5 Years Later_a second chance romance novel

by London Casey

  “Anything, my flower,” I whispered.

  “Promise me that if anything is happening, you’ll tell me. I don’t want to lose you again. No matter what it means. I like my life better when you’re in it.”

  “I’m here right now,” I said. I eased my right hand around her body. My fingers sliding under her shirt, feeling warm, smooth skin. “Right here. Right now.”

  I brought my lips to her neck. I kissed.

  Her left hand shot up and she grabbed my hair. Her fingers pulled and twisted. She turned her head toward me and we kissed.

  The second our lips locked, I knew it was on again.

  That passion. Those old demons. That wildfire that started burning such a long time ago. But this time, Lily was right. There was no more bullshit. No more fucked-up games. We had been stripped to nothing enough times that there was no longer a fear of exposing ourselves. I wasn’t afraid to admit I needed her. I wasn’t afraid to admit that when the pieces crumbled she was the one who popped into my mind.

  Shit, I never trusted a person the way I trusted her.

  Our kissing grew hotter as it grew faster. Slow kisses. Deep kisses. Our tongues wrestling. Our breathing heavy. When we pulled away, the pop sound echoed in the kitchen and then we went right back at it.

  Finally, I turned her around without breaking the kiss. My hands slid down to her ass and I lifted her up. The first thing in my sight was the dining room table. So that’s where I took her. I sat her down and grabbed for her shirt. I had it off in seconds. My fingers twisted at the clasp of her bra. My needs were mounting and Lily really had no idea how long it had been for me. In some fucked-up way I had been waiting for her. Only for her. The only one who could make me feel right, make the world seem normal.

  My hands gently touched her shoulders and moved down. I broke the kiss and rested my forehead against hers. I looked down just as my fingers touched her breasts. My middle fingertips touched her nipples. They reacted, her body shivering for a moment, her nipples hardening. I cupped my hands under her breasts.

  “Fuck, sweetheart, so fucking perfect,” I whispered with a slight growl in my throat.

  I skipped her lips this time and went for her chest. I kissed downward until I settled at her left breast. My tongue quickly made work as I swirled my tongue in circles around her nipples, her hand going to the back of my head, pulling at me.

  She let out a little groan. A helpless kind of sound.

  I pulled away with a little nibble of my teeth, tugging hard enough at her nipple to get a reaction but not to hurt her.

  I backed away from the table as she lowered down to her elbows. She stuck her chest out, her breasts beautifully shaped.

  I grabbed my own shirt and took it off. Then I pounced at her. My hands around her bare back, my chest against hers. Her elbows flew back, knocking over the beer bottles. They hit the table, rolled, and fell off. A second later there was the smell of spilled beer.

  Lily grabbed for my shoulders, nails sinking into my skin. She pulled herself up, kissing at me harder, giving me the notion that she wanted to take some kind of control. I moved my right hand to the small of her back and I pulled her tight against me again. I lifted and started to walk, knowing one of the doors would be a bedroom door.

  When I got her to the bedroom, I put her on the bed and moved right down her body. I gave her no chance at anything else but to grab the sheets and get ready for me. As I kissed her soft and sweet belly I pulled at her PJ bottoms and her panties. She wiggled her hips, letting me strip her the rest of the way naked. The second my lips touched her bare mound, I was done for. My cock pulsed as it pressed against my jeans. I was rock hard, throbbing so hard it was almost fucking painful.

  My hands ran down her legs and then back up. I moved to the insides of her thighs and opened her legs. Her sweet flower blossomed right before me, her delicate wetness glistening, her sweet desire attacking my nose, making me growl.

  I looked up and saw the woman looking down at me.

  The only woman. My woman. My perfect fucking woman.

  She wasn’t always a woman and I had been gifted the chance to watch her become one.

  She slowly put her head back and groaned, her body gently thrusting, wanting me.

