Prove It

Chapter 22

She couldn’t resist touching the cover’s rich fabric. “Where did you get this? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Did you know that you can custom make journals? I had this one made for you.”

“It’s beautiful. I love it.”

“I’m glad you like the book, Sierra. But aren’t you going to open it?”

“Open it? There’s more?"

“Did you think that all I got you were balloons and a book for your eighteenth birthday?”

Sierra opened the cover of the journal and within its under-the-sea themed pages was a velvet pouch. She retrieved it and saw a necklace inside. Sierra’s breath caught. She looked at Tristan before picking up the gold chain with trembling fingers. She wanted to get a closer look at the pendant. It was another mermaid and this one held a quarter moon in the palm of her hands.

Tristan came over to her and began to place the necklace around her neck. “When the jeweler told me the history behind the myth of mermaids, I knew I had to get this for you. Russian folklore says that mermaids are the ghosts of young women who suffer untimely deaths, especially those who have drowned. The mermaids like to come out at night and dance beneath the moon calling out to men by name so they can be lured to the water and drowned.” He closed the clasp to the chain and the cool metal lay across her chest being warmed by her skin. “But I think the mermaid on this necklace is a little different,” he continued to say from behind her. “She represents the special person you lost way too soon who can also be seen beneath the moon reaching out to you and your dad, letting you know that she is always with you. I wanted you to have something to keep with you to remind you of your mother and everything that you’ve accomplished. You’re so strong and incredibly brave. And I hope that having this will make it so you never forget that.”

Sierra touched her hand to the precious gift that Tristan placed around her neck and knew she would never be the same. He had found a way to make a perfect day even more memorable and beautiful than she thought possible. Her eyes overflowed and her heart was bursting with love.

She turned around in his arms and kissed his mouth. He moaned at the touch and her body heated. He opened his mouth beneath hers in a silent plea to deepen the kiss. She put her hands under his shirt and felt smooth warm skin over tense muscles. She grabbed his sides. Touching him felt so familiar. It’s like his body had become an extension of hers. And she loved the feel of him. She had to stand on the tips of her toes to reach his lips and it made it difficult to get as close as she needed to be. She led him over to the nearby sofa where he could sit down and she sat on top of him.

***********Tristan***********

Sierra’s weight was a welcomed addition as Tristan moved his hands up to grip her hips and slowly spread his fingers out to cup her cheeks. Her hands speared through his hair over and over as she began to do a slow torturous grind that caused him to hum with pleasure. The blood flowed from his brain in a rush to where they were joined. He moaned at the rush. The friction was the perfect mix of ecstasy and frustration. Her movements felt good, but never quite good enough.

He moved one hand up to her back and pulled her in to him. He wanted every part of her body in contact with his. She must be feeling the same because she followed his quiet command easily. They were so in tuned, she always seemed to know when he needed more and complied without hesitation. She made him so happy.

He had to be careful, though, he always needed to be in control. The boundaries between them blurred constantly and he couldn’t afford to lose control with her. It got harder and harder, literally, every time they were together like this. Just as he was about to make them stop, Sierra moved over him in a way that positioned their middles impossibly closer, they both froze as she, no doubt, felt just how much he wanted her.