Rediscovered Love

by Celeste Carrara

  “In the city? How the hell did you get a table on such short notice?”

  “I have my ways,” he answered with a sly, sexy grin.

  My stomach fluttered at the look he gave me. Carmine’s was a popular Italian restaurant in the city, and it had the best family style Italian food. It was also a favorite of mine and it surprised me that he knew that.

  “How did you know that I liked that place?”

  “I have a good memory.”

  Once at the restaurant, we were seated at a small table in the back. We ordered their specialty, pasta and meatballs. While we waited for our food to be served, things were a little awkward until David started the conversation. He was funny and told stories about his experiences at his job site. I could listen to him talk for hours.

  “Enough about me. Have you thought about what you will do with the house when you go back to school?”

  “I get a break around Thanksgiving and then school ends in early December, so it won’t sit empty for too long. I’ll come back during those breaks to check up on it. I only have a year of school left. After that, I’m not sure what I’ll do with it. I don’t know if I could ever sell it. Although when I left for Boston, I never imagined I’d come back here. Anything is possible, I guess.”

  “What are your career plans?”

  “You know I’m going to school to be a physical therapist, right? I guess I’ll go wherever I can find a good job.”

  He stared at me intently and I had to know what was on his mind.

  “What? Just say what you’re thinking.”

  “I’m just thinking that I’ll be here. I mean my long-term plans keep me here. My dad can’t run the company much longer and I’ll be taking over soon. It’s a great business, money is good, and I’m staying put.”

  Right away I thought about what it would be like if I kept the house and found a job in the area after school. David and I could be together. It was crazy. How could it actually work? There was too much Jason baggage. It couldn’t work out between David and me.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “David, are we doing the right thing here?”

  He took a deep breath and just stared at me.

  “Is this the right thing? I’m so confused.” I asked him.

  “What are you so confused about?” he asked.

  With honesty, I answered, “First, let me tell you what I’m not confused about. I’m not confused about my feelings for you. I care for you, I’m attracted to you, and I really want to explore a relationship with you. But then there’s Jason. He’s an obstacle I’m not sure we can get past.”

  “Shit. I feel the same way. I am the worst friend in the world. Hell, most people would say I’m a dick just for being here with you now. A relationship? I would lose Jason’s friendship for sure. Maybe even the other guys too. I don’t want that to happen. But I want to see what we could have. If it’s the real thing, then it’s worth the fallout.”

  “We both have to be willing to take that chance.” I said.

  “Yeah. I am. Are you?”

  Beautiful green eyes stared at me fixedly. He was as serious as I ever saw him. If he was willing to give us a chance, then so was I. If it was meant to be, it would all work out. At least, that’s what I hoped.

  “Yes.” He looked relieved and gave me a smile. We continued our dinner with no more talk about Jason.

  Being around David was so easy. He knew everything about me and I could be myself in front of him completely. We spent our time talking about what we did with our lives the previous three years. It was late into the night when we finished dinner and he drove me home. The entire ride, I was preoccupied with thoughts on whether or not he would kiss me goodnight and if I would encourage or discourage it. He walked me to my door once we arrived at my house and leaned in and kissed me.

  Plump lips caressed mine, so soft and gentle. It was a chaste kiss, no tongue involved, and it was the hottest kiss I’ve ever experienced. When he pulled back, I wanted more. Left breathless and needy, I couldn’t even speak.

  “Goodnight, Tori. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Uh-huh, yeah, okay.” That was all I could sputter. He left and I needed a cold shower.

  Chapter Eleven

  After our first date, we had five more. Movies, dinners, walks in the park. Every single one of them was fantastic. We agreed to keep our relationship private until we knew where it was headed. There was no doubt that David and I were a great match. We didn’t share more than innocent kisses and I was ready to see if we were compatible on a deeper level. When the moment was right, I knew it would probably happen naturally, but there was no reason why I couldn’t push things along.

  It was two days before I had to leave for school. My part time job was over and my packing began. The amount of stuff I needed to take with me filled up the whole room and I hoped it would all fit in my car. David offered to help and I declined, but after viewing the living room filled with bags, I thought perhaps I should take him up on his offer. He was due at my place for dinner and I planned on telling him I would need his help. I needed him for something else as well. But I would wait until after dinner for that.

  Cooking was not my forte. The dinner I served was from a local restaurant, but I did add a salad I tossed on my own. When David arrived, he greeted me and complimented my outfit. Afraid of being too obvious, I wore a simple pair of shorts with a nice top. They were modest, but I hoped my bare legs got his attention enough for him to take our relationship to the next level. We ate in the dining room, and after dinner we took a look at the piles of stuff that needed to be transported back to my school.

  “Shit, there’s no way you need all this stuff!”

  “You have no idea. Trust me, it’s all necessary. So yeah, about that offer of help. I’m gonna need it. Would it be too much to ask if you could follow me up to school in your pick up and bring some of the bigger stuff for me?”

  “I’d be happy to.”

