“We still have a good twenty minutes,” he said, putting his hand gently on my shoulder and moving me so that I was facing him.
“You're right,” I said, and my mouth found his instantly.
Before I knew it, his shirt was unbuttoned revealing his chiseled chest. He pulled away and I moaned from the loss of his touch and the feel of him against me.
“I’m going to go lock the door.”
He practically sprinted toward the door and back. He grabbed my legs and pulled me on top of him so that I was straddling him. He ran his hands up my thighs and slowly started to reach the part of me that had been aching for him for weeks. He reached beneath my underwear and I suddenly got a little nervous.
“Relax, baby,” he said against my skin, removing his lips from mine to rest on my neck moving down, down, down.
---
“You’re amazing. I love you. And not just for that, I promise,” he said rubbing a hand up and down my arm as we lay on the floor, trying to regain ourselves.
Ten minutes later and after making a trip to the bathroom in the basement to reassemble ourselves, we were ready to go back upstairs. Part of me wondered if anyone had noticed we had been absent for the past twenty-five minutes.
We walked upstairs just in time for Marie to announce that dinner was ready. I saw Marie smile at me as the family made comments on the different types of food.
The dinner was amazing and I was reminded why I loved Marie’s cooking so much.
“Marie, that was perfect,” I exclaimed, my hands on my very full but content stomach. “I don’t think I’ll need to eat for a week.”
She smiled. “Glad you enjoyed it. We have many things to be thankful for and to celebrate. You, my dear, are one of them.”
In the weeks following my birthday I started to realize how many things had been going on with Tyler that I hadn't been aware of before. I watched as his morning routines were more out in the open; his medicine regimen was something I was surprised I never noticed before.
I didn’t get a chance to see Liz before she had left to go back home to California, and I was left with my thoughts, a phone number, and address to keep in touch. I wanted to get to know her and as scared as I was to let her in, a part of me felt as though I needed to.
Ashton had been shocked that my mom had come to visit me and was mad that he hadn’t been there to meet her. He and Grace had been too busy working on things. They had their first doctor’s appointment and found out that she was a little over nine weeks pregnant and due in February.
Carter still wasn’t talking to Ashton and it killed me that someone with a son who was as close as they were couldn’t work out their differences. I hadn’t really gotten to know Grace but from what I could see she was a nice enough person. She and Ashton seemed to go together pretty well.
Tyler’s parents invited us to stay at their beach house for a spontaneous weekend away. The days were filled with lying out on the beach, toes in the sand and the beautiful ocean in front of us. By the time evenings rolled in, we were exhausted from being in the sun all day and ended up crashing in the living room to watch a movie.
“Earth to Bryn?” someone said, pulling me out of my trance.
I looked at my friends. “What? Sorry.”
“I was just wondering since you’re all established now if you were going to get a job that you could use your degree for? I have a couple ideas of some places you could apply to if you want?” Charlotte asked, sticking a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.
Now that I was back here in Savannah, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. As much as she was right, I hated to admit that it was time to find a real job.
“No, not really. I guess I need to work on that over the next week or so before it gets too late,” I said, hoping that would suffice as an answer. I knew I had to find the time to finally sit down and fill out applications. It made my head hurt to think that I would spend the many hours doing just that.
Soon everyone had dozed off around us and I giggled at the sound of Jason snoring on the ground below me. I tried to keep my attention on the movie, which was almost over, but I kept feeling Tyler’s eyes on the back of my head. I knew he was watching me, and I liked it. After a minute of stare tag, I figured I would end it. I looked over at him and sure enough, he was smiling at me. But this time he gestured his head to the other room adjacent to the kitchen we were standing in. Without explanation, I set my drink down on the table and followed Tyler, who was leading us to the kitchen. He held his hand out to me and I took it.
With his foot he shut the kitchen door and I was suddenly backed into it. His hands ran through my hair and slowly down my sides.
“Tyler…” I got out in between his kisses and as he brought his lips to my neck, I whimpered.
“What?” he asked as he kept kissing me.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Where The Wilson’s beach house was situated, there were many little shops around the corner. Including a famous ice cream shop known for their dozens of unique flavors.
We stopped for some ice cream, enjoying the coldness of it on our tongues; a break from the heat. Tyler held out his cone, offering me a taste. I licked it playfully.
“That’s really good. Here, try mine.”
I raised my cone to his lips and as he went to take a lick, I nudged it, smashing the ice cream on his face.
I giggled as he chased me down the sidewalk all the way back to the house. When we go to the front door, we were both hot and sticky from the humid air and the cold treat.
“Want to take a shower before settling in?”
I wiped my face with the bottom of my t-shirt, skillfully flashing my black lace bra. I nodded as he grabbed my hand and led me around to the back of the house.
“Where are we going?” I whispered as we walked through the sand and into the backyard.
“The best part, in my opinion, is the guest house.”
I could see the small house in the distance, and when he opened the French doors I was overwhelmed by the simplistic beauty and serene feel to the small guest house.
“Wow, it’s beautiful in here.”
