by Leaona Luxx
Taking a step back as Walker rises to his feet, I don’t move fast enough before his has me in his grasp again. Will he not see what he’s doing is the same as what Sallie went through?
“Please. I’m sorry. I should have never touched you like that.” Walker’s eyes are pleading, his voice soft.
“You need help, Walker. This is wrong in so many ways. It’s no different.” Wrenching myself from his grasp, I find strength in my voice. “Besides, I never left him. You know that, Walker. He’s my home.”
Walker stands, no fight left in him, as I walk away. My mind races as I think of all that needs to be done. I’m sure my parents’ aren’t up yet, so I opt for One. At the next stop light, I ask OnStar to dial his number. He picks up on the second ring.
“Thayer? Are you alright?” His voice breaks with worry.
“I hope I didn’t wake you?” I ask but I really don’t care, so I giggle.
“You sound like it. What’s up? Are you driving?” I roll my eyes, always the big brother.
“I am, but I’m on OnStar and only dialed at a stoplight. Because this morning, I’m hitting every traffic light known to man,” I growl as I come to another stop.
“Why are you driving?” His voice is calm, but I know One, he’s anything but calm.
“I need a favor. Would you mind going to the church early?” He mutters under his breath, but he won’t be complaining for long.
“Where are you going?” he asks not so calmly now.
“Home,” My only words.
I’m not sure how long I stand there as she drives away. Maybe I should’ve told her. I second guess everything when it comes to her. I want her to come back to me because she knows she belongs here. I’m her home, like she is mine.
Sitting on my tailgate, I watch the sun rise over a new day. A day in which the reason I live is giving her life to someone else. She’ll warm his side and heat up his nights. One day, she’ll be full of the life he helped create. Not my child, his.
I wanted to hold her here last night until she saw reason. Until she realized this is where she’s supposed to be. But I hurt her. I never gave our love the chance it deserved. First, it was about One. Her brother, my best friend. He knew who I was, who I’ve always been. I never imagined he would accept us.
Then, it was my past. Washing ashore like a storm raging. Nothing she couldn’t handle, though. It was me who couldn’t. I didn’t want my former life to tarnish her in anyway. All the while, it was my feelings on my past that kept us apart. Thinking I wasn’t good enough for her, I walked away instead of standing strong for us.
Now, in the middle of the downpour, I stand waiting for her. Waiting for her to come back home. Just like I did, knowing without her by my side, I would be homesick for the rest of my life. Whatever it takes, I’ll wait for her. My heart breaking every second that passes without her with me.
From the moment I met her, I knew Thayer was it for me. She blew in from the coast, taking me by storm. How could I have ever doubted her. She’s what the eye of the storm is made of. Strength and calm. She’s strong in ways that I’ll never understand. Not a day goes by I’m not thankful for her kind of rain.
Why the hell am I sitting here? I’ve sat here the better part of the day. I can’t wait another minute. I call for Lulu as I hurry to the truck. I’m going to get her. I can’t wait for her to come back, she’s making a huge mistake marrying him, and by God, I’m gonna go stop her.
I tear up grass and gravel as I burn the tires off my truck getting turned around. By the time they find purchase on the highway, I push the pedal to the floor. Even if I have to run through the church doors, I’m getting her to come home with me, where she belongs.
I run every light between Still Creek and Cherry Grove, getting my ass to the church. It’s two o’clock, I’ll be there in less than five minutes. Maybe I’ll make it just in time to be the one who objects. Making a right, I pull in front of the church and race up the steps.
I practically take the door from its hinges as I burst through them. One looks up at me. The church is empty. What the fuck? Looking around, my eyes land back on my best friend. He smiles.
“She called me to ask if I would let the guests know there’s not going to be a wedding today.” He shrugs as his smile grows.
“Where?” is all I manage to say.
“Home. She said she was going home.” One’s mouth pulls into the widest smile. Home. I know where that is.
“I’m gonna go get my girl.” Throwing my arms around him, I drag my best friend into a bear hug as he pats me on the back.
