Katie Ashley

“You really have the nerve to stand there and ask me that?” When he didn’t respond, I practically growled as I took a step towards him. “You blow so hot and cold with me that I’m not sure which way is up. It’s a wonder I don’t need a chiropractor from your emotional whiplash. One minute you’re telling me you want a girl like me to be interested in you and the next you’re coyly asking how I feel about Garrett.” Finally toe to toe, I glared up at him. “You’re really good at charming the panties off girls at ten paces, but you can’t even tell a girl how you really feel when she’s up close and personal!”

“Frozen, I stood staring at him like he was a vision or something. His hair was still damp, and a few droplets glistened on his face. When he caught me, warmth burned across my cheeks.“Were you just ogling me, Angel?”“No, I wasn’t.”He chuckled. “I think you were.”I whirled around and swept my hands to my hips. “Fine I was ogling you. Happy now?”“Actually I am. I like it when you look at me like you want me. Like you think I’m… handsome.”My brows rose in surprise. “Handsome? That doesn’t sound like the way you would describe yourself.”With a grin, he asked, “And just how would I describe myself?”“Hmm, sexy, hot as hell, and panty melting?” I challenged as I handed him a Coke.“Yeah, you’re right. Those really describe me better.”

“It was the way your sweet, soft hands wiped away my tears, and the way your body just curved into mine when you let me hold you. It all made me feel, for just an instant, that everything really was going to be all right. No one has ever comforted me like that…except my mom.” What the fuck? Did I just say all that out loud? I shook my head furiously from side to side as the room started spinning me like a Tilt-a-Whirl at the county fair back home.Abby grabbed my shoulders to steady me. I blinked my eyes trying to focus on her blurry, but beautiful image. “Most of all, it’s that I want someone like you to want me—just for me, not for Jake Slater the singer of Runaway Train.” I smacked my hand hard against my chest. “For what’s really inside me.”

“I clenched my jaw with determination. “It won’t work, Angel. I have to sing about love, relationships, and sex. You know, bullshit like that. A song about my fucking heart being ripped to shreds because my mother is dying isn’t going to make an album, least of all a single.”

“Can I spoon you?”My eyebrows shot up. “Can you what?”The shadow of a smile fluttered on Jake’s lips. “You really don’t know what that is, do you?”An embarrassed flush filled my cheeks as I ducked my head. “No,” I murmured.Jake’s finger came under my chin and tipped my head up to look at him. “It’s okay. I’ll show you.”

“When I started to my roost, Jake grabbed my arm, pulling me against him. “Sleep with me,” he whispered in my ear.I jerked away, ready to launch into a tirade for him playing on my emotions to put the moves on me when the tormented expression on his face stopped me cold.He stared pleadingly into my eyes. “I’m still so fucking scared, Angel. I need someone just to hold tonight so I won’t be alone.”

“Just remember that forgiveness is so much easier than regret.”

“For every tear you shed for someone else’s grief, it takes one off of their suffering.”

“Well, I’ve only managed to do the drummer and the bassist so far, but I’m thinking I could get a threesome going and knock out the others. Maybe I’ll gangbang with the roadies when we stop for dinner!”

“I know all about the missionary position, Angel. In fact, I believe I was trying to acquaint you with it earlier when you cock blocked me.”

“As a self-respecting dude, I'd never believed in fairy tales, but in that moment, I did. I'd found my angel to live happily-ever-after with.”

“I've fallen for you, Jake.”

“You make me think things... feel things I never have before .”

“Well, believe it Angel because it's the truth. You're all I want or need at the moment.”

“He Apologized and he's watching Tangled. I think Abby brainwashed him while we were gone,”

“You know how much I love you , Jacob? As High as the Sky , Mama!That's right, sweet boy”

“It’s the truth, Em. You do save me. I would still be lost if you hadn’t come into my life, and I thank God everyday that you gave me another chance to show you how much my soul cries out for you. There will never be anyone else for me in the world.”

“Let me guess. This extremely horny moment was made possible by pregnancy hormones?Her giggle vibrated against his cheek. “Yes it was. Ugh, they’re insane.” She released his member and pulled away. “I think I’m starting to understand what it’s like to be you.”Throwing his head back, Aidan roared with laughter. “You mean what it feels like to be a horndog?”Wide-eyed, she replied, “uh-huh.”“Then why did you pull away?”“Well, because-” “That wasn’t me complaining, babe.”

“After all, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” …When Aidan snickered at Grammy’s admonishment, Emma nudged him in the stomach with her elbow. “Don’t make me tell her the way to your heart is through your dick,” she whispered.”

“Desire burned in his eyes as he brought his hands up and laced his fingers around the back of his head. “Okay then. I’m all yours, babe. All you have to do is take me.”

