Updated: June 18, 2023

Aubrey

            Three days later it hit me, I woke up in a daze. What did I agree to? I lay in my bed, anxiety starting to percolate, what was I thinking?  I reached for my phone and saw his handsome face on my lock screen. We had talked for hours again last night, my heart, my body yearned for him.

            Oh right, I told myself. I agreed to live with him and spend my life in South Carolina. No big thing. I was jumping off a cliff.

            I got up and made a pot of coffee before I got into the shower. The Triboro case was still unopened on my desk, so I had plenty of work to keep me occupied.

Once in my office, I texted Adam.

            Me:      I’ve reconsidered, I’ve thought about it the last three days. I will have home appraisals conducted and get back to you with a price. Do not contact me, this happens through brokers. I want no contact with you.

            I waited, I knew it wouldn’t be long.

            Adam: Thank you Bree. Thank you very much and of course, I’ll communicate through the brokers. You’ll have no trouble from me. Thank you again.

            When Jenna arrived I caught her up. She stood in my home office with her mouth agape.

            “Holy shit, Bree, you’re really going to do this?” she gasped. “What am I going to do without you?” she whined.

            “Jenna, I can’t walk and chew gum without you. You can work from anywhere as well.”

She gave a sigh of relief and sat down. “So where do we start today?”

            “I need a real estate broker and three home value assessments. I also need three moving and packing companies to come and give me estimates to pack and move me to South Carolina. Make it happen quick Jenna, before I chicken out.” I whispered.

            “Where in South Carolina? I need more specific than that,” she looked up from her notebook.

            “The Lowcountry, specifically I’m not sure yet. I have to work on this new case today but keep me in the loop if you have any questions. Do an internet search on Clay and I, see if anything else is blooming on social media and check if the other interviews have been posted yet, I want to watch them.”  She nodded in agreement when my cell phone started to ring. It was a South Carolina number I didn’t recognize.

            “Aubrey Teller,” I answered.

            “Miss Teller, this is Sheriff Devon Pritchett from Beaufort County. I hope I’m not disturbing you Ma’am. I need to speak with you about your Granddaddy’s property on Saint Helena Island.”

            “Of course Sheriff, how can I help you?” I asked, wondering why law enforcement was involved in the estate at this point.

            “Ma’am we’re gonna need you to come down here. The environmental assessment was taking place, they had to cease and desist and called us in. Seems they found human remains buried out there. We’ll need you to come in and make a statement and we need your permission to begin our investigation of the property. We’ll be reaching out to SLED to lead the inquiry. The coroner has already been informed.”

            The sound of all my breath leaving my body was like a death rattle.

            “There’s what……? My God, Sheriff, tell me you’re joking.” I begged.

            “No Ma’am, we brought the dogs out and they are going hog wild, I’m afraid there’s more out there and we need you down here as soon as you can make that happen. I’m sorry to do this over the phone but time is of the essence as you can imagine.”

            “Sheriff you have my permission to do whatever you must. I’ll plan right away to fly back. May I have your phone number and the address to your headquarters. I’ll reach out when I know my flight information.”

            “Sure enough Miss Aubrey, you have a pencil?”

            I took the information and signaled to Jenna. I wrote a quick note.

            Need a flight to Charleston– asap, need to pack all work up and plenty of clothes

            She nodded and switched gears. I heard her pick up the phone and call a travel agent.

            I finished up with the Sheriff and called Clay. His cell phone went right to voice mail. I tried his office next.

            “Clayton Hoover’s office,”

            “Is this Lora Jean?” I asked hesitantly, embarrassed, and scared, I couldn’t figure out what I was at the moment.

            “Yes Ma’am how may I help you?” she chirped happily.

            “Hello Lora Jean, this is Aubrey Teller, normally I wouldn’t bother him…” I began humbly.

            She interrupted me, “Miss Aubrey it’s so nice to speak to you. He’s in a meeting but I have strict instructions to grab him up if you need him. Is that the case?”

            “Miss Lora Jean, it is, I’m sorry, I do need to speak with him, but it can wait until his meeting is over. I don’t want to disturb him.” My voice was filling with tears.  

