When he pulls away, I’m breathless. My entire body trembles with need for him.
“Cara,” he says, his voice rough with emotion. “Can I keep you?”
I sob at the use of the words from Casper, the film I made him watch over and over again when we were younger.
“Yes,” I sob. The pain from the last few months drains from me, replaced by anticipation for what’s to come.
His fingers grasp the bottom of my t-shirt and it’s roughly pulled up and over my head before being thrown behind him.
“Fucking hell, I’ve missed you,” he whispers as his eyes drop to my breasts. With his fingers in my hair, he pulls my head up so he has clear access to my neck. He kisses, licks, and sucks a trail down until he’s kissing along the edge of my lace bra. “You taste so fucking good.”
I’m so lost to the feeling of his lips on me once again that I don’t realise he’s undone my bra until he’s peeling it away from my breasts and sucking one of my nipples into his mouth. I groan, the sensation causing heat to pool between my legs.
“Holy shite, Nate.”
He drops lower and kisses across my stomach before making quick work of the button on my skirt, pulling it, my fishnets and my knickers down my legs.
Sitting back on his haunches, he gazes up the length of me slowly. It’s as if he’s committing the contours of my body to memory.
“I never thought I’d see this again. I really thought the next time we saw each other you’d run in the opposite direction.”
“I probably should be,” I admit breathlessly.
“I can’t deny that’s true. But I swear to you, Cara. This. Is. It. It’s me and you, baby. Forever.”
Dropping my hands to his rough cheeks, I encourage him to stand back up. If I don’t do something, I’m going to end up stood here a sobbing mess.
The second his lips find mine, I’m lifted from the floor. I wrap my legs around his waist, and the roughness of his jeans pressing against me sends another shot of lust coursing through my body.
After dropping me onto the bed, he wastes no time reaching behind his head and pulling his t-shirt from his body.
My chin drops. I take in all the new muscles and defined lines that weren’t there before. “Holy shite.”
“I needed a distraction. I used the gym.”
“It looks good on you.”
I watch the fabric of his jeans fall to the floor. After toeing off his shoes, his boxers soon follow.
My mouth waters, and my stomach clenches.
His gaze burns into my skin as he runs his eyes over every bare inch of me, and I do the same to him. It may have only been four months, but I feel like I need to get to know him all over again. This is a whole new start for us. It’s been years since Nate has been so open about his feelings for me, let alone admitting he loves me.
“Say it again,” I whisper.
His eyes find mine again. “Say wh—oh.” I see the second he registers what I mean, and his eyes flash with awareness. His lips twitch up into a sexy little smirk.
Crawling over me, so I have no choice but to lie back, he stares down. His light blue eyes sparkle with excitement and adoration.
“I love you. I’ve always loved you, and I will always love you.” My heart swells as he teases his lips against mine, this time allowing me a few seconds in case I feel the need to say it back.
And I do. “I love you, too.”
His hand cups the back of my head and he tilts it so I’m just at the right angle for his tongue to sweep into my mouth. He kisses me until we’re both panting. My hips grind against him in an attempt to dull the ache he kick-started when he first looked at me this evening.
“I’m going to prove it to you. I fucking swear I will.”
“I know…I know,” I whisper, lost in the kisses he trails down my stomach. I finish on a gasp as he blows across my sensitive skin. My back arches and I fist the sheets beneath me to stop myself from forcing his mouth where I need it to go.
“I need you to know, I’ve not been with anyone else.” He glances up at me, letting me see the truth in his eyes. “The minute I walked away, I knew I did the wrong thing.”
“Why didn’t you turn around? You know exactly where I’ve been, Nate. Why didn’t you come and tell me?”
“Cara,” he whispers, the regret thick in his tone. Crawling back up to meet my eyes again, he takes a deep breath. “I’m aware of how badly I’ve treated you. I don’t deserve you. You deserve everything you’ve ever dreamed of, the declarations of love, the big white wedding and the happily-ever-after. All I’ve done is give you the opposite. I told myself it was in your best interest that I allow you the chance to find that.”
“And now?”