“Good.” Breaking away, I set off in a dead run to my truck.
“I’m marrying her, you know that, right?” I throw over my shoulder as I hit the door.
One yells back before it closes behind me, “You’re already my brother!”
Damn. Right in the feels.
Spinning my truck around, I hurry down the same road I just took to get here. Thayer’s going home. Our home. My palms sweat at the thought of holding her again. Hearing her say my name in her morning voice, sleepy and gravelly. Fuck.
I can’t drive fast enough. I run every traffic light once again. I need to get to her. I pray she waits. My old truck fishtails as I leave the pavement and my tires hit the gravel. The road to our open field by the pond grew by a hundred miles once I was on it. I just couldn’t get there fast enough.
As the clearing comes into view, I see her truck. Instead of calming, my heart races as I see her slide from her seat. She’s more beautiful today than she’s ever been because today, she’s mine. She’s here, and I’m never letting her go again.
I no more than slam my truck into park, and I’m bounding out the door. Rushing her like a linebacker, I wrap my arms around her as she throws her legs around my waist. My lips waste no time in finding hers, finding my home. We break apart in short bursts, saying all we need to say right now.
“Is this crazy?” she wonders.
“Love is crazy,” I tell her.
“How’d you know?” Thayer asks.
“You’re my home too, hun,” I say, taking her mouth again.
Our tongues are at war but not in the same way they had been for months now. I bite at her bottom lip that I’ve missed so much, as she moans. Backing her up against her truck, I take her by the waist, setting her in the seat. Nothing like these older trucks, full bench seats, perfect.
My hands find her face as I pull her even closer into my kiss. Licking along the line of her bottom lip, now crimson from my assault. Her thighs squeeze my sides when I press against her. Her center is hot, and I’m really hoping she’s ready for me.
Her fingers tangle in my hair as I pull hers loose from the knot on top of her head. It falls down her back in a mass of dark waves. Running my hand down her back, I stop in the middle to press her into me so that we can’t tell where she ends and I begin.
Her gasp as she crushes my waist with her thighs makes me cream. I need her more than I need my next breath. She reaches down and pulls my shirt over my head. Her cool fingers trace across my tattoos on my chest as she works her way down to my abs. Fuck me. Thayer forces her thumbs inside the waist of my pants, following my hair line.
My cock springs to life. I grab her shirt and tear every button from it, revealing my favorite turquoise and black lace bra. She spills just slightly from the top as I jerk her shirt over her shoulders, and she wiggles it from her hands.
Caressing her breast, I trace the lace laying against her with my tongue as I watch her goose bumps grow. Her nipples peek as I shift my thumb under her lace and rub the now hardened tip. She arches her back in response, making her pussy thrust against my zipper.
Biting her lip, she moans my name in a long exaggerated breath. “Hardy, please.” Hooking her strap with my thumb, I pop her hook and watch as she springs free. Her breast, creamy with hard, reddened nipples, beg for my mouth.
Laying her back, I scoot her up the seat. Thayer lays before me, topless with
her jean-covered legs spread. I reach over, turning the heat up before unbuttoning her pants. She grabs my hand, studying me for a minute.
“I need you to know you’ve always been my home.” Damn it. Had I known that, I would’ve kissed her the night of the party. Because she would have left with me.
“I know.”
Running my hands over her thighs, slipping my hands behind her knees, I fist her jeans and slide them down her legs. Tossing them to the side, I twist the corner of her panties in one hand and jerk. Watching them snap in my hand has me about to come on sight.
Taking her ankles, I push her feet up the seat before placing my hands on the inside of her thighs to spread her wide. Thayer eyes me as she palms her breasts, biting her lip as she does. I groan at the sight of her hands on her breasts, kneading them as she lay open to me.
I kiss slowly up her thighs as she squirms, and I run my tongue through her wet pussy. Her moans alone could make me come. As I work her pussy with my tongue, lapping and licking her like a starved man, Thayer moves her hands into my hair, fisting it.