  I first planted a soft kiss against her wet folds. That made Lily jump a little. My hands took a firm grip at her inner thighs as my tongue came forward, demanding I taste her. And that I did. With the tip of my tongue, cutting top to bottom, slowing rising back up, curling my tongue against her clit, flicking just enough to make her buck her hips at me.

  I kissed her again and then put my mouth over her, sucking all the sweetness from her flower. My tongue raced in all directions, demanding more of her. I had a thirst that could never be quenched, but it was worth trying. Fuck, I’d spend the rest of my life trying.

  I sampled just enough to remember her and then I trailed a line of kisses up her body. From her sweet sex up to her belly button. I flicked my tongue, tickling her, making her giggle and groan at the same time. At her right breast, I paused, kissing, taking her into my mouth, my tongue treating her nipple the same way I treated her clit. I moved up to her neck and finally pulled away.

  Then I stood at the side of the bed, staring down at Lily.

  Everything was still moving so fast. Time. Life. Romance. Lust.

  She quickly sat up and grabbed at my jeans. She opened them, pulled them down, her hand cupping against my boxers and my thickness. As I felt her hands pull my boxers down, exposing my hard cock, I grunted under my breath.

  I felt her hand grab me, skin on skin, tugging at my shaft, her thumb quickly rolling over the head of my cock. Her thumb ran down the bottom of my shaft, then right back up. I felt myself thrust, the urge to let go already teasing at me.

  Lily eased her hand down to my heavy root and came forward.

  Her lips brushed against the tip of my cock. She kissed gently and then opened her mouth. I felt the swell of her hot breath against me a second before I was inside her mouth. I sucked in a breath as her lips moved beyond the sensitive tip of my cock, going down on my hard shaft. Her hand came up, meeting her lips. She paused right there, forcing her tongue to move, making me ball my hands into fists as I just wanted to come inside her mouth.

  “Fuck, sweetheart,” I growled. “Fuck…”

  Lily pulled back super slowly and then away with a wet pop sound. Her hand came up to the head of my cock and then right back down, using her own spit to make it easier.

  I bent down and grabbed her waist, pulling her to the edge of the bed. She fell back on the bed with a little cry and I quickly lowered down. The tip of my cock slid against her burning wetness and I thrust forward, entering her.

  She let out a breath and arched her back as I plunged deep into her core. I ran my left hand up her body, cupping her breast. My right hand kept tight at her hip, holding her where I wanted her. I pulled back and thrusted forward again, going deeper. I repeated the same motion again and again until I had all of her, feeling her pussy sheathing my cock with an impossible tightness. I had to battle through it and that was a battle worth fighting.

  The harder I fucked her, the louder she groaned.

  I lowered my body down to hers, sliding my hand from her breast up to her neck and then her jaw. I grabbed her, pulling her close so she was looking at me. She put her hand to mine, her eyes wide. I moved my other hand from her hip to the bed, getting a good grip so I could fuck her harder.

  I kissed her.

  Her ankles wrapped around my legs and we were officially tangled up tight. Thrusting, groaning, fucking, grunting, breathing, kissing, our hot breaths colliding as hard as our tongues and as hard as my cock against her sweet core. The bed thumped against the wall as I fucked harder.

  I was losing myself to her, knowing it had been five years since I last enjoyed her beautiful body and knowing that as fast as she was in my life she could be right back out of it.

  Her hands found comfort at my back, digging
into my muscle, scratching as I brought her to orgasm. When she came, she grabbed my ass and I held steady, deep inside her, pumping, feeling her pulsing against me.

  She kissed me and then bit my bottom lip, holding tight as she groaned over and over, eyes shut.

  I grinned without her seeing.

  It was the hottest sex of my life. The greatest sex of my life. And nothing could ever replace it or replicate it. We had explored each other’s bodies for so long there were no surprises and we both knew what we liked.

  When I finished her off, I lifted her up and moved all the way onto the bed. I then rolled to my back and put her on top of me. She grabbed for the headboard, leaned forward, and started to ride me. My hands cupped her breasts, her hair dangling down. I dug my ankles into the bed and thrusted as hard as she did.

