One Moment (The Little Hollow Series Book 1)

by Danielle Dickson

  “Yeah, there’s not many apartments in the city that boasts a log fire and cozy feel. Plus, it’s close to work.” I nodded in understanding. “Can I get you a drink?” Before I could answer, he’d already pulled out two bottles of water. “Sorry, this is all I’ve got in, unless you want some coffee?”

  I looked up at him and he was studying me quizzically. I should say something now, it was getting awkward, something I’d never thought I’d experience with Connor. I knew what I wanted to say but the words wouldn’t come out.

  “Water is fine thanks, it’s hot as hell outside.” I rung my hands around the ice cold bottle before clearing my throat. “Why didn’t you stay to talk to me at the hospital?”

  He looked down at his own bottle. “You were asleep, I didn’t realize you knew I was even there.” He looked up, his eyes full of anguish. “You told me to leave, Sam. What was I to do? I know I left you again but I had a choice to make. I’d rather have left you thinking I respected your wishes than to have stayed and made things worse and have you hate me more than you already do.” I stared. Hated him?

  “Connor, I don’t hate you, I never have.” Now he really did look puzzled. “I was angry, sure, but I never hated you. If anything, I resented you. You got to leave and get away from it all. I thought you’d left me for that very reason, to get away from it all, to get away from me. Deep down I understood what I thought you’d left for. It was painful, and I got that, but it still didn’t stop me from resenting you.” I moved a step towards him. “But I needed you at the same time, I needed you more than anything.” I took a deep breath before continuing, “I didn’t know how to cope, every turn I made, I expected you to be there. Every phone call, every time someone knocked at the door, my heart would clench. I just wanted it to be you.” I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat but I was failing miserably. “After I saw you on the dock that first time, it was hard to piece everything together. You’d been coming back year after year.” He nodded, tears in his eyes. “Leaving those keychains, knowing I’d find them.” I was starting to get angry again. No, this wasn’t what I came here for.

  “I never meant to cause you any more pain, I was there for my own selfish reasons, I know that, and if I could take away you seeing me that day, I would.” My head shot towards him, eyes intense.

  “I wouldn’t,” I said and he opened his mouth to speak again. I moved closer to him. “Seeing you again was the eye opener I needed. I’ve been living my life filled with guilt, pain and regret. Burying it away so I didn’t have to deal with it all. Not opening up to anyone, pushing everyone away but the one friend I do have.” We were almost touching now and I could hear my heart beat in my ears.

  The atmosphere crackled with sexual tension. We’d skirted around it for so many years and pretended it wasn’t there but it was, it was always there. I could see how he was looking at me, like he wanted to devour me, and I felt the same.

  He was searching my face, just spit it out Sam. “I didn’t know I needed you in my life again until you came back and then you left and weren’t in it anymore. I’m sorry for-” With that, he pulled me into his arms and crushed his lips against mine effectively cutting me off. It was a soul crushing kiss that made me tingle all the way to my toes and then he was gone all too soon.

  “Sorry, Sam, I don’t know what came over me.” He ran his hands through his hair, tattooed forearms tensing and I put my hand on his sculpted chest.

  “I don’t want to have to wait any longer.” I threw my arms around his neck, barely able to reach even on my tip toes. He leaned down and I found myself with my legs wrapped around his waist as he picked me up and started walking.

  I didn’t even think before closing the distance between us and pressing my lips against hers. I threaded my arms through hers and deepened it, picking her up so she was straddling me.

  In the heat of the moment, I just started walking towards the bedroom. I’d give her the option to back out but I’d waited for this for a very long time. To make love to the only girl I’d ever cared for. Hell, what was I thinking, I loved her.

  I pushed her up against the door on the way into my bedroom and pulled away, looking into those beautiful, lust filled, green eyes. “I don’t want to go any further if…“

  She kissed me softly and whispered against my lips. “I need this, Connor, please don’t stop now.” Just hearing my name come from her lips sent shivers down my spine.

