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Only You

Committed to You

Treasure 2
***

An encouraging message from Jas and Nana from Wanting You.Nana: Lord have mercy, I couldn't believe what I heard about what was going on in your world. A global pandemic, that's awful, but trust God to see you through. I know how difficult change can be. Imagine what I felt like to fall in love at my age and sell the Apple Blossom Inn. That was the only way of life that Jas and I knew. But I loved Major so much that I had to risk change. Telling Jas that I would be moving to Texas was rough. That's why I had to secretly fix her up with Aiden. Those two had been fighting love forever and I just couldn't leave her alone when I moved. We all went through a major upheaval. But in the end, change was good for all of us. I wouldn't want to go through those difficulties again, but I am so happy with how things turned out.Major and I are doing fine. I'm so glad I had a chance to find true love in my older years. Jas and Aiden are so cute together and are fabulous. I still don't have any grandbabies yet, but I pray every day that I will. Listen, young folks, it's going to be alright. Accept where you are and learn to adapt. Turn this into happy times and not hurtful ones. You can do it.Jas: Nana is right, it broke my heart when we sold the Inn to Bruce and his family. Uprooting from Georgia with its quiet charm and moving to New York with Aiden left me reeling. But I adjusted to a new way of doing things and allowed Aiden's love to fill my soul. He's so good to me. I am thankful that he is finally in my life until we are no more in this world. We've been working together at the company and things are good. He told me to tell you to let change be your friend and not enemy. We love you all!

***

Aiden stood at the bottom of the stairs, holding Flannery. So much joy was in his heart and it spilled over to his handsome face. Bruce dialed Jas's number and held the phone up to Aiden's ear.

***

Jas froze when she heard Aiden's husky baritone voice. It was so shocking that she sank down on the bed. Michelle turned around, knowing what was going on.

"What's the matter, Jas?"

She removed the phone from her ear. "It's Aiden," she trembled. Then she slowly placed the phone back to her ear. Jas was speechless. Her throat constricted. "Aiden?"

"Where do you get off calling me and demanding that I bring back, Flannery."

"Umm..." She was breathing so hard.

Aiden was bursting on the inside laughing. Jas had a word for everything. Knowing that she was stumped made this moment even better.

"Do I not deserve more love than a cat? I think we've had that conversation before."

"I'm, I didn't mean...Oh, Aiden, I'm lost without you."

Michelle tapped her on the shoulder. "We've got to go, Jas."

"But...but..."

"The people are waiting. Aiden had months to call you. Tell him that you have to go."

"Aiden."

"Yes," he said firmly.

"I love you but I've got to go we're having a..."

"What do you mean that you have to go!"

Michelle snatched the phone from Jas. "Aiden, I'm so upset with you, leaving Jas on the hook for these long months. Listen, we're about to have a big ball. Nanna would be proud and Jas has got to go." She clicked off the phone.

"Michelle!"

"Sorry Jas, but we don't get but one event like this in Ellijay. It's about time that he called you. I guarantee that he will call you back." She took Jas's hand and led her from the room. Michelle was cracking up on the inside. She turned and looked at Jas.

"You look nervous. Now, put your game face on. We've got to make these investors proud that they are sponsoring our hospital."

Jas stopped and adjusted her hair in the mirror. Then she took a deep breath. "You're right. Shame on him for making me wait this long," she pouted. "I will talk to Aiden, later."

"Good." Michelle extended her arm towards Jas. "Let's do this."

The ladies walked down the long hall. Jas looked over the banister and saw the room filled to capacity. There were faces of friends and people that she knew, but also lots of faces she didn't know. "Wow, we got a lot of community support for this. I'm so glad."

"We sure did," Michelle worked very hard to suppress her laughter. They finally reached the landing. Just as Jas went to take a step she saw Aiden at the bottom of the stairs holding Flannery. Blood rushed to her head. He looked like a handsome model straight off a runway, dressed in his fine white tux. Aiden's magnificent, sexy grin, shut Jas's brain down. Her body folded like an accordion. Michelle held her up.

