I reluctantly nodded and watched as the doctor who held my son’s life in the palm of his hand, walked away.
“He’s right, you know,” Chris pointed out quietly. “He’s getting the best care here, and you need some rest. Even though we all put our kids first, sometimes we have to do what’s best for them by taking care of ourselves too.”
I glanced up at him and my eyes widened. “Oh my god.”
“What?”
“You missed your daughter’s party,” I whispered. “I made you miss your daughter’s party.”
“You didn’t make me do anything. I wanted to come. I wanted to make sure you and Hunter got here safely. I decided to come, not you. This is not your fault.”
I nodded and lowered my gaze.
“Hollie, look at me,” he said, and I slowly glanced up at him. “Lucinda is taking care of everything as I asked her to. This isn’t the first time that she’s stayed over my house. It happens more than you’d think. And I know she explained to Amelia why I had to come with you. Please don’t worry about it. Amelia likes Hunter, so she is probably also worried about him and as young as she is, she understands. So don’t ever apologize to me about things that you didn’t decide, okay. This was my choice.”
I glanced up into Chris’s dark eyes, and as he cupped my face with both his hands, the walls that we had both built so sturdily around us, started to crumble. I had never thought it would ever happen again, or ever at all, but I was glad that it did. It was Chris who was going to make me strong to get through this.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Chris smiled at me, pulled me close to him and kissed the top of my head, causing a tidal wave of memories and emotions to flood through my head and my heart. It felt as if no time had passed, and we were still those two foolishly in love college kids with our whole lives ahead of us.
The car ride back to my house was quiet, we didn’t talk much, but we didn’t need to. The silence in the car wasn’t uncomfortable, despite the circumstances in which we had found ourselves. He parked in front of my house and switched off the car.
“Thank you for driving me home,” I said quietly.
“You’re welcome, Hollie. I’ll pick you up tomorrow then we can get your car from my house. You’ll obviously want to visit Hunter tomorrow.”
“Yes, definitely,” I said as I unfastened my seatbelt. “That would be great, thank you. I hope today wasn’t too much for you.”
“Don’t even worry about it. As long as you’re okay, and as long as Hunter is okay,” he told me with a slight smile.
“And thank you, for being there for me. I know I may seem a little high-maintenance, and always wanting to be in control of everything. I may even be a pain in your ass at most times, but I really appreciated what you did for us today,” I told him.
“You can call me anytime, Hollie. I’m ten minutes away, so I’ll be here in five.”
The sincerity dripped from his warm brown eyes and I felt my heart pounding in my chest. So much so that I felt light-headed. I bit my lower lip and tried to quickly think of a way to get him to stay a bit longer. I didn’t want to be alone tonight and just needed him to stay.
“Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee?” I asked, raising my eyebrows hopefully.
Chris glanced at me for a moment and nodded. “Sure, that would be nice.”
“Okay, great,” I smiled, maybe a little too brightly, but I didn’t care.
We both climbed out of his car and walked along the path to my house. It wasn’t as big as his house, but I loved my house. It was where Hunter and I had made most of our memories, and we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
I reached the door and quickly unlocked it with my keys I had fished out of my bag. I opened the door and reached for the light switch against the wall. The light illuminated the hallway, as well as the kitchen and the living area. A smile formed on Chris’s mouth and I glanced at him while I closed the door behind us.
“What?” I asked.
“This house is exactly how I would have pictured your house,” he admitted and turned to me. “It’s so you.”
“What? Controlling and anal?” I scoffed as I kicked off my shoes and walked to the kitchen.
“Those aren’t the exact words I would use, but something along those lines,” he answered and chuckled with amusement. “I was going to say that it’s comfortable and girly but without being too girly. It’s not just a house, it’s a home.”
“That was the feel I was going for,” I smiled. “After Kevin…” My voice trailed and I lowered my gaze and scoffed. “I hadn’t said his name in such a long time, that it feels weird to say it.”
“I can imagine.”
“After I got the news about Kevin, I couldn’t live in a house – the house that we lived in together for almost three years – if he wasn’t there. There were too many memories. So I sold our house and bought this place. I got a really good deal on the other house, as well as this one, so we were able to make it our own, just Hunter and I. No more old memories, just new ones we made together.”
“That’s beautiful, and I can definitely feel the love.”
“Thank you,” I smiled, and he simply stared at me. I pursed my lips as I took out two cups from the cabinet, trying not to allow his eyes to make me feel like I was going to melt and explode at the same time.
“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” he asked.
“What?”
“You shouldn’t have coffee. You need to rest.”
How sweet was he being at that moment? I almost melted into a pile of goo on the tiled floor.
“I’ll be fine, but thank you for your concern.”
“Hollie,” he asked while I filled the kettle with water and switched it on, “can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” I answered and cocked my head, wondering what he wanted to ask me.
He hesitated for a moment, which led me to believe that it was something really important, or something really difficult to say. “Did you ever think about me after we broke up?”
