Welcome to Forever

by Annie Rains

  She ached with need as she waited for his next move.

  “Lay down, Kat,” he said.

  And hell, yeah. She intended to do just that.

  She glanced back just long enough to find where she was going, and then gasped as his mouth covered one breast. His arm reached behind her, cradling her and gently pushing her to lie down on the bed. He definitely wasn’t paying attention to the bedspread right now. She moaned as he moved to the other breast, giving them equal attention. His tongue flicked and swirled around her nipple, making her arch into him as he sucked with increased intensity. Then he moved south and did more magical things with his tongue until she was panting and nearly ready to explode.

  “Please,” she whispered, trying to pull him back up. “I want you inside me.”

  “Not yet.” He stayed put, his hold on her so tight she couldn’t squirm away. She could barely think, either. “I want to savor you,” he said in that deep voice that made her shiver.

  She clutched his hair softly in her hands. “Please,” she moaned, although she wasn’t sure anymore if she was asking him to come back to her mouth or continue exactly where he was, not stopping until she was done. Or undone, as it were.

  He began to climb back up her body, sprinkling kisses in his wake.

  Pressing her hips up and into his, she demanded, “Right now. I need you right now.” It’d been a few days since they’d slept together and the wait from the school to her house had been a cruel form of torture.

  Laughing softly, he bent and nipped at her lower lip, making her body sizzle in response. “Okay, Principal Chandler. You win.” He leaned up and unzipped his jeans, slowly and deliberately. Pulling a condom from his pocket, he stood briefly and discarded his jeans on the floor. Then he climbed on top of her and pushed his way inside, tossing wood to her fire and setting her body ablaze.

  Oh, yeah. Right there. She dug her fingers into the muscle of his back, pulling him toward her, unable to get close enough.

  Seconds, minutes, hours later, she opened her eyes when his rhythmic movement stopped. “What?” she asked, her body trembling under his. She wasn’t finished yet. Not yet. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re smiling,” he said, tracing a finger tenderly along the side of her cheek.

  Leaning up, she kissed his lips softly, looking up into his eyes. “You make me happy.”

  “Then I’ll continue making you happy,” he whispered, starting again and gaining speed until she was rocketing into pure oblivion.

  —

  Sometime in the night, Kat rolled over and reached out for Micah before opening her eyes, and finding…no one. Where did he go?

  Turning her neck, she looked at her bedside clock. It was midnight. They must’ve fallen asleep after—a smile stretched across her face—after all the hot sex. Rolling over, she heard a paper crinkle beneath her. She reached for the pull of her lamp and light flooded the room, causing her to wince and shut her eyes. After a moment, she found the paper and read the scrawled handwriting.

  Had to go home to Ben. Thanks.

  She stared at the note for a long moment. Thanks? Thanks for what? She bit her lower lip, knowing she shouldn’t feel insulted, but thanks? Really? She’d thought they’d moved past being just friends with benefits. Although neither of them had said as much.

  Her stomach growled as she pondered what it meant—or didn’t mean. She hadn’t eaten dinner before getting hot and naked with Micah. Dropping her legs off the bed, she winced as fresh pain shot up her swollen ankle, a reminder of the spray-painting incident.

  “Ouch, ouch, ouch!” she whispered to herself, limping across the floor. It hurt like a bitch, but she wouldn’t have it any other way because this sprain had been the culprit behind a most enjoyable night of nakedness. Those boys should get promotions, she decided, as she limped down the hall. Skip third grade and go directly to fifth.

  The lights in the kitchen were still on. She headed straight toward the fridge, and then stopped cold, staring at the two women leaned against each other on her couch, fast asleep. This was starting to become a regular thing, and she didn’t mind it one bit. The TV was still on, flashing some horror flick that she tried not to look at as she turned it off. That would completely sway her dreams from sexual to scary.

  She stared at Julie and Val for another moment, then her stomach snarled as she spotted the container of popcorn between them.

