I started putting everything away in my pantry, when Dalton moved closer, “Ember, look at me.”
Don’t look at him. Don’t look at him.
“Please, Em.”
Damnit! I turned to face him, “Yes, I want you to stay, be… because I want to make sure you’re safe. Right, safe.” What the hell is wrong with me?
He smiled knowingly, “Okay, I’ll stay.”
The sun peaked in through the bedroom window, alerting me that it was morning. The rest of us finally made our way to bed around 2:00 a.m. I had set the air mattress up in Harlee’s room for Dalton, and luckily, Austin was asleep by the time I had everyone settled comfortably and made my way to bed. I managed to get a decent five hours of sleep, and as much as I would love to sleep the entire day, I needed to go check on our guests.
The door to our guestroom was still shut and quiet snores radiated from behind the closed door. I made my way down the hall to find Harlee’s room empty. I let out a quiet sigh and headed downstairs. As I hit the bottom step, the smell of coffee filled the room, exciting my senses.
Everyone was right where I had left them, resting comfortably in my large living room. When I stepped into the kitchen, I was greeted with a smile and a hot cup of deliciousness. I smiled into my mug and sat down on a barstool, “This is just what I needed. Thank you, Dalton.”
“I heard you stir; at least I hoped it was you, so I came down to make us some. Did you sleep well?”
I took a sip, noting how sweet the coffee tasted, sending my taste buds into overdrive. “Mmm, what did you put in this? It’s delicious.”
Dalton let out a soft laugh and leaned his hip against my center island, “White chocolate chips, I saw you had some in a canister on the counter.”
“You have impeccable taste. This is perfect, thank you. Oh, and I slept okay, I hope you did, too.”
There is something so incredibly sexy about the way he is leaning against the island. I take note of every inch of him, and as I make my way up to his face, I catch the smug look he has. Shit, he caught me.
“See something you like, Ember?”
My face felt flushed and I directed my eyes away from him, toward anything else that wasn’t him. “I… Um, are you hungry? I can make us some breakfast.” I stood up and padded to the fridge. As I reached for the eggs, Dalton reached in and grabbed the carton.
“Sit, Em. I’ll make us breakfast.”
I carefully watched Dalton work his way around the kitchen. He found turkey and vegetables in the fridge, and added them to the eggs to make omelets. When he was finished, he set a plate in front of me, topped off our coffee cups, and sat next to me at the island.
“This looks wonderful, thank you for making breakfast.”
He placed his hand on mine and gave it a light squeeze, “It was my pleasure. Thank you for hosting an awesome cookout and making me a cheesecake.”
I smiled, not knowing what else to say.
As the first bite of omelet hit my tongue, I let a small moan escape my lips, “This definitely tops any breakfast I have ever had. Do you cook a lot?”
Dalton took a sip of coffee, studying me carefully before he spoke, “I use to cook with my mom a lot, I love it.”
“She taught you well, Dalton.”
We finished our omelets in silence, only exchanging random glances at each other. When we were finished, I stood up to wash our plates, but Dalton beat me to it.
“Good morning, beautiful people!”
Dalton and I both glanced toward the living room. Harper was standing next to Trent, both appearing overly happy. “Well, good morning sunshine. You seem… rested.”
Harper rolled her eyes at me as Trent walked forward to shake Dalton’s hand, and then he turned and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a bear hug. “Em, as always, thank you for an epic cookout. Harper and I are heading out to grab breakfast at Millie’s Diner. Talk soon, yeah?”
“You are very welcome, Trent. Harper, we need a girl’s day soon. Call me.”
Harper pulled me into a hug, “I am in desperate need of a girl’s day. I will text you this afternoon.” She kissed my cheek and they made their way out the door.
The rest of our guests began to wake almost immediately after Harper and Trent left. As everyone left, Dalton said his good-byes and slipped out with the crowd. I quickly got busy putting my house back in order, desperate to avoid any unwanted arguments with Austin today.
