by Conley, Anne
Amy was floored. Did he know for sure she was meeting somebody else? How did he know?
And she couldn’t remember when the last time was that he’d said he loved her.
It didn't matter, she told herself. Things have been done that couldn't be forgiven. He'd apologized for the way he'd treated her, and he seemed sincere. Then he'd spent this entire week ignoring her. Yup. She couldn't live like this anymore. It wasn't a marriage anymore.
They were roommates.
Chapter 9:
Amy got to the Gin an hour early for a little liquid courage. Ordering a tequila shot and a beer back, she slammed the shot and sipped the beer. Focusing on the warmth spreading through her gut, she drank the beer quickly and thought about what was in store for her.
She was going to meet her online Romeo. The last time they’d spoken, he’d given her a taste of what he’d like to do to her tonight. She had no idea if he actually would go through with it, though. What if he saw her, was repulsed, and left without speaking to her?
What if he wasn’t?
She honestly didn’t know which was more terrifying.
Amy ordered another beer before heading back outside to the bridge.
She listened to the creek water run, and the crickets chirping, while wondering what Cool_Hand_Luke was really like, if he was as handsome as Bryan. Bryan was really nice looking. He still took her breath away sometimes when she looked at him, especially since he’d been working out. She shuddered at the thought that she was attracted to him since he’d started working out for his lover. It made her sad to know her marriage was over. Memories of last week's love making surfaced, and she couldn't deny that it was the best they'd had. Ever.
He'd made her feel like a woman that night. He'd desired her. He'd loved her. He’d appreciated her. He’d made her feel like a woman.
But Cool_Hand_Luke could probably do that too. And he wouldn't just do it to make up for something awful he'd done. He would do it all the time.
Amy was so lost in her thoughts of Bryan and Cool_Hand_Luke, she didn't notice the bridge shift under the additional weight of another person approaching. She didn't immediately smell the foreign cologne on the air. The music from the bar was still loud in her ears, and she didn’t hear the nervous breathing of the man behind her. She wasn't aware of anything until strong hands gripped her hips and a seductive voice whispered against her neck.
"Nice night, isn't it, Dearest?"
She started to turn to look, but he stopped her with his mouth on her neck. It moved against her skin. "I don't want you to look, just yet. Remember?"
She nodded, her stomach in her throat, as she surrendered to the feel of him. Danger crackled beneath his fingertips as they swept across her body. She knew this was perilous, meeting a stranger for sex, but something about Cool_Hand_Luke was comforting, always had been. His breath on her back, as he lowered himself down her body, made her tremble. She had worn strappy heels and a short, flared skirt, with his last online chat in mind, hoping, and at the same time afraid, that he would enact it.
His hands slithered down her legs, and he started kissing them. Hot, wet, open-mouth kisses up the backs of her legs. The sensation sent shivers through her body, and she shuddered with want. His hands caressed her legs, and his mouth followed them with kisses, touching every available surface on the backs of her legs.
His hands raised her skirt over her hips and he expelled a whoosh of breath at her thong panties, framing her butt for him. He caressed and kissed it, kneading the flesh between his strong, smooth fingers. Again, his mouth followed the caresses of his hands, until Amy was a trembling mass. When one hand slipped between her legs, Amy parted them.
Through the ambient noise of an unseasonably warm New Year’s night and the bar noises, he whispered, "That's it. Open up for me.” She struggled to pinpoint undertones of his voice, but she couldn’t identify anything, except desire. One hand at her waist and one at her back gently pushed her, until she was bent over the railing, before he pulled aside the strip of fabric covering her and licked her folds from top to bottom. She heard him breathe deep, then he dipped his tongue in for more, licking and lapping as if she were an ice cream cone. She leaned over more on the railing, because her legs didn't feel like they could hold her weight anymore. Amy gasped as the pressure inside her built into a heat she couldn't control. She didn't want to.
Suddenly, his fingers were pulling her folds apart, and he was tonguing her, hard, fast, powerful strokes with his rough tongue. She couldn't stop herself. She leaned her hips back against him to feel more, she was so close…
He closed his lips around her nub and sucked. Hard. Something exploded inside Amy, and she cried out as her knees went weak. She leaned over the railing, as he continued licking her. She could feel him stand behind her, and he whispered in her ear, "Do you want me to go on?"
"Yes, please," she whimpered, unable to move.
She heard his belt buckle, then a zipper, and her next coherent thought was fullness. She felt so full, as he sunk into her heat. He was hard and warm, and he fit her just right. As he sunk in fully, he mumbled against her hair, "Tell me what you're thinking. Right now."
"You fit perfect,” she rasped out, her voice unrecognizable.
"Damn right I do." He growled and proceeded to pump in and out of her slowly, wrapping his arms around her body and holding her close to him. It was a possessive gesture, but Amy didn't mind. His movements were gentle, and damned if she wasn't going to come again. She felt cherished and protected, at the same time that she felt his arms around her hold her impossibly close, as if he were feeling the same.
She could hear his raspy breaths and feel them on the back of her neck as one of his hands snaked down to rub the tender bundle of nerves between her legs in soft circular strokes. She pushed her hips back to meet him as he thrust into her, and they both exploded together in a flash of white-hot heat.
