He barely hesitated. "I don't care how you knew me, Addison. I don't care what your motivation was for coming. You came, and that's exactly what you were meant to do because you're meant to be mine." He cocked his head and regarded me curiously. "Don't you know it? I mean, it's obvious, right?" He looked serious when he said it, and I was so happy that I let out a nervous laugh. He pulled me into his arms and I looked up at him.
"So, what if we decide to give this a shot?" I asked. "I heard the conversation with your brother about me."
"Rory doesn't tell me how to live my life."
"Yeah, but your dad and brother are a big part of your life, and it's just weird if they don't want me around."
I glanced back at the group, which made Drake say, "I've been counting the days since I saw that poster, so whatever plans you had will just have to include me. We'll have plenty of time to discuss Dad and Rory, which are irrelevant, but for right now, if you want to go back over there, I'm going with you."
I took a deep breath. "You should probably know that I'm sort of seeing someone and he's standing right over there."
"That dude from the news?"
"Yeah, It's not serious or anything, but I'm just wondering if it's gonna be awkward to have you walk over there with me."
Drake looked down at me as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He put his hands on my shoulders, and gave me a little shake. "Addie, I don't give a shit about awkward. I'm not up for leaving here without you, so let's do whatever we have to do to make that happen."
"I hope you understand that this is a stretch for me to take you over there and introduce you to these people. They're all gonna have a million questions, especially the teenage boy. He knows you from the crack and thinks you guys are pirates."
Drake's mouth lifted into a sly smile. "We are."
"See? This is exactly why I can't bring you over there. I'm already a nervous wreck thinking they could somehow get you guys in trouble if they know too much."
Drake let out an easy laugh and pulled me into his arms. I didn't resist this time. "Don't worry, Kitten. I don't speak that way in front of just anyone. Just let me do the talking."
I glanced back at the group before looking up at Drake. I searched his eyes. "What are you going to tell them?"
He smiled confidently. "It'll be fine. If they're curious, I'll handle it."
He held out the flowers he brought, which were beautiful. I took them from him, and inspected them for a second as we walked to the group of my friends and family. I made eye contact with several of them as we approached, and it was comical to see their different expressions. My family and Megan's parents were just watching us curiously, but Steven was barely able to contain his excitement. He held a fist over his mouth and shifted back and forth. Megan was smiling this serene smile like we were the sweetest thing she'd ever seen, while next to her, Lee looked frustrated and confused. I could tell he recognized Drake from that night at his house, and that he didn't like the fact that Drake was coming back over there with me.
I decided to avoid him momentarily, and instead go for a less hostile welcome. My parents were talking to Megan's parents and I led Drake to the place where they were standing. "This is Drake," I said as we approached.
Steven, who had been standing near the outskirts of the group, now stood right next to his dad.
"These are my parents, Rob and Anne Connor, my friend Megan's parents, Alan and Candice Richie. You've met Megan. She and I live in their guesthouse." I gestured to the Richies then to Steven. "This is their son Steven."
Drake began shaking hands, one by one. "Drake Kelly," he said, smiling.
"Not the Drake who made the bench," my mom said.
"I'm Addie's sister Brie, who are you?" my sister asked, coming to stand with us. She'd been on the phone, and had missed our approach.
"Drake," I said. "And yes, mom, he's the one who made the bench."
"Oh, my goodness, that is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I was telling Rob that just a minute ago, wasn't I, honey? We were all just standing here admiring it. I can't believe you carved all that by hand. It's so smooth and perfect."
Drake smiled sweetly at her. "Thank you," he said. "I tried to make it good enough for her, but that's pretty impossible."
My mother let out a long sigh at his sweetness, which would have been mortifying, but everyone started talking at once, so no one noticed.
"I thought we were going for drinks," Lee said, moving to stand near us.
We were turning into one big group with Drake and me in the center.