  Each time my cock slammed inside her, she let out a noise.

  I wanted to fuck her all night but my body had other plans.

  With a mere few seconds to spare, I grabbed at the back of her neck and pulled her down to me.

  I wanted her body against mine as I came.

  Chapter 19

  (Is That…?)

  PRESENT DAY

  (LILY)

  I rolled over and opened my eyes. I smiled as I inhaled the smell of coffee and something sweet. I climbed out of my bed and put on a heavy robe that wasn’t mine. My eyes were half shut as I ran a hand through my messy morning hair and walked to the kitchen.

  I could never get used to Aiden cooking for me each morning. Or the fact that his studio flat apartment was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. It looked like some small retail shop that had shut down and got rid of everything except stuff on the walls and a few pieces of a random furniture. It was a very calming and relaxing place. Then again, that could have just been the company in bed.

  Aiden stood in the kitchen area with no shirt on. Black PJ bottoms. Muscle cut everywhere, enough to make even the most innocent woman drool. The tattoos only added to the look. Not to mention the dishtowel over his shoulder as he stood at a skillet, cooking sausage and pancakes. He pointed a spatula at two mugs of coffee.

  “The one on the right is yours,” he said. “Already done up.”

  I walked to the coffee mug and took a sip.. It was perfect.

  Something so small and silly like a cup of coffee made me swoon over him.

  I kissed his bare arm and put my head against him. “Good morning, Aiden.”

  “I wouldn’t say morning anymore. It’s after twelve already.”

  “Wow. I didn’t realize…”

  “You worked until eleven and then we came here. We had a long night, Lily.”

  He winked at me and I blushed.

  The last two weeks had been intense. My promise to take things slow had been thrown out the window the first night we were alone together. It was just instant and addictive. Except this time with Aiden, it was real. I worked the diner. I helped with Felix. I slept with Aiden. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, either, for me.

  “Why don’t you sit down?” he asked. “Breakfast is almost served.”

  I walked to the table, glancing around the apartment. I was still mystified that Aiden made a living as an artist. His paintings were brutally honest. That was the only way to describe them. The jagged and chopped lines gave them a messy look and there was such a wild story behind each one.

  I stared at one on his wall. A white canvas with twisted colors of deep shades of red, orange, and hints of blue. For a second I thought I saw two people. But then the lines kept moving. What he made was worth staring at. Then again, Aiden was worth staring at. I could always find a new muscle I wanted to kiss or lick. I could find something else hidden in his tattoos. Or if I just stared into his eyes, I could waste hours like nothing.

  I didn’t hear Aiden put the plates on the table.

  I didn’t come back to reality until he touched me and I jumped, letting out a yell.

  “Whoa, you okay?”

  “What’s the painting about?” I asked.

  “You get to make it up,” he said. “That’s why…”

  “No. You tell me. Our secret.”

  Aiden slid his arms around me. He kissed the top of my head. I put my hands to his. I loved these little moments. There could never be enough.

  “It’s a sunset,” he said.

  “Really?”

  “It’s also two people kissing.”

  “I see that… but you said it was a sunset.”

  “It’s both,” he said. “It’s whatever you see. I look at it as the sunset being a reminder that another day had come and gone. And if you’re with the right person, you’re kissing them during that sunset, you’re showing thanks for that day. Because there will come a day when it’s a last day. A last sunset. And you don’t want to ruin that shit.”

  I sank into him even more. My heart gushed. He was still the beautiful romantic I remembered. When we were teenagers he used to write me poetry and get picked on for it. But he didn’t care. He didn’t hide it. His love for me was one thing he never hid.

  “Let’s eat,” he whispered.

  We sat at the table and I scarfed down the food. A night with Aiden definitely worked up quite the appetite.

  Out of nowhere, Aiden put his fork down and asked, “What are you planning?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You don’t want to work at the diner forever, right?”

  “Well, no.”

  “So, what’s your plan?”