Sliding my middle finger into her, I suck her clit between my lips. Savoring her. She bows from the seat of the truck in an instant as her orgasm washes over her, and she screams my name. Climbing up on the seat over her, she stops me by placing her hand over my heart.
“No. Pants.” She points with one eye open, still trying to catch her breath.
I chuckle, stepping back down to kick off my pants. Raising her head from the seat, she springs up on her elbows when I start back into the truck. Thayer scoots further back in the seat as I look at her questionably. She pats the seat in the center of the truck.
Sliding over, she throws her leg on either side of me before settling down. Slowly. she begins kissing my neck, my jaw, as I clutch her breasts. Taking my cock in her hand, she rubs the tip over her clit then slowly through her wet pussy. Dragging it through her spent orgasm, she lines us up and begins to sink slowly down on me.
Her hips widen as she takes me as deep as I can go. She sits still for a minute, regaining herself before she blows my mind. Sunk deep in her, Thayer opens her heart to me. “Here. We will never be too far from one another to get back to this place. Together. You are my home. I love you.”
“Marry me?” Gazing deep into her eyes, I know her answer before she says it.
“Yes.”
Thayer begins to move as I remain deep in her, not slow nor fast. She rides me, sliding me out to the tip and then taking me to the hilt. We slip and slide with each other as we kiss and touch. Loving, savoring, memorizing every single thing about the other.
My fingers dig into her hips as her ass uses my thighs to bounce back up. In and out we slide. Her moans battle my groans for air as our lips part but a few times. Her breasts rub against my chest causing a sweet friction. We work up a nice sweat before losing our battle and coming together.
A sweet release to the hell we’ve put each other through the last few months. She wraps her arms around me as I hold her even closer. “You own me. Thank you for coming home.”
As dark begins to fall, we lock up Thayer’s truck. We ran the gas out of it. After spending the entire afternoon out at Still Creek, we start back into the city. She sits beside me on the seat, my arm wrapped around her.
Driving over to Chord’s to collect our dogs, we’re a little surprised to see Lea and One are there along with Thayer’s parents. Okay, I’m a little nervous to be honest. I did cause this entire fiasco by keeping things from Thayer. And running away didn’t help.
Parking on the side street, we walk toward the door. Thayer takes my hand and squeezes it tightly. “No worries. I love you.”
Her words make me crack a nervous, offbeat grin. “No, none at all.” She giggles.
“It’s not like they’re here to hang you.” She laughs a little louder.
“I’ve had you out by a pond all day, defiling your body with mine. Your truck needs a tow because it ran outta gas. And, my gorgeous lady, you’re walking bow legged.” She full-on laughs, grabbing me by my jacket as she leans in for a kiss.
“How does my makeup look? Smudged?” she asks, as she stares me in the eyes.
“It’s all gone. Like you didn’t even have any on. Fuck.” She elbows me in the side.
“I didn’t. Good thing I love you.” Pulling her into me, I kiss her hard. Only stopping for the round of applause that erupt from behind us.
Our family stands at the door, whooping and woo-hooing as we approach. Taking their turns to hug and kiss us, we’re passed around. One slaps me on the back as Lea takes my face in her hands and quietly dispenses her sound advice.
“If I belong here, so do you. But you have to believe in you first. Thayer knows your love is genuine, now show her how right she is.” She kisses me on the cheek before taking Thayer in her arms.
Once everyone is settled in, we fill Chord’s living room. With One and Lea’s brood, we’re as big as a football team. Thayer smiles sweetly, nodding at me to take the floor. She has no idea what I’m about to do.
“So to the big questions. Yes, we’re back together.” A thunderous sound of happiness and good wishes fills the room. “I need to find a home because Thayer has agreed to marry me.” Gasps sound as a collective sigh is released. But when I turn and drop to my knee, Thayer just about falls from her seat.
“What. Are. You. Doing?” Her breath catches as she lays her hand on her chest.
