Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (40 page)

Kimber

There was a strange look in Paul’s blue eyes as he looked at her.  Kimber was starting to get cold, but there was a sense of anticipation in the air, as if something big were about to happen.  It would make sense she supposed since this was the first weekend they had spent together without the kids in a while, but Kimber felt something else too.

As they stood staring into each other’s eyes in the now empty park, a soft snow started to fall, and Kimber was glad that both she and Paul were dressed warmly.  He took her hand and she marveled again at the way that they seemed to fit together so perfectly.  Her heart beat fast as Paul leaned in to kiss her.  It started out as slow and easy, but by the time he pulled away several minutes later, Kimber’s body was so heated that she no longer felt the cold.

He took her hand.  “Kimber.”

Her heart felt like it was in her throat.  “Yes Paul?”

“I love you.  You are so beautiful and so kind and so confident.  You’re such a wonderful mother.  My son adores you.  You make me feel things I thought I’d never feel again.  I know this is quick, and that we promised to take things slow, but I can’t think of anything that has ever felt more right in my life.” 

Still holding her hand, Paul got down on one knee, seemingly not bothered by the snow that had now started falling faster and sticking to the winter frozen grass of the park.  He pulled a small velvet covered box out of his coat pocket.  As he popped it open, revealing the beautiful diamond engagement ring that sat inside, Kimber could see tears standing in his eyes.

“Kimber Stone, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Kimber blinked the tears from her own eyes.  She laughed a little as she took Paul’s hand, helping him up.  “I will marry you Paul.  As long as you make me one promise.”

Paul slipped the ring back into his pocket, taking her hand and pulling her towards the waiting car.  “Anything for you beautiful.”

She pressed him gently back against the side of the car they had just reached and pressed her lips to his.  She felt as if she could stay like that all night long, but she could feel the wetness from his pants spreading to hers and knew that it was time for them to get in the car and try to dry out and warm up. 

She pulled back from him.  “Promise me that you’ll marry me ‘til death do us part Paul.”

He took her hand.  She could see the sincerity in his eyes.  “I promise that I will always be by your side Kimber.  There’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be.”

Kimber grinned.  “Right now I would love if it you’d be by my side in a hot shower and then in my bed.  Will you make love to me tonight Paul?"

Paul winked at her as he pressed the button to unlock the car doors.  He took her hand and led her to the passenger side, opening the door for her and then going back around to the drivers’ side once he had closed it behind her.

“I think I can handle that.”

Kimber’s heart felt full as Paul drove slowly out of the parking lot of the park.  She loved Paul because he was smart and gorgeous, but he was also ambitious, steady and reliable.  They fit together in ways that she and Luke never had.  She was thrilled with Paul’s proposal though it was relatively quick.  While she had had reservations deep down when she had accepted Luke’s proposal, there were none where Paul was concerned.  She was so happy she could hardly believe it.  And she couldn’t wait for her fiancé to make love to her.

Paul

Paul was a little shaky as he drove the short distance from the local park to Kimber’s house, and it wasn’t just from the cold either.  He felt like he was on fire with anticipation.  He couldn’t have been happier that Kimber had accepted his proposal.  Kimber was the only woman that he could imagine spending the rest of his life with.  And he wanted to spend the first night of the rest of his life making love to his beautiful fiancé.

He’d been a little worried that she wouldn’t accept his proposal at first but he had realized as time went on that he and Kimber had shared things in the short time that they had been together that he and Sierra had never felt comfortable revealing in their years together.  He also felt like he and Kimber were more on the same wavelength, even with as silly as it seemed to him to think so sometimes.

While Sierra and Luke fit together because they had history, the easy adoration of each other’s children, and achieved a better balance than he and Sierra since Luke worked from home and had no objections to Sierra having a career, he and Kimber fit together because they had similar dreams and goals.

Kimber ran her online book store from home, giving her time to care for both her children and Nathan when Paul was at work and his son was visiting.  That was enough of a compromise for Paul since it meant to him that the children got the nurturing of a virtual stay-at-home parent and Kimber was able to maintain a career that made her happy, while still being able to be there for the children.

He noticed that Kimber’s hand was shaking a little as she unlocked the house, and he hid a smile.  She was so beautiful he thought as she turned back to him after shedding her heavy winter coat and accessories.  She smiled at him and reached to take the scarf from his neck. 

“How about we get you out of those wet clothes handsome?”

