by Claire Adams
Mom stood up to finish dinner after about forty-five minutes, by which time I was both aroused and starving. Rebecca went in to help her finish and set the table. I listened to them laughing together. I shook my head with a chuckle.
Dad gave me a smile. “I’ve missed this sound,” he told me.
I nodded in agreement, feeling painfully sentimental. Nothing in New York felt like this.
They called us to the table. Dad sat down and stared at the thick ribeye steak on his plate. “Did you buy these, Sally?”
“I asked Austin to grab them for me. I didn’t specify the cuts I wanted, but he took the liberty of buying these.” She reached over to grab my arm for a moment. Rebecca smiled at us. “Thank you, son. It was a pleasure to cook these for you tonight, as well as you.” She glanced at Rebecca and seemed to be on the verge of getting emotional for a moment.
I took that moment to cut into my steak, giving Mom some privacy. She was so happy tonight, and I hated all the sentimental shit I was feeling for a second before I looked around the table. I appreciated all this right now.
“Has there been any news about the library?” Mom asked Rebecca kindly.
Rebecca’s face fell. “It doesn’t look good. Kim’s talking about moving a few hours away to work at another library.” Rebecca shook her head sadly, and I wanted to jump across the table and pull her into my arms. “I can’t believe it.”
“The factory closing was a bad thing for the town,” Dad said sadly. “It shifted everything around, and folks started moving.”
“I know,” Rebecca said. “Kim told me all of this, but I still don’t want to believe it.” Rebecca looked like she was going to cry now, making me realize that all her family would be gone. She’d be alone.
I knew a lot about business living in New York, and what they were discussing wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Creative economic destruction did as much good as it did bad, but I knew that tonight would not be a good time to point that out. This wasn’t New York, and it was affecting a town that was near and dear to my heart. It was affecting Rebecca. I chose to remain quiet and not sound like an insensitive asshole.
I also realized that New York was far bigger than North Reed and perhaps some of the damage was harder to see.
I didn’t feel like the guy who lived in New York tonight. I felt like I was the kid in elementary school who loved his small town and his extended family here. That boy was reacting to people having to move away from a place that they loved due to the economy. He felt sad.
I took a bite of steak and chewed it slowly as I thought back to my childhood.
I’d been happy growing up, and I learned a lot from my parents. Mom taught me the true meaning of compassion, and Dad showed me what it was to work hard every day for his family. Despite our differences, I was the man that I was today because of both of them. I might be cold in business, but that was the way it worked sometimes. The people who were close to me knew I would do anything for them, though those were hard to find if I looked closely at my life right now.
Out of all the people in the city, Preston made that list, and here he was, working his ass off at a hotel across town for me. This deal took a lot more time than I ever thought it would. I felt kind of bad for Preston and had shut off work since I left to get Rebecca a few hours ago. My phone was in the car, more than likely dying.
“Austin, are you with us?” Mom asked.
I blinked and returned my attention to the table.
“Yeah. I was just thinking back to being a kid here. It is all because of both of you that I made it.” I looked at her for a long moment and then Dad. “I’m the man I am today because of you. Thank you.”
“Oh, honey,” Mom said as tears slid down her cheeks. “Here I miss you so much, and you tell me something like that.” She wiped a tear from her eye.
She came over to hug me, and Rebecca smiled tenderly at us. I held Mom tight as she clung to me, giving into her emotions.
I was turning into a girl tonight. I appreciated when Dad merely cleared his throat and told me how proud he was of me.
We finished the meal, and Mom poured coffee for her and Dad. Rebecca filled our glasses with some tea. A freshly baked apple pie rested in the kitchen, but we’d wait for that.
We settled in the living room to keep talking. Rebecca told Mom some of the salon gossip, rolling her gorgeous eyes at some of the more outlandish rumors. For a small town, news traveled like wildfire. I knew people would already be talking about seeing us at the store together. And if word got out that Rebecca was here, I was sure there would be marriage rumors. Second chance romance was big with women, and I couldn’t see the ones who lived here passing up on that.