“All the time,” I admitted instantly. “I was torn between how much I hated you for disregarding my opinions and my feelings at work, and how much I loved you with every single breath I had in my body. I wanted to hate you wholeheartedly, but I couldn’t. I had too much love in my heart to harbor that kind of hate.”
“Wow,” he whispered and for a moment he was quiet. He glanced around him and a hint of a smile formed on his lips, that smile which made my knees tremble in anticipation of what was to come. “I’d love to see the rest of your home.”
“Really?” I asked. “What about the coffee?”
“We’ll get to it, I guess,” he pouted.
“Okay.”
I showed him through the house, and every time I switched on a light in a new room, his eyes sparkled, as he was allowed deeper and deeper into my world, and my life. I left my bedroom for last, as I wasn’t sure if he wanted to see it. I paused in front of my door and he glanced me expectantly.
I shrugged and opened the door.
The room was lit by a solitary lamp on my nightstand, bathing the bedroom in a silvery glow. I was so used to keeping a light on in case Hunter came into my room and wanted to sleep beside me. My bed screamed my name, and I felt the fatigue and the stress of the day finally catch up to me, and my shoulders slumped.
“So this is where the magic happens?”
“If by magic you mean, worrying and crying, then yeah,” I shrugged, leaning against the dresser.
“I’m sorry that you had to deal with all that, Hollie. I really am, and I am sorry that I acted like a jerk at work. I know I haven’t made it easier for you,” he told me.
“It’s okay,” I sighed gratefully.
“You’re tired,” Chris said and cleared his throat. “I should probably get going.”
“Wait,” I said as I reached for his arm and he glanced at me.
“You need to get some rest and-”
>
I wasn’t sure what had come over me at the moment, but I couldn’t control myself at that moment. I didn’t even give Chris the chance to finish his sentence when I pulled him towards me and kissed him on the lips. Sure, I was feeling vulnerable, but I wanted him as close to me as possible.
He pulled away from me and whispered with some protest, “Wait.”
“What?” I asked and looked up at him, my arms still wrapped around his shoulders.
“I know you’re feeling vulnerable right now, and might regret this later-”
“I won’t,” I whispered and kissed him again.
I kissed him again, a little more forcefully this time, but Chris moved away again.
“Hollie-”
“Just shut up for once,” I muttered.
I wrapped my arms tighter around his shoulders, pulling him even closer and our lips melted together. His hands slid around my waist and all my senses ignited as we moved towards the bed. I leaned back, allowing us to fall onto my bed, enveloped in one another’s arms between the soft sheets. His hands moved down my body as I slid mine under his shirt, feeling his smooth skin against my fingertips. I pulled his shirt over his head and as our lips separated, he stared at me intently, his brown eyes warm and alluring, but I also noticed a hint of concern.
“Hollie, I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do,” he whispered to me.
“I’m not,” I answered with a whisper.
The corners of his mouth curled seductively before he kissed me again, soft and sultry, with just the right amount of urgency.
13
Chris
Saturday/Sunday
Even after eight years, I still knew her body as if we had been together for a lifetime. Her soft skin against mine sent my desires for her through the roof.
She took the liberty of sliding her dress up and over her head, allowing the soft fabric to lightly skim her skin. She threw the dress onto the floor, but my focus was entirely on her. She was beautiful, and my body screamed out to her.
Holly undid her bra, revealing her full breasts which had me captivated. I cupped both of them, and kissed her nipples, first the one, and then the other. Soft and sexy moans escaped her throat as I sucked on her nipples, her back arching and her fingertips pressing into my back. I pushed myself upright, undid my pants and let them fall to the floor.
I ran my fingers up along the length of her legs, stopping at her thighs, and slid her panties off. I applied a bit of pressure with my palm against her pubic bone, and I received the response I had been looking for. It had always been the one place that warmed her up instantly, and a sly smile formed on my lips.
“You remembered that.”
I pursed my lips as I glanced at her knowingly. It wasn’t something I could have ever forgotten. I parted her knees and slid my fingers in-between her thighs. Her pussy was already wet as I rubbed along the smooth skin and she groaned softly. My fingers slid into her and her back arched again. With my fingers deep inside her wet pussy, sliding them in and out – slow at first, then gaining momentum – I kissed her lips. Her moans against my mouth made me speed up even more, deeper and faster. My dick pressed against her thigh, urging me to hurry the fuck up, but somehow, I wanted to take my time with Hollie. I wanted her to cum all over my hand, and then again as I thrust my dick deep inside her, as she called out my name.
I wanted her to explode with pleasure, make her forget about everything around her, even if it was for a short while.
I continued to slide my fingers deep inside her, my thumb finding her clit.
“Oh my god,” she groaned.
I moved the tips of my fingers inside her slightly, rubbing against the rough patch of skin inside her, and her body responded so well that it turned me on even more.
Her pussy tightened around my fingers and she grabbed onto her sheets, her ass lifting slightly off the bed. I knew she was close to the edge, and with a slight movement of my fingertips, as well as my thumb, I pushed her over that edge.
“Oh my god,” she panted loudly, as her body jolted.
