Finally, You (The Finally Book Duo 2)

by Burke, Roseanne

  As his warm mouth traveled down my neck, tracing the outline of my dress, I found myself caring less and less about the logistics. I wanted him. Now.

  "No, I rented it out for the night," he said between kisses. His tongue ran up the other side of my neck, landing at my ear. He took the lobe gently between his teeth. Fuck.

  I moaned softly. His touch felt so good, but I was aching for more. I grabbed his face between my hands, guiding his mouth back to mine. His tongue penetrated my lips, swirling with mine, slowly at first, then deeper and faster as we both realized we couldn't wait any longer.

  My lips felt bereft as he pulled away. I watched, catching my breath, as he swiftly stood, stepping over to a spot on the other side of the garden. He bent down, and stood back up. He had something dark in his hands. Was that... a blanket? He grinned at me as he laid it out next to the garden. He invited me over with his eyes.

  I walked cautiously over to him, my desire growing with each step. I realized that where he set that up, we would be completely hidden from any of the other buildings. His hands found a resting place at the small of my back.

  "I figured you could be on top, so you don't have to lay against the hard ground." I grinned as his mouth met mine. He had really thought of everything.

  He quickly sat, then laid down. I stood above, keeping my eyes locked on his as I slid my panties down my legs. It was so sexy, seeing him below me, wanting me. I decided to keep my heels on. I knelt down next to him, running my hand over his bulge before unzipping his pants. He lifted up slightly as I shoved them down his legs. I wrapped my hand around his erection, and swung one leg over him. His eyes had lust pouring from them as I lifted up and guided him to my entrance. I slowly slid down, allowing him to push into me as deep as possible. I felt incredibly full. Would I ever get used to this?

  I rested my hand on his chest as I began to rock my hips. I moaned out as the sensation started taking over. He felt amazing. He grinned and brought his finger to his lips. Oh my god, that's right, I needed to be quiet. Oh shit. Was that even possible?

  "Sorry," I whispered. "I just can't control myself when you have your dick inside me."

  He groaned softly, tilting his head back. "God, you make me crazy, Shannon."

  His words made me rock faster. I leaned forward slightly more, allowing my clit to rub against his skin better. My body escalated in response. I reached my hand behind my neck, deftly unhooking the dress. He grinned as the pieces of material fell forward. His hands slid up my body, bringing the front of the dress down further. He then moved to my back, unsnapping my bra and tossing it aside. My nipples hardened as the night air hit them. It was so freeing and incredibly sexy to be practically naked outside.

  He bent me down closer to him as his mouth came up, enveloping my right nipple. His hot tongue rolled it in his mouth, sending shockwaves straight to my sex.

  "Oh Todd," I cried out, bringing a hand to my mouth.

  He smiled at me, pulling my lips to his. "I'll keep you quiet," he purred as his mouth sealed itself with mine.

  His kiss was so hot and deep. Our tongues twirled together in a frantic hot mess; I felt like I couldn't get close enough to him. My hands ran over his broad chest muscles up to his face. I cupped his chin between my thumb and index finger, holding him in place as I kissed him.

  He pace quickened as he growled, "I want you to come on me, baby."

  Oh god. I straightened back up slightly, allowing him to press exactly where I needed him. That was it. He slammed himself into me, harder and faster. The look in his eye had me reeling.

  I felt the pleasure build up quickly and suddenly explode, my orgasm overtaking my entire body. I collapsed on top of him, breathing into his chest. I felt him stiffen underneath me, unloading himself. That had literally been mind blowing. I just lay on top of him, unable to move. His hands traced soft lines up and down my bare back. I felt his kiss along the side of my head, causing me to grin. It was sweet how he could so easily transition from pleasuring me to soothing and comforting me. I was content to just continue laying with him, until I remembered we were on the hard ground.

  "Oh my god, is your back ok?" I asked, rolling quickly off him.

  He laughed up at the sky. "Trust me, I am more than ok right now."

  I smiled as he wrapped his arm around me. I settled myself into the nook of his arm, and looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, and the stars twinkled above us.