The walls were painted a warm tan color from ceiling to the floor where they met the beautiful deep colored wood. There was a small kitchen in front of us with a cozy living area to our right.
Tyler held his hand out and I walked over to him, grabbing it and walking inside. He led me down a short hallway to the last door on the right.
“Here, you can use this towel,” he said, handing me a tan colored one. “The soap and shampoo is in this cabinet.” He pointed to a small wicker medicine cabinet over the toilet.
I ran my hand along the beautiful granite vanity. Tyler opened the shower curtain and turned the water on. “So this is kind of complicated. You have to be really careful with how far you turn the knob. You could be freezing one second and screaming from the scalding hot water the next.
I sat down on top of the toilet seat and looked around.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh no, nothing. I just love everything about being here. Your family is like my own. The smells, the sounds, the sights. It’s home to me.”
Tyler crouched down in front of me. “Home is where you are. In so many ways I need you. You make me a better person whenever you’re next to me.” His hand grazed my cheek and I shivered at his touch.
“I love you, Bryn,” he said, looking at where his hand was touching and then he met my eyes. “I’m so glad you came back to me.”
He kissed me briefly and pulled away, grazing the back of his hand against my cheek. I smirked at him and slowly reached my arms up, silently asking him to do what I needed him to do.
His lips pulled up in a smile, letting out a small laugh before he took the bottom of my shirt, lifting it up and off revealing my bra. The shirt fell on the floor with a soft plop.
I reached to the bottom of his shirt and his hand softly stopped me. I opened my eyes and the look on his
face almost worried me. “What is it, babe?”
He started unbuttoning his shirt. “Bryn, this is me. All of me, and I want you to have all of me.”
His stomach was amazing, toned yet not overwhelming. But then my eyes wandered upwards to see the pink raised line running down the upper part of his body.
“It's ugly isn't it?” he asked me with self-consciousness overtaking his tone.
Tears came to my eyes as I understood how big this was to him. He was showing me something that meant a lot to him. He trusted me and I couldn't help but love him more.
“No, Tyler. We all have scars; they’re nothing to be ashamed of.”
He kissed me and we awkwardly struggled to get the rest of our clothing off, laughing as we went. We walked, never breaking apart, to the shower and stepped underneath the perfectly warm water. I kissed his scar from the top of it to the bottom and back up again, then kissing his shoulder. I trailed my tongue along his bottom lip, placing light kisses along his neck, listening to his intake of breath at every contact. I got to his ear and I kissed it softly, sucking and nibbling on his earlobe. I kissed his cheek and then his lips, slipping my tongue into his mouth and meeting his own.
“Tyler,” I said in between kisses. “I want you.”
He looked at me and searched both of my eyes. “Are you sure?”
I nodded, and he kissed me again but I pulled away. “Tyler, it’s only ever been you.”
He stopped and looked at me, a look of shock written on his face. “You mean you haven’t been with anyone since that night?”
I shook my head and his eyes looked into mine as a feeling rushed through me so passionate, so hard and so painful. It was a love that hurt like heaven, a love that attached us by our souls where we were forever connected.
“As much as I’m enjoying seeing you all wet in my shower, let’s go into the bedroom. I want to make love to you the right way.”
I nodded, his words stealing my breath away.
Not bothering to dry off, we walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom and over to his bed.
He kissed my cleavage and cupped my breasts again, sending heat throughout my chest that radiated all the way down to my toes. His hands squeezed before they trailed down my stomach and then to my legs and all the way up again, leaving goose bumps along my skin.
He looked at my nakedness, then up at me, smiling. “You’re beautiful.”
I set my head back down on the mattress and suddenly felt his lips kissing the inside of my thighs. Then finally after the aching moments of him kissing everywhere except where I needed him to be, his lips surrounded me there, the sensation amazing.
He kissed his way back up slowly, his mouth finding mine. “You know we don't have to do this tonight, Bryn. We have forever.”
I grinned. “I know but I’ve never felt more ready for anything. I want this with you and only you.”
“Okay,” he replied with a smile and continued to kiss me. I reached down in between us and worked on unbuttoning his jeans. I pushed them down his hips and used my feet to push them off his legs. He pressed himself in between my thighs and I moaned into his neck. His fingers tangled into my hair as we moved in unison, the friction between us nearly unbearable.
“Shit,” I heard him say into my ear. “I don't have a condom.”
“I'm on the pill,” I said.
“Thank God.” He shimmied out of his boxers, and we were finally lying skin to skin. I brought my hand down and wrapped it around the length of him.
I could feel him rub himself along my slickness, coating himself to make it easier on me. He looked into my eyes as he pushed in slowly.
Tyler groaned, and I felt his grip around my waist tighten as every inch entered me. I could feel the burning sensation as I stretched to accommodate him. He was kissing my face apologizing for the pain, but I could also feel how tense he was. He was struggling to hold back, while I clenched around him; the pain was present but not overwhelmingly so. I took deep calming breaths until I felt the burning subside a little. "You have no idea how amazing you feel around me, Bryn. I don't know how long I can stay still." I knew he was struggling as well. I rocked into him, urging him to continue. It was uncomfortable, yes, but not enough to ruin how special this was for both of us.
