Promise Me

by Kristin Mayer

  I blew out a sigh of relief. He’s so wonderful.

  Mark had been great, but I knew this was going to be tough. We were both getting accustomed to sleeping with each other, and it was going to be hard being apart. The words abstinence and Mark did not belong in the same sentence with me.

  What the hell am I thinking, having us stay here?

  Mark was ever the gentleman. My mom was eating out of his hand, and my dad was being nice but on the quiet side, taking in the whole scene. Mark was helping my mom move something in the kitchen, and I was giving my dad a hug.

  “You know, he doesn’t bite, Dad.”

  He returned the hug, squeezing me. “Boo Bear, I think you should sleep with your mom tonight, and I’ll take your room.” His tone sounded worried beyond belief as he stared back at me with his chocolate eyes.

  “Dad, don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Boo Bear, it was pretty hard to watch Damien look at Allison the way he did since I feel like she is my daughter, too. It is damn near unbearable seeing a man look at you like that.”

  My poor dad was reeling from the whole situation, but only elation flowed through me at his words. Maybe I had been waiting for someone to say that to me besides Allison.

  “He looks at me the same way Damien looks at Allison?”

  He gave me that don’t-be-ridiculous look, and I clapped and bounced on the couch like I was thirteen again.

  My dad mumbled, “You should definitely sleep with your mom tonight.”

  I gave him a kiss on his cheek and scurried into the kitchen to make sure my mom hadn’t gone overboard on telling Mark stories. I heard my dad groan. I turned and blew him a kiss, which he caught and held to his heart.

  “Don’t be silly, Daddy. I’ll always be your little girl.”

  He smiled as I went to find the man who looked at me with love.

  The world started to come into focus as I stretched from chasing away the last of the sleepy fog. I missed Mark beside me in bed, which brought a smile to my face. Just over a week ago, I hadn’t been able to make it through an entire night with him without freaking out. I giggled, thinking about our texts from last night.

  We were all climbing the stairs together. At my door, my parents gave me a hug. Mark had no choice but to settle for a kiss on the cheek, and then he practically shoved me through the door before closing it. Moments later, I received a text from him.

  Mark: Sorry for pushing you through the door, but it is taking every bit of willpower not to come get you to have you next to me tonight.

  Me: I could come to you once my parents fall asleep.

  Mark: Your dad left their damn door open. No way am I taking that chance.

  Me: Spoilsport. I can be quiet.

  Mark: Damn it, Sam. Quit tempting me. I’m trying to do the right thing here, and you’re making it impossible.

  Me: How about we go back to my place in Atlanta tomorrow?

  Mark: You just made a man desperate to have you very happy.

  It was hard going to sleep without Mark by my side. The whole thing was comical, especially with our age, but I fell for him even harder with him not wanting to take a chance that my parents would wake up and walk in on us.

  Hell, I don’t think I could have gone through with it anyway.

  Tonight, the plan was to go back to my place in Atlanta after we had dinner with my family. I wanted Mark to see my other place, too. My parents seemed to act oblivious to anything that wasn’t happening right under their noses or that couldn’t be officially confirmed.

  I climbed out of bed and threw my hair on top of my head to go see where everyone was. The smell of my mom cooking breakfast in the morning was heavenly. Biscuits and gravy with sausage was my favorite when I came home.

  Walking into my mom’s yellow sunny kitchen, I smiled at her cooking at the stove.

  I gave her a hug from the side. “Morning, Mama.”

  “Mornin’. Coffee is in the pot. Vanilla creamer is in the fridge.”

  I gave an appreciative noise as I started preparing my caffeinated fix for the day.

  “Where are the guys?”

  She continued adding milk to the gravy mixture, which made me salivate, knowing it would be ready soon.

  She responded, “Oh, Mark was about to go for a run when we came out. Instead, he and your dad took off.”

  “Oh geez. Dad didn’t have his gun, did he? I hope I get my boyfriend back.”

  I was only half-joking, not sure how my dad was handling the fact that I had a boyfriend.