  "That was truly incredible," I whispered, kissing his cheek.

  "Yeah, it was," he responded as he started running his fingers in my hair. "And as much as I would love to just lay here like this, maybe we should get inside."

  I giggled. "You're probably right."

  We sat up, and I quickly slipped on my bra and underwear. He helped snap my dress back together, making me smile. I pictured him helping me zip up a dress before we went out to some formal dinner for his work. I realized I wanted that so badly. But I was still unsure what he wanted. We grabbed our drinks and rode the elevator down to his apartment.

  I decided to go with what I was comfortable with. "So, should I call a cab then?" I asked as we walked into the living room.

  He stared at me, a look of disbelief on his face. "Is that what you want?" He looked almost... hurt.

  His reaction took me by surprise. "Um, well, I just didn't want to outstay my welcome." I focused my attention on the ground.

  He stepped over to me, lifting my chin so I could meet his gaze.

  "What happened to you to make you think you're so undesirable?"

  I was completely taken aback by his words. My mind raced to come up with a response.

  "Nothing. Obviously I know you desire me. Especially after what we just did." I was trying to boldly maintain eye contact, but he had struck a nerve. I could feel tears threatening to emerge.

  He bent down and kissed me softly. "Shannon, I want you to stay with me tonight. And I want you here in the morning. And I want to see you again. As soon as possible. When is your next free night?"

  I felt the burning sensation of the tears subsiding. "I only work til six on Sunday," I replied quietly.

  "Can I see you then?" He looked at me so hopefully.

  My heart was now pounding in my chest. "Yes, I'd love that."

  A wide smile crossed his face. "Good. It's a date. Then I can finally find out your favorite movie."

  With that joke, the tension of the moment was broken. I decided I needed just to sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of the night as much as possible.

  Chapter 15

  I was a distracted mess for my entire shift on Sunday. I found myself daydreaming about our second date, and unable to wait for our third. I grinned, thinking about how I had woken up Saturday morning:

  "Good morning, beautiful."

  I could hear a faint whispering as I was slowly being pulled out of sleep. I attempted to open my eyes. Ugh, too bright. I decided to keep them closed. I felt a hand gently rubbing up and down my arm. That felt so nice and soothing. If that kept up, I'd go back to sleep. I suddenly felt warmth over my ear, then the gentle landing of lips on it. They moved slowly down my neck to my shoulder. An arm wrapped around me, moving from my arm to my torso, skimming my bare skin. I could sense this was no longer supposed to be a soothing touch. My suspicions were confirmed as I felt the warm velvety skin of his erection pressing against my backside. A grin spread across my face. Now this was the way to wake up.

  I reached my hand behind me, grabbing his hardness and helping to guide it to my opening. My muscles clenched as I pushed him inside of my already wet and ready sex. I heard him groan as he started thrusting himself slowly and deliberately into me. His hand continued to run up and down my body, and then found a resting spot on my breasts. He took my left nipple in his hand, toying with it and rolling it between his deft fingers. It hardened immediately under his touch.

  His mouth traveled up and down my neck, alternating between kissing, licking and biting my skin. He was driving me c
razy. We both started to roll from our sides until I was face down with him behind me. I took the pillow, shoving it further down to prop myself up for him; my face was buried in the bed, controlling my moans. He now had more leverage to go deeper and faster into me. I felt him slam against my internal spot. With each hit, I was getting closer and closer to coming. His hand reached for my hair, grabbing a handful and tugging slightly. I loved the feeling of being handled that way.

  I turned my head to the side, catching sight of him out of the corner of my eye. God, he looked so hot and determined. He wanted me to come. He met my eye, smiled, and bent down and kissed my cheek. He was so sexy and yet so sweet. My body quickly escalated, thinking about being with him. My muscles clenched tighter and tighter until I plummeted over the edge, crying out as I found my release.

  My breathing was harsh and my heart was pounding. I could feel my cheeks were hot and red. I gripped the sheets beneath me as he relentlessly continued thrusting. I wanted him to feel as good as I felt. I knew what he liked.

