“Sorry, I’m just distracted,” I say, clueless as to how to continue, so I just spit it out. “Robby’s dad got me a job in Nashville. I was supposed to leave in a few weeks, but the owner called this morning and wants to know if I can be there by Wednesday.”
Lea takes a few deep breaths, but doesn’t say anything in response to my less than eloquent revelation. I swear, if she asks me to stay here, tells me that she was wrong, I’ll turn down the job. I’m not the one who wanted to go when there’s no way for us to move together. “Wow, that was quick,” she says quietly after a long pause. She presses her hands to the table, pursing her lips. “It’s okay. We’ll make this work. Right?”
She reaches for my hands, squeezing them tightly and I know she’s as nervous as I am. Long distance relationships are hard, and both of us are going to be busy all the damn time. Her with school and me with work and doing whatever I can when I’m not at the club so all of this isn’t for nothing. Lea has faith that I’ll be able to get a deal, so I can’t fail. It’s simply not an option at this point.
“Yeah baby, we’ll make it work. Will your parents be upset if you come down there for Thanksgiving?” Of course they will. Not only are they total freaks when it comes to family holidays, their opinion of me is going to sink lower than I ever thought possible once they find out that we’re together and that I left her behind to chase my dreams. They won’t give a shit that I’m doing this at her urging, all they’ll see is that I am abandoning their daughter.
When this was all just the two of us sitting around the apartment dreaming about how life could be, it seemed easy, but now, I realize it’s going to be anything but. I can’t ask for time off right after starting a new job and she won’t have a real break until November. Her family isn’t as close as they used to be, but I don’t think she has ever spent a holiday away from them. And call me selfish, but I want her to be with me for as many as possible.
“They’ll have to understand,” she sighs. I know she’s imagining the tongue lashing from both of her parents, telling her that I’m not good enough for her. Fuck, I hope they won’t break her resolve. I need to know I’ll be able to see her. “Will you be able to come home for Christmas?” she asks hopefully.
“I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee anything right now. I don’t even know what I’ll be doing by then.” Her lower lip quivers and I fear tears aren’t far behind. “Baby, I promise I’ll try. It’s the best I can do right now.”
Throughout our meal, I silently plead with her to beg me to stay. We’ve spent too much time fighting over this for me to bail now that she knows, but damn, I want to. She said something last week about maybe looking into Vanderbilt for grad school. That would put us closer together, but that’s two years down the road. It would be easier for me to stay here with her and then we can go together. But only if it’s her idea. Otherwise, I’ll be jumping on a Greyhound and leaving her the Cutlass while I’m gone.
“Hey, this is a good thing,” she says, leaning into me as we walk home after dinner. “And it’s only a couple of months before we see each other. Plus, we’ll be so busy we won’t have time to miss one another.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I agree, even though I don’t feel it. “Is there any way you can skip your classes tomorrow? I know it’s the first week, but I want to spend every minute with you until I have to get on the bus.”
Lea is one of the most dedicated students I know. Last winter, she dragged herself to class when she had pneumonia because she didn’t want her grades to suffer. But this is different. She told me she loves me, and now we have less than twenty-four hours before we’re going to be separated. Even she admitted they didn’t learn anything today, and I know tomorrow will be more of the same for her.
“There’s no way I’m leaving you until it’s time for you to go,” she says sweetly, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. As I turn to look at her, she wraps her arms around me, burying her face in my chest. “I’m going to miss you, but I’m so proud of you for doing this. It’ll all work out, I promise.”
I’m not sure who she’s reassuring as she keeps talking, but the words do soothe my frazzled nerves. Sliding my hand behind her neck, I lean down to kiss her. We may be standing at the side of a busy street, but that doesn’t stop me from making love to her with my mouth, never closing my eyes because I refuse to miss a second of being able to look at her.