  After stirring the creamer in my coffee, I took the first sip as I watched my mom continue to cook in one of her little gingham aprons.

  I smiled as she spoke over her shoulder, “I made your father promise to deliver Mark back in one piece. Your dad will never admit this, but he likes Mark. I like Mark, too. I’m worried you’re going to rush things with him. Wait until marriage, and grow in your love with each other.”

  All the blood drained from my face. This was what I had been afraid of. I wasn’t prepared to tell my mom anything descriptive about our relationship. I didn’t know what to say.

  She sighed as she slightly turned toward me and gave me a sweet look.

  Why didn’t I sleep in longer?

  “Oh, Sam, I know what it’s like to have a gorgeous boy looking at you like you’re the air he needs to breathe while your hormones are out of control. Just don’t give away what you’ve been saving for that special someone.”

  My heart dropped. There had been nothing saved for Mark. It had been ripped from me.

  Putting on my façade that I was used to wearing, I comforted my mom. “Mama, don’t worry. Mark is ever the gentleman.” For some reason, I needed some approval from my mama, so I asked, “Do you think relationships can move too fast or too slow?”

  “No, love doesn’t have time limits—as long as it’s love and not lust that’s driving the relationship.”

  I sat there and drank my coffee as I thought about it all. She pulled the biscuits out of the oven, and I grabbed the little one she always made for me with the leftover dough. She gave me a loving smile, watching me do something I had done since I was a child.

  She continued with her questions, “Are you nervous about the season starting and how that’s going to affect the relationship?”

  I shrugged. “Not really. I trust him. Plus, I’ll be traveling with the team some because of my job, and we’ll get to see each other. The press and the pics—it’s all hype that happens for the fans. You know how it is from seeing how Allison was exploited, and things get turned upside down for a bit.”

  “Oh, I know. I was just checking. You’ve always been grounded, but I wanted to make sure you were okay with it all. I have a feeling that he’ll be getting you to travel with him more times than not even if he has to call someone’s certain best friend to convince a certain husband it’s necessary.”

  She went to the cabinet to pull out the glasses as I giggled.

  “I’ll get the glasses, Mama. You’ve been cooking all morning.”

  I took the glasses out and set them down on the counter near the refrigerator. While I was filling the glasses with orange juice, I decided this was the best time to nonchalantly break the news. “Oh, and after dinner tonight, Mark and I are going to go to Atlanta to stay at my place.”

  She arched her brow, knowing I was telling her so that she could tell Dad. I gave a little puppy-dog face, which earned me one of those mom looks. She was about to say something, and I was sure it would be about me telling dad or about having enough linens for the guest bed, but I was saved as the screen door to the kitchen opened with my two favorite men coming through.

  The moment Mark and I left, my parents would become oblivious again, and they would assume we’d be sleeping separately.

  Mama smiled at the door and took the gravy off the stove. “Perfect timing, you two. Breakfast is ready.”

  Mark came over and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “Morning. How’d you
sleep?”

  I wanted to say miserable because he wasn’t with me, but that might be a tad awkward with my dad sitting there, watching our exchange. “Okay. You?”

  Mark’s back was to my parents, and he gave me a tortured look, but he happily replied, “Good.”

  Mom brought over the rest of the meal, and we all took our seats and began eating. I’d missed my mama’s cooking.

  Mark was the first to speak, “Chandra, this is delicious.”

  “Thank you, Mark. This is Sam’s favorite. I’ve been cooking this for her once a week since she was a little girl.”

  I smiled in between unladylike mouthfuls as I devoured my meal.

  During breakfast, I texted Allison and asked about taking Mark out to her parents’ farm to have some alone time. Damien had bought the farm back for her as an engagement gift after she was forced to sell it when her parents died. She had never wanted to part with it, but she couldn’t maintain it while going to college.

  As we were cleaning up breakfast, my phone pinged with a response from Allison.

  Allison: I’ve notified the Andersons that you guys will be out there. Damien had four-wheelers delivered out to the place a while ago. Your dad has a key to the shed we had built out there. Feel free to use whatever.