  "Oh Todd, baby, you feel amazing!" I cried.

  I felt his fingers dig deeper into my skin as his pace quickened.

  "I want you to come in me so bad!"

  With that, he pounded harder and harder until he stiffened, yelling out my name.

  I grinned as he laid himself on top of me, his breathing ragged, blowing my hair into my eyes.

  "Oh, sorry," he said, realizing what he was doing. He took his hand, brushing my hair back. We rolled ourselves back on our sides, his limbs intertwining with mine.

  We laid together quietly, letting our breathing return to normal. I let my mind start to wander. This had been the best feeling, waking up to him. I found myself not wanting to leave him. Did he feel the same way about me? And if he did, was I truly ready for that?

  "Earth to Shannon," I heard suddenly. I snapped my head up, looking at Johnny.

  I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, just a little distracted. What's up?"

  "It's six, time for you to go home," he responded.

  Holy shit. I looked up at the clock. It was indeed six.

  "Oh my god, thanks!" I cried, hastily finishing up my duties. I needed to hurry home. Todd was coming by at seven and making me dinner. My heart tightened in my chest at the thought of him cooking.

  Johnny smiled at me, shaking his head. I didn't have time to ask what that meant. I called out "good night" as I raced out the door.

  When I got home, I quickly showered and got ready. I had already chosen my outfit earlier, so I wouldn't be stressing when I was short on time. I had decided to keep it casual since we were just staying in, making dinner. I threw on the black form fitting tee shirt and dark skinny jeans, and glanced at the clock. Six fifty-five. Perfect. I had made it with five minutes to spare.

  I sat on the couch and turned on the TV. It was already on Lifetime, so I settled back, trying to distract myself for the next few minutes. It was some movie about a woman whose husband had cheated on her, and she was building a fresh start for herself and her son in a new city. Huh, was I that cliché?

  I continued watching, quickly becoming engrossed before I realized it was now seven oh five, and Todd wasn't here yet. He was probably just running late. Five minutes wasn't a big deal. I looked at my phone. No messages.

  I turned my attention back to the TV, expecting to hear the buzzer any second. This time, I wasn't quite as involved with the movie. I couldn't completely get my attention away from the front door. Where was he? I started getting a sick, nervous feeling in my stomach as five more minutes passed. Ten minutes late? He had always been so punctual. And still, no message on my phone. I debated sending him a text. But then I had an eerie sense of déjà vu: waiting, wondering, watching my phone. What if he was standing me up? I couldn't bear the thought of seeming desperate. I pictured him in his apartment, watching TV, drinking a beer, laughing as he read a sad, pathetic "Where are you?" text from me. Or worse, he was probably out with some new girl he met at a bar. That was more likely. I knew he was a player at the beginning. I never should have let myself get as involved as I did. I was a fucking idiot.

  I decided I was not about to sit here by myself, sulking. I needed to move on. Now. I stamped into my kitchen, tears spilling over my face as I grabbed my trusty tequila, downing one shot and then another. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, glaring around the room. How could I have been so stupid? Thinking there had been some connection between us? I glanced at the clock on the oven. Seven fifteen. He wasn't coming.

  I poured myself one more shot, then went to my bedroom, and started to pack my Lucky Bag. Tears were now flowing steadily. I needed to stop. No one would want to take me home if I had puffy eyes and blotchy skin. Where would I even go? There wouldn't be too much activity on a Sunday night. I honestly didn't care where I went or who I ended up with. I needed to be numb and more importantly, not alone. Once my Bag was packed, I attempted to fix my makeup. But the more I thought about what was happening, the harder I cried. I decided reapplying my makeup was futile until I could stop crying. I threw my eyeliner down on the counter, frustrated with myself for not being able to get a grip.

  I stepped back to the kitchen and poured myself another shot. I needed these to kick in quicker. I slammed it back, slinking down to the ground. I sat in a heap on the floor, unable to control the tears. This had been the first time I felt anything for anyone since Josh. And look where it got me: a sloppy, emotional, rejected mess on the floor. I looked up at the clock again, seven twenty-nine. I needed to get going if I wanted time to meet someone.