Chapter 11
Lea
Life isn’t fair. That’s not whining, that’s simply the truth. If it was fair, we wouldn’t have to say goodbye when we’ve barely said hello…
All I have to do is get through tonight and then I can break down and cry. Pushing him to go to Nashville might have been one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever done, even if it was the right thing to do. Ever since the summer we met, he has talked about how badly he wants to do this.
Hearing that I’m part of the reason he hasn’t already moved bolstered my determination to push him to take this step. We’ve already proven that two people who are meant to be together will find their way to one another when the time is right. Now that he’s going to be leaving, I have to hold onto the belief that we’ll be able to weather this storm together if we’re meant to last a lifetime.
When we reach the apartment, Colby doesn’t let go of my hand or turn on the lights. We walk through the darkness to my bedroom, my heart racing faster with every step. He doesn’t have to tell me that tonight is the night we seal our love, I already know. The closing door echoes through the room as I kick off my heels. Knowing what I do now, I’m glad I dug through the closet to find an outfit that would wow Colby. Being with someone you’ve been friends with forever makes it easy to fall into the comfort zone. Most of the time, I don’t worry about impressing him the same way I would if he was any other new boyfriend. He’s already seen me at my best and my worst and accepts all of me.
“Lea, we don’t have to do this if you’re not ready,” Colby whispers without slowing his hands from bunching the thin fabric of my top, pulling it over my head. I love that he’s trying to make sure I’m comfortable, but he has to know that I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. That’s something I refuse to put a voice to because I do still worry that if he knows how long my infatuation toward him bordered on obsession, he’ll freak.
Following his actions, I begin working the buttons of his shirt, each one leading me closer to where I want to be. Seeing him shirtless is nothing new, but this time, there’s an intimacy that has my body coming to life. “I’m more than ready,” I promise him, pushing the shirt off his shoulders and making quick work of removing the plain white t-shirt underneath. With his bare skin exposed to me, I lean forward, trailing open-mouthed kisses down the center of his chest. The audible hiss when I nip at his taut nipple encourages me to continue. “I love you so much, Colby.”
As my sensuous assault on his torso continues, I feel him working the clasp at the back of my canary yellow lace bra, chosen because it matched the rest of my outfit. His fingers loop beneath the straps and he pulls them down my shoulders. His pace is painfully slow. The part of me that wants to savor the night has been silenced by the wanton woman who is starving to feel Colby’s touch everywhere.
He cups the sides of my face, claiming my mouth in a kiss so intense it could light up the dark room. Our tongues curl and tangle, fighting for purchase as the bare skin of our bodies presses together, the smattering of coarse hair on his chest torturing my overly sensitive nipples.
My head falls back as he begins leaving a trail of lingering kisses along my jaw to the hollow behind my ear and then down my neck. Every languid touch stokes the fire building deep in my core. My fingers weave in his unruly blond curls, never wanting there to be any disconnect between his mouth and my skin. I feel as if we’re floating as Colby moves us to my bed, easing me onto my back on the plush comforter.
“I love you too, Lea. And I plan on showing you just how much over and over tonight.” His breath
ghosting over my moist nipples causes me to shiver for the split-second before he seals his mouth over the tight, rosy bud, flicking and sucking until I’m writhing on the bed. “I’ve thought about what it would be like to have you this way, but even the best dreams couldn’t compare to the reality. You’re beautiful, laid out like that for me.”
His hand tenderly moves to brush the red curls away from my face. The way he hovers with his face inches from mine, staring into my eyes, is almost enough to bring me to tears. “So. Fucking. Beautiful,” he groans between punishing kisses. “And all mine.”
The smile on his face mirrors my own as I reach up to run my hands over the neatly trimmed whiskers on his strong jaw. “Forever,” I promise him. Even though we’ve never talked about the future, I know that I mean that one simple word. There’s no one else I can see spending the rest of my life with, even if it means being in a state of chaos for a while.
