“That’s exactly my point,” the dean responded. “So, I did it anyway.”
I sat up straight and peered at the dean. “Excuse me?” I wanted to be very sure I understood him before getting my hopes up.
“I went to the board and convinced them to let you defer, instead of Miss Young. When she has finished her master’s degree, she’ll have to look elsewhere for a doctorate so that you can return to teaching here, unless you’re married of course. But, I know it’s a little early for you two to even be thinking about that route.”
“Wait,” I interrupted. “What do you mean, unless we’re married?”
“Oh, well, if the two of you eventually get married, it makes you an exception to the fraternization rule, as long as she isn’t enrolled in one of the courses you teach,” he explained.
“Paul, Charlotte and I are engaged.”
His bushy eyebrows flew up into his salt-n-pepper hair. “You—you are—already?” he spluttered.
I laughed, “I know it seems crazy to others, but it’s right for us.”
Paul scratched his head, looking at me curiously. “I guess, um—well, anyway. As long as you’re married by the time she registers for fall classes, you can both continue at the university.”
I stood, unable to contain my excitement. I reached across the desk and pumped his hand up and down. “I appreciate what you did for me, Paul. That was incredibly generous of you. But, I’ve got this covered.”
I ran from the office without waiting for a reply. Grabbing my coat and bag from where I’d left them in the front office, I sprinted out to the car and sped home. Then I made a mad dash up to our apartment, flinging the door open. “Sweetheart?” I called.
“Kitchen!” she yelled back.
When I got to the room, I scooped her up, making her yelp in surprise, and threw her over my shoulder before heading straight to the bedroom. We got to the bed and I tossed her down, letting her bounce a few times before landing on top of her.
“You know I love you, right?” I asked fervently.
She was still giggling from bouncing on the bed, but she calmed and placed a palm on each of my cheeks. “Of course, and I love you too, more than anything.”
I kissed her softly and grinned. “How fast can I get you to walk down the aisle with me?”
“Umm...” She blinked at me in surprise. “When do you want to get married?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Tomorrow.”
She laughed and then stopped suddenly when she noticed I hadn’t joined in. “Not tomorrow,” she said firmly.
“When?” I pushed.
“I hadn’t—well, I guess we could get married at the end of the summer. Before you start school again?”
I grinned. “Perfect. How about the first weekend in August? That will give you time to get registered for classes and get used to being Mrs. Aldric before beginning classes.”
Her eyes widened, utterly confused.
“I talked to the dean today. He told me that there is an exception to the fraternization rule. If we are married and you aren’t in any of my classes, we can both continue at the university at the same time.”
She couldn’t seem to get words out of her cute little rosebud mouth, just opened and closed it a few times.
“Oh,” I added, “I’d also like to point out how you picked the date.” I smirked. “Notice how I didn’t make the decision for us?”
Charlotte’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, “But you would have, wouldn’t you?”
I winked at her. “Guess you’ll never know, will you?”
Epilogue
Charlotte
Swiping gloss over my lips, I studied myself in the mirror and decided this was as good as it was going to get today. I was incredibly tired, but it was graduation day so I’d put a little more effort into my preparations this morning than I had in a while. Energy which was well spent if the look of Gabe’s face as he walked up behind me was any indication.
“Gorgeous,” he murmured, his arms caging me in on either side while he dipped his head to nibble at my neck.
“Careful or you’ll muss me up,” I warned half-heartedly. We both knew I could care less about my hair or makeup, not when it was my husband doing the disheveling.
“You’re making me as hard as a rock, sweetheart.” He backed up his statement by grinding the proof against my ass.
“That’s how I like you best.” I wiggled my ass, enjoying the feel of his hard length.
His hands moved off the vanity to my hips, gripping me tightly and holding me in place. “You keep that up and I’m going to fuck you hard right here.”
I did a quick calculation of the time in my head. It would be close, but it was definitely doable. I didn’t bother answering, just slid the bottom of my skirt up with one hand and tugged my panties down with the other until they fell to my ankles. Lifting a foot, I pointed my toe and let the panties drop further so I could widen my stance when I stepped down again.
“Fuck, sweetheart. You make me lose control every single time.”
He unbuckled his belt, undid the button on his suit pants and slid the zipper down. They slid partially down his thighs, exposing his cock since he’d apparently gone commando today. Then his cock was at my entrance. There was no preamble, no warm-up. I was already drenched, and he slammed into me. I cried out, leaning against the vanity to let him go deeper. Our eyes were locked on the image of us in the mirror as I ground back against him while he rode me hard. We were both out of control, my pussy swallowing his thick cock over and over. He watched the heated flush spread over my skin, my eyes going wide as my mouth formed his name in a startled gasp.
“So fucking beautiful when you come.”
Only then did he allow his orgasm to take him, after he’d watched me reach my own climax. He hammered into me several more times, each stroke harder than the last. My fingers clenched against the vanity as I pushed back against him, meeting each thrust until he buried his face in my neck and held still, his cock jerking inside me.
“I love you so fucking much, sweetheart.”
“And I love you more than anything.”
***
Today was the culmination of the dream I’d had for so many years, and we’d barely made it here in time for me to take the stage before the ceremony began. I wasn’t just graduating with my PhD, I was the valedictorian of my class. Stepping up to the podium, I placed the notecards with my speech in front of me and took a deep breath.
“When I started as a student here, as a freshman working on her undergraduate degree, I’d hoped to honor my parent’s memory.”
As I stared out at the audience, my gaze landed on my sister and my heart swelled with happiness. For too long, it had been her and I alone, united against the world after the deaths of our parents. Now she had Brysen, right by her side today just as he always was. They were surrounded by my three nephews—Gregory sat next to Elisa, who had baby Gavin on her lap, while three-year-old Garreth sat next to his daddy. Gabe and I liked to tease them about their name choices, accusing them of taking all the best boy names starting with the letter G.
My sister’s reply had always been that I wouldn’t need them. When I’d found out I was pregnant with twin girls? Yeah, I told her she made it happen from all her trash talking. Luckily she hadn’t done the same to Brysen’s best friend Maddie, who sat on the other side of Garreth. She was joined by her husband Caleb and their two children. Nathan was perched on his mom’s knee and Rachel on her dad’s.
“I studied hard, taking more than a full course load in the hope that I would graduate early. I was in large part motivated by the need to recognize the sacrifices my sister had made on my behalf. I lived for my studies, wholly focused on my goal.”
I paused and my eyes locked on Gabe’s. He’d taken the end seat in the front row, daring anyone to tell him he had to move. He was determined that he would have the best seat in the house. One with enough space for the double-stroller which held our nine-month-old daug
hters, Lily and Lacey.
“My eyes were opened to the other possibilities life holds for us the day I walked into my American Lit class during my senior year and met my fate. We married the summer between undergrad and grad school and I had a new purpose. I planned to make him proud, honoring my new last name which I shared with him. Then life threw us a curve ball in the form of the beautiful daughters we had last summer. And today I stand before you knowing you really can have it all. The secret is to simply believe that you already do.”