by Shelly Jones
I turn around and walk back to her. I grab her chin to make her look at me. “I promise I will never let anything happen to you. You. Are. Safe,” I say against her lips and give her a gentle kiss.
I follow her into her room. She has both sides of the bed pulled back. She climbs into her side and I follow and get into the other side. Her bedroom isn’t very girly, grey walls, teal and white bedding with black furniture, it’s very homey.
She lays her head on my chest and I inhale her scent. “Thank you,” she says against my chest, squeezing me a little. I wrap both of my arms around her.
“Anything for you,” I say against the top of her head as she falls asleep.
About an hour or hour and half later I’m woken up by her tossing and turning. I don’t know what to do, so just lay there and listen to her. She’s crying, and then starts to yell, “Dean please, please don’t. Dean!” I get up on my knees, grab her arms and give her a gentle shake.
“Katie baby, wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”
Her eyes fly open, “Eric,” she says reaching for my face.
“I’m here.”
“You, you were shot,” she says in a confused whisper. I climb out of bed, run into her bath room and grab the cup and fill it with water.
I walk over to her, “Here, drink this,” I tell her pushing her hair out of her face.
“Thanks.”
“Katie, what happened?”
“In my dream or...” she trails off.
“Whatever you want to talk about.”
When I said that I figured she would have just told me about her dream, but that’s not what I got. What I got was the full story of what Dean did to her.
Yep he’s pretty much a dead man walking, but then again, if Steve wasn’t already dead I’d probably kill him too. I get off the bed and start pacing the floor. That was a lot to take in. I knew some stuff, but not the full story.
I look down at my hands and they’re balled in fists so tight my knuckles are white. I look over at Katie who’s sitting up in bed with tears rolling down her face, her body shaking. I walk back over to the bed, and climb in. Opening my arms to her, she crawls over to me and I wrap my arms around her.
“Shhhh...” I say against her head. She starts to cry even harder. “Katie, don’t cry. Please baby. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you ever again.”
She looks up at me, “How can you promise that?”
“Because if I have to set up a tent in your front yard, I will. I will keep you and Ava safe. Please believe me when I say this.”
“For the first time in ten years, Eric I really do believe you. Thank you,” she says as she looks up and kisses me, kisses me with this hunger. She places her leg over mine and around my waist, pulling me closer to her.
“Eric...” she moans against my lips and it sends my dick standing straight up. Our kisses grow deeper and a little rougher. She pulls away and throws her head back. My mouth makes a dive to her neck. I start at the center and work my way to the right side. I lick, kiss and nibble, and then I work my way over to the left side and do the same. She lifts her head, biting her bottom lip and looking into my eyes. “Touch me Eric,” she growls.
I don’t even think, I grab the bottom of her black tank top and pull it over her head, exposing her beautiful breasts. My mouth starts to water just looking at them. I roll her over onto her back and I’m now lying between her legs. Keeping my weight on my arms, I start to kiss the right breast while my hand plays with the left, pinching, pulling and lightly twisting her nipple. My tongue flicks the nipple, and then I put it in my mouth and suck it, and then nibble it. I do the same with the left breast. Before I make my way any further, I get up on my knees, still between her legs, never taking my eyes off her, and I take off my shirt.
Her eyes light up and she licks her lips when she sees my chest. I lean down and kiss her
“You sure about this?” I ask her against her lips. She arches her hips into my dick. She looks at me and smiles. “I’ll be right back then,” and I wink at her, leaving kisses down her neck, each breast, and her stomach. Getting to the elastic to her shorts, I grab and pull her shorts down. God damn, she’s beautiful. I kiss her all the way up her legs. She opens her legs wider for me. Before diving in, I tease her by kissing her inner thigh.
“God damn Eric, will you touch me already,” she growls.