Amy closed her eyes and sank to the ground, and he went with her, turning her to face him as she sank. She kept her eyes closed to draw out the tension, unwilling to give in to the temptation of seeing him, yet. Here she was. She had just made love with Cool_Hand_Luke and she still didn't know what he looked like. Or his name. And at this moment, she didn't really care. All she knew was that this man could make her feel the way she wanted to feel.
"Was that what you wanted?" His whispered voice in her ear was better than she imagined. It was low, and reminded her a little of Bryan's bedroom voice.
She nodded.
"Open your eyes, Amy."
How did he know her name? Her eyes flew open in shocked surprise, to find Bryan holding her in his arms, cradling her gently.
"You!" She gasped and sputtered, disbelieving. "It was you? The whole time? And you knew?" She started to stand, slapping away his help. "How could you?"
"Amy, listen. I didn't know. I swear. Not at first." He grabbed her against her ineffectual slaps and pulled her close in a bone-crushing hug. "I didn't know it was you, at first."
"So you were cheating! You are such an asshole, Bryan." She felt tears of confusion stream down her face, but since Bryan was still holding her, she couldn't swipe them away.
His thumb came up to her cheek. "You were too, Amy. You were cheating on me, with me." He chuckled. "Don't you see?"
Amy paused, the irony of the situation sinking in. "W-When did you figure it out?"
"I figured it out the night you made the bleu-cheese stuffed steaks. That's when I realized that I'd been talking to you. That I'd fallen for you, and the dick head whose ass I wanted to kick was me." He chuckled, ruefully. “I’d already lost you by that time. I tried to break it off, but was afraid that you’d just find somebody else.” His hand cupped her face and stroked her cheek tenderly. “I've really messed a lot of things up, Amy, and I'm sorry. I don't know how to tell you how sorry I am." He kissed the trail of tears on her face. "But I love you. I love the mother of my children. I love the woman who takes care of me. I love the family
and the home that we've built. Please don't leave me."
Amy could see his eyes sparkle with tears, and the realization dawned. Finally.
"So you're Cool_Hand_Luke?"
He nodded. "Yup. And we have two beautiful children. And we re-enacted the old Rupert Homes song, whether we wanted to or not." He clasped her hand in his, and kissed the empty ring finger.
“I was so angry at you.” Tears choked her voice, and her heart pounded. She wasn’t losing her marriage. It had all been in her head.
“I was mad too, when I realized that you had been talking to another man. It took me a while to get over that, and then I tried to win you back from myself.” He chuckled softly, as his hand stroked her back. “But I realized that I had done more damage than I’d thought. Reading what you really thought about me was eye-opening.”
“Now I’m going to have to go back and read everything you wrote about me before you realized it…”
“Don’t. I wanted someone who would look at me like a man, the way you are doing right now.” He kissed her nose. “I wanted things I already had, I just didn’t appreciate them.” His kiss moved to her lips, and encompassed her in a feeling of yearning. His lips nibbled at hers softly, his warm tongue speaking promise of their future together. She sank her face into the crook of his neck and inhaled the spicy fragrance he was wearing.
“You smell different.”
“You gave me the cologne…” He said quietly. She hadn’t even smelled it when she’d bought it. She laughed to herself.
"Why did you do…all this?" She swept her hands to the bridge.
"I was losing you. You'd fallen in love with Cool_Hand_Luke, and I couldn't let you go. When Christmas didn't work, I knew I had to do something drastic. I was afraid that if I broke up with you as Cool_Hand_Luke, you would divorce me anyway. Don't you see, Amy? We've done it. We've fallen in love not once, but twice. Not many people get that many chances."
Digging into his pocket, he pulled out her wedding set. "Here. Please put these back on and give me another chance." His pleading eyes met hers. His hand was poised over hers, his eyes haunted, begging her.
Amy nodded, tears streaming freely from her eyes. She didn't even try to stop them. His wistful expression was so reminiscent of his boyhood innocence, her heart filled with a love she thought she’d lost. "Yes, Bryan."
His jubilant look was all she saw before he swept her in his arms and kissed her senseless.
“I have a reservation at a bed and breakfast in town. Do you want to go tonight?”
She nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“Good, then we can continue our conversation in bed, instead of on a bridge behind a bar.”
She looked around. “I have a new appreciation for bridges behind bars.”
“Yeah, I bet you do.” He growled as he nibbled on her neck.
“Well, this one saved our marriage.”
Epilogue: Valentine’s Day
Cool_Hand_Luke: Hey gorgeous, what’s for supper tonight?
Mommee_dearest: Well, the kids are gone for the evening, so I thought we might have something sweet and savory mixed together for supper. How does that sound?
Cool_Hand_Luke: Sounds amazing. Do I get any hints?
Mommee_dearest: Do you remember what we did last week, after everyone was in bed?
Cool_Hand_Luke: Oh shit, Amy. I get hard just remembering that night.
Mommee_dearest: Yeah, so I was thinking we could do a little more of that and add in some food stuff. I’ll make it nutritious, don’t worry.
