A North Carolina Autumn - Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Brief smut
"Ry!" I shout, running dangerously fast from the kitchen to our bedroom, trying like hell not to let my slippery socks on the slick floor be the downfall of my excitement.
"What?" Rylie's eyes are wide as I slide into view. She's sitting upright in bed with one leg hanging off as if she was just about to come running to my rescue. "What's wrong?"
"Oh!" I stop in the doorway, realizing I probably worried her. "Nothing, I just have exciting news!"
"Aspen, I thought you chopped off your finger or something!"
"While vacuuming?" I giggle, unable to stop myself. Rylie narrows her eyes and my laughter quickly stops. "Sorry," I clear my throat. "I was just excited, no chopped off fingers here!"
Rylie rolls her eyes but finally cracks a smile. "I can hardly handle the suspense, please tell me what's got you so excited."
"This!" I reply as I hop onto the bed beside her, opening my hand to reveal a small, black thumb drive.
"A thumb drive..." Rylie trails off, confused as to why I'm so excited about it.
"A thumb drive with our wedding pictures on it!"
"What! Aspen, why didn't you lead with that?" Rylie shouts, and I laugh.
"Like I said, I was too excited. Can we look at them now?" I plead.
"We can't." Rylie groans. "I promised my mom we'd be there today. Dad's even bringing the boys."
"What if we go through just a few before we go, and then go through more with your parents?" I suggest hopefully. Rylie can definitely tell how badly I want to see the pictures, and I know she has to feel the same. "Please, baby?" I whine, pulling out the puppy dog eyes I knew Rylie couldn't resist.
"Aspen!" Rylie groans, falling back onto the pillows. I grin and jump onto the bed beside her as she rolls her head to the side, meeting my eyes. "You know that's cheating."
"What, this?" I ask innocently as I slip back into my sad, pleading face, making sure to emphasize my eyes. I even give a little sniff as though I'm trying to hold back tears.
"Baby, no!" Rylie sits up quickly and pulls me into her arms, running one hand over my hair again and again. "Seeing that face, even if I know you're joking, breaks my heart! It's not fair for you to be that good at it." She grumbles, still holding me tightly.
"I am really good at it, aren't I?" I giggle.
"Too good." Rylie laughs before letting me go. "The sniff really sold it."
I grin and kiss her softly. "I knew it would. So is that a yes?"
Rylie giggles and sits back against the pillows once more. "Yes."
"Sweet!" I shout before jumping off the bed to grab my laptop. It takes me no time to plug in the thumb drive and pull up the photos. Rylie and I both gasp when the first picture loads.
"Oh my God..." Rylie says softly.
"You look perfect." I whisper as I stare at the image of her in her wedding dress, the wind ruffling the skirt of it.
"We look perfect." Rylie corrects me with a smile. I couldn't help but agree with her.
The first few pictures are of just us on the beach with either the ocean or the wedding venue as our backdrop. Though we'd done a variety of different poses, our love is incredibly clear in each picture. I beg my eyes to stay dry as I study the photos, but they don't listen. The way Rylie looked at me and held me is the only thing I can pay attention to.
"You really love me, don't you?" I whisper, fighting to keep my voice steady. I pull my eyes away from the photo of Rylie holding me in a dipping position as we kissed and lock my gaze with hers.
"I really, really do, Aspen. More than you'll ever know." She replies just as softly. "I never expected a photo to be able to capture your love for me so well, but it's impossible to miss." Rylie continues as I click to a picture showing my eyes locked on her while she stared out at the ocean. "You do so good with making sure I feel your love, but it's amazing to see it in these pictures, too."
Had I not already been crying, this would've done the trick. I let out a little laugh and wipe my eyes before setting my laptop aside. I slide a hand to cup Rylie's cheek and press my lips to hers, kissing her in a way that tells her just how much I love her.
Rylie doesn't hesitate in kissing me the same way, somehow managing to make me feel as though it's our first kiss all over again. Butterflies erupt in my stomach and my legs feel weak, despite the fact that I'm not even using them.
"I'm so in love with you." I say, resting my forehead against hers. "I don't think I'll ever stop falling for you, I couldn't if I tried."
"Are you planning on trying?" Rylie teases before kissing the tip of my nose.
"No," I giggle as I brush a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Only an insane person would try to stop loving you. I'm not insane."
"Well..." Rylie starts.
"Hey!" I shout, and she instantly raises her arms in defense. Smart girl. I opt for a gentle push that ends with me straddling Rylie, her eyes wide and locked on mine.
"I didn't mean it!" She giggles, fighting my hands as I tickle her.
"Say you're sorry." I reply calmly as I try not to laugh.
"I'm sorry! You're not insane and I love you!" Rylie cries, her laughter filling the room.
"That's my good girl." I praise her, grinning when her shocked eyes meet mine.
"Say that again?" Rylie asks, slightly out of breath.
"Say what?" I reply innocently.
"Those four words that also happen to be one of my favorite phrases of all time."
"Hmm... but it's only your favorite when I say it, right?"