  Me: You’re the best.

  Allison: Xoxo

  Me: Xoxo

  “Who was that?” Mark asked.

  He was standing right behind me, almost close enough to touch, but he was maintaining a couple of inches of space. I turned around and caught my dad watching us. He reminded me of one of those chaperones at high school dances who wanted at least three inches of space separating the teenage couples at all times.

  I watched my dad’s response as I answered Mark, “Allison. I’m going to take you to her farm and show you some of our old stomping grounds you’ve been hearing about.”

  Mark smiled, and I turned to my dad. “I was hoping we could go eat at The Harvester House tonight. Does that sound good to you, Dad?”

  I’d say anything to get my dad’s mind off of me going off with a boy. Plus, I had missed Darlene’s home-cooking. She was the owner of The Harvester House.

  My dad look pleased that I wanted to go to town this evening. “Of course. Darlene will be glad to see you. I’ll let her know you’re coming, so she makes sure to keep some of your favorite peach cobbler aside for you before it sells out.”

  I gave a little happy dance, which had both Mark and Dad smiling. They seemed to be getting along, and that made my heart soar.

  I smacked Mark on the chest. “Get changed, Sport. I’m about to show you some fun out in the country.”

  I walked over to my dad and gave him a hug. “Where’s the key to Allison and Damien’s shed? They said we could borrow their four-wheelers.”

  Dad got up, walked over to a small drawer, and handed me the key.

  I grabbed it and gave Mark a kiss on the cheek. “Meet ya back down here in five.”

  After that, I raced upstairs to change. I threw on a pair of skinny jeans, a form-fitting V-neck T-shirt, and my older cowboy boots. I came running back down to meet Mark at the front door. He was in jeans with a button-up shirt that had the sleeves ripped off. I swallowed.

  Holy hell…

  He made my mouth water.

  I called out, “Bye, Mama. Bye, Dad,” and then we headed for the truck.

  As we got into his truck, my heart was hammering with what I was planning on doing at some point today. I was ready to take the next step. I didn’t know how I was going to do it…yet.

  Mark and I had spent the afternoon having fun as I’d shown him the places where Allison and I had learned that cow-tipping wasn’t possible, had rolled in circular hay feeders down the hill, and had sworn an oath of sisterhood, among other things.

  We were racing back on the four-wheelers as the wind whipped through my hair. Mark was slightly ahead of me since he’d taken a turn better earlier. Little clods of dirt were being thrown up from the wheels. It felt good to relieve some of the stress I had over what I was about to do. He came sliding to a stop and then jumped off in one smooth movement. He put his hands in the air, cheering and jumping in front of the shed. Stopping my four-wheeler near him, I gave a pouty face and crossed my arms over my chest. He came up to me, pulled me off, and let me feel all his hard muscles as he brought me closer. I needed him. It had been too long since I had had Mark inside me.

  He kissed my nose. “Don’t be a sore loser. You won one, too.”

  To accentuate the pout, I jutted my lip out, and he leaned down and nibbled on it. He was starting to kiss me, and I knew where we were heading quickly. It was time to tell him what I was feeling before we made love again.

  As he moved to my neck, lightly trailing kisses on it, I breathlessly asked, “Can I take you somewhere else before we go home and get ready for tonight?”

  “I want to take you here.”

  His hands were starting to roam, and he began this sucking thing that drove me wild. I knew I didn’t have long before I lost all willpower, especially after not having him close to me last night. I pushed him back lightly on his chest, and he responded by taking a half-step back. He looked confused as I’d never pushed him away.

  “Mark, I want you, too, but I want to take you somewhere. It’s important to me.”

  “Then, it’s important to me, too, Sam, but I need you, so let’s go.”

  After locking up the four-wheelers, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the truck. He practically threw me into the vehicle and ran to the other side of the truck. He got in, slammed the door, and fired up the truck.

  “Are you in a hurry there, Sport?”

