I wiggled out from beneath Robert’s strong grip and pulled a shirt over my head, only to feel his arm wrap around my stomach and pull me back into him.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“To shower.”
“Not yet,” he said, nipping at my neck. “I have plans for this morning.”
I pushed out of his arms and stood, crossing my arms over my body protectively. I couldn’t do this again with him. It was too hard.
“Robert, we need to be realistic here. We both know this isn’t going to work between us.”
He stiffened and sat up in bed. “And why won’t it work between us?”
“Because there’s too much history, too much damage.”
“Anna, what do you want me to say? Do you want me to apologize for going off to school and getting my degree?”
I shook my head angrily. He didn’t get it at all. “You know, it’s not just about the fact that you went off to school. We had plans, Robert. You and I made promises to each other.”
“And then everything went to shit.”
“Yeah, but I was the one that had to deal with the fallout.”
“And you think I didn’t? Do you think I went off to college and partied all the time?”
“I have no idea what you did because I never heard from you again!”
He huffed out a laugh, running his hand through his hair. “My parents basically told me that I had one shot to make something of myself. If I screwed up, college was gone. So, I went to college and I worked my ass off. I studied nonstop. I didn’t once go to a party. I didn’t date anyone. Hell, I didn’t even talk to my roommate in my dorm. Life wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be either.”
“At least you had the opportunity! I was living with my aunt and uncle, constantly being prayed for. I was forced to go to church every Sunday where people stared at me and whispered behind my back. I was the teenage whore that needed to be saved.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer, resting his hands on my waist.
I shook my head slightly. “You have no idea what it was like for me, Robert. I was in hell, and then when…I saw him for just a few minutes before he was taken from me.”
“Him?”
I nodded. “I can’t even remember what he looked like. My aunt thought it was best that I not get attached. She said it would be harder.”
He rested his head on my stomach and blew out a deep breath. “I’m so sorry. All this time, it’s never really been real to me. I never really thought about what it was like for you.”
I ran my hand through his hair and sank down on the bed beside him. “It was for the best. I know that now. We were too young. There’s no way we could have dealt with having a baby. I mean, where would we be now?”
He looked at me sadly. “It kind of seems like you got screwed either way.”
“Robert, it wasn’t just about you leaving or everything that happened after. I was angry at you because it felt like my choices and opinions didn’t matter.”
“What do you mean?”
“When we told our parents…your parents thought adoption was best. And we both know my mom was too drunk to think of anything other than where her next drink was coming from. It all just came at me so fast. One minute, your parents were suggesting adoption, and the next minute I was being sent halfway across the country. And the whole time that we sat there with our parents, you said nothing. You had all these plans and I was screwing it up with the pregnancy. I knew you didn’t want the baby, so I did what I thought I had to.”
“But you didn’t want to give the baby up?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I guess I never really got the chance to consider it. Once the decision was made, I put it out of my head. I was doing what I was supposed to. I know it was the right decision now, but back then, I just felt like I was doing what everyone else wanted.” He linked his hand with mine and squeezed. “And then you were gone. You didn’t call and…and it was like everything we had was gone just like that. I was devastated. And when I returned when my mom died, I hoped that you would be there, but you were off at school and I was all alone again. It’s been that way ever since.”“Anna, I’m sorry,” he sighed, running his thumb across my jaw. “I was a stupid kid. I thought…I thought that I had ruined your life and you wouldn’t want me in it. All our plans were gone and it all just seemed so hard. I have no excuse, except I was a seventeen year old kid. And then when you came home, we both had different lives. I knew by then that I had screwed up by not fighting for you, but I figured I was too late. So, I pushed you out of my mind and moved on. But there hasn’t been a single day that I haven’t thought about you, about what we lost. Believe me, I would give anything to go back and change the way I handled things.”
“So, where do we go from here?”
He pulled me onto his lap and ran his hand up my back until it wrapped around the back of my neck. “Why don’t you come home with me for the holiday weekend? We have three days to ourselves. We can get to know each other again. We can order takeout and just be us.”
“Do you really think we can just start over again? It’s been thirteen years.”
“You know, you keep saying that, but to me, it feels like you’ve always been with me.”
I bit my lip, unsure that this was a good idea. Sure, we would have three days together, but then what? He was there and I was here. How would that work? We had both changed so much over the years. I just didn’t see this going anywhere.
“Anna, how are you going to know if you don’t try? I’m just asking for three days. Give me that. Give me the chance to prove to you that I’m the same guy you knew in high school, just smarter.”
I smiled slightly and nodded. “Fine, but I get to choose the food.”
“If you get to choose the food, I get to choose the clothes.”
“I’m not wearing lingerie,” I insisted.
“Who said you were going to be wearing anything at all?”
