That wasn’t all though. Underneath the larger letters of my initials, was a scrolling sentence written in small calligraphy that ran across his chest to his underarm. I struggled to see what it read: When I saw you, I fell in love and you smiled because you knew.

I recognized it immediately. “It’s Shakespeare,” I whispered.

“Yeah…an ode to our middle names.” Words could not describe the amount of love I felt for this man as I rubbed my hand over the words slowly following the path of the sentence.

“It’s beautiful.” I gasped.

“You really like it? It doesn’t freak you out?”

“God, no. I love having a part of me on you permanently. I earned it, dammit,” I said as we both laughed. “And you’re right, 676/727

Cedric. Our connection has always been so strong, from that first moment. I guess deep down inside, even though you never said the words, I always did know. That’s why I came back.”

He kissed me tenderly and said, “I got this tattoo, because no matter what happened, I never wanted to forget how you made me feel. I’m not the type of guy who can give my heart to someone twice. You are the only woman who has ever claimed it. It’s yours forever, take it or leave it. I love you so much, Allison, more than my life, more than anything.”

My heart just about burst into flames hearing him say the words I had longed to hear for so many months. “I love you too, Cedric.” I pulled him down onto me. “So much,” I said as I held his head to my naked chest.

677/727

When he lifted his head to look at me, his eyes were watery. “Sweetheart, thank you for coming back to me,” he said.

I wiped the tears from his eyes and from my own and held his face in my hands and said, “You thought you took something from me, by waiting to tell me the truth. But you actually gave me the greatest gift: the opportunity to experience what true love was.

Your finding me not only gave me you, but Callie, the Thompsons and now my brother.

It’s all because of you, Cedric. Because of you, I am not alone anymore.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, they seemed to ignite something inside him. Cedric kissed me so hard I thought my mouth might fall off and I could feel his pounding heart on my chest.

His hands trembled with need as he pulled my underwear down. His jeans weren’t even all the way off when he suddenly plunged into me, moaning into my mouth on 678/727

impact. I gasped upon the initial burn and almost immediate intense pleasure that followed as he kissed me hungrily, while pushing into me repeatedly deep and hard.

“I fucking love you so much, he whispered over my mouth as he moved inside me. “You have no clue…”

“Oh, God. Deeper, Cedric. I want you deeper.” My fingernails dug into his back as I pushed him into me.

“I can’t get enough of you…can’t get deep enough. I love you…I love you…I love you,” he said hoarsely over my mouth.

We were still connected when Cedric flipped us over swiftly continuing to pound into me while squeezing my breasts hard. He looked intensely into my eyes while I grinded my hips on top of him for several minutes as his eyes seared into mine, never looking away.

679/727

Tears streamed down my cheeks as the intensity of what I was experiencing with him overwhelmed me.

His hands moved down to my hips guiding the motions to push himself deeper into me.

After a few minutes, his eyes moved from mine and seemed to roll back in ecstasy, almost like he was possessed. “I’m gonna lose it…you feel too fucking good. I can’t hold out anymore…I want to come inside you,” he said.

Hearing him say that made me crazy and brought my orgasm to surface fast. I started to scream as the intense pleasure overcame me. Cedric’s loud moan followed and I felt his hot release as he pulsated inside me.

He turned us over in one movement, so that he was on top of me kissing my face softly, professing his love again with each kiss.

680/727

We had sex several times throughout the night after moving from the couch to the bed, then in the shower and even against the kitchen counter when we were supposedly going to have a midnight snack. Cedric was insatiable and I was a more than willing participant.

681/727

CHAPTER 39

CEDRIC

Waking up in Allison’s bed was surreal and I had slept like a baby for the first time in months. Despite the fact that we had sex at least six times last night, I couldn’t wait to wake her up again. She looked so peaceful, though, so I decided to just stare at her.

It’s no wonder she was out like a light.

We had spent the entire evening alternating between having sex and drowsy pillow talk.

Allison had told me more about her time in Chicago with Ed and Elaine. The role Amanda’s parents played in convincing Allison to give me another chance really touched me. I also opened up to her about the years I spent in Chicago after Amanda’s death, 683/727

something I hadn’t really talked about with her before. She was less than impressed to hear how I started my career as the lover of my much older boss. But I vowed to tell her everything about me…no more secrets.

The moment last night when she told me that she wasn’t alone anymore because of me, had given me the first sense of real peace and closure since Amanda died. I would never fully forgive myself for the past, but somehow having a positive impact on Allison’s life made me feel like I had reversed some of the damage.

It was 11:00 am now and I was itching to wake her up. When she moved and turned herself around, I moved in behind and spooned with her. I was hard as a rock when she leaned into me and said, “Mmmm.” Kissing the back of her neck softly, I said “You know you’re going to have to kick me out of here, right? Because I’m never leaving on my own.”

684/727

“Well, then I guess you’re staying a while, because I want to make up for lost time.”

“We lost so much time, Allison. Never again, okay?”

She turned herself to me and kissed my nose softly. “Never again.” If being apart from her had felt like my heart was ripped out, at this moment it was safely returned to its rightful spot.

Allison had the day off since she wouldn’t be returning to the diner job until tomorrow and she was still waiting to hear back about being reassigned to her cases at Bright Horizons. So, I called into the agency sick. There was no way I was going to leave her to go to work today when I had just gotten her back.

After we made love two more times in bed, Allison said, “I need to take a shower.”

“Can I come with you?” I asked.

685/727

She smirked. “Haven’t you done enough of that?”

She started to get up when I pulled her toward me and started tickling her. “Let me rephrase that…can I shower with you?” Allison broke free from my grip and walked to the bathroom, showing off her beautiful naked ass. “Follow me.” Apparently, we were completely in-capable of keeping our hands off each of each other. I washed every inch of her body with my mouth and she returned the favor with a happy ending.

It was almost noon and the sun was blazing through the bedroom window.

Allison was in the bathroom blowdrying her hair and I got dressed into my jeans and back into Caleb’s sweatshirt from yesterday.

I was looking up places to get brunch nearby on my phone, when Allison’s phone 686/727

chimed indicating that she had received a text, so I instinctively grabbed it.

My heart dropped as I checked the message.

I can’t wait to spend time with you.

When are you coming back?

Who was Jake and what the fuck was this? A tremendous cloud of jealousy washed over me instantly and before I could overreact, Allison emerged from the bathroom.

“Who the fuck is Jake?” I asked with the phone shaking in my hands.