The Long Way Home

by K. Langston

  He hugs me tight before bringing the next box between us. “This one’s next.”

  I look down at the rectangular box, wondering what on earth it could be. I twist my head to kiss him on the corner of his mouth. There’s a wicked grin on his face as I begin opening the next gift.

  Nervousness flips my belly when I see Victoria’s Secret written on the top. Inside, there’s a satin, lace trimmed baby doll nightie with matching panties in a stunning shade of ruby—the same color my cheeks are right about now.

  “Go on, there’s more.”

  I set the silky garments aside and dig through the white tissue. A pink, satin camisole with matching shorts are tucked inside. “These are beautiful, Linc. I love them. I’ve never worn lingerie before.”

  Linc runs his fingers up and down my arms, causing me to shiver. Pressing his mouth to my neck, he rains down kisses on every inch of my heated skin, stopping just below my ear. “You don’t know how happy that makes me.”

  My head falls back, giving his hot mouth more room to explore. “Thank you for my gifts,” I rasp between breaths.

  “You’re welcome.” His voice is thick with desire.

  Taking the camisole from my hands, Linc lifts the baby doll nightie. “Go put this one on.”

  “Linc, we can’t. What if Caroline wakes up?”

  “I promise not to make you scream. Too loud.” His hands find the hem of my T-shirt and drift up my stomach to find my breasts, his mouth still devouring every inch of my neck. “Two weeks. I won’t be able to touch you for two weeks. I need to be inside of you for the next two nights.”

  The insistent throb between my legs agrees, and I nod my consent. That’s all it takes to put him in motion. Grabbing my hand, Linc leads me to the bedroom. I go inside the bathroom to change, quickly divesting my clothes and slipping on the seductive garment. I’ve never considered myself sexy or even seductive but looking in the mirror right now, I see both. I pull my hair from the messy bun on top of my head and run my fingers through it, allowing the strands to rest on the swells of my breasts. Then I lick my lips and suck in a deep breath.

  When I open the door and walk into the dimly lit room, I find him naked, resting against the headboard, waiting for me. The nervousness fluttering in my belly quickly evaporates once his beautiful green eyes meet mine, putting me at ease.

  He sets my body on fire with just one look and wipes away all of my insecurities.

  “Come here,” he rasps, desire thick in his voice.

  Slowly, I walk toward him and stop right next to the bed. His hand moves to my waist, guiding me onto the bed to straddle him. “You look beautiful.”

  The way he’s looking at me, with so much love and desire, makes me feel beautiful.

  Sitting up, he brushes my hair from my shoulder, pressing his warm lips to my collarbone. A rush of heat floods my body and my nipples tighten in response.

  Linc is more sensual than anything.

  Tender.

  Sweet.

  But each time we make love he brands me with something new, something exciting and mind blowing.

  Something special.

  He’s hard beneath me and with each kiss he delivers to my skin, I rock my hips, seeking the friction that will alleviate the insistent burn between my legs.

  One hand moves between us to pull my panties aside, his fingers sliding back and forth through my wet flesh. Lifting my hips, he centers himself and I take him inside with a heated sigh.

  “Jesus.” The glow of the bedside lamp makes his green eyes sparkle and he fuses his mouth with mine as he fills me completely.

  There’s one hand clasping the back of my neck while the other grips my right hip, guiding me up and down his hard length. I can handle his hands on me like this. It’s what he does with them between my legs that drive me out of my mind.

  He holds my hip in place, thrusting up inside of me on a toe-curling glide. I bite into his shoulder to keep from moaning. This is so hard, trying to be quiet. It’s next to impossible when he’s inside of me. “That’s it, baby, give me that sweet cum, I need it for what I have planned next,” he says, reaching around to gather my arousal. His finger is warm and slick, dragging back and forth in the hidden valley, creating an unspeakable burn in the pit of my belly.