            “You just hold for me a second darling, I’ll have him to you shortly,” she said in a motherly tone.

            I waited on hold when Jenna put the slip of paper in front me with the flight information. I was leaving tonight at 7pm arriving in Charleston at 10:30pm. I nodded in agreement and then whispered,

            “I need to speak with Dean, as soon as he has a minute.”

            “Sugar, what’s wrong?” I heard his deep comforting voice filled with concern and I started to relax. I relayed the information to him quickly and could hear him slump into his desk chair.

            “Christ on a bike, honey are you okay?” he asked alarmed.

            “I’m a hot mess right now Clay, I don’t know what to think and I’m sure I should not be getting you involved. But I don’t know who else to call.” My voice finally cracked, and I started to cry.

            “Honey, did you forget to tell me last weekend you might be a serial killer? Ssssh Sugar, don’t cry, you didn’t kill them” his attempt to relax me worked, I started to laugh through my tears.

            “No, Clay, I’m not a serial killer,” I exhaled, he quieted my anxiety.

            “Well then me being involved with you and supporting you through this has no legal implications. Relax and tell me when you’re flight comes in.”

            I gave him the flight information and he assured me he’d be in Charleston to pick me up.

            “Bree, pack for a few weeks. You might have to be here for a stretch, you’re staying with me, I’ll set up the back room for you as an office and I’ll get a rental car delivered here for you. Do you need any money?” he was frantic to calm me down.

            “No, no, I’m good. Thank you for offering. Jenna is packing me up and the car is coming to take me to Philly in two hours. I’m flying directly into Charleston. I don’t want to put you out, I can schedule a car.” The tears were flowing from my eyes, and I reached for a tissue.

            “Put me out? Enough of that now, you’re my girl. I’m not letting anyone else squire you around South Carolina, it’s a straight run for me, I can do it in under an hour. I’ll take a few days off and head down to Saint Helena with you in the morning. Meanwhile, I’ll call the Sheriff and find out what I can…..Sugar, I need you to breathe. We all know each other down here. We rally for our own. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve got you.” He was so wonderful and made me calm.

            “Clay, I’m scared, what in the holy fuck,” I dropped my head to the desk.

            “Bree, you’ve said all along there were secrets kept from your Daddy for years. Looks like the chickens have come home to roost. They always do. But honey, they’re not your chickens, they just been buried on land you own now. Call your boss and lock your house up. Get your pretty ass back down here and get into my bed. We can figure this all out together. Y’hear?”

            “But my flowers,” I joked.

            Clay laughed happily. “Leave them for Jenna, I will shower you with roses when you get here, you will never be without them again, or me. Text me when you get to the airport. Aubrey, I love you.” He whispered.

            I wiped my eyes and took that breath, “Clay, I love you more.”

I hung up the phone and walked slowly around my house. Somewhere deep in my heart I knew, I wasn’t ever coming back. I went to help Jenna, I wanted to be sure the crucial things were going on the plane with me.

Clay

            “Lora Jean!” I yelled after I hung up the phone. She raced into my office with her steno pad.

            “Here is the order I need the following things done; first, get Jimmy Lee out of whatever he is doing, send him in here.  Second, I need Sheriff Pritchett to call me at his earliest convenience. Third, reschedule tomorrow and Monday, I need the time off. Let me know if there is anything that can’t be moved. After that I want you to find my son, he might be finishing up his finals, but I want to talk to him as soon as possible.” I stopped and took a breath.

            She looked up at me waiting. “Clay what in tarnation is going on?” she asked wide eyed.

            “I’ll catch you up later, oh yeah, call Miss Savannah Trolio, over at the office works and design company, I need her to make a miracle happen in twelve hours. I have a spare bedroom at the Saint George house that I want turned into a home office before midnight tonight. Please call Miss Angelica, I need her to go to the Food Lion or Piggly Wiggly and stock my fridge and pantry. She can call me back for a list.” I paused- I was forgetting something,

            “Clay?” she asked,

            “Oh yeah, I should probably talk to the Attorney General as soon as he has time. You got all that LJ?”

            “Got it, boss.”

