The Eastwood Series

by M. E. Clayton

  I thought back to all those times I’ve been on date with other guys, and how it never felt right being with them. I thought back to the two other guys I’ve slept with, and how I held back so much, that they had felt it, too. I thought about how my life has never really moved forward emotionally because I had given my heart to Alistair Brown at the tender age of fourteen and knew I’d never get it back. I knew whoever eventually made the cut, he’d be runner-up always. I knew, without Alistair, I’d have to settle for a comfortable love instead of the love of a lifetime.

  His next question surprised me “Do you have a boyfriend, Rory?”

  I shook my head. “No,” I answered.

  Alistair’s stare was penetrating. “No?”

  I shook my head again. “No. I don’t have a boyfriend. Haven’t had one for some time, actually.”

  “And you still love me?” I bristle at little at the question because I’d made that pretty clear with my earlier declaration, and he’s yet to share his feelings about me.

  Couldn’t he see how nerve-wracking this was for me?

  I answered, regardless. “And I still love you.”

  “Thank fuck,” he rushed out as his hands slid into my hair. “Because I’ve never stopped loving you, Rory. Not for a single fucking second of my godforsaken life.”

  Before my mind could even absorb the impact of his words, his lips crashed down on mine, and I was fourteen all over again.

  Chapter 6

  Alistair~

  Rory didn’t have a boyfriend, and she was still in love with me.

  Rory. Didn’t. Have. A. Boyfriend. And. She. Was. Still. In. Love. With. Me.

  And her lips tasted just as I remembered.

  I didn’t care who came after me. I didn’t even care if she half-ass cared about them. All I cared about was that she didn’t have a boyfriend, and she still loved me.

  “Rory,” I groaned as I ripped my lips from hers.

  Her hands were fisted in my shirt, and she sounded breathless as fuck as she moaned my name. “Alistair…”

  My forehead dropped on hers. “Rory, I love you,” I told her. “I’ve always loved you, and I’m going to always love you.” It was the truth. “I…” Fuck. There were so many things I wanted to tell her, but my heart was threatening to beat out of my chest with all the possibilities Rory had just laid at my feet.

  “Alistair, what does this mean?”

  My fists tightened I her hair. “It means that you’re mine again,” I said, not bothering to ask her. This girl got away from me once before, there was no way I was letting her get away again. Even if she had come with a boyfriend, I’m not sure I wouldn’t have challenged him for her.

  Rory Simmons had been it for me when I was just fourteen, and she’s it for me now.

  “Tell me that’s what you want, Rory?” I begged because I was not above begging this girl. I’ve lived a life with her in it, and I’ve lived a life without her in it, and there’s no way I’d ever go back to my life without her if possible. “Tell me you want this.”

  Her grey eyes looked like liquid mercury as tears glistened in them. “You…you can’t be playing with me, Alistair,” she sobbed desperately. “You can’t be…this can’t be a joke. I…I won’t survive losing you a second time.” Her vulnerability and fragile honesty tore at my heart.

  How could she possibly think this wasn’t real, or that I’d play such a horrible joke on her.

  I loved this girl.

  I straightened to my full height and looked down at this girl who owned my soul. “Rory, I will fucking marry you tomorrow if you’ll say yes,” I replied. “I don’t care that it’s been four years. I don’t care if you no longer drink sodas, or have taken up hang gliding, or no longer have the favorite color green, or that you might sacrifice baby goats by the full fucking moon every three months.” The tears were really falling down her beautiful face now. “I don’t care that I have to learn who you are all over again. All I care about is how seeing you again earlier had nearly dropped me to my knees. All I care about is how my heart felt like it was being ripped open when you seemed less than thrilled to finally see me again after all these years. And, Rory, if you feel even an ounce of what I’m feeling right now, then I care about that more than everything else combined.”

  She gave me a tearful nod. “I…I feel it, Alistair,” she cried. “I’ve always felt it. Not a day went by that I didn’t.”