“And now, fate’s brought us back together. I’m done making mistakes and fearing the life I so desperately want with you.”
I raise an eyebrow. Now he’s opening up, and I want to hear all of it. “I want you. I want you any way you’ll have me. And if that means I need to get on one knee, then I will.”
“Nate, I’ve told you over and over again I don’t need that. I just need you.”
“Good. Now let me show you just how much I need you, too.”
He descends my body once again, but he doesn’t waste time with conversation this time. Instead, he parts me and sucks hard on my clit while I pant his name.
Our relationship may have been very on and off over the years, but we’ve been together enough times for us to know every inch of each other’s bodies. We know exactly what drives the other crazy.
Nate slides two fingers deep inside me and bends them to hit the perfect spot.
“I want to hear you scream my name. Let everyone know who you belong to.”
Two more strokes of his fingers and I do exactly as he demands. Thank fuck this place is empty because I’m certain most of the floor would hear me as Nate pushes me over the edge.
I’ve barely come down from my high when he’s up and pushing inside me. I moan with the equally alien, yet familiar, sensation of him filling me. In one sense, the last four months have dragged by, but at the same time it feels like only yesterday we last felt each other’s touch.
Like he’s trying to reassure me that everything he’s told me is true, his eyes stay locked on mine the entire time he moves slowly inside me. In the past, when we’ve reconnected after some time apart, it’s always been fast and explosive. This time is very different. Yes, it’s still explosive, or at least what’s building will be. But there’s more to it. I feel all the words he’s said to me tonight and I know he means every single one of them.
“Did you know I was going to be at the concert tonight?” I ask later, wrapped in each other’s arms after our second round of reacquainting ourselves with each other.
“Nope, no idea. I only found out at the last minute I was coming. It was a nice surprise.”
“That you got tickets, or that you found me there?”
“Both. More the latter, though.” His eyes twinkle with delight and my stomach flutters as I’m once again reminded of all the reasons he’s been the only man who’s ever captivated me. “How’d you get tickets?”
“Blake. His cousin’s the band’s manager.”
“He has connections and he didn’t think to tell me about it? I’m going to be having words with my best mate.”
“It all worked out well in the end, don’t you think?”
“Hmm…” he mumbles, nuzzling my neck. “Better than well.” His hand skims down my stomach, and when he finds me ready and raring to go again, he slides his skilled fingers inside me, all the while muttering how lucky he truly is.
“Hey, babe. Sorry I’m late. My client—what’s wrong?” I ask the second I step foot into our living room and see the panicked look on Nate’s face.
I’ve lived in this house alone for the past few years since my previous housemate fell in love and ran off to get married and have babies, but the second we got back from Dublin a month ago Nate decided
to move himself in. He told me he wanted to show me how serious he was about us. So far, he’s doing an outstanding job.
He’s given me everything I ever wanted. He’s here when I wake in the morning, and his face is the last thing I see before I drift off to sleep at night.
I’ve not once questioned my decision that night to run off with him once again. He’s given me no reason to.
But, right now, I’ve got a familiar feeling sitting heavy in my stomach that it’s all about to come crashing down around my feet.
“Nothing’s wr—” A weird noise coming from the kitchen cuts off what he was about to say. “Shit.”
“Nate, what’s going on?”
“I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“Oh?”
“I’m trying so hard to prove to you I’m worthy of you.”
When I go to say something, he presses two fingers against my lips to shut me up. Once he’s happy I’m not going to attempt to speak again, he takes my hand and pulls me towards the source of the noise.
Sitting in the middle of the kitchen is what looks like a huge crate with a bedsheet thrown over it. My heart begins to race as I put that together with the noises I’ve been hearing.
“I thought it was time for us to make a commitment together. So…say hello to Patch.”
My hand flies up to cover my gaping mouth as Nate pulls the sheet away to reveal the cutest Dalmatian puppy I’ve ever seen. “Oh my God, Nate!”
Dropping to my knees, I watch, totally smitten, as he opens the door and lifts the puppy into his arms.
“I know you’ve always wanted one and I thought it was the perfect time. Patch, meet your mummy.”