"Yes." Rylie answers, using her words without me having to ask.
I smirk, enjoying the way she swallows nervously. "Mmm..." My voice is low as I lean down, keeping my lips only inches from hers. "That's my good girl." I say again.
Rylie doesn't give me a chance to keep teasing her before she presses her lips to mine, kissing me hard. "You have no idea how much that turns me on." She breathes against my mouth.
"Yeah?" I begin moving one hand down along her body, stopping to fiddle with the hem of her sweats. "I bet I could find out..."
"Please." Rylie says, biting her lip.
She was giving me all the words and looks I wanted without me having to ask, making me realize again how much I love her submissive side.
"You really are being such a good girl today." I whisper, keeping my eyes on hers as I slip my hand beneath her waistband. Rylie's eyes flutter closed as my fingers find her already wet center, her breathing quickening as I begin slowly moving my fingers. "My good girl." I finish before kissing her neck.
My words, lips and fingers bring the sweet moans I'd been waiting for to her lips, and I'm hit with the desire to please her over and over, just to keep hearing that sound.
Or any of her sounds. I think as Rylie gasps my name.
"Don't stop." She pleads, and I don't. Instead of slowing or teasing her, I speed up my movements, earning another moan. Giving her body what it craves is the only thing I want.
And so, despite the plans we have for the day, I take my time with Rylie. She probably won't mind being a little late once I make her feel everything she deserved to feel.
"Where's Harper?" Rylie asks the moment Kristen invites us in.
"She's napping." Kristen says with a laugh. "But she should be waking up any minute now." Rylie pumps her fists excitedly and I laugh. I'd told her to hold the baby fist so I could sneak some pictures of the two of them.
"Where are the boys?" Rylie asks the moment she sees her father in the living room. Harvey instantly begins sniffing around, apparently wondering the same thing.
"Hello to you too." Brad laughs.
"Hey, dad." Rylie giggles before stepping into his arms. I watch their embrace, not surprised by the small twinge of sadness I feel. It was hard not to wonder about how things would be if my dad was still alive or what it would be like to hug him again.
Brad pulls me into a hug next, his comforting embrace managing to take away some of my sadness. I know Brad would never try to replace my father, but he always managed to help with some of the pain that came from that.
I follow Rylie to the couch and sit next to her, and it takes me a moment to realize we still don't know where the boys are. Usually they were the first ones to greet us very excitedly at the door.
As I have the thought, a small voice calls out to our right. "Marco!"
"Oh boy," Rylie laughs. "Hide and seek, I presume?"
Brad nods, chuckling. "And you're the seeker."
"Of course I am." Rylie sighs before pushing herself up from the couch. "Come on, buddy." She says to Harvey. "Let's find your boys."
"Feel free to grab Harper afterwards." Kristen calls out as Rylie enters the hallway.
Rylie grins back at us. "I love waking the baby."
Kristen and I laugh as Rylie disappears, and it only takes a few moments for the giggling to start.
"Shh!" One of the boys whispers loudly. "She'll find us!"
With how noisy they were, there's no doubt Rylie already knows where they are. Harvey definitely smelled them, too. Even I know that they're in the coat closet just down the hallway.
Rylie doesn't give it up right away though, and spends another minute or two pretending to look for them, and Harvey happily plays along. More giggles erupt when she finally opens the closet door.
"You found us!" The boys yell excitedly before running into the living room, followed by an excited Harvey.
"Hi Aspen!" Aiden says happily as he climbs onto the couch beside me. "Did Rylie and Harvey take forever to find us?"
"They took so long!" I grin. "You guys must have hidden well!"
"Yes!" August and Asher chime in.
Rylie appears a moment later with a sleepy looking Harper in her arms, and my smile only grows. She sits on my other side and sets the baby on her lap, staring at her with so much love in her eyes. I could watch Rylie like this all day, the love she has for Harper is adorable.
I reach over and take one of her little fists, grinning when the baby smiles up at me. "She gets cuter every time we see her, I swear."
"It's a Hansen thing." Rylie jokes, even though Harper wasn't technically a Hansen.
"You're not wrong, I know you get cuter every time I see you. And I see you a lot." I wink.
"What about us, Aspen?" Asher asks.
"They're always listening, I swear!" I whisper to Rylie before turning back to the boys. "You guys definitely get cuter every time we see you. And since there are three of you, it's three times cuter than anyone else!"
"Hey!" Rylie pouts, and I grin before kissing her cheek.
"I'm just saying that to get them off our case. You know how I feel each time I see you." I whisper as I slide my hand up her leg. Her eyes flick to mine and I smirk. Being able to make her feel this way even while we were with her family makes me feel powerful, in a way. It makes up for the amount of times she does the same, and she always does it so effortlessly.
"Anyway!" Rylie says after clearing her throat. I laugh, not missing the way she shifts in her seat. She notices my smirk and glares. "You'll make that up to me later." She whispers.
"Oh, I was planning on it." I whisper back. My grin only grows as I watch Rylie's face redden. I would indeed be making it up to her later, and not just once.