Vote Then Read: Volume I

by Carly Phillips

  I carry on as the snow continues to fall around us until he interrupts, “I leave tomorrow.”

  The distraction of the snow surely caused me to mishear, so I ask, “What?”

  “I leave tomorrow, Reese. I signed the contract with the agency and they booked me on a job.”

  “Wow, that was fast.” My tone reflects my sudden concern, but I want to be positive for him, so I flip back to the awesomeness of this opportunity. “Where are you going?”

  “The Maldives.” Every answer from him is presented as if he’s testing the waters. It feels like there’s more to the story than I’m privy to, and I don’t like this sinking feeling in my gut.

  Then it dawns on me, and I can’t hide beyond a fake smile. “You have finals in less than two weeks. You can’t miss them or you’ll fail. How long will you be gone?”

  “Probably close to that, but I’ll study on the flights. The Maldives are a long way from Nebraska.”

  This is all so fast, so much out of the blue, and it continues to plague me. It’s what he wants. I just need to support him, but we’ve always been honest with each other. Considering the bad feeling spinning in my stomach, now should be no exception. “What does this mean?”

  “What does what mean?”

  “For us?” He’s so unaware of the attention he gets without trying. Even with me on his arm, I see the stares, the glares, and hear the murmurs. Women are ruthless when it comes to a man they want. Will I lose him when I don’t even know how to hold on to him?

  He grabs my hands and pulls me close. After a kiss on the forehead, he says, “You’re mine and I’ll always be yours. I love you, Reese. I’m in love with you. I’ll be back. It’s just eight days or so. I’ll be back for the tests, and for you. I’ll always come back to you.”

  His words, his voice, the sincerity in his eyes make me feel better, easing my mind and worries. Embracing again, this time feels more like a goodbye than just a short parting. When I shiver in his arms, he suggests, “Let’s get in the car and warm up.”

  A soft smile sneaks onto my cheeks. “I know how we can warm up.”

  “Great minds think alike, pretty.” The door is opened and I’m ushered into the back seat. Danny quickly hops in after and the door is shut just as fast. “It’s freezing tonight.”

  “But we got snow and I love when it snows.”

  He smiles while reaching forward and starting the car. Danny turns on the heat and sits back. Our eyes meet in the darkened car, our breaths coming in puffs of white, quickening as seconds speed past. I touch his cheek and lean my head forward until his lips touch my forehead. When he looks at me, I feel helpless against the desires he draws out in me. I close my eyes and fist his coat just as our lips come together.

  Within minutes, the windows are fogged. Coats, hats, gloves, and scarves have come off. Warm hands caress my body under the sweatshirt while our lips find comfort against each others. My fingers run along his neck and into his hair, keeping him close. He never feels close enough… not until our bodies are bonded again.

  My shirt comes off as does his. Despite winter in full flurry outside, inside the car our skin is heated, warmed by each other as we press together, sliding farther down into the seat. My breathing gets rougher as our need for each other grows. He pops the top button and zips down my jeans. The confined space adds to the challenge of our striptease, but we laugh, enjoying the fun in the moment. My legs are in the air as he tugs the jeans from my ankles. Hovering over me, as we get more comfortable, his head hits the window to help him balance as he removes his own jeans.

  He stays above me then lowers down, his mouth finding my shoulder while I scrape my nails lightly down his back. I love the feel of his body. I take his boxer shorts down lower while lifting for him so he can remove the remainder of what separates us. Bared to each other, the heat from our passion penetrates the cold air, warming us.

  His desire for me is felt, his body hard to my body’s soft. “I love you,” he whispers before lowering his mouth to my neck and adorning me with kisses as his body settles between my legs. “I want you. Always.”

  “I want you too. Always.” Squirming beneath him, I add, “Make love to me, Dann—” His lips capture my words and fill my body with small moans and whimpers when he pushes inside me, slowly, carefully, lovingly.

