Gifts of the Future Ch. 03

The only emotion he'd ever felt comfortable sharing with others was happiness... he had a great sense of humor and he loved sharing that with his friends and anyone else who looked like they needed a laugh. But he had a lot of deeper emotions over things from his past that had wounded him and he'd never felt he could open up to anyone and share his pain... his fears... his hopes... his dreams...

The few girls he'd dated in high school and during his summer breaks from The Academy had all seen him as this "big, strong man" who wouldn't be interested in discussing anything deep. All they'd wanted was to hang out with him and have a lot of laughs... and some great sex. Both of which he was good at and enjoyed doing... but he'd always hoped to be able to find someone who wanted to share more than just that...

And there she was... right in front of him... staring at him with her amazing silver eyes...

Didi was locked in Jay's golden gaze and she couldn't tell if the emotions she was feeling at that moment were his... or hers! All she knew was that she felt overwhelmed with the urge to throw herself against him and never let him go! Or was it the desire to have him wrap her in his arms and never let her go! She dropped her eyes as she frowned in confusion trying to sort out which emotions were whose... but she realized it didn't matter... they both wanted the same thing!!!

Jay and Didi stood up at the same moment and attacked each other nearly the same way her parents had done... only they weren't pulling each other's clothes off!! But they were kissing just as fiercely.

Lynda Seldon glanced to the other side of the reception tent when she saw her daughter suddenly stand up at the same moment as one of Brad's friends from The Academy. Then she gasped when Didi and Jay Hanson attacked each other; she grabbed her husband's arm and pointed as she exclaimed, "Oh, my God, Tom... does that remind you of anything?!!"

Tom's eyes flew open wide and he growled, "A little... they'd just better not take it any further!!!" He continued to watch them closely and after a couple minutes, he began to wonder if they were ever going to stop kissing...

Didi had grasped Jay's face as they crushed their lips together, and then moaned deeply and slid her hands around his neck and up into his thick, light brown hair as their lips parted and their tongues stroked together. Jay's hands kept wandering over her back in between the times his arms were crushing her body to his. Neither one of them wanted that kiss to end...

And it wouldn't have until Brad snuck up beside them and barked loudly, "LT. HANSON!!!" Jay's military training automatically kicked in and he released Didi suddenly and snapped to attention as the whole tent went quiet.

Brad almost snorted with laughter as he saw his poor sister struggling to regain her senses, then he turned to Jay again. "Lt. Hanson... that was conduct unbecoming of an officer in the United States Air Force! Mauling a fellow officer's sister like that in public! What has gotten into you, Lt. Hanson?!! Just what are your intentions toward my sister?!!"

Jay opened his mouth and barked just as loudly, "LOVE, LT. SELDON!!! THAT'S WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO ME... LOVE!!! AND I INTEND TO MARRY YOUR SISTER!!! If she'll have me..." he finished quietly as he turned to look at Didi, expecting to see shock written all over her face. But all he saw was a huge smile and her head nodding as tears sparkled in her silver eyes.

Brad was the one with shock written all over his face... he'd meant the whole thing as a joke, thinking he was just going to embarrass the hell out of Jay and Didi. He didn't think they would actually fall in love at first sight even though he had known all along that they would be perfect for each other. He thought all he had to do was make sure they met and nature would eventually take its course... he just hadn't expected it to happen this quickly!!!

Then Brad snorted a sarcastic laugh and shook his head when he saw his parents approaching. How did he always manage to forget the fact that his own Mom and Dad had fallen in love the second they'd laid eyes on each other?!!! Then he laughed harder when he remembered that they'd done a whole lot more than just lay "eyes" on each other... they'd ended up in bed together before they even knew each other's names!!!

Brad's laughter got even harder when he saw the look on his father's face as he stopped right in front of Jay and stared up at him like a Marine drill sergeant until Jay snapped back to attention. Brad clamped his mouth shut and tried to quit laughing when his father started barking orders at Jay.