  I let her down gently, her body rubbing against mine as she placed her feet on the floor. I cupped her cheek and let my thumb slide over her swollen lips, down her neck, and over her shoulder before griping the bottom of her tee in my hand and pulling it over her head.

  She blushed as I looked over her body. I’d seen it plenty of times before as teenagers, because we used to go swimming all the time, but this was different, she was a woman now and she was giving herself to me, all of her.

  “You’re so beautiful, this just doesn’t feel real.” I helped her pull my own shirt off and I leaned closer to her so I could push my lips against hers again.

  Breaking apart briefly, she put her hand on my bare chest and traced a finger down towards my belt. She stalled there and I cupped her face once more. “We don’t have to do this, Sammy. It can wait.” She looked embarrassed and it clicked, I didn’t know how to ask her but I was pretty sure she was a virgin.

  “Have you…have you ever?” She shook her head and looked down at the floor. There was no need for her to be embarrassed with me, if anything, it only made her more appealing.

  Scooping her up, I moved towards the bed, laid her down onto it gently and leaned on one elbow above her. “I would wait forever for you, Samantha Reynolds. As long as you tell me this is what you want…” I motioned between the two of us. “Me and you.”

  She smiled up at me, looking me dead in the eyes and wriggled under my bodyweight. “I came here today to tell you I didn’t want to spend another moment without you.” I heard her zipper as she pulled it down. “To tell you I don’t want to waste another day thinking about what ifs.” She lifted up slightly and I froze as she peeled away her jeans and brought her hands back up to my face. “To tell you I can’t go on pretending you don’t mean everything to me anymore. I love you, I always have and I always will.”

  It felt like a boulder had been lifted off of my shoulders, to have the person you love the most love you back, is a feeling that can only be described as euphoric.

  She started undoing my belt and I sat up to kick off my work boots and jeans before moving back up to admire her body. She was curvaceous but still petite. From her ample sized breasts to her shapely thighs, she was perfect in every way and I let her know as I placed sweet, soft kisses up her body and all the way up to her mouth.

  “So perfect.”

  She smiled against my mouth. “Not so bad yourself, muscles.”

  I laughed a big hearty laugh, feeling her hands exploring my finely tuned body. I sat her up with me to undo her bra and she looked at me under her heavy lashes, driving me crazy.

  I was going to take this slow and enjoy every second while looking into those pools of green.

  Laying her back down, I started to kiss down her body, not missing an inch. Looping my fingers at the sides of her panties, I looked up at her for one last confirmation. She leaned her head back and shut her eyes. Taking this as my cue, I slowly tugged on them, trailing my fingers down the sides of her thighs and threw them to the floor as they came sliding off.

  I removed my boxers and placed myself over the top of her, bringing my mouth close to her ear I whispered, “Open your eyes, Sammy.” They fluttered open and I lost myself in them.

  We lay there, bodies intertwined and breathing hard. I’d never felt anything like it, there was nothing but a pure raw connection, nothing like the awkward first time stories I’d heard about.

  His arm curled around me and he pulled me in to place a kiss on the top of my head. “I love you.”

  I shivered as his breath f
loated down the back of my neck and I raised myself up onto one elbow kissing him firmly on the lips. He threaded his fingers through mine and it brought my attention to his wrist.

  He was still wearing the watch I bought him for his sixteenth birthday. I traced a finger over it and he looked down.

  “I’ve never taken it off.”

  I smiled, he really was thinking about me. He was right earlier, this didn’t seem real, everything felt like it was about to fall apart at any moment. I couldn’t really be this happy, could I?

  The questions suddenly started snaking their way through my head. We lived eleven hours away from each other, how was this going to work? Keeley had been my rock over the past three years, I didn’t think I could just leave her and the salon I’d worked so hard for. As if sensing something was wrong, Connor lent up on his elbow too.