  His body stills, his breath halts, seeming to get stuck in his chest. I know him well. He does this every time we make love. Opening my eyes, I touch his face, cradling his jaw in my hands until he opens his eyes and sees me. “Breathe,” I gently remind him.

  A harsh breath is released along with the tension in his shoulders. He smiles, adjusts, then starts to move again, each roll of his hips hitting deep at this cramped angle, causing us both to moan. There’s not enough room to tilt back or forward, so I remain still, but spread my arms out to hold on to anything I can reach—the back of the driver’s seat and the back seat.

  It never takes us long to peak and collapse, our love and lust for each other is both emotional and physical. Although I know he must be uncomfortable, Danny stays on top of me for minutes longer just because he knows I like it.

  I stroke his back, not wanting to lose this, to lose him, and whisper, “I’m going to miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you, too.” We rearrange until we’re sitting upright again. He leans forward, resting his head against the seat. Though his hands are relaxed at his side, the position of his body reminds me of The Thinker, his muscles defined as if for only me in this moment.

  I hold my sweatshirt against my chest until he turns and looks at me. Reaching over, he lowers it. With anyone else, I’d feel embarrassed with them looking at me so unabashedly. But not with him. His expressive eyes don’t ogle, they caress, making me feel beautiful, making me hope he always looks at me like this. “Are you cold?”

  “No.”

  His voice lowers, befitting the mood inside the car. “Don’t hide yourself from me, not yet.”

  I gulp. “Okay.”

  Angling his body toward mine, he leans back. “Come here.” I fit between his legs, leaning my back against his chest. When he wraps his arms around me, he says, “You’ll always be home to me. No matter where we are in life, we will always find our way back to each other.”

  “Promise?”

  “Your heart has the map. You just have to follow it. It will lead you right back to me.” He kisses the back of my head and his arms tighten around me.

  Staring out the back of the window, even through the foggy glass, I see stars in the sky and smile. Despite the dark, I see the light. My heart will always belong to him. My faith is completely wrapped up in him. His faith in us is unwavering, his heart beating steadily like mine.

  When I turn my head, I close my eyes because even though the space is confined, emotionally I’ve never felt closer to this man.

  We rest, but then he rubs my arms. “We should go. It’s starting to snow harder.”

  “I like it here with you.”

  His chest rises and falls when he chuckles softly behind me. “I like it here with you, but I don’t want you to freeze.”

  “Good point.” Working my clothes on, I move to the front seat to give him more room to get dressed.

  Peeking back at him, I feel my love growing inside, my heart expanding for the man. Our love is the same in so many ways—passionate, loyal, honest. We’re also different in some ways. I’m a planner and ambitious where he’s more laid-back with a carpe diem attitude.

  I’ve always had to work hard for everything despite my looks. Not many people, especially men, have taken my determination for success seriously because I’m considered “pretty.” I’ve never been comfortable with that word to describe me, not until Danny. He says I’m pretty, but I see something more meaningful in his eyes. The word so simple to say, but packed with so much more than what the six letters represent. He makes me feel beautiful.

  While I sit in the front seat of the Jeep, the quiet of the outdoors—of the nig
ht between us—weighs me down. Things are happening. Changing. For him. For us. I told him they would sign him. I believed it. He’s gorgeous and personable. He’s the full package.

  Danny had run out of patience with the modeling industry a year ago. He had been at this since he was seventeen. It had paid for his school, his rent, and all of his expenses, but it wasn’t going where he had hoped. That was before he did a local catalog campaign that led to a meeting with a big-time agent who loved to discover “fresh faces.” Danny doubted it was only about his face considering almost every shot he took for the agency had him in his underwear. He wouldn’t argue though. The agent said he could get him work and he’s done just that. When I look back at him, I think about all the repercussions from the decision he’s made. I won’t voice them. This is his hard work paying off. He deserves all the success he finds. I just hope it’s as good as it sounds.