They left a trail of clothes up the stairs as they retired to the bedroom and the warmth of a steamy shared shower.  He couldn’t get enough of the sight of Kimber’s naked body as she moved in the shower.  He wanted to wash her beautiful body but he was afraid he was going to say or do something stupid.  It felt like he was making love to her for the first time, even though this would technically be their second encounter.

There were no words as she led him back to her bedroom, not bothering to dry off after they’d stepped out of the shower.  Kimber pulled Paul gently to the bed with her, molding her body to his.  He felt the rightness of the moment as he brought his mouth to hers.  He wanted to put everything he felt for her into his love making that night, so that she would know that he had meant what he’d said when he’d told her he’d always be by her side.  He belonged with Kimber and he’d never felt the feeling more strongly than that night.

She watched him with eyes darkened with hunger as he trailed kisses down her body, stopping to suckle gently on each of her nipples in turn.  She ran her fingers through his hair as he trailed kisses down her stomach, arriving at her womanhood.  He tasted the sweetness of her gingerly at first, but as her fingers tangled in his hair and she let out a quiet moan and arched her hips to give him better access, he felt the passion envelop her.  He let it over take him as well as he pleased her more fully with his tongue. 

He didn’t know how many times she had reached orgasm by the time she put a gentle hand on his head and said “Stop baby please.  I want to feel you inside of me.”

Paul gave her a sheepish grin.  “I’m sorry Kimber.”

She winked at him.  “Nothing to be sorry about handsome.”

There were no more words as he entered her slowly, taking his time in giving her the full extent of his manhood.  She moaned and he felt her tighten around him as he gave himself fully to her.  She cried out his name and wrapped her legs around his waist, moving her hips in a rhythm that felt to Paul like a taste of perfection he had never experienced before.  He kept his eyes on her as he moved above her, feeling as if he could never get enough of the woman beneath him.  Their coupling felt everlasting but all too short at the same time as he moved off of her to the other side of the bed.

Kimber’s cheeks were flushed and her hair was a mess, but he didn’t think he’d ever seen a woman look more beautiful in his life.  Her eyes were bright, and her lips were puffy from the
frenzied kissing they’d done.  Paul could hardly believe the passion that Kimber brought out in him.  He enjoyed sex of course, but he’d never felt the need for it that Sierra had always had.  With Kimber, he could easily imagine having a strong desire to make love to her every night for the rest of his life. 

Paul was completely content as he fell asleep with Kimber in his arms that night, the diamond engagement ring sparkling on her finger.

Kimber

When Kimber woke up in Paul's arms the next morning, and knew that she was going to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved, she was so happy she could hardly believe it.  He opened his pretty blue eyes and looked at her.

"Good morning beautiful."

"Good morning."

She smiled at him, then gave him a quick kiss.  The kiss turned into an early morning love making session.  The way their bodies fit together so perfectly made Kimber believe even more that they were meant for each other.  Making love with Paul was incredible.  Every movement was ecstasy and she had never had more orgasms during love making than she had with Paul.  Making love with him felt like the way love making should. 
She'd never experienced anything quite like it in her life.

She knew that Paul felt it too.  He was cheerful as he made them breakfast.

Once they had eaten and done the dishes together, they curled up on the couch together.  Snow had started to fall and Kimber looked forward to a lazy day at home with her handsome fiance.

They had found an old movie to watch and were sipping hot chocolate when Kimber caught Paul looking at her with an almost puzzled look on his face.

She gave him an amused smile.  "Spit it out baby.  What's on your mind?"

A blush rose to his cheeks.  "I just. . .  I uh never knew sex could feel like that.  I thought it was some kind of fluke the first time we were together, or that it felt that good because we knew what we were doing was wrong.  But that wasn't it at all was it?"

Kimber smiled.  "I never knew it could feel quite like that either Paul.  We fit together so perfectly that it seems as if we were made for each other."

The blush didn't leave his cheeks.  "It does.  Kimber would you mind if I was the one who told both Sierra and Luke about our engagement?  I think it's time for Luke and I to come to some
kind of a truce.  I know he doesn't like me much and I definitely don't appreciate the way he treated you, but we have to get along for the kids, especially now that I'm going to be the stepfather of his children too.  Why does it seem like it's been so much easier for you and Sierra to get along than it has for Luke and I?"

