Skyscrapers & Camelot (Renovate Book 1)

by Mindy Carter

  “Speaking of, how long are we here? Can I see my dad?” I can’t come back home and not see him. I miss him being so far away.

  He looks at me with amusement. “We can do anything you want and for however long you want.”

  “You are way too good for me, Keegan James.” I’m so happy to be here right now with him. I may just burst out of my skin.

  We order our entrée’s and chat about our hometown. The both of us left to follow our dreams in New York City. That sounds like we are in a Broadway musical, but it’s the truth. Of course, leaving home and growing into adults is the way it’s supposed to be, right?

  Once our dinners arrive, my hunger is startling. The food here is amazing, and I may be moaning with each taste, which could explain why Keegan is looking at me with hooded desire. For a moment, I think he’s going to jump across the table and tackle me.

  After we are done eating, I head to the bathroom and freshen up, shooting Reese a quick text to let her know she’s on my list. I can’t believe she knew about this the whole time and didn’t even say a word.

  I exit the bathroom to find Keegan waiting for me, holding out his elbow. We exit, getting into the waiting town car, and I don’t even ask where we are heading next, knowing Keegan’s lips are sealed.

  It isn’t long before we pull into the parking lot of Indiana Area Senior High, our old stomping grounds. I’m confused why he would bring me here, though; it’s just an empty high school.

  I look at him. “Why are we here?”

  He holds out his hand as we exit the car. Inside, the lights are off as Keegan leads me to the gym where the doors slowly open. I know why we are here, and I can’t believe I hadn’t figured it out until now. This is our prom, the one he had promised me.

  The gym is decorated with streamers with a disco ball above and a DJ in one corner. It’s very reminiscent of my actual prom, except I’m here with the person I should have gone to prom with.

  Keegan pulls out a beautiful, orchid corsage and places it on my wrist. He certainly went all out for this. How in the heck is this even possible?

  When I turn my head, taking it all in, my gaze lands on the person who opened the door, staring into the eyes that match my own. I smile at him and run straight for my dad, surprisingly not falling on my way. I give him a huge hug.

  “Hi, kiddo. Are you surprised?” he asks nonchalantly, like this isn’t a big deal. Sure, whisking me away on a helicopter and planning this huge surprise is merely an everyday thing for Keegan.

  “Umm … yeah!”

  He laughs. “This was all him, by the way.”

  I look over at Keegan who is sauntering over. He shakes hands with my dad, who gives him a warning glare. I do believe Keegan is still afraid of my father. He’s a grown man, but my father can still intimidate him with only a look. The two men I love most in the world are with me, and I couldn’t be more elated if I tried.

  “Well, I will leave you two kids to it.” My dad gives Keegan another hard look then kisses me on the cheek and leaves.

  Once the door to the gym shuts, Keegan lets out the breath he was holding. “Your dad still scares the crap out of me.”

  I let out an amused laugh.

  My dad is the kindest and gentlest man. He has loved me unconditionally since the day I was born, but when it comes to me, his pride and joy, I wouldn’t put it past him to pummel Keegan into the ground.

  “You’re being ridiculous. My dad wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

  He relaxes a little at my words.

  He holds out his hand for me. “Do you care to dance?”

  “I’d love to,” I answer.

  Is this really my life right now? If I pinch myself, will I wake up from this beautiful dream?

  I take Keegan’s hand as he leads me to the dance floor. He pulls me close, and I inhale his addictive scent, placing my arms around his neck as his fall to my back. I wouldn’t mind in the least if they moved lower.

  I look back at him, and suddenly, I feel a tear slip out of my eye. I try holding it back, but more follow. What he’s done—planned—shows me how much he loves me. This isn’t just a silly excursion to him; it’s him keeping his word.

  While he stares at me as we continue to dance, I’m glad it’s only us in this gym. I would hate for anyone else to witness my breakdown.

  He rests his forehead against mine, and I can feel his steady breathing, helping to subside my tears.

