I suck in a deep breath, my voice brimming with all I feel for her. “JJ, you’re my lifeline. My sanity. It’s taken one hell of a road to get to this point, and for you, I’ll do it all again. For you, I’ll sacrifice everything I have, all that I am. For you, I live.” I push the wedding ring onto her slender finger. “I love you. I’ll always love you. Until my dying breath.”
“O’Brien.” Her voice quivers, echoing through my heart. “You’re my ride or die. My partner for life.” The corner of her mouth lifts. “The day you tackled me at that warehouse, you swept me off my feet.”
I let out a chuckle while swatting a tear away.
“I fell for you in a heartbeat.” She swallows hard. “You’re my strength. My reason for living. My entire life. My love for you is unconditional, all-consuming, and everlasting.” She pushes the ring onto my finger, then her eyes sparkle up at me. “I’ll love you with everything I am for as long as I live.”
Before the minister can pronounce us husband and wife, I frame her face and kiss the fuck out of my wife. Not even hell could keep us apart, so a minister doesn’t stand a chance.
I vaguely hear the minister saying the formalities, then cheers break out around us.
My wife.
My fucking soul.
My everything.
JJ
Their future…
“Blakely, did you finish your homework?” I call from the kitchen.
When there’s no answer, I walk to the bottom of the stairs. “Blakely?”
Still nothing.
Heading up to her bedroom, I push the door open but find the room empty.
I hear soft giggling from the third floor, and when I walk into our bedroom, it’s to find Blakely and Elijah lying on either side of O’Brien.
“The wolf huffed, and he puffed, but…?”
“He couldn’t blow the house down,” Elijah shouts.
“So much for bedtime stories making the kids sleepy.” I walk in and climb onto the foot of the bed, then pin Blakely with a look. “Did you finish your homework?”
“Yes, Daddy helped.”
Lying down, I let out a tired breath while O’Brien continues to read the story. Somewhere during the second story, I doze off, only to be woken to sloppy kisses peppering my face.
“Time to tuck us in bed, Mom,” Elijah practically shouts while bouncing on the mattress.
“You have too much energy,” I complain as I drag myself up. “Say night, Daddy.”
I watch them tackle their father then scoot them out of the room and down the stairs. It takes me over ten minutes just to get them in bed, then I press a kiss to each of their foreheads.
“Sweet dreams.”
“Night, Mommy,” they say in unison.
I leave the door open so the light from the hallway will shine in, then pause when I hear something downstairs.
When I go see what it is, I find O’Brien checking all the doors and activating the alarm. He walks toward me, and just like the kids do, I hold out my arms. “Uppie.”
With a chuckle, he picks me up, and I lock my legs around his waist. I rest my head on his shoulder, letting out a sigh. “I get why they love being carried around.”
“They have to pay with a kiss on the cheek,” he murmurs as he carries me into the bedroom. Dropping me on the mattress, he crawls over my body.
“Mmh… like where this is going,” I say as I take hold of his shirt and pull it over his head. Even after ten years of marriage, this man still turns me on in a heartbeat.
He kisses his way down from my throat to my breasts, then feasts on them. His hand covers my mouth, and I grin against his palm, knowing what’s coming. When he thrusts hard into me, my moan is muffled so the kids won’t hear.
O’Brien takes me hard and fast, knowing our moment of privacy can be cut short at any second.
He pushes me over the edge and follows, our bodies shuddering together.
“Mommy!” Elijah calls. “I’m thirsty.”
“Just a second,” I call out, then bite my bottom lip as O’Brien drives into me one last time. “God, I wish we had more than five minutes,” I complain when he pulls out and presses a kiss to my breast.
“Lindsay’s taking the kids this Thursday, right?” he asks as he rolls onto his side.
“Yes. We’re not going out for dinner. We’re staying in bed the whole damn night,” I mutter as I quickly get dressed and walk to the door.
“Can’t wait,” he calls after me.
Walking into the kids' room, I say, “Just a sip, Elijah, or you’ll wet the bed.”
“Okay, Mommy.” I brush my hand over his short black hair as he takes a sip, then press a kiss to his head.
Heading back up, I fall into O’Brien’s arms and groan, “I’m exhausted.”
He positions me against his side, his arms a world of safety around me. “Sleep, baby. I’ll get up if they call.”
“God, I hit the jackpot with you,” I mumble, half asleep. “Love you.”
“Love you most,” he murmurs, a soft kiss against my forehead the last thing I remember before drifting off in his arms.
O’Brien
While JJ’s dropping the kids off at Lindsay’s, I rush to get everything ready. I light the candles, and when the doorbell jingles, I grab the order of seafood and quickly plate it.
I’ve just poured two glasses of wine when I hear JJ come in. Standing out on the patio by the table I’ve prepared, I watch as she glances into the kitchen before looking this way.
“Oh wow,” she breathes as she walks toward me. “What are we celebrating?”
“Me fucking you all night long.”
I pull out the chair so she can sit and press a kiss to the top of her head before taking a seat across from her.
For a moment, we just stare at each other. At thirty-three, JJ’s even more beautiful than she was in her twenties.
We’ve had some ups and downs, but through it all, my love for her has only grown.
This woman has not only saved my life multiple times but given me the most amazing kids.
“What are you thinking?” she asks before taking a sip of the wine.
“How blessed I am,” I answer honestly. “How much I love you.”
She reaches across the table for my hand, our fingers weaving. “Still give me butterflies, O’Brien.”
“Still take my breath away, JJ.” I nod at the food. “Eat, baby. You’re going to need your strength tonight.”
JJ chuckles as she spears some calamari. “Yes, sir.”
The End.