"I think we should go to a restaurant or something so we can all go," Steven said. I noted the lack of profanity and figured he must be trying to be on his best behavior so his parents would want to go out.
"We're not going to bother Addie and her friends if they want to go out," Alan said. My parents shook their heads in agreement as if the last thing they wanted to do was interfere.
Everyone was looking at me like I was the one who should decide. Everything had happened so quickly that it was hard for me to think straight. I looked around.
"I love all of you guys and am so glad you made it, but I might have changed my mind about going out." I didn't even want to be standing there long enough to say goodbye to them all. I wanted Drake so badly I could taste it, and now that I knew he wanted me in return, I had no patience for plan making or plan executing. I only wanted to be alone with him, and felt frustrated at Lee, and Steven, and everyone else who wanted to go out.
"I'm good with that," Megan said. "I thought you'd be tired.
Both sets of parents were quick to agree that it was probably a good idea for me to get some rest after the performance. Steven looked utterly bummed, and Lee still looked confused. There were a few other friends standing around, but everyone talked amongst themselves about rides and whatnot as they begin to disperse.
The Richies invited my parents and sister back to the house, but they said they needed to get back to Jensen. We stayed there for a few minutes saying goodbye to everyone before the last remaining few headed off in the same direction. Megan and Lee along with another friend named Gemma were parked in the same garage as me, so we walked together. Drake was parked somewhere else, but told me he'd walk me to my car.
Lee tried to walk next to me, and I was actually mad at him for not seeing that I was in an awkward position. Was he really going to make me come out and explain things?
"So, I didn't know if you remembered Drake from when he came to pick me up from your house that time," I said, trying to speak quietly enough so only he could hear.
"I remember," he said. Drake talked to Megan and Gemma intentionally to give me a second to explain things to Lee. I was pissed that I even had to. Why couldn't he just take a hint?
"I was sort of seeing him back then, and then we weren't, and well, now…" I broke off shyly and Drake (who was walking on the other side of me and not even looking in my direction) discretely grabbed my hand. I glanced at him to find that he was holding my bench under the other arm.
Lee looked down at our hands and then up at me. He didn't say anything, just looked at me with an unreadable expression. Drake used a thumb to rub the back of my hand, and I gave his a squeeze before letting it go. I didn't mind breaking the news to Lee but I hesitated to flaunt it right in front of him. I was a nice girl from way back and couldn't bring myself to do it. Drake didn't seem to mind. He just continued talking to Megan and gave me time to talk to Lee.
"I seriously hope we can still be friends," I said.
Lee didn't say anything to that. It was really tense for the last minute or two of the walk to our cars. I was on the first floor and the others were up a few levels, so we separated once we got there. Lee gave us a forced smile, but Gemma and Megan both said how much they enjoyed the show.
Megan whispered to me when she hugged me goodbye, saying that I shouldn't worry about Lee and that she'd stay at Gemma's for the night, just in case we wanted to go to
the house. Those three went upstairs to their car, leaving me alone with Drake for the first time.
I wanted to burst into tears and fall into his arms but decided to save it. I pushed the button to put the top down on my car and asked Drake to put the bench on the backseat. He leaned over the side of the car to gently set the bench down, and when he did, I moved to stand right next to him. He was wearing a sleek, grey pantsuit that was impeccably tailored and fit him like a glove. He'd dressed for the occasion and I stood there appreciating him.
He straightened to find me standing close and did exactly what I was hoping he'd do. He reached out for me. This time, his grasp wasn’t tentative. His arms came around me and squeezed like a massive snake constricting. Instead of resisting, I relaxed and imagined my body molding into his. His grasp loosened just enough to make me relax even further, and for those few glorious seconds, it felt like we were one organism.
After a few seconds, he let me go and put his hands on my shoulder. "Where are we going?" he asked.
"I assumed to your car," I said.
"I didn't drive."
"How'd you get here?"
"Rory dropped me off."
