The Dividing Line

by Victoria H. Smith

  “Oh, no, Drake. I’ll come too quick if you do that,” she panted.

  I simply grinned, bringing her leg over my shoulder. “Then I guess I’ll have to make you come over and over,” I said before burying my face between her legs.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Lacey

  Drake parted my folds with his tongue, moving gingerly over my clit. The sensation caused my vision to cloud, and I gasped, throwing my head back against the seat. He worked me with his tongue, licking hungrily, like he needed my taste to survive. He’d barely started and my legs shook, my toes curling. I was reaching my peak already, but I couldn’t help it. He was always so good at this; he made my body a slave to him with his mouth.

  “Look at me, Lacey,” he breathed, his voice extremely husky.

  My eyes were glassy, but I managed to see him when I tipped my chin. Drake stared at me, lust ringing his dark eyes. His face was just above my mound; his full lips wet with my arousal.

  “I want you to watch, Lacey,” he said, his voice so deep. Feral. “I want you to watch as I make you come.”

  He latched on to me, and I squirmed beneath him. It was so hard, but I forced my eyes to stay open, watched him as he instructed me to. He lapped away, tasting with long strokes and driving me so close to the edge. A throaty noise escaped my lips, and I braced his silky black hair, pushing my fingers into his scalp, as he bobbed his head over me.

  He let out a deep groan, and I knew it was because of my digging fingers. He dipped down further, the muscles of his shoulders striating, as he moved his working mouth to my core. His tongue pushed right in, and I lifted my hips, grinding against his face. This only made him pick up his pace. He put my other leg over his shoulder; pulling my thighs and making me buck harder against him. The whole time, I forced myself to stay coherent, but when my orgasm hit in a wave of electricity, I could no longer keep sight of him. I shut my eyes tight, reaching behind my head to grab the door handle during the wave. Drake tasted me during every moment of it, drawing out every minute of my release.

  Spent, I dropped the door handle and watched as Drake lowered my thighs from his shoulder, then rubbed the back of his arm across his lips. He grabbed my waist, pulling me toward him, and I didn’t think I could go again so soon, especially after what he just did to me. But as I studied his body, I felt the tingle pulsate between my thighs again.

  His tan skin covered a set of defined abs and hard pecs.

  Reaching out, I slid my hands along the contours of his chest. His dark eyes hooded while I searched, explored, that long, lean body that had my own blazing with an intense heat. I pressed into the hard panes, brushing over his dark nipples. His lips parted when I did that, exposing his skilled tongue. My mouth watered at the sight and visions of his head between my thighs caused my nipples to harden, my breasts to go heavy. He opened his eyes when I put my hands on his broad cheekbones, and the lust in his gaze had to match my own.

  He lowered his mouth to mine, kissing me with vigor. His masculine scent had me panting beneath him. He bit my lip, causing me to groan, before running his tongue over it soothingly. God, I loved when he did that.

  “Lacey…” he moved over my lips.

  I instantly parted them, and he slid right in. His tongue tangled hotly with mine, not allowing me to catch my breath until he thoroughly had a taste. His hands went to the straps of my teddy, sliding the one-piece down until he had it underneath my belly button.

  He suckled my breast, gently kneading the other in his large hand. I braced his shoulders when he found my piercing. Drawing my nipple in between his teeth, he flicked at the barbell repeatedly with his tongue. I squeaked out his name, and his arousal hardened against my thigh.

  I pushed my hand between us, sliding inside his boxers to get a hold of him. He bit down on my breast hard in return. I got a firm hold, moving over the pulsating length. He was long, thick, and so much male. My walls clenched at their emptiness, needing what I held in my hand inside me.

  “Drake, please. I can’t wait any longer,” I panted.

  He released my breast, licking his full lips when he drew back. I watched as he pushed down his boxers, allowing me to see what I so heavily desired. His pelvic lines guided right to it, outlining the masterpiece.

  Instantly, I went to remove my lingerie completely, but he stopped me with his hand.

  “Careful,” he said, sliding the black lace down my thighs. “Don’t want to rip this. Victoria’s Secret, right?” He grinned.

  I snickered at his reference. “Close. Fredrick’s of Hollywood.”

  He nodded as he pulled it off, tossing it to the floor, and all jokes went aside when he wrapped his hand around himself.

  I sucked in a breath. He went fully erect in his hand, the tip of the head glistening as he readied himself. What was it about guys touching themselves that was so heavily erotic? I couldn’t catch my breath at the sight.

  He bent, hovering over me while he held himself between my thighs. He placed gentle kisses on my neck. “Well, I plan to be buried deep inside you, Lacey Douglas,” he said, placing the tip of his erection against my slit. “And I don’t want to be held accountable for damaging your lingerie.”