  “Smile, it might never happen.” I tried to muster up a smile for him.

  “What if it already has?” His face dropped and he sat up.

  “Sammy, I could’ve waited.” He’d misinterpreted what I meant.

  “That’s not what I meant. That was perfect, you were perfect, but that’s the problem. Well, no…not problem, but I’m just trying to work this all out in my head.”

  “All of what?” he asked.

  “How this will work. We live so far apart, Con…”

  He moved to brush my hair behind my ear. “Let’s not worry about all the logistics right now, let’s just enjoy tonight. I’ll order us in some food. You still like Chinese?” I nodded at him, still a little uneasy. “If you’d rather talk, I’m more than happy too.”

  I shook my head. “No, you’re right. Let’s just spend some time catching up, I want to hear about this business of yours.” He raised a brow. “Did I forget to mention I looked you up?”

  He threw his head back and laughed. God, I loved his laugh.

  “So you’ve been stalking me?” He winked and pushed me back down onto the bed. “You could’ve just asked you know.”

  His lips were on mine again, taking away all of my earlier anxiety for now. We didn’t end up ordering food for another forty-five minutes and I was well and truly ready for some by the time it turned up.

  I sat, legs crossed, on the sofa in one of his t-shirts that was way too big for me; it was just long enough that it covered my butt. I had my hair tied up on the top of my head with no makeup on. But the way he looked at me made me feel like I was the most beautiful girl on planet.

  “What? Stop staring at me.”

  He chuckled, chopsticks paused in mid-air. “I just can’t believe this is real still. I’m scared if I turn away for even a second, you’ll be gone and this will all have been a cruel dream.”

  I put my takeaway box down on the coffee table and sauntered over to him sitting at the breakfast counter. He was wearing nothing more than a pair of jersey shorts and he was breathtaking. I’d had a tour around his apartment earlier and I’d discovered he had his own gym so that explained his god-like physique.

  “Oh, this is real. Every frizzy haired piece of me.”

  He placed his box down on the counter and pulled me towards him. “I don’t know, I think you might be a figment of my imagination.”

  He had a playful look on his face. I knew that look. That was the look he always used to give me when he was up to something. I started to back away in the direction of his bedroom.

  “Maybe I am, maybe we’ll never find out.” He jumped down off his stool and started walking towards me. He quickened his pace and I turned and ran, squealing like a schoolgirl.

  He was too fast, he had me up on his shoulder before I even made it to the door. He carried on inside and pinned me to the bed tickling me.

  “Say I’m the best, Sammy. Say it.” I couldn’t get any words out from laughing so hard. “Say it.” Tears were streaming down my face; the good kind this time.

  “It!” He stopped for a second, giving me a reprieve.

  “Oh no you don’t!” He started again and it felt so carefree and easy, just like we were teenagers again. He leaned down close to my ear and said, “Say I’m the best.”

  I managed to choke it out and he stopped but didn’t get off me. “We’re going to make this work, you know that right?”

  He looked so sure of it that it filled me with hope. I smiled wide and he bent down and kissed me, breaking apart when a phone rang.

  I looked up at him and he said, “Well, it isn’t mine.”

  He chuckled as I crawled across the bed and hung off it to grab my jeans. I sat back up and pulled my cell out the pocket to check who it was.

  “Lewis?” I said when I picked up the cell and threw a puzzled look in Connor’s direction, he shrugged.

  I answered to a barrel of questions but I couldn’t understand a word that he was saying. “Woah, slow down. What do you mean all smashed up? What’s smashed up?” I shot a worried look at Con and he moved towards me.

  “The Salon, the apartment,” he answered, breathless.

  “What? What’s happened?”

  “I was walking past and I saw the shop window all smashed up, I ran inside to make sure Keeley was okay…”

  “And? Is she?” I turned to Connor, the panic in my face must have been full blown because he moved closer, rubbing my arm in a soothing manner.

  “She wasn’t there.”

