Taking The Fall(the Complete Series)(70)

“Just hush, baby, and let me carry my bride.”

I lay her down gently on the bed and begin to kiss my way up her body, starting at her toes. When I get to her lace-covered pussy I kiss and lick her over her panties until they’re soaked through and she’s begging me to rip them off.

Eventually I give my girl everything she wants because I always do. One little word and I’m a puddle for her. Hearing her “please” undoes me every time, and I’m not even a little ashamed of how tight she has me wrapped around her finger.

For so long all I ever knew was struggle and hate. I never knew love like this. I never knew my heart could be so full of peace and happiness. All because of this little cherry bomb – she blew my world apart.





“Wake up, baby,” I whisper in Cherry’s ear as I kiss her naked back.

She’s laid out on a bed of blankets in front of the fireplace. We’re on the last night of our honeymoon, and I can’t put it off any longer.

She rolls from her side to her back, fully exposing her naked body and looks at me sleepily. “What time is it, Carter?” she asks and looks out the window.

We decided to stay close to home since she’s so late along in her pregnancy, and I couldn’t chance her having the baby somewhere far away. We came to Tahoe for a week to stay in an isolated cabin. Just us. It’s been perfect.

“It’s early, but I…I have something for you.” I look around nervously and she senses my apprehension.

“What is it? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, baby, everything is perfect. I just…I feel silly is all. I have something for you.” With a deep breath I walk over to my bag and retrieve a box. Cherry sits up as I walk back, and I sit down beside her.

“This is my wedding gift to you. I’ve always wanted you to have it. I just think there is a part of me that will always be vulnerable when it comes to your love.”

“Carter, what are you talking about?”

“Open it up, Layla.”

She unties the red ribbon and opens the lid. I close my eyes, and I hear her gasp.

“They’re all there, baby. Every. Single. One.”

I watch as she pulls out the first letter she ever wrote me when I was in prison. It’s yellowed and worn, just like all the others. I read them so many times the paper is barely intact. It got to a point I didn't even have to look at them anymore. I remembered every word. They were the only thing that kept me sane: a reminder that when I got out of that prison I would have her. She would be mine.

I see the tears start to fall down her cheeks as she goes through the box and sees all of them. “Oh, Carter. You saved them?”

“I did more than save them, baby. I memorized them.”

She gives me a quizzical look and I smile. “April 25. Dear Carter, I don’t know what happened, but you’re not here…”

“You didn’t!” she exclaims and flips to one of the letters in the middle.

“October 13. Dear Carter, I’m trying to think of what I want to be for Hallowe’en…” I say and she smiles so big.

“Oh, my God! You did!” She flips to one in the back.

“June 11. Dear Carter, I never thought I would miss someone like I miss you…” I laugh. “That one was one of my favorites.”

“I love you so much. This is by far the most romantic thing ever.”

“Nah, just a man longing for the love of his life,” I say casually and try not to blush. God, I feel like such a pussy, but I don’t even care. My love for her is stronger than my momentary embarrassment.

Cherry puts down the box and then crawls in my lap. She rains kisses on my face and I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

“I love you so much, Carter. Thank you.”

“I love you too, Cherry.”

One day, when she isn’t busy loving my body, I’ll tell her the letters I wrote her are in there too.





GLIMPSES INTO THE FUTURE

Approximately 18 months later

“Put me down, you brute,” I snap while the world turns upside down as I’m thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It’s the first day I actually get to use Carter’s new gym. It opened about four months ago but between my being heavily knocked up at the time and then waiting for the all clear from the doctor, I’m finally ready to start trying to drop some of this baby weight. I could use the one at home, but I wanted to come see my man at work and this is as good of an excuse as any. Carter says he loves my body and it’s pointless because he’ll be planting another baby in me soon. This is probably true as, since the doctor gave him the okay, there hasn’t been a night I haven’t fallen asleep with him still inside me, and many mornings I wake up the same way. I don’t know where he finds the energy because he gets up with the baby during the night just as much as I do.