            “Oh and Lora Jean, call the florist back. I want the same order delivered to my house tomorrow morning.” I said quietly.

            She gasped, “Clay, she’s coming back?”

            “Tonight,” I smiled and just couldn’t help myself.

            Jimmy Lee strolled into my office without a care in the world, holding half a sandwich and his cheeks full with the other half.

            “Where’s the fire, crocodile?” he sauntered in and flopped into the chair in front of me.

            “Hold onto your ass for this one, Son,” I sat down and started to give him what I knew.

            “Saints alive, Clay! Are y’all fucking kidding me? Did you speak with Pritchett?” He was wide eyed.

            “He’s on his way back from Saint Helena right now. Do you think she needs a lawyer?” I asked.  I was fiddling with my tie, at that moment it felt like it was choking off my air.

            Jimmy Lee took another bite of his lunch and mumbled through it.

            “Nah, not at all. She got us if she needs one, we can sit in on her conversation with SLED. They not gonna charge her with anything, she just took possession of the property.” He paused, “..unless they find a body buried there within the last week while she was here, my bet is those are old cold cases out there in that marsh land.  Has she ever been down here prior to this?”

            I shook my head no. “First time in her life was last week, her Daddy refused to come back here.”

            “Clayton,” Lora Jean’s voice came over the intercom. “I have Tate on line four,” she informed me.

            “Thank you Lora Jean,” I reached for the phone and picked it up.

            “Son, where are you with finals?”

            “Pop what’s going on, are you okay?”

            “I’ve got a situation and I wanted to see when you could make the trip home. Everything is fine, I’m fine, Aubrey is flying back tonight and will be staying with me for a few weeks probably. They found human remains on her granddaddy’s property in Saint Helena and she has to give a statement to law enforcement…I don’t need you here specifically, but I wanted to be the one to tell you this myself, and I’d love to see you.” I exhaled.

            “Pop? Shit. Yeah, I’ll come home this weekend. I’m finishing up today and tomorrow. We can be down there Saturday morning on the way to Hilton Head. Is that soon enough?” he asked.

            I exhaled happily, “Yes Son, that would be great, thank you kindly.” I disconnected the call only to hear LJ’s voice again.

            “Clay, Sheriff Pritchett on line one,” Lora Jean spoke through the intercom.

            Jimmy Lee sat up in the chair, “Put him on speaker Clay,” I nodded with acknowledgement and pushed the button,

            “Devon, how y’all doin’? I got Jimmy Lee Cobb in the office with me,” I said, sitting up closer to the phone, and fiddling with my Mont Blanc pen.

            “Clayton, what in the world got y’all fired up? Setting Lora Jean on me like a feral hog,” He laughed. I explained the situation to him quickly, and he listened. He then began to brief me,

            “Clay right now the property is crawling with forensic investigators, so far they’ve uncovered several remains and it’s not the end. The coroner called in the state and Georgia is sending up their forensic anthropologist as well. They estimate there could be at minimum ten bodies been decomposing out there for years. And you say this Aubrey Teller is your new girlfriend?”

            “Yes Sheriff she is. I want to know the right protocol here, she is on her way down from New Jersey, her flight comes in late tonight. I’ll accompany her to your headquarters in the morning if that’s alright with y’all?” I asked.

            “Clay I’m not a lawyer, but I’m sure she had nothing to do with any of this, we just want her statement, and any records might have been passed on to her from her kin. Down the line if they can find someone to accuse, I’ma bet my pension you need to recuse yourself from any litigation.”

            I glanced up at Jimmy Lee, he nodded in the affirmative.

            “Ten am tomorrow morning work for y’all, Sheriff?” I asked.

            “That be fine, Clayton. Once she’s done with that, I’ll escort y’all out to the property. She’ll want to collect anything from the house we’ll get the okay for her do it.” He assured me.

            “Sheriff, one more thing. As much as y’all can help it, try to keep the press away from there, for now.” I implored.

            “I’ll try Clay but they better than Lora Jean at sniffing out a crime scene, and that right there is saying something. I’ll see y’all in the morning.”