My body seizes for a moment when I feel Colby reach between our bodies to release the button on my jeans. This is it. The sounds of our ragged breaths fill the air as he slowly lowers the zipper, my hips arching slightly to allow him to slide the denim over my hips.
Once again, I see him staring at me with a tenderness I never knew him to be capable of. My nerves come to life as he trails his hands along my thighs to my hips and back up my body. The words “I love you” flow from his lips on repeat as he takes his time learning every inch of my body, and I’m unable to plead with him to hurry, to give me what I’m dying to feel because this moment is the one that will last forever in my mind. The first time I’m with the man I will love until the day I die.
“You’re already so wet for me,” he says with a smile as one hand dips beneath the yellow lace of my panties. “I can’t wait to bury myself deep inside of you, feel you coating me.” Two fingers thrust inside of me as if to punctuate his statement.
“More,” I finally beg, the words barely discernable through the moans. My entire body begins to tense as I feel his fingers bringing me to the edge of the cliff, preparing me to soar to climax. “Colby, I need all of you.”
My hands begin fumbling, trying to find the closure on his black dress slacks. He laughs at my lack of grace, distracting me by once again closing his mouth over my breast. When I finally manage to shove his briefs over his narrow hips, I celebrate the groan that I both hear and feel. Taking him in my hand, my strokes match those entering my most sensitive area.
I feel his absence, long for his return, when he breaks all contact long enough to remove a condom from his wallet. The feeling of bliss tamps the bitterness I feel for a moment when I think about the fact that he has them there, ready at a moment’s notice. My boyfriend told me he couldn’t take that step with other women and I have to trust that. My boyfriend. The words send waves of contentment through me. He’s mine as much as I am his.
Colby positions himself over me, slowly gliding his steely erection through my wet folds, preparing himself for that moment. Without even having him inside of me, I feel my body begin to tighten. “Please, Colby,” I beg as the engorged tip of his cock bumps against my clit. “I’m going to come and I want you inside of me.”
“I love you telling me what you need,” Colby praises, leaning down to run his tongue along my lower lip. I open for him, but he pulls away. He’s enjoying this time, torturing me, drawing out the minutes leading up to our union. “You’re so greedy for me. Another thing I love about you.”
Just as I’m about to plead with him again, I bite hard on my lower lip to keep from screaming in pleasure as he enters me. His first strokes are tenuous before he fills me completely, stretching me in the most amazing way. All talk ceases, words replaced by incoherent groans and sighs as he slides into me time and again. There’s no hurrying his pace.
Tears begin to fall as I realize he’s making love to me so slowly because he doesn’t want it to end. He’s drawing out this time together, hoping to make it last until we’re together again. Colby stops, cupping my face in his hands. “Baby, what’s wrong? Am I hurting you?” he asks, concern raising his normally baritone voice.
I shake my head. “Not at all, you’re amazing,” I assure him, running my hands along the muscles in his back. “I just…I’m going to miss you. That’s all.”
Carefully, Colby lowers his body until we’re touching from head to toe. He’s still buried deep inside of me, but neither of us are moving. “Be here with me. Don’t think about anything else, just be with me,” he whispers, kissing me slowly as he eases into a languid rhythm.
My fingers dig into his shoulders as I feel myself nearing another mind-blowing orgasm. His pace quickens, the head of his cock tapping against that magical spot inside of me with every thrust until I shatter.
“Fuck, Lea, you’re killing me here,” he says through gritted teeth as he keeps pushing through my tense muscles. I feel his entire body tense moments before his loud moans fill the room as he comes. “Thank you,” he says reverently, lowering himself so he’s perched on his forearms over me.
“For what?” I ask. It’s the first time I’ve been thanked after sex and the words catch me off guard.
Colby shakes his head as his fingers play with the messy ringlets of hair framing my face. “For being mine.”
Tears threaten to return when he pulls free from my channel, leaving the room to get a washcloth and dispose of the condom. Suddenly, even having him in the next room is too much distance. How am I supposed to handle the next two and a half months without him?
