Forever Hers

by Walters, Ednah

  “Sorry, I brought this up after you ate.”

  “Go away, please.” She wanted to wallow in self-pity alone. She wiped her face and the tears that had sprung. The thought that the man she’d married might have had something to do with Charles’s death…

  Dry heaves had her leaning over the toilet again.

  Eddie stayed by her side and waited, until she picked herself up from the floor, splashed water on her face and rinsed her mouth. She never wanted to discuss Nolan with anyone, but Eddie was supportive and willing to help her…just like Nolan had once been.

  She shouldn’t even compare the two men. They were different as day and night. Eddie was a protector and a nurturer while Nolan was a…nutcase. Could he really be obsessed with her?

  Amy sat on the couch, tucked her feet under her and waited for Eddie. He grabbed a beer from the fridge for himself then glanced at her. “Do you want something to drink?”

  A bottle of Chardonnay had been sitting in the fridge since Kara and Baron left. “I think I’ll have some of the white wine.”

  He poured some into a glass and brought it to her. She took a sip, cradled the glass and asked, “What else do you want to know?”

  “We’re done discussing Reither for tonight.” He chugged his drink.

  Amy shook her head. “No, I need to understand how he could have been involved. The two burglars were found guilty. They found the gun used to kill Charles and the things they’d stolen from us and the other students in their secret storage. The tattoos on their wrists were the same ones I saw on my attacker’s wrist.”

  “They confessed to the previous burglaries but denied any involvement in the last two break-ins and the attack on you and Charles,” Eddie insisted. “I’ve gone over the investigation and the court files and something just doesn’t add up. Why did they keep the gun when they knew they’d used it to kill someone? Most criminals ditch the murder weapon at first opportunity. Why keep the things from your apartment?”

  “Maybe they thought they wouldn’t get caught.”

  “No, even they can’t be that stupid. Someone could have planted those items. Their lawyer even suggested it during the trial. As for the tattoo, it’s a common one. They even sell temporary ones in Charlottesville, another thing their lawyer brought up. I want you to think back to that night and see if you can remember anything…anything at all that ties Nolan to the attack.”

  She didn’t want to revisit the night Charles died again. She had a headache and her stomach contracted, though it was empty. She wished she could eat something but the thought of food was nauseating. Eddie got up and collected the utensils from the table then took them to the sink, where he rinsed and put them in the dishwasher. Only Eddie could make such a mundane task look sexy.

  In a week and a half Eddie would be gone. Back to his life. Back to his woman friend with no thoughts of her or Raelynn. Despite knowing all that, she still wanted him, and wished he’d want her with the same intensity.

  What would he do if she walked to him right now, kissed him and asked him to make love to her, make her forget the ugly memories of Nolan? He would probably remind her he didn’t believe in relationships. She was a fool for wanting him and wishing he were different.

  Sighing, she carried her wine glass to the sink, covered the leftovers and put them in the fridge. For a moment they worked in silence. She’d never throw herself at Eddie. That was just the wine talking. She’d better focus on remembering the events of her worst nightmare instead of thinking of Eddie and her as a couple. The saddest part of it was, she’d settle for just an affair if he’d asked her. Even for a week and a half.

  “If Nolan gets away with—”

  “He’s not going to get away with anything, Amy,” Eddie said firmly, wiping his hands on a cloth.

  “You only have a week and a half of your vacation left. What if you can’t prove anything?”

  His lips tightened. Eyes narrowed, Eddie walked to where she stood and tapped her on her nose. “Have a little more faith in me, sweetheart. That son of a bitch will be behind bars before I leave here.”

  Air slowly left Amy’s lungs and a sudden urge to cry rolled over her as he walked passed her and headed toward his bedroom. She didn’t mean to imply she didn’t believe in him. She did.

  ***

  Eddie couldn’t sleep, Amy’s words going around and around in his head.

  “…you have only a week and a half of your vacation left.”

  What then? Back to L.A. and his job. Coming home to an empty house. No crazy music in the morning. No one challenging him at every turn, making him laugh one second and pissing him off the next. No little girl with curly blonde hair and blue eyes looking at him as though he was invincible.