"LT. HANSON! I DO NOT RECALL YOU ASKING FOR MY PERMISSION TO MARRY MY DAUGHTER! YOU'D BETTER REMEDY THAT PDQ, LEIUTENANT!!!"

Jay started to bark back, "SIR! YES SIR!!! Agent Seldon..."

Tom cut him off. "YOU EYEBALL ME FOR THIS, LT. HANSON!!! I WANT TO SEE YOUR EYES AS YOU ASK FOR MY LITTLE GIRL'S HAND!!!"

Jay looked down at him with an unwavering gaze and Tom felt almost struck by force at the sense of honor and duty that seemed to radiate from the young man. Jay reminded him of how he'd felt as young Marine Intelligence officer during the war and how caught off guard he'd been when he'd rescued Yakira from those Japanese soldiers about to rape her and fallen in love with her the moment he saw her...

Jay spoke clearly and forcefully, "Agent Seldon, sir... may I have permission to marry your daughter?"

Tom stepped back from Jay and snapped a crisp salute as he said sincerely, "Permission granted... wholeheartedly, Lt. Hanson!" He held the salute until Jay returned it and then smiled widely at him as he offered his hand and they shook firmly. Then he added, "Just promise me one thing, son... you don't take my daughter to bed until your wedding night. Is that clear?!!" he growled quietly with a menacing grin on his face so that only Jay could hear him.

Jay swallowed nervously and replied, "Understood, sir. How quickly do you think we could arrange to have the wedding?!!" he asked with a nervous laugh.

Tom Seldon threw back his head and roared with laughter, then he turned around and slapped his arm across Jay's shoulders as he exclaimed, "Damn, son... you're a man after my own heart!" Then he looked over at his wife and daughter and exclaimed laughingly, "Lynda, sweetheart... how quickly do you think you can throw a wedding together? Young Jay, here, is most anxious to get our precious Didi into bed and I've made him promise not to touch her until their wedding night!"

Didi stared in horror at her mother, father, brother and new sister-in-law as they roared with laughter along with everyone else who'd gathered around. Then she looked at Jay whose face was as red as hers felt, but his golden eyes seemed to both sparkle with amusement and smolder with passion as he stared at her. She rushed to him and he picked her up in his arms and held her excitedly, raining kisses all over her face as she laughed with joy!

Then she felt something that turned into the most wonderful sound she'd ever heard. She felt Jay's hard chest begin to rumble against her breasts as she was crushed to him and then his head fell back from kissing her as his laughter burst forth... it was so deep and masculine... and sexy.

Didi moaned softly and her own head fell back as the tingles she'd been feeling ever since she'd spotted Jay earlier suddenly turned to liquid heat that pooled directly between her thighs and she felt a throb of excitement inside her like she'd never felt before. She knew instantly it was her body telling her that Jay was the man she was meant for... and he'd give her pleasure that she would never experience with any other man.

Didi lifted her head and stared at Jay as his laughter was subsiding. He sobered and his golden eyes instantly roared with flames as he recognized the look on her face. She noticed that it had quieted and she continued to stare at him as she said seriously, "Mom, Dad... I don't want a wedding. Brad... can Jay and I borrow your plane so we can fly to Vegas tonight? You can fly, can't you, Jay?" she asked nervously when she realized she didn't know if he could or not!

Jay nodded absently, indicating that he did fly, and then they both turned to look at her family as they all stared at them in shock. Didi burst into laughter again as she exclaimed, "Oh, for crying out loud! Mom, Dad... have you two forgotten that you ran off to Vegas to get married as soon as Mom's background check had been completed?!! Well... I AM your daughter... don't look so shocked that I'm following in your footsteps! Just because I've found my soul mate a lot sooner than you two did, don't hold that against me!!! I want to marry Jay tonight!!! I'm over eighteen and you can't stop me!" she finished adamantly when they still looked skeptical.