"Was he planning on picking you up?"
"No."
"How were you going to get home?"
"You."
We stood there for a second, saying everything with our eyes.
"I'm so glad you came," I said.
"I've been counting the days since I saw that poster, Addie. I can't believe you've been on the other side of that wall this whole time."
"You wanna drive?" I held out the keys and Drake took them out of my hand before opening the passenger's door for me. He got in and adjusted the seat before starting the car and taking off toward our neighborhood. I told him that regardless of where we decided to spend the night I wanted to bring my bench home, and led him to my house even though he already knew roughly where it was.
"I'll have to show you that hole sometime," I said as I unlocked the door to the guesthouse.
"It's not there anymore," he said.
My head whipped around. "What do you mean?"
"I mean it's been taken care of. Found and filled. There were two of them, actually. One down by the ground and the other one was about six and a half feet off the ground."
"It was the lower one we knew about, but I just told you that a few minutes ago. How in the world did—"
"This is a nice place," he said, setting my bench down by the door. "Is there somewhere else you want this?"
"Actually, I keep it in my bedroom if you don't mind bringing it in there."
He picked it up again and followed me to my room. I went in first and turned on the light as I held the door open for him. I pointed to the spot where I kept it by my bed. Drake set it down and then turned and straightened, taking in my bedroom.
"Where's your piano?"
"I practice at school or next door at the Richies. They have a really nice baby grand like yours."
It was really hard for me to talk about piano. I was so turned on that it was hard to breathe, and I had barely even touched him. I wanted to pounce on him—tackle him onto the bed and go to town on him like a crazy person, ripping off all his clothes in the process.
Chapter 22
I smiled at myself for feeling like I wanted to attack him, and Drake noticed. He used a finger to tilt my chin up.
"Whatchu smilin' about?"
"You," I said. "You make me feel like a crazy person."
"Thank God," he said, relieved he wasn't the only one.
I had been looking at his jaw and mouth, and when he said it, my gaze shifted to meet his eyes. We stared at each other for a few seconds before we erupted into a sudden explosion of sexual energy. We sparked like two live wires being touched together. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pressed a hot kiss on my mouth, and I instantly opened my mouth to him, encouraging him to get inside me in any way possible.
"Shit Addie," he said, breaking the kiss and pushing me back by the shoulders. I took pleasure in the sound of his labored breathing—loved that I could affect him like this. He looked down at me like he wanted me to say something to stop him before he ate me alive.
I shook my head almost imperceptibly. "Don't stop," I said softly.
Drake smiled just briefly, but I barely noticed it because the very next instant, we were tumbling to the bed.
In one nimble motion, he grabbed me and turned with me in his arms as he fell onto the bed. I landed on top of him and we immediately began kissing and letting our hands explore each other's body. Both of us were absolutely insatiable, and piece by piece, our clothing began to make its way off of our bodies.
We broke the contact to take our own pants off, and Drake dug a rubber band out of his pocket before he tossed his pants to the ground and used the rubber band to tie back his hair. He missed a piece near the front and he tucked it behind his ear as he turned to face me. He was down to his boxers, and stared at me like I had on too many clothes. My top was corset style and had to be unlaced in the back.
"I need help getting out of this thing," I said. Drake was sitting on the edge of my bed, and he motioned with a hand for me to come to him. "Come stand up right here," he said.
I got up and walked around to the other side of the bed. I positioned myself in front of him, offering him a view of my back so he could help me with the laces. I had on a black satin top with ruffles on the neck and chest and cap sleeves. The shirt was made to be worn with the corset piece, which fit over the top of it perfectly. I felt Drake tug on the laces, but he stopped right away.
"Wait a second, let me see you in this thing," he said. He took me by the arm and turned me around. I'd been wearing the same shirt all night, but I guess it looked different to him now that I had the shorts off. "Addie, I want to rip these clothes off of you without even using the laces. I think I could do it too," he said. He looked closely at the seams of my shirt as if judging their strength.
