Last time...

"Then yes. Yes... I'll marry you. I love you."

Jesse put the ring on her finger and pulled her into a deep kiss. Pulling her up with him, he said "She said yes!" and with that their family came out from behind the trees to congratulate the newly engaged couple. Beca's eyes got huge at the realization that Jesse thought enough to include their entire family in their special moment. He truly did think of everything.

As soon as all the squeals and hugs were over, Lucy looked at Beca and Jesse and asked, "So, when's the big day?"

Chapter 24

"Lucy!" Tripp started. "They've literally been engaged for a minute and a half. Let them have their moment in peace." he said wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I just want to know a time frame Tripp." Lucy said with a scowl.

"Mom, we haven't given it any thought yet, but when we decide you'll be the first to know." Beca said hugging her mother. Tripp winked at her from behind Lucy, knowing what she told her mother made her feel important.

"Beca, let's see the ring!" Rae said excitedly as everyone crowded around.

The minute Nora saw the ring she gasped. With tears in her eyes she said "Jesse Thomas, how did you get my ring back?"

Jesse seemed a little embarrassed as everyone looked at him, waiting for his answer. "Mom, when you pawned your engagement and wedding rings to pay Jamie's hospital bill, I vowed to get the rings back no matter what it took."

"And what did it take?" She asked. "You didn't do anything illegal...did you?"

Jesse rolled his eyes. "No, Mom. I didn't do anything illegal."

"Don't roll your eyes at me." Nora said sternly. "What did you do to get my rings back?"

"I made a deal with Mr. Norman down at the pawn shop."

"What was the deal?" she asked.

"I asked him to take the ring out of the case with the understanding that I would make weekly payments until I bought it back. I made the last payment while Beca was in New York. I planned to give the ring back to you on your anniversary but then Beca gave you the ring you're wearing now. So I asked Dad if I could propose to Beca with your original engagement ring."

"Charlie… you knew?" Nora asked, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Yes, I knew. I didn't think you'd mind seeing as how Jesse spend his hard earned money to buy the ring back."

"Oh, I don't mind," she hesitated, "I just… I-I never thought I'd see it again." she said taking Beca's hand for another look.

"I had to have it resized to fit Beca but otherwise it's exactly the same." Jesse told her. "The diamonds that were removed from the eternity band when it was resized were re-purposed." Jesse said handing his mother a small box.

Opening the box, Nora saw the most beautiful diamond infinity pendant set in white gold. "Oh Jesse." Nora said crying. "You shouldn't have."

"Mom, when the jeweler told me he'd have to remove some of the diamonds and suggested that they be placed into a pendant. This is what we came up with."

"It's the same infinity symbol from my ring." she said hugging her son. "I love it.

Beca had remained quiet while they talked but all eyes were now on her. Her eyes glued to the ring on her finger. It held so much promise, history and love. Now she knew that she and Nora were forever connected by not only their love for Jesse as well as their love for each other but also by the jewelry they each wore.

"Beca?" Jesse said tilting her chin up to look at him. "Are you ok?"

Taking his face in her hands she kissed him chastely in his lips, then stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. She whispered, "Yes. Actually, I'm better than ok." She hugged Jesse a little tighter before kissing his cheek and turning to Nora. "Nora, are you sure it's ok that I have your ring?"

"Oh my dear, sweet girl," Nora said kissing her cheek. "I can't think of anyone else I'd let wear my ring. I do have something I want to ask you though."

"Anything." Beca said.

"Please call it your ring."

"I will." she said pulling Nora into a tight hug.

Tripp popped a couple bottles of champagne and everyone toasted the newly engaged couple before leaving them to their own little celebration.

Beca and Jesse danced quietly under the clear sky, stars shining brighter than they'd ever seen. Beca started singing with the song on the radio. Jesse listened as she sang. She didn't sing to him very often so when she did he savored every minute.

"Looking in your eyes
Seeing all I need
Everything you are is everything in me
These are the moments
I know heaven must exist
These are the moments
I know all I need is this
I've found all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more

I could not ask for more than this time together
I could not ask for more than this time with you
And every prayer has been answered
Every dream I've had's come true
Yeah, right here in this moment
Is right where I'm meant to be
Here with you here with me
Yeah

These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive
These are the moments I'll remember all my life
I've found all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more"

"Thank you." Jesse whispered into her ear.

"For what?" she asked.

"For that song, for this…" he said kissing her gently. "And, for making me the happiest man on the planet."