Jay set her down as he started to protest. "Now, Didi... maybe your Mom would like to give you a nice wedding and your Dad would like the privilege of giving you away..."

She turned her face back up to his, put her hands behind his neck and pulled his head down to whisper seductively in his ear. "Jay... if you don't marry me tonight, I'm not going to let you keep that promise you made to my Dad! I want you... no man I've ever met or dated has ever made me feel this way! Please, Jay... I love you and I want you to make love to me... I wish you could take me right now... right here! I need you... so badly!!!" she pleaded desperately as she kissed and nipped his ear lobe and then dragged her lips to his neck and swirled her tongue just under his ear.

Tom and Lynda Seldon wondered what on earth their daughter was whispering to the man she wanted to marry. They watched Lt. Jay Hanson's face go from concern... to alarm... to nervousness... to desire... then to downright lust as his hands at her waist started to inch downward. Tom's eyes widened as he realized what his daughter was doing and he finally spoke up.

"All right, Didi... that's enough! Stop torturing poor Jay!" He paused as they broke apart and looked over at them. "We'll make you a deal... you can fly to Vegas tonight and get married, but your mother and I are going with you! No arguments, young lady!" he added when Didi opened her mouth to say something. "I would like the privilege of giving my only daughter away and I don't trust you to be alone with Jay in a plane for over two hours! You might cause a crash!"

Everyone at the reception busted out laughing again and then the bandleader made an announcement. "Ladies and gentleman... if the matter of the groom's sister's marriage is now settled, it's about time we got back to celebrating the marriage of Lt. Thomas Bradley Seldon of the United States Air Force and his beautiful bride, Barbara Maria Estevez-Seldon! Please clear the dance floor so the bride and groom can share their first dance as husband and wife!"

The music started up again and everyone got back to celebrating and toasting to Brad and Barbie's future happiness... including Brad's younger brother, Robbie, who stated what a miracle it was that they had fallen so deeply in love despite having grown up together and knowing each other so well! Robbie was rather pleased that his whole group of friends and siblings cracked up laughing at his joke...

Especially when he saw Crystal North smiling so beautifully at him as she shook her head, pushing back strands of her long blonde hair as it fell across her face. Robbie was startled when he suddenly found it difficult to breathe as he saw her aqua eyes twinkling at him with amusement. He took a deep breath and worked up the courage to go ask her for a dance.

Crystal had always thought Robbie had a "goofy" sense of humor when they were kids. And he had always tried to pick on her because she had a "stick" figure as a young girl... but she had always been able to make him stop. When they were thirteen, he'd started to notice girls, but she was a "late bloomer" once they'd hit puberty and he never noticed her... even though she had secretly wished he would.

She knew she probably could've have influenced him to with her mind... the same way she'd gotten him to stop picking on her, but what would that have gotten her? It would mean nothing to her to have Robbie because she'd made him want her... she wanted him to want her of his own free will. And, all of a sudden, he looked as if he'd finally noticed her...

**********

The Supreme Power was most gratified when he checked up on what The Guardians had reported to Him about the celebration for those "chosen ones." Not only was everything progressing as He had hoped, but those "chosen ones" were overjoyed with the soul mates He'd paired them with and they were truly thankful for having found them!

The Creator wished He could still sigh as he remembered well the pleasures of the flesh that He'd bestowed upon mortals... especially the pleasures that could be achieved only by those who truly shared their hearts and souls with one another. But only true soul mates could achieve a realm of spiritual pleasure that would follow them into the afterlife if they were lucky enough to have found each other during their mortal existence...

And He had made sure that all of the "chosen ones" on this world would have their chances to find their true soul mates so that their rewards for the ordeals they'd have to endure in saving their world would continue once they crossed over into the afterlife. But The Guardians would have to remain vigilant as the dark forces were continuing with their unfair interferences with "free will"...