  Perfect. Sitting beside her sister, she grabbed the bucket and shoveled several handfuls of popcorn into her mouth, still thinking about the note. Once she was satisfied, she snuggled into the cluster of people she held dear, and closed her eyes.

  —

  Micah lay in bed, unable to sleep. Ben was with his aunt next door, so he guessed he could’ve stayed with Kat tonight, instead of leaving her an awkward thank-you note and heading home. Why the hell had he left a thank-you note? That wasn’t at all what he wanted to tell her. He wanted to say he liked her. Liked her a whole damn lot.

  He got up and paced the room, deciding to put his hands where they belonged—in the dirt. Or up Kat’s skirt, but they’d already had that pleasure tonight. He grabbed his spotlight and loaded several tools in the back of his Jeep, where Ben’s wheelchair usually sat. Then he loaded several of his offspring plants that needed a new home. And he knew the perfect place to put them. He’d caught sight of Kat’s yard this afternoon. Or really, it couldn’t justifiably be labeled a yard. It was a large square of land behind her house. A yard was meant to be a sanctuary. Kat didn’t have one of those. She spent every waking moment at that school, and she deserved a place to kick up her heels, preferably flats since she wasn’t that graceful with women’s footwear, and relax.

  He revved the engine of his Jeep and headed back in the direction he’d retreated from a little over an hour ago. Kat would be asleep by now, so he wouldn’t wake her. He just wanted to leave an expression of his heart. Something that said more than thanks for the great sex.

  He flinched because that’s probably how she’d interpret it.

  Ten minutes later, he pulled past her driveway. Val’s and Julie’s cars were both parked out front now. He drove through the grass toward the back of the house and stopped beside a five-foot wooden privacy fence. After a military-style fence jump, he unlocked the gate and let himself in, deciding to work on the far back corner, where the sunlight hit the yard best in the mornings. In the late evenings, when Kat would most likely enjoy the garden, the sun would be down, and she’d be shaded. It was too late in the season for anything to bloom right now, but the bulbs he intended to plant tonight would produce vibrant flowers for her to admire come spring. And every time she saw them, she’d think of him.

  After unloading the supplies, he started working, losing time like he always did when he was landscaping. Two hours later, he stood back and surveyed the small square of plowed earth where he’d planted the flower bulbs. Parallel to the side fence, he’d placed a lattice that roses would overtake next spring. There was a stand-alone swing in the center of the garden that he’d picked up earlier in the week with Kat in mind. She was the first woman he’d seriously considered allowing in his life since Jessica. She was special, and deserved a beautiful place where she could sit and think. This was a good start.

  Maybe he’d add a small fountain and motion-detecting flood lights. It was unsafe for her to be living practically alone without them, although their lack served him well tonight he thought, as he wiped a hand across his brow. But right now he was tired. He packed up his stuff and headed home with a smile set on his mouth. He’d liked doing that for her, liked imagining her face when she woke up to his surprise. The thought made him want to find other ways to make her happy. That’s what people in love did. They found ways to show each other how they felt. Better ways than leaving a thank-you note by someone’s bed.

  —

  Something wet stroked the inside of Kat’s ear. She snapped awake and then tumbled off the couch. “What the—?” Her eyes shot open a
nd she clutched her ankle as it hit the carpeted floor. “Oww!”

  Val’s eyes widened as she looked at Kat’s foot. “Oh, crap. Did I do that?”

  Kat’s gaze slid over. “Give the wet willy to my ear? Yes, you did. And it was very gross, by the way.”

  “No.” Val pointed. “That. Your ankle looks like something from a sci-fi movie.”

  Julie yawned, then gasped, too, pulling herself back into the cushion of the couch.

  “It’s not contagious,” Kat teased, lifting her leg and waving her ankle in her sister’s face.

  Julie’s face scrunched. “What happened?”

  Kat rested her leg back on the couch. “A couple of vandals at the school attacked me with spray paint last night and I lost my footing a little bit. I guess it aggravated my sprain from the hospital.”

