by Alicia Rae
Kyle was so sweet, romantic, and thoughtful while also being strong, independent, and sometimes possessive and intense. These were all important traits to me—in the right balance, of course. I loved how easy it was to be around him. He could be so playful, and I definitely needed more of that in my life. He was a hard worker and a very talented craftsman. His house was an amazing accomplishment all by itself, and it reflected his dedication and character. I had yet to see much of the businessman side of him, but with his drive and determination, I had no doubt that he was successful in everything he did.
California was Kyle’s home and where he belonged. His family was there, and it would not be right to ask him to leave, but I was not sure if California was somewhere that could be my home. Florida was familiar to me, and it was my comfort zone. Besides my love for the scenery and water, Luke and Brooke were really my only ties to Florida.
I still didn’t know what I thought about moving. I supposed I would do it for love. That was something I would have to figure out, and have faith that it would fall into place as it was meant to be.
Wait! Love?
Thank goodness it was dark, and Kyle couldn’t see my eyes bulging out of my head.
No. No. No, Lily! This cannot be love. I knew I wasn’t ready for that, considering that I was an emotional mess. And I couldn’t be in love with someone I had only known for two weeks. I just overanalyzing the idea of moving.
My thoughts, once again, overwhelmed me. I was in my own personal roller coaster, and it was all moving so fast. I had so many feelings for Kyle that terrified me, but I decided not to focus on that now. It had been an eventful day, and overanalyzing things wouldn’t help.
I snuggled closer into Kyle, feeling his warmth wrap around me. Whenever his was near, it gave me a sense of security to not worry about the changes I couldn’t control. I knew I was already in too deep to walk away, and I just needed to have faith and trust my heart.
I was almost asleep when Kyle pulled me in closer, and I felt his lips brush against my ear.
“Stop overthinking it, Lily. I’m never letting you go.”
For nearly three years, I had planned to never give my heart away in fear of loss, but now, I was afraid I already had.
Sunday morning, we had lunch with Kyle’s family. It was very casual—just a normal family, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. It made me think of some great Sundays I’d had with my family before my sister and I had gone to college. Sundays had been our day to stay home in our PJs, just the four of us, with no errands, no electronics, and no one else around. It had been great. Some of my favorite memories included those Sundays.
Afterward, Kyle and I were on our way back to Florida. Our flight was uneventful. We went back to my place and rented a movie. We snuggled up and both fell asleep halfway through.
Monday morning felt like a slap in the face after my spectacular last five days in California, but it was back to the daily grind for this girl. Kyle had decided to do some work at his place, not wanting to disrupt me with his conference calls. I was glad for the breather, and I needed the time to do some serious writing.
Kyle’s romantic getaway had inspired me to do the same for the characters in my book. I had my man take his girl to a Southern beach. It was a warm and sunny excursion. He rented an oceanfront room with a large Jacuzzi and balcony, and he pampered her all weekend. She returned her gratitude in many ways, showing her man how much she loved him.
As the scenes played out in my head, I giggled and blushed at the thought of how Kyle had been partially right about my previous inexperience with being romantically involved. Now that I had made love with Kyle, it did change the way I envisioned my story. I’d added more to my scene today than usual, but it felt natural and necessary to show the love and passion between my two characters. I’d also written about their bond and how they expressed their feelings for one another. While writing, I’d realized how chemistry and attraction, along with many internal emotions, were a huge part of a relationship. Kyle just putting his hands on me ignited sensations, making me feel an almost gravitational pull toward him. It was hard to explain because it put the word chemistry to shame.
My phone rang, pulling me out of my deep thoughts.
“Hey, Lily! How are you?” Brooke said, being her energetic self this morning.
“I’m doing great! I’m finishing up a scene in my book right now. How about you?”
I closed my laptop to take a quick break. By now, I knew that I couldn’t talk and type at the same time.
“What did my romantic author decide to do with her characters today?”
“Oh, you know, he whisked her off to a tropical island and made love to her for days. They got married on a beach with a perfect sunset. Then, they decided to move to the island, and they lived happily ever after.” I giggled at my own thoughts.
Brooke laughed hard. “You forgot the part where they won the lottery! And bought a private island for ten million dollars, and then they lived happily ever after.”
I couldn’t help myself from laughing again. “Shit, I did. Let me add that.”
We take a second to recuperate from our fit of giggles.
“I was actually just finishing up a romantic getaway and a steamy sex scene.”
“Oh, do tell!”
“I went a little bit more into detail than usual. I hope that’s okay. If not, I can take some of it out.”
“That’s okay. You can leave it in,” Brooke answered with a laugh. “I’m assuming Kyle is responsible for these hot sex scenes?”
I chortled like a teenager. “Of course. Actually, the other day, he asked me how I could write about something I had not yet to experience.”
“That’s an interesting way to look at it, but you are all about romantic fairy tales while staying more PG in the bedroom,” she teased. Then, she gasped through the line. “Oh. My. God! Did you go rated R in your books, Miss Conservative?”
The giggles were just flowing today.
“Maybe.” I paused. “Hopefully, it doesn’t qualify as X-rated.”
Brooke rolled with laughter. “Holy shit! No way!”
“Good thing I went with that pen name after all.”
“Very true. So, how did this come into play?”
I sighed. “I guess I’ve changed in a couple of ways. One, I was never in a relationship before, so I never experienced the emotions that went along with a physical connection before. And two, after experiencing it, it put more emotions and feelings into my characters.”
“Relationships change all of us. It’s a natural part of life. Lily, I’m so happy for you.”
“Me, too.” I let out a deep breath. “I’m also scared…and confused…and overwhelmed all at the same time,” I confided.
Brooke sighed. “I know, sweetie. It’s okay not to have it all worked out. Relationships take time and patience to evolve, but I think he truly makes you happy. The last time I saw you, you already had that glow about you. Finding someone that makes you glow doesn’t happen very often, Lily, so you should enjoy it. You deserve to be happy.”
“I’m trying.” I attempted to change the direction of our now-too-serious conversation. “So, how are you, baby, and hubby doing?”
“Hubby is good. He’s on a business trip until Friday afternoon, so I’m moping a bit. Baby girl is adorable, happy, and healthy…and adorable. Oh, wait! I already said Ava’s adorable, but she’s just so stinkin’ cute. I can’t help but kiss and snuggle her all day!” Brooke laughed and then sighed. “Her cuteness is a major distraction to my work. I’m so in love with her and my husband.”
I smiled at the love and adoration shining in Brooke’s voice. She was a great mom and wife. She didn’t need to work anymore, but she’d decided to still work part-time for a bit of grown-up interaction.
“I’m glad to hear you’re happy and busy. You know boredom does not become you,” I said.
“Ha-ha! True.” Brooke laughed. “So, the reason I called you is
because my parents are coming in for a visit on Thursday, and they’re staying until Sunday. They’re kicking me out, so they can have some grandparent time. I was thinking maybe we could have a girls’ day out on Friday, and then the four of us could go out together for dinner afterward. What do you think?”
I mentally scanned my calendar. I didn’t think anything serious was on my schedule. “Sounds great on my end, but I’ll have to check with Kyle. I’m not sure what his plans are or how long he’ll be in town.”
“Okay, sounds good. Speaking of, what do you guys plan to do with the long-distance situation anyway?”
“Um, it’s only been two weeks, so I’m really not sure yet. We haven’t even talked about it.”
“Well, I’m sure that conversation will be coming soon. You might want to start thinking about it,” she suggested lightheartedly.
“I know. My brain has been thinking quite a bit these days.”
“I’m sure. If you ever need to talk, you know I’m here, right?”
“Of course, and thank you. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it,” I admitted.
“I know. It’s all going to work out. Well, I better let you go, but I’ll see you Friday.”
“Okay. See you then.”
After I hung up, I opened up my laptop, and I read the last few pages again to pull myself back into the story.
It was almost two in the afternoon before I heard knock at my front door. Setting my work aside, I walked over and opened it. Kyle entered with a large pizza in his hands. I forgot that I was supposed to text him when I got hungry, so we could have lunch together. I must have been caught up in my story. When the words flowed, they flowed, which meant I went into my little writing cave. Sometimes, I had to remind myself that the world around me didn’t stop when I was lost in my stories.
“You’re alive. I’m starving, so I decided to interrupt your writing. A man can only wait so long to eat, and I brought pizza.” Kyle smiled, looking hot in a white T-shirt and dark cargo shorts.
I returned his smile. “Sorry. I get carried away sometimes.”
He sat down next to me and gave me a quick kiss. “That’s okay.” He glanced at my laptop. “What are you writing about today?”
I had never really talked with anyone about what I was writing, except for Brooke, but I decided to give it a try today. “Actually, you inspired me to write today.”
His hand holding a pizza slice stopped halfway to his mouth as his eyes widened.
Now, that’s a sight to see. Kyle is holding off on food!
“Really?” he asked.
“Yes,” I whispered shyly. “My male character whisked his girlfriend off to a beach, and they stayed in a romantic oceanfront hotel for the weekend.” I was pretty sure that I was blushing now.
He stared silently at me for a moment, taking in my words. “And did she have a good time?” he asked, his voice hopeful.
“A great time. It was wonderful.”
He gave me his rare shy smile. It was definitely one of my favorites on him.
“I’m glad.”
He took a large bite of pizza, and I watched in wonder at how he’d just shoved that much in his mouth. Apparently, he was really starving.
“Me, too. I-I also, um…” I stuttered, not sure how to voice the rest. “I also made some changes in my bedroom scenes.”
His eyes darted back to mine, and he grinned widely. “What kind of changes?” His focus was completely on me, pizza forgotten.
I blushed more if that was possible at this point. “I made it more intense and added descriptive details.”
His eyes darkened, looking all caveman. “Go on.”
“Well, I realized that you were partially right.” I ignored him as he raised his eyebrows quickly. “Since I hadn’t been in a relationship or had a sexual experience, my knowledge was limited, and I wrote from the ideas and concepts I had from general exposure. Now, my personal experiences have taken my writing to a whole new level.”
He pulled me onto his lap and snuggled me close, looking deep into my eyes, while letting me continue.