  But what if Amy was really psychotic as her parents had claimed in that missing persons report? What if his libido was clouding his judgment?

  Even as the questions hounded him, his gut instinct told him Amy wasn’t a liar. He’d never met a more loving mother or a caring person. She had a big heart. Her parents were never there for her, yet she was willing to forgive them. He admired her determination to survive and protect her daughter.

  He punched the pillows, turned and saw the clock by the bedside. It was almost midnight, yet sleep eluded him. Sitting up, he reached for his laptop, but it wasn’t there. He’d left it on the dining table. Cursing, he flung the covers aside, padded across the wood floor and headed to the living room. The light from Amy’s laptop told him she was working, yet when she came into view, she was at her desk, her face buried in her arms.

  “The muses deserted you tonight?” he teased.

  “Yeah. What are you doing up?”

  She sounded funny. “I can’t sleep. You okay?”

  “I can’t get my characters to resolve their differences. He’s set in his ways and can’t see what is in front of him. She’s just as stubborn and won’t accept him the way he is.”

  “Maybe they’re not meant to be together,” he said.

  “Not meant to be together?” She turned on the desk lamp and glared. “What kind of crap is that?”

  Eddie hid a smile. “It sounds like the woman’s trying to change the guy instead of accepting him for who he is?”

  Her mouth opened and closed before she blurted, “She’s not. All she needs is a sign that he’s willing to meet her half way.”

  “Has she told him?”

  “Why should she? If he cares about her and is in tune with her emotions, he’d know.”

  Eddie chuckled. “Sweetheart, women are complex and we, men, can’t read their minds. She will need to spell it out to him.”

  “She’s given him all the signs,” she retorted. “Why can’t he see them? I’ll tell you why? He’s just too scared to step outside his comfort zone.”

  “Maybe he’s already outside his comfort zone and she just doesn’t know it.” He wasn’t sure whether they were talking about her characters anymore. He picked up his laptop and turned to find her watching him with a quizzical expression. “If you want a man’s perspective, I can read what you’ve written and give you some feedback.”

  Even as the words left his lips, he wished he could take them back. She’d laugh at him, shoot the idea down. No man he knew ever picked up a romance book to read.

  “You’d do that for me?” Amy asked softly, not masking her surprise.

  “Sure.” Eddie stopped by her side and looked down at her face. She was wearing another one of her oversize T-shirt. She gave him a sweet smile that had him catching his breath.

  “I’ll print it out tomorrow. Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.” He reached out and traced her lush lips as though to catch her smile. Funny, when they first met he’d thought she wasn’t beautiful. Her eyes are so expressive and luminous, and her smile lights up whatever room she is in. Every day, she appears more beautiful. He can’t explain it. She just does.

  Her lips moved and her tongue slipped between her teeth as she spoke, yet Eddi
e didn’t hear a thing. When she cocked her brow as though waiting for an answer, everything swung into focus.

  “What?”

  “I said that as long as you’re objective and you don’t make snarky comments, I’ll be fine.”

  He chuckled, caught her jaw and tilted her chin with his thumb. Her eyes grew soft as she stared at him, her lips parting in silent invitation. Sensual tension swirled and crested.

  “How’s this for meeting you halfway,” he said then leaned down.

  Her breath hitched. He kissed her, his tongue slipping past her lush lips to circle her tongue with quick, urgent strokes. He explored her mouth, savoring the taste of her, begging her to join him.

  As if a dam broke loose, she gave in and drank him, arms reaching up to wind them around his neck. He dumped the laptop on top of hers and lifted her up from the chair, her legs wrapping around his waist. His head spun with the taste, the feel, the scent of her, but somehow, he made it to the couch, taking her with him. She sat on his lap, legs still wrapped around his waist, the length of his throbbing flesh cradled by the apex of her legs. He could feel her heat and it drove him a little crazy.

