Bound Hearts (27 page)

Clasping her face in his hands, he leaned in and kissed her while she wrapped her arms around his back and kissed him back with everything she had. All of her hopes, all of her dreams, and all the love she had for this incredible man. Their kiss lasted an eternity until he pulled back and started unbuttoning her blouse with infinite precision.

“You want any help with that?” she teased as his deft fingers made short work of her top.

“No,” he said, as he unzipped her skirt and pushed it down her hips, leaving her in what she knew was his favorite “outfit”: bra, panties, and heels. Bending down, he lifted up first one leg, then the other to remove her heels before he looked up at her again, his happiness as palpable as hers; like a living, organic being of its own.

Slowly, he drew her pink lace thong down her thighs before standing up and removing her bra then he took off his clothes. Finally, they were both naked. Offering his hand to hers, she took it and let him pull her up on the bed as she settled back on the pillows and let him love her with his mouth, his hands, and his words.

Right before she was about to see stars, he stopped and looked up.

“You’re still on the pill, right?”

Such a prosaic question momentarily interrupted her sexual bliss, reminding her of necessary practicalities.

“Yes.”

“I want to make love to you, Calleigh. Without anything else. Are you okay with that?” he asked, his eyes both grave and excited.

Was she okay with that? She had been waiting for this for months. The removal of all physical barriers between them. So there could be no mistaking in her meaning, she nodded and said, “I’m more than okay with that. It makes me very, very happy.”

And with that, his pushed his cock bluntly inside of her and loved her until they were both spent.

Epilogue

Three Years Later…

Thousands of twinkle lights danced around the yard, throughout the trees and gazebos, lighting everything up from within, lending a dreamy feel to the evening as the guests mingled, ate and made merry. Laughter carried through the trees while the soft music surrounded everyone. The sparkling pool glistened while floating candles swayed back and forth in the calm water.

“Quite a turnout,” David said, sidling up to Calleigh, pulling her back to his chest as he pressed a kiss on top of her head.

She placed a hand on his arm that caressed her mid-section, stroking him as she loved to do. She couldn’t get enough of touching him. On nights like this, goose bumps still bristled along her skin, a lovely reminder that this complex, complicated man still turned her inside out in the absolutely best possible way practically every day.

“I know,” she said, swaying back against him. “Who knew Lauren had so many friends?”

“You and I both know she has lots of good friends, all of whom wanted to help her celebrate her sixtieth birthday.”

Tonight’s turnout was amazing. They had received close to one hundred RSVPs for the event, and while numerous attendees were friends of Calleigh and David, quite a few did know and enjoy Lauren and wanted to help her celebrate the milestone of sixty. Today her relationship with her mother was firmly on solid ground. She actually enjoyed spending time with her mother and getting to know her. They’d decided to take some summer classes together through Portland Community College, learning the finer points of water painting and classic Italian cooking. She’d improved her tennis game in order to give Lauren a run for her money on the court and convinced her to take up biking, an activity that they both excelled at. She’d also successfully introduced her mother to the joys of Milk Duds and buttered popcorn during an afternoon chick-friendly matinee.

For her part, Lauren accepted her for who she was and took an active interest in her life. She consistently inquired after her students and classes, invited her and David over for dinner as often as possible, subscribed to certain magazines so that she could be “in the know,” about pop culture and other items of interest to Calleigh, and she positively doted on David. Of course, Calleigh doted on her husband as well.

In fact, given the high turnout tonight, Calleigh thought people were equally curious to see the house she and David had recently purchased and extensively renovated. After living together in his house for over two years, they’d decided that they needed more space for themselves and for entertaining and had settled on a lovely three bedroom in the Irvington section of Northeast Portland. For the last six months, they’d lived with a constant stream of contractors who converted the house from a family-friendly, average two story, to a showstopper designed to accommodate large groups of people, perfect for Calleigh’s natural desire to socialize and fulfill David’s social obligations with his team and other community members who were equally essential to the Tide’s success in Portland. Nestled on a large lot, they’d converted their backyard into party central for the evening with the twinkling lights and Chinese lanterns placed throughout the yard to envelop all of the attendants in the warm glow of celebration. Waiters bustled around the back yard, making sure all of the celebrants were never without drinks or something to eat.

“Speaking of birthdays, what do you want to do for your upcoming one?” he asked. “Or do you want me to surprise you?”

Turning so she could see his beloved face, she said, “Surprise me. You know I love your surprises.” She framed his face in both of her hands and simply stared at him, savoring the moment.

“Your wish is my command,” he agreed.

Sometimes she felt as though she should pinch herself, not quite trusting her happiness with this man and their life together. During her twenties, she often wondered if happiness was a fleeting concept, a state of mind for other people, while remaining an elusive destination for her. Three years into her relationship with David, and she couldn’t imagine her life any other way.

Professionally, it was nothing but smooth sailing for both of them, a welcome respite from years past when students frayed her last nerves and test scores tormented her. Last season, the Tide had finally won their first Super Bowl. The win could not have come at a more opportune time as David’s contract was expiring and the win quickly solidified his future with the team. On her end, her classes were doing well, performing better than expected and Walker High School was turning things around for its students. While she still taught some remedial classes, those classes were the exception, not the rule as they had been when she first started teaching.