  I didn’t want to break the spell, but I needed this girl to understand where I was coming from and where I expected to go with her. I needed her to know what I was feeling, being with her again. I wanted to make sure Rory had no doubts.

  “And, Rory, I don’t ever want to hear another word about circles under your eyes, your ponytail, or your weight,” I told her. “I promise you, you’re the only person in this relationship who is going to care about those things.”

  She let out a choked laugh. “Relationship, huh?”

  “Do you know what it feels like to have someone you love, more than life, be ripped away from you with no choice but to watch it happen?” Rory let out a sob. “Do you know what it’s like to live in a shell of misery for over a year because your soul has withered away to nothing? Do you know what it’s like to barely live with superficial connections because you. Just. Don’t. Know. How. To. Move. On?”

  “Alistair…”

  “Because if you do, if you know what it feels like to lose a piece of yourself like that, then you know that only an insane person would put themselves through that again.” I bent at the knees so we could be eye-to-eye. “Rory, I know I only found you again a few hours ago, but I’m not letting you go again.” I could feel the desperation in my voice. “I can’t, baby. Do you get that? I can’t. I refuse to be feel hollow for the rest of my life when I don’t have to.” She didn’t say anything. Instead, she threw her arms around me and our lips met in a punishing kiss. I gathered her in my arms, and as soon as her legs wrapped around my waist, I broke off the kiss and asked, “Where’s your bedroom, baby?”

  “First door on the left of the hallway,” she murmured against my lips.

  I carried her, kissing her all the way, to the first door on the left. Rory let go of my neck long enough to reach back and open the door. Once we cross the threshold, I kicked the door closed with my foot.

  Careful not to drop her, I laid Rory on the bed as I came down with her. Having her beneath me, even if we were fully clothed, felt like coming home. It felt like I didn’t belong anywhere else.

  I stared down at her and didn’t know how I was going to thank The Lord for bringing her back into my life. Some people were capable of finding the silver lining in every situation, and some could even turn a tragedy into a blessing. But I’d have to say, Rory being taken from me, only to find her again, had to be a lesson in gratitude. There was no way I’d ever take this girl, and her presence in my life, for granted ever again. That had to be the life lesson being taught to me. Life showed me what it was like to be with her and what it was like to be without her. And the being without her was something I’d never forget.

  “You still haven’t answered me, Rory,” I pointed out. “You still haven’t told me you want this. You still haven’t told me what I need to hear from you, baby.”

  Her hands reached up to cup my face as I covered her body, braced on my elbows. “Of course, I want this,” she finally said. “I…as soon as I saw you, it felt…it had felt intimidating and scary. But it had also felt as if I was whole again.” Her eyes watered again. “I had told myself that if you were taken or no longer loved me, there was no way I’d be able to be your friend again. The entire time you were helping Millie with her bags, I prayed you hadn’t come over to ask me to be friends again. It would have torn me apart.”

  Well, since we’re being honest…

  “I drove back to the diner when I thought it’d be close to your quitting time and followed you back to your dorm,” I confessed, and her eyes widened. “It was so hard to watch you walk
, even if it was only a couple of blocks, but I held back until I saw you come in here.” I knew my confession was painting me as unstable as fuck, but I didn’t care. “I lucked out when someone was walking out, and I was able to snag the open door.”

  “How did you know which room was mine?”

  I grinned sheepishly. “I pretended like I was late picking you up and asked some random girl in the hallway if she knew you and which room was yours.”

  “This is crazy,” she breathed out. “It’s…Alistair, is this real? Are you really here with me?”

  “This is as real as it gets, Rory,” I assured her. “It might be crazy, but it’s real.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  I gave her a tender smile. “Okay.”

  I wanted to devour her.

  I wanted to consume her.

  I wanted to absorb her.

  While I was assuring her this wasn’t a dream, I was still trying to stop from pinching myself to make sure this wasn’t a dream. She wasn’t the only one with fear that this reacquainted love could vanish again.