“Oh my God.” I sob as he passes the little bundle of black and white fur to me. Patch stares at me with the biggest and soppiest of puppy dog eyes, and I fall in love instantly.
Nate’s right. I have wanted a Dalmatian puppy forever. My parents wouldn’t ever let me. I always thought I’d get one the second I had my own place, but it soon became obvious I didn’t have enough time to give a dog everything it would need.
I look up at Nate through the tears filling my eyes and my lips tremble with happiness as he smiles back at me. “You think we’re ready to be parents?”
“I think this will be great practice.” His eyes widen slightly at my suggestion of kids, but unlike all the previous times a future together has been mentioned in the past, I know he’s only joking.
I have no doubt he’s in this with me one hundred percent now, and I couldn’t be happier. Maybe one day I’ll get the wedding I dreamed of as a kid when we first got together, but quite frankly, as long as he’s by my side, that’s all that really matters.
***
Go back to where it all began and meet Addison and Blake in my Ruined Series.
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I always planned on writing stories for some of the secondary characters in my Ruined Trilogy, so when the idea of St. Patrick’s Day shorts came up, I knew immediately what, or who, I wanted to write about. It’s been awesome revisiting these guys, even if it was briefly, and it felt good to give Cara and Nate their very own happily ever after.
I have so much fun writing these shorts. They’re such a breath of fresh air in between the heavier stuff that’s been filling my mind recently with my other stories. And, of course, I have the best author friends working alongside me to bring these collaborations to life.
Thank you once again to Michelle for squeezing me in and getting this edited for me before jetting off on a holiday, and to my betas for reading Forever Ruined within minutes of me sending it out and being just as excited to revisit some old friends as I was. And, of course, a HUGE thanks to my author besties for making these fun little projects possible.
Ireland Forever Links
Baby Spice Forever by Frankie Love http://smarturl.it/BabySpiceForever
Forever At Last by Rebecca Norrine http://smarturl.it/ForeverAtLast
Forever Dublin by Olivia Hawthorne http://smarturl.it/ForeverDublin19
Forever His Baby by Kim Loraine http://smarturl.it/ForeverHisBaby19
Forever His Girl by Alexx Andria http://smarturl.it/ForeverHisGirl
Forever Kissed by Dori Lavelle http://smarturl.it/ForeverKissed
Forever Mine by Laney Powell http://smarturl.it/ForeverMine19
Forever My Love my Fiona Starr http://smarturl.it/ForeverMyLove
Forever Ruined by Tracy Lorraine http://smarturl.it/ForeverRuined
Forever Tied by Derek Masters http://smarturl.it/ForeverTied
Forever Together by Angel Devlin http://smarturl.it/ForeverTogether19
Forever True by Rebecca Gallo http://smarturl.it/ForeverTrue
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Tracy Lorraine is a M/F and M/M contemporary romance author. Tracy has just turned thirty and lives in a cute Cotswold village in England with her husband, baby girl and lovable but slightly crazy dog. Having always been a bookaholic with her head stuck in her Kindle, Tracy decided to try her hand at a story idea she dreamt up and hasn’t looked back since.
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Falling Series
Falling for Ryan: Part One #1
Falling for Ryan: Part Two #2
Falling for Jax #3
Falling for Daniel (An Falling Series Novella)
Falling for Ruben #4
Falling for Fin #5
Falling for Lucas #6
Falling for Caleb #7
Falling for Declan #8
Falling For Liam #9
Chasing Series
Chasing Logan
Ruined Series
Ruined Plans #1
Ruined by Lies #2
Ruined Promises #3
Never Forget Series
Never Forget Him #1
Never Forget Us #2
Everywhere & Nowhere #3
The Cocktail Girls
His Manhattan
Her Kensington
The Halloween Honeys
His Sorority Sweetheart
Second Helpings
Cheeky Trifle
Santa’s Coming
Santa’s Naughty Elf
Resolution Pact
Resolution: Exposure
Matchmaker
Dear All Star Player
Forever Ruined (An Ireland Forever Short Story) Page 2
