Rising Up: Finding Me book 1 (38 page)

Imogen

Opening my eyes I stretch my achy body and smile at last night’s memories.  Not quite believing that I actually begged for him to fuck me there, but shit, it felt good.  Suddenly remembering it's my birthday I sit up and look around for Mason.  Easing my swollen body out of the bed I pad gently out and head down the stairs, I can hear his voice but no-one else so he must be on the phone.

"I don't fucking believe it?  Are you sure?  What, yes, she's still sleeping I don't want this to go wrong Lucas, it's far too important a day for it to go wrong.  Okay, if you're sure it will be good then I'm fine with it, but if Ginny gets upset over it I'll have your ass and I'm not joking here.  Fine!  Okay, I'll see you later.  Yeah bye."

I walk through the door and into our little snug without being seen, I think I like this room the best out of the whole house, not that it isn't all top of the range high quality stuff, the money that has been spent is outrageous but as we plan to live out the rest of our lives here I think it was spent well and wisely. 

I can hear Mason in the kitchen and hopefully he's making me my breakfast.  The baby has been moving none stop lately and I'm exhausted, but today he has gone quiet, maybe he's letting me have a peaceful birthday.  If I know Mason he will have planned something good for us today and won't tire me out too much. 

I really want these next couple of weeks to pass quickly now.  The house, apart from a few little niggling finishes is done and I am so proud of it.  Our dreams and desires have been turned into a beautiful reality.  I can't believe the turn around my life has taken, I would never have thought that out of something so terrible that something so amazing and fantastic could emerge.  I truly feel blessed and have most definitely emerged out of the ashes into a life I now think I deserve.

It's been about a half hour since I sat down and my eyes are still gazing around taking in all the little added extras that Nancy and I have put together.  There is a wall in the corner dedicated to photographs of Mason and his family as he grew up, there are even a few of myself that Theo had kept so I was happy to be represented here, as none of them are from after he left. 

Mason hasn't been in here yet I don't think, I hope he loves it as much as I do, I chose a British style and have a pair of high wing-backed chairs each with their own foot stool and a soft fabric sofa with lots of cushions, there is no TV in here so the dark red walls have shelves full of books and an impressive yet unobtrusive music system.

I asked Theo to sort out the house back home as I have no desire to ever step foot in it again, so he arranged to have all of my books and music packed up and flown out, (at great expense I know, but I needed some of me here).  My peaceful reverie is interrupted by Mason shouting my name over and over, getting louder and more and more panicky.  Heaving myself up of the sofa I waddle out of the room and straight into a very frantic man.

"Shit Ginny, you scared the crap out of me!  Where have you been?  I've looked all over the house."  He rakes his hands through his already messy hair.

"I was in the snug, you were on the phone when I came down and I didn't want to interrupt you so I went in there."  I turn to point at the corner room.  "Anyway here I am now, so what did you want me for?"  I look him up and down and bite my bottom lip gently and enjoy watching his eyes dilate as I do so.

"I want you back up in bed for your birthday breakfast and then I want to make love to you before you go off with your friends for the first part of your birthday present."  He holds out his hand and I happily take it, and am led back upstairs.

Eventually pushing my plate away from me I lean back and try to find a position comfortable enough for my food to reach my stomach, before Cookie kicks the shit out of me again.  "I think the making love might have to wait for this little monster to stop beating me up."  I wince as I remove a small heel from under my ribcage.

"Oh babe, not long now.  But we really should be making the most of our alone time because lazy morning sex may be a distant memory once he arrives."  He pulls me towards him and I try to curl my body around him. 

"As always you make a very good point Mr. Reynolds."  I squirm and wiggle my body down the bed and stretch my hands up over my head and point my toes out straight.

"Fuck Imogen you are so gorgeous."  His voice has deepened and his hand strokes down my arm and continues down my body until it reaches the apex of my thighs, I moan softly as his fingertips start to brush in gentle circles over my sex causing me to ease my legs apart. 