He whimpered into my hair, and I rocked again. Soon he was thrusting into me. I felt him grab me and cry out into my hair.
I smiled and pulled him to my chest, lightly running my fingers through his hair. We didn't have to say anything in that moment. He gave me his heart, and he certainly had mine.
---
“Bryn,” I heard someone say, pulling me out of my dream. “Love, wake up.”
“Hmm...”
I heard a laugh, and I opened my eyes. Tyler was hovering above me on all fours.
“Well good morning to you too,” I said sitting up on my elbows and kissing him lightly.
“You weren't in bed this morning. I wasn't sure what happened,” he said lowering down so his face was inches from mine. How can someone be so seductive in the morning?
I rolled us over so now I was straddling him, his eyes wide at my sudden movement. I wiggled my hips a little bit and smiled at the reaction. “I didn't want to make your parents uncomfortable this morning if both of us were gone. They were all still sleeping when I came in. I’ve only been gone a couple of hours.”
I leaned down and kissed him, tucking my hair behind my ear.
“A couple of hours is way too long in my opinion.” He kissed me back, pushing up into me. Oh my God. “Last night was beyond incredible, Bryn. And as much as I would love to continue where we left off, everyone wants us to meet them in the kitchen.”
I sat up. “Why? Something wrong?”
He sat up, with me still in his lap. “No, it's probably nothing, but Charlotte said everyone needs to be there.”
We got up and readjusted ourselves. When we opened the kitchen door, everyone was standing around the island, the smell of cinnamon buns surrounding us.
“Well, good morning, sleepy heads. I wanted to let you sleep in, Bryn. You looked like you could use the sleep,” Charlotte said in a tone that suggested way too many things.
I mumbled a “thanks,” grabbing a cinnamon bun and starting to eat it.
Everyone looked around at each other, and Charlotte and Miles were beaming. What was going on?
Tyler seemed to read my thoughts and said bluntly, "So who’s going to spill? What’s going on that requires all of us down here at the same time?"
Miles walked over to Charlotte and put an arm around her shoulder. As he did, Charlotte placed her left hand on his stomach, and that's when I saw it.
“Oh my God!” Eva said.
Charlotte basically squealed, “We're getting married!”
Everyone ran to hug and congratulate them.
The ring was so Charlotte. It had a delicate, antique look to it, three round diamonds surrounded by many little ones. I learned later on that it had belonged to Miles’s great, great grandmother, handed down from generation to generation.
Charlotte invited us to come celebrate that night at dinner with her and Miles’s family. They left to go tell his parents she had said yes and went our separate ways, me having to go into work.
When I got home after my shift, I found Ashton standing in the kitchen reading the back of a microwave dinner. I stopped him before he put it in the microwave.
“Hey, I was going to eat that, Bryn,” he said to me.
I shook my head. “Not when I’m cooking you aren't!" I joked.
“Thanks,” he said, sitting down at the table and running a hand through his hair.
I grabbed a large pot out of the cupboard and set it under the faucet. “You all right?”
“I talked to my dad today.”
Setting the pot of water on the stovetop for spaghetti, I joined him at the table. “How did that go?”
“Actually, not bad. He still doesn’t want me there at the house, but
at least we’re talking.” He got up and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. “Grace is coming over tonight if that’s okay.”
“You don’t have to ask, this is your house too. I won’t be here anyways; we’re going out tonight to celebrate Charlotte and Miles’s engagement.”
“Did you just say engaged?”
I nodded. “Yeah, they told us this morning.”
“Wow, way to go Miles! They’ve been together for awhile; I thought maybe he would never have the balls to ask.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I’m happy for them.”
Ashton nodded and I returned to the oven, finishing up dinner.
“Oh, by the way, Olivia is going to be moving back in soon. I don’t know when but we’re meeting in the next couple of days. If you want, we can turn the dining room into your room.”
“Makes sense. Plus, I won’t be here for much longer. Hopefully this whole thing with my dad blows over.”
I went to grab a plate out of one of the cabinets when I heard a crash. I looked down to see my dad’s favorite mug shattered to pieces at my feet.
“Oh my God,” I said, crouching down to pick them up.
“You okay?” Ashton asked, joining to help me.
“No.” I shook my head, tears falling into the mess. “This was my dad’s favorite mug. I knew I should have put it somewhere else.”
Ashton rubbed my back as I picked up the handle, still intact. “I’m sorry.”
I stood up to grab a broom and a plastic bag. “It’s my fault. Not yours.”
---
Tyler met me at the door of the restaurant after my second shift was over.
“How was your first day as manager, babe?”
“It was all right. I didn’t do much of anything different. I think the only real difference is going to be my paycheck and having the ability to have other employees work when I need off,” I joked as I kissed him.
We were led to the back of the restaurant by the hostess to a private room Marie and Oliver must have reserved for the night.
“Hey you two!” Marie said and giving us a hug. “Congrats on the promotion, sweetie!”
I blushed. Tyler must have told them.
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