  His brazen fingers circle the pleated skin of my ass and I tense. “Please tell me I’ll be the first to take you here.” His breath is hot in my mouth, robbing me of my apprehension.

  I close my eyes on a deep sigh and nod my head.

  His response is a growl in my ear, inspiring full-body goose bumps. “Fuck.”

  The strain in his voice sends me hurdling over the edge the moment that single digit breaches the tight barrier. My body trembles, shaking violently as the powerful orgasm rolls through me.

  Unable to hold back any longer, a throaty cry erupts from my lips. But before it has a chance to punch the air, Linc catches it, rolling me over to pin me to the bed with the slam of his hips. “I love fuckin’ you,” he says between each of his thrusts. “The way your hungry pussy grips my cock. The way you cling to me in every way. I love you, baby. I love you so goddamn much.”

  It only takes a few deliberate strokes before he’s grounding out his release, pulsing inside of me. His colorful confession sends me flying right along with him.

  My breath is shallow and frantic.

  His is not much better.

  Lifting up on his forearms, his hands cradle the sides of my face. Soft, tender lips caress mine. “What the hell am I gonna do without you for the next two weeks?”

  I’m wondering the same thing.

  Present

  He pried himself from the bed around five this morning, just as the sun was beginning its ascent. With a heavy heart, I walked him out to his truck where we spent a good amount of time kissing one another good-bye, struggling to let go. He promised to return around three this afternoon so we could spend our final few hours together before he leaves.

  Caroline and I spend the majority of our day in the kitchen. She wanted to bake him a going away cake, and I needed to keep myself busy so I wouldn’t think about him leaving.

  I help Caroline pan the mix and set the timer before we walk out back to pick out some flowers to decorate the dinner table with. Shears in hand, I snip a yellow Gerbera daisy while Caroline patiently holds the large Mason jar firmly in her hands.

  “Mama, can I ask you something?”

  “Sure, you can ask me anything.”

  “Why was Daddy so sad? Didn’t we make him happy?”

  I pause, hesitating to go this far with her. She’s just a child, how much of this can she really comprehend and will it do more harm than good?

  “Of course we made him happy, but sometimes, when he was sad, it didn’t have anything to do with the people around him, it was just something he couldn’t control. And sometimes, that sadness would drown the happy. Does that make sense?”

  She shrugs. “Kinda.”

  I try to think of the best way to explain it without scaring her and helping her better understand him.

  “Pretend you’re flying a kite, it’s a clear, beautiful day and you have just enough wind to make it soar. Everything is going great. You think the day couldn’t be any better when suddenly there’s a crack of thunder and the sky turns dark. You checked the weather to make sure there wouldn’t be a cloud in sight but now dark clouds are all you see. Then the winds pick up, knocking your kite back and forth, threatening to ruin your perfect day. Then the rain sets in, sending your kite crashing to the ground. How would that make you feel?”

  “Sad.”

  “Was it anyone’s fault?”

  “No,” she says, tilting her head. “You can’t control Mother Nature.”

  “Exactly.”

  Realization soothes her troubled face and she nods in understanding before wrapping her arms around me. “Do you think he’s still sad?”

  “No, I think he’s finally kissed the sun.”

  She dra
ws back, giving me a big smile. “That makes me very happy, Mama.”

  “Me too, sweet girl.”

  I slip the jar from her hands, and set it on the ground, cupping her cheeks. “Listen, I want you to know that your father loved you very much. Never forget that, okay? He wouldn’t want you to be sad. He would want you to be happy. For him. Can you do that for me?”

  She nods, and I kiss her head.

  “Come on, let’s go check on that cake.”

  We gather the jar of flowers and walk back inside hand in hand; my heart lighter than it has ever been before.

  “Of all the times I’ve had to leave, I think this one will be the hardest.” Linc’s voice is deep and gravely, raking over my heart in the most painful way. His mouth meets the skin of my neck, a greeting I’ve grown accustomed to, but today I don’t like the worry it brings. He’s just returned from spending the day with his mother. He’d wanted her to come for dinner but she was more tired than usual, having completed a chemo treatment yesterday.

