Elisa Read online

  She still wasn’t in the mood to make love but I didn’t push it. I knew it wasn’t personal. I would wait until she was ready again. I think she was just too anxious to have sex. Maybe if I tried in the middle of the day it might work better. The sun would still be up. I placed my hand on her stomach while I slept beside her, knowing my baby was deep within her.

  The next morning, the kids came screaming into the room.

  “Santa came! Santa came!” Becky screamed.

  I moaned. “Why did he come so early?”

  “No, he came last night, silly,” Tommy said. He ran to the bed then climbed on it. “Come on!”

  This was another thing I hated about sleeping with the door open. I couldn’t sleep naked anymore. “Okay. We’re coming.”

  “No, you aren’t,” Becky said. “You are just lying there.” She grabbed Elisa’s hand and started to pull her. “Come on, Mommy.”

  She sighed then climbed out of bed.

  “Yay!” Tommy squealed.

  We walked into the living room, rubbing the sleep from our eyes until we gathered around the tree. Ethan and Sadie came in a moment later and sat on the floor. They looked like they wished they could have slept longer.

  Elisa went into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. She handed cups around and we sat together while we watched the kids open their mound of presents. I went a little overboard on the gifts. I bought them way too many presents but I couldn’t help it. I was excited to shop for them. I got Tommy a new car set, an action figure set, a car track set, a lego set, a new toy sword, a bag full of dinosaur figurines and other stuff I couldn’t even remember. Ethan rivaled my number of gifts. Elisa got them an appropriate number but it didn’t seem to matter. The kids just ripped through the paper, squealing in delight as they opened each package.

  Elisa got me a picture with the four of us at the park. The gesture touched my heart so much that I felt my eyes become itchy with impending tears. I didn’t expect her to get me anything but this said everything that I wanted to hear. She was excited about our baby and our life together. “Thank you so much.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” I kissed her then pulled away.

  “You got Dad a picture?” Becky asked with a funny face.

  Elisa’s smile widened. “Yes, I did.”

  I felt my heart flutter when I listened to Becky. I was glad they considered me to be a father to them, someone who would love them and cherish them, protect them with their life. Elisa’s reaction made the moment even more amazing. She seemed genuinely happy.

  I’m happy that our kids love you so much,” she said.

  I nodded.

  Ethan got Sadie a white gold bracelet. One side said Sadie and the other side said, Belongs To A Crazy Asshole—Don’t Touch. I assumed it had special meaning to them. He also got her dog a few toys and a huge stack of bones. Koku started wagging his tails happily.

  When it was my turn, I grabbed the small red box, the last one under the three, and gave it to Elisa. “Merry Christmas, Ellie.”

  She smiled at me before she opened it. She stared at the top of the box for a moment before she grabbed a key tied to it and held it up. While she was distracted, I got on one knee in front of her. I heard Sadie gasp as she watched.

  Elisa looked at the key then back at me, unsure what it meant.

  “I’ve been saving my money for a long time, and years ago I put a lot of my savings into some stock that did really well. For the longest time, I didn’t know what to do with it until I met you. So I bought us a house in Connecticut. It’s in a safe neighborhood and it’s only a twenty minute train ride from the city. And the schools are the best in the state.”

  She covered her mouth. “Oh my god.”

  “Look inside the box.”

  She picked up the picture. It was a two story house with a porch and a huge front yard. It had a large lawn with a beautiful tree in the middle. She started to cry. “Oh my god. Thank you so much!” She jumped on me and wrapped her arms around me. “It’s perfect. I love it! I hate living here, Jared.”

  “I know, I know.”

  “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

  “I would do anything for you.”

  “What about work?”

  “It’s a short commute.”

  She pulled away and pressed her forehead against mine.

  “You won’t have to be afraid anymore.”

  “You don’t understand how much this means to me.”

  “I do.” I reached in my pocket and pulled out the other box. “I forgot something.”

  She gasped again.

  I opened it and showed it to her. “Elisa, will you do me the honor of marrying me, sharing your life with me, having our baby as my wife, letting me love your children like my own, and spending the rest of your days with me?”

  “Yes!”

  I smiled as I pulled the ring out and slipped it on her finger. “Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world.”