  She thinks I don’t see her. I do.

  When Reese moves to the front of the Jeep, my eyes are on her until she catches me. A small smile appears, but she looks away shyly as if I’ve never seen her naked, as if I’ve never been inside her. As if she’s not inside me, consuming my soul. I love her. More than she knows. I need to show her. I want her to feel how much she means to me.

  Her blue eyes pierce my heart when she glances back at me, her cheeks still flushed and heated though it’s freezing outside. Lowering my gaze to the jeans I’m fighting to get on in the cramped space, guilt takes over. I haven’t told her I’ll be spending the holiday break in Europe. Withholding information from her has made me feel like a liar. I’ll be on a plane headed for Asia tomorrow, and detouring to Europe on the way back to have fittings for Paris, London, and New York fashion week. I haven’t told her because I don’t want to break the promise I made her. She hasn’t said it but I know she wants a ring, a commitment I’m more than willing to give her because I want the same. But how can I? Christmas was going to be when I did it, but I won’t even be with her now.

  Maybe I can pop the question on New Year’s Eve?

  She asks, “You’re somewhere else. What are you thinking about?”

  I smile for her. “Just thinking about tomorrow. I need to go home and pack.”

  “Can I come over?” she asks, as if she doesn’t know the answer already.

  “Of course. You’re always welcome over.” She has the basics at my place, so I hop into the front seat and drive to my apartment.

  Thirty minutes later, she sits in the corner of my room at my desk, and sips coffee. A suitcase is open on the bed with a few items of clothing folded neatly inside. She’s much better at folding than I am. If it was up to me, I’d throw it in there and deal with it after I get to the final destination. I fold it, trying to follow the way she showed me. “You can stay here, you know.”

  “I am here.”

  “I mean when I’m not here. You can stay here.” Giving up, I drop the sweater into the case. “You don’t have any privacy at your dorm. Here, you’ll have the place to yourself.”

  She ponders my offer, and then says, “It would be good timing since I need to study for finals.”

  I’d feel better, less guilty, if I can give her something. I can’t give her peace of mind. She’s going to be worried about me. But peace and quiet from her noisy roommate, this I can give her. “See? It works out.”

  “Thanks.” Relaxed with her head leaning back, she swivels back and forth in the chair. Suddenly, she stops, sits straight up, and asks, “Why do I have a bad feeling in my gut?”

  I stop, our eyes meeting. Lying isn’t second nature but I’m not unfamiliar with a white lie either. But with Reese, I hate lying. I don’t do it. I trust her. She trusts me. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had to tell a white lie before. Like the time she wore those hideous leggings with the cats smoking pipes on them. But I love her enough to let her wear what makes her happy and those damn ugly leggings made her so happy, so I lied and told her she looked great.

  But this? Our future is being pulled right out from under us. Instead of feeling happy about the opportunity I’ve been given, I’m unsettled by what I’m sacrificing in the process.

  Walking around the mattress, I sit down on the edge and swivel her to face me. Leaning forward, I say, “This is good. All good. I’ll make some money and this job could lead to bigger jobs and more money. It could lead to amazing opportunities.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  The smile I save for only her covers my mouth and I take hold of her hands. “We’re going to be fine.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  4

  REESE - 11 YEARS EARLIER

  Ten days, five hours, and I check my watch. Thirty-three minutes. I should be working on the test in front of me, but I can’t wait to see Danny. He should be home any minute.

  It’s been torture with no viable out-of-country cell service and his phone card ran out of minutes on our last call, almost five days ago.

  The door slams open and I sit up, startled from the loud noise, but when I see Danny, I relax as if home has been found.

  Danny walks into the auditorium and stops to look up. When he sees me, he turns to the teaching assistant coming toward him and smirks. She nods and waves him on. He takes the steps by two and rushes down my row apologizing to everyone he bumps and bothers along the way.

