by Bri Stone
Shaking her head, she urges herself toward my cock inching at her entrance, still so fucking tight. A shudder passes my body and I fight the urge to rut myself into her.
“Nothing happened. I haven’t been with anyone since you. You’re the only man I have ever been with.” She swallows, saying in one breath. As if she never wanted to admit it.
My eyes widen and an urge passes me that I can’t place. It drives me to kiss her so hard it burns and I release her just to watch the look in her eyes when I take her again.
The only person to know her like this, the privilege all mine, honor that makes me love her even more. After all this time I still love her so goddamned much.
I reach inside her with my cock, nice and slow, feeling her stretch out around me and wrap me in a delectable vice.
Her eyes widen and bore into mine, I cage my forearms around her head, and drive my cock inside her deep and slow, hard enough to get a rise in her breath but not overly so.
My mouth hovers over hers, my lips grazing her flesh as our heat burns together and I continue the rhythm of my hips against her.
She meets me with a raise of her hips at every turn. Her breasts rub the hard planes of my chest, my hands roam across her body as I drive into her.
Holding myself farther from the edge than I am, to see her erupt beneath me once again.
Her nipples harden as they rub against my chest, it spurs her sensations on further. As I thrust into her over and over, I kiss her, leave welts on her neck and caress her breasts in turn to bring her into another climax—hard and beautiful from deep inside her.
The clenching of her around me brings out the last of me, I come with my mouth poised over hers breathing her air as I inhale sharply, emptying myself inside her so much I truly feel empty when I stop pulsing.
My arms wrap around her as I roll us over, her body weighs down on mine as I kiss her.
Kiss her like I never have before, but I still know how to when the familiarity of it rises. My cock slips from the safety of her as she lays next to me. I pull back, cupping her face as her hand clutches my arm, our eyes staring into each other. A shit eating grin finds my face and she smiles back at me.
I really missed that beautiful smile of hers.
“You let me take your virginity out in an old barn?” I say, after a while.
“That… wasn’t on my mind.” She giggles, the sound makes me smile further.
“Hmm. Okay.”
“Pete,” she stares me down, “am I forgiven? Set free or whatever.” She sighs, “Yours again?” Her eyes fleet rapidly and I chuckle. My thumb comes across her lips before I cradle her cheek and hold her gaze. There is no other answer than yes, but Melinda deserves to sweat a little bit.
“We’ll see.”
MELINDA
* * *
The thrumming heat of Pete’s body woke me up. I imagined that feeling so many times, over the years, to have it back is a dream itself, and I go back to sleep just to wake up again and discover that it is not a dream after all.
He knew everything without me telling him.
The specifics, I did tell him, finally—but the root of the problem was always something I could never admit, and in his eyes, I saw that he already knew. My mother appearing on that day was the summation of all my fears. She loved my father so much she died in her mind when he did, never the same, her life gone…I love Pete too much to not be afraid. I was only supposed to bring her back, but the farther I got, the lighter that gnawing pull I felt in my gut since the day I met him got. And too much time passed, too much distance. It was painfully easier to love him from a distance than to give myself all of him.
I had to take care of my mother, I didn’t know it would end with her dying and yet another tack of grief in my life. I buried it. Far from Pete, far from happiness. I got too far and didn’t know how to get back. The one day I tried, she got worse in the hospital, and fear kept me from trying to leave again.
But that was then, and it I do have a second chance I won’t waste it on fear and uncertainty. That’s no life to live anymore.
Pete holds me tight as he did before, every morning in his light sleep he would squeeze me as if to make sure I was still there and I would relent the feeling of him crushing my body with his. Holding me in place. Holding me in time.
After waking up and trying to make him breakfast, effectively burning the eggs, he doesn’t skip his chance to tease me. Then he fixes the food and we eat on the floor of his living room, catching up for hours until dinner time.