“Umm, I need your hand.” I smirk at her as she begins to cry, wiping away her tears. I tell her, “No, baby. That time is over.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“I bought this before Lea and One’s wedding. I’d planned to whisk you away down to the beach for this. But as we sit here in this room with our family, I couldn’t think of a better time. You owned me from the minute you walked into the room in Clemson. I was no longer living for just me. You’re my home. My forever. Please, I know you answered this earlier, but I didn’t have your ring. Please, be my wife?” I’ve never seen Thayer cry as much as she has today.
“Of course, you adorable, perfect man.” She throws her arms around me, and I pick her up, kissing her breathless.
“So why couldn’t you get to it earlier? You’ve been together all day.” Chord has a stupid-ass grin on his face until One punches him. “Hey, you better stop. Mom.” Chord turns to Elise for help.
“Too late, Chord. One and Lea gave me grandchildren, you’re no longer the baby.” Laughter echoes through the house.
“About that, Mom. Lea and I are happy to say…” Everyone’s eyes bug from their sockets. “I’m kidding people.” Laughter carries through the house.
“I do have one thing,” Lea speaks up.
“You have the floor.” Cal motions to her. She winks at him; he loves that girl.
“I have a confession. Yes, One wants me barefoot and pregnant until I’m fifty. It’s a thought. No really. Hardy, when you put your house up for sale, I couldn’t let it leave the family. Thayer had said more than once she wanted to raise your family there. So in this envelope, you’ll find three sets of keys. Two for your house. She’s packed already, no sense in unpacking until you’re moved. The other is from your best friend. Who you know, doesn’t need another reason to call you brother and mean it.” She tosses the envelope over to me.
Opening it, I do find two sets of house keys. Two, actual little houses with mister and missus written on them. Thayer sniffles as she lays her head on my shoulder. As the third set slides from the package, my eyes go blurry with unshed tears.
A set of Ford Mustang keys hit my palm, taking me by surprise. When my chest begins to heave, Thayer reaches over, wrapping her hand around mine, squeezing it shut.
“You, uh, you bought my house and car? For me, us?” Looking up at them, there’s not a dry eye in the house.
“Of course, we did,” One answers calmly.
“But how did you know I’d be back?” His eyes shift to his sister and back to mine.
/> “I’ve got a woman just like her, no one leaves that for long.” Lea kisses his cheek as the arm he has around her grips her shoulder.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Cal kisses Elise on the hand.
“I’ll repay you. Every penny.”
“When you can, it’s all good, brother.” Leaning forward, he fist bumps me.
My gaze returns to Thayer. The look of adoration on her face is nothing new when she looks at her brothers and father, but she’s looking at me. This amazing woman, strong and stubborn in every way, is full of adoration for me. Looking in her eyes, all I see is love.
We eat. We visit. We enjoy each other as only family can because that’s what we are—family. A little later, One, Lea and their children all leave. Cal and Elise follow behind them shortly after. Chord is on the phone with his best friend, Sutton. I’m sure that’s to change soon, although he denies it.
We plan to stay here at Thayer’s place tonight, seeing as mine has nothing in it. Thayer has everything we need already, so we won’t need much to fill my old home. Definitely a new bed, bigger. Smiling at the thought, I chuckle which gets her attention.
“What?” She glances over at me.
“Just thinking of everything we need.” I narrow my eyes at her.
“Like what? I have everything, I mean we could get a few things, I guess.” She looks at me full on.
“A new king-size bed. I want to fuck you in every position possible.” I watch her out of the corner of my eye and see her smile.
“Well, me too.” Sliding closer to me, she lays her hand on my thigh.
“And I think we may need some other bedroom furniture.” Her brow furrows in thought.
“I have some. Anything in particular?” Her eyes narrow as she looks at me. “Oh, no, buddy. Wedding first. Then a hundred babies. But I want my wedding. And you better not even think about messing this one up.” She jabs me in the side when I start to laugh.