“It made the scenes more intense. I was able to write in greater detail about my characters’ feelings of passion and need for each other. With that, came more descriptive and in-depth love scenes came. I put into words what it feels like to be touched by a man, becoming overwhelmed by sensations, being raw with need—”
Kyle took my mouth and kissed me like crazy as his hands tightened on my waist, and then suddenly, he flipped me over his broad shoulder as he stood up.
I chuckled at my overbearing alpha’s ways. “What are you doing?” I teased playfully.
“I’m going to make love to my girl,” he announced, his voice all husky. “And then, I’m going to eat pizza.” He good-humoredly smacked my ass while sauntering off to the bedroom with me over his shoulder.
My heart skipped a few beats at hearing him use the word love.
Kyle had gone back over to his place for one last conference call. I finished my afternoon with proofreading my earlier scenes, and I made a few tweaks before calling it a day. I was very grateful for the silence and privacy to write. I was one of those people who needed the room to be completely quiet to read or write. Any distractions would have me backtracking.
Walking to the kitchen, I decided to make some dinner. I wasn’t really familiar with what kinds of food Kyle liked, but I had a pretty good idea that he would eat just about anything. Chicken enchiladas were the first thing that popped into my mind that sounded delicious. I hadn’t had them in quite some time, too.
As I started to heat the raw chicken with some olive oil in the pan, I turned on my radio, needing to hear some tunes and opened the windows to let in some fresh air. I loved to listen to music, especially when I cooked, cleaned, or exercised. It always rejuvenated me.
Expecting Kyle at any moment, I yelled, “Come on in!” at the sound of the knock on the front door, recalling it was unlocked.
Kyle walked into the kitchen just as I was in the middle of preparing the sauce and cheese for the enchiladas.
He wrapped me in a hug and kissed my cheek. “Those look good.”
“I thought so. How was your conference call?” I asked.
Kyle went over to the fruit on the counter and began chopping. My heart melted a little at how easily he just jumped in and helped out. I could tell he enjoyed doing things together, too.
“It went very well. It was much better than I had originally thought.”
He started to slice up the watermelon. He looked hot standing in my kitchen, chopping up fruit.
“That’s good.”
I placed the enchiladas in the oven and set the timer. I was notorious for burning food without a timer.
“I have to fly out in the morning, but I should be back by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.”
I hated that he was flying back and forth for me. It had to be expensive and tiring. I took a deep breath, thinking about the extra trouble I was causing him. “Okay.”
He turned to look at me and frowned, reading my uneasiness. When he did that, an adorable little crease formed between his eyebrows. “Lily, what’s wrong?”
I shrugged it off, not wanting to cause him any trouble or make it a bigger deal than it was. “Nothing.” I put on a smile. “Can you pass me that last can of enchilada sauce?”
He grabbed it, crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned his hip against the counter. Clearly, he was not going to give me the can until I clarified.
“Lily,” he said, his voice soft, “I can tell when something is bothering you. Your diversion technique won’t work with me. Tell me, please.”
My pulse kicked up a notch as I decided to be open with him. “It’s a lot to ask you to commute back and forth like this for me. It’s not like it’s an hour-long car drive. This is a plane trip across the country, and that’s expensive.” I sighed before continuing my little rant. “And I’m keeping you from your work, your family, and your life
.”
Kyle’s posture tensed, and he dropped the can on the counter. He pulled me in close, and he brushed his hand along my jaw. His thumb gently tilted my chin up until my gaze met with those brownish-green eyes.
Oh, how I could get lost in those eyes.
“This is where I want to be, Lily. I couldn’t leave after I first laid eyes on you, and I certainly can’t leave now. I know you feel it, too.” His eyes looked deeply into mine. “Traveling and money are of no concern, so I don’t want you to stress about that again,” he said, his tone firm.
I shifted on my feet, deciding not to argue since I had no solution anyway. I sighed in defeat. “Okay.”
“Hey,” he said, his voice soft, “we’ll figure it out together.”
His lips gently kissed my forehead, making me smile, and then he pulled away all too quickly.
“Now, please feed me, beautiful, before I starve.”
I laughed. “Right.”
We chatted here and there about our day while the enchiladas baked. I tried to wash as many dishes as I could, so there would be less to clean up after dinner. Kyle helped by drying them all.
Once dinner was ready, we enjoyed a quiet meal together before Kyle rose to start clearing the table. He had such gracious manners, and he always pitched in. I stood to help, but he shook his head.
“You cooked and already washed earlier, so I’ll clean up.”
I sat back in my chair and watched him as he rinsed the dishes in the sink. For only two people, cooking dinner sure made quite the mess. My eyes roamed over Kyle’s body, admiring his back muscles and the way he moved. As he put away dishes and wiped the counters, I noticed how his large physique made my kitchen look small. It was still a very new sight to see a man in my space, but what surprised me more was that it didn’t freak me out. On his second swipe of my counter, I chuckled, realizing that he was a compulsive clean-nut like me.
At hearing my laughter, he turned to face me. “What joke did I miss?”
“Oh, it’s nothing really. I’m just admiring your cleanliness. I like how you wiped my counters twice.”