  He slid into my heat, forcing a cry of pleasure to escape my lips. He stretched me, going long and deep, and my walls closed around him tightly. I’d never felt anything like it before. He was so warm, so close to me in every way. There was nothing between us, no barriers at all, and it felt absolutely amazing. I brought my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer as my hips synchronized with his thrusts. He kissed my neck, whispering sweet words near my ear. Things like how beautiful he thought I was, how it made him feel to be with me, and that he loved me.

  “I love you too,” I gasped out.

  Pulling back, he claimed my lips. The kiss was earnest, laced in passion. We both knew what tonight meant. That a long absence was in our future, and we made love like it would be the last time. Branding and memorizing each other’s touch. Each other’s kiss and taste.

  Over the past several months, I’d allowed myself to open up to someone. Let that person come into my life and even allowed them to take care of me. I didn’t realize how much I needed that before I met Drake. How much I’d longed for it. Drake was my best friend, my everything, and when that type of person comes along its hard to remember life before them. Perhaps this time spent apart would help us grow as individuals, but right now, letting this man know how much he meant to me was my only goal. I put everything into it, allowed myself to get swept away completely underneath him.

  My hips stiffened, and the familiar build up started low in my belly. It became too much, and I released around him. Like we were perfectly in sync, Drake followed me, and a shot of warmth filled me inside with his release. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling, the new level of intimacy.

  His lips brushed my ear after he relaxed, trailing warm kisses down to my neck. His voice seemed to come from out of nowhere. “That was my first time too,” he whispered.

  Smiling, I closed my eyes, feeling as if I was on the most wonderful cloud.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Drake

  I held Lacey in my arms, moving my lips slowly over hers. We were down the hall from the airport’s bathrooms, tucked away from the world in our own little corner. Her family and Margot had left long ago, so now it was time for our goodbyes. Lacey was brave through each farewell from her family. Every hug, every kind word. This didn’t surprise me. It was rare when Lacey cried. She was one of the bravest people I knew. She could handle the most extreme situations without blinking, but now, in my arms, she was nearly breaking down. Her golden cheeks were flushed, her brown eyes glassy when I caught a glimpse of them during our kiss. She was attempting to steel her emotions, but her kiss told me all I needed to know about how close she was to tears. It killed my heart, made it so hard for me to be the brave one and let her go. I loved this woman more than anything and would never dream of hurting her, but that is
exactly what I was doing now by pushing her to leave. This was for the best. We both knew it, which was why we were allowing some distance to be placed between us. That logic didn’t make the separation any easier, didn’t cancel the hurt that stemmed from being away from each other for so long. All I could do in the moment was make dealing with that pain easier by allowing her mind to drift away under our kiss. I held her tight, not wasting a second during the sweet contact, but I was forced to by reality. We’d spent too much time here. Tucked away. She had to go. I had to let her leave.

  Separating our lips, I leaned my forehead against hers. “You gotta go, Lace.”

  The words physically hurt me to say them.

  Her small arms left my neck but didn’t retreat as she pushed them around my midsection. She buried her face in the crook of my neck, and her soft, curly hair teased my skin. I strengthened my hold around her, memorizing her light scent of fruit and sweet vanilla.

  “Tell me again why I’m leaving you,” she whispered.

  Though I wanted nothing more than to convince her otherwise, I did as she asked. “Because Paris is your dream.”

  She went quiet, trailing her warm, tiny fingers along my spine. “What if my dream for myself has changed?” she asked, pulling back so I could see her eyes.

  I placed my hands to her cheeks, studying the sadness in her big brown eyes. Her dream hadn’t changed, which is exactly why I was letting her go. Guiding her head down, I kissed her brow. “If it had, then you’d know.”

  She nodded once in my hands, gripping my wrists under her small touch.

  Pulling in a breath, she stepped back and bent to grab the handle of her carry-on. I took it for her and dragged it alongside me while I walked her as far as I could to her gate. I held her hand tightly, staying just as silent as she was all the way to security. I stopped the bag and brought her into my arms. We might have gotten a few stares since we were out in the open. I noticed quite a few glances the last time we were here, but I couldn’t care less about those people. This time right here belonged to us, and who gave a shit what anyone else thought?

  Lacey sniffed in my ear, and when I brought her forward, she’d finally allowed her tears to fall. She dipped her head like she was ashamed of them, but I made her look at me, allowing her to know it was okay with a smile.

  She did the same, her soft lips lifting as I wiped the tears from underneath her eyes with my thumbs. I went to release her, but she pushