*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
Dean went above and beyond for Zoey's 3rd birthday party. While she doesn't have any little friends to invite to her party this year he still made sure it would be a party she would never forget and a party she would have a wonderful time at. He rented out an indoor trampoline park for us for the day so that Zoey can do whatever she wants and have the place to herself. We walk into the trampoline park and we are greeted by our party host. "Hello, I am Daisy, I am going to be your party host for today. We can do whatever you wish to do," she says to Zoey, Dean and me. "Are you the birthday girl?"
"Yes," Zoey says shyly as she squeezes onto Dean's leg before burying her face.
"What's your name?" she asks.
"Zoey," she mumbles into Dean's leg.
"I love that name Zoey! Do you want to go see your party room?" she asks enthusiastically.
Zoey doesn't move with her and Dean urges her to go. "Come on, Zo," he says taking her hand as we begin to follow the host to the party room. I'm not sure why one child needs a party room but whatever makes Zoey happy I am all for it. We walk into the party room and it is decorated with pink and white balloons with a Minnie mouse balloon. There are pink and white streamers hanging up in the room and there is a large cheese pizza sitting on the pink and white table cloth with a Minnie Mouse birthday cake. On another table there are birthday presents for the birthday girl. A lot more than she could ever imagine, I smile as she let's go of Dean's hand to check everything out. "What do you think, Zo? Isn't it pretty cool for a birthday party?"
"Yes," she squeals with excitement. "Presents!" she yells. "Can I open my presents?" she asks.
"How about we eat first?" I suggest, "then play a little bit before you open presents then have cake, how does that sound?"
"Okay," she says with a smile. She looks so adorable with her pigtail braids, colorful headband and her birthday tutu outfit as she sits down to eat some pizza. The party host serves us our pizza. We sit and eat a couple slices before we venture out into the trampoline park.
Zoey loves every minute of her time on the trampolines and jumping into a foam pit. I won't lie Dean and I enjoy ourselves too as we jump on the trampolines too and jump into the foam pit. I see a new side of Dean as we play with Zoey on the trampolines. He's happy, laughing and carefree. I love to see him this way. He's always so focused on work and working on his business to make money for us but I love the carefree and nurturing side of him. I couldn't have asked for a better man in my life and a better father figure to Zoey. He loves her so much and she has really grown to love him. He is her best friend. He always makes time for her in his busy day to talk with her and spend time with her. Sometimes he spends more time with her than he does with me and I am okay with that. I love the bond they are creating together. Zoey squeals as he chases her on the trampoline and she jumps to get away from him before he catches her. He scoops her up in his arms and tickles her making her laugh even more.
After we play a game of ball tag on the trampolines where Dean and Zoey tag team against me but it's a lot of fun we go back into the party room so that Zoey can open up all her presents. "You know," I whisper to Dean. "You didn't have to go overboard with her presents."
"She deserves it," he says wrapping his arm around my shoulders as we watch her start to tear open her presents. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time. I don't remember her ever having a birthday party this wonderful. Her first birthday was spent with Cody's family and she just had some cake and her 2nd birthday was celebrated in a shelter. She deserves this.
"A BABY DOLL!" she yells pulling out a box with a baby doll in it from an expensive baby doll store. "LOOK MOMMY!" she yells as she holds it up. "She's so pretty!" she says of the doll that resembles her with blue eyes and blonde hair. "Thank-you, Dean!" she says.
"You're welcome," he says with a smile as she continues to open more presents. Dean got her an entire baby doll set from the store complete with a crib, high chair, changing table, diaper bag, 4 outfits and a carseat. He spoiled her but the look on her face as she runs over to give him a hug melts my heart. "Do you like all that stuff?" he asks.
"Yes," she says with a smile as she hugs him. "Thank-you!" she says.
"You're welcome," he says before she goes back to finish opening up the rest of her presents. Her excitement isn't as big as she opens the smaller gifts that I got her but I did leave one big gift at home that I know she's going to love.
After Zoey finishes opening her presents we have birthday cake. We light the candles and sing Happy Birthday to her. She has a big smile on her face and her blue eyes are shining in the candlelight as we sing. My heart is full as I see all the happiness in her face. She blows out all three candles and we clap for her making her smile even bigger. I cut up the cake and give her a piece before I give Dean a piece of cake and give myself a piece of cake.
When the party is over Dean's driver loads up everything from the party into the car before he drives us back to the house, we get out of the car and I say, "Zoey, I have one more birthday present for you."
"Another one?" she asks in a squeaky voice as she holds Dean's hand.
"Yes just one more," I say with a smile. "You stay here on the front porch and I will go get it for you okay?"
"Okay," she says as she holds her baby doll in her free hand.
"I'll be right back," I announce before I make my way to the garage. I walk into the garage and grab her last birthday present as Dean's driver carries in her other presents to the house and the leftover cake. I push the gift to the front of the house and see Dean and Zoey sitting on the porch waiting for me. They are playing a hand clapping game as they wait. "All right, Zoey," I say with a smile as she stops her game with Dean. Her blue eyes get big as she sees her present.
"A BIKE! I never had a bike before!" she squeals and jumps off the porch to run over to the pink Paw Patrol bike. "I love it, Mommy!" she says as she checks it out. She plays with the streamers on the handle bars and checks out the basket on the front of it. "Look, Dean," she says showing it to him.
"That's a pretty awesome bike," he smiles. "Do you want to give it a try?" he asks.
"Yeah," she answers him.
"Okay," he says, "go ahead and get on the bike. I'll help you." She climbs up onto the bike and I smile as he shows her how to hold onto the handle bars and helps her pedal the pedals. He holds onto the handle bars as she gets the bike moving slowly. He lets go and watches her pedal in the long driveway. "You're doing it, Zoey!" he says with pride. "She's doing it," he says to me.
"I know," I say with a smile as I watch her turn around and make her way toward us.
"I had the BEST birthday EVER!" she announces as she gets off her bike. She runs over to hug us both together. "Thank-you, Mommy and Dean," she says hugging us tight as she looks up at us with her beautiful blue eyes and for the first time in a long time in this moment as we hug her back I feel like a family.
"I would say that Zoey had a great day today," says Dean as we are in our bedroom after putting her to bed after she passed out in the living watching a Disney movie.
"I agree she did," I say as he climbs into bed next to me as I am putting lotion on my arms. "You're so great with her, Dean. You're a natural. She deserves someone like you in her life."
"She deserves better than what she has. I'm glad to make you both happy," he says cuddling up with me shirtless and just in his briefs. "You both deserve better than what you had. It's funny," he begins. "I never thought I was going to have kids or ever really wanted to have kids. I wasn't even sure I wanted a wife but then you came along and I fell in love with you. I wasn't supposed to but I couldn't help it. I fell in love with you and I have fallen in love with Zoey. I enjoy every day with you and her," he says. "I wouldn't change my life now for anything."
"I wouldn't change it either. Thank-you for loving us the way you do."
"I couldn't not love you," he says with a gorgeous smile. "You're everything to me and I thought my whole life would be dedicated to my business and my career but I want my life to be dedicated to you and Zoey as well as any kids you and I have together. I look forward to working with you and being partners in business and in life, Journey."
"Me too," I say with a smile as I rest my head on his chest and lace our fingers together.
"I just don't know how someone so great ended up with someone so evil," he says, "I have been looking into Cody's past and it's not good. How did you end up with someone like that?"
"It's a really long story," I say.
"We have time," he smirks.
"Maybe I had something else in mind besides talking about my crazy psycho ex," I say with a smirk of my own.
"We'll have plenty of time for both of this," he says, "I just want to know how someone as amazing as you ended up with someone like him."
"Well, you already know what happened with my step dad and my mom. My mom didn't believe that my step dad raped me repeatedly and didn't believe my stories of him coming into my room when she was working at the hospital. She thought I was making it up. She always thought I was lying," I begin, "so she kicked me out. I went to live with a friend but like I said before I could never really get myself focused back in school and I couldn't get myself together. I started to hang out with all the wrong people, hang out with the wrong crowd."
"I understand all of that," he says.
"Well, I met Cody in one of these crowds at a party. I thought he was the cutest bad boy I had ever seen. I was attracted to him right away. I don't even know why. I was just drawn to him. He seemed nice at first, he seemed like a great guy. We hung out together at the party and after that I gave him my number. I started to see him more and more. I started skipping out on school to spend time with him, to be with him. I wanted to be with him. He was the first person that I felt loved me in a long time. I understand now that I got lust and love confused. I was a smart girl but I was dumb when it came to life choices especially with Cody. He seemed like a great guy but he really wasn't. He promised to love me and be there for me, give me a life of happiness. I was happy with him. I really was and I got pregnant with Zoey not too long after we moved in together because my friend's parents kicked me out because I was spending too much time with Cody and I wasn't following their rules so they kicked me out. I was young and dumb with no high school diploma and pregnant. I had no choice but to marry Cody. The marriage started off great I was happy and he seemed happy but it didn't last long. He got involved with drugs and dealing drugs. He started to get violent and started to beat me around. Everything I did was wrong. I couldn't even breathe right. I had to walk on eggshells around him because I didn't know if I was going to set him off or not. He was crazy. I tried to get out before Zoey but he wouldn't let me leave, his parents were no help because it turns out he was just like his father so his mother had endured the same abuse I was for years. Zoey was born and he loved her. He promised to change for her and he did for a year but then when she was 18 months old he went back to his old ways. He started to get aggressive with me and started to hit me again. He raped me when I didn't want to have sex, he threatened to kill me on many occasions. He called me useless. He accused me of having an affair with one of his friends and that was the night that changed everything. That was the night he kicked my ass so bad that I left. I took Zoey and I left. I went to the hospital for my injuries. I had several; broken ribs, busted nose, fractured wrist and I was covered in bruises he did a number on me. The hospital helped me find a safe place to go but every safe place I had gone he always found me so I came back here so that I could be safe and then I lost Zoey. And now he's found me again. I tried so hard to stay private, stay out of sight but he found me. I was confused when I got involved with him. I thought he loved me and after everything with my step dad and my mom I just wanted to be loved. I became attached to him and saw him for his mask not for what he truly was the monster that lived inside of him. I guess that monster was always there. I was just too blind to see it. I just knew I couldn't let Zoey grow up in that house with him. If he hit me what if he hit her? Or better yet what kind of man would she end up if she saw daddy hitting mommy all the time. I couldn't let her see it so I did what I had to do. I don't want him to find us."
"He won't find us," he says. "But I have to go into New York for a few days."
"Why do you have to go to New York?"
"I have some things to take care of. I have some work to do at my office. It won't be until next week but I have to go to New York so tomorrow I want to get started on the doll line and get your ideas for your clothing line."
"Okay but is it safe for you to go to New York, I mean with Cody running around?"
"I'll have my security team with me just like you'll have your security team with you," he says. "I promise everything will be okay."
"You promise?" I ask.
"I promise," he smiles. "Cody doesn't scare me, everything will be all right. I'll be back in two days I promise."
"Okay," I say. "I just don't want you to go."
"I have to. My staff needs me present. I can't keep working like this. I have to hold meetings, I have to run our ideas by marketing. I just need to go for a couple days maybe three at most and then I will be right back here. Okay?"
"Okay," I say.
He hugs me tight and kisses the top of my head. "It's going to be okay," he says. "I promise but that's next week. We have the whole night together," he says with a seductive smile. "Zoey's in bed you're mine for tonight," he says with a smile.
"Come here," I say with a smile as I pull him over me so his body covers mine. I kiss his soft lips, parting them with my tongue as it dips into his mouth. Kissing him deeply and passionately as I run my fingers through his hair, his soft lips part from mine and his lips find my neck, kissing it softly, nibbling on it lightly making me moan. His hands kneading at my breasts as he nibbles my neck softly, he takes my shirt off exposing my breasts, kneading one he takes the other into his mouth, nibbling and sucking on my hardened nipple. I bite my lip and moan out in pleasure. He moves his mouth to the next breast, sucking the nipple and nibbling it softly as he kneads the other breast. He kisses me down my chest down to my stomach, kissing around my belly button and nibbles my hip bones as he reaches the top of my shorts. He pulls my shorts down and tosses them to the floor. I help him remove my panties before he spreads my legs.
His mouth on my sex, sucking and nibbling on my clit as he inserts his fingers inside of me. I grab onto the pillow as he continues sucking and nibbling. His mouth replaces his fingers and I feel his tongue in their place as he rubs my clit as he makes love to me with his tongue. I close my eyes offering him more of my sex, taking his tongue deeper, moaning with pleasure. My legs quiver and twitch as he brings me over the edge, his tongue dipping deeper and faster, his fingers rubbing faster. I cry out in pleasure as I reach my orgasm. He removes his mouth from my sex and takes off his briefs exposing his thick and full erection. I stroke it softly, beads of pre-cum covering the tip. He moans as I stroke him soft and slow, taking my time with his cock, making him harder and fuller. He pulls my hand away and moves his body up mine, kissing my lips softly as he teases me with his cock, rubbing it against my clit, grinding it against my sex, my orgasm mixing with his pre-cum before he slides his cock inside of me. We groan with pleasure together as he fills me. He starts moving slow, taking his time as he makes love to me. His lips on my neck, my fingers in his hair as he moves slow and deep, I moan with pleasure as his movements pick up and become harder. He pulls out and slides back in and repeats it again, pumping his cock inside of me, my fingers kneading at his back as he goes deeper. I wrap my legs around his waist as he thrusts into me over and over again. His groans of pleasure in my ear, I meet him stroke for stroke. The passion tearing through me like a tidal wave, I can't resist. My body quivers and shakes, my toes curling as my nails dig into his back as I reach my orgasm, covering his cock with my hot juices. I hear him grunt as he moves harder, his cock growing larger inside of me and growing thicker, his teeth sinking into my neck, sucking it hard as he slams into me once more, his cock exploding deep inside of me, filling me with his seed. "Fuck," he says as his cum fills me deep, his cock continuing to spurt. It's been longer than we wished to have sex due to Zoey and her nightmares or just needing to sleep with us. His lips find mine as he kisses me softly and passionately. "I love you," he says to me against my lips.
"I love you too," I say against his before he kisses me again. He never pulls out as we began to make love with each other once more, taking our time, enjoying every thrust, and I enjoy every inch of him filling me. He pushes me into another orgasm shortly before he explodes inside of me once more.
*A/N: What did you think of Zoey's birthday party? Did Dean go over the top? Are you surprised at how much Zoey clings to Dean? What did you think about him admitting he didn't want any of this life until he met Journey? What is it about Journey that made him change his mind? Why do you think Journey ended up with someone like Cody? What do you think of Dean going to New York? Do you think it's a good idea? Please review and thank-you for reading.