            I hung up the phone and stared at Jimmy Lee, he was finished with his lunch and sunk his crumpled napkin into my wastepaper basket for a three-point score. Lora Jean returned to my office to begin packing me up. Obviously she had caught up on all that was transpiring.

            “I tell you what Crocodile, gonna be tongues wagging for months on this, you ready for it? You fixing to stand by your woman, and this might be the biggest serial killer case the Lowcountry has seen in decades. Whatcha gonna do if the AG tells you to stand down?” he asked.

            I was organizing papers on my desk, sorting things, and handing the ones I wanted packed in my briefcase to Lora Jean. She was listening intently.

            “He is most certainly going to tell me to recuse myself and I have no problem doing just that. You more than capable of prosecuting a serial killer case, if we can finger the sona of a bitch.” I huffed.

            Lora Jean leaned down and whispered she had sp0ken to Savanah Trolio and things were moving at my house.

            “Miss Angelica?” I asked for an update.

            “Yes Boss, I gave her a list of things to get and called your credit card number into the manager at Piggly Wiggly.”

            I stared her blankly,

            “Clayton, I know how to stock a kitchen, raised four children,” she grumbled quietly.

            Jimmy Lee was pacing my office. “Clay, I don’t rightly know what the next steps are, Son. Gonna have to play by the investigation timeline, and we have the new motions coming up for the white-collar case.”

            I focused back on Jimmy Lee, “Buddy I need you to back me up. If you don’t feel comfortable, you let me know. I’m bringing everything home with me and will catch up over the weekend. I’ll be back in the office Tuesday morning in time for a prep meeting for the appearances in front of the judge. Any advice you would like to impart would be much appreciated.” I sat back in defeat.

            “Yes Sir, I most certainly do have some advice. I think you should marry that girl as quick as you can. It cuts a great deal of red tape and offers her and you some kind of immunity to testify should it come down to that. Not only that, but it will also give her the cover she needs on the other thing she sittin’ on. You know what I’m talking about?”  

            I nodded slowly, the idea was perfect. Not like I hadn’t been seriously thinking about it before all this. But I wanted to do it right, the way she envisioned it. A romantic proposal with me down on one knee on the beach, and an exquisite ring to set the local girls green with envy.

            “I agree, and it’s something I’ve put in the works already.” I grinned like a teenager.

            Lora Jean gasped with glee, “Clayton Hoover, you really fixin’ to marry her? After spending one weekend?”

            I smiled up at Lora Jean, “LJ–I wanted to ask her Saturday morning, when I woke up with her in my arms. I’ll tell you what,” I laughed modestly.

            “Gonna change your whole life, Clayton. Think about this.” Jimmy Lee warned.

            I looked from him to Lora Jean and couldn’t help but laugh.

            “Jimmy Lee, she has already. I knew that the very moment I laid eyes on the girl. At least we’re not moving to the Florida keys to rescue sea life like you predicted in the bar,” I snickered.

            “Hmmmf, you might wish you did when this is all said and done, Son.” He snickered back.

Aubrey

            The flight felt endless, I stood to use the restroom before we began the descent into Charleston. Hearing the accents coming from the flight crew and some passengers had me oddly homesick. This accent was the sound of my childhood. My father had retained his Lowcountry drawl till his last breath. It was comforting and reassuring to me.

It had been less than a week since I’d seen Clay in person, but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t wait to be in his arms and back in his bed.

I buckled my seat belt for landing and felt the rough touchdown of the planes wheels.

            “Welcome to Charleston, South Carolina folks. The local time is ten twenty-five. If this is a short visit, y’all enjoy your stay and if this is a return we welcome y’all back home.” The captain announced.

            I gathered my carry on things together and disembarked from the plane. Clay texted he’d meet me at the baggage claim area, and I saw him as I descended the escalator. God damned that man was something to look at. He was wearing a grey suit with a pale purple tie, his blue eyes shimmered with joy and his face lit up with a smile when he located me on the escalator.

            I practically ran down the rest of the steps, dropped my bags and leapt into his arms. He exhaled with relief and held me tight to him.

            “My girl, my precious, beautiful girl,” He took my face into his hands and kissed me, he did so like a starving man.  