  She wrapped her arms around me and held me close. “I still can’t believe this.”

  “Believe it.”

  “I don’t deserve you.”

  “I think you’re confused.”

  “When will the house be ready?”

  “It is ready.”

  “But how did you know I would say yes?”

  “There wasn’t a doubt, Ellie.”

  She pressed her face close to mine. “I haven’t done anything to deserve this from you.”

  “Actually, you have.”

  “What?”

  “You agreed to be mine. That’s all I ever wanted.”

  Epilogue

  As soon as we got out of the car, Elisa and the kids ran across the lawn, getting snow everywhere. Becky climbed on the tire swing tied to the tree and Elisa pushed her gently. Tommy threw snow in the air, watching it splash on his face.

  I watched them for a moment before I opened the back of the van and started to pull the groceries out. I carried them into the house while they played in the snow, having too much fun to notice me.

  Ever since we moved there, Elisa became a completely different person. She was always carefree and happy, excited to be alive. She went for jogs by herself through the neighborhood every morning while I continued to sleep. She went grocery shopping alone and even went out with the neighbor. She wasn’t scared anymore and that meant the world to me. Buying this house was the best decision I ever made.

  They came through the front door a second later and stripped off their frozen shoes and jackets. I smiled at them and continued to put the groceries in the cabinets. Elisa’s stomach was starting to bulge slightly so I limited the number of activities that she did. I stacked the heavier cans while she put the small things into the refrigerator.

  The house was big, bigger than we needed since it was just the four of us at the moment, but I knew our family would grow. Eventually there wouldn’t be enough room. Elisa grabbed the extra bags and put them in the recycling bin.

  “What do you want for dinner?” she asked.

  “How about we get a pizza?”

  “I can cook.”

  I shook my head. “Take the night off, baby.”

  She smiled. “Okay.”

  The kids went into the living room and started pulling their toys out. The television was on and the cartoons could be heard, loud and clear. She rubbed her stomach while she watched them.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked, placing my hand over hers.

  “Good.”

  I stared at her with a hungry expression. I liked her new body. Her breasts were bigger and tender. Her hips were more rounded too. Sometimes I missed having Ethan and Sadie around because they could watch the kids while we snuck away. Those days were over. Only after they were in bed did we get frisky.

  “Later,” she whispered.

  “I’ll hold you to that.” Fortunately, her sex drive had increased since she became pregnant. She wanted to do it more than I
did, surprisingly. When I woke up in the morning, she was already riding me before I could turn off my alarm. Her happiness and smile were infectious. I wondered if it was just the relocation or if it was because we were together. It was probably both.

  My only complaint was commuting to work. It wasn’t a long ride, but it was still an extra half hour of sleep I lost. When I came home on the train, I hated sitting there for thirty minutes with nothing to do. I never complained to Elisa because it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. It was totally worth it. I loved knowing she wasn’t afraid anymore. Sometimes she even left the front door unlocked on accident. I always checked everything before we went to sleep just to make sure. And she told me to get rid of the gun. That was the biggest surprise of all. I returned it to the gun store where I purchased it and only got a fraction of what I paid for it, but I didn’t care. I was just glad it was out of the house. The weapon was always kept away from the kids, but I preferred getting rid of it altogether.

  Elisa wanted to wait until the baby was born to get married. She said she wanted to be thin and beautiful when she wore her wedding dress. It didn’t matter to me when we tied the knot. As long as she agreed to marry me eventually, I was happy.

  When the pizza came, Elisa answered the door because I was upstairs. I came back into the living room and started eating with her on the couch. The kids had their own cheese pizza, which was their favorite. We watched a Disney movie so they would settle down and become sleepy. When they closed their eyes, I smiled in victory. I wanted to make love to my fiancée.

  Elisa and I carried them upstairs and put them to bed. They were so tired, they didn’t wake up when we jolted them. We walked into our bedroom then locked the door behind us. The master bedroom was almost as big as my old apartment. It had a walk-in closet and a private bathroom. Elisa fell in love with it as soon as she saw it. She did a great job decorating it, giving it a feminine touch.