  His hands cupped her heavy breasts, his thumbs rubbing her tight nipples. She tore her lips from his and threw her head back, her back arching. Beautiful. Giving. She was amazing.

  He yanked off her oversize T-shirt, revealing the lacy black camisole and matching skimpy shorts. For a brief moment, he feasted on her lushness, the ripe strawberry nipples peeking through the lace.

  He buried his face between her perfect mounds and inhaled her essence. She shuddered, gripping his head and pressing him against her.

  Blood roaring past his ears, Eddie turned his head and captured one nipple through the lace, nibbled and gnawed on the rosy tip while she squirmed. The material offered no barrier, but it wasn’t enough. He was drowning with need, a ravenous hunger like he’d never experienced before. He opened his mouth and sucked hard, his hands sliding under her camisole to hold her in place, a low growl of hunger escaping his lips.

  “Eddie…”

  “I want you.” His mouth moved to her neck, nibbling, gnawing. “So much.” He bit her earlobe. “All the time. Say you want me, Amy.”

  She gripped his head and leaned back. Panting, lips swollen from their kisses, eyes hazed with arousal, she stared into his eyes. His breath stalled, fear that she would push him away gripping his chest.

  Please, say you do, he wanted to beg.

  CHAPTER 13

  “Do you want me?” Eddie asked.

  How could she not? She swallowed and tried to find her voice but she couldn’t. She didn’t just want him. She loved him. But he didn’t want love, so she had to settle for this. An affair.

  “Amy?”

  “You know the answer.”

  He shook his head, his chest rising and falling, eyes burning her skin. “I want to hear you admit it.”

  She couldn’t deny him anymore than she could deny herself. She licked her lips, opened her mouth and said, “Yes. I want you, Eddie Fitzgerald.”

  His lips claimed hers in a soul-binding kiss, hot and burning. His need rocked through her, igniting a flame that had needed rekindling for so long. Her fingers sunk into his hair and gripped his head as she held nothing back.

  He lifted her and walked toward the bedroom. Her legs tightened around him, her arms looping around his neck. Her blood sang, her senses soaking in his musky scent, his taste, the feel of skin against skin. She ached for him, imagined him stripping them of the rest of their clothes, touching her, filling her completely.

  Heat rushed south and pooled between her legs. Amy couldn’t get enough of him. So utterly consumed, so frantic to get him completely naked and feast her hands and eyes and mouth on every inch of his body. A deep groan tore from his chest and rumbled through her entire body like a sensual quake.

  Seconds later, he lowered her to the ground. His hands moved up to the top of her flimsy camisole, gripped and yanked. The fabric ripped, her breasts spilling out.

  She gasped. The savagery was shocking yet thrilling. What was she getting herself into? She had a healthy sexual appetite, always had, but the feelings running through her were scary powerful. She shuddered and reached up as though to cover herself. He grabbed her wrists and held them down at her sides.

  “No. I’ve waited too damn long to look at you. Touch you.” He ran a finger around her nipple.

  Amy closed her eyes,

  “Don’t close your eyes, baby. Watch me love you.” He went on his knees and tugged her shorts and panties over her hips.

  She braced herself against his shoulder and kicked them off. Amy felt exposed and vulnerable, but his reverent expression cured her of such insecurities. His touch was light as though he was memorizing the feel of her skin. No one had ever looked at her like she was perfect, like she was the most desirable woman in the entire world.

  “You’re so beautiful, you take my breath away.”

  She tried to speak but her mouth had gone dry. She couldn’t catch her breath, completely mesmerized by the look in his eyes as he drunk her in. Then he cupped her butt cheeks and buried his face in the gentle swell of her stomach.

  A low, uncontrollable moan of pleasure escaped her lips as he kissed her belly button. She gripped his head and held him, her legs threatening to give out from under her. He moved lower, lips suckling, tongue licking, teeth gnawing her skin.

  Amy gasped as his tongue started a languid exploring of the most sensitive part of her body, delving between her folds to tease the nub in the apex of her legs.

  Oh my God. His teeth nipped her sensitive skin. “Eddie.”

  “You smell and taste so good.”

