Cherished (Wanted #4)(27)
Author: Kelly Elliott

“Trey!”

He stopped and slowly turned around. I walked up to him, and I did the one thing I knew I shouldn’t do. I reached up and brushed my lips against his. It started off as a simple, innocent kiss, but Trey attempted to turn it into a more passionate one before I pushed him away.

“Trey, please…I love him more than life itself.” I looked up into his eyes.

He reached down and wiped away the tears rolling down my face.

“I’ll let you go…but only because I’ve fallen in love with you, Jess. You’ll always hold a special place in my heart—always. Good-bye, love.”

He took a step back and gave me that smile of his. Then, he turned and walked away. I watched him for a few seconds before I quickly ran into my cabana.

I looked around at all the things Trey and I had collected throughout our time here on the island. I didn’t need…or want any of it. I reached for my bag and quickly put all my clothes in there. I walked over to the bed and reached under it. I grabbed my shoebox and put it into my bag. I looked around and saw the shell that Trey had bought me sitting on the table. I picked it up. I thought back to the day when we had gone on the tour of the ruins and how much fun we’d had. Trey had found this shell in one of the stores we had gone through. He’d bought two, one for me and one for him.

When you look at this seashell, you’ll always think of me and our time here in Belize, love.

I gently set it back down on the table. I looked over at the bed and closed my eyes. Please don’t let Scott hate me. Please, God. Please let him forgive me.

I put my hand on my stomach and forced the tears to stop. After going into the bathroom, I quickly wiped my face, and then I splashed some water on it. I fixed my hair into a ponytail, and then I went back into the bedroom to grab my bag. I left the room and headed back to the lobby of the hotel.

I didn’t look back once. I just wanted to forget that the last five weeks had ever happened. What happened on this island was going to stay on this island.

I was going home with Scott, and we were going to have a baby together. Trey would always have a special place in my heart, but my heart belonged to Scott.

Forever.

I slowly sank down on the sofa and let out a long breath. I turned my head and looked down the hall at Josh sneaking out of the babies’ bedroom. When he turned and saw me, the smile that spread across his face instantly caused me to giggle.

I think Josh had more fun today than Libby and Will did.

He walked into the living room, and after he sat down, he pulled my legs over his lap. He took off my shoes and began massaging my feet.

“Ah…god, that feels so good.” I threw my head back.

Just Josh touching me felt like heaven.

We sat there for a few minutes without saying anything. I finally looked at him and smiled. He smiled back and gave me a wink.

“I think Libs and Will had fun on their first Christmas today. Don’t you? I mean, they didn’t really know what was going on, but with all the shit Mom and Dad bought for them, I think their little minds were very stimulated.” Josh said with a chuckle.

I smiled as I slid my right leg up and began moving my foot across his lap. I slowly licked my lips. “I know something that needs to be…stimulated.”

The look in Josh’s eyes dropped my stomach in an instant. He pushed my legs off of him, and then he crawled over and began kissing me.

“Jesus, Heather. You drive me insane with lust, do you know that?”

I smiled as I nodded. “I have surprise number two.”

Josh pulled back and looked at me funny. “What?”

“Do you remember the first time you ever tied me up? I told you that I had two surprises for you.”

He slowly smiled. “Oh yeah…the first one was my parents moving here. I totally forgot about the second surprise. What is it?”

I bit down on my lip, thinking back to that day when Josh and I had played a bit more. He’d tied me up, and he’d even let me tie him up once. I’d had this gift since then, and it had taken everything I had to keep it until Christmas.

“It’s upstairs,” I said.

He reached over and pulled my lip out from my teeth. Then, he leaned over and kissed me so sweetly.

“One more present for me, huh?” Josh raised his eyebrows up and down.

I let out a small laugh. “Yep!” I said, popping the P.

Josh slowly stood and then reached down for my hand. He pulled me up and into his arms, and he began kissing my neck.

“I’ve got one more present for you, too, baby,” he whispered against my neck.

My heart started pounding. Ah…the things he does to my body. I can’t even control it anymore. I’m absolutely his…body and soul.

“You want your present first? Or do you want to give me mine?” he asked with such a breathy voice.

The sound of it practically made me tell him to have his way with me right then and there.

I looked at him. “Depends. Will your gift lead to mad, passionate sex?”

Josh’s smile grew bigger. “Will yours?” he asked with the cutest damn smile ever.

I nodded. “Oh yeah.”

He tilted his head as he closed one eye and stared at me. “Okay…I’m thinking that we just say to hell with my gift and get straight to your gift, princess.”

I let out a laugh and shook my head. “No. I want your gift first.”

He took a step back, and his smile faded for a brief second. He turned and walked over toward the Christmas tree. He reached in and pulled out a small box. I grinned, knowing he must have hidden that there just today. I’d been searching the tree every day since we’d put it up.

Josh took my hand and led me over to the fireplace. It was slowly going out, but he started to sit down on the floor, so I followed him. When he did things like this, it made me feel like a little girl again.

“Today was probably one of the best days of my life, Heather. I loved spending Christmas with Gunner, Ellie, Jeff, Ari, and everyone else. Then, we were able to come home and spend time with Mom and Dad.”

I nodded. “It was the best Christmas of my life. It was our babies’ first Christmas.”

“It’s not over yet, princess. I knew you would be sad with your mom and dad not here, especially with this being the kids’ first Christmas.”

I looked away as I felt tears building in my eyes. Josh took his finger and turned my chin toward him.

“I wanted this gift to mean something for you. I hope you like it, princess.”