She had barely finished the sentence when John scooped her off the floor and into his strong arms.
“Allow me to take the weight off,” he said, causing another fit of laughter from the patrons.
“Thank you, baby,” Jessie replied beaming with her arms wrapped around John's neck.
“You take all the time you need, Jessie,” Burt said, and for the first time since she'd known him he looked as if he might shed a tear. “And if you never come back, I'm fine with that, too,” he added. “You're meant for better things than this place, Jessie. I've always known that. It would be selfish of me to keep you here. My door's always open for you, but the next time I see you I want you wearing a business suit while I'm in the back cooking you breakfast. On me.”
His kind words were too much for her and her eyes welled up again. The man she once believed lacked an ounce of compassion had shown her so much of it over the last day and she now saw him an entirely different light.
“Thank you,” she mouthed silently and he returned it with a nod.
Still resting comfortable in John's arms, she watched the familiar faces passing her as John carried her to the door. Burt was waving goodbye and Melanie was drying her tears with Jessie's apron. Earle, of all people, flashed her a thumbs-up as the diner door shut behind them.
“That's a big smile you have on your face there, sweetie,” John said. “I took a chance just showing up here after all these weeks, but I missed you so much, I didn't know what else to do.”
He carefully set her feet on the ground as they approached his car. In his typical fashion, he opened the door for her and they both crawled into the back seat together.
“Don't ever leave me again, got it?” Jessie smiled as she snuggled up next to him.
“You never have to worry about that, I promise,” he assured her as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him. “I want you in my life for a long time. A very long time. Like, forever,” he smiled as he brushed the hair from her face and planted a sweet kiss on her forehead.
“I hope you mean that. I have something to tell you,” she began. Reaching for his free hand, she placed it on her belly as the car pulled away from the diner.
“Yeah?” He asked quizzically, he eyebrows raised in curiosity. “Good news, I hope.”
Their foreheads joined as they held each other. Standing outside the diner, Burt and Melanie watched as Jessie left the diner for the last time.
******
About The Author
Mia Caldwell has been fantasizing about stories of "Happily-Ever-After" since she was a little girl, and now that she's all grown up her "Happily-Ever-After" stories have taken a steamier turn! After graduating from college Mia still wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do with her life. Bored with her day job as an Administrative Assistant for a non-profit, she started writing stories on the side and sharing them with her friends. They gave her the push she needed to share them with you! She lives in New York with two rascally cats named Link and Zelda, eats too much chocolate and Chinese take-out, and goes on way too many blind dates. She's still waiting for Mr. Right, but in the meantime she'll keep dreaming up the perfect man!
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EXCERPT from Joining the Billionaire's Family
“Are you saying that you want me to go?” he asked.
I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but his words made me tense up tightly. A little part of me revelled that he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from my body.
“No. I mean, I was just-“
I stopped as I saw Jackson start to unbutton his shirt. Now it was my turn to look. His body was like a Greek god’s! He was in just as great a shape as I had fantasized, his muscles clearly defined on his athletic frame. As he worked off his belt, my mind snapped back into the moment.
“Jackson, what are you doing?!”
“I am going to try out my new shower of course.” He said it so matter-of-factly as he pulled down his elegant trousers, revealing black silk boxers that were most definitely tenting outwards.
“What? You can’t!” I protested, though secretly I could feel my body heating up, and not just from the water anymore. I’d never had anything like this happen to me. It felt almost surreal, like watching my sexual fantasy come to life. I didn’t want it to end.
“It’s my shower, Dawn, and I will do whatever I want in it.”
The lump in my throat grew bigger. I wasn’t certain if I wanted to be in a relationship with Jackson. I was attracted, that much was undeniable. And because I was with Evan so much, I almost felt like his mother. It was especially true when the three of us would go out together. I loved the idea of it,
so why did this chance to make things a reality make me so scared?
There was a part of me that wanted to run. But I knew I wouldn’t make it. He was directly in front of the glass door, and his strong arms would bring me back for sure. Besides, would it be so bad to give in, just this once? To see what could be possible?
My mouth grew parched as I caught his clean scent. It tempted me, teased me, reminded me of that one night at the bar. The night that had started it all. Heat rushed over my body, and not just from the steam of the shower. I looked over at him. It was clear that he wanted me, and Jackson was a man who was used to getting his way.
I turned away to the shower wall, overcome with shyness. The knowledge that this was happening was tempered by a giddy sense of excitement. Surely at any moment now, Jackson would come to his senses and leave me wanting?
The door opened, and a cold breeze wafted into the shower. My nipples hardened, the dark tips becoming puffy with arousal. I hadn’t seen a man naked in far too long, and now one was close enough to touch.
I felt his cock first, pressing hard between my bare ass cheeks. Then the rest of his hard body moved against my soft back, pressing until there was no air between us at all. My whole body tensed as his arms wrapped around me, exploring me with his large hands. They circled my soft belly, before moving over my childbearing hips toward the pulsing center of my heat.
“Why so shy…Dawn?” he said into my ear. I could feel his hot breath, and it gave me a delightful shiver. “You’re absolutely gorgeous.”
I had no reply to that. Jackson’s mouth licked and bit gently on my neck, and my body responded instinctively, my head tilting back onto his broad chest to give him more. A soft, mewling sound escaped from my lips as his teeth grazed the softest part of my flesh.