I can’t hold back my laugh. She arches her hips into my face. I lick her lips, find her nub on her clit and I flick my tongue over it. Placing one finger inside her, I tell her, “Fuck Katie, you are so wet baby.” I place another finger inside her while licking her clit. She’s so ready for me. I put another finger inside her and that’s all it takes, it sends her over the edge and she has an orgasm right there.
I take off my shorts and climb in between her legs. Our eyes are locked on each other “Hi...” she whispers.
“Hi...” I smile at her. I lean down and kiss her, softly at first, and it grows deeper
“Fuck me Eric,” she moans. She lets me go so I can get up on my knees, I check her to make sure she’s still wet and she’s soaked. I slip the tip of my head into her tight pussy.
“Fuck...” I moan. I lean down and start kissing her. She raises her hips just right, and I am fully in her. Oh my god, I don’t think I’m going to be able to last long.
“You feel amazing Eric, make love to me. Please?” she moans in my ear.
We get into a nice rhythm, just as I’m getting ready to release, she comes again, shouting my name and I moan hers.
After we get cleaned up, she slips in between my arms and puts her head on my chest. “Thank you,” she whispers and falls asleep. It doesn’t take me long and I’m sleeping too.
Chapter 11
Katie
I wake up with the sun shining in my eyes. I roll over to hide from the sun, when I’m met with a warm body. “Shit,” I say to myself. Eric spent the night and then the memories hit me. I automatically bite my lower lip thinking about it. Fuck it was amazing. Eric is rolled over to his side facing me. I study his face, God he’s hot. Sometimes age doesn’t do a person good, but in his case, age has done him very good. I want to trace his face with my fingers, but I don’t want to wake him. He’s so damn cute laying here sleeping. I could totally get used to waking up next to him every morning.
“Morning,” he says with his eyes closed still.
“Morning, how did you know I was awake?”
“I may or may not have been spying on you,” he says opening his eyes, giving me that sexy smile.
“Oh, how did you sleep?”
“Good, once someone let me sleep.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” I say and I bite my lower lip.
“Don’t be sorry, I’m not complaining. And just so you know, that’s not why I agreed to spend the night.”
“I know me either. I just, I don’t know. I just had to be close to you.”
“I know. I understand a lot better now that I know everything.”
“You hungry?”
“Starving!”
“Ok, I’ll go make some coffee and see what I can make for breakfast.” I say climbing out of bed. I am well aware that I am naked and I feel really exposed, so I grab his shirt and wrap it around me until I get to my closet and grab my pink rob.
“I’ll meet you downstairs,” I turn and walk out the bedroom.
I make some coffee and get busy scrambling some eggs, cooking bacon and popping some bread in the toaster. By the time he comes down, breakfast is almost done.
“Smells delicious,” Eric says walking into the kitchen.
“Thanks, there’s coffee and orange juice if you want some,” He comes up behind me and puts his hands on my waist and kisses the top of my head.
“Coffee or juice?” he asks me.
I bite my lower lip doing everything I can not to turn around and jump this man again. “Um Coffee...”
He chuckles, “Breathe babe, breathe,” and then out of
nowhere he playfully slaps me on the ass.
“Asshole,” I say turning around smiling, but my smile goes away quickly. He’s looking at me like I’ve done something wrong. “What Eric?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have smacked you like that.”
I look him in the eye and shake my head, grabbing his face with both of my hands. “Eric, what you just did was fine, hot even. I am not this fragile damsel in distress that needs to be saved. I am a woman, who has taken so many self-defense classes that I am pretty sure I could probably kick your ass,” I smile and say with a wink. “So Eric, please, smacking me on the ass is fine, wrestling or whatever, its fine. I will tell you if you cross the line, ok? Please don’t treat me like I’m this fragile handle with care package because that will push me away honestly.”
Ok that sounded kind of like I didn’t want him around and that I don’t need a man, and up until Eric came back into my life, I kind of was ok with it, but now. I wouldn’t mind it.
“Ok, so you’ll tell me if I cross the line?”
“I promise, I pinky promise,” I say giving him my pinky finger, he laughs and gives me his and we pinky promise.