  “So where is she?” I was starting to panic.

  “I can’t find her and she isn’t answering her phone. I thought that you might’ve heard from her.”

  “No. When did you last speak to her? I haven’t since this morning.”

  “I was going to wait until you got back but…she’s left a note saying she’s sorry…it must have been her, Sam. I’m sorry.” My ears started ringing and my hand flew to my mouth.

  None of this made sense, there was no way Kee would do this. Where the hell is she?

  Connor wrapped me in his arms.

  “There’s no way that she would do this, Lewis.” I shot a worried look up at Connor.

  “I know she’s your best friend, Sam, but…”

  “No!” I was starting to get frustrated. I needed to get back to Little Hollow, I needed to find out what had gone on. “She wouldn’t do this, Lewis. Have you called the cops yet?”

  “They’re on their way. What makes you so sure this wasn’t her?”

  I didn’t have time for this. “I just know her. Keep trying her cell, I will too. Tell the cops I’m on my way.” Where the hell was she? Had she left the door unlocked again?

  “I’ll keep trying, but Sam? If it wasn’t Keeley, then where is she?”

  Worry crept up from the pit of my stomach. “I don’t know but we’ll find her.”

  We hung up after agreeing to keep in regular contact as I made my way back and Connor grabbed my arm.

  “There’s no way I’m letting you face this alone, Sam. We’ll find Keeley, she’ll be okay.” I nodded but didn’t feel like any of what he said had got through to me. I was in a daze and all I wanted was to get back there quickly, without having to do another eleven-hour drive.

  “Will you be alright on your own for a few minutes? I need to make a few calls.” I nodded and jumped up off his bed to throw on my jeans.

  Just when things seemed perfect, everything came crashing down around me.

  “I don’t know what to do, Connor, everything I’ve worked so hard for is gone and my best friend is missing.”

  This wasn’t how this was meant to end. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his strong arms. “Whatever happens from here, I’ll be with you the whole way.”

  I lay my head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart, knowing that I wouldn’t have to go through this on my own. Connor would be there and I had no doubt that he would be this time.

  My poor Sammy, there was no way I was leaving her to go through this alone. There was making up to do and I was going to prove to her that this could work, that I could be there for her when she needed me.


  I rang Mac to let him know I had to go away again, he was fine with taking care of the business and surprisingly, he wasn’t a smart ass tonight. I was starting to think I’d put him in charge anyway, I didn’t know if I could bear to be away from Sammy again, not now I knew how she felt.

  I was always talking about expanding, maybe this would be the perfect opportunity to do just that. I wouldn’t bring it up now though, this wasn’t the time.

  I rang my mom and told her what was going on, she was concerned for me going back so soon but I assured her that this time it was different; I had Sammy by my side.

  My next point of call was to fire up the computer and check out flights, we had to make it home quick. Wait… home?

  I shook my head, too soon, Connor, too soon.

  After I was done, I walked back into the bedroom to pack a few things and Sammy was sitting on the edge of my bed with her head in her hands. It tore me up seeing her this way, we would find Keeley and whoever did this to her salon.

  Walking over to her, I knelt down so her face was level with mine. “You know I’m going to be here for you, right by your side, through this whole shit storm. But please don’t block me out, I want you to be able to talk to me because I’ve just got you back and can’t bear the thought of losing you again.”

  I grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “I’ve had enough of shying away from my emotions, I need you.” She gave me a small kiss on the lips and I got up to throw some things into a duffle.

  “There’s a flight in three hours, if we leave now, we’ll just about make it,” I said and she jumped up and rubbed at her eyes, the relief on her face at getting home quicker shone through.

  “Ready, sweetheart?” I asked, grabbing my duffle and holding my hand out to her. She entangled her fingers with mine and I knew then that I’d never leave her to deal with anything alone ever again.

  This was going to be one hell of a ride but there was no one else in this world I’d rather do it with.