Chapter 12
Colby
There will be time to sleep when I’m stuck on a bus for the better part of a day. That’s a good thing because I can’t bring myself to close my eyes. After a second round of making love, and yes that’s what it was, Lea reluctantly fell asleep, leaving me with nothing to do but watch her. I mentally catalogue every twitch of her lips as she dreams, the way her hands curl under her chin when she’s content. My fingers trace her outline so I will remember the way her silky skin feels.
Sometime before dawn, I pull myself out of the bed. I have to pack and I would rather not have Lea see this part. She doesn’t need to be reminded that I’m leaving her here while I make the biggest gamble of my life. And honestly, I can’t stand to see her cry any more than I know I have to.
Once everything I need is sitting by the door, I start a pot of coffee and make breakfast. Yesterday, when I told Lea she wouldn’t have this special treatment from me forever, I fully intended on making her breakfast every day for a few weeks. Fuck, now I’m the one turning into a hormonal chick, all because I didn’t get enough days of spoiling my girl.
“Hey you,” Lea says, sneaking up behind me. She wraps her arms around my waist, her head resting against my back. “Did you sleep at all last night?”
I should have known she would realize I hadn’t, even though I know she was out like a light. She’s one of the most observant women I know, in just about every way. “Nah, I’ll sleep later,” I tell her, turning in her arms. “I got my shit ready to go and was going to bring you breakfast in bed.”
“Then I’m going back to bed.” She laughs as she pours a cup of coffee, setting it on the counter so she can wrap her arms around me. It’s not the full-of-life laugh I’m used to, but I’ll take anything this morning. After last night, my mind is filled with an odd combination of relief and anxiety over leaving. Relief because I’m confident we’ll figure this shit out as we go, anxiety because what we shared in her bed was un-fucking-real and I don’t want to leave that behind. “I love you, Colby.”
Knowing Lea, she’s going to say those three words as many times as she possibly can in the next few hours. I get it because I know I’ll be doing the same. “Love you too, babe.”
She kisses me chastely before turning away. I reach out, grabbing her by the hip, pulling her against my body. “You really think you’re getting away with that lame excuse for a kiss?” I tease her, holding her to me with a hand on each ass cheek. “If today’s kisse
s have to last me until Thanksgiving, you’d better kiss me like you mean it.”
There’s a mischievous glint in Lea’s eyes as she slides her nimble fingers up my back. My eyes roll back in my head when she hits the spot at the nape of my neck that drives me insane. Even before we were together, she loved ghosting her fingers over that one sensitive area. “Is that a fact?”
I nod, unable to speak before she seals her mouth over mine, her eager tongue demanding entrance between my lips. I love every side of Lea, but this side, the one that’s taking charge and threatening to take me right here in the kitchen, I think that’s about my favorite side of her.
“Don’t burn the breakfast and I’ll show you how much I mean it.” She turns on her heel, putting an extra bit of sway in her hips as she leaves my line of sight. Knowing what’s beneath the thin cotton of my dress shirt, I have to remind myself that she specifically told me to not burn the breakfast. Because I fully intend on letting her show me how much she loves me one last time before I leave.
**
We hold one another tightly as I wait for the bus to arrive. This morning has gone by at warp speed and I fucking hate it. I hate how red and puffy Lea’s eyes are right now. Hate the fact that I’m the one who made her cry. Even if she tells me that she’ll be fine, right now she’s not.
“So, you’ll call me when you get there?” she asks for the millionth time. “I don’t care what time it is, I want you to call me and let me know you got to Aaron’s okay.”
Whatever Robby’s dad told his buddy, it was enough for the guy to not only offer me a job, sight unseen, but he’s offered to let me stay with him until I’m on my feet a bit. It’s a bit odd to me, moving in with someone I’ve never met, but if Robby’s family trusts him, so do I.
Truth or Dare Page 7