  I pulled off my jeans and shirt then washed my face in the sink. I brushed my teeth then flossed like I did every night. When I came back to the bed, Elisa was lying on the surface, wearing black lingerie. The bra pushed her breasts together, making them look even bigger. The thong had glittering rhinestones and fit around her hips tightly. Her stomach bulged slightly, hanging over her waist. It was hard and round, stretched with my baby. I had never seen a sexier woman in my life. Elisa was always commenting on the Victoria Secret models, saying how beautiful they were. I thought they had nothing on Elisa.

  I crawled on top her and she ran her hands up my chest, looking into my eyes. There was nothing but love and adoration glowing within them, plus a bout of lust. Her nails dug into my skin, scratching the surface. I liked it when she did this, even if she drew a line of blood. I pressed my lips against her neck and kissed her gently. Her hand glided to the back of my neck and held me closer to her. She wrapped one leg around mine, rubbing her calf against my thigh. They were silky smooth. Her lips opened slightly, moaning quietly for me. Since the kids were just down the hall, our lovemaking always had to be quiet. It’s one of the things I hated about having kids, but that was the only thing.

  I grabbed the rim of her thong and pulled it down, sliding it down her graceful legs. They were long and toned, exciting me just by looking at them. When she wore shorts, my eyes were always glued to her thighs.

  I pressed my lips against the apex of her thighs, kissing her gently. My tongue swirled around her, making her grip my hair so she wouldn’t scream. I knew her body better than mine. I knew what she liked and what she didn’t like. I came back up then moved further up her body, rubbing my nose against hers. I could tell by her panting that she was ready to feel me inside her. She was growing hungrier by the second, the anticipation killing her.

  She trailed her nails down to my waist and pulled me closer to her. Her eyes shined like the lighthouses that called lost boats to shore. Her desire and need was evident in their glow. Her passion for me had increased astronomically once we moved to Connecticut. The relocation finally allowed her to move on and start a new life with me. She loved me so much that it was hard to believe she ever loved anyone else before. She made me feel like I was the only one.

  I moved closer to her then she wrapped her legs around my waist, begging me to enter her. I felt my tip press against her. The wetness told me she was more than ready. I slipped inside her and a loud moan escaped her lips. I thrust into her gently, rocking the bed against the wall with quiet tapping. She squeezed me so tight that I almost couldn’t breathe. She always clung to me when we made love, scared to let me go.

  When her breathing hitched and her nails dug into my skin, I knew her she was coming. Her breaths came out uneven, enjoying the explosion of pleasure that rocked through her. Ever since she became pregnant, she always came quickly. I didn’t need to do much to make her explode. She always credited everything to me, but I think her hormones were primarily responsible.

  She kissed me when she was done, silently thanking me for pleasing her so well. Every caress of her kiss made me weak. My walls were crumbling and my body couldn’t handle the moment any longer. I let a moan escape my lips as I felt myself come inside her. Nothing ever felt so good. Elisa grabbed me tighter as I released myself. When I was finished, I didn’t pull away. I continued to look into her eyes, marveling at her beauty. I always hoped my wife would be beautiful but I never expected her to be so extraordinary. She was the light of my life, the sun to the moon. Without her, I was nothing, just a black rock floating in space. I could never tell her how much she meant to me because it couldn’t be described. When I saw the same love in her eyes, I knew she was thinking the same thing, that I was someone she couldn’t live without. I loved her more than anything and I knew she felt the same way.

  The story continues….

  Layla

  (Book Three in the Alpha Series)

  Available Soon

  About the Author

  E. L. Todd was raised in California where she attended California State University, Stanislaus and received her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, then continued onto her master’s degree in education. While she considers science to be interesting, her true passion is writing. She works as an assistant editor at Final-Edits.com.

  By E. L. Todd

  Soul Catcher

  (Book One of the Soul Saga)

  Soul Binder

  (Book Two of the Soul Saga)

  Available December 2013

  Only For You

  (Book one of the Forever and Always Series)

  Forever and Always

  (Book Two of the Forever and Always Series)

  Edge of Love

  (Book three of the Forever and Always Series)

  Sadie

  (Book One of the Alpha Series)

  Elisa

  (Book Two of the Alpha Series)