Jas's hand flew over her mouth and she burst out crying. Jas's teary eyes trailed across his handsome face. The love in his eyes swept her away. His beautiful smile lit her spirit. Light flooded into her sadness. "Oh, Aiden," she breathed.

"I brought your cat back," he said seductively.

Michelle started laughing.

"Oh, my God!" said Jas, the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. She had to sit down. The audience exploded with laughter and applause. Aiden passed Flannery to Bruce. He took two steps at a time and ran up toward her. Aiden picked Jas up and kissed the living hell out of her. It was a good long time before they came up for air.

Aiden swung Jas up in his arms. He couldn't tell if she was light as a feather or whether his heart was so light that he didn't feel her in his arms at all. In a flash, they were standing in front of the fire place where the pastor stood. Flannery followed them, looking quite agitated that she had a dress on. Jas knelt down and patted the cat.

When she looked up Nanna, Major, Deanna and Troy were surrounding them. Ella came down shortly after. Jas fell on Nanna and cried. Finally, Aiden tapped her on the shoulder. "I would like to get married today," he grinned.

Jas stepped back and rung her hands. Then she leaned against Aiden and took his hand. "Aiden, oh God, I love you."

"I love you more, babe."

The pastor began his speech. "Dearly beloved...we are gathered here..."

Aiden interrupted. "You can dispense with that."

The pastor had an odd look and smiled. "What?"

"Yes, skip all of it. Just do - by the power stuff..." He reached down in his pocket and slipped the ring back on Jas's finger. "Forever this time," he whispered in her ear.

Jas felt heat rush to her toes. "Yes," she breathed, as she kissed his hand.

He gazed upon her intensely. "You're the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen, Jas," he said low enough that only the two of them could hear.

Her soul flooded with love and anticipation.

"This is going to be the shortest ceremony that I've ever performed." Chuckles went through the crowd. The pastor laughed. "Do you both consent to marry each other?"

"Yes!" They said in unison.

"Well, then, by the power invested in me by the state of Georgia I now pronounce you husband and wife. I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Aiden Ross. You may now kiss your bride."

***

Smiles covered Aiden's face, as he watched Jas in fascination. His eyes never left her the entire evening, whether she was by his side or not. The feeling that she was finally his, was pleasantly mind boggling. Aiden stood at a distance watching how joyful she was. Her eyes sparkled, and her laughter was contagious.

You're so gorgeous, babe.

Aiden watched as she lifted the bouquet and teased the ladies as if she were going to throw it. He chuckled each time she pulled it back. The ladies begged her to toss it. But she was having fun just baiting them. Finally, she released the flowers. The audience laughed as single women jostled about trying to catch the bouquet. One triumphant lady wiggled from the crowd holding the sure sign that she would be married next. Jas walked over to the lady, doing a happy dance. She stood next to her and the photographer rushed over to take a picture.

Aiden watched as Jas stepped away from the laughing cluster of women and began to search the room. He knew that she was looking for him. Aiden's heart stopped when their eyes finally met. She blew a kiss that he caught and placed on his lips. Jas smiled and greeted well-wishers as she pressed through the crowd to be with her husband. He was standing by the stairs.

As Jas neared Aiden, she stretched out her hand. He could feel perspiration on his palms seconds before he clasped her hand. As they touched electricity arced around them. Aiden lifted her hand and kissed it. Jas's breath caught in her throat. Without saying a word, they quietly slipped away from their guests. It had been a long and beautiful day. Aiden would make it a long and beautiful night.

Nanna and Major were embraced in a slow dance on the floor. As he spun her around she could see Jas and Aiden leave. She smiled. "We did it, Major."

He looked towards where she was gazing. "Yes, we did, sunshine."

***

Aiden and Jas both laughed when they opened the door to room 208.