“Pete, I don’t want to do this.” I pull back on his hand, staring the front porch of the house down as I hear his sisters in the house.
“Tough surgeon like you, this is nothing. You did it before.” He turns and smiles down at me, blocking the sun. The white of his dress shirt glints the sun, stretched over the frame of his body. His chocolate brown hair is messy on his head, his smirk wide with his full lips.
“I had an adrenaline rush then… they hate me, Pete.” I am surprised at my own voice. Usually, I am the tough person, not even cutthroat surgeon competition or disgruntled patients can make me flinch. But that’s because I don’t care the same way. I care about Pete accepting me back in his life, and his family doing the same. I’m not prepared for what they might say.
“They don’t hate you. They hate what you did. And they will get over it, once they see that I’m happy.” Pete softens his voice, reaching out to brush my cheek with his fingers before tucking my hair away and cupping my face. He tilts my chin up with his other hand, kissing me softly as his hand slides down the side of my dress. Bright yellow with lacy sleeves, acceptable for a Sunday dinner with his family. If I can sit through it.
His tongue slips out to meet mine and all those thoughts flood away as he kisses me slowly, tenderly.
“It will be fine. Let’s go. Momma made my favorite.”
The blackened steak parodies the way I feel, stared down, seared on the edges. It’s been a few weeks since I saw them last, and his sisters have refueled for another round. I don’t blame them, and I deserve it—if this is how I pay my dues, I’m ready to cash in.
Pete, next to me, holds my knee under the table and it calms me down, especially when I meet Pepper, who stares at me the hardest. His sisters all look very pretty, dresses and their chestnut brown hair all done up nicely. His mom, sitting at the end of the table, hasn’t aged a day—still youthful in her flower print sundress, and her hair long and full pinned down at the side.
She makes conversation with me, but everything I say makes his sisters angrier, it seems, except Phoebe, who adds in the conversation. My work, what I have been doing with my research and where I lived. Houston wasn’t that far from here, I churn at the thought of having been so close.
“Had you dated anyone?” Price asks me. Their husbands aren’t here this time, but Price sounds just like her lawyer husband just then.
“No.”
“No time?” Pepper adds. Pete clears his throat and I wave him off.
“No, but I wasn’t that keen on it anyway.” I run my steak through hollandaise sauce and set the piece down. My appetite allowed for half the steak and all the veggies.
“So, my brother was just your scapegoat?”
“Pepps—”
“It’s fine,” I whisper to Pete. “No, he wasn’t.” I take a deep breath, glancing at the stares on me, and their mother’s soft eyes apologizing to me. “I love Pete. I made a mistake back then, I was young. And I know I hurt all of you when I left, I’ll never stop being sorry for that. But I want to move on, I won’t say a fresh start because I can’t forget about all the past hurt and I don’t expect you to, though I do want another chance.” Squeezing Pete’s hand, I turn to him and smile sadly before I rise up.
“Melinda,” he starts.
“I just need air.” I palm his shoulder, walking around the table. “Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Buchanan.” I smile at her and she returns it, it’s the last thing I see before I
leave the dining room and walk through the side door to the porch, wrapping around half of the house.
I sit cross-legged on the white out door cushion, the bench swings from the suspended iron chain. The last thing I wanted to do was leave but I had to walk away before I either started crying or yelling. They don’t deserve me yelling at them, and I’m emotionally stunted when it comes to my feelings.
I’m gracious and lucky that Pete has let me back in, his sisters have every right to cast me out, but I hope it will come at some point. I hope things can be the way they were, but I know I should be realistic.
The bright green corn stalks stretch out miles away, before that the low fields that were recently grazed. It is a beautiful view, the land has so much character I can feel the love rolling off it and onto me, it’s different. Nothing like the crowded highways back home, or even the hospital, that I feel at peace in, but doesn’t measure up to this.
Nothing does.