  “What?” Val shook her head. “For crying out loud, how many times have I told you it’s not safe to stay there alone?”

  “I wasn’t alone.”

  Julie and Val stared at her.

  “The vandals?” Val asked. “The ones who did that to you?”

  “And Micah. He caught the boys who have been vandalizing the school. Then we called their parents. It’s fine.” Kat nibbled on her lower lip as the two women continued to stare at her, waiting for more.

  “And then what happened?” Val asked, a wicked smile spreading along her sleep-creased face.

  “And then…” Kat’s cheeks burned at just the memory. She tried not to look at them. “Then he took me home,” she said, opting for truth. It was the truth. And if she could avoid eye contact until she veered the subject in another direction, no one would need to know about the encounter in the school’s front office. Or what had happened in her own bedroom afterward—not that her sex life was a secret from the two these days.

  “See.” Val gestured toward Kat. “It’s in her eyes. That far-off, glassy look. That’s how I know she got some.”

  Julie nodded. “At least a kiss.”

  Val shook her head. “Oh, no. It was way more than a kiss. I’d be willing to bet—”

  “Whoa! You guys. I’m sitting right here,” Kat said, pretending to be insulted.

  Val cocked an eyebrow. “And why is it you needed a ride from Micah anyway? Your car isn’t in the driveway. Where is it?”

  Kat nibbled her lower lip, remembering how she’d left it in the school’s parking lot in order to stay with Micah. “He didn’t think I should drive with my ankle like this,” she said, which was the truth. “Maybe you can help me get it from the school later today?” she asked, looking at Julie.

  “Sure.” Julie shrugged.

  “Thanks.” Getting up, Kat squeaked as her body weight hit her ankle like a dozen tiny, sharp knives.

  “Are you going to get that looked at?” Julie moved toward it and sat on the floor, poking at the pocket of swelling. “Does that hurt?”

  “Ouch! Yes, it hurts.”

  “I think I saw an elastic bandage under your bathroom sink. I can fix this.” Julie turned back to Val. “Guest bathroom. Do you mind?”

  “I guess not. You sisters seem to like ordering me around.” Val pointed at Kat. “But don’t think you’re off the hook. I want details.”

  Five minutes later, Julie had Kat’s ankle wrapped in a fancy pattern intended to push the swelling out.

  “I did this for my clients at the health club that I worked at. When someone would get a sprain, I’d wrap them. It seemed to help,” Julie said.

  “Yeah. It feels better already.” Kat took a few steps. “And to think I thought you were just watching all the hot men flex their oversized muscles up in Charlotte.”

  “That, too.” Julie got up and headed toward the kitchen and the coffee machine. “No more freebies until I get my first cup.”

  A few minutes later, they all sat around the kitchen table and sipped quietly.

  “So, it’s your turn to spill some details.” Kat looked at her sister. “What happened with that guy you were dating?”

  Julie’s smile faded. “We broke up. That’s all.”

  “Why? What’d you fight about?” Kat asked, wondering if Julie would tell her this time. She’d asked several times in the last few weeks. It had to be over something major to send her sister running back to the town she swore she’d never come home to.

  “Nothing really.” Julie shifted uncomfortably.

  There was an invisible shield that seemed to come up with just the mention of Julie’s ex.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re back. I’m dating for the first time since John died. I need your sisterly expertise.”

  “I thought you hated having me here.” Julie hugged her legs as she sat in the kitchen chair.

  “We’re family.” Kat reached for her hand. “And friends. Right, Val?”

  Val didn’t move a muscle.

  “Val?” Kat urged.

  “I’ll agree to friendly acquaintances,” Val said, her gaze meeting Julie’s. Then she stuck her hand over theirs at the center of the table.

  “Aww! I wouldn’t have pegged you for the sappy type,” Julie said, causing Val to roll her eyes.

  “Your sister does that to me, okay? I can’t help it. And now there’s two of you, heaven help me.” Val shook her head. “And before I get any sappier, or before it’s my turn to spill the deets about my nonexistent love life, I’ll be going.” She pulled her hand away and headed toward the back door.