            “Clay, thank you. You’re literally my hero,” I said between kisses, tears filling my eyes.

            “Now, no more tears honey, we’re gonna get to the bottom of all of this and it’s a good chance to practice cohabitating to see if it works for us.” He laughed. I stared up into his cerulean gaze and melted inside.

            “I’m so in love with you, what did you do? My whole life is upended.” I sighed.

            “Sugar, I like all your ends, up, down, and in between. Let’s go get your suitcases and bring you on home.” He kissed me again and reached for my carry-on items.

            He loaded my three large suitcases into the bed of his pickup truck and the carry on and laptop bag went into the back seat. Once he was in the truck and buckled his seat belt he chuckled.

            “Bree, you told me before you left you might return in three days with all your belongings, doesn’t seem so far off,” he teased. “I do remember making a promise to you should this happen,” he smirked.

            “I’m so sorry Clay—I’m upending your life too….what promise?” I asked, I couldn’t remember how he reacted to that statement.

            “I promised if you showed up on my doorstep in three days with all your belongings, I’d escort you to the judge’s chambers and marry you on the spot.”

            “Oh right, I remember.” I laughed. “So are we heading there now, or do you want to wait till you find out if I’m facing any charges due to the bodies showing up on my family land.” I asked facetiously.

            He reached out to hold my hand. “Sugar, you’re not facing charges, I’m confident of that. And I will take you to the judge’s chambers in the morning if you agree to be my wife.  I’m serious about this, getting married cuts a great deal of red tape and gives you plenty of air cover, even with your job.”

            “Clay, that’s not a reason to get married.  I want to spend the rest of my life with you because I’m in love with you. I don’t need air cover. I need a partner, a soul mate, a best friend who gives me all the flutters and butterflies you do.” I replied sadly. I was exhausted, cranky, and definitely hungry.

            “Well that wasn’t very convincing, honey, what’s wrong? Talk to me.” He asked with a great deal of concern.

            “I’m sorry, Clay, I’m scared and tired and hungry–but glad, really glad to be here. You, you give me a strange quiet, a peace I’ve never known.” I explained.

            “A peace you cannot restore on your own,” he whispered modestly.

            “Yes! Wow what a great line,” I cooed.

            “I wish I could claim composer credit on it, it’s how Tate described the effect Katrina has on him. The second it came out of his mouth it resonated with me. You do that for me, Sugar. And I’m thankful to know I do that for you,” he smiled over at me. He steered with one hand and held mine in his free one.

            He inhaled with determination and continued, “Let’s clear the list; as for scared, don’t count the chickens till they hatch. Tired and hungry we can cross off as soon as we get you to Saint George. The house is stocked with all kinds of things to cook or microwave and eat–I arranged for all that this afternoon, in the meantime Miss Dottie sent over a crock of homemade cream of chicken and rice soup with her famous biscuits, knowing you’d be arriving late.” He grinned proudly.

            “That sounds perfect,” I sighed.

            We settled into the house and changed into our comfy clothes before enjoying the soup and biscuits for our late dinner. I caught him up on the status of things on my end, and he debriefed me on his conversation with the Sheriff and the appointment the next morning.

            I stood up and washed our dishes before I set the coffee machine with the never before used auto brew timer to have it start automatically for us early the next day.

            “Damnation, I never knew it could do that,” he chuckled with amazement. “See? Already life is better with you here,” he whispered happily. From behind he wrapped his arms around me and nestled his face in my neck, “Mmmm you smell so good, like laundry off the clothes-line–fresh out the Georgia sunshine.”

            He spoke softly in my ear. He warmed my heart, and I rested back against him. He kissed my neck and cheek and turned me around to lean me against the counter. I kissed him and slid my arms around his neck.

            “C’mon now I want to show you something,” he said quietly, kissing me a few more times.

            He led me to the back bedroom, and I burst into tears. The entire room had been arranged as a cozy office. More than that, it seemed as if Southern Living themselves delivered the décor.