The last few days have flown by. It’s finally Wednesday, and after working the past three nights, I could use a bit of relaxation. Both Austin and I have been exceptionally busy at work, leaving very little time to spend together, which of course, is the way I like it. Now that summer is here, people seem to be hurting themselves more than usual, so the ER has been excruciatingly hectic. I have the entire afternoon to relax while Austin is working, and I plan to enjoy every moment of it.
On my drive home from work, I stop to grab a movie and popcorn. I’m in the mood for a chick flick and something salty.
After cleaning up the house, I settle in to watch Pretty in Pink. I am a sucker for a classic from the 80’s. Once the movie is finished, I grab a book, a nice glass of wine, and head into the bath. The warm water feels amazing as it soothes my aching muscles. A little while later, a noise startles me from my relaxing soak and an overwhelming feeling comes over me.
A car door shuts and I hear the front door open. Shit. I contemplate getting out, but when I hear things being thrown in the living room and then his heavy footsteps making their way upstairs, I freeze. The bathroom door flies open and Austin is standing in the doorway, distain plastered on his face. “Must be nice to have time to lay around in the tub while I’m out busting my ass at work.”
I can smell booze creeping toward me as his glossy eyes pierce mine. “I work hard too, Austin. I’ve been working non-stop lately. Why are you home so early? Are you drunk already?”
Anger enveloped his face, as he slowly padded towards me, “Get out of the bath and fix me dinner. I don’t appreciate you speaking to me the way you just did.”
Before I could reply, he put his hand around my neck and yanked me out of the tub. “Did I not speak clearly enough for you? Make. Me. Dinner!”
I slipped my robe on and started to walk out of the bathroom when he caught my arm and pulled me to him.
He untied my robe and let it fall to the floor. “On second thought, I need to work up an appetite first.” His mouth met mine in a rough and hungry kiss; his taste a mixture of cheap beer and cigars. With his hand around my neck, he shoves me against the wall, pressing his erection against me. With one hand on my hip, he tangles the other in my hair, yanking my head back to expose my neck. He bites my earlobe, hard, causing me to wince slightly in pain.
“Tell me how bad you want me inside you, baby. Beg me for my cock.”
“I… I want you inside me.”
Austin turns me around, pressing my front to the wall. His hardness presses into my backside as his hand makes its way to my wetness.
“I don’t believe you, Ember. Do I need to tease you? Huh? Make you beg for it?” He dips a finger inside me and sinks his teeth into my shoulder as he plunges another finger in.
As badly as I want to resist him, to push him away from me, my body gives in. I grind against his hand as quiet moans escape from my lips.
“You’re so wet for me, Ember. Tell me you want it. Tell me you want me inside you.” He pulls his fingers out and presses them against my clit, circling me slowly as I start to come undone.
“I need you inside me, Austin.” I hear him unzip his pants as he spins me around again, lifting me so my legs are wrapped around his waist. In one determined motion, he rams himself deep inside me. I close my eyes, letting the feel of him take me back in time, to when we were happy.
“You feel so fucking amazing, Sweets.” I grip his shoulders, digging my nails into his skin as he increases speed. With every thrust, my back slams hard into the wall. “I’m going
to cum, Austin.” The pressure is almost too much to bare and I need a release. Austin’s fingers dig into my thighs, causing a painful, yet pleasurable sensation. Just as I’m about to come, he pulls out.
Lowering me to the floor, he guides my head to his erection, “Suck it.” I comply; dropping to my knees, I place my lips around him. I can taste myself on him, which only fuels my need to orgasm. My hand and mouth work overtime causing his body to shudder in defeat as he explodes inside my mouth. His lips find mine again, meeting them with more hunger than before.
He pulls away and undresses himself fully as he turns on the shower. “What… what about me?”
His hand meets my ass, hard, causing me to yelp from the sting of contact against my nude body. “What about you? I’m going to shower. Make me some dinner.”
I busy myself in the kitchen, trying to ignore the anger and guilt I feel. Austin makes his way downstairs as I pull the cinnamon rolls out of the oven. “It smells amazing, Ember. I love when you cook breakfast for dinner.”