"That feels so good Mason."   Pulling me to the edge of the bed he props my feet on the covers and kneeling on the floor between them he starts to lick me, so gently to begin with and then deeper, I can feel my climax building as he swirls his tongue around my clit and back down to my folds pulling them deep into his mouth then back to my clit where he sucks it in his mouth and bites down softly.  I can't help crying his name loud as I pour my orgasm over his tongue.

"Beautiful babe, just beautiful."  Standing up to place his cock against my molten core he starts to nudge his way inside me and I can feel how hard I am gripping him as he begins to increase his pace, but never going to hard or fast, just perfect deep long thrusts that soon have me thrashing against the mattress.  "Steady babe, just go with the feeling, I know it's deep like this but you look so fantastic, enjoy the feel of me sweetheart."

I clamp hard on him and come again, this time I shudder quietly embracing the feeling of him pouring his release inside me while his eyes never leave mine for a moment. 

Leaning down to kiss me I wrap my arms round his neck and hold him against me, loving his solid strength all around me.  After taking a few deep breaths I look back into his eyes.  "Thank you for finding me Mason, I have been so lost for so long."

"Babe, I promise you will never feel or be lost again, I've got you Imogen and I'm never letting go."  He slowly pulls away and out of me and helps me to sit up.  "Do you want to see what's under here now?"  Tapping his hand to the bandage on his chest.

"Hell yeah!  C'mon big boy what'cha got under there?"  I can feel my eyes going wide as I see what is underneath when he starts to peel the tape away from my skin.  "Oh My God! Mason, it's stunning, so pretty, is it for me?"

"Imogen babe, you are all over this."  I look down to the brightly colored phoenix rising out of the ashes, its wings outstretched as it is reborn and my name cleverly woven through the flames.

As my hands tentatively reach out to touch it, and as they do, a shudder runs through me as our strange connection to each other reaches another level and I can feel the electricity from his body course through mine. 

"Wow!  Did you feel that Mase?" 

"Imogen, we were made for each other.  We are made for each other."  Leaning down to kiss me again and again.  "Babe, you need to get in the shower and be presentable before your girls get here."  Pulling me up to stand he holds my heavy belly in his hands and caresses our child.  "Almost time Cookie, almost time." He laughs out loud when his hand gets kicked hard.  "Shit Ginny, that's gotta hurt girl?"

"Yep, he's going to be a football player, I mean a proper football player not the American type you lot have got going on here." 

"What if he's a she?  What then?"  His eyebrow rises questioningly.

"Then she's just going to kick some serious ass!"  My tummy ripples as I laugh.

"D'you realize that's the first time you've said 'ass' not 'arse'?"

"Whatever!"  And I skip, well as much as an eight month pregnant woman can, to the shower.  "Are Tamsin and Red coming here?"

"Yep, they are desperate to see you and Phoenix and the house now it's done.  Why the hell do you call Amber Red, she's got hair almost as blonde as Mads."

"Because her surname is Greene, her parents obviously didn't think things through."  I'm laughing because I can see the cogs in his brain turning as he works it out.

"The poor girl, named after a set of traffic controls.  Look be quick babe I just heard a car turn up."  At that Phoenix starts barking.

Ten minutes later I'm ready and I waddle down the stairs to see my new best friends, they will never be able to take Maddie's place and I love that they don't try to, they have made their own marks on my heart..

I hear Tamsin before I see her.  "C'mon Baby Mama we've got some serious pampering to do today.”  I walk in the kitchen and see her spit her coffee over my new granite work surfaces.  "Shit Mason!  What the hell have you done to my girl?  She looks about to burst!"

"Thanks Tammy-girl that's a really good way to make the birthday-girl feel good."  I laugh and lean in to hug both her and Amber.  "Okay I'm as ready as I'm gonna be.  What time do you want me home Mase?"  I lean up to kiss him good bye.

"It's okay Ginny, Red here has the itinerary for the day."  He grins at her as he says her nickname.