  The song playing is one that was my favorite when I was younger, Savage Garden’s “I Knew I Loved You.” It is an oldie now, but I never get sick of listening to it. Part of me thinks he chose the song because he knows I love it. Then again, maybe he’s trying to tell me something through the song. We haven’t even spoken two words since we started our dance, but sometimes, words aren’t needed.

  I take the opportunity and lift my lips to his, thanking him for what he’s done, and not just this night, but also every one he’s given me since we met. The kiss starts out slow, but when he returns it, I slip my tongue in his mouth to feel his against mine. I want him closer. How can I get him closer?

  I slip my hands from his neck and place them under his jacket, holding his hard body against mine. I can feel his erection now, letting me know he’s as excited as I am. Right when I start trying to figure out how I can get him alone and all to myself, he breaks our kiss and grabs my hand. Quickly, I’m led to the empty bleachers, and I know exactly where he’s taking me.

  He carefully places his hands on my hips and lifts me so I won’t trip. Then we walk to the farthest end under the bleachers where he starts the assault on my body, lifting the skirt of my dress up and finding I’m not wearing any underwear

  “Good girl,” he whispers, the huskiness of his voice shooting to my core.

  His fingers find my clit, and he circles his thumb around the spot he knows drives me wild. I moan at his touch, but he inhales it with a kiss. I can’t wait any longer, so I grab his hard cock, eliciting an earthly groan out of him.

  “Please,” I beg, wanting him inside of me.

  “Please what? What do you want, sweet Aimee? Where do you want me?”

  I want to scream and tell him everywhere and anywhere he will have me.

  “Inside of me, now. Please,” I beg again, feeling like I will lose it if he doesn’t comply.

  I hear him unzipping his trousers before he lifts me. I feel his hot, warm flesh as I tightly wrap my legs around him. Feeling him at my center, I push my pelvis forward, and I’m so wet he easily slips inside of me, making me arch my back.

  He starts moving, and I return his thrusts with enough momentum that he stumbles back yet easily recovers. We stare into one another’s eyes as we move together, making love in the best way—with our bodies and souls. In this moment, I have no doubt I found my soul mate when I was only six years old, and it’s Keegan James.

  Our movements become more hurried, and I know we are both getting close. I let out a loud moan when I feel myself hitting the point of no return. As he quiets me with another deep kiss, I let go with a massive orgasm that escapes from my body in euphoric pleasure.

  He kisses me harder, and I feel him still and grab a tighter hold of me. Then he lets out a loud groan, following my release with his. We both fall into the wall, and in that moment, I realize we didn’t use a condom, but with the way I’m feeling right now, I couldn’t care less. I have him, and he’s mine. That is all that matters.

  “That’s a first,” he says.

  “For me, too.”

  Having sex under the bleachers at our high school is so cliché if you think about it, and at prom, no less. I laugh at my rampant thoughts.

  Keegan lowers me so my feet are on the ground again then straightens my dress back into place. He pulls up his pants and zips them before fixing his belt. Grabbing my head, he lays a sweet and sensuous kiss on my lips, and I melt right back into him.

  “I fall even more in love with you every day, Aimee.”

  When a tear I didn’t r
ealize I had left falls from my eye, he takes his thumb and wipes it away. “I hate to see you cry.”

  “All happy tears, Keegan.”

  He relaxes at my words. “For the record, I feel exactly the same way. How about we get out of here?”

  “You lead and I’ll follow.” My words couldn’t be truer. This man owns my heart.

  We carefully exit the back of the bleachers. Keegan lifts me into his arms, making me shriek while I place my arms around his neck as he whisks me away.

  “What are you doing?” I laugh.

  “I’m taking my lady to her castle.” Just when I thought this night couldn’t be any more perfect…

  We make our way through the dark halls and exit the high school.

  “I didn’t even see who won prom queen and king,” I joke, causing him to give a laugh full of joy.

