by Rae, Alicia
Near the end, her confidence was rocked, hard. She fought for reason and understanding, but so many other emotions clouded her judgment, shaking her self-assurance. It was heartbreaking to see someone, who had been so strong, fall so far.
But her man caught her. He came surging back into her life after letting her escape for a mere twenty-four hours. In the book world, that seemed way too long.
It was like a switch was flipped. With her other half back in her life, she became sexy, confident, hopeful, and strong. It was like he completed her. They took each other’s weaknesses and strengthened them. They took each other’s strengths and embraced them.
It was beautiful and encouraging and empowering.
And the story ended way too soon. Damn it.
“Do you always cry when you read?” Kyle handed me a tissue while wordlessly trying to gauge me.
“No,” I lied. I sat up, feeling uncomfortable again. This car was going to cripple me.
“Liar.” He chuckled. “Did you get your happily ever after?”
I blew my nose in the most unladylike fashion ever. That darn book had me all in knots. “I did.” I let out a relieved sigh. “Thank goodness.”
“See? All that worry was for nothing.”
“I guess it was, but that’s just it…you never know.”
“You have a far too tender heart, my emotional, beautiful girl.” Kyle reached for my hand and kissed it gently. “I’ll be careful to remember that.”
I reached over, needing the contact, and kissed his cheek.
***
Along the way, Kyle found a restaurant where we would have dinner before we made our final push. Even though we were getting closer and closer, my nerves were surprisingly somewhat controlled. We ate quickly, so we wouldn’t waste too much time.
When we were back at the car, Kyle asked me if I wanted to drive. I actually did want to, especially after seeing the tired look in his eyes. He needed a break.
The first couple of hours went by fairly quickly. I turned on the radio, keeping the volume at a soft level, while Kyle slept next to me. He looked funny as he sprawled out his large six-feet-three frame. He couldn’t possibly be comfortable, but he was out cold. He didn’t even wake up when I stopped for gas.
I was thankful the highway was all straight miles with no turns. I was definitely GPS-challenged as Brooke had claimed many times, not that I would ever admit it, and I was pretty confident I couldn’t get lost on a straight highway.
Then, I saw a sign where the miles ahead were going to divide into what looked like a spiderweb. I looked at the GPS for guidance on which way to go. It showed to veer left. There are three that veer left! Crap!
“Oh my god! Kyle! Kyle! Wake up! Which way do we go? I don’t know which way to go!” I panicked.
Kyle opened his eyes and blinked several times. “Just follow the navigation, Lily.” He tried to calm me.
“I don’t know which way that is! The highway is going in all different directions!” I cried frantically.
Kyle sat up and looked at the GPS for all of one second. Laughing, he pointed. “That way! Merge left into the center lane.”
I cranked the wheel, hard, making it just in time. I cringed at the loud honks coming from every direction. Oops.
“Thanks.” Disaster averted.
“You’re welcome.” Kyle up righted his seat and stretched. “GPS issues?”
He yawned and turned his head in my direction, failing to hold back his amusement. He looked like I had awoken him from a deep sleep. I pulled my eyes back to the road. If I took in that dreamy hair and rested face, I knew I’d be done for.
“Just a minor one.”
“Minor?” He laughed.
“Funny.” I jokingly scowled at him for a second before looking back at the road. “It’s not my fault the road divided into eight crazy directions,” I countered.
I settled back in my seat and reached for my bag of Skittles. After that crazy adrenaline rush, sugar sounded really good right about now. I grabbed a few and popped them into my mouth.
“Got a sweet tooth?” Kyle asked. He was wide-awake now.
“Nope,” I denied while picking up a few more. Just a couple more, and then I’ll put the bag away…and maybe have a Snickers.
Kyle’s eyes followed mine. His amusement followed his voice. “And a chocolate fetish?”
“Nope.”
“I see that.” He laughed again. “When did you get all those?”