"When did this little transformation occur, Mrs. Ross."

Jas scrunched her nose and her ears tingled with happiness from hearing Aiden christen her with her new name. "Mrs. Ross," she repeated. "I like that."

"Not more than me," he kissed her cheek.

They stepped inside the elaborately adorned room. "This has Ella written all over it," Jas laughed.

Fragrance bathed the air. Fresh flower arrangements of gardenia's, roses and peonies were scattered throughout the room in crystal vases, which reflected light from four large brass torchieres. They stepped through piles of pink and purple balloons, that had the word congratulations engraved in gold. When they got to the bed it was covered in white satin and a plethora of heart shaped helium balloons floated above it. On the nightstand was a platter of Ella's famous brownies with a card that simply read – finally.

Aiden picked Jas up and tossed her on the bed. "I have to agree with Ella," he said slipping her shoes off, then removing his own.

She laughed. Aiden slipped beside her and they both looked up at the ceiling. Then they noticed something about the balloons that were above them. "Oh, my goodness," Jas said.

"What?"

Jas reached up and pulled the string on one of the balloons. She held the balloon in front of Aiden and he shook his head. Each balloon had a blessing on it from the ones that were dearest to their heart.

May your lives be filled with peace, and love Nanna.

They pulled another. Always keep Jas first and you'll have a happy life, love Bruce.

Aiden and Jas read each balloon and it warmed their heart. Jas started to tear up. "How did we get so lucky to have people like this in our lives?"

"Don't cry, Jas," he smiled, but she couldn't help it. "You look so beautiful, at least let me take a picture before you mess up your make up." Aiden reached in his pocket, pulled out his cell phone and took a selfie.

"You're so silly," she sniffed. "I'm just overwhelmed at how good I feel."

You'll feel even better, babe. "I'm sure that you do. It's been a great day."

"You really tricked me. I had no idea this was coming. But what a wonderful surprise. I was so happy to see your parents."

Aiden leaned on his side and ran his fingers through her hair. "I'd never thought I'd see that day. When I left Thailand, I went to Chicago and spent a few days with them. We got a chance to clear the air. I'm free, Jas."

"That's what I've always wanted for you, Aiden."

"I want to thank you for not giving up on me. I listened to your messages every day. They encouraged me. I hope you understand that I wasn't ignoring..."

"I know, Aiden. You needed time to heal. All of that is behind us now. I'm looking forward to years of love and laughter."

Jas pressed Aiden back to the bed. "Put the message on." She lifted her wedding gown enough to be able to straddle him. Aiden felt blood turning his cheeks red. He knew exactly the message that she was talking about. It was the hot one that he'd saved on his phone, that Jas had simply titled – to my husband. That was the message that had kept him up at night, and set his bed afire though she was miles away. His body burned now, just at the thought of her words.

He raised his brow, his eyes smoldered. "You're messing with fire, babe."

She gazed back, desire consumed her. "Burn me."

Aiden gave a lazy grin and slipped his fingers over the screen to retrieve the message. He hit play and sat the phone on the night stand.

Jas breathed heavily on the phone. I'm laying here thinking about you – always thinking about you. Laying here thinking about wanting you so badly that I can't breathe. The thought of your love scorches me. Aiden, I am burning up. I'm longing for more than kisses and caresses and your sweet touches that have sustained me over these last few months. That kind of love brought my heart back to life, brought me back to you. I need more, now. I need the love that a husband lavishes on his wife.

Jas watched as Aiden's eyes darkened. His eyes bore into hers. She slid her hand across his chest and began unbuttoning his shirt. He helped her to slip it from his shoulders. She cast the shirt to the floor.

What I long for now is something that we've never had. We've never been married. We've never understood what marriage means to the wedding bed. It means that you've committed to loving me in the good times and the bad. That we will make love in our happy times and in our storms. Knowing that intimacy and passion are designed to knit us together, and pull us through no matter what.