"I think your male egos have gotten in the way.  Kidding baby.  I wouldn't say that it's necessarily been easier for Sierra and I, but I knew from the beginning my kids were going to like her and I knew from my childhood that there was no way I was ever going to put my kids in the middle of an argument.  It's never easy to know that your child may be just as close to someone else as they are to you, but you have to realize that having kids is a long process of letting go.  You never let go completely of course, but you know what I mean.  I think it's great that you want to try to patch things up with Luke.  If it makes you feel any better, I've forgiven him.  It doesn't mean that any of what he did was okay, but it's pointless to waste my energy being angry with him over what happened in the past.  It's not like we can go back and change it."

Paul nodded.  "Right.  I forgave Sierra too and I hope she's forgiven me.  It was hard at first, but it is a waste of time and energy.  Do you think Sierra and Luke would want to have dinner with us tomorrow?"

Kimber squeezed his hand.  "That sounds like a great idea baby.  I'm sure the kids will be excited."

"Good."

They spent a lazy day together watching movies.  It was a nice day and Kimber found herself looking forward to many more to come.

Luke

Luke wasn't sure what to think when Paul called him on Sunday morning and asked if he and Sierra would like to have dinner with them on Sunday evening.  His beautiful wife was convinced that it meant Paul had proposed to Kimber, but he had been thinking more and more that it was time that he and Paul sat aside their differences.  He was sure the other man was feeling the same way.  Since he had promised Sierra that he would try, he figured Kimber had extracted a similar promise from Paul and he was sure dinner was more of a step towards a truce than anything, though the thought that Sierra may be right about an engagement did enter his mind.

Kimber

Kimber was nervous Sunday evening, though she wasn't sure why she was quite so nervous.  The thought had briefly entered her mind that tempers could get hot and the men might come to blows, but she could hardly imagine Luke in a fistfight, let alone Paul.  And they would be having dinner with the children, so she was sure that nothing too bad would happen.  Paul looked almost as nervous as she felt, and she squeezed his hand as they left the house, trying to offer him what comfort she could.

Paul

Paul felt a little like he was going to throw up Sunday evening as he drove to the local Italian restaurant that was a favorite of not only him and Kimber's but of the children as well.  He saw Luke and Sierra waiting in Sierra's car outside the restaurant, and made the decision to talk to Luke alone.  He pulled into a parking spot and shut the car off, his heart beating fast.  He was so nervous he felt like he was asking Kimber's father for her hand in marriage, and he realized how much the blessing of both his ex-wife and Kimber's ex-husband meant to him.

He leaned over and gave Kimber a kiss.  "Is it okay with you if I talk to Luke alone before we go in?"

"Of course baby, whatever you think is best.  I will go collect the kids and Sierra and I will find a table for us."

Paul gave her a smile.  He loved her so much and she was so understanding.  "I love you Kimber."

"I love you too."

She squeezed his hand briefly and then left the car.  Paul's thoughts were racing as
he watched his beautiful fiance approach Sierra's car.  She spoke briefly with Luke and then Sierra and the kids got out of the car.  The kids all waved at him before turning towards the restaurant with their mothers.  A smile touched his face as he waved back at them, but it fell away as he took a deep breath and then let it out as he exited his car.

Luke had gotten out of the car and was leaning against it, looking to Paul to be about as comfortable as he felt.

Luke nodded at him.  "So what's up man?"

"Well, we obviously need to learn to get along for the kids, but I wanted to be the one to tell you that Kimber and I are getting married."

Luke snorted.  "Do you think you need my permission?" Then he shook his head and sighed.  "I'm sorry.  That was out of line. I wasn't happy about you and Kimber being together at first, but she seems happy and I have to give you credit for that.  Even when she was her happiest with me, it was always based on a lie.  I feel terrible for the way I treated her.  I didn't appreciate the way you treated Sie either, but they've come to their own peace with the past.  What right do we have to still be bitching about all of it when they've moved on? Kimber deserves a good man that will make her happy for the rest of her life.  I didn't want it to be you, but I have no right to tell her who she can and can't be with.  My kids even seem to like you, so we might as well man up and try to act like men instead of jealous teenage boys who happened to have traded girlfriends."

Paul let out a sigh of relief.  "That was a lot easier than I thought it would be."

Luke chuckled.  "Just be good to her okay?  No one would like it very much if I had to kick your ass."

Paul fought an urge to roll his eyes, and instead reached his hand out to Luke.  They shook hands.

"Congratulations Paul.  Now can we go inside?  It's freezing out here."

Paul laughed and followed Luke to the restaurant.