I could be out here for the rest of my life. Only a few hours’ drive to Houston to check on my research. I couldn’t be the Chief of Surgery, time consuming and political. It used to be what I want, but not now—I want Pete. Things I never thought I would dream of or desire, I want them. Marriage, kids; no matter how badly it went for my parents and royally screwed my life; I’m brave enough now to try for myself, strong enough to believe it can work.
Rightfully evil sisters be damned…
“Hey.”
I turn to the cheery voice, Phoebe. She’s smiling as bright as her pink dress, fitted to her modelesque body.
“Don’t worry, I’m not here to yell.” She kicks off her sandals and sits next to me the same way, smelling like actual strawberries.
“You and Pete made up?” She wiggles her brows at me, it makes me smile back at her despite the heating of my cheeks.
“Yes, I suppose we did.”
She giggles, “I knew it”
I give her a look, facing her fully. Her face softens as she shrugs.
“Pete talked about you all the time still. He loves you, like crazy. It’s cute, when he wasn’t all messed up. But he always knew you would come back, I did too.”
She exhales hard at herself, shaking her head.
“He had a phase. A few months after, it was over the Thanksgiving holiday that year. He was doing well in football because it distracted him but here… it was too much. He got better, don’t worry. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, I had too much wine.” She laughs under her breath. I nod slowly, though I can’t ignore the bile rising in my throat.
One thing after another, I wonder when it will end. I felt the same way at some point, but if I left school behind it would really be all for nothing. So, I never tried what flooded my thoughts.
“Oh. Thank you for telling me, anyway.”
“Sure. And don’t worry about the other sinisters, they’ll come around. We all just want Pete happy, he already looks like a new person. Well, actually like his old self.”
“Sinisters?”
“That’s what I call them. Sisters, sinisters—same difference. They’ve got teenaged kids, so they’re bitches sometimes.”
I laugh with her, relaxing slightly. Phoebe entertains me for a while longer, about her modeling and how she changed jobs once she got older, a few years ago, to publicity. And more about Pete, the good stuff. His football career and how it pretty much changed the town, and their family. Also, their father dying a few years ago, it was hard on everyone. She had the same reaction, knowing I dedicate a portion of my research to bone cancer. If only…
Time has passed, that much is true. I look forward to what comes next, eager for almost anything. Until his sisters come walking out, joining Phoebe.
“Hi,” I smile, timid, watching them take seats in the other chairs.
“I’m sorry, that I’ve been mean.” Pepper says first, she wrings her fingers out clasping her hand, her brows turned up as she forces a smile at me. I wonder what Pete bribed her with.
“You don’t have to apologize.” I say.
“We do.” Price says and Penny agrees.
“I’m sorry too then, for the way I left. All of you were nothing but nice to me when Pete brought me to you and you didn’t deserve what I did to your family.” I breathe out, swallowing hard as I cup my hands together harder.
“Thank you. I think we can all agree to forgive and let go.” Pepper smiles, it’s real this time, “Right?” her sisters all agree, and I nod.
“And we’re glad that you and Pete are back together. He looks happy.” Price smiles. Phoebe agrees when I glance at her, she looks the most like Pete. But they all share his kind brown eyes.
“Me too, he makes me happy.” I smile.
My unease fades the longer we sit, they talk to each other, and I join in sometimes. They were genuine, and I’m glad to be able to try and make amends. Lucky.
The back-door clambers open, Pete bursting through. I smile when I see him and he frowns at his sisters.
“You left me to clean the dishes. I told you to leave her alone, if you don’t have anything nice to say—”
“We did.” Pepper stands and thumps his forehead, “We were only talking. We’ve made up.”
Pete calms, “Oh. I’m still mad about the dishes, though.” He walks over to me, under his breath he tells Phoebe to get up and she does.
“Pete,” I start, as he sits down.
“It’s fine.” Phoebe laughs, “I’m going to help.” She disappears, one after the other they all go back inside.
“I told you they would come around.” Pete takes my hand and kisses the back of it. Smiling down at me.