  He lifted one leg and draped it over his shoulder. Amy lost her balance. Her instinct to break the fall was gone. Instead, she gripped his head, all her focus on the pleasure he was giving her. She landed on the bed and bounced once before he pinned her down.

  He lifted both of her legs over his shoulders, his mouth not leaving her flesh. His lips, his tongue, the stubble on his jaw stroking her inner thighs sent jolts of pure pleasure through her. It was too much. Too soon.

  She tried to scoot away from his mouth, but he wouldn’t let her. His hands slid up her stomach and found her breasts. Holding her down, he lifted his head and looked at her with stormy gray eyes. “Don’t fight me, baby.”

  “But you’re still dressed and—”

  “I want to love you,” he finished as though she hadn’t spoken, kneading her breasts, teasing the tight nipples. “I plan to love you. I’ve wanted to for so long and you will let me. You will lay back, do nothing and let me pleasure you.”

  His assured tone sent a thrill through her. She wasn’t a submissive woman and often took charge in the bedroom, a defense mechanism against people controlling her life, yet with Eddie, she wanted to give in. Perhaps it was because she loved him. Trusted him.

  Her head flopped back on the bed and her back arched as he worshipped and possessed all the senses of her body. She wanted to taste him too, run her hands and mouth over every inch of his beautiful body, just like he was doing to her.

  Amy cried out as she tipped over the edge, her thighs trembling around his head, her breathing labored. He didn’t stop, prolonging the waves of ecstasy washing over her until she thought it would never stop. She shuddered violently, closing her eyes and sinking deeper and deeper under his spell.

  She wanted more. Call her greedy. Selfish. But she wanted more of him. Somehow, she managed to fight through the sensual spell.

  “I need to see you too, touch you,” Amy whispered in a voice she didn’t recognize as hers. She was begging.

  “Not yet.”

  He spoke against her throbbing flesh, and it was the most erotic thing ever, then his mouth traveled over her stomach, lapping her belly button. Her stomach contracted. He licked the valley between her breasts. His soft hair fell over and tickled one taut nipple, as his hot mouth closed down over the othe
r. It was an onslaught of sensations and it threatened to make her body fall apart again.

  She shuddered when his teeth grazed the sensitive nub and arched into his mouth, gripping his head and holding it in place. As if to thwart her, he shifted his attention to the other breast.

  He was messing with her head, pushing her only to retreat and push again, not letting her catch her breath. He was the master, she was the pupil, a puppet held by an invisible, yet powerful sensual thread. Even the weight of his body and the way he nestled between her thighs spoke of his power over her body. That she loved it said he knew exactly what she needed.

  His head lifted and studied her as he stroked her hair, her shoulders, her arms. On the heels of her orgasm, the way he’d made her peak so fast, the gentle exploration only added to her heightened state.

  When she tried to touch him, he trapped her wrists and pulled them up above her head. “Not yet.”

  She squirmed as he continued his gentle exploration down her side, her hips and thighs. He played with the hair covering her nether region. Her knees widened to accommodate him and her hips rose, but he didn’t touch her, the tease.

  “Do you know how often I’ve dreamed of you like this?” His exploring fingers stroked and teased her, his touch feather light.

  “Probably as often as I’ve dreamed and imagined being with you.” Surprise flared in his eyes at her words and she decided she liked it. He wasn’t the only one who’d had fantasies. “From the first day I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful person I’d ever seen.”

  He chuckled, desire mixing with surprise in his eyes.

  “Me? Have you met you?” he said against her lips and kissed her. His mouth was hot. Hard. Hungry. The soft brush of his pants against her sensitive skin reminded her he was still dressed, but she didn’t protest. The tip of his finger slipped between her nether lips and sunk deep inside her.

  ***

  She felt heavenly. Her heat seared him as she rose and pressed her pelvis against his hand. She was amazing, passionate, her response free and uninhibited. He pushed a second finger slowly inside her, savoring the feel of her, her heat, her moistness. He imagined that same heat surrounding him and his eyes crossed.