–– Amelia––
"You know what this means, right?"
"That I’m going to get to see you naked a lot more often?" He guesses. I playfully nudge him.
"No! It means you're coming to Sunday dinner tomorrow."
"Nooo," he groans melodramatically. I laugh at his pain. "Your dad is going to kill me, isn't he?"
I pause for a second. "You know...I actually don't think he will."
"I hope you're right. I just got you back, I don't want to leave you ever again."
"Hey, Todd?" I ask hesitantly. I meant to ask him earlier but I forgot. Hoping he doesn't react poorly and I kill our good mood, I ask, "When's your dad's funeral?"
He tenses at first, but takes a deep breath. "He's cremated, and currently sitting in a large plastic bag in the corner bookcase in Kristin's family room. It's surreal and creepy, and I'm certain that Kristin doesn't like it. We don't know what to do with the ashes yet."
"I'm here for you and Kristin whenever you two decide. If you want me there, I'll be there."
44
–– Todd ––
I wipe my sweaty hands on my nice jeans for the millionth time as I stand outside the Baldwin's front door. I look at Amelia who's looking over her shoulder at me with her hand on the doorknob. I shake my head.
"Do we really have to do this?" I ask pleadingly.
"Yes. It's my last Sunday dinner before I leave for school, and anyway, they need to know we're back together again. Besides, now I don't have to tell them alone." She shoots me an evil grin.
"Oh, you're going to pay for this," I growl as I lightly smack her ass, and kiss the crook of her neck. She giggles.
"Stop. Come on, we're going inside."
Before I can protest and procrastinate further she opens the front door wide. We walk in, and Josh is sitting on the sofa watching TV. He spots me, and blatantly rolls his eyes. I whisper to Amelia, "Why is he such a little shit?" She chuckles.
"Monica broke up with him," she snickers.
"I wonder why," I mutter sarcastically.
We walk up the step and cross into the dining area just as Mrs. Baldwin comes through the swinging kitchen door with oven mitts and a pot in her hands. She does a double take when she sees me and nearly drops the pot.
"Oh, uh–hi, Todd. I didn't expect to see you," she informs me as she gives me the once-over. She brushes her hair aside and cooly continues, "Amelia said she was bringing someone, but I assumed it was going to be Justin."
Ouch. I give her a tight smile even though my teeth are grinding.
"Uh–no, Mom. You know Justin and I were never together like that. Todd and I worked things out, and we're back together." She gives my hand an encouraging squeeze, which causes my tight smile to turn smug. Until her dad breezes past us to sit in his chair at the table. His eyes dart between mine and Amelia's twice before he grunts and shrugs his shoulders.
He grabs a serving spoon, and kindly sends me his condolences: "Sorry about your dad, kid."
Shocked, not about my dad but about him actually being nice, I stutter, "Oh–um, thank you, sir."
Amelia looks at me and winks. She looks at me like I'm her world, and my entire body relaxes with ease. I decide I'll come to these Sunday dinners for the rest of my life if she wants me to. I'll do anything for her––especially visiting her every single weekend that she can't come home. We spent all morning looking over her class scheduling and planning out every second we can spend together until she's out for winter break. I am the happiest and luckiest guy on the planet. Wrecking her car, fake-dating her, suffering through Sunday dinners, losing her, and then getting her back––worth it. It was all worth it. I'd go through it all over again if it meant I could spend the rest of my forever with her.
After dinner she insists on going back to my place. I oblige even though it’s not the exactly the happiest place for me to be. Frankly, I’ll do whatever she wants.
“I can’t believe it, but it almost seemed like your dad kinda liked me. Or tolerated me at least,” I mused on the car ride home.
“I think so too,” she confirmed. “I think he feels bad about your dad. His dad died pretty young so he knows how it feels.”
I nod, not really knowing what to say about it. “Are you really sure you want to go to my place?”
She gives me a small smiles and nods, “I am very sure. We can make new memories. Make the place your own. It’ll be good.” She reaches over the dash and squeezes my hand. The warmth from her hand spreads through me. I never thought I’d love the word, “we” so much.
“Our own memories, huh?” I grin over at her.
She lets go of my hand and lightly strums her fingers up and down my forearm. A chill runs through my body. “Todd, I want you to give me some very good memories, especially tonight,” she reveals boldly. She speaks in a raspy voice that causes some serious strain in my pants. I groan.