  “Tell me everything I need to know, Rory,” I demanded.

  “I’m on birth control, and…it’s been over a year,” she replied, knowing exactly what I was asking. And even though it hurt to hear the inevitable truth, I hadn’t been a saint myself.

  “It’s been about ten months, or so,” I told her truthfully. “I’ve always worn protection, but…maybe we should get physicals soon.”

  Rory gave me a curt nod. “I’ve always used condoms, too, but…a physical is a good idea.”

  “I want it all with you, Rory,” I continued. “I don’t want…” Regret was creeping in. “There never should have been anyone else, dammit,” I bit out. “It was supposed to be you only.”

  Her eyes looked wrecked as she understood what I meant. “I know,” she choked out. “I know.”

  But we were adults now. We were in control of our lives. We controlled what would happen with this relationship. We were no longer at the mercy of anyone else.

  “But from this moment on, there will only be you,” I vowed.

  “Only you,” she agreed.

  Chapter 7

  Rory~

  We were doing this.

  We were picking up right from where we left off, emotions and all. As painful as the past four years have been, they were quickly fading away with every second Alistair was here with me.

  I hated ‘the talk’ just as much as he did, but it was necessary. Life had gone on regardless of our mutual heartbreak, and that was just fact. Life always went on, and social and biological needs needed to be met to function normally.

  But that wasn’t us anymore.

  I reached down and grabbed the hem of Alistair’s shirt. “I can’t wait anymore, Alistair. I need you.”

  He quickly rolled off me, and there was nothing romantic about how we threw off our clothes. There was no sweet workup where he undressed me slowly or I perused him hungrily. There was no uncontrollable passion where we ripped each other’s clothes off with buttons and shredded clothing scattered all around us.

  This was pure desperation.

  His shoes were kicked across the room, socks and pants tossed about. Shirts landed on the floor inside out. And there wasn’t even the sexy unveiling of our most intimate privacy. I threw my panties aside as soon as they cleared my ankles, and Alistair’s boxers were lost somewhere on the bed.

  When he rolled back over me, I opened my legs as wide as they would go and welcomed him. This moment was one I’d never thought I’d find myself in again, and we really should have taken the time to savor it, but there’d be time for that later. If this was real, if this was our new reality, then we had forever to romance each other. We had a lifetime to get it right later.

  “Alistair…” I moaned, the heat from his body warming every part of me. “Please…”

  Braced on one elbow, he reached down and hooked my knee over his elbow. “I don’t…I…”

  “I don’t care,” I cried, not caring about whatever reservations he had. “I just want you, Alistair. Please.”

  I felt the crown of his cock nudging at my entrance. I waited with bated breath, but he froze above me. “Shit,” he hissed out. “Condom.” His head started whipping about. “Where are my goddamn pants?”

  “Alistair…” I mewled, not ashamed of my wanton desperation at all.

  He looked down at me, and his electric blue eyes were on fire. “Fuck it,” he bit out right before plunging his hard heat into my body.

  My body arched in the uncomfortable sting of his invasion. “Oh, God.”

  “Oh, fuck,” he groaned above me. “Fuck, Rory.”

  “Alistair,” I begged as he hooked my leg higher, opening me as wide for his thrusts as possible.

  “Only you, only you, only you,” he chanted. “Only you feel this good.”

  “Please, Alistair,” I cried out. “More…”

  His thrusts became harder and deeper. The headboard rocked against the wall, but I didn’t care. I’ll apologize later to my neighbors later if I have to. Right now, all that mattered was how full and complete I felt with Alistair reclaiming what’s been his all along.

  My fingers dug into his back, and my body was drowning in too many emotions to name. I let him drive into me over, and over again, taking the assault with no regard to how sore I’ll be in the morning. Every ache tomorrow would be worth it.

