Forever You're Mine (MINE #4)(28)



“You love her,” Holden said, stating the obvious.

We were sitting on his back porch, each nursing a bottle of Bud as I poured my heart out. I wasn’t sure what had come over me. I couldn’t remember the last time I talked this much.

Cora.

Cora had come over me.

“Yeah, I do.” I admitted and it felt good to do it. I loved her more than I’d ever loved anyone.

He nodded in understanding and took a sip of his beer. “Scary shit.”

“Yeah.”

“Probably for the best Archer fired your ass then.”

“Agreed.”

Holden leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “Look, I won’t pretend to understand what you went through over there. I’m sure it’s far worse than I could ever imagine. But I know enough to know you need to deal with that shit first, because I’m pretty sure demons like that can destroy what you two have and anything you attempt to build around it.”

Fuck he was so right. Now being in love with Cora didn’t scare me near as much as confronting my past. Didn’t matter. It was going to happen anyway.

Might as well start dealing with it now.





Kiss me and you will see how important I am.

Sylvia Plath





Archer went a little easier on me than he did with Cannon. I was written up and put on probation for two weeks. Which was a little extreme, but far better than losing my job I suppose.

Cannon was waiting for me in the parking lot when I finally got off. I’d barely made it inside the truck before I was pulled across the console and settled onto his lap. “Fuck that was a long ass time,” I giggled, his lips were everywhere, on my neck, on my cheeks, my lips. “How was the rest of your night?”

I did my best to catch my breath. “It was good. Archer went easy on me, just a write up and probation.”

“Asshole,” he muttered before kissing me again. “You’re off for the next two days right?”

“Yeah,”

His smile was huge. “Gonna make ‘em the best two days of your life. Tomorrow night, I’m takin’ you out.”

“A date? Like a real date?” I asked, surprised and impressed at this simple gesture.

Dent had never taken me out for a date before. Unless you count late night Wendy’s or Taco Bell as a date, which sadly at the time, I did. “I have this unreasonable need to show the world what I’m crazy about.”

Oh wow.

“I thought you said you had no idea how to be everything I wanted.”

“Still clueless, babe. Just wingin’ it here.”

“Well, you’re doing a mighty fine job, Jacobs,” I said, giving him a big kiss.

*

Goosebumps danced across my skin as his fingers trailed down the middle of my spine. I hugged the pillow close to my chest. My eyes were heavy, but I had no problem keeping them open. I couldn’t look away from the smile toying with his mouth even if I wanted to. I’d never seen him so relaxed, so content, so at peace with the world around him. He looked like I felt and my heart swelled with the knowledge that Cannon and I were finally here, together.

Forever?

God, I hope so.

I was still uncertain. For me, he was it. But for him, things were much more complicated.

We’d spent the last several hours in this bed, my body spent and sated from his explorations. He was very thorough and he had outstanding stamina. I swear, the last one nearly killed me.

“This feels good,” Cannon said, drawing lazy circles around the small of my back. He had his head propped up on his hand, a smile tugging one corner of his lips. I loved that smile. He reserved it just for me.

“What?”

“Being with you like this.”

“It always feels good when I’m with you,” I told him, my heart fluttering in my chest.

“Yeah, but this feels different.” Cannon planted a kiss on my bare shoulder. “You got me feelin’ things I’ve never felt before.”

“Me too,” I smiled, but it faltered when I remembered what happened in the storage room.

“We had sex without a condom.” I said quietly.

“I know. Felt good as f*ck, babe.”

“Uh, don’t you think we should have at least discussed it first?”

“What for?”

“Hell, I don’t know. Pregnancy, diseases, the list is endless.”

“First of all, I’m clean. Second, I know you’re on birth control so we’re good.”

“How do you know I’m on birth control?”

“I’ve seen you take it.”

I lifted up to rest on my elbows, looking him square in the eye. “How do you know I take it like I’m supposed to and also, how do you know I’m clean?”

“Babe, we’ve been friends for a while now. I know everything about you. I know when you’re angry, happy, or sad. I even know when that bitch Flo is in town. I can read you like a goddamn book.”

“That still doesn’t answer my questions. And wait…how the hell do you know when I have my period?” This did not seem like something Cannon Jacobs should know.

He smiled, knowingly. “You’re more sensitive and you snap at me a lot. More than usual. You also eat your weight in M&Ms, which I find insanely hot. Don’t ask me why. I know you take your pill on time because that bitch shows up like clockwork. And I know you’re clean because you take care of yourself. Like a woman is supposed to.”

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