I inhale his sharp scent as I lean in close, “It was touch and go for a while.” I giggle.
His chuckle cuts the air and he shifts closer to me. “There’s pie.”
I laugh, “You love your pie.”
“You have to learn how to make it. All my favorite foods.”
“I’m a world class surgeon not a cook.”
“On my birthday?”
“Maybe then.” I cackle, it’s sad I don’t know how to cook. I don’t even grocery shop for myself. Wine comes in crates and so does my groceries.
“Deal.” He kisses my nose, I lean my head on him and he twirls my curls in his fingers, pressing his lips to my head.
We sit there, long enough for the sun to start going down and the wind to pick up speed. I can smell the wheat and corn, the wicker of the chairs. Realizing it smells like home, Pete next to me mixing in—it just smells like home.
“I’m proud of you, Melinda.” Pete says, after a long while of silence.
“What?” I pull back, giving him a funny look. His lips curl in a smile as he stares down at me.
“You did everything you said you wanted to do.”
I nod slowly, knowing he is talking about my work.
“It didn’t mean anything. Without you. After my intern year it stopped mattering, doing it without you.” I lick my lips and swallow the lump of my throat, “I tried to come back, a lot of times. Get in touch with you. I would buy tickets and think to dial your number, if it hadn’t changed. But something came up every time. I only ever made it to the airport once.”
His eyes widen, “What happened then?”
“Delayed for two hours, and then a bridge collapsed so I was paged even though I wasn’t on call. I was a fourth-year resident that time.”
“Hmm. I might have felt the same then, but it happened at the right time. Now.” His arm links around me and he kisses my forehead. The sweet gesture warms my body as I smile up at him.
“Who had you been with?”
He laughs aloud, his booming laugh.
“I mean it—you dated?”
“I’m an all-star football player I didn’t have to date, nor did I have the time.” He sighs when he sees the hardness in my gaze, “Once in a while I would go to the right bars, bring some one home. But most of the time I didn’t need to, didn’t have the desire to. I thought of
you the whole time, as embarrassing as that is.”
“It’s not. You’re a warm-blooded male, I understand.” I smile softly.
“But you—” I roll my eyes. “That’s a long time.” He makes a face.
I shrug, “It was a long time before I met you, too. I never thought about it, training to be a surgeon kept me very busy. And I was never really a sexual person, not before I met you. Not after.”
He nods, making a noise as he smiles. It makes me laugh and I shove him, playfully. He jokes about having to use a condom all those times, that it was like diet sex without me, and I laugh further. We had plenty of sex last night and I didn’t wonder about him being raw, or myself—god I’m still sore from how long we went at it in every kind of way. I’ll never get enough of him, he’s the only man I have been with it and I’m glad it will stay that way.
“What’s the game plan? How long before I propose again and have the drab conversation about work and the logistics of this relationship.” He smiles down at me, a twinkle in his eyes.
It makes me smile though I am taken aback.
“You trust me again?” I ask, remembering what he said at the hospital.
“Yes. I love you, hurt or not.”
“I’ll never hurt you again, I promise. Unless I try to cook something.” I murmur, and he laughs. “Whenever you want, I’ll say yes either way. We can figure everything else out.”
He smiles and tugs me close before he kisses me.
The passionate, strong kiss that runs me dry and makes me explode at the same time. His tongue lapping over mine, lips sucking mine the right way, hand cupping my face and the other at my waist, holding me. I melt into him, becoming the same person again, the same soul. Pulling away too soon, he smiles and looks me in the eyes, unwavering.
“I’ll surprise you then. We’ll get married, have a litter of children. And I’ll love you forever, I promised before and it’s still true now. I’ll love you forever, and you’ll love me.”
My eyes don’t water before they flood with tears and they stream my face, as I hold him by his strong jaw and stare into his eyes I dissolve into the idea of him, confirmed by the real presence of him.