Robert
Anna packed her bag and I kept vetoing her choices. She was bringing things she could cover up with, but I wanted her naked as much as possible this weekend. Every time she packed pants and shirts, I pulled them out and tossed them back on the bed. She even tried packing a bulky sweater. I allowed her one pair of pants and one shirt. Then I went rummaging in her closet for a dress. I could take her out on the town dancing.
“Where are your dresses?”
“What dresses? Do I look like I wear dresses?” she asked, placing her hand on her hip.
“You used to wear dresses all the time.”
“That was then. They’re just not practical.”
“Okay, what about the one you wore to dinner last night?”
“You mean the crumpled mess on the floor?”
I looked down and saw that the dress was indeed crumpled. It would have to be cleaned before she could wear it again. But that didn’t matter. I could have a personal shopper find a few dresses for her and send them over to my apartment.
I was just zipping up her bag when I saw that all her underwear was cotton. That was going to change. I wanted her in something sexy. And even if she couldn’t afford it, I could, and I wanted her to have the best. As I looked around her trailer, it killed me that she had been living like this while I was out driving around in my nice car and wearing expensive suits. I wasn’t going to feel bad for my success, but I hated that it came at this price.
“Are you ready to go?”
“I guess,” she smiled. We walked out to my car and I opened the door, watching her slide in carefully like she would damage the car. I put her bag in the trunk and then got in the driver’s seat. As I pulled down the driveway, I reached over and took her hand in mine. It was shaking slightly and when I looked over at her, I could see that she was nervous.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m just nervous. You know, being together for three days…I mean, most couples don’t see each other for three days nonstop. No
t that we’re a couple,” she hurried on.
“Anna, I fully intend to make sure that you’re my girlfriend by the end of the weekend.”
“Your girlfriend?” she laughed. “Doesn’t that sound so…”
I shrugged. “I don’t care what you call it. I’ve spent years without you. I don’t want to go another day without you.”
She pulled her hand from mine and let out a deep breath. “Can we just take this slow? I’m not ready to just jump into anything. Yesterday I couldn’t stand you, and now you want me to be yours. It’s just a little too much.”
It hurt that she wasn’t as eager to pick up where we left off, but I could understand where she was coming from. She probably had some serious trust issues when it came to me. I had pretty much abandoned her when she got pregnant. It hadn’t been my intention, but I had done it. She probably thought I was a piece of shit. After everything we shared together, I broke the one promise that I made to her, that I would always be there.
We drove the rest of the way in silence. Once we reached the city, her eyes were glued out the window, staring at all the sites of the city. I lived right off Lake Shore Drive, so we drove past Navy Pier, and there was a great view of the lake.
“I can’t believe you live here.”
“You should see my apartment. You can see everything. You’re gonna love it.”
She nodded, but didn’t say anything else. When I pulled into the underground parking, she looked around at all the cars. Most were fancier cars than she was used to seeing. I could imagine her living here with me, living the life that I had promised to make for her one day, and it made me happy that I had finally gotten there.
I grabbed her bag out of the trunk and then took her hand as we walked over to the elevator. A car honked as it pulled into the garage and the sound of rushing traffic outside filled my ears. God, I loved this. There was nothing that made you feel more alive than the sound of people all around you.
I hit the button for the forty-third floor and grinned when her eyes widened. “You’re on the top floor?”
“Yep,” I said proudly. “The northeast corner of the building. The view is spectacular.”
She nodded as the elevator took us to the top floor. She stepped out slowly behind me, like she was waiting for me to play a prank on her or something.
“Come on.”
I felt like I had to drag her along with me. Most women hurried to my apartment, eager to see just how spectacular it was. When I unlocked the door and held it open for her, she slowly entered, her eyes wide as she took it all in. The apartment was bright because of the floor to ceiling windows. On a sunny day like today, the whole apartment lit up and really looked nice. She slowly walked from one room to the next, running her hand along the counter or the back of the couch, until she finally stopped at the windows that looked out over the lake. I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her.
“So, what do you think?”
She let out a deep sigh. “It’s very white.”
I glanced around and chuckled. “Yeah, there’s a lot of white.”
“I mean, it’s very nice, it’s just…very white.”
“It’s just paint. You can choose a different color if you want.”
She turned in my arms and looked at me in confusion. “What do you mean?”
I shrugged. I knew exactly what I wanted ever since she let me in last night. “I mean, make it a home. Do whatever you want so that you’re comfortable here.”
She pulled out of my arms, shaking her head. “Um, I think this is going a little too fast. I mean, I didn’t even like you up until this morning, and there’s still so much to talk about. And now you’re acting like we’re together and-“
“Aren’t we?” I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets. “Anna, there hasn’t been a single day that’s passed that I haven’t imagined you by my side. I didn’t think I’d ever have a shot with you again, but here you are, and I don’t want to waste a single second.”
I reached for her, but she backed up again. “You said spend time together. You said let’s talk and get to know each other again. Robert, we can’t just jump into a relationship. We’re not the same people we were back then.”