It was going to be an interesting few weeks.
We ended up watching some of the local news together and enjoying dessert. The night felt so right, and it seemed like time flew by. I hadn’t relaxed like this in a long time, even though I could feel the current of electricity buzzing between Rebecca and me. I enjoyed it since there was nothing like this with the other women I’d been with over the years.
The initial thrill of beautiful women wanting me faded quickly once I realized they were after my money and connections, making me just use them for casual sex. That’s what they did with me most of the time, though women like Mia got their claws in and wanted me to give them everything. They still didn’t know the real me.
I realized that many of my so-called friends in New York barely knew which state I was from, much less the town. It popped up in articles here and there since it was so impressive that a small-town boy made it so big, but people forgot details most of the time.
People didn’t care about my past too much, just my success. Didn’t they realize that my past played a huge role in all of that?
Dad yawned first, signaling the end of the evening. Mom got him settled in bed after a long hug from Rebecca. The two of us did the dishes for Mom since she cooked so much food. We talked about dinner and my family. Rebecca looked happy tonight, but I sensed something more in her as she handed me dishes to dry. I wondered what would happen to her if she was left alone here.
Would Rebecca move with Kim? Would she spend time with my parents even after I left?
Something about that bothered me. Wasn’t I bitching about being here for so long just a few weeks ago, almost hoping for a reason to leave early?
We told my mother goodnight before leaving, and she gave us each a long hug goodbye. I led Rebecca out to the driveway, pausing as I looked around the land. It was cold, but I’d grabbed a jacket before leaving. Rebecca was bundled up as well, and I glanced at her. “Are you cold?”
“A little, but I like the fresh winter air.” She smiled as she glanced at me. “Is it like this in New York?”
The name of my home left a bad taste in my mouth for a moment. “It’s frigid sometimes in the winter. Beautiful, though. Mom liked it when she first came to visit me because it was so different. There was always somewhere to go and something new to see. I spoiled them every trip, but I could tell she missed the things we did here after a while.” I smiled at her. “The Christmas tree there is beautiful and so big. I think you’d like ice skating as well. We used to do that at the mall in Dallas. Remember?”
“How could I ever forget all of you boys tearing around it with pucks and sticks like y’all were going to join the pros the next day?” Rebecca laughed and shook her head.
“There is a team there now. I wonder if any of the kids from here made it.”
Rebecca shook her head. “As far as I know, you’re the only local kid who made it out there. Others left, but you don’t hear much about them once they’re gone. It’s all about you… You’re the star,” Rebecca told me as she met my gaze. There was so much in her eyes. I longed to reach out and pull her close to me again.
“I don’t think so,” I told her in a low voice as I moved one step closer to her. “I just worked hard.”
“I know. I would never say otherwise.” T
his time there was pride in her eyes, and I smiled down at her. “I am so proud of you, even if I don’t understand the need to move there, of all places. Our dreams were different, but I am always going to be proud of you.”
We stayed out as long as we could stand it, looking at the bright stars against the dark sky that was dotted with clouds. The moment I noticed her shivering, I tucked Rebecca into the car to get her home.
Chapter Fourteen
Rebecca
The drive home was silent. I fidgeted in the comfortable seat. Something flowed between us since that kiss. I felt it all night long and felt distracted by Austin as I glanced over at him.
He was gorgeous. I smiled and looked down, feeling nervous being alone with him. It brought me back to the first date when he pulled up in front of my parents. I wondered if he was going to kiss me goodnight.
Tonight, we were adults on our own. He was taking me to the same house, but everything else was different. Dark buildings flashed by me. I got more worked up inside with every mile. I knew what I was feeling inside; what I wanted. I just couldn’t tell him all of that. I just wanted to feel a little of Austin tonight to get me through the nights when he was gone.
