FOREVER MINE(49)

He returned her kiss with a hunger that made her shudder and she slid her hands in the crotch of his pajama bottoms, needing to touch him there, take him in her hand. The first time she had pushed him over the edge of desire.

Deciding to take things further tonight she pushed him back in the bed and straddled him. She lowered her body over him, and little by little, inch by inch she took him inside of her. She heard the moment his breathing changed. She heard the groan from deep within his throat. And when she began riding him, she felt his hardness buried inside her to the hilt. Over and over again she moved her body over his, needing this. Needing him.

And when she lowered her mouth to kiss him, he gripped her hips and shifted positions and suddenly, she was under him. Then he began riding her and her body began quivering at the impact. Together they climaxed, savoring each shudder all the way. In her opinion the link between them got stronger and stronger each time they came together this way, each time they shared this experience together.

When he gathered her into his arms, her love for him grew even more. He hadn’t done anything that indicated he thought their relationship was one other than friendship. Once she came close to telling him she loved him but had quickly pulled back. He didn’t love her but sharing her love with him this way was enough.

* * *



A week later



Gabe quickly hung up the phone with Sage and immediately left the construction trailer to find Parnell. He was standing by a huge steel beam that one of his men was using as a crane to lift into the air.

“Parnell!”

Parnell glanced over at Gabe and seeing the look on his face he wondered what was wrong. He met Gabe across the yard. “Yeah, what is it?”

“I just talked to Sage. The hospital just called. On Rose’s way back from dropping the girls off at piano practice, she was involved in a car accident.”

The blood seemed to drain from Parnell’s face and Gabe quickly said. “Sage is at the hospital with her now and wanted me to let you know Rose is all right. She-”

“What hospital?” Parnell cut in, already headed for his truck.

Gabe had a hard time keeping up with his long strides. “Alaska Regional.” He glanced over at Parnell. “Like I said, Sage wanted to make sure I told you that the doctors said that Rose is fine.”

Parnell stopped walking and looked at the man who was his employer as well as his friend. “If you recall, that’s what the doctor said about Becky. They hadn’t known about that blood clot the trauma had caused.”

Gabe remembered and understood Parnell’s concern. “Okay, let’s see for ourselves, but I’m driving so give me the keys.”

* * *



Gabe had barely brought Parnell’s truck to a stop at the emergency room entrance when he was out of it. Racing toward the entrance, Parnell threw open the glass door and rushed inside.

When Parnell rounded the corner of the corridor, going in the direction a security guard had given him, he quickly glanced around thinking, different hospital, same scene. He would never forget that day he’d gotten a call to say Becky had been in a car accident but she was fine and was being released from ER. Thinking he was arriving just to drive her home, he had gotten there just seconds before she had collapsed from a pulmonary embolism caused from the accident.

He stopped and closed his eyes, feeling an enormous amount of fear stab him in the heart. He couldn’t lose Rose like he had lost Becky; especially not now. Especially not now when things were going so well between them.

Especially not now when he knew that he loved her.

That admission nearly made him stumble but he kept walking, determined to find his wife. When he had fallen in love with Rose he wasn’t sure, but he knew for certain that he loved her. Each and every time they made love he had felt it deeply. She had taken control of a big chunk of his heart and he had no qualms of her having it. He intended to tell her that when he saw her.

And he would see her. She would leave here with him and not the way Becky had in a body bag. That thought, along with deep determination, quickened his steps. He rounded another corner and then he saw her. She was walking his way with Sage and hadn’t looked in his direction.

“Rose!”

She glanced up and he began walking faster toward her, nearly running. She left Sage and was walking just as fast to meet him. When they were within three feet of each other they stopped and he looked at her up and down.

“You okay?” he asked softly in a low voice. The effort it cost him not to reach out and pull her into his arms was almost killing him, but knew if he did so now he could hurt her from his overwhelming relief in seeing her. She looked fine, but he had to be sure.