“Damn, I’m proud to call you my best friend. You’re so strong and resilient with all you’ve been through, and then deciding to have a baby on your own like this. You’re my own little Steel Magnolia.”

“Was it the thought of seeing me naked that finally sealed the deal?”

“I didn’t know what it meant to have a nervous breakdown. I’d heard people jokingly exaggerate that they’d had one. Until that moment on my bathroom floor, I had no concept. Then the frayed strands of my sanity that I’d fought so hard to keep together snapped in two, and I started to free fall into chaos. First, I screamed. I screamed and I screamed until I was hoarse. Then my screams turned over to cries of agony. Pain, both physical and emotional, consumed me. Will tried to console me, but it was useless. He panicked and called my parents.When they heard my sobs in the background, they told him to call the paramedics. So he did. By the time they arrived, I was spent of emotions. Instead, I lay motionless on the floor. They were a hazy blur of blue uniforms and soft voices. I could hear them calling my name from far off—like I was under the surface of water. But I couldn’t muster the strength to reply. I heard crying behind me. It must’ve been Will because one of the paramedics said, “Don’t worry, son, we’re gonna take good care of her.” Then I felt myself floating upwards as they put me on a gurney. I rattled and shook as they pulled me out of the house. The flashing lights hurt my eyes. But then a needle pierced my vein, bringing liquid peace to my soul."--Melanie”

“Part of me tingled with excitement. This was it. I was finally going to be with Will. We were going to make love for the first time—after all this time. But the voices of doubt mocked me. What do you think you’re doing? You can’t give yourself to him—you’ve already been had! And by his father. I reached the landing of the stairs and squeezed my eyes shut, desperately battling the raging war in my mind. If I’m with Will, it can erase the past. Our love is powerful enough to take the rape away. I truly believed I could delude myself into accepting he was my first—that what happened in Coach T’s office was false. Yes, once we were together, it would change."--Melanie”

“It was at that moment that something bizarrely divine happened. Something I could have almost blown off if it hadn’t happened before my eyes. Two nuns walked in the door with their arms loaded down with packages. I’d never seen shopping nuns before, but it was all the sign I needed. “I want to go to school at Saint Catherine’s.” Mom gasped. “That all girls school?”“Yes.”“That Catholic school?”“Yes!” I continued looking at the nuns. One of them caught my eye, and she smiled. I returned her smile. Mom glanced over her shoulder. “Are you trying to tell me you want to become a nun? Because if you are, I’m taking you to the fucking hospital right now!”

“There came a shrill beep followed by another message. “Listen bitch! You better stop lying about Coach T. If you don’t, you’re gonna find yourself in a world of hurt! It’s real hard to screw up people’s lives when you’re dead!”With trembling hands, I turned the machine off. I didn’t want to hear anymore. Name calling was one thing, but now my life had been threatened. Mom never came in that night, and I never went to sleep. I sat in the middle of my bed with her loaded .45 by my side until morning."---Jordan”

“But then a revelation came crashing down on me. The harshness of it was so fierce I was the one trembling instead of Melanie. My memory flashed back to her Monday night in the parking lot with her messed up hair and smeared makeup. They weren’t willingly hitting it in his office. He hadn’t turned me away that night because he had been with someone. Oh, no, it was much worse than that. I stared at her in disbelief. He had screwed her—the panties were proof of that. But it wasn’t by her consent…he had truly raped her. I gasped. “Oh my God!” My mind shattered with the thoughts of what he had done. To his star…to his son’s girlfriend. It was too much. I slammed back against the sink and shook my head. “He raped you, didn’t he?”Her eyes widened in horror. “NO!” she screamed.”

“No, it’s more like once I lie. I’ll only be a part of the team if I lie. I can only keep Will if I lie. I can only keep my sanity if I lie"---Melanie”

“BASTARD, the voice screamed in my mind. That f*cking bastard! He knows what he did to me! He knows what he took, and he expects me to testify for him? Because of my love for Will, he’s using me like I’m just a pawn in his game. My chest tightened. But this isn’t about him, remember? It’s about the boy you love who holds you right now. It’s about protecting everything you hold sacred. I”

“But in the same token, I wondered how I was still standing. Why wasn’t I six feet under from the shock of what had happened? How was I living, breathing, and lying like nothing had happened? Part of me might have been living, but the other part of me wished I was dead. I shuddered at the thought. I closed my eyes and pressed myself closer to Will. For the first time all morning, I felt safe.”

“It doesn’t really matter the logistics of how you fuck up your life. It’s what you do to change it.”

“Do you want to live the rest of your life wondering how things would have been different if you made it right?”

“Forgiveness was about more than just words—it was actions and feelings.”