I smile at him as I fix our plates, “I know…that’s why I made it.” I didn’t cook this meal for him, I cooked it because omelets, cinnamon rolls, and sausage links are quick and easy, and I hope he chokes on it.
We finish dinner in silence and I start cleaning up. The memory of what happened upstairs weighing heavily on my mind. I turn to Austin, “Why didn’t you let me finish?”
Austin’s face met mine, confusion written all over it, “Finish what?”
Really? Do I need to spell it out? “Why did you make what just happened upstairs all about you?” He moved his chair back in one swift motion, causing it to tip over. He rushed toward me, placing one hand around my neck and pushing me hard against the counter, “Oow, my back. Stop!”
Austin pushes me even harder against the counter, “What happened upstairs was about me. My needs. What I wanted. Your needs are not my concern.” He pushes into me, pressing his erection into my pelvis, “Do you feel what you do to me? That should be enough for you.”
Austin backs away from me, his anger slowly leaving his features, “I’m going to the gym.”
With a few hours left of daylight before the sun sets and Austin gone to the gym, I decide to drive to my favorite trail. Running on the road is tolerable, but I absolutely love running in solitude, and this trail provides the perfect amount of relaxation.
I typically skip listening to music when I’m on the trail, but I need the extra motivation that my playlist provides. Slipping in my earbuds, I take off at a slow jog. I come across a few people hiking and wave as I push myself harder, running at a decently fast pace.
The songs encourage me to keep going and every stride helps me to forget about what happened tonight.
After a few miles, I come to a rough part of the trail and slow my pace. As I run down a small hill, my foot slips under a tree root, causing me to crash face first into the ground. I feel a hand on my back and quickly jump to my feet.
“Ember, is that you? Are you okay? Come sit down. You hit the ground hard.”
I think I am suffering from a concussion and Dalton is a figment of my imagination. I blink hard a few times and shake my head. “Em? Are you alright?”
I touch his arm, realizing that he is definitely not a concussion-induced vision. “I’m okay. I thought I was imagining you. What are the odds? Do you come here a lot?”
Dalton’s hand brushes against my forehead, sending a shiver of pain down my spine. He notices my slight discomfort and quickly pulls his hand back, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you had a cut underneath the dirt.”
Dalton leads me to a fallen tree. We both sit as he reaches into his backpack, pulling out a handkerchief and a bottle of water. I stare at him as he cautiously cleans the dirt from my face, taking extra care around my battle wounds.
Being near him does something to me. I’m so affected by how sweet and gentle he is. I desperately want to get to know him, but I am fighting an internal battle, because I know that no good would come out of it.
Pink lemonade and sunflowers envelop my sense as I carefully wipe the dirt from Ember’s face. Her smell is intoxicating, and the look she is giving me makes it incredibly difficult to keep my lips off hers.
I shake my head to clear my thoughts as I wipe the last spot of dirt from her face and then tend to the dirty wounds on both her knees, “There, all clean. How do you feel?”
She moves to stand, but loses her balance and falls against me. I pull another bottle of water from my pack and bring it to her lips. She takes a big gulp and smiles, “Thank you. I guess you think I’m a walking disaster, huh?”
I laugh. She is far from a disaster, but I can’t tell her that. Not yet anyway. “My forehead is sore and my back hurts, but I think I’m okay.”
She fell face first. I’m not sure why her back would hurt. I move behind her, placing my hand at the small of her back, “Can I make sure you didn’t cut yourself or anything?” She nodded and I slowly lifted the back of her shirt. Shock registered on my face as I stared at the large rectangular bruise on her lower back.
I carefully graze my fingertips across the bruise; her wince does not go unnoticed. She quickly stands, tugging her shirt back into place. “What is that bruise from, Ember?”
Her expression is unreadable, but if I were to guess, I would say it was shame that possessed her features. Her expression changed quickly and she laughed, eyes fixated on the ground, “I’m a walking disaster, remember? I fell last night, no big deal.”