            The furniture was antique white washed and exquisite. The window treatments bright sea foam green and billowy. A new desk chair and storage cabinets for files and supplies. The cords all assembled for electric and network connection, chargers for the phone, and iPad. One entire wall was line with corkboard. There were bookshelves and the windows viewed a pond in the backyard not visible at night, but he assured me there were a set of swans out there to keep me company.

            He then carried back my laptop bag and leather file case and placed them on the vintage desk.

            “This is your space, Sugar. Make yourself at home.” He prattled proudly.

            “Clay how? When? This is incredible,” I was overwhelmed.  The room was bright and cozy. I loved it instantly.

            “Sugar I can move heaven and earth if I give Lora Jean a phone and a credit card,” he laughed. I walked into his arms and kissed him.

             “Thank you, so much,” I said, staring into his fine-looking face.

            “How you feelin’ now, honey? We done slayed scared and hungry, you ‘bout ready to fix tired?  I know you’ve had a long day.” He said with concern, his hands circled my neck, and he drew me close to kiss me.  

            “I’m ready to get into bed with you Clay, I haven’t had a decent night sleep without you,” I replied kissing him back.

            It was heaven to me–sliding under the covers with him and feeling his warm, strong body wrap me up against him. He touched me gently, slipping his hands into my hair and holding my face to his. His kiss was ravenous and it’s urgency woke my body up, I pressed against him and slid my hands under his tee-shirt to run my nails down his back.

            Before I knew it my thin fabric pajamas were off, and he was kissing his way down my body. Taking his time caressing and tasting my breasts. He then began his slow descent.

            “Here kitty, kitty,” he muttered, causing me to giggle nervously. His mouth and tongue inching their way down to the apex of my desire. I gasped with pleasure when his tongue began its magic dance. I climaxed instantly and was cued up for another one as he continued to do what he took such great pride in doing well.  

            My body was aflame with passion, over and over again– I crested in rapid succession-some quick and fast and others building and crashing like storm waves through me.

            He lifted his head and climbed back up to me,

            “Sugar, I need to be inside you. Are you ready?” he grunted roughly.

            “Please Clay, come to me,” I whispered with ecstasy.

            He entered me slowly, and the size surprised me again. How could I forget so quickly? He groaned with satisfaction, pushing gently, and getting his entire length into me.

            “For the love of God, Clay did that grow another five inches in the last few days,” I laughed.

            He snickered and began to move out and in again, “Sugar, you’re so dang sexy…….Good Lord, you so wet and tight I may not last.” He moaned like a starved animal, losing himself in the act.

            He huffed with pleasure, whispering hot and dirty into my ear, “Aubrey, this kitty is a fucking masterpiece, made for me alone, so damn delicious,” His voice, his sentiments raced my heart and I melted into him.

             We found our rhythm quickly. I felt my next orgasm building from almost behind my throat, it was massive and cresting rapidly.

            “Hell, I can’t hold on…I’m gonna come,” he rumbled, quickening his pace.

            “Me too, Clay, baby, you…..ah….so good,” I cried out, feeling the hot springs of my surge release onto his manhood.

            “Ahhhhhhhhhhh Aubrey, Fuck!” he cried out with his release.   

            We fell back together, spent.

            I felt him roll toward me and take me into his arms, he kissed my face and neck purring into my ear. “Marry me Aubrey, please honey, spend your life with me, I cannot…I will not live without you another day,” he whispered, depleted and desperate.

            I kissed him back, running my hand over his hip and upper thigh.

            “Where do I sign?” I whispered, staring into his glistening eyes.

            He smiled down into my face, “Yes?” he asked cheerfully.

            “Yes,” I nodded, more confident of this love than I had been of anything I’d encountered.

            He reached over to the nightstand and turned on the light. I sat up wondering what he was looking for. He opened the drawer and took out a small black box.

            “Well I guess you should have this then,” he beamed and handed the box to me.

            “No, no Clay, what are you doing?” I scrambled up against the headboard, covering my naked body with the blanket. My hands over my mouth, and the tears began to spill from my eyes.

            He got out of bed and went down on one knee reaching for my left hand.

            “Aubrey Teller…I’m in love with you, would you do me the honor of marrying me and being my wife?” he asked, shyly. He looked about twenty years old at the moment. Humble, adoring, and sweet.