“Sometimes the shit we go through does have a purpose. If we’re truly honest with ourselves, we can use that purpose to change our life for the better, not the worse.”---Nick Deluca”

“You see I've been taking these tests to tell when I'm ovulating and when I'm mostfertile. And well...it's now.""Oh, so you came up here for a fuck?"Emma cringed. "Do you always have to be so crude?"He chuckled. "I'm sorry. Would you prefer I call it an afternoon delight?" he teased.”

“Yeah, that's right. You're stuck with me now, and I don't have a nice rack for you to snuggle up to.”

“Damn, are these Scooby Doo?"She giggled. "I wasn't expecting company, and I have a slight obsession from growing up with the old cartoon.""They almost killed my hard on."She slid her hand between them and then quirked her eyebrows. "Seems fine to me.”

“A MWF sex schedule? How efficient," he mused."Please be serious."A wicked grin flashed on his face. "Fine, pencil me in. I'll be ready and erect whenever you need me.”

“Drawing in a deep breath, she smacked his bare ass. Hard. "Aidan Fitzgerald, you better fuck me like you mean it!”

“Is this one of those contracts like in that kinky book where we outline what we're willing to do or not do during sex? Like our hard limits and safe words?”

“While Emma pressed the unlock button on her key fob, Aidan started walking away, but then he stopped. He turned back and shook his head. “Oh f*ck it.” Taking Emma totally off guard, he shoved her against the car. He wrapped his arms around her waist, jerking her flush against him. Electricity tingled through her at his touch, and his scent invaded her nostrils, making her feel lightheaded. She squirmed in his arms. “What are you—” He silenced her by leaning over and crushing his lips against hers. She protested by pushing her hands against his chest, but the warmth of his tongue sliding open her lips caused her to feel weak. Her arms fell limply at her sides. Aidan’s hands swept from her waist and up her back. He tangled his fingers through her long hair as his tongue plunged in her mouth, caressing and teasing Emma’s. Her hands left her side to wrap around his neck, drawing him even closer to her. God, it had been so very long since someone had kissed her, and it had taken Travis a week to get up the nerve to kiss her like this. Aidan was hot and heavy right out of the gate. Using his hips, Aidan kept her pinned against the car as he kept up his assault on her mouth. Just when she thought she couldn’t breathe and might pass out, he released her lips. Staring down at her with eyes hooded and drunk with desire, Aidan smiled. “Maybe that will help you with your decision.”

“I’m talking about a little proposition for us both to get something we really, really want. I give a little, and you give a little.”--Aidan”

“Have you ever wanted something so bad you think you’d die if you don’t have it? That the mere thought of it keeps you up at night. You can’t sleep, you can’t eat, you can’t drink. You are so consumed by that desire nothing else matters, and you’re not sure life is worth living if you can’t have it.”

“You need to eat your salad," Aidan finally said."Oh, so now you're telling me what to eat?""You're supposed to be eating a lot of green, leafy vegetables for the folic acid."She arched her brows in surprise. "And just how do you know that?"Through a mouthful of baked potato, he said, "What To Expect While You're Expecting.”

“Emma giggled. "I don't think so." She nudged him playfully. "Just go on over and make them an offer they can't refuse on taking your fiancee upstairs to consummate your engagement."He scowled at her. "You're supposed to consummate a marriage, not an engagement.”

“Emma's eyelids flew open, and her expectant gaze honed in on the mirror, peering in wonder at Noah's tiny head. "Aw, Em, it looks like he's got strawberry blonde hair!" Casey commented.Aidan grinned. "Nah, I think it's redder, and he's more of a Ginger."She gritted her teeth at him. "Don't you dare call our son a Ginger!”

“I'm cute, Mommy's cute, and Daddy's..." She tore her gaze up to meet his."Daddy's lucky," he finished for her.”

“I'm serious about marrying you, Em. But I want to propose to you the right way- not half-naked and sporting wood.”

“Emma leaned over to where their faces were only inches apart. “Since you think you know everything, tell me if you understand this. Have you ever wanted something so bad you think you’d die if you don’t have it? That the mere thought of it keeps you up at night. You can’t sleep, you can’t eat, you can’t drink. You are so consumed by that desire nothing else matters, and you’re not sure life is worth living if you can’t have it.”

“He scooted his chair so close to hers that she fought the urge to back away. She gulped at his nearness. The lustful gleam flashing in his eyes made him like the Big Bad Wolf looming over her. “How much plainer can I make it for you? You were so damn sexy in that green dress. Your hair was down and fell in waves around your shoulders. And you kept giving me those innocent little smiles from across the room.” His breath scorched against her cheek before he whispered into her ear. “I’ve never wanted to fuck someone so much as I wanted to you.”