“Gas station. You were sleeping like the dead.”
“I was out.” He ran his hands through his wild hair, attempting to tame it. “Want me to take over?”
“Sure,” I replied.
We stopped at the next resting area, so Kyle could drive even though we were close. I had a feeling the last hundred miles would go by way too quickly for my liking.
***
And they did.
When we pulled up to my house, the only light on was the front one on either side of the garage door. I couldn’t help but notice the quickened pace of my heartbeat. It had only been several days since the last time I was here, and for some reason, it all still felt foreign. It gave me such mixed emotions.
My home was a huge part of my past, a happy part. It just didn’t hold the same future. Deep down, I knew a new family would move in and make their own happy memories. That was a bittersweet feeling.
“Come on, sugar-and-chocolate addict.” Kyle tried to lighten the mood. “Time for bed.”
We walked tiredly in silence up to the house and then into my old room. We wordlessly dropped our bags and changed clothes. I peeled back the comforter that I remembered so well, and we crawled into bed. I was exhausted. Emotions were creeping higher now that reality of being back here had settled in.
Finish. Just finish. I tried to soothe myself.
Sensing my uneasiness, Kyle pulled me into his arms. It was dark, but I didn’t need to see him. As always, I just wanted to feel him. It was all I would ever need. I turned into his embrace, needing to soak up his strength and love.
“It’s going to be okay, Lily.” He kissed my lips kindheartedly.
All I could do was nod. My confidence was breaking. I wanted to run and go back to where I felt alive and happy, to soak up his will power and determination to forget the ugly parts of life. I needed to not dwell on indescribable amount hurt and loss and pain that came along with being here.
“I need you, Kyle,” I whispered. Putting my mouth against his, I pulled his full bottom lip into my mouth. I sucked on it gently before releasing it.
Our pajamas hit the floor, and he was on me in an instant, soothing away all my worries. His tongue caressed the length of mine. My arms found their familiar place around his warm body to pull him closer. Our labored breathing mixed and filled the air.
My hips fused to his, ready to take his hard erection inside my awaiting body. His muscles flexed as he gave in to my desperate need, filling and stretching me in one long, slow stroke.
Sensations surged in my core, and I released an uncontrollable quiver. Even in the darkness, I could feel his eyes burning into me as he positioned himself above me.
“Feel me, Lily,” Kyle breathed. “You and me—that’s all we need. I’m right here with you,” he vowed, his voice full of emotion.
I clenched my arms tighter and enclosed my legs around him, eradicating any possible space between our naked flesh.
“You and me,” I whispered against his mouth.
When I was here, like this, I forgot about everything else. All the bad seemed to fade away. The only thing that mattered was Kyle and me. We were together, and we were happy.
My kiss was urgent and hot. I shifted my pelvis forward, taking him deeper inside me. We both groaned together as his hips thrust forward again and again, taking what was his. He claimed me, giving me a sense of belonging that I desperately craved. His vow of love flowed through every stroke, reminding and reassuring me that everything would be okay.
&nb
sp; I ran my hands up his day-old stubble, feeling it beneath my palms, before I guided him back to my mouth. My thighs clenched around his waist as sparks launched from the center of my core. He pounded into me with the raw power of his hips, intensifying every sensation that pulled from my center. As if reading my mind, he penetrated deep, aiming for my sensitive spot. He triggered my release and only let himself go after I moaned out in pure satisfaction.
I drew in a swift breath and placed my nose against his throat. All the tension and uncertainties effectively left my body. Kyle tugged me into his side, and I let out a content sigh, snuggling in closer to his warmth.
“I love you, Lily.” He kissed my hair so softly. “Nothing will ever change that. I’ll always be here for you.”
“I don’t know what I would do without you,” I said quietly, leaning further into his body. The fact that I no longer knew the alternative to that very thought frightened me.
“You’ll never have to find out,” he promised.