            I couldn’t speak, I was overwhelmed and terrified, it was all happening so fast. His face was alight with happiness and right then I knew I couldn’t live another day without him beside me. I didn’t want to breathe without him.

            He opened the box, and the ring was staggering. My breath caught in my throat. A vintage white gold setting with a center cut round diamond the size of a dime, anchored with smaller round baguettes.

            “Yes, yes you crazy bastard, yes I will marry you,” I wept.

            He slid the ring onto my left ring finger and scurried back into the bed beside me.

            “Honey, I’m sorry it wasn’t the beach proposal you wanted. But I think I nailed the details on the ring.” He teased kissing away my tears.

            I couldn’t stop looking at it, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Oh he nailed it, that center stone was easily three carats, it was huge.

            “Is it obnoxiously big enough?” he asked, holding my hand out to look at it sitting on my finger.

            “Clay when did you do this? Baby how did you? My head is spinning.”

            He took me into his arms and kissed me happily.

            “Believe it or not, it belongs to my mother. It was her mothers, and she hadn’t worn it in years. Gave it to me centuries ago. I had it resized and added the baguettes. When you defined your ideal engagement ring, I remembered this antique already existed in my possession.  I dropped it off at the jewelers on Monday, after your flight left. I wanted to do all this up in New Jersey next week.” He said modestly.

            “You never thought to give this to Tess? I don’t understand.” I asked quietly.

He chuckled with confidence, “Give it to Tess? Why would I want to do that? She barely acknowledges my mother’s existence, and that’s her choice. No, honey, this ring has been waitin’ on you, I do declare.” He kissed me happily.

            “Clay, I’m speechless, truly. I’ve never been so happy in my life. Thank you,” I cried again. I couldn’t stop the tears. He wrapped me up in his arms and lay back down next to me, he wiped my tears with his thumbs and kissed me again.

            “Bree, we can do this tomorrow in the judge’s chambers, fly to Vegas at your instruction, or we can wait and have a big ole party. It’s entirely up to you. But now we are engaged. Nothing and no one can change that. I belong to you. I dedicate and pledge my life to you, until death do us part.” He said solemnly.

            “Clay, I don’t know what to say,” I whispered in pure delight.

            “You said all I needed to hear, honey. C ’mere and huddle with me so we can finally get some dog-gone sleep. I haven’t been in this bed since you left,” he yawned and kissed me goodnight.

Clay

            This time it was me who awoke first. I could smell the coffee brewing and gently withdrew from her arms to take a leak, before heading to the kitchen to fix our coffee.

            I was humming to myself, who the fuck was I right now? Happy? Elated? Filled with hope for my life. I didn’t know how to process this. I took both cups back to the bedroom and found her curled up under the blanket still sleeping.

            I put the cups down on the dresser and crawled in behind her, kissing her bare shoulder and dropping my hand around one of those heavy breasts. She moaned in her sleep and wiggled her ass back against me, causing an erection so abruptly I almost felt lightheaded.

            I continued to caress her breast and rolled a nipple between my fingers. She groaned again, still asleep. Oh the game was on now.

            I slipped my hand between her legs, she was warm and wet down there. I found her clit and rubbed it lightly, her body began to uncurl, moaning in low, deep gusts.

            “Come for me,” I whispered naughty in her ear. I kept it up, pressing a little harder but using the same friction, I felt her getting wetter, her voice whimpering, I ran my tongue under her ear and slid my finger inside her.

            “Oh my God!,” she cried out, and awoke with her climax.

            “Mornin’, Sugar,” I chuckled in her ear, kissing her nose and forehead.

            “Clayton Hoover did you just violate me in my sleep?’ she laughed softly.

            “I did and you best get used to it. That kitty belongs to me now and I will treat it with the respect it deserves.” I declared proudly. “I brought your coffee,” I kissed her all over her face and got up to hand her the cup.  

            “I should marry you,” she laughed shifting in the bed to take the cup from me. Her eyes widened as she took a sip of her coffee.

My boxer shorts were doing a poor job hiding the raging hard-on I was sporting from my recent activities.

