Dane

by Leddy Harper

  “You can’t stay?” she asked, breathless after our heated kiss.

  “I should probably go get settled into a hotel.”

  She bit her lip and glanced around before meeting my stare. “Why don’t you stay here? Get your bag and bring it upstairs.”

  I’m sure my jaw dropped and my eyes widened, but I didn’t have enough coherent thought to stop it. All my blood rushed south at the prospect of spending the night with Eden—in a completely different way than in Texas. “You’re not going to make me sleep on the couch again, are you?”

  She dropped her forehead to my chest and giggled softly.

  I knew she was nervous, could feel it in the way her body trembled against mine, so I leaned down enough to bring my lips to her ear. “Want to go for a walk on the beach?”

  “Yeah. That actually sounds nice.” She pulled her head away and tugged lightly on my tie. “But you should probably change your clothes.”

  “I have no idea what I packed. I hope I have something to wear.” I grabbed my bag from the back seat and followed her upstairs.

  Things between us became a little awkward once we made it inside. It was like we knew we were on the verge of taking a big step and it left us both anxious. Eden wasn’t the type of girl to give in easily, and I knew that. I had no intentions of rushing anything, especially since I’d literally just closed the door on a twelve-year relationship. But the sexual tension was heavy around us, and it left me rushing to change my clothes so we could finally breathe again.

  Holding her hand as we walked along the surf was surreal and freeing. I couldn’t remember the last time I held hands on the beach, feeling the sand beneath my feet and the waves crashing against my legs. I no longer felt like a lonely man wandering aimlessly. I now had someone with me, next to me, sharing things with me. Someone I cared about, who cared about me.

  We walked to the pier, which was actually closer to her place than mine, before turning around. We almost made it to her complex when the clouds above decided to shower us in rain. It was nothing new to me. Living in Florida all my life, I was used to the weather turning on a dime. The random and sudden spurts of water didn’t surprise me, but Eden acted like it was a miracle.

  She stopped walking, closed her eyes, and looked to the heavens with her arms outstretched. God, she was so fucking beautiful. I never wanted this moment to stop. I wanted to watch her like this forever. I wanted to live in her world with her, excited about rain.

  After soaking it all in, she finally looked at me again. That’s when I realized I had the biggest shit-eating grin on my face. I didn’t think I had ever felt contentment like this before in my life. Every time I thought I couldn’t be happier, Eden surprised me and showed me just how wrong I was.

  “Why are you smiling like that?” I asked, unable to wipe the grin off my face.

  “It’s raining, at night, on the beach. This is like a scene from a romance movie or something.”

  “Have you ever been kissed in the rain?”

  “I’m sure I have.” Her smile began to change.

  “Ever been kissed in the rain, at night, on the beach?”

  “Can’t say I have.”

  And there it was. The shy smile. The one that curled her lips slightly at the corners as her eyes turned downward. I loved and hated that smile. I loved that it showcased her vulnerability—it reminded me I could hurt her as much as she could me. But at the same time, I hated how insecure she seemed. She had nothing to be insecure about. Absolutely nothing.

  “Well, you should. It sounds romantic.” I smirked, knowing I was playing her.

  I wanted to make her shed the shyness, rid herself of the doubt she claimed she didn’t have. I knew she was strong; I had seen it many times before. But I wasn’t about to give in to her. I would make her bury that shit deep in the sand and show me the temptress I knew she was.

  “The rain never lasts long,” I pointed out.

  That’s all it took for her to wrap her arms around my neck. She raised herself onto her tiptoes as I held her around her waist. The moment her rain-soaked lips met mine, the sky decided to open up and downpour. But that didn’t stop us. It didn’t make us run for shelter or let go. It made us hold on tighter, kiss harder, and give in to what we had been fighting against all this time.

  14

  Drenched from the rain and breathless from the kiss, we clung to one another as we made our way up the beach through the wet sand to her building. While rinsing our feet off in the spigot by the pool, I had an idea. “Let’s go swimming.”

  Eden glanced at the empty deck around us and then at the pool, the light from the deep end bringing attention to the rain spattering against the surface. “Do you even have a bathing suit?”

  I grinned and kissed her forehead, tugging her body close. “No, but we’re already wet.”

  “You want to go swimming in our clothes?”

  “Why not?”

  Her lips twisted in contemplation while she stared at the empty body of water. “You know I can’t swim, so we’d pretty much just be wading in the shallow end.”

  “I’ll teach you.”

  She slapped my chest and laughed, although she moved toward the steps and railing. “You can’t teach me tonight. I’m sure it’ll take a lot more than one time to learn.”

  “Don’t underestimate my abilities, Eden.”

  I followed her into the water, and as soon as we were both all the way in—clothes and all—I swept her up. Her legs instantly went around my waist and her arms wrapped around my neck. I swallowed her faint squeal with my mouth and held her close as I waded farther into the pool, only stopping when the water reached my shoulders.

  “This is how you plan to teach me?” she asked while clinging to me.

  I ran the tip of my nose along her cheek before drawing my lips to her ear. “Yeah.”

  She giggled, but as soon as her back met the side of the pool, she gasped and held her breath.