I make both of our plates while he pours the coffee. I put the plates down and we both sit at the dining room table to eat.
“So that smack was hot?” Eric asks.
I tried to hold back my laugh, which turned into coming out like a snort. Kill me know, can I crawl under a rock now? Seriously!
“Was that a snort?” Eric says laughing at me.
“Shut up,” I say through laughing and trying to hide my face with my napkin
He’s laughing so hard his face is red. “That was so cute,” he says.
“Whatever Eric! You snore,” I say sticking out my tongue, and we both laugh even harder. I have tears rolling down my face from laughing so hard. I haven’t laughed like this in such a long time. “Fine, yeah the smack on the ass was kind of hot. There I said it, are you happy?”
“Yes, yes I am,” he laughs. Asshole is laughing at me!
We finish our breakfast, giving each other funny looks and smiling. When we’re done with breakfast he helps me clean up and load the dishwasher.
“Well I think I’m going to head out...” Eric says.
“You are?”
“Yeah, I want to go check on my mom and I’m sure you want to get Ava home soon too.”
“Oh ok, well, tell your mom I said hi and I will be coming for a visit very soon.”
“She’d like that.”
“I know we talk often. Hey Eric?”
“Yeah?”
“Last night? That wasn’t a one-time...” and before I could finish my question, he had my face in his hands so that we’re staring at each other.
“No, last night was not a one-time thing; last night was just the beginning of us. Can I ask you one thing though?”
Tears prick my eyes, and I try to hold them back. “What’s that?”
“Will you go out on an official date with me?” he asks. I start giggling “What’s so funny?” Eric asks.
“After what we did last night you want to go out on a date with me?”
“Yes I do. Dinner, movie, whatever, I want us to go out on a date.”
I look him straight in the eyes, “Yes Eric, I will go out on a date with you.”
He leans in a kisses me, “Good, then we will figure something out soon.”
“Sooner the better,” I whisper against his lips.
“Alright, I’m leaving before I decide to take you back up to your room and make mad love to you again.”
“Fine,” I say with a pout and he gives me that damn smile that makes me go weak in the knees. Yep I still have it bad for this man and it scares the shit out of me.
After Eric leaves I go upstairs to shower and get ready for the day, dressing in denim capris and a teal razor back tank top. While in my room, on my dresser I see a wedding picture of Steve and me and pick it up.
“What the fuck did you do Steve? Why the fuck did you put my life through so much hell? You could have killed me.” Tears start to roll down my face remembering how Steve and I actually got together.
I almost felt like I owed it to him because he sat there with me day in and day out when I was in the hospital for a month. When I was released to my dad, Steve was there every day. He sat there every day telling me how much he loved me and he’s loved me since the first day he met me when we were in high school.
I guess over time I just felt like I owed it to him. Sure it took me a year to finally agree for us to be a “couple” but I know in his mind we were a couple the Halloween of 2009. I need to get some answers; someone’s got to know something.
Just then my phone buzzes.
“Katie, can I see you?” It’s from his sister Alicia.
“Sure...when?” I hit send.
“Now?”
“Ok, where?”
“I can be at your place in five minutes.”
“Fine.”
I put my phone down and all of a sudden I’ve lost the air in my lungs. What the hell does she want? I almost don’t want to see his family.
Alicia gets here and we sit in the kitchen at the dining room table. “I take it you got Steve’s letter?”
“Yeah, you knew about it?”
“Katie, we are so sorry, we had no idea he would have ever done anything to hurt you. We knew he loved you, but what he did, it makes me-us sick.”
“So you knew that he set Dean and me up? I’m trying to figure shit out and right now all you’re doing is making me more confused.”