"You bitch, Imogen.  You told him!"  Amber laughs and threatens to hit me.

Mason

It's half past seven and Ginny should be here any minute, she thinks that Tamsin is just dropping her off here for a birthday dinner with my family, so when I see the two girls walking in front of her through the open double doors on to the veranda, my heart skips a beat.  Trudy had her friend make a special one-off dress just for Ginny tonight and I, along with all the other guests can hear her moaning.

"I love this dress, but don't you think it's just a bit too much for a family dinner?"  I can see her now and she looks fucking gorgeous, the dress is midnight blue and drapes over one shoulder skimming across her amazing tits, and while not hugging her pregnant shape it accentuates it making her look damn sexy, my dick twitches in my pants at the sight of her silhouette.

The lights on the marquee are switched on and hundreds of tiny white light flicker and glow causing her to gasp as she takes it all in.

"Oh my God Wow!"  Her face scans the crowds looking for me and my heart soars when she spots me and her shy smile lights up her face and I can tell she is blushing.  Walking over towards her I kiss Tamsin and Amber on their cheeks and murmur 'Thank you' to them both.

"Imogen my darling girl, Happy Birthday sweetheart."  I kiss her hard and long amongst the catcalls and whistles from our friends.  "Surprised babe?"

Nodding at me but not quite taking it all in, she looks at all the happy smiling friends and family here to celebrate her special day.  "I want to hate this but I just can't.  Thank you Mason, nobody has ever done anything even as remotely as sweet as this for me before.  I love you darling, thank you."

"I love you too.  C'mon let's go and see everyone."  Taking her hand I carefully orchestrate the path we take through the crowds until after being kissed and hugged by everyone I turn her to face the last person in the tent. 

The whole room stands still and quiet as Imogen looks up at her best friend, neither of them seem able to speak as they just stare at each other and I begin to panic and look around for Lucas who set the whole thing up.  But then as her whole body trembles my hand is released and she walks up to Maddie and without any theatrics they just hold on to each other. 

I can see their shoulders are shaking and step up not wanting Ginny to get too upset and kick her hormones into overdrive, I get close and can hear them whispering to each other, kind words of love and encouragement so turning back to look at Luc I nod my thanks to him and in his carefree way he shrugs and moves off to be shot down by Tamsin again.

The evening is going amazingly well so far, which only fills me full of dread for my last surprise but that's not for a while yet.  The meal has been served and the caterers are clearing the tables away ready for the dancing to begin.  I love watching Imogen surrounded by her friends and the people who are now her family.  Theo has brought his wife Lucy and the three of them have spent a lot of time talking and are getting on well. 

Maddie and Imogen are dancing now and Lake and I are stood watching them as they let go.  I look at Lake and raise my eyebrows at him.  "What's going on in there dude?  Are you wishing things were different?"

"Of course I fucking am, she's the best thing that ever happened to me and like a complete dick I ballsed it up!  I know I acted like a dick but I had to ask, I should have listened to Luc and to Imogen, but I didn't, and I now have to watch her from a distance instead of walking up behind her and grabbing those damn fine hips and dancing close to her, close enough for her to be able to feel how much I miss her and wish things were different."

"I'm sorry Lake, I really am.  Did your brother even bother to ask if you were okay with this?"

"Yeah, and I am.  I wouldn't have wanted to miss their reunion for anything, that was something really special Mase."

I am listening to him but Ginny has got her back to me and from behind you still can't tell that she is almost ready to give birth and she is swaying her hips and ass and like a snake charmer I'm hypnotized by the sight.

I watch as she starts to dance and fuck me she is so sexy dancing with Maddie without a care in the world, which thankfully now she has none.  I see Lake looking at her ass.  “Hey dude, stop staring at Ginny's ass.”  I nudge my shoulder against his.

“I wish I could.  Shit Mase that is a fine looking ass.”  He manages to drag his eyes away to look at Maddie.

I decide it's time and walk over to the DJ.  Lake pats me on the back.  "Good luck man."

