Unconditional Love (Journey of Love 1)

“Tell me,” I whispered.

“When it hit me what we had done, I panicked and I guess I let my imagination run wild when I said those things to you. You’ve never treated me like that. I swear to you. You’ve made me feel so wonderful. I feel cherished when you make love to me. I feel wanted when you look at me with lust in your eyes.”

She looked down and began crying. I pulled her to me and wanted more than anything to tell her how much I loved her.

I held her for a few minutes before she looked up at me and said, “It was really hot.”

I smiled and said, “Hottest damn thing I’ve ever done.”

She grinned and said, “Me too.”

I laughed and picked her up as she wrapped her legs around me.

“I can’t get enough of you, mi amor. I rushed to your house as soon as we landed. I never wanted you to find out that I was still in the Marines.”

She looked into my eyes and tilted her head. “Can I ask why you tell everyone you’re not in the Marines?”

My heart slammed in my chest. “I um…I kind of work undercover. I can’t really talk about it.”

She nodded her head and said, “Good enough for me. I promise I won’t say anything to anyone.”

I pushed her against the wall and kissed her. “I love you so much,” she whispered as I buried my face in her neck and closed my eyes.

Guarda mi corazón.

I wanted so badly to tell her I loved her, but I wasn’t sure I was ever going to be able to tell her that.

I gently set her down and she smiled and picked up the soap and washcloth and began washing me off.

The next thing I remembered I was lying down and pulling her next to me as I fell asleep.

Right before I drifted off to sleep she whispered,

“I’ll love you unconditionally, Lark Williams. Forever.”

When I saw the house come into view I took a deep breath. Tristan had already called to tell me our mother was all over Ryn from the first moment she laid eyes on her.

“Lark? Are you okay?” Azurdee asked. I looked at her and smiled. “I am. I’m just worried my mother is going to attack you and start talking babies and shit. I don’t want you to stress about what she says to you, okay?”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Please. Wait until you meet my parents.”

I swallowed hard just thinking about meeting her father. I gripped the steering wheel harder. When she placed her hand on my arm I instantly relaxed.

“It’ll be fine. Please don’t worry.”

I nodded and tried to smile.

“Jesus, that house is huge!” Azurdee said.

And there was my mother. Right on cue. Tristan and Ryn were walking up behind her as my mother jumped up and down clapping her hands. I wanted to just keep driving and leave.

I stopped a few feet back and put the truck in park and turned and looked at Azurdee. She was smiling as she watched my mother.

“Azurdee?”

She tilted her head as she looked at me. “I um…I haven’t brought anyone here before, besides Nikki. I um…well I…”

She placed her hand on the side of my face and smiled the most beautiful smile. “Stop. It’s okay and I just love that you brought me here to meet your parents. Lark, I’m not trying to push you into anything you’re not ready for. Please know that.”

I closed my eyes and opened them again. The look in her eyes would have dropped me to my knees if I had been standing up. “I’m scared, Azurdee. I’m so fucking scared of the feelings that I have for you.”

Her lips parted open and she looked like she wanted to say something but she bit down on her lower lip and then said, “It’s a shame your mother is standing there waiting for us, because I really want to crawl onto your lap and make love to you.”

I looked back at my mother and sighed. “Ah fuck. This is going to be a long two weeks.”

I jumped out of the truck and waved to my screaming mother. “Michael! Oh don’t make me wait another second!”

I smiled and walked up to the passenger side of my truck. I opened the door and held my hand out and whispered, “Get ready for the monster.”

She punched me in the stomach and said, “Stop that!”

Azurdee turned and began walking toward my mother. “Oh. My. God! You are beautiful.” She placed her hands on Azurdee’s face and looked her up and down. “Oh, Michael. Where did you find such a beautiful young lady?”

Azurdee’s cheeks flushed and I beamed with pride. I glanced up at Tristan, who was laughing. I walked up to Ryn and gave her a kiss on the cheek and said hello. I reached for Tristan’s hand to shake it. He grabbed me and pulled me into a hug and whispered, “Thank fuck you showed up. Ryn was about to kill Mom!”

I laughed and gave him a push.

Before I knew it, my mother had hooked her arm through Azurdee’s and was walking into the house. “Tonight there’s a dance in town. I’ll introduce you to all our friends. You do two-step, right darling?”

Azurdee nodded her head and said, “Yes ma’am, I do.”

“Oh good! My Michael loves to dance.”

Azurdee looked over her shoulder and winked at me as she said, “Yes ma’am, he does.”

“If you love that girl you will get her away from Mom, fast,” Tristan said as he slapped me on the back and put his arm around Ryn’s waist. Then he made his way into the house behind my mother and Azurdee.

I stood there and watched as Azurdee laughed at everything my mother said. She immediately fit in, and I had no doubt my mother would love her.

The most overwhelming feeling moved through my body as I smiled and shook my head.

I loved her. I loved Azurdee Emerson more than the air I breathed.

I hadn’t had this much fun or laughed this much in a long time. I loved Lark’s parents already. Lark had made Joyce and Peter out to be terrible, but they were kindhearted and loved their two sons more than anything.

I sat at the wood table and tried to listen to Joyce and her best friend Terry talk about teaching me how to make a proper cobbler. Once Joyce found out I loved to cook and was opening my own restaurant, she was in heaven. I had made everyone French toast for dinner after Lark insisted it was the best he’d ever had.

I had been in the kitchen talking to Joyce when Lark walked in dressed in Wranglers and cowboy boots. When I looked down and saw the cowboy hat in his hands, I was almost positive I moaned. He smiled and winked at me as he made his way outside. Joyce leaned over and whispered, “I’m going to guess this is the first time you’ve seen my boy in his natural element.”

I shook my head. I’d seen Lark in jeans and boots before but something about how he looked right now was causing my breathing to pick up and my body to ache for his touch.

“I can’t believe he’s mine,” I whispered. I slammed my hand over my mouth and looked at Joyce. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

She began laughing and said, “Azurdee, I’ve never seen my son look at another woman like he looks at you.”

I dropped my hand and said, “What about Nikki?”

Her smile faded briefly before she smiled sweetly at me and said, “You know about Nikki?”

I nodded and said, “Yes.”

“He loved her, Azurdee. He was devastated by her death, but the way he looks at you…” she smiled bigger and looked into my eyes. “I’ve never seen him so in love with someone in my life.”

I sucked in a breath of air. “You think he’s in love with me?”

She giggled and said, “Please. I know my son and he is head over heels in love with you, sweetheart.”

I had to grab onto the counter. My heart felt like it had just dropped to my stomach and my stomach was doing some insane dance. I felt my face blushing and when Ryn walked into the kitchen, she looked at me and said, “Are you okay?” She walked up to me and whispered, “Did she say something to upset you?”

I shook my head and said, “No, not at all.?

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