  In my excitement and appreciation for his help, I hugged him. That hug turned into a kiss. It started as all our kisses did, soft, gentle, and chaste. This time I took control and took it further. My tongue parted his lips and slipped in searching for his. David’s silky tongue caressed mine and we fell into the most sensual kiss. My heart raced and my hands reached up to his shaved head. The stubble felt coarse but pleasant against my skin. My nails scratched all over and retreated to the back of his neck. He released the sexiest sigh. I wasted no time and lifted his shirt off of his body.

  Thick, black tattoos circled his arms, climbed his shoulders, and rested on his back. My fingers lazily traced the design along his arms as I stared deeply into his eyes. My hope was to let them speak for me. I wanted him right then and there. He knew what I wanted because in an instant he kissed me, hard. All the softness was gone. All the years he said he had to admire me from afar was portrayed in that kiss. My legs quivered with the need to have him inside me.

  “Are you sure you want to do this, Tori?”

  “I have never been more sure of anything in my life.”

  It was a dramatic, clichéd remark and I wish I had come up with something more clever, but my need had my brain all fuzzy. The moment his hand touched the button on my shorts, our sexual desires took over. We couldn’t get undressed fast enough. There was no care where it happened - we just both needed it to happen. We fell together on the carpeted floor, our lips never disconnecting. I kept my eyes open the entire time. I couldn’t help it. He was too beautiful to miss. The rise and fall of his chest as he breathed heavily. The sweat that beaded on his chest. The look of passion on his face. It was all so erotic and pleasing I could’ve stared at him forever. Free from our clothing, he fumbled for his pants and retrieved a condom.

  He didn’t need any help from me to be ready so he slipped the condom on and placed himself between my legs. His eyes bored into mine and never once did he look away. Balanced on one arm, his other hand touched my face and with one swift push he was inside
me. I had sex many times in my young life, but none of my experiences were ever as intimate as the moment David and I were joined. He moved in and out with a slow pace. It was a pleasure I had never had the privilege of feeling. Sensual, soft glides had my body craving for more of him. My legs wrapped tightly around his waist as I rode the waves of pleasure he built up in me.

  His lips latched onto my nipple and I cried out with gratification. My desire took over and my nails raked his back. I needed him deeper and I pulled him closer to me so that there was no longer a space between us. Just skin on skin. His face was buried in my neck, kissing while he used a torturous slow, steady rhythm to penetrate me. I prayed to be tortured that way every night for the rest of my life. His movements quickened and the sounds that filled my living room were recorded in my memory. He was so damn sexy moaning and panting. David didn’t speak a word. He let his body and his eyes talk for him.

  So lost to my lust, it took some time for me to realize what had happened. David made love to me. He didn’t fuck me. No quickie in the bathroom to get off. No raunchy romp in the back yard. It was how sex should be when you were with someone you love, someone you respected. David made love to me. He wasn’t using me and I wasn’t using him. For the first time in my life, I made love to a man I cared for and respected. A guy I had no baggage with, a guy who wanted the same things I did. Before it could reach his shoulder, I quickly wiped the tear that came dangerously close to giving my feelings away. It wasn’t the time to tell David what that moment really meant to me. I let David dictate our movements. He was in control and I was happy to be along for the ride. And what a ride it was.

  We flipped around and my needs took over. With him filling me up so perfectly, I rode him in pure ecstasy. He hit all the right spots and pushed up into me, meeting my every stride. We were in perfect harmony. My body tingled and I could feel my orgasm build. My muscles tightened and he let out a cry of approval. That was all my body needed to let go in a release that had my body trembling from head to toe. Later, I would find out that he joined me with his own release, but at the moment I was transported to another world.

  Out of breath, I lay on the carpet in complete joy. David had excused himself to get rid of the condom and I missed him the moment he stepped away. With no energy to collect my clothes, I waited for David to return, naked and not the least bit shy.

  “You look so beautiful, Tori.”

  I turned to see him return from the bathroom and he was a sight to behold. His green eyes almost glowed against his tan skin. The shaved head, muscles, and tattoos gave him a dangerous look, but all I saw when I looked at him was a kind, loving, great guy. It didn’t escape my notice that I was the luckiest girl in the world.

  “Thank you. That was incredible. I’m sorry we haven’t done that sooner.” I said with a small laugh.

  “It wouldn’t have been the same. It was the right time now.”

  He was right. The wheels turned in my head and my brain couldn’t give me another moment of peace. His words made me remember that I was leaving to go back to school. That brought up questions about our relationship. I had no idea if we were technically a couple. Would he see other people when I was gone?

  “So, I’m leaving soon.”

  “Wow, what a way to spoil my high.”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t help myself sometimes. I just think we need to talk. But let’s get dressed first.”

  “No, I’m not done memorizing your body yet.”

  He joined me on the floor and rubbed his hand along my legs up to my thighs and trailed his fingers along my stomach to my breasts. I lay on my back and enjoyed his touch all over my body. Never had I been so relaxed and comfortable in front of someone bare-naked. His touch was electrifying and it wasn’t long until my body reacted. We needed to talk about something I knew was important, but I couldn’t remember exactly what that was. When David reached for another condom, I could think of nothing else but his body joined with mine.