  “I want to do for you what you’ve done for me, Eden.” I watched the shimmer of the water glisten off her eyes as raindrops continued to cascade down her face. “You’ve been there for me every single time I’ve needed it, whether you meant to be or not. I just want to show you I can lift you, carry you, hold you up when you need it, too.”

  She lowered her head until her soft lips met mine, then she slowly pulled away.

  “I mean it, Eden. That night at the bar, when we first met…I went there to prolong going home. All I wanted was a beer and maybe an extra hour before facing Gabi. Then there was you, and for thirty minutes, I actually enjoyed myself. I laughed and smiled and felt something for the first time in years. Not once did I ever think there was anything wrong with me avoiding home, until I met you.”

  She shook her head, her forehead lined with confusion. “How did I…?”

  “Eden, listen to me. At the time, it wasn’t you. It could’ve been anyone—but it wasn’t. My grandma always told me there are bumps in every road, so I thought what I was going through was another bump. I thought it was normal to go through periods of rough patches, mourning the couple we used to be and waiting for things to get better to forge a new path. It’s all I knew.”

  “So what changed? What did I have to do with that?”

  “You helped me see that I deserved more. You made me want better for myself. That night in the bar, sitting there and laughing without a drink in my hand, without a worry about things going wrong…you saved me. I didn’t know it at the time. I couldn’t grasp the concept of having that feeling every day, but it was the beginning of you being there for me. Then the next day at the office, you agreed to work for me. And once again, you saved me. Like the last time, I didn’t realize it, and you didn’t do it with a purpose. It just happened.”

  “I don’t follow. How did I save you by working for you? Your company was doing fine before me.”

  I loved that she couldn’t see what she’d done for me—as a person, as a man, as a business owner. “You being m
y assistant allowed you to be in my life five days a week. Monday through Friday, you were there. You’d randomly ask how I was doing, if I needed anything. You’ve sat and had lunch with me—nothing but sandwiches and mundane conversations about other people in the building, gossip you heard in the halls. It’s easy with you. It’s easy to be myself—the parts of me I’d almost forgotten were there, parts that probably would’ve died without you. You make me laugh without trying, make me smile with nothing more than a look.”

  Eden slid her hands to my shoulders and pushed against me, creating space between us. Even though her legs were still locked around my waist, our bodies still connected, the distance between our torsos and faces nearly gutted me. I fought the urge to hold her closer and never let her go.

  “This is why I said I think you should spend time by yourself. Learn who you are. We don’t need to rush into anything, Dane. I’ll be here. You’ll be here. And after taking time to experience life again, if you still feel this way about me, then we can be together.”

  “Why are you so adamant about me being single? I know what I want.”

  “You’re not even listening to yourself.” Her tone was sad, not angry. Pitiful almost. Her eyes held sympathy as they regarded me, held me into her stare. There was a war waging in her, and I wanted to wave the white flag to end it. “It’s not me…you said yourself it could’ve been anyone. You were lonely and depressed, and anyone giving you attention or an ounce of their time would’ve had the same effect on you. You don’t want me. You just don’t want Gabi and the relationship you had with her.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “You made me your crutch. I was your vacation, the new scenery that took your mind off your problems at home. But what’ll happen when you no longer need a vacation? When you no longer have those same issues…when you don’t have anything to run away from anymore? Then what will I be to you? What will that leave for you and me? For us?”

  The concern in her tone, the fear and anxiety dripping from every word, suffocated me. What she said made sense, but I didn’t believe it. And I had to make her see it was nothing more than apprehension for the unknown. “Eden, you don’t give yourself enough credit. You say you were my vacation, but I don’t see it that way. You’re my salvation, my savior…my solace. You’re not some dream destination, but home. Where I want to be—not for a week, a month, or some other short-lived time period. You’re the foundation that steadies me, the walls that surround me, the roof that protects me. You’re the comfort that frees me. I don’t need to be single for however long to know this. I already do. I may have been in a relationship since the day I met you, but if you really look at it, I was single. I took care of myself, didn’t have anyone to rely on, and practically lived alone.”

  “I just don’t want you to regret this.”

  “That’s not going to happen.” With her shoulders pressed against the side of the pool, I leaned into her, relieved when she allowed me to close the gap between us. When my mouth met hers, she gave in and let me show her how I felt with my lips. It wasn’t hasty, but slow and soft. I needed her to know I wasn’t rushing this. This kiss or this life. There was no need to, because I knew in my bones this was real. No matter what her fears told her. I’d been to hell and back and now had found my heaven. My Eden.

  Her nails scratching the hairs on the back of my head sent a wave of ecstasy through me. I held her tighter and parted her lips with my tongue. My hips rolled into her, my erection pressing against her with enough force to garner a moan. She tightened her legs and began to grind against me. Her body moved like a seductress on the prowl, eliminating all thought from my brain. I didn’t care that we were in a pool, fully clothed, in plain sight for anyone peeking out their windows. The rain pelting my skin didn’t faze me. All I could focus on was Eden and the things she did to me.

  To my body.

  My heart.

  My life.

  “Take me upstairs,” she murmured into my mouth.