“I can give you the best memories you’ll ever have, Sweet Cheeks.” I pull in the driveway faster than I ever have, but before we leave the car I have to make something very clear. “Amelia,” I call her. She turns away from her door and looks back at me with lust filled eyes. “I love you. I just needed to say that again.”
She smiles, then leans over and kisses me. “I love you too.”
We sloppily kiss each other for a minute until I command, “Get out of the car.”
45
–– Amelia ––
My heart is pounding as Todd leads me into his house. The second we pass the threshold of his bedroom door, he is on me, kissing me fiercely like his life depends on it. I grab the bottom of his shirt and ball it up into my fist as if he'll float away if I let him go.
He forces me to let go when he tears my shirt over my head, and unsnaps by bra in seconds. I gasp at the cool air before he grabs both my breasts and rolls my nipples with his fingers. He kisses, sucks, and licks all the sensitive spots on my neck, sending me into overdrive.
Desperate for more, I pull his shirt off and unbutton his pants. I reach and grab his hard length. "Ah, damn," he mutters, his head tilting slightly back. He delicately pulls my hand off of him. "If you keep doing that I'm going to explode in my pants. Again." I smile.
He yanks down my skirt and panties with fervor. His hand cups my sex before easily slipping two fingers inside me. He hooks his fingers as he methodically moves them in and out.
I rake my fingers down his toned chest as I pepper it with little kisses. As his rhythm picks up, I gasp, and my knees buckle. Then he abruptly stops, and I audibly pout in confusion.
"Lay back on the bed." His golden eyes are dark and mischievous. I bite my lip, barely able to contain my excitement. I lay back with my knees bent, my elbows propping me up. He kneels on the bed in front of me, his eyes soaking in my naked body. "I swear, you're perfect." Our eyes meet, and he grins. He spreads my legs apart, and doesn't waste any time before his mouth is on me sucking my clit. My breathy moans fill the air around us, fueling him to continue kissing my most private part.
"Todd, please. Now. I can't wait anymore," I plead. He looks up with a cocky smile.
"Can't wait for what anymore?" He’s playing coy.
I groan in response. "I need to feel you inside me. Please. I need it so bad," I tell him in the most desperate voice.
He gets back on his knees, while looking me in the eyes. I can't help the smile that's growing on my face. I've been waiting for so long for the right person, and I've finally found him. My heart is blooming as I crave his closeness. He reaches beside me and grabs a condom out of the plastic set of drawers he uses as a nightstand. He rips the package open with his teeth and slides the condom on lightning fast. He hovers over me, and rests on his forearms. He brings his lips to mine in an earth shattering, all consuming kiss that has my entire body humming.
"You sure about this?" He searches my eyes, hopeful that I'll say yes.
"Yes. Yes, yes, yes," I assure him. He chuckles.
"Squeeze my shoulders wh
en it hurts. I promise the pain won't last long, okay Baby? Just relax, it'll help. Trust me, please."
I nod, and place my hands on his warm, broad shoulders, bracing myself. He reaches down, and places himself so he’s pushing against my opening. He slides in slowly, but pauses when I wince. He eases back out then pushes in a little further. I grip his shoulders hard when he pushes all the way in.
His head drops to my neck, and he groans loudly. "Amelia, Baby, you are so tight." He starts to rock ever so slightly and moans. "This is the best thing I've ever felt. The things you do to me..."
I bite my grin as I peer into his beautiful, golden, lust-filled eyes. I allow my hands to graze down his back until I'm grabbing his ass, encouraging him to go faster. He picks up his pace, filling me over and over again, his shaft hitting that magic spot inside me. He finally reaches down in between us, and his thumb finds my clit. He rubs me in quick circles as he slams into me. "Oh my God–I–I'm –" but I can't even finish my sentence. A scream escapes me as my orgasm vibrates through my entire body, filling it with ecstasy. Before I fully come down from my high, Todd yells out and slows down his pumping inside me. He pulls out, and collapses on top of me.
"Holy shit. I swear that orgasm almost made me blackout." He kisses my forehead, and tells me, "I'm going to toss this. Give me a second."
He jumps back on the bed, and pulls my back to his chest. "You haven't said anything yet. Are you okay?"
I sigh into him and nod. "I feel so good. I never needed rose petals or candles, and even if I did, this still would've been better. I'm so happy, and...peaceful," I admit with utter honesty.