“Okay,” I said, stepping toward her, grabbing her arms so she wouldn’t run. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to rush you. I just…I got excited.” I bent down and pressed my lips to hers, noticing she was reluctant to kiss me back. “We’ll take this slow. I promise.”
She nodded, exhaling slightly. Damn, I really did a number on her. “Come on, I’ll show you the bedroom and you can decide what you want for lunch.”
Anna was sleeping in bed beside me. I had made love to her after lunch and well into the afternoon, but I couldn’t get enough of her. I couldn’t believe that I had been so stupid when she left to live with her aunt. I assumed that she was angry at me for getting her pregnant. It just hadn’t crossed my mind that I was doing more harm than good by walking away. Now that I looked at her, I wondered what her life had really been like since she’d come home. I knew she worked at the gas station. That couldn’t have been satisfying. She had all these dreams when we were growing up, but now that I thought about it, I couldn’t remember her actually wanting any job in particular. She just dreamed of getting away from her mom and their trailer. She hadn’t accomplished that. Her mom died, but from what Ma told me, it had been a nightmare for her to deal with. I had asked if I should come home, but Ma thought that would be too much for her to deal with at the time. Now I wished I hadn’t listened.
I slowly pulled the sheet down her body, staring at her beautiful breasts. God, I couldn’t wait. I needed another taste. I leaned in and nipped at one bud, feeling it harden against my tongue. I sucked harder, sliding my hand down her body until I felt the damp heat of her core. She stretched, wrapping her arms around my neck as I continued kissing her perfect tits.
“Haven’t you had enough?” she asked breathlessly.
“Never.”
I flung the covers off the bed and slid down to the foot of the bed, dragging her by the ankles to the edge. She squealed, laughing as I threw her legs over my shoulders. Her laughter stopped when I kissed the inside of her thigh and worked my way up to her pussy. Her breathing escalated and then she gasped when my tongue slid through her folds.
“Robert,” she gasped.
“Hmm?” I kissed her long and hard, flicking my tongue along her clit as I slid a finger inside her.
“What…”
“What?”
“What?” she asked breathlessly.
“You were going to ask me something,” I reminded her as I slid my finger slowly in and out of her body. When she didn’t answer, I flipped her over onto her stomach and slowly ran my hands up and down her back, just enough so she could feel my touch. She started squirming, lifting her ass to get me back to where she wanted. I slowly moved lower, just above her ass and massaged lightly, gliding my hands over her cheeks, spreading them slightly and making her think I was going to slip my fingers inside, but at the last moment, I pulled back and continued to massage her ass.
When her ass kept raising up, I moved down to her thighs, massaging a little harder, inching closer and closer to her inner thighs. Slowly, I spread her legs and rested between them. She moaned, waiting for that moment I would touch her. I dug my thumbs into her inner thighs, inching toward her pussy. I could see her dripping for me. She wanted more.
“Robert,” she groaned in frustration.
I slid my thumb just inside of her and started tapping it against her inner walls. With every movement of my thumb, her pussy clenched, dripping her juices onto my thumb. I kissed her hip and rolled her over. I saw her eyes widen. She thought I was going to eat her out. I grinned and slowly worked my thumb around her clit, never touching the small bundle of nerves. Her breathing escalated until she was panting. Her legs were quivering with every touch. I started rubbing my whole hand over her pussy, rubbing my forearm up and down her slit. She
was soaking me with her juices.
I curled one finger slowly up into her, pulsing my finger in and out slowly. Her pussy started clenching around me. I slid a second finger in, all the while massaging her folds with my other fingers. Her hands gripped onto the sheets and her knees were shaking as I continued teasing her.
When I found her g-spot, I started tapping hard with my finger. Her breathing intensified until she was practically hyperventilating. Her thighs clenched, but I held them open, leaning down to gently flick my tongue over her clit for extra stimulation. Her fingers dug in my hair and she yanked, screaming out my name as she came around my finger.
She was breathing hard, her hands covering her eyes as she came down from her high. I climbed up over her and kissed her hard. “Do you trust me?”
Her eyes flickered with confusion. “Why?”
I grinned wickedly at her. “I’m gonna make you squirt.”
Anna
I stared at him in confusion. What the hell was he talking about? Was this some weird sex thing I had never heard of? Before I had time to think about it, he was laying across my stomach, spreading my legs wide. He tucked one of my legs between his and held my other leg wide open by leaning on it with his arm. He leaned back and kissed me hard.
“Trust me.”
I nodded slightly, but honestly, I was terrified that he was going to do something really weird to me. I felt his finger slide into me, curling up to tap against my g-spot again. My body was still wired from my last orgasm and my legs started shaking again. Then he slid his finger out and added a second. This time, he started pumping them in and out, faster and faster with every movement. The harder he pumped, the more I felt weird, like I had to pee. I pressed my hand to his shoulder.
“Robert, this isn’t right. I think I need to pee.”
Collateral Damage: A Small Town Romance Page 10