  “ ‘Nonexistent’? What happened to Doug?” Kat asked, following her.

  Val’s steps slowed. Her shoulders pulled back as she took a breath. “Apparently, not all Marines are sex-deprived on deployment.”

  Kat grabbed her arm, turning Val to face her. “Are you okay?” She knew that Val had really liked this guy, as opposed to all the guys from her father’s church she usually dated. She’d practically beamed every time she’d spoken about Doug.

  “I’m fine. I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” Val shrugged, making light as she always did of the things that hurt the worst. Her gaze skittered past Kat and she cleared her throat. “Anyway, I stepped in dog poop on the way in last night, so I left my shoes on your back deck.”

  Kat’s face scrunched now as they continued walking down the hall. “I keep telling Mr. Dailey to keep his dog out of my yard. It’s part of the reason I put up that fence. But the dog just digs his way inside.”

  Val swung the door open and grabbed her shoes, holding them as far away from her body as possible. “Disgusting. Can I wear a pair of your old shoes home?” she asked.

  “Of course.” Kat turned to go get a pair. She froze with Julie’s gasp.

  “What is that?” Julie pointed out the door.

  All three stared at the corner of the fence where they saw a perfect square of land. In the middle was a stand-alone swing with a tin roof on top.

  Kat swallowed. “Where did that come from?”

  Val elbowed her. “From that kiss you and Micah shared last night.”

  He had to have done this last night after writing her the thank-you note. “What does it mean?” she said, more to herself than the two women beside her.

  “It means he’s in love,” Julie said, smiling thickly.

  Chapter 22

  Kat’s mouth went dry and her chest tightened as she walked toward the picnic table where Micah was sitting on Monday afternoon. The two newest club members were already hard at work, one looking sullen and not a bit remorseful over his acts of vandalism this school year. The other seeming to enjoy himself.

  “Hey,” she said, soliciting Micah’s attention.

  He was wearing mirrored sunglasses against the late October sun, but she suspected his gaze was washing over her, remembering what her body looked like without the iron-pressed blouse and long skirt. Remembering the other night when they’d devoured each other’s body in a heated frenzy, after which he’d left her a thank-you note and apparently created a garden in her backyard.

  “I haven’t gotten a chance to say thank
you yet. For Saturday night,” she said.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Which part?” he asked, lowering his voice.

  She pulled her lower lip into her mouth, scanning the campus and making sure there were no little ears to overhear them. “All the parts, but the swing and the flowers is what I was referring to.”

  He nodded. “I thought you could use a place to relax.”

  He was her place to relax. She’d been very relaxed in his arms as she’d fallen asleep on Saturday night. “Well, thank you. It’s beautiful. How are our vandals doing?”

  “They have an attitude as big as Texas, but a little work in the earth should do them good.”

  Since the beginning of the school year, the flat piece of land behind the school had transformed into a large expanse of green sprouts and leaves, its delicious colors rising from the dirt. It was amazing, and the kids had done it with Micah’s help. And hers.

  Micah gestured toward the boxes of handpicked vegetables. “A home-cooked meal will do the wounded warriors good. A lot of them won’t be going home for the holidays.”

  She smiled. “The Veterans’ Center agreed to let us have the facility on Saturday, so we’ll be able to treat our heroes right. Do we have cooks for Saturday’s feast?” she asked.

  Micah rubbed his chin between his fingers. “I have a few good men. Lawson owes me.”

  “And Val and Julie offered to help. Probably more to look at the guys, but”—Kat shrugged—“whatever works.”

  Micah’s attention turned to the tall, lanky man walking toward the back of the school with a notepad in hand. Glasses framed his angled face.

  “He’s a reporter from the Seaside Daily News.” Kat stood and smiled.

  “You’re smiling?” Micah asked.

  “He’s here to do a story on our club. A real story. I invited him.” She extended her hand as the reporter approached. “Mr. Todd. Thank you so much for coming.”