  I nipped her pouty bottom lip and opened my eyes, needing to see her to believe this was all real. “Are you sure? I can let you go right now and we can cool off in the pool before heading up. We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”

  “I’m ready, Dane.”

  Her concerns about rushing things filtered into my thoughts. I couldn’t risk her doubting anything about us, and if I had to wait before taking the next step with her, I would. I’d do anything to make sure this didn’t end. However, the questions refused to surface. Between my brain and my mouth, the words vanished. Instead of slowing down to offer her time, to make sure this was what she truly desired and not merely what her body craved, I carried her to the steps. I set her down and grabbed her hand before dragging her out of the water behind me.

  The night air settled a chill over our wet skin, and without a towel to dry off with, we raced to the elevator right off the path from the pool and huddled together for warmth. I’m sure it didn’t take that long for the empty cart to make it’s way down, but it seemed like an eternity. The ride up dragged on—although I’m sure the silence filled with chattering teeth didn’t help slow down time. Nor did the anticipation of getting inside her apartment.

  We left behind a trail of water leading into her foyer, where it puddled beneath my feet as I stood with my heart in my throat. The second the door closed, Eden began to strip off her clothes, keeping her back to me. I couldn’t move. I was mesmerized by the show in front of me. The way her body stretched as she pulled her top over her head, the ink on her skin fully coming into view. I was lost in the way her hips danced while she shimmied out of her shorts, leaving her in nothing but her bra and panties. With her wet hair to one side, she peered over her shoulder and offered a confident smile.

  In an instant, I found myself tugging at my own clothes, unable to get the wet material off fast enough. I followed Eden into her room, stripping along the way and leaving articles of clothing like breadcrumbs. As I finally got my shirt over my head, Eden came out of her bathroom and set a condom on her nightstand.

  That’s when it became real.

  We were really doing this.

  This wasn’t a dream.

  I stared at the square foil packet, realizing it’d been years since I had to wear one. It brought about a sense of reality. I’d been with one person for the last twelve years. I was sixteen years old the last time I was with anyone new. It wasn’t so much insecurity of performing as it was the awareness of the situation. The thought of starting over would be enough to scare anyone—especially starting over with someone new—but it didn’t frighten me. In fact, I found myself excited by the thought. It was as though I’d been trapped, held captive in a dark cave for years…no light, no comfort. Just pain and endless gloomy days. And now I was free. Dancing in the sun, breathing in clean air for the first time.

  “Is everything okay?” Eden asked timidly, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  I met her worried stare and cupped her cheek. “Everything’s perfect.”

  “You seemed to space out there for a second. You had me nervous.”

  I slid her bra strap off her shoulder with one finger and watched the goose bumps form. She shuddered and clamped her lower lip between her teeth, suppressing her shallow gasps. I lowered my head and pressed my lips to her shoulder before snaking my tongue out and licking her damp skin. Carefully, I walked her back a few steps until she met the bed behind her. With my fingertips trailing lightly down her sides, I found her hips and guided her to the mattress.

  She readjusted herself, laying her head on a pillow, her wet hair fanning out beneath her. The soft glow of the bedside lamp highlighted her beautifully perfect body. I wanted nothing more than to stand there and stare at her all night, worshiping every line, every curve, every imperfection that made up this goddess in front of me. I would need a lifetime to gain my fill of her.

  As I crawled over her, I realized more than ever how I wanted to take my time. To drag this out for as long as I c
ould, and spend every second memorizing everything I could about her. I started with tasting her skin, alternating between licking and kissing my way up her leg. When I made it to her inner thigh, I paused to savor the scent of her arousal, and then trailed the tip of my nose to her hipbone.

  “You’re my fresh air, Eden,” I whispered against her.

  She laced her fingers through my hair and hummed, which sent an electric current through me.

  “You’re the gentle breeze on a hot day.” I kissed her lower belly. “The warmth of a fire on a cold night.” Barely touching her skin, I grazed my lips up her abdomen to the space between her breasts. “The dreams that fill my sleep, and the moments right before I wake up, right before I open my eyes.” I crawled up her body until I could whisper into her ear while she panted softly beneath me. “You know that peaceful place between sleep and wake? When you’re conscious yet not alert? When the comfort of your dream still has you wrapped in its calming waves? You’re that place, Eden.”

  When I pulled my head away to look into her eyes, she held my face between her warm palms. Her fingernails toyed with the scruff along my jaw, which was longer than normal considering it’d been two days since I’d trimmed it. Her eyes never left mine. She lay beneath me, nearly naked, yet I couldn’t do anything but become lost in her gaze, trapped by the glowing emeralds.

  “You scare me, Dane.” Her voice trembled, but I didn’t interrupt. Instead, I let her get it all out for fear she’d lose her nerve. “You came into my life, saving me from an unwelcome advance in a bar. You listened to me when I spoke and didn’t look at me the way most men do. Maybe that’s because you’re a faithful man and you weren’t single…whatever the reason was, you treated me like a person. And then you offered me a job—you somehow saw what I was capable of and gave me the perfect opportunity to prove it. I still don’t know how you knew I was there or why you stormed into the PR department and whisked me away, but you did.”