"You amaze me, baby. You going back to school tomorrow? We’re going to make it work. You’re not getting rid of me that easily."
“Good, because I never want to get rid of you,” I whisper as I burrows into his side.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he mumbles before falling into a deep sleep.
Later last night, Todd was all business. He actually had already bought a calendar, and wrote down my complete school schedule. He even booked a hotel room for his first visit to Portland in just three weeks. Then he made love to me. It was slow and melodic, and something only we could create. It was beautiful.
Today, he came to my parent’s house to join us in a final farewell.
“Bye, I expect to see you during Indigenous Peoples day or whatever the hell it is,” my dad firmly tells me. He releases my hug and shoots Todd a quick stink eye.
“I will. I’ll be back before Thanksgiving, I promise.”
My mom steps forward and embraces me tightly, for far too long, without saying anything. I pat her back hoping she gets the hint to let go. “I still don’t know about that boy, Amelia,” she whispers in my ear. “I hate to send you off. I worry about you so much. At least I’m sending you to a good Catholic school. Make sure you’re going to mass, and don’t forget to go to confession,” she firmly commands. I can’t be positive, but I bet she’s glaring at Todd.
“Everything is going to be fine. I’ll be back soon.” I shake her off.
“Josh is sleeping still, but I’m sure he’ll miss you,” my mom adds.
I roll my eyes. I move over to Todd as my parents move to the background. I look up at his gorgeous, sunlit eyes. “Are you ready to go?”
“Always. I’ll stay behind you the whole way, okay?” He rubs my arms up and down. He’s following me on his bike to help me move in to my dorm room. We may or may not have schemed to leave a day early, so we can have alone time in a hotel room before I move into the dorm.
“Sounds perfect.” I stand on my tippy-toes to give him a peck on the lips. “Next stop: Portland.” I smile at him and he smiles back, with his golden hair and eyes shining in the morning sun.
Epilogue
I walk out of the old building where all the psychology classes are held and down the marble steps. I can’t help but notice the figure standing in the parking lot in front of a motorcycle. His legs crossed, his black shirt stretched across his torso as his arms are resting back on his bike. He’s chewing on something like a toothpick. His tanned skin matches his gold hair and golden eyes. He’s mine, and I love every single inch of him.
I rush down to him. He tosses the toothpick to the side, and kisses me like he hasn’t seen me in weeks when the truth is he saw me this morning in our apartment near campus.
“How was your last exam of college?” He asks, holding my hips strongly to his.
“It was amazing! I aced it for sure, and now I want to go home and celebrate,” I muse, adding some sexual innuendo. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him wildly. At the sound of whistling from other students, we pull apart.
“You better show me how you want to celebrate fast, because your family is coming over for dinner,” he quickly says, as he passes me my helmet.
“What? You invited my parents over?” I look at him with my eyes nearly bugging out of my head. “Why would you do that?”
“They were excited you finished college, so I invited them. I thought it would be a nice thing to do,” he explains shrugging his shoulders.
“You’ve gotten way too close to my parents over the last two years. I do not approve,” I inform him before putting my helmet on.
“I did it for you, Sweet Cheeks. Now let’s go take advantage of my day off from managing the shop!” He semi-shouts through his helmet. He’s completely taken over the day-to-day of the shop for a mostly-retired Roger, who only oversees things a few days a month.
“You better hurry. I have a lot of celebrating to do!”
He fires the engine and speeds off into our future.
Acknowledgments
Thank you, readers, for taking another trip to Cayden Springs! I can’t promise you more, but you never know! I’m forever thankful and grateful for Katie MacDonald without whom this book may never exist…or be titled. I am truly grateful to my beta readers. A special shout out to my mom, dad, aunt, Jetson, Amy, Bill W, and God. Whenever I finish a book I honestly think that I’ll never write a book again. This could very well be the last book I write, or I could write ten more. Again, you just never know. Either way. I am blessed to have had this journey. I am blessed to have you as a reader. Thank you.
About the Author
Mallory is from Salt Lake City (and Los Angeles), but she currently resides in middle Georgia where she struggles to handle the heat, humidity, and bugs. Mallory got her MFA at California Institute of the Arts and her undergraduate degree at Whittier College. Mallory loves to cuddle with her dog, Jetson, read, write, and go to the movies.
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