  Tension rolls beneath my fingers as I place my hands on his shoulders. “We’ll be fine,” I assure him, even though I’m silently dying inside.

  I need to be strong for him. Be there for him like he has been for me.

  “I know. I just…you’ve spent your whole life taking care of everyone else. I just want to take care of you. It’s all I want to do. I wish I didn’t have to go.”

  “You do take care of me. I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it weren’t for you.”

  Tucking a stray hair behind my ear, he leans down to drop a kiss to my forehead then my lips. “I’m so proud of you.” His palm caresses my face and I turn my mouth in to place a kiss there. “I’ll call every night,” he promises.

  “Don’t you mean FaceTime every night?”

  “You’re really looking forward to that, aren’t you?”

  I blush. I am looking forward to it. It’s the only way I’ll be able to see his face and that brings me a small measure of comfort. “Why would you say that?”

  He gives me a pointed look, raising one lone brow. He’s so sexy when he does that. “Because you’re curious.”

  “You’re so full of shit.”

  “Am I? I bet if I touched you right now you’d be wet.”

  “Jesus, Linc. You have no shame, do you?”

  “Not when it comes to you.”

  He kisses my lips again, twirling his tongue with mine in a single quest to drive me out of my mind. God, I’m going to miss him terribly. I’ve grown addicted to his kisses, the soft and gentle ones, the possessive ones.

  All of them.

  He pulls back abruptly, throwing me slightly off balance. “Oh, I almost forgot. I gave the builder your cell phone number just in case he can’t get in touch with me for any reason. You have permission to make any decision on our behalf.”

  “Uh, I’m not sure I feel very comfortable with that, Linc.”

  He looks affronted. “Why not?”

  “Because it’s your house. You should be the one making those decisions.”

  He chews the inside of his mouth before clearing his throat. “This is our house, remember? Besides, you know me. You know what I like. I have complete confidence you can handle the task.”

  I shrug. “Okay, but if you come home to claw foot tubs and bead board ceilings, I don’t wanna hear a thing.”

  Kissing my lips firmly, he inhales deeply through his nose. “I’m fine with that as long as you are the one naked in that claw foot tub.”

  “I’m sure that can be arranged.”

  “So what’s for dinner?”

  “Chicken pot pie.”

  “My favorite.”

  “I know. Something to remember me by.”

  “Baby, there’s no way in hell I could ever forget you.”

  After dinner and gorging ourselves on Caroline’s going away cake, I find myself in the only place I want to be, wrapped in his arms.

  Caroline went to bed hours ago.

  I’m not sure what time it is.

  I don’t want to know.

  I know it’s late and I don’t want to think about when he’ll be forced to leave me. All I want to do is lie here, my head on his chest, inhaling his masculine scent, counting the beats of his steady heart. We’ve already made love once but it wasn’t enough, even though it was one of the single most beautiful moments of my life.

  But each time seems to be better than the last.

  The minute we were alone, his hands were on me with an incredible sense of urgency. Worshiping my body while branding me with his touch. Then once he was inside of me he slowed down, reveling in our time together. I never wanted it to end. And the second it was over, I wanted to start all over again.

  His fingers skate up and down the center of my naked back, electrifying my skin, grounding me. I lift my cheek, propping my chin on my hand that’s planted on his chest.

  Kissing his chest, I press my cheek back down on his warm skin. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “You’re the only reason I’ve been able to face any of this. I don’t want to even think about where I would be right now had you given up on me.”

  Looking down at me, the corner of his mouth lifts before he places his warm hand over mine. “I’ll never give up on you. Ever. What we have, I can’t explain it. Not even in a song.”

  “I know. I’ve tried to put it to words too but the closest I could get was rambling thoughts scribbled in a journal.”

  “Is that what I always see you writing in?”