He parked in my driveway and opened the door for me. I loved when he took my hand to take me to the front porch. He leaned back against the door to stare into my eyes. I never wanted a man more as I gazed back at him.
“Thanks for taking me over there,” I whispered.
He held my hand tight, lifting it to his mouth to kiss my skin gently. “I’m glad she asked you to come. They loved having you over again.”
Austin smiled and moved his hand around my back to pull me against him for a long, sweet kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his face closer to mine. We both moved to deepen the kiss as the cool wind picked up around us, lost to the sensation of our tongues dancing together under the light of the porch.
I clung to him, and he kissed me again, moaning softly against my mouth.
“Come inside,” I urged him before he claimed my mouth again in a hungry kiss.
“Keys,” Austin murmured.
I fumbled in my small purse for the key ring. I handed it to him, wrapping my arms around his waist as he unlocked the door and pushed it open. He walked us both inside before closing the door and turning the lock.
Austin pressed me against the door and kissed me roughly, pinning me with his hands around my hips. I felt the difference in his lips now and sensed the need that we shared. I pressed my body against his, tasting him as my hands ripped through his hair, soft and thick between my fingers.
I knew that I loved him as the kiss continued, but I couldn’t tell Austin that. This was just tonight, or for this visit at best, before he’d leave me again. My heart might break into even smaller pieces, but I couldn’t find the strength to push him away from me.
Austin pulled away from me. I found my breath and stared at him. “Do you have regrets in life?” I asked him softly.
His eyes burned with desire and something else as he breathed in a few times. “Of course. I think that regret is sometimes what pushes a person forward. It’s a lesson to be learned.”
I smiled weakly, knowing what I wanted to ask him next. “What is your biggest regret in life?” I whispered.
He gazed tenderly at me for a second. “It will always be losing you,” Austin told me with a tremor in his voice. He kissed me again.
I moaned into his mouth. He slipped his hands down easily to cup my ass. His tongue plunged into my mouth, and I arched against him.
We parted long enough to get our jackets off and on the floor before I lifted his sweater. My thighs ached as he effortlessly slid it over his head, revealing a fitted t-shirt underneath.
I jumped at him again. “I want you, Austin.” My hands went to his pants, and he kissed me harder, lifting me and taking me down the hallway.
“Are you still in your room?” he asked against my lips, his breath labored.
“I took over the master,” I replied with a laugh. It felt like we were going to have sex in my parents’ room. Austin silenced me with his lips as he stepped through the door to the room, dropping me on the bed.
He stared down at me. “I can’t wait to taste you again,” Austin said.
He dropped to his knees on the hardwood floor in front of me. I felt his hands on my calves before he pushed the skirt up, making me gasp. This was a different start than any time before, but we were different people now. This was what we both wanted. He reached for the lace underwear I wore, pausing for a long moment to inhale me.
I shivered. “Austin,” I said in a garbled voice as he pressed his face against me. “I need you… I need to come.”
“You will. I am going to make you scream my name as many times as I can. It’s been too long.” Austin finally stripped me of the barrier before he took a long look at me. “So fucking beautiful.” His finger stroked me apart. “You’re so wet for me.”
“Always,” I murmured. He found my clit and circled it idly. My body started to burn. “Oh, God.”
Austin spent a long time getting to know me again with his mouth. He was skilled now with the use of his hands and mouth. He brought me so close to the edge a few times before I begged him to give me a fucking release.
Austin chuckled and slid two fingers inside of me. Then he sucked my clit between his teeth. I rocked forward, crying out with the force of the orgasm as he plunged deep inside, stroking every surface. Austin kept the orgasm going with every movement. By the time I was done, I was shaking and weak.
“What was that?” I asked in a whisper.
He kissed my inner thighs gently. “Magic. It’s always felt like that with you.” He stood slowly, removing his clothes, and dropping beside me. I knew we weren’t done, and a surge of adrenaline filled me as I looked over at him.