Before Beca could respond, he kissed her. The tip of his tongue slipped past her closed lips and once inside their tongues brushed, tangled and fought a sensual duel that caused a heartfelt groan to roll up from his solar plexus. He pulled her even closer to him, pressing the straining bulge of his erection into her belly.

His left hand was firmly in the small of her back while his right traveled up to cup her breast through the soft cotton of her v-neck t-shirt. His thumb searched for her nipple but her bra was thickly padded and all he could feel was her smooth roundness. He growled as he reached for the hem of her t-shirt and sighed as his fingers felt the warmth of her skin. Running his hand up her torso he could feel the goosebumps on her skin from his touch. It excited him to know that was one of the many things he could do to her.

He wasted no time in pulling her bra cup down and exposing her nipple. The rigid point of her nipple cut into his palm, just as he'd known it would. Breaking their kiss, his chest heaved as his lungs strained to refill themselves with fresh oxygen. Tucked into him like a second skin, Jesse felt Beca struggling to do the same.

He relinquished her mouth but not her body. His thumb and fingers toyed with the pebbled tip of her breast while the rest of his hand kneaded and palmed it.

She could feel herself building up to what promised to be an Earth shattering orgasm. "Jesse… please." she begged. "Please."

Not saying anything he released her breast, his knuckles trailed the line of her belly to the waist of her jeans. With a deft flick of his fingers, he had the button open and the zipper half way down. He didn't bother touching her through her lacy panties opting to go straight to her slick, swollen folds. His wide palm cupped her while his long middle finger skimmed the sensitive bud of her clit and circled her opening.

"You're so wet." he said.

She opened her mouth to answer or perhaps beg him to to take her right there but he cut her off by thrusting his finger deep inside her and rubbing his thumb against her clit. He smiled knowing the action did exactly as he had intended, though with much less effort than he'd thought necessary. She tightened around him and her eyes rolled back in her head as she pulsed in his hand and came with a strangled scream.

Seeing her climax while still standing, feeling the shudders as they rippled through her her body, rocked him to the soles of his feet. It hit him so hard he nearly came himself...without so much as a touch, without even freeing himself from his jeans.

She was limp in his arms, eyes closed and breathing ragged as the tiny aftershocks continued to roll through her body. He knew if he let her go she'd fall and asking her to walk was out of the question. Scooping her up in his arms he climbing into the bed of the truck. She seemed to recover a faster once she was laying down.

When they both finally caught their breath, Beca straddled Jesse. He kissed her deeply, passionately. It was a kiss that threatened to melt her from head to toe and turn her into a pile of goo. It took all the strength she could muster to get her fingers working between them and open the button of his jeans.

His erection was pressed tight against the skin tight denim which made it hard to get him out without hurting him. Slipping one hand inside to cup his impressive length she used the other to lower the zipper...slowly, deliberately, while she stroked and squeezed his rigid cock.

His moan rumbled from his lips through hers as his hands ran down her spine, inside the already loose fabric of her jeans and over her butt. His fingers flexing the soft, round globes of her ass he pulled her even closer than she thought possible.

Their mouths were still locked together, devouring and savoring each other as they made short work of undressing each other. Seconds later, she was crushed beneath him, his mouth fastened to her neck, the light dusting of crisp hair on his chest abrading her overly sensitized nipples. She tipped her head back further, giving him more room to lick and nip, her senses reeling.

His arms mesmerized her. She let the pad of her fingers trail over his massive shoulders, around his hard, rounded biceps, down to his equally strong forearms and back again. She lingered over the black ink on his biceps. The cross and barbed wire tattoos were extremely sexy. Her tongue darted out in anticipation of licking those long, sexy, black lines.

He noticed the impromptu flick of her tongue and gave a low animalistic growl before he took her mouth with such ferocity that it thrilled her all the way down to her toes.

Inside her veins, her blood pounded hot and heavy. Her heart was beating like a drum and her body hummed with anticipation. His hands cupped her breasts, kneading them before making their way down her body. He skimmed her waist, her hips, then his wide hands circled the tops of her thighs before spreading her legs apart and hooking them over his shoulders. He slid right in, her body stretching and molding around him until he filled her to overflowing. He hit all the right spots immediately and was so deep, so tight against her clit that her hips arched up and she nearly came again.

He hadn't moved, hadn't stroked, hadn't even begun to give her what she knew lay ahead, but already she was teetering on the razor-fine edge of a world class orgasm.

Her legs slipped down to hook in the bend of his arms as he leaned close, pressing his chest close to hers while he nipped at her mouth. He used his lips, teeth and tongue to tease, but it was what he was doing farther down that had her lungs coiling in her chest.

She would have liked to blame her light-headedess and the tingles running through her arms and legs on the lack of oxygen reaching her brain, but knew it came from Jesse's touch alone. The raw scrape of his chest against her breasts; his mouth tracing lines of electricity along her jaw and throat and most of all, the thick, rigid length of his cock throbbing inside her.

His hands snaked down her sides, gripping her hips he angled her right where he wanted her before he started thrusting again. He closed his eyes as they moved faster and faster, their hips meeting with each thrust as the friction continued to build.

Her breaths came in gasps, her fingers curling into his biceps as he lowered himself to kiss her. She kissed him back, wrapping herself around him with her arms and legs as best she could considering her position. Embracing her, he pulled her tight against him, holding her at an angle which allowed the deepest access, the longest strokes and the most pleasure.

His hips pistoned between her legs as he thrust into her, pumping so hard that the the truck rocked right along with them. Her back was arching and her nails were digging into his broad shoulders, she opened her mouth to scream only to have Jesse cover her mouth with his own in an effort to swallow any Earth-shattering noises she might have made. He continued driving into her, his thrusts growing shorter and harder, even as she convulsed around his still rigid cock.

"Yes!" he huffed, his rough five o'clock shadow brushing against the soft, sensitive skin of her cheek. He turned his face into the crook of her neck, "Yes, oh my God, yes!" He said between the soft kisses he placed on her neck as he came, erupting inside her with a hoarse bellow, the sounds echoing through her ears.

Jesse's weight pressed her into the makeshift bed they were laying on, making it difficult for her to catch her breath. Instead of shifting or asking him to move, she wanted to stay this way as long as they possibly could. She was enjoying his heat, masculinity and the sensation of him still filling her.

Moments later she sighed as Jesse rolled over but before she could miss him, he circled her waist and pulled her onto his chest. He laid with one arm under his head and the other wrapped around Beca. She was draped over him like a warm, sated blanket.

After their very busy evening, she was just about to doze off when Jesse kissed the top of her head and said, "Don't get comfortable, I'm not done with you yet."

Hours later, still wrapped up in each other's arms they enjoyed the calm quiet of the peaceful, warm May evening, soon to be morning, while music continued to billow out of the truck speakers. Jesse began humming softly as he ran his fingertips up and down Beca's side.

With her head on Jesse's chest, Beca whispered one word, "November."

"November?" Jesse questioned.

"Yeah, a November wedding."

"Is 6 months enough time to plan a wedding?"

Looking up at Jesse, Beca laughed and said, "Have you met your future mother-in-law?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Jesse said laughing. "Your mom is the perfect person to get the job done."

"Exactly! She could have something planned for next week if I asked her to."

"So true." He said as he kissed her forehead. "Do you have a specific day in mind?"

"I'll need to look at a calendar first but I was thinking mid-November, unless you have a suggestion."

"Nope, this is your show baby… I'm just in it for the cake." He said kissing her sweetly.

Beca looked up at him and asked, "Just the cake huh?"

Jesse laughed, "Well, maybe a little bit more than the cake." he said kissing her again.

The next morning, Beca wandered downstairs, her eyes barely opened, to get a couple of bottles of water from the kitchen. She hadn't gotten much sleep, her body was slightly sore and she knew she reeked of sex but she really didn't care. If her parents found out she and Jesse were doing anything but sleeping together Jesse would be kicked out of the house and quite frankly, she would be right behind him. With that in mind, she made the conscious decision not to get close enough for them to be able to smell her. The thought made her giggle.

She mumbled "good morning" to her parents as she entered the kitchen and walked toward the fridge taking in the glorious smell of her parents breakfast and coffee along the way.

"Good morning sweetheart." Tripp said as he smiled, his eyes twinkling, over the top of his newspaper.

Beca grinned back at him and knew instantly that he knew she had broken his rule. Luckily he didn't seem to be bothered by it or if he was he wasn't saying anything in an effort to keep peace in the house.

Beca noted that her mother was watching her every move with baited breath. She was itching to find out if they had set a date.

Beca could feel her mom staring holes into the back of her head. "What Mom?" she asked not looking at her mother but knowing damn good and well what she wanted.

Lucy smiled. "Have you and Jesse chosen a date?"

Beca growled then rolled her eyes as she walked to the counter with a few things she found in the fridge. Seeing all the yummies Nora left in there made her realize she was hungry and wanted breakfast. After all, she and Jesse worked up quite an appetite the night before as well as earlier that morning. As she thought about the previous evening and glanced at her ring, Nora's ring and smiled. The mold was truly broken when Jesse was born.

"Geez Luce… They've been engaged for less than 24 hours. Let them enjoy this time. There's no rush."

"Darling, weddings take a lot of planning. There are lots of things to do." Lucy told Tripp. "I have to arrange a venue, a caterer, a band, flowers, cake..."

Tripp threw his hands up and stopped her in mid-sentence. "What do you mean you have to do all of that? Luce, this is Beca's wedding, not yours."

Beca stood at the counter preparing breakfast for her and Jesse while smirking at what her Dad was saying. They were talking as if she weren't in the room and at that particular moment, she was more than ok with that.

Beca pulled a tray from cabinet and placed it on the counter then poured fresh squeezed orange juice into two glasses. She peaked at what was on the stove, "Mmm, eggs, bacon and homemade buttermilk biscuits. I love my mother in law!" She said to herself taking two plates off the counter before taking a bite of a slice of bacon and dropping the rest of the slice on the plate. Beca put the plates on the tray as well as a bowl of fresh fruit, some yogurt, their glasses of juice and the bottles of water.

"I know it's not my wedding but…"

"It's Beca's wedding and she can have whatever she wants. I won't let you make the decisions for her."

As Beca walked out of the kitchen her parents were still going at it. She mumbled, "November" and without stopping, she headed for the stairs.

"Wait! Tripp… did she just say November?!" Lucy asked in a panic.

"Yes, I believe she did." He said going back to his paper with a huge smirk on his face.

"November?! As in 6 months from now!?"

"She didn't specify."

"Six months Tripp!" Lucy squeaked. "That girl will be the death of me!"

Tripp chuckled. "You act as if this is breaking news. She's been that way since the day she was born."

"Rhett Robicheaux… don't you laugh!" Lucy said raising her voice. "This isn't funny!"

"It actually is and quite frankly it's nice to a see a glimpse of the old Beca. I've really missed that little spitfire."

Lucy was in an absolute tizzy. Beca giggled, listening to her parents as she walked up the stairs as gracefully as could while trying not to spill the entire tray of food. At least she knew she had her dad in her corner.

When she entered her room, Jesse was still asleep. He was laying on his stomach, face buried in the pillows trying to block out the sunlight. She put the tray down and climbed back in bed. Sitting on his butt, she kissed her way up his back causing him to wiggle. She continued to kiss along his shoulder and neck to the spot just beneath his ear.

"Mmm…. again?" he asked with a smile on his face.

Beca giggled. "Mmm hmm." she whispered in his ear.

Jesse rolled over and took in the sight of his fiance as she hovered over him. He was pretty sure he was the luckiest guy in the world. She looked amazing even if her cheeks still had creases from the sheets and her face was puffy from sleep.

Beca kissed his lips then kissed her way back down his chest and over the 'V' of hips very well defined hips. As she approached his happy trail she looked at him through hooded eyes before taking his full length into her mouth. Jesse thrust his hips as she worked her magic, his hands automatically drawn to hair. She began humming like she had done many times and before she knew it was unloading his seed down her throat.

When he was done, she licked the tip of his freshly drained cock then sat up, looked him straight in the eyes and licked her lips. "Mmm…" she wrapping her hand around his cock and pumping him until he was ready. She hooked her index finger in her mouth trying to look innocent as she then lowered herself down on his impressive erection.

"You, my love, are completely insatiable." he said as his hips matched her thrust for thrust.

One week later...

Beca and Jesse were awakened by what sounded like gun shots. They both shot up out of bed and rushed downstairs not knowing what they would be walking into. As they cautiously entered the kitchen, they found Tripp smiling and loudly banging his fists on the kitchen table.

"Dad, is everything ok?" Beca asked as she and Jesse walked further into the kitchen hand in hand.

Tripp continued laughing and said, "Well, well, well… it's about damn time!" before he turned the newspaper toward them so they could read the headline on the front page. The headline read:

"COLD CASE BLOWN WIDE OPEN BY NEW EVIDENCE:

Elijah Babineaux, Robert Aucoin and Pierre Dugas

Indicted in Toussaint Plantation Fire"

A/N: I Could Not Ask For More - Sara Evans