            “Well now, what do we have here?” she muttered lustily. Placing her cup onto the night stand she sat on the edge of the bed looking up at me with those luminous eyes. She traced her finger down the front of my shorts and sent chills up my spine.

            I touched her cheek and whispered, “You fixin’ to give it a try?” I asked with amazement.

            She nodded her head and licked her perfect lips.

            I took it out and she held it in her hand, slowly wrapping her mouth around it. It was still warm from her coffee and the sensation was fantastic.  She ran her tongue around the shaft and used her hand to squeeze gently and extend her mouth as she began to take it all inch by inch. My hands were in her hair as she managed to get ninety percent of it in her mouth.

            It felt and appeared so hot. Watching her take me into her mouth and gaze up at me, so fucking sexy. She was actually accomplishing this herculean feat, my orgasm was hurtling toward me when she reached down and cupped my balls in her hand. I came so intensely– I almost wore a hole in the back of her throat. My knees buckled and I yelled out her name.

            “Woman, you are gifted,” I laughed and fell onto the bed. “Never, never has that happened for me. No woman wants to do that when they catch a glimpse of this thing.” I pulled her on top of me.

            “Just a suggestion, but maybe stop flashing it to strange women and bring it home to me from now on. You’ll never have to worry about that again,” she said smiling, touching my face, and kissing me.

            “Bring it home to you? That’s the prettiest sound I’ve ever heard.” I kissed her deeply.

            “You Sugar, you are my home.” I stared into her beautiful eyes and my throat closed with emotion. She kissed the end of my nose and tugged on my goatee.

            “And you are my whole world Clayton Hoover, home is where you are,” she sighed.

            “Wow that’s not a bad way to start a day, I must say,” I exhaled happily.

 She slid off me and I stayed on my back and rubbed my stomach with satiation. I was sprawled across the foot of the bed, sighing with contentment.

            She sat back up to drink her coffee and rested her feet on my lap. “No, not a bad way indeed. Now don’t go marrying me and stop all this wooing, Clayton. I won’t let you rest on your laurels.”

            I turned to face her, “Never, honey, I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives. I’ll never take you for granted. How did you sleep?” I asked. Rubbing the top of one of her feet.

            “I actually slept which was really nice. But then some degenerate took lude measures and wrenched me back into consciousness, very rude.” She teased, sipping at her coffee.

            “You can’t trust anyone down here in the Lowcountry. We’re simple farm boys who grew up watching animals breed.  We’re feral.” I assured her.

            She laughed and I was transfixed by how naturally beautiful she is. Her skin glowed and her eyes slayed me.

             “Listen up, farm boy. There is one thing we haven’t done, that I’ve heard rumors about originating from down here.” She said with anticipation.

            “What’s that Sugar?” I asked, wondering what we hadn’t done yet. I was pretty sure we’d tried everything legal.

            She sighed sweetly, “I want to slow dance with you, in the glow of your truck headlights.”

            I started to laugh, “That’s cheesier than a carnival corn dog, you think we all came up with that down here? That sounds suspiciously like a Texas thing.” I laughed again.

            I was not prepared for the expression on her face, she looked disappointed and sad. I almost cut my own tongue out. I sat up quickly to kiss her.

            “Aubrey! I’m so sorry, honey. Of course I will slow dance with you, anywhere, any light source you choose,” I kissed her and wrapped her into my arms.  

            She smiled up at me, and I felt the oxygen refill into my body. “You sure? Even though it’s cheesy?”

            I lay atop her, kissing her gently. “I want to do everything with you, and slow dance is something we haven’t done yet, you’re right. “I’m sorry I teased you,” I kissed her again.

            “Clay, stop. I was teasing you too. But I mean it about the dancing.”

            “Absolutely, Sugar. You won’t have to ask again.”

            She got up and headed toward the shower. I happily watched that round, thick ass walk away, when she glanced over her shoulder at me, ‘that look’, that sexy as shit glance she could conjure, then she crooked her finger beckoning me to her,

 “C’mon now, I need my back washed, you coming?” she crooned like a right vixen.

I never scrambled out of bed faster in all my days.