Her loving smile was so bright and full of life. Her laughter filled and silenced a room full of people. She had this palpable energy about her that just pulled me in, and I had to be near her.
Today, she had the look of young love, as my mother would say.
Her eyes were glowing, and she was talking a mile a minute.
The only part I never heard was his name.
I tried to access more memories, but they faded as if they were running in the opposite direction. I tried to focus and pull them closer, but they evaded me every time. Instead, my thoughts jumped forward as I fought hard against the most heavily feared one.
Her hand was cold.
And still.
I cried out, begging and pleading for her to answer me. Life could not be so cruel to take her away from me.
I needed her. She needed me.
Pain radiated from every nerve in my body, feeling like I had been electrocuted and hit by a bus and beaten all at once.
I didn’t care. I just wanted Annie.
Every time I called her name, only a deathly silence loomed the air. I could feel her slipping farther and farther away from me. My heart filled with such heaviness and heartache that it hurt to simply breathe. I cried uncontrollably, hating the world for how unkind it was.
Strong arms cradled my body, trying to soothe and calm me. I dropped my head against his bare chest and sobbed. It hurt so damn much. Nothing would ever take the ache away. It would always be with me.
“Lily…” Kyle’s voice cracked. “Seeing you hurting so much tears me up inside.”
I cried harder, not wanting to inflict my troubles on him, but I needed the comfort at the same time. I inhaled sharply, desperately trying to take air into my starved lungs. Each breath was harder than the last. I felt like I was being swallowed.
I barely noticed Kyle sitting upright with me in his lap. His gentle hands stroked down the length of my hair and made their way down my back again and again, trying to ease.
“Breathe, Lily. Just breathe.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to take a deep breath. I felt like someone was choking the air out of me.
Kyle cupped my cheeks and pulled my face to his as he repeated his words. “Breathe, Lily. Just breathe.”
With tears streaming down my face, I nodded. I opened my eyes and took in his worried expression in the early morning light. His fingertips brushed my tears away before he laid a soft, caring kiss on each cheek. I collapsed against him and buried my face against the planes of his chest. I didn’t know how I would make it through this day with my heart intact.
It felt like an eternity had passed by the time I lifted my tear-stained face. My breathing had steadied, but it did nothing to replace the heavy ache from the missing pieces of my heart. I looked up at Kyle, almost immediately drowning in those brownish-green eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I breathed. I felt terrible for constantly dragging him down with me.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Lily. I meant what I said about being here for you and that means every step of the way.” He kissed my forehead. “Are you hungry or thirsty?”
“Starving actually,” I responded sheepishly. “Think Damon was nice enough to stock the kitchen twice?”
“I hope so,” Kyle answered on a laugh.
We headed down to the kitchen and found it was fully stocked with tons and tons of food. Either Damon had been extremely hungry when he shopped, or we were going to have a huge neighborhood party. I looked through all the food, and I pulled out eggs, sausage, and bread. French toast was calling my name, and I quickly got to work.
Kyle fried sausage and eggs in a pan while I mixed some eggs and milk with cinnamon in preparation for the French toast. Afterward, I set the table and then poured orange juice and milk into our glasses.
“So, are we having a party here? Or is Damon under the misunderstanding that we’re moving in?” Kyle asked as he rotated the sausage.
“That’s what I was wondering,” I replied. After dipping each piece of bread into the mixture, I placed them on the griddle. “He definitely went overboard.”
“Or he went into the grocery store completely hungry, and his stomach spoke for him.” He laughed.
I joined in his laughter, pondering if he could read my thoughts. “That was one of my guesses, too.”
“Are you going to call them today?”
I flipped the French toast as I decided on what my plans actually were now that I was here. “I think so,” I answered honestly. “I want to go through Annie’s room first, and then I’ll call them.”
In slow motion, Kyle’s entire body turned to face me. His eyes were wide with concern, but I was quickly distracted by his pajama pants hanging low on his hips and his bare feet. He waited to speak until I met his eyes once again.
“Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
I sighed heavily. Envisioning his hard physique underneath his bottoms was a much better way to escape reality, but I reluctantly pulled myself back to the conversation at hand.
“No, but I won’t ever be ready…so yes, I’m going to do it today.”
Kyle reached back and turned off the burner where he was cooking the sausage and eggs. I raised my eyebrow until I noticed that they were done cooking. He stepped forward and pulled me into his embrace.
“Are you sure? There’s no rush.” His voice was hesitant and nervous.
“Yes.” I sighed again, exasperated. “You’ve seen what being here does to me, Kyle. I need to sort out Annie’s room so I can be finished, so I can move on. I can’t keep doing this to myself.”
Kyle opened his mouth to speak, but then he paused. Frowning, he grabbed the spatula out of my hand and flipped the French toast before turning back to meet my stare. When his right dimple appeared, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Couldn’t let our breakfast burn.” He released that boyish grin of his. It faded all too quickly. He shook his head and sighed. “Okay, I see what you mean. Let’s finish this together, so we can move forward.”
“Move forward,” I agreed. Rising to my toes, I kissed him, hard, until we both pulled back, panting. “I can’t wait to move forward.” I gave him a sexy smirk.
“Me, too, beautiful.” Kyle let out a gorgeous smile and then kissed me again.
I melted against him as his hands caressed my cheeks.
Abruptly, he pulled back. “Shit! Flip the toast!”
I quickly picked up the spatula and turned over the slices of bread. Thankfully, it had not burned. Seeing that it was ready, I turned off the burner and placed each piece on a dish.
“Damn, woman.” He pulled me flush against his chest. “Only you can distract a man from food,” he said, his voice deep.
Random images of him taking me against the table filled my mind. I had no doubt that he would do just that if I let him. Needing a diversion from wanting to ravage his naked body, I playfully poked him in the stomach. Dramatically, he grunted and clutched his abdomen. I laughed and used his crou
ching position to my advantage to slip away. I ran to the far side of the kitchen table.
“Brave, very brave.” His eyes darkened with a look that promised retribution. “There is only so far you can run, beautiful.”
Kyle stalked closer, and I clenched my hands at my sides. My eyes darted around as I frantically thought of a way to sidetrack him.
I picked up his plate and outstretched my hand. “Food!” I blurted and then bit my lip in thought. “Ready to eat? Before it gets cold?” I added innocently.
“Beautiful and dangerous.” He let out a rough chuckle.
I thought I was off the hook, but then he tilted his head to the side with a dark, wicked look flaring in his eyes.
Shit. I took a slight step back until my back hit the wall. The muscles in Kyle’s jaw jumped in response. My pulse hammered in response to the challenge, anticipation, and thrill. I loved that look.
“Got you,” Kyle drawled, bumping into my chest. His eyes were keen and hot.
I looked up at him and parted my lips, knowing I had been caught. “Mercy?” I pleaded, stifling my laugh.
He slowly shook his head once. Wordlessly, his hand reached out, grabbed the plate in my hand, and stretched back to set it on the edge of the table. Anticipation hummed in my veins. His intensity and proximity had my every nerve ending pulsating hard throughout my body. I parted my lips to protest.
Bending, Kyle gripped the back of my thighs and tossed me over his shoulder in one swift move. I squealed, laughing at his audacity, but I loved it.
I couldn’t give in that easily though. “What about breakfast?”
“Later.” He headed toward the stairs.
“Aren’t you hungry?” I tried again.
“Oh, I’m hungry…but not for food.” His hand came down on my bottom. “Have to teach my woman a lesson.”
Oh, that sounds wonderful. A delicious tremor made its way down my spine, and I shivered.
While taking the stairs two at a time, Kyle let out a husky chuckle. Laughter poured out of me while I tried to brace myself against each bounce. It gave me the excuse to feel his lovely ass beneath my palms.