I slipped my fingers out and watched her for a second as she lay panting on the bed, a thin veil of perspiration on her skin. Her breathing was ragged, and as a courtesy, I gave her a few moments to recover and catch her breath.
I reached for my wallet, as I always kept a condom in there, you know, just in case – either out of habit, or I was being a little presumptuous, I had no clue – and took it out. I quickly slid the condom over my dick and turned back to her.
“Oh, you came prepared,” she retorted, her breathing a little more at ease.
I shrugged at her wordlessly and rejoined her on the bed. She slid her leg up and rested her heel in the small of my back, allowing me full access to her wet pussy. My dick slid into her pussy with ease, and she sighed with satisfaction, which made me even more adamant to please the hell out of her.
Her bright blue eyes sparkled as I kissed her again, our bodies moving in perfect rhythm with one another’s. Her hands ran down my back and she grabbed my ass, which admittedly was something I missed about fucking her.
But tonight was different.
It wasn’t just about fucking her. There was something more. I wanted to make love to her, desperately, and I wanted it to mean something.
To both of us.
I kept my body close to hers, as I wanted to feel every movement she made, every breath she took, and every sound she made.
Her breasts pressed against my chest as I thrust my dick deep into her, gradually picking up the pace. Her back arched again, and I moved my arms further away from me, allowing me to fully see her. The blue of her eyes grew even more intense and mesmerizing with every second that passed, and I found myself to be captivated even more.
I straightened my back, grabbed hold of her ass, and lifted it off the bed. I allowed them to rest on my thighs, changing the angle a bit, and continued with my thrusts, now having more room for myself.
“Oh my god,” she panted again as her hands grabbed the sheets again.
My fingers lightly tapped against her clit, which made her squirm.
“Oh, my god. Chris…”
A grinned formed my lips as she called out my name, more than once.
Mission accomplished.
I felt my own orgasm build up inside me, and as I reached the edge, I grabbed Hollie’s hips and thrust in a few more times as her pussy tightened around my dick.
She moaned loudly as a powerful orgasm ripped through the both of us at the same time, and she grabbed the sheets again. I slowed down my rhythm until my hips were perfectly still, ripples of pleasure still jolting through my body, and I lowered myself onto her.
Her lips trembled as I kissed them softly, her lips tasting sweet against mine. As I stared down into her eyes, I knew that this had meant as much to me as it had to her.
I wasn’t sure, who fell asleep first, as I lay beside her, my arm around her waist, but it didn’t even matter, because this was where I belonged.
Hollie’s soft and slow breathing was mesmerizing to listen to, and even more so to watch her sleeping peacefully beside me. The soft sheet was delicately draped over her curvy body, and I could spend the rest of my life watching her like that, with the morning sun casting beams of light through the curtains.
Of course, reality seemed to rear its ugly head and I found myself wondering what is going to happen down the line.
Tomorrow.
Next week.
I wondered about how Hunter was doing, and that Hollie would definitely want to go visit him. I wondered how he was feeling at that moment and hoped that he was calm and not afraid.
I glanced over at Hollie and thought of how hard it had been for her since we had broken up. Dealing with Hunter’s leukemia, and the loss of Hunter's father under those kinds of circumstances. I thought about how everything had affected her so severely, even though she had kept up such perfect appearances.
She moaned softly and stretch
ed out her arms, her eyes opening slowly.
“Good morning,” I whispered.
A smile formed on her face and she whispered in return, “Good morning.”
“How did you sleep?”
“I feel pretty good this morning,” she answered.
“So do I,” I answered and pushed myself up into a sitting position. “I was going to leave you to sleep, but then I realized that your car is still at my place.”
“It’s okay. I’ll just call Melanie and she can take me to the hospital to visit Hunter. She really won’t mind.”
“Are you sure? Because I can have-”
“It’s fine,” she whispered with a smile. “We both have important stuff to do today.”
I nodded, as I knew it was true. As much as I wanted to be with Hollie, take her to the hospital to see Hunter, I had to make amends with Amelia for missing her party, and not coming home last night.
“And you’re going to be okay?” I asked, lightly touching her shoulder.
“I’ll be okay.
We got dressed and as we walked to the door, her hand lightly grazed mine and I turned to her. She looked beautiful in the light which shone in through the window and I touched her cheek. “You’ll call me if you need me, right? For anything.”
“Anything?” she asked with a raised eyebrow before wrapping her arms around my waist.
“Anything,” I whispered and kissed the top of her head again.
I left her house, reluctantly I might add, but I knew that I had my own things to deal with. I felt like shit that I missed the rest of Amelia’s birthday – the birthday I had promised her and myself would be the perfect day – and that I didn’t even come home last night.
I waved to Hollie right before I drove away, and there was a strange feeling of emptiness that started surfacing the further away I drove.
Arriving at my home within ten minutes, as there was hardly any traffic that early in the morning, I opened the front door and walked to the kitchen. Lucinda was awake, making coffee, as I entered the kitchen.
Forbidden First Times: A Contemporary Romance Collection Page 9