  Our bodies were quickly shinning with perspiration and I welcomed all the signs of exertion. The sounds of our panting, the smell of sex, the slickness of our sweat…it all painted the perfect picture of our coming together. And as irresponsible as the lack of the condom was, I couldn’t bring myself to worry about it. I trusted Alistair. I knew he wouldn’t have entered me if he suspected he could harm me in some way. And I’d never lie to him about something so serious.

  “Harder,” I begged. I wanted to be out of my mind with pleasure. I wanted to feel.

  “Yeah?” he grunted. “You want to be fucked harder?”

  “Yes,” I cried out. “I want it all.”

  “You want to be fucked with every inch?” he asked darkly. “You need it rough, baby?”

  “Yes,” I moaned. “Romance me later.”

  “My pleasure,” he growled, and his pelvis started crashing into me so hard, Alistair had to grab my shoulder to anchor my body to his. The impact was becoming painful, but the pleasure was starting to build to achievement.

  “Oh, God…” I rushed out. “I’m…oh, God, Alistair.”

  “You cumming, baby?” he asked, his voice near my left ear. “Are you getting ready to cum on my cock?”

  “Yes…oh, God, yes…”

  Alistair was snarling in my ear as my fingers dug deeper into his back. His grunts were positively animalistic, and I was soaking in arousal with it. There was nothing like having the power to make a man lose control. Knowing a man was so crazed for you, he couldn’t control himself, was the biggest aphrodisiac there was.

  All women wanted to be worshipped.

  “Alistair, please…”

  “Cum on my cock, baby,” he commanded. “I want to feel your pussy tighten around me, and never let me go.”

  I wanted that, too.

  I wanted forever.

  I wanted what he was promising me.

  “I’m cumming,” I warned. “Oh, God…I’m cumming.” Pleasure shot out in a heated starburst throughout my entire body, hitting every nerve and making me go blind with ecstasy. My body shook and trembled and vibrated with pure unadulterated euphoria. I was so lost in my fog of bliss, I hadn’t even noticed when Alistair locked up and poured himself inside of me.

  I was still floating under the high of my release when Alistair pulled out and rolled over next to me. He gathered me in his arms, and I didn’t care that we were both a sweaty mess. I laid my head on his chest, the pants of his breath rocking me softly.

  “I’m sorry about the condom,” he said between breaths. “I…I�
�d never hurt you, though.”

  “I know,” I whispered. “I trust you, Alistair. I know you’d never hurt me.”

  “We can still get those physicals, though.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t need it,” I told him. “I…nothing about this is wrong. Fate can’t be that cruel.”

  His arm tightened around me. “I’m also sorry about…” He chuckled. “I promise more…uh, finesse next time.”

  I barked out a laugh. “I appreciate the thought, but…I’m not sure I would have had the patience for that kind of attention. I needed you more than I wanted you, Alistair, if that makes sense.”

  “It makes perfect sense,” he replied.

  We laid in each other’s arms, basking in the afterglow. I was on the verge of falling asleep when he asked, “Do you work all weekend?”

  “I work tomorrow, same shift, but I have Monday and Tuesday off.”

  “Would it be too much of a hardship to take the entire week off?”

  I shifted closer to him. “Normally, it would be. However, since it’s spring break and so slow, there are other servers who would jump at the chance for my shift hours.”

  “What would you say to going home to Eastwood with me?”

  My heart had just begun to steady from the sex, but now it was started to beat hard again. “Go home with you?”

  “Yeah,” he replied, tugging me closer again. “I promised my parents and everyone I was coming home.” Before I could answer, he quickly added, “But I’ll be more than happy to stay here with you if you can’t get the time off. I can visit in a couple of months when school’s out.”

  “Who’s everyone?”

  He let out a happy chuckle. “Well, I’m sure you remember Amelia, right?”

  I nodded against his chest. “Of course. She was your best friend.”

  “She still is,” he confirmed. “Well, she started dating Ford Abrams last year.”