"Do it," I said. I grabbed his forearms and gave an excited shake. "I've dreamed about having you again. I really want to be with you, Drake. Please, for crying out loud, rip my clothes off already."
He looked at me with a serious expression and gave a little shake of the head. "No."
I sighed dramatically.
"I'm gonna make you hold out till you're desperate enough to beg."
I let out a little laugh. "Oh that's no problem. I'm already that desperate."
"Beg, then." He looked down at me with those endless stormy blue eyes, and I had no problem whatsoever showing him a glimpse of how badly I wanted him.
My expression was serious and searching as I studied his face. "Drake," I said, weakly. I let my eyes meet his, and continued speaking in a strained, desperate tone. "I need you. I can barely muster up the strength to keep my hands off of your body." I reached out and tentatively pointed at him. "I want to see what it feels like to touch your side, right there where it goes in—" Drake reached down and touched his own ribs. "Yeah, right there," I said, "I want to touch you right there, and then I want to continue in that manner, touching every available surface. I've thought about you every day since the last time we saw each other, and I honestly thought I would never get to have you again." I looked up at him through my lashes and bit my lower lip. When I spoke again, my voice was still vulnerable. "I am shockingly desperate for you," I said, "—crazy with it. Please, Drake. Please take my shirt off."
The spark of something dangerous flashed in his eyes, and I knew it was about to get scandalous. "Why are you in such a hurry, Kitten?" he asked, running a finger along my jaw.
"Because I told you, I'm desperate for you. I need you."
He turned me by the waist and went to work untying my corset. He wasn't even close to gentle, and within a few seconds, the laces had been tossed aside, and the corset fell to the ground. He turned me back around and looked me over with a predatory expression, and before I knew what was happening, he gripped my shirt near the top, at
my neck and literally tore it off of me. He ripped my shirt off my body like a savage beast. My savage beast.
He tossed the pieces of shirt to the floor and grabbed the sides of my panties, yanking them quickly down my legs. I went from dressed to naked within a matter of seconds, and he stared down at me. His chest rose and fell with labored breathing as he regarded me in my new clothesless state.
I wouldn't consider myself the type of girl who throws herself at guys, but that's what was called for at this moment. I sprang into his arms, giving him no other choice but to catch me. I never thought I'd do something like that, but I jumped into his arms wholeheartedly, wrapping my arms and legs around him like a monkey. He started to laugh at first, but adjusted me so I rested comfortably around his waist. I bent to kiss him, and he stood there holding me as our lips met. I held the sides of his face and opened my mouth to him over and over again with sweet, desperately repetitive kisses.
He broke away and shifted to hold me up with one arm so that he could pull off of his boxer shorts with the other. I clutched onto him tightly, helping him support my weight. He stepped out of his shorts and looked up at me.
"I've never had sex without a condom."
"Never?" I asked.
"Never."
"I'm on the pill," I said. "I have been for a long time, and I never miss a day."
That was the end of the conversation.
Drake effortlessly tossed me onto the center of the bed, and I giggled as I bounced. I laid back and he climbed on top of me. I could see the ridges of muscles in his arms, shoulders, and chest as he supported himself over me, and I ached to feel him press against me.
He smiled as his eyes roamed over my body. "When you were up on that stage, all fuckin' hunched over that piano, making it do things that normal humans can't make it do… I was looking at you up there, thinking I couldn’t wait till I had you just like this." He showed his teeth as he pushed his weight down on my hips and legs. I felt the pressure of his piece against the inside of my thigh, and I let out an accidental whimper. "You have no idea what it does to me to watch you play," he said. "I wanted to take you on that stage in front of everybody. In fact, you need to just know in your heart that I'm definitely gonna fuck you on a piano sometime, so get ready for that."
Finding the Magic (Tom Kelly's Boys Book 1) Page 15