  I nod, looking away. “It’s the only place I can speak my truth. What is really inside of my heart.”

  “I wouldn’t mind looking inside of your heart someday,” he says, pulling me closer, I kiss his chin then his mouth.

  “You already have.”

  “Yes, but not the way I want to.” His large hand fans my face. “I want every single part of you. Just like I want to give you every single part of me.”

  “Linc.” I kiss his shoulder, scraping my teeth along his skin. Goose bumps ripple across his flesh and I smile.

  Dipping my hand between us, I wrap my hand around him, earning myself a long, deep groan.

  “I love it when you touch me.”

  One hand cups my breasts before he playfully tweaks my nipple. Pleasure shoots between my legs as his mouth travels down the center of my chest while his fingers dip into my wet slit.

  He shifts, taking up position between my thighs. “Tell me what you want.” He spreads my legs wider, putting me on full display.

  I gasp.

  “Touch me.”

  He grins. “Touch you how?”

  Leaning down, he kisses the right side of my thigh then moves his hot mouth higher. My warm blood runs hot, desire singing in my veins. Linc eases one finger inside of me, then two. “Answer me.” His hooded gaze remains focused on his task; need swimming in those deep green eyes.

  “With your mouth,” I tell him, fisting the sheets beneath me. He’s driving me mad and dizzy with want.

  “So you want my mouth…” His thumb moves to the bundle of nerves that is screaming for his attention, swirling the pad of it around and around. “Here?”

  Now I’m really embarrassed. I’ve never experienced this level of intimacy before. And I don’t know what I like enough to say it out loud.

  “Sylvie,” Linc prompts, lowering his mouth to blow cool air on my burning flesh. “I’m waiting,” he says with a teasing lick.

  I moan when his tongue leaves me, desperate for more of him. “Yes, please!”

  His tongue dips low, taking a long swipe before settling to lapping at my swollen clit. I cry out, fisting my fingers in his hair. His fingers drive in and out of me at a steady pace while he devours me, dragging me further and further to the edge of insanity. I thrash on the bed, the impending pressure building at a feverish rate.

  Then it happens.

  I explode, trembling and shaking beneath his relentless mouth.

&nb
sp; He releases me on a loud suck after drinking every last bit of pleasure from me. “What else?” he asks, moving up to cover my body with his. “What else do you want me to do?”

  “I don’t know,” I pant, unable to think properly now that he’s rendered me completely mindless.

  The head of his cock nudges my slick opening.

  I smile against his curved lips.

  His hand threads through the back of my hair, gently tugging to expose my neck. He pushes inside of me, one glorious inch at a time, burying himself to the hilt while scraping his teeth across my collarbone.

  “Ah…yes!”

  Resting his forehead to mine, he holds my eyes. His slow and steady strokes dissolving into solid, powerful thrusts. “Is this what you wanted?”

  “Yes.”

  He drives into me harder.

  Faster.

  Displaying a fierce, primal side of him I never knew existed, he shows me what it’s like to be loved in a way I’ve never known.

  Totally.

  Completely.

  And without apology.

  Present

  “I’m sorry,” he says, holding my hand as we stand in front of the security gates at the airport.

  I cup his scruffy jaw. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  “I’m sorry for leavin’ you.”

  Bringing my other hand to curl around his neck, I pull him closer. “Never be sorry for being you. This is part of your job. It’s part of who you are. One of the many reasons I love you.”

  “I will never get sick of hearing that,” he says, resting his forehead against mine then pressing his lips there.

  “You better go,” I whisper around the knot in my throat.

  His knuckles drift across my cheek before his lips meet mine in a tender kiss. “Please think about coming next weekend,” he pleads. “There’s no way I’ll make it two full weeks without holdin’ you in my arms.”

  We discussed this on the way here. He wants me to come up for the weekend for dinner with his label and to help him pack up some things at his house since he’s moving back to Grandeur permanently. I really want to go but I don’t want to leave his mom or Caroline.