Jas scrolled her hands across his broad chest. Touching and caressing until she felt his nipples harden. She drew her mouth repeatedly across them. Aiden absorbed the words that Jas spoke to his heart and her love crashed across him like billowy waves. Aiden slowly closed his eyes as his body ignited. When she latched her mouth around his neck, he moaned.

It means that I will only desire you for the rest of my life, that you are the only person on this earth that can satisfy me. On our wedding day, Aiden Ross, I am saying to you that I am yours – completely. I am saying that I want you to explore me, to do me and to make every time we're together an adventure of your choice. Give me all you've got, Aiden.

Jas's lips sank over his. This wasn't the sweet kisses they'd shared in the past. This was long, hard and demanding. As she deepened the kiss it spoke clearly – I want you, Aiden. Their lips melded furiously together. The lash of his tongue against hers, pooled fire in his veins. Jas kissed Aiden hungrily. "I love you," she whispered. "Always have loved you, Aiden."

His body was caving under the onslaught of her love. Between their desperate kisses he breathed, "Jas, if I keep listening I don't know if I will be able to control myself."

"Keep listening, precious." She closed her eyes and drug him back to her mouth. "Be out of control," she whispered.

I promised to keep you safe, because I knew you wanted to move our relationship deeper than it was before. You wanted intimacy and security. Now, it's time to be vulnerable, not safe, to lose ourselves in love's wildfire.

"Take it off," Aiden whispered.

Jas leaned against him. Her silky hair swept across his shoulders. Aiden slipped his hand to the back of her dress and unzipped it. She sat up for him to lift the mounds of silky white fabric over her head, the diamonds in the dress sparkled under the light of the torchiers. The wedding gown lay in a heap at the end of the bed. The light caught the diamonds around her neck and arm.

"You're beautiful." He trailed his hand across the necklace, and then downward over the curve of her breasts. Her chest rose and fell sharply at his touch. Aiden leaned down and kissed the swell. Aiden felt her heart pounding against his. His hand moved back and unsnapped Jas's bra. He slipped it away, it fell to the pile of balloons on the floor. "Absolutely, beautiful."

Jas couldn't take her eyes off of Aiden. She lifted to her knees helping him to remove the last laced undergarment. She quivered as his hands ignited private regions as he tore them from her body. His hands blazed over her firm, round butt and splayed across her back while his mouth worked voraciously from one heavy breast to the other. Jas's breathing was ragged. Her body was on fire. She clasped his head, keeping it pressed against her breasts.

Jas fumbled desperately to undue the belt to his pants. He chuckled, untangling himself long enough to remove the rest of his clothes. The way Jas looked at him made his heart beat out of his chest. She laid back, receiving the length of his muscular body against hers.

He moved over her slowly at first. Back and forth, causing her core to tighten and spark. Jas's soft pants against his ear set embers ablaze through his body. Aiden kissed the top of her eyelids and trailed down across her face. "I've longed for this day, Jas. Wanting you my whole life." Aiden felt Jas's heart pound as he repeated the words that had him in a spell.

The message droned on, but Aiden was in tune with every word. He'd listened to it so many times when she began to speak the next section he repeated it in her ear.

Her eyes blinked open for a moment surprised the he knew it word for word. Then they closed in satisfaction. She wrapped her arms around him, and relaxed drawing pleasure from his strong hips that rolled between her raised legs. Jas slipped one hand down, feeling his legs strong as steel.

"Our love tonight is not the clumsy love we had the first time, figuring things out as we went along. Nor the fiery love of Thailand, where we burned the bed beneath us," he whispered. "It's not even the sweetest love that we shared in the Catskills. This love will bind us for life."

Jas slipped her finger over his mouth so that she could repeat the final words. "This love, my dear Aiden, will make us one spirit, filled with private pleasures for a lifetime."

They gazed at each other intensely for a long moment. So much was being spoken without uttering a single word. Jas grabbed fistfuls of his hair and pulled him back to consume her mouth again. She ravished him.