The music changes to one of her favorite songs and as Tom Odell starts to sing 'Grow Old With Me', I see her head snap up as she looks around for me.  Swallowing hard I step up in front of her and drop down on to one knee.

“Imogen Jane Banks, you are the love of my life, in fact you are my life.  I cannot imagine spending even a day without you. Our connection was there before we even realized it, we were drawn to each other.  Your strength, your beauty, your fire leaves me breathless. 

I don't know how I lived before you came blazing in to my life with your auburn hair shining in the sunshine, your emerald green eyes flashing at my bad pick up lines.

Everything I had seen and done before you was in black and white, but you turned it around opening my eyes to glorious Technicolor.  I know we have had some hard things happen to us, but we battled our way through them and became better and stronger people because of it.

I want to enjoy our lives together to watch our child, this child grow but mostly I want you to grow old with me.  Ginny my love, will you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife.  Will you marry me?”

Imogen

I am having so much fun tonight, I want to be cross with Mason for keeping this as a surprise but walking down and seeing so many happy faces and meeting Theo's lovely wife was worth the surprise, but seeing Maddie stood there looking so scared and nervous, I realized not just how important these people had become to me, but that I how important I had become to all of them. 

But right now as Mason is kneeling down before me laying his heart on the line in front of every person he holds near and dear to him I realize I have to make a decision.  It's not like I didn't think we would get married, I just hadn't thought it was something we needed to do any time soon, even with the baby's imminent arrival.

As I look around at them all I see his mother clutching her husband’s arm so tightly, I see Tamsin ready to cry and Maddie, well Maddie looks like she is about to either throw up or say yes for me.  I know when I look at my brother, a man I never thought I'd see again, watching me and giving the slightest nod of approval I know I have made my decision.  I look down at my beautiful man I realize that I would always be with him and his love for me is as solid as a dam wall.  So fuck it, here goes nothing.

“Ginny babe you're killing me here.”  He whispers.  I look down at the man I love with everything I've got, so why am I hesitating, so I bite the bullet and kneel down in front of him and take his face in my hands and kiss his soft beautiful mouth and whisper in to that kiss. “Yes.”

“Oh thank God.”  He presses his forehead up to mine.  “You sure had me worried there babe.”  I'm pulled up and held against him.  “She said 'Yes' everybody.”  The room erupts into cheers as they all rush towards us.  I watch him pull a box out of his pocket and open it. 

I'm gasping for air when I see the ring, it's a huge square cut diamond on a simple platinum band and exactly what I would have chosen although I wouldn't have imagined something this big.  As he places it on my finger he leans in to kiss where it's placed and chuckles “It can be a long engagement Ginny, I promise.”

Laughing and crying at the same time “We'll see, let's get the baby born first then we'll talk about it.”

“Sure thing babe, how about we head off home in a minute.”

I'm dragged out of his arms by Maddie and her hug is so tight I can feel my ribs groaning.  I feel like a parcel in a child’s game as I'm passed from person to person, Mason has a tight hold on my hand again and after saying goodnight to my brother we head off home.

Even after such a romantic proposal I can hardly manage to keep my eyes open, I can feel Mason lift me into his arms and carry me to our bed.

"I'm sorry I'm so tired Mason, you arranged such a wonderful party and your proposal was beautiful, unexpected, but so beautiful.  Thank you so much, can I show my appreciation properly tomorrow." 

My eyelids are closing as he pulls my dress over my head and lies me down to take off my underwear and then my shoes.

"Babe, you said yes that's all the appreciation I need, come on get some sleep."  He kisses my head and gets up ready to get undressed himself.

"Shit Mase, where's the dog?"  I try and get up all panicked.

"It’s okay babe, my Mom has him tonight, get some sleep now." 

I feel the bed depress as he climbs in and then he pulls my back against his front.  "Happy Birthday Imogen Banks, my beautiful fiancée."  He kisses the back of my head and we are both soon asleep.