“Ok, truthfully Steve said something to Tom and me in a way we thought he was joking, but he was all like, ‘Ok, I have got to make her fall in love with me. Now that fuck head is out of the picture for good, she needs to meet someone that will break her worse than Eric and then just maybe she’ll finally see I’m perfect for her, and if I happen to be there to help pick up the pieces, she will fall in love with me, right?’ Katie you’ve got to believe me when I say this, we didn’t think he would do anything stupid. And we didn’t know anything about it until his last deployment when he sat Mom, Dad, Me and Tom down and told us. Then he told us to give you the letter when we thought the time was right. Well when Mom saw Eric back in town she figured it was time you knew the truth. So you and Ava could find happiness again. She knows that you’ve been missing Steve and when she saw how happy you were with Eric being here, she wanted you to have your chance with... well your soul mate. We all know it was always Eric, just like it was and will always be you for Eric. Please don’t hate us. We’re.....”
“Don’t hate you? Are you fucking kidding me Alicia? You’ve been allowing me to grieve a man who put my life in danger and who is now putting my daughter’s life in danger. That bastard is getting out soon and I know damn good and well that fucker is coming back for me. So forget about my life for one second, think about your niece! I don’t fucking get it. It takes you three fucking years to tell me this, why? Because Eric Reed is all of a sudden back in the picture and he was in my house. Oh my God! Stop the presses, Katie has a male friend over and Oh My God, she had a smile on her face. Jesus.”
“Katie, I know you’re hurting and I know how it feels...”
“You have no idea, you have no idea the hell I went through, the nightmares I’ve been reliving, the lie my life has been. So don’t you fucking dare tell me you how I feel because you don’t have any idea of what it’s like to be me!” I slam my hands on my table making a loud noise.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
“Is there anything else you feel you need to tell me or that you’re keeping from me?”
“No, that’s everything...”
“Then get the fuck out of my house, now!”
“Katie, please!”
“No Alicia, not please. Get out,” I shout and I point my finger at the door.
She stands up and grabs her purse, “We’re sorry FYI,” she says in a bitchy tone.
<
br /> “Yeah well it’s a little too late for that isn’t it,” I snap at her.
I look down at the table until I hear my front door slam, I jump up and run over and lock the door. I give it a good kick and loose it. Pacing back in for in the living room, “You bastard! You fucking bastard!” I scream. I take a deep breath and head to my bedroom. On my way, there are pictures of Steve and I hanging all over the wall.
“Fuck you,” I snarl and I grab the pictures and slam them to the ground, glass shattering all over the hard wood floor in the hallway.
I go into my room and grab the picture I was holding before Alicia got here and I slam it hard to the floor. The glass shatters against the hard wood floor. Out of habit, I grab my necklace that hangs around my neck; his dog tags, my engagement ring and my wedding ring. I pull it; I pull it hard and break the chain. I want to throw the mother fucker so bad, but instead I clinch it in my hand.
“Fuck you Steve, Fuck you! You are putting your daughter’s life in jeopardy and you’ve kept me from so much happiness. I fucking hate you,” I scream so loud that my throat hurts.
I walk, almost run out of my room, down the hallway, and through the kitchen. I grab my keys and my purse and walk out of the side door that leads to the garage. I get into my car, but before I start it up, I look at the shelf and see a box with Steve’s name on it. I swing open the door and grab the box off the shelf. I walk inside, grab all the pictures that are lying on the floor and I walk into my closet and find the box of keepsakes I kept; first movie tickets, first hockey game, stupid shit like that. I grab the wedding picture off the floor and slam it in the box. I head to the kitchen and walk out to the back yard and down the patio stairs, grabbing a bottle of lighter fluid and a lighter. I head to the fire pit where I throw the fucking box in the pit. I drown the box in lighter fluid and take the lighter and light the box on fire. “Fuck you Steve. You are nothing to me; you will never be anything to me anymore. Our life was a lie from day one. I fucking hate you so bad, I hope you’re rotting in hell you fucking bastard!!!” I stand there watching it burn, I’m not even crying. I have so much anger inside me right now. Once it’s all burned and turned into ashes, I turn and walk away.