Then in an instant he possessed her. There was no place that his lips didn't go or his hands didn't touch. Love's fury broke, raged between them. Precious memories flowed in Aiden's mind. He thought of all the struggles that they'd gone to in order to get to this point. Aiden's heart melted thinking of how sweet the victory had been.

Nothing in this life, or the world to come would be better than this. Aiden had opened his heart to a six-year-old girl that made him feel loved. Now she would be locked to him forever. He had thrown away the key. "I want you, babe," he breathed. His hand caressed her rear and pulled her blazing body closer. The hard rocking between her legs, gave way to his merciless thrusts as he parted her. Aiden's rigor left Jas soaring beyond the heavens. She groaned as he filled her.

Lightning danced in her core as it received his fullness. Jas's soft pants became louder as her body drowned under his passion. Her body yanked and thrashed against the sweated sheets as pleasure ricocheted like lightening through her body. His name ripped from her throat, "Aiden, oh, God, Aiden!" The echo slammed against the wall as did the headboard. Aiden was out of control – she'd lit his wildfire.

The taste of her. Jas's soft skin against his heated flesh. The words that she'd made love to him with all night suddenly reached a fever pitch. His moans slipped between hers as they made very sensual music. A melody that only they wrote. This was a new love song, the first of many to come.

His eyes drifted open long enough to scan the sensual bliss on her precious face into his memory. Aiden's eyes shut, Jas's ecstasy flashed to his heart like a snapshot. He gave her all of his love, imprinting himself into her soul with each mind-blowing thrust.

Jas struggled to form three simple words. Aiden rocked her into a frenzy. Euphoria began to flood her body. "Please...release... me."

"At my pleasure," he breathed, dragging her body into a dimension that she'd never known.

"I won't survive," she breathed.

"Singed, babe?"

Jas's mind swirled with pleasure but just was able to glimpse what he'd said when they had first laid on the bed – You're messing with fire. With the little control, she had left over her body she uttered, "Up... in... smoke, Aiden."

"Mmm," he moaned, happy to have given her more than her body could bare. They united in a wild, frantic cadence. Jas began to feel her body separate from this world and be place into another. Her core lit like the Fourth of July, exploding as his last hard thrust drove them over a blissful cliff. Jas's back arched slowly as paradise blazed through her body. She cried out. Aiden's sweated body fell limp. Before Aiden found the strength to roll off of her, Jas was already sleep. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Mine, all mine."

***

Aiden groggily turned, not believing that he heard someone knocking on the door. He smiled down on his wife who laid sprawled half across him and half across the twisted sheet in a beautiful heap. Aiden planted a soft kiss on the top of her hair, because he couldn't see her face. It was a mess, hair scattered across her and the pillows. He tapped her shoulder. "Babe, we've got a visitor."

She turned over on her back, exposing every lovely piece of her that he'd thoroughly enjoyed last night. Jas smiled, as he moaned. He walked towards the dresser.

"We've got all day and all night," she teased. "Now who could that be?"

Aiden reached in the dresser draw and pulled out a pair of night pant and shirt. He slipped them on and tossed Jas her bathrobe. "Who is it?"

"Nanna."

Jas looked so embarrassed. She laughed and covered herself up further with the sheet. Aiden cracked the door, hoping that she wouldn't want to come in. "Good morning, Nanna."

She pushed her way into the room anyway, just as he knew that she would. "Good morning, you think? It's almost 4:00 in the evening."

"What?" Jas chuckled.

Nanna spied the wedding dress, clothes and shoes strewn everywhere on top of the masses of balloons. Bed pillows were everywhere but on the bed. The comforter was pooled on the floor. She turned and gave them a wink. "Good Lord, what went on in here last night."

Aiden bloomed instant red. Jas buried her face in the sheet. "Oh, Nanna," she sighed.