She and David had settled into a welcome routine. While that may not have been romantic for a lot of couples, Calleigh lived for continuity. She knew generally during the season when she could expect him home during the week, rarely before eight o’clock, how many weekends they could sleep in, even fewer, and what they were doing on holidays, alternating between Montana to see his family and staying in Portland with Lauren. During the off-season, they always took Spring Break off and slipped away to a warm, sunny locale where they lazed on the beach and made love every day, multiple times a day. After the end of her school year, they’d jet off somewhere else to indulge in more of the same before training camp.

They’d happily and jointly decided their lives were entirely complete without any children. David’s brother and his wife had welcomed a set of fraternal twins last year that they lavished attention, toys, and love on whenever they had the opportunity. Spending time with the twins and their parents during the summer and holidays filled them with contentment, yet never convinced them to change their decision to keep their family unit to the two of them.

“This place looks absolutely fantastic,” Mary gushed, coming up to her and giving her a big hug. Her husband, Michael Santiago, the Tide’s right-side defensive end, trailing closely behind her, holding her hand, his dark countenance softened while he gazed upon his wife, a soft smile playing about his lips.

“Awww, thanks,” she said, beaming at her best friend. On a night like tonight, her joy refused to be contained. “I see you’ve swapped your beer of choice for something say, non-alcoholic?” she teased.

Michael and Mary looked at one another, silently communicating with one another before Mary responded. “I am delighted to announce that Baby Santiago is scheduled to arrive in approximately six months.” Michael gently caressed her stomach as she spoke.

“I knew it,” she crowed. “I told David the other day that I knew you were pregnant and were only waiting until you completed your first trimester. I was right, right?” she urged.

“Right about what?” her husband asked as he brought her a glass of white wine after shaking Michael’s hand.

“Wasn’t I just telling you last week that I
knew
Mary was pregnant?” she said as she leaned into his side.

“I don’t know about that,” he teased, drawing her even closer.

She elbowed him and shook her head. “Knock it off. You know what I said.”

“She’s right,” he affirmed. “I take it congratulations are in order?”

Michael and Mary nodded in unison. “Yes. We’re expecting our first baby.”

“You know what this means, don’t you Santiago?” he asked.

Michael glanced at Mary before responding. “Baby pool.”

Mary and Calleigh looked at one another before Mary asked, “Baby pool?”

“Once I announce it to the team, each player selects the date and hour of the baby’s arrival. The closest one wins and the winner is treated by the father to a night out at the restaurant of his or her choice, joined by his wife, girlfriend, or whoever.”

Calleigh knew confusion was evident on her face. “Why, if you two are the ones having the baby, do Michael’s teammates benefit from it?”

Michael cocked his head at David as though to say,
you want
to field this one?

“It’s an old tradition,” David began, “that started about five years ago with a former player named Merrill Pluols. Another player was expecting a kid and Merrill swore that once he saw the wife at any time after her seventh month and knew the general due date, he could pinpoint when the child would arrived within the hour on the date. It had something to do with the fact that he was one of seven children and his mother was an ob-gyn. Anyhow, the player who was expecting his kid took him up on his word and told him that if he got it right, within three hours or so, he’d take him to dinner along with the companion of his choice to any restaurant in the city. If Merrill’s prediction proved wrong, he needed to give a fairly hefty financial donation to Dornbecker Children’s hospital.

“I think it spiraled from there to the point where every player who has a child during the year, plays this pool. Father only pays if someone is correct. Otherwise, everyone contributes to the children’s hospital. It’s actually pretty cool,” he finished.

“That sounds like a lovely tradition,” she said.

“It is. I like our traditions just as much, C,” he said.

“Me too,” she said, sinking into him, looking forward to their years ahead of making even more memories together.

About the Author

After a somewhat lengthy detour into the practice of law, C.C. Galloway decided to follow her dream of becoming a writer. A native of the Midwest, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest. You can find her most days on her blog at ccwrites.blogspot.com, on Facebook as C.C. Galloway and can email her at [email protected].

Trademarks Acknowledgment

The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

iPhone and eBay: Apple Inc.

BlackBerries: Research in Motion Limited

Pottery Barn: Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

Williams-Sonoma: Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

Kitchen Kaboodle: Kitchen Kaboodle

Ben & Jerry’s: Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Holdings, Inc.

Häagen-Dazs: Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Inc.

Home Depot: The Home Depot, Inc.

Walgreens: Walgreen Co.

Crow Bar: Crow Bar

Alaskan Amber: Alaskan Brewing Company

La Calaca Comelona: La Calaca Comelona

Blue Moon: Blue Moon Brewing Company

Por Que No: ¿Por Que No?

Besaw’s: Besaw’s

Gentleman Jack: Brown-Forman Corporation

Noble Rot: Noble Rot

Chanel No. 5: Chanel

Multnomah Athletic Club: Multnomah Athletic Club

Blazers: National Basketball Association

AMEX: American Express Company

Equinox: Equinox Restaurant

Nike: Nike, Inc.

No Doubt: Interscope Records

Pledge: Johnson & Son, Inc.

Wonder Woman: DC Comic, Inc.

Adele: Columbia Records

Sesame Street: Sesame Workshop

Powerball: Multi-State Lottery Association

NFL: National Football League

Milk Duds: The Hershey Company