“Will you stay with me?” I asked him.
He smiled slowly. “I was planning on it.”
I smiled and sat up slowly to work the dress off, feeling him watch every movement. I blushed. I didn’t look exactly like the girl he’d left behind, but I took decent care of myself. Austin, on the other hand, was sculpted and fit. He clearly took care of himself.
I knelt before him in my black bra. I took a deep breath, looking him over. I wanted to memorize all of this so I’d have something when he left. God, I didn’t even want to think about that.
“You’re perfect,” I told him.
He reached out to stroke my cheek. “So are you. Nobody can hold a candle to you, Rebecca.” His hand moved down, unclasping the front of my bra in a practiced move that made me gasp.
“You’ve been with such beautiful women,” I said.
He shook his head. “I don’t give a shit what anybody looks like on the outside. You have the most beautiful heart that it makes you stand out above anyone else who I’ve seen. Don’t you know how beautiful you are?” Tears stung my eyes. He moved to sit before me, leaning in for a sweet kiss as he slipped the bra down my shoulders. “I have always thought so, Rebecca. I don’t know why it took so damn long to be together in the first place.”
“Kinsey,” I said, making him laugh. Austin was into a cheerleader before we started dating, and I never let that go.
“I was a fool,” he said. He pulled me into his lap, moving against the pillows. Our lips met in hungry kisses.
I moved as close to him as I could, eating away at his lips. My taste was still there, and I was fascinated with how sweet it was. This idea never appealed to me before, but now I wanted to do everything with Austin. I wanted to feel him everywhere.
His cock was hard as I pressed against him, sliding my clit along the ridge. I deepened our kisses, still wanting so much more. He slipped his hands down easily to cup my ass and stop my movement. “I am going to come this way if you don’t fucking stop. Your wet pussy feels too good.”
Dirty talk used to make me feel shy and uncertain, but now we both felt the rush of heat that my body respond
ed with. I imagined something in my head and pulled away, reaching down to stroke him with my hand. Austin looked like he was in pain. He let out a ragged breath. He was still big, something I remembered well, and I scooted back on the mattress as he stared at me. “Rebecca, what are you doing?”
“I’m not a kid anymore,” I told him as I moved down to swirl my tongue around his tip slowly, making him slip one hand into my hair. I’d done this when we were together before, but hesitantly. Maybe I knew that he wasn’t going to be around forever and didn’t feel safe giving myself fully to him. I wasn’t even sure that I wouldn’t regret this, but I wanted Austin. I slid down him, taking his thick length in my throat slowly. He was large, and I sucked around him. He groaned. I tasted myself and Austin with every movement. He was close to release, and I moved up and down his body. I lifted my ass into the air for a better angle.
“Fuck me, Rebecca. You feel so good.” Austin tangled both hands into my hair, releasing the clasp as he gripped me hard. He rose with me, meeting my mouth with slow thrusts. “I want to come inside of you. Are you on anything?”
“Still on the pill, so life is a little easier.” I wasn’t referring to sex since I’d only slept with one guy since Austin left. He wasn’t here anymore, having been one of the people who were forced to move. Liam always felt like a mistake to begin with. I knew that Austin understood I was referring to bad periods. He was the one who suggested the idea, though he was pleased with the idea of dropping the use of condoms as well. I wasn’t so sure about that now with all the women I’d seen him with. “Are you clean?”
“Yes. The media makes me look worse than I am, Rebecca. I haven’t slept with all those women you’ve seen. There’s been some, but I’m always careful. Always.” I finally lifted my head and looked into his eyes, seeing the sincerity of his words. “With them, I never felt the way you make me feel.” Austin pulled my head close to his for a long, deep kiss. I felt the emotions in it, knowing that my own were a tangled mess inside. When he pushed me back and hovered over me, I looked down between us. I never thought that I’d see this again. He paused at my entrance.