  “You win hands down every time, Aimee.”

  “No tiara, Keegan? You disappoint me.”

  He chuckles again. “You want a tiara? I’ll buy you as many as your little heart desires.”

  I have no doubt that, if I asked, he would do just that. I don’t need those things, though. All I need is him. Everything else doesn’t compare.

  “I just want you,” I tell him.

  He stops in his tracks and plants another heart-stopping kiss on my lips. “You have me, Aimee. If I’m being honest, you’ve had me since the day we met. The minute I looked across the street and our eyes met, that was it for me.” He’s still carrying me in his arms as he passes the idling car.

  We cross the street toward the park, the very one we escaped to the day we met. He’s planned every little detail perfectly. How can I not love this man?

  He places me down then leads me to the playground where the jungle gym sits. We used to pretend it was my castle, and Keegan was the knight who guarded it from the evil dragon. He picks me up and sits me on top, right next to the slide. How many times did we play this game as kids?

  “Your castle, my lady.”

  “Thank you, Sir Keegan.”

  He smiles at me and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. We stare at each other for a moment, and all I can hear is my beating heart. Moments like these will stay with me forever.

  “Thank you, Keegan, for this whole evening. Everything you have done is beyond amazing.”

  “And still you deserve more,” he tells me.

  “I deserve you.”

  He looks at me, and for a second, something resembling guilt flashes across his eyes. “You deserve everything and more, and I’m going to give it to you.”

  He fills my heart up to the point that it’s going to explode out of my chest. I’m the one not good enough for him. We could debate this, but for now, we will have to agree to disagree.

  After he climbs up next to me, we both lie back, and he holds my hand as we stare at the twinkling stars above, something we have done a thousand times in this very spot.

  “I have a gala at the Met on Monday,” he tells me.

  “I love the Met,” I return, but he’s not asking me to go with him, which means he’s either attending alone or taking a certain blonde. I’m suddenly sad at his silence.

  “It’s been planned for over a year, and I’d love to take you, but…”

  There’s that “but” I was waiting for. It’s not hard to read him; it’s become second nature to me.

  He continues after a short pause. “Gretchen will be with me.” He gives my hand a squeeze.

  “I understand, Keegan.” I don’t, really, and I know I’m lying to him, but I don’t want him to know how much Gretchen bothers me, especially after our encounter last night. Did that all just happen last night? It seems like ages ago.

  “I’m sorry. She’s just part of the logistics of it all.”

  I look at him and wonder if he’s holding anything back. He promised to be open and honest, but what if there is something else?

  As a feeling of uneasiness hits the pit of my stomach, I release his hand and sit up. I remove my shoes and place them next to me, jumping down from the top of the jungle gym. The swings are calling my name, so I make my way over to them.

  Unwilling to talk about Gretchen or work further, I grab on to the chains, closing my eyes as I begin to swing.

  A hand lands on my back and pushes me, and all my uneasiness subsides, but for how long? I pray whatever I just felt from him was nothing but my insecurities. I’m not sure I could survive another heartbreak from Keegan James.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  After we leave the park, Keegan and I stop for ice cream sundaes—his idea, of course. I’m not sure if it’s the chocolate or his closeness that puts me in a better frame of mind about the Met gala.

  Then we walk around town, hand in hand, reminiscing about our childhood. We watch as some inebriated patrons from Patti’s bar hang from the Jimmy Stewart statue in the middle of town. While some things change, some things always stay the same. That statue has been a magnet for drunkenness for as long as I can remember. Poor old Jimmy and his wonderful life.

  After watching the shenanigans of some of the town’s youth, we head back to my dad’s house where we find him sitting in his recliner, watching television. He already has the couch made up for Keegan to sleep on. Although it’s quite amusing, thinking of my poor Keegan sleeping on our lumpy couch makes me feel sorry for him. He’s Keegan James, respected and influential architect worth billions. To my dad, though, he’s merely my boyfriend.