I move closer to her, taking careful consideration as to how I’m going to approach this, “Ember, look at me. What really happened?”
“Dalton, I told you… I fell. Let it go, please. Will you walk me back to my truck?”
I let out a heavy sigh and start walking the trail with her. I refuse to let this go, but I need to tread lightly. I need her to trust me before I can expect her to open up and let me in.
“Are you adjusting well to being here, Dalton?”
My eyes meet hers and I smile, “It was rough at first, but things are looking up. I never answered your question earlier. I come here a few times a week. It’s the perfect place to clear my head.”
“I think so too. I don’t get out here much because of Harlee. It’s too hard to run with a toddler.” Her smile was genuine. I could see the love in her eyes when she spoke about her daughter.
I laugh, “I imagine that would be difficult. When will she be home?”
“Two weeks. I’m flying to Alabama to get her. I’m so excited to see her, plus I could use a weekend away.”
I want to ask why. Why does she need a weekend away? I want her to tell me that her son of a bitch husband put his hands on her, but she won’t, so I refrain from asking. She bumps her shoulder into mine, peeling me from my thoughts.
“Hey, you were deep in thought for a minute. What are you thinking about?”
You! I’m thinking about you. The way your smell intoxicates me, the way your smile makes my lips want to taste yours, and the way you unknowingly affect every part of my body, inside and out. I don’t say it. I want to. Fuck, I want to, but I don’t. “Just… That it’s nice to have company out here. We should do it again, under less painful circumstances of course.”
Her face lit up, obviously excited at the idea, “I would like that, Dalton. I like being around… I mean, out here.”
I need to know what she’s thinking. I know she wanted to say something else, “Em, what were you going to say? You like being around… me? You like being around someone who actually enjoys your company and wants to put your needs above their own? Tell me.”
Ember looked up toward the sky, confliction taking over her features. She stopped and faced me, shaking her head, “I didn’t… I can’t do this, Dalton.” Her hand traveled back and forth between us when she spoke.
My head fell in defeat. We walked the rest of the way to our vehicles in silence. I opened the door of her truck as she turned to face me, “Thank you. For everythi
ng.” She smiled and slipped behind the wheel.
“Ember, I just want to get to know you. Please give me a chance. As friends, please.”
A single tear rolled down her cheek. I gently wiped it away as I waited for her to say something, anything.
“Dalton, I… I would really like that.” I want to jump up and down like a kid on Christmas morning. I was not expecting her to feel the same way. I gave her the biggest smile and put my number into her phone.
As she drove away, I put my earbuds in and decide to run a few extra miles.
It’s finally Friday, my second favorite “F” word. I’ve never been more excited for the weekend in my life. Austin has been trying to set me up with a girl he knows, ever since I got here. I’ve declined every single time he has mentioned it, but after hounding me relentlessly at work today, I finally gave in.
I hated the thought of a blind date, but I hated the thought that it wasn’t with Ember even more. After explaining my hatred for blind dates to Austin, he suggested we go out as couples. I quickly agreed. I know I will hate seeing Ember on his arm instead of mine, but at least I get to see her. I need to tell Ember about the date, just for my own piece of mind, so I pull out my phone and text her.
Me: Are you up for a morning trail run?
Ember: Hi! Absolutely.
Me: Great. Is 0800 a good time?
Ember: I’ll be there. See you in the morning.
I didn’t respond to her last text. I refuse to seem too eager, but I am excited to spend time with her twice tomorrow. I just hope the date isn’t as awkward as I expect it to be.
I woke up at 0700 and got myself dressed. For some reason, I am nervous as hell about meeting Ember this morning. As I pulled into the parking lot at the head of the trail, I see that Ember is already here. I park and make my way over to her.
“Good morning, sunshine. Ready for an awesome workout?” Her greeting made my nerves quickly dissipate.
I smiled and raised an eyebrow at her, “How far are you planning to make me run, woman?”
Ember Skies Page 3