  My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I heard the buzzer. My crying suddenly ceased. What the hell? Had I just imagined that? I sat, breathing unevenly, with occasional sobs and whimpers escaping. The silence was again interrupted by a loud buzz. I stood slowly, brushing my jeans off. I stepped over to the intercom.

  "Who is it?" I asked, my voice shaking.

  "It's your personal chef."

  My heart stopped. Without responding, I pushed the button, allowing him in. A wave of nausea washed over me as I realized Todd was about to walk in the door. He had acted like nothing was wrong, but here he was, showing up half an hour late with no attempt to contact me?

  I heard his knock at the door. I grimaced, pulling it open. I knew I looked like an absolute fucking mess. He stood in the hall, his arms full with two brown grocery bags and a sexy smile on his face. I watched it quickly disappear as he saw me.

  "Shannon, what's wrong?" he asked, stepping in quickly and setting the bags down on the floor.

  I burst into tears. I didn't even know what to say. He wrapped his arms around me as I buried my face in his chest. His hands stroked my back.

  "Shh, it's ok. Tell me what's wrong," he whispered, kissing the top of my head.

  Just having him near and being in his arms was calming me down. After I got control of myself, I responded, "Why are you late? And why wouldn't you let me know you were going to be late?" I kept my face buried; I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

  "What are you talking about? It's seven thirty, like we talked about. Remember, we had said seven at first, but then changed it to seven thirty so you'd have plenty of time after work to get ready."

  My eyes snapped open. Oh my god. He was right. I had completely forgotten that. My sadness and anger quickly turned to utter embarrassment. How could I possibly bring myself to face him? And surely he would want to leave me now, seeing what a wreck I could turn into at the drop of a hat. I felt his arms loosen as he tried to bring my chin up to face him.

  "Baby, really, what's wrong?" His eyes were full of concern, and he had a slight frown. I hated that I had made his dimple disappear.

  I quickly looked away, afraid to tell him the truth. What could I say? I watched as he noticed the tequila bottle on the counter. He stepped over to it, grabbing it in his hand.

  "Shannon, I need you to talk to me. Please." His voice was desperate and urgent.

  I sighed, wiping under my
eyes with my fingers. Here goes nothing.

  "I'm sorry. I just thought you weren't coming. I had forgotten we said seven thirty, and when you didn't show, I panicked. I thought you were done with me, and this is how I decided to cope with that," I said, gesturing toward the bottle. My eyes stayed fixed on a speck of food on the counter.

  I waited nervously for his response. He just stood there quietly, breathing deeply. I was starting to feel incredibly anxious. Why wouldn't he just get it over with? Call me crazy and leave.

  After a few more moments, he still hadn't said anything. I peeked up nervously, catching his eye. He looked absolutely crestfallen.

  "I'm sorry." My words were barely audible. "I understand if you'd rather not get involved and just leave."

  I held my breath as he stepped toward me, cupping my face in his hands.

  "Sweet, beautiful Shannon. How could you think I'd ever do that to you? What do I have to do to prove to you that I want to be with you? Tell me, please. Anything. I'll do it."

  His eyes bore into mine.

  "I don't know," I cried. "I don't know if I will ever be able to trust that you want me. And even if you want me now, someday that will inevitably change. I'm broken and a mess. I think it would be safe to call me an alcoholic at this point. I don't want to bring you down. I don't deserve you." Freshly formed tears spilled down my face. It was as if a dam broke, and all the feelings I had pushed down over the past year were erupting.

  His eyes closed as he cringed at my words. "Please don't say that. I know what it's like to be broken and a mess. Before I met you, I was floating aimlessly through life, filling it with superficial trivialities, trying to convince myself I was happy. But I knew deep down I wasn't. Finally, you came along and ignited a spark within me. I caught a glimpse of what true happiness was. I can't lose it. I can't lose you. Please." His voice broke as he buried his face in my neck.

  I shut my eyes as I savored the feel of him so near me. He tightened his arms around me. I felt his lips tracing a path up my neck and along my jaw.