  I kiss Keegan goodnight and head up to my room that hasn’t changed much since I left for college. It still boasts the corkboard where I tacked pictures of my friends from high school, ones I lost touch with after I left. No pictures of Keegan grace that board—it was too hard to look at his picture after he disappeared—so I find a picture of us hidden in my old dresser from when we were kids and attach it with the others.

  After putting on my pajamas, I crawl under my covers and grab the teddy bear that is placed against my pillow, hugging it close yet wishing I could be holding Keegan. My thoughts rewind, and I relive the night’s events in succession, making a permanent place for them in my heart. I finally fall asleep, wrapped in the comfort of the quilt my grandmother made for me years ago.

  I’m awakened when the bed dips, and the covers are lifted. I feel the familiar warm body pull me close before Keegan kisses me softly on my neck.

  “If my dad finds you in here, he’s going to grab his shotgun.”

  He stiffens, but holds me tighter. “It’s worth the risk to hold you in my arms.”

  I grab ahold of his hand and link our fingers together. “It’s your funeral.”

  He chuckles in my ear. “I have my alarm set on my phone for a few hours; we’ll be fine.”

  Keegan lightly brushes his thumb across my knuckles, and it doesn’t take long to fall asleep wrapped in him. When I wake in the morning, he’s gone, and for a moment, I think I may have dreamed him until I roll over and smell his intoxicating scent on my other pillow.

  We stay for breakfast, during which my dad shoots Keegan scrutinizing looks. He reminds us that he’s a light sleeper and can hear every bump in the night, his nonchalant way of telling us we are busted. It doesn’t matter that we are adults; I’m still his little girl who needs protecting.

  Saying good-bye to my dad is always very difficult. I miss and worry about him. He doesn’t have any major health issues except being a tad overweight. Sometimes, I wish he would have moved on and met someone to share his life with. He has his friends, but I wish he had someone here who could take care of him.

  We head home and spend the rest of the weekend holed up in Casa James with no unexpected visitors, just us. At night, we look at the stars through his high-powered telescope and spend a lot of time exploring each other’s bodies. By the time Monday rolls around, every muscle in my body aches from my Keegan James weekend workout.

  When I arrive at work, there is a beautiful bouquet of roses sitting on my desk from him. The card attached only says six li
ttle words that mean so much to me: I love you to the stars. I hold the card close to my chest, smiling at what we have quickly become.

  Although it’s only been a few hours since I have seen him, he spoiled me with his attention this weekend, and I’m selfish for more.

  “How was your weekend?” Reese asks in a singsong voice, taking me out of my thoughts.

  “Terrible,” I answer.

  She looks at me with confusion, eyeing the flowers on my desk. It takes her a second, but she catches up.

  “Are you upset that I didn’t tell you about your surprise?” she questions, looking at me quizzically.

  “No, why would I? It’s not like I was whisked away on a freaking helicopter to Pennsylvania or anything.” I give her my evil eye reserved for moments like this.

  “Wow, a helicopter? Do you think Kaleb can borrow it? I’ve never flown in one.” I’m pretty sure she’s being serious right now. “He wanted to do something special for you. He wants to make up for all the time you spent apart. I wasn’t going to ruin it for you or him. Plus, Kaleb and I had the apartment all to ourselves, and the things we did I didn’t even know were possible.”

  This conversation just took a very awkward turn.

  “If you shut up right now, I promise to forgive you.”

  She smirks at me without another peep escaping her lips. Well played, my best friend. Well played, indeed.

  Reese tells me she’s leaving work early to pick up her brother from the airport; as a result, we decide to catch up over dinner. Keegan and Kaleb will be at the Met gala tonight, so it will just be the three of us.

  That uneasy feeling creeps up on me. Maybe I should flat out ask Keegan if there is something he’s not telling me. I only wish I could be with him tonight instead of Gretchen. I want to be the one on his arm, not her.