  Sitting down next to me, his beautiful smile appears when I look up. “Danny,” I whisper, but I’m loud enough to get the attention of the test takers surrounding us. “You’re here.”

  A girl sitting on my left is loud in her demand, “Shhhh.”

  He cups my face and kisses me and all the lonely nights we spent apart fade away. When our lips part, clapping ensues, the auditorium of Communications 3.0 students hooting and hollering. Always the showman, Danny Weston never disappoints—me nor them. He stands up and takes a proud bow before kissing me again.

  The teaching assistant shushes everyone, but her smile remains. “You have thirty-five minutes left. I suggest you get back to the test.”

  Everyone settles down and he takes my hand to kiss it. “There’s more where that came from later.”

  “Hopefully not so public next time,” I tease.

  “I can’t make that promise. I do love to show off my girlfriend,” he whispers after getting a harsh glare from the girl on the other side of me again.

  I tap my pencil against the small desktop in front of him that has the exam waiting on it. “We only have thirty-five minutes.”

  He grabs the pencil I set before him and starts on the test. When I’m done, I leave quietly, giving him the last few minutes to finish up.

  Ten minutes later, the doors are pushed open and Danny walks out. He looks left, then right and when he sees me, he comes to me. It’s winter, but the sun is bright outside. His gaze slides down over my curves—in at the waist, rounder over the hips. He loves the dip and takes hold. An unspoken bond, an unshakeable connection binds us together.

  “Hey there, handsome. How’d you do?” I smile when I’m welcomed by his.

  “I finished. I think I did okay.”

  “Luckily you had an A going into the exam. I didn’t think you’d make it.”

  Danny takes my backpack and swings it onto his shoulder before taking my hand. We walk outside together, and he says, “I’d say I made it just in time.”

  I stop before we reach the corner of the building. Lifting up on my toes, I hug him, tucking my face into the base of his neck. “I missed you.”

  His warm embrace is what I missed. His sweet smile and the way he looks at me—it’s a look envied by others, one that I read about in romance novels, and one that often appears in my dreams. So to see it again today after two weeks, I feel the need, an urge to touch him, to attach myself to him in ways that could end in heartbreak if I’m not careful.

  We’ve been together for over a year, but these two weeks away has shaken our foundation. Unlike the short breaks prior when I went home
or he did for a weekend, this was the first extended time apart, the lack of communication every day during that time—the long distance, different time zones, and the unknown hasn’t helped. I’ve been studying day and night, attending classes, and been here in his apartment by myself while he is hanging out on the beach with scantily clad women doing who knows what. My imagination always gets the best of me if I let it.

  When we walk into his apartment, he asks, “Wanna go out tonight?”

  “I have two finals tomorrow. When are yours?”

  He sighs and drops my backpack just inside the door. “Tomorrow and Thursday. Then I’m done.”

  “Me too.” Rushing to the dining table I start gathering my papers and books together. Looking around at the apartment, I suddenly feel awkward. “I kind of made myself at home.”

  I follow him out of the corner of my eyes as he walks into the kitchen. “I’m glad. I like your stuff here.” When I walk into the small galley kitchen, I’m grabbed and pulled close. Brushing some hair away from my eyes, he asks, “What do you think about moving in here next semester?”

  Peppered kisses to my neck are used as persuasive weapons. He knows I’m weak to them, but I love the onslaught too much to stop him. Closing my eyes, I reply weakly, “I can’t.”

  “You can,” is whispered against my neck as he continues to kiss and suck, tugging my shirt collar to the side for more access to my bare skin.

  His magic is working, but unless I want to be a puddle of happy goo on the floor, I need to stop so we can talk. I push back gently. “You’re evil with your sweet kisses. You know how weak I am to them.”

  As he stalks toward me again, he grins. “I do.” I scurry out of the kitchen and straight into his trap—the bedroom. Standing on the other side of the bed opposite from him, he chased me in here, but stops with the mattress between us. “I missed you a lot.”