  “I don’t really have one,” I said.

  “Bullshit.” Aiden smirked. “You always have a plan. I used to take you out on dates and you had backup plans for restaurants.”

  I laughed. “Yeah. True.”

  “So, what’s the plan?”

  “Honestly… the diner keeps me going here. I would like my own place.”

  “Your own diner?”

  “Bakery,” I said. “It’s stupid…”

  “It’s awesome,” Aiden said. “You always loved to bake. You’re good at it. I should have known when you made those cookies the other day. Those things were epic.”

  “You don’t think it’s crazy?”

  “Well, of course it’s crazy,” Aiden said. “So is life. What’s the worst that happens? You open a bakery and it fails? So what? Go back to the diner and figure it out again.”

  I was amazed. Anytime I talked about a bakery in front of Eve or Paige, they would shut me down. Paige said it was insane. And Eve told me I should open an organic food store.

  “What?” Aiden asked. “Why are you looking at me…”

  “You’re really amazing, Aiden. I can’t believe you said what you said to me. Everyone thinks I’m insane.”

  “Fuck everyone, sweetheart. Do your thing. You’re smart enough to make it happen.”

  “No money,” I said. “I’m trying to save when I can. I was working with someone at a bakery on the side just to learn but she moved to North Carolina to be with her family.”

  “When was that?”

  “A few months ago.”

  “What happened to her place?”

  “She shut it down.”

  “She take the equipment?”

  “Not that I know of. It’s still all there. With a lease sign out front. I sometimes drive by there and think… soon, Lily, soon…”

  Aiden nodded. “Don’t think soon, Lily. Think now. Okay? You’ll get there. I promise you.”

  “Right now, I think I want more sausage.”

  “And coffee,” Aiden said.

  “That goes without saying.”

  Aiden got up and grabbed my plate and my mug. I loved that he served me. I loved being able to relax in the morning. I loved having someone to talk to.

  And I loved that he kissed the top of my head. “My flower and her three-cup minimum.”

  “Forever,” I said.

  I looked up at him. He kissed me. He tasted like coffee and syrup.

  I was instantly turned on.


  I grabbed for him, my hand half on his hard stomach, half on his pants.

  “Maybe we skip the second helping of breakfast,” I said.

  “Or I make you the second helping,” he said.

  “Yes.”

  We kissed again. And again. And again.

  Aiden slowly put the plate and mug back down on the table.

  He grabbed the chair and turned it like I weighed nothing. I gasped and grabbed at his arms, feeling thick and sexy muscle.

  I grabbed at the top of his pants, slowly tugging then down. My fingertips flirted with his pubic hair. I felt the thick root of his cock for a split second before someone knocked at the door.

  Then a buzzer rang.

  Then a knock.

  Aiden broke the kiss and growled. “What the hell…”

  “Shit,” I whispered.

  I was so turned on it was torture for him to walk away.

  I quickly grabbed my plate and my coffee mug, needing a distraction. I walked it to the sink as Aiden opened the door.

  That’s when the voices started exploding.

  “Where’s your fucking phone?” a woman yelled.

  I froze. My eyes went wide.

  “Whoa, calm down,” Aiden said. “Is Felix okay?”

  “He’s fine. He’s at daycare right now.”

  “Okay, good.”

  Felix…?

  It must have been Felix’s mother.

  I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if I should just stand there or what. Then a plan came to me. To gracefully sneak from the kitchen to the bedroom area and get changed. So that I didn’t look… whatever.

  “I’ve been texting you, Aiden. I wanted to talk to you. You can’t disappear like that on me.”

  The woman’s voice was raw. I felt bad. I knew the feeling when Aiden disappeared.

  I hurried to the bedroom and grabbed my clothes from the night before. I stood at the doorway and listened.

  “Why are you acting like this?” Aiden asked. “We’re supposed to just deal with Felix.”

  “I wanted to come and tell you that he was signing at me all morning. I have no idea what he’s saying. We should learn, too.”