Nanna gave a girlish laugh. "I hate the disturb the love nest, but me and Major have to go."

"Aww, Nanna. I thought you would stay until at least tomorrow."

"No, dear," she said kissing her on the cheek. "He's got some business to take care of. I knew we wouldn't see you for breakfast, but Major, Deanna, Troy and I had hoped we could have had lunch together. They left about an hour ago and told me to give you their blessings."

"I appreciate that, Nanna. I can't believe that we slept that long." Aiden sat back on the bed and tucked Jas under his arm.

"I hated to have had to disturb you, but you left your phone downstairs last night. Aiden's phone went straight to voice mail."

"What's the matter, Nanna?" said Jas.

Nanna took a deep breath as she contemplated what she was about to say. It was a bitter sweet moment for her, but one that she knew that she had to make. She clasped Jas's hand. "We both have a new and beautiful life, now. The men that we have are going to make us eternally happy. I want us to live in our future and not our past."

"What are you saying, Nanna?" Aiden asked.

She looked at Jas for a long moment. "I'm saying that I would like to leave the inn to Bruce and Michelle. They've been here with us all along. Our lives here are done, Jas. We've got such a beautiful future ahead of us."

Jas's mouth dropped open. She was too stunned to speak. Jas started to hyperventilate. Aiden gently rubbed her arm to comfort her. He smiled seeing Nanna's wisdom. She was clearing a path so that all of their time and attention would be spent building a solid marriage for the men that they loved.

"Now, I haven't said anything to them about it. But all the paperwork is right here. I want this to be your decision, Jas. If you want to keep the inn, that is fine. I'm not coming back."

"Oh, Nanna," she reached over and hugged the woman that meant the world to her. Jas worked hard to keep her emotions from spilling over.

Aiden and Nanna embraced Jas as she adjusted to the news. Nanna continued, "If you decided to give them the inn. They only need to give you one dollar to make the contract. Included in the contract is that 50% of the proceeds of our pies will come back to the inn so that Michelle and Bruce will never have to worry about keeping it going and you can have the other 50%.

"That's very generous," Aiden said.

"But they are your pies too, Nanna."

"That husband of mine has enough money to burn for 100 years. Dear child, I don't have a single need for money," she laughed. "And you really don't either, with the genius that you married, but I really don't want the money. It has served its purpose."

Jas sat up. She turned and looked thoughtfully at Aiden. "What do you think?"

He shrugged. "This has to be your decision, Jas."

She turned to Nanna. "Never coming back?"

"Only to visit. I think I would like to come down sometime for the Apple Festival and to visit Ella and our friends."

Jas put her face in her hands and thought about it. This was a twist in her life that she never would have imagined. Memories from her entire life at the inn filled her mind. This had been the best world to live in. It had been the joy of her heart in good times and in bad times. But without Nanna, how could it ever be the same anyway. She lifted her face and glanced between Aiden and Nanna. "Let's do it. No one would be more fitting to care for the inn than Bruce and Michelle."

Aiden embraced her so hard that it knocked the wind out of her lungs. He knew, that by making a decision not to keep the inn meant that she was making a decision for the well-being of their future.

Nanna clapped her hands together and pulled both of them into a hug. "You made the right choice, dear."

Nanna stood, wiping her own eyes that were beginning to cloud. "Everything has turned out just right." She smiled and tussled Aiden's hair. "Take good care of my cherished one. Major doesn't want you all to come down to see us off. He says that he wants the two of you to fly down for Christmas."

Nanna kissed both of them. "We will drop the papers off with Bruce when we leave. He's got Flannery. So, when you all get ready to leave stop by, and he'll have her ready for you."

"I love you, Nanna," said Jas.

Aiden squeezed Nanna's hand. "You're everything to us. Thank you for saving my life and giving me this wonderful blessing." He placed a soft kiss on Jas's lips.

"I love you both more than you'll ever know. We praise God for working all of our lives out for our good and his glory."

The End