Cool_Hand_Luke: I could come home a little early, if you want. Are the kids coming home after school at all?
Mommee_dearest: Nope. They are both going to their respective destinations right after school.
Cool_Hand_Luke: Fuuuuck. Let me finish some stuff up, and I’ll be home in twenty minutes.
Mommee_dearest: I’ll be ready, honey.
If you enjoyed Falling for Him, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads, or your forum of choice. Check out Anne's other books as well.
Join Anne Conley on Facebook, read about publishing updates, read excerpts of new work, and find out what she’s up to at www.facebook.com/anneconleyauthor
She loves comments and thoughts. You can email her at [email protected]
Follow Anne Conley on Twitter@Anneconley10
Check on her at Pinterest, to find visuals that inspire her work, as well as recipes, and more!
Check out her website and blog at www.anneconley.com
Flip the screen for an excerpt from Anne's favorite Pride Novel by Jill Sanders.
Discovering Pride
A cool breeze drifted over the tall trees, floating down towards the still waters of a large pond, which caused the lily pads to stir. Dragonflies buzzed from flower to flower and frogs hopped along the grassy shore.
Every now and than, a lone leaf would break free from a branch and float slowly down to the moss covered forest floor. Soon it will be winter and this little piece of heaven will be covered in snow. All the insects and animals will be tucked away for the cold days and nights. But, for today the pond waters were buzzing with life.
Lacey Jordan was a free spirited woman who enjoyed the fresh air, blue skies, and nature sounds that surrounded her home in Pride, Oregon. Even though summer was ending, the fall temperatures had reached a record high. A true Indian summer was in full swing.
Lacey was happily floating alone in the large pond that bordered her property. Well, she wasn’t quite alone; Bernard had been running in and out of the water, digging in the mud near the shore. Bernard was Lacey’s first love, and to date, her only. He was everything she wanted in a man; loyal, loving, brave, and a great listener. Not to mention he was blonde, brown eyed, and loved to snuggle. His only faults were; he hogged the bed, slobbered a lot, and was extremely hairy, but no one was perfect.
Bernard was Lacey’s three and a half year old Labrador Retriever.
As she floated her short black hair bobbed around her face, a face often described as pixy like. Her straight nose was, in her opinion, her best asset. However, most people claimed it was her crystal slate eyes that stood out the most. An artist, who had once painted her, had compared her to an exotic creature from beyond this world.
A small crease formed between her eyebrows at the thought of being compared to an exotic or even mythical creature. It happened often enough; however, she was getting tired of it. To her, she was just Lacey, a down-to-earth woman in her mid-twenties whom, at this point, had yet to fall in love.
Most people in her town knew she had an uncanny way of predicting what was going to happen and often even able to control the outcome. However, she felt she shouldn’t be faulted for just paying attention.
But, today she didn’t want to think of the town or its inhabitants. She forced herself to relax again as she studied the bright clear sky. Today, she was going to enjoy her favorite place, the pond, which was in the woods laying between her house and her brother Todd’s house.
Every once in a while Bernard would swim out to check on her or bark to make sure his presence was still known. She could spend hours out here, lost in thought, which would sometimes make her late for work. She was grateful she wasn’t expected any where today so she could continue floating and relaxing as she pleased.
Lacey had been born and raised in Pride, and this was home. There had been a time when she’d craved to travel, to expand her horizons, and become a woman of the world. However, after spending over a year traveling around Europe, she had needed to be home again. She missed taking walks along the beach or sitting in front of a fire with her father and brothers. She had made it home only to lose her father. She struggled through her loss; her family needed her close, and she needed them in return.
She started treading water as she remembered the weeks after she had come home. It had been some of the hardest times for the Jordan family, learning to adjust to the changes after the accident that had claimed their father’s lif
e and left her brother, Iian battered and without his hearing.
However, the family had conquered a lot together; learning sign language and running the family businesses. They had learned to take care of each other.
Looking up, she saw Bernard happily running around the shore chasing the ducks that kept trying to land.
Aaron Stevens was restless, hot, sweaty, and he was horny. His need reminded him it had been over seven months since his break up with Jennifer. He’d spent the last few days hammering away on his house, spending all his pent up anger and hurt on demolition. Now, however, he was still hot, angry, sweaty, and horny.
When he purchased the old house he knew it needed a lot of work. But, he thought the project would help him keep his mind off the fact that he’d almost made the biggest mistake of his life. He had learned a valuable lesson in love, and it had only cost him his heart.
When he hit his thumb for the tenth time in the last half hour, he threw the hammer across the room. But, because there were no walls in the place, it flew across the room and hit the floor with a dull thud, giving him no satisfaction.
The first thing he’d done was rip up the bright orange carpet, which now made the entire house echo. He had plans for hard-wood or tile in the place, but he had yet to decide on which. All he knew was that carpet had to go.
He stalked from the room fuming and frustrated. And now his thumb was throbbing like a bitch. When he reached the back door he kept on going.
Soon he found himself on a path in a part of the woods he hadn’t explored yet. There was a fork in the path, one that lead to his closest neighbors, Megan and Todd Jordan. They had been his first patients after taking over his grandfather’s medical practice.