“Yes, I’m doing all right,” she said, staring at him. “You got here quick.”

He forced a smile to his lips. “I would have gotten here sooner but Gabe was driving. He drove slow.”

She returned his smile. “He drove safe and I’m glad. If anything had happened to you I -”

“Me?” he cut in, shaking his head and thinking he loved her so much it hurt. “Need I remind you, Mrs. Cabot, that you were the one in the accident?” And then after inhaling deeply, he stared deep into her eyes and said. “And if anything had happened to you, I would not know what to do. I love you so damn much.”

His words spurred Rose forward and he caught her into his arms, kissed her like a man who needed the taste of her to live, to catch his next breath. He was filled with so much emotion, so much love.

“For goodness sake, Parnell, will you give her a chance to breathe. Besides, you have an audience.”

Parnell ignored Gabe’s words. He ignored the audience. His wife deserved his attention and he was giving it to her. Unfortunately Rose didn’t ignore Gabe and withdrew from his mouth and gasp. They had drawn a crowd.

On tiptoe, she leaned in close to Parnell’s moist lips and said. “I love you too, but I think we should go home, don’t you?”

He smiled. “Yeah, sweetheart, let’s get out of here.”

He took her hand and paused long enough to get his keys from Gabe. “If you’re nice Gabe, your woman might give you a ride.”

Gabe laughed out. “Do you care?”

Parnell grinned. “Right now the only thing I care about is getting my wife home and showing her how much I love her.”

And then he swept Rose off her feet into his arms and headed toward the hospital’s exit door.

* * *



Parnell shifted positions in bed to pull his wife into his arms. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Rose drew in a long breath, forced her eyes open as a grin tugged at her lips. “If I wasn’t before I’m definitely okay now. Where in the world do you get your stamina?”

He chuckled. “You’re doing a real good job in hanging right in there with me.”

“Only because I take Flintstone vitamins right along with the girls. Umm . . . speaking of our girls, when are they coming home?”

“I spoke with Gabe. He and Sage are taking them out to dinner to give us more time.”

Rose smiled. “Do you think we need more time?”

“Yes. I want plenty of time with you, every possible moment. And with you they are all perfect moments.”

And then he leaned down and captured her lips knowing he would love her for the rest of his life and cherish all of their moments together.





Epilogue




Six months later



“May I have this dance Mrs. Cabot?”

Rose gazed up at her husband, smiled and placed her hand into his outstretched one. “Yes, you may.”

The moment Parnell escorted her out on the dance floor to join the other couples, he pulled her into his arms moving to the slow song being played by the deejay. “You look radiant, sweetheart.”

“Thank you. It was a beautiful wedding wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was.”

She glanced around and saw Sage and Gabe, the bride and groom standing together on the sidelines talking to Sage’s parents. Everyone had come to North Carolina for Sage’s wedding. She looked simply gorgeous in her wedding gown and Gabe looked dashing in his matching white tux. What Rose had said earlier was true. It had been a beautiful wedding and she felt special having been asked to be one of the bridesmaids. Sage’s cousins, Cinnamon and Ginger had been her maids of honors and Joya and LaToya had been the flower girls. They had looked beautiful in their long gowns.

Rose shifted her gaze in the direction of where her daughters sat, talking to Gabe’s mother. Joella Blackwell was simply beaming with happiness. “I never did get around to asking you what part Joella played in getting us together,” Parnell said, drawing back her attention.

She gazed up at him and a smile touched her lips from corner to corner. “What makes you think she played a part?”

Parnell chuckled. “I know her. And I remember you saying she was calling a lot to check on the girls. I have a feeling she was doing a little more than that.”

“Whatever she did is my and Joella’s secret,” Rose said, not ready to confess that Joella had given her the idea of presenting a proposal of marriage to him. “Does it matter?”

He shook his head. “No, it doesn’t matter. The girls and I got you and that’s all that counts.”

“And what if I were to tell you Mr. Cabot that around eight months from now we’ll be increasing our family?”