  “Which way, Sam?”

  He sounded like a man on his last leg. I looked down and could see a hard bulge pressing against his fly, waiting to be freed. I giggled.

  “Which way, Sam?”

  He was growing more impatient, and I loved that he wanted me so badly.

  “Take a right out of the driveway.”

  He gunned the vehicle, and I laughed.

  “I haven’t been close to you in almost a day. I need you. I’ve become dependent on having you, so yes, I’m in a fucking hurry.”

  I bit my lip and smiled. I directed him to the spot. I had never seen him this frazzled before. He was so calm and collected normally. Per my instructions, we had pulled off on a side road and emerged at the pond’s edge before putting the truck in park.

  There wasn’t anything special about this place, but it held its own beauty for me. Pine trees were broken and lying in the pond. The water was murky with green moss growing on the top. The world was quieter here and accepted anyone.

  Mark was alternating between staring at me and the scene in front of him out of the truck’s windshield, trying to piece together the reason I had brought him here. My ears were ringing with anticipation now that we were here, and I was about to lay it all out on the table.

  Not taking my eyes from the stagnant water, I started to explain, “I used to come here all the time to think and make important decisions. I know it doesn’t have a surreal beauty to it, but I love it here. It’s a hidden gem. A little TLC, and this place would be a fairy tale. I felt like I could relate to this place, like it understood me. I was so ugly on the inside, and I wanted to be beautiful. I wanted to be loved. By loving this place, it gave me hope that I might be loved one day. It was important for me to share this with you.”

  I turned to look at Mark, and his green eyes were penetrating me, absorbing all my words. He went to say something, but I leaned over and kissed him, needing to finish.

  Pulling back after silencing him, I continued, “When I met you, I was terrified because it felt like you saw all the hidden beauty in me and wanted me for who I was, past and all. I never believed that was possible. You’ve told me that you have fallen in love with me, and you’ve been patient and not pushed for more. I wanted to bring you here to a place that no one else knows about to tell you that I am co
mpletely and totally in love with you.”

  I took a deep breath after giving that speech. A smile slowly spread across his face. He jumped out of the truck, and I mirrored his actions, meeting him at the front. This was our moment, and it was perfect.

  He pulled me to him and kissed me slowly. I opened my mouth to him the moment our lips touched, and it felt like my heart opened as well. My nerves had dissipated the instant he took me into his arms, reaffirming his feelings for me. He pulled back slightly, and I could feel his breath on my face.

  “Say it again, Sam. Tell me again.”

  Time stood still as I said, “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

  “I’m in love with you, too. I’m so in love with you, Sam. I’ll never tire of hearing that from you.” He pulled me to him again and held me like I was his lifeline.

  I murmured into his chest, “Make love to me, Mark. Please. I want to make love to you here.”

  It was far off the road, and with all the underbrush, someone would have to be looking for his truck to see it. He picked me up and carried me to the back of the truck where he set me in the bed. In one movement, he was up and over the side of the truck and next to me. We slowly began taking off our clothes, stripping one piece off at a time, until we were both naked, staring at each other in the afternoon sun.

  “You’re it for me, Sam. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. You’re everything I’ll ever need.”

  He brought me to him and laid me down on the rubber-matted truck bed. His body was half covering mine, and I could feel every inch of him. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing, but it was perfect at the same time.

  Looking him in the eyes, I let my true feelings out as I said, “I feel the same way. Just please be patient with me. I’m scared I’ll never recover from this if something goes wrong.”

  “You own me, heart and soul, Sam. I’ll give you whatever you need.”

  He trailed kisses from my shoulder to my lips and kissed me slowly as our bodies automatically started to align with each other. We were like puzzle pieces that naturally fit together. My hands reverently explored his sides and back. We possessed each other, consumed each other, owned each other. Right before he pushed into me, he pulled back, and our eyes locked as he oh-so slowly entered me. Our eyes never wavered from each other as he continued inching in and out, which multiplied the intimacy of this moment. A tear streaked out of my eye.