she
could see herself doing for the rest of her life, but working with people and helping
them through life was. So she had satisfied her passion for Meteorology by taking a
few courses. She was going to specialize in working with people who suffered from
mental disorders. It was close to home for her because she had grown up in the house
with a family member who had a psychological disorder and she knew how hard their
life could be.
She had eventually met her father‘s side of the family and learned that he was
the only one who‘d suffered from the disorder. His parents and sister had also
admitted with shame that they hadn‘t made things easy for him, which was probably
a part of the reason why he had distanced himself from them. But from being around
them she knew they were good people who hadn‘t understood what her dad had been
going through. No one really had, not even her mother in her opinion, but at least her
mother had made the attempt to let her father be who he was.
Her hand caressed her stomach again, grinning as their baby shifted within her.
Sometimes it was hard to believe she was happily married and pregnant. All of their
family and friends were excited, Hannah probably the most excited of everyone. The
thought of being a big sister was driving her wild. Hannah‘s new hobby was reading
to the baby whenever she got a chance. Lauryn was brought out of her thoughts as
Steve called her name. He stepped behind her before she had the opportunity to turn
to look at him. Warmth fused through her at his touch.
“What are you thinking about?”
She tilted her head up to look at him. She couldn‘t imagine loving any man
more. “About how happy I am.”
He brushed his lips against her temple. “Are you?”
Lauryn remained quiet as she thought about it all. Lack of trust or honesty was
no longer an issue with Steve. She trusted him with everything and he trusted her in
return. What more could she ask for? Her husband was by her side and she was
reunited with both sides of her family. It meant everything to her. In the past two
years she had gotten the chance to know both sides of her family very well and she
felt whole. His hand caressed her rounded belly. She covered his hand with hers
before looking up at him. The corners of her mouth curved upward.
“Happier than I ever thought I would be. I love you, Steve.”
“I love you, too, Lauryn,” Steve murmured before his mouth covered hers.
Lauryn couldn‘t be more grateful than she was right now for the eventful tornado that
had brought Steve into her life. Whereas she‘d originally thought she had lost
everything, she‘d ended up gaining so much more. She was right where she belonged.
The End
*
Author Bio:
Stephanie Morris resides in Fort Worth, Texas. In her spare time, she enjoys
reading, traveling, dancing, cooking, and spending time with her friends and
family. Stephanie is addicted to writing books, drinking coffee, and sour candy.
She has been writing for several years now and has written several works in
erotica and romance. Stephanie can be contacted on MySpace at
www.myspace.com/stephaniemorrisbooks or at
http://www.stephaniemorris.webs.com/.