  Chapter Twelve

  Four times. That was a record for me and it had to be for David as well. He spent the night after our sex marathon, and when I woke up the next morning I was sore for very wonderful reasons. I was a happy girl too. Not only were David and I compatible out of the bedroom, we were a perfect match in the bedroom as well. That didn’t mean that everything was sunshine and rainbows. We had obstacles, one very big one. Jason. Before I could broach that subject with David, there were other things we had to discuss. I couldn’t leave for college without knowing where we stood.

  We decided to grab coffee when David woke up and that’s when the real world invaded our fantasy. Any person with half a brain would look at David and me, at nine in the morning, in Starbucks, with me in my pajama shorts and a tank, and know we had spent the night together. The guy sported an afterglow of great sex and I knew I did too. Who could blame us? We had earth-shattering sex four times in one night!

  We hadn’t realized until it was too late that Mike, Joey, and Brian were seated at a table in full view of the two of us. We froze. We couldn’t run. We couldn’t hide. There was no time to come up with a story, and any lie we would’ve come up with would surely be unbelievable to three people who knew us both so well.

  “Hi guys, what’s up?” Mike asked.

  I couldn’t find my voice so I let David respond. I was sure I looked like a deer in the headlights and by the looks that greeted me, I was right.

  “Noting, just getting coffee.” David responded nonchalantly.

  He made eye contact with each one of them as if he dared them to ask the questions that were swirling in their heads. Joey and Mike stayed silent, but Brian was another story.

  “What are you doing, Dave? Do you know what this looks like? You here with Tori like this?”

  “Yeah, I know exactly what it looks like.”

  “Please tell me it isn’t what it looks like.” Mike asked.

  When David and I remained quiet, all three guys shook their heads at us. Disappointment filled their eyes and I wanted to scream at them.

  “You’re an asshole, Dave. I hope it was worth it because once Jason finds out, he’ll never speak to you again.” Joey said.

  “Shut up! Don’t talk to him like that. And all of you stop looking at me like I’m some slut. You have no idea about what’s going on between David and me. As a matter of fact, you guys have no idea what went down with me and Jason, so stop judging me.”

  “Tori, I’m sorry, but you gotta know that you being with David is wrong! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you have caused?” Mike asked.

  “You know what? I am not having this conversation with any of you. This is my business and David’s, and if Jason has a problem, he can talk to us about it. You guys need to stay out of it.”

  “This affects all of us. We’re like brothers. This puts us in the middle!” Mike lectured.

  He was right. Of course there would be fallout between Jason and David. That would inevitably affect all the guys. Sides would have to be chosen, that’s just the way these things went. I was smart enough to know that, yet I didn’t care when I started dating David. All I cared about was my needs and what I wanted. I would go back to school and David would be left alone to deal with the fallout. I didn’t feel like drinking my coffee or talking to the guys anymore. I felt sick. After I tossed my cup into the nearest garbage can, I stormed out without saying another word to any of them.

  The walk to my house was short with the speed in which I stomped my way back home. Within ten minutes, David was at my door with two coffees in his hands. After I let him in, I sat at my kitchen table and nursed my latté.

  “Don’t let them get to you. Let me deal with it, okay?”

  “How can I do that? That’s not fair. I feel terrible that I’m leaving tomorrow and you’re stuck here dealing with this.”

  “There is nothing to feel bad about.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “Do you feel that sleeping with me was wrong?”
<
br />   “Of course not!”

  “Then let me handle this. I can talk to the guys, make them see this isn’t just a fling or a way to get one up on Jason.”

  My heart skipped at his words. We weren’t just a fling and our relationship had nothing to do with Jason. Just when I was about to bring up the subject of our relationship, my front door swung open and in walked my family.

  “Tori! Why is the front door unlocked?” My father yelled.

  Behind him trailed my sister, my father’s girlfriend, my uncle, and his daughter. An audience I didn’t need, especially with David in the room.

  “Oh, I didn’t expect you to have company so early. Hi David.” My father said while he reached out with his hand to give David a shake.

  David said his hellos to everyone and the room went silent.

  “David just stopped by to bring me some coffee on his way to a job site he has to get to. He was nice enough to save me the trip.”

  There was no way I was going to tell my family anything about David and me. They were so used to Jason being in and out of my life that they wouldn’t understand. I didn’t have the time or energy to explain it to them either. It was best they didn’t know until they had to.

  “Will you guys excuse me for a minute?”

  I made my way out of the kitchen and walked David outside. My family made themselves at home and I heard the coffee pot being filled and eggs being cracked.

  “I’m sorry. They are big fans of the unannounced drop in. I figured you’ve been through enough and I’d spare you this freak show.” I said to David while we stood on my front stoop.

  David laughed. “I’m very used to your family. I can handle them.”

  I smiled at him and replied, “Yeah, we’ll see.”

  “Yeah, we will.” He said it with all seriousness, leaned in and kissed me. “I’ll call you later.”

  I headed back into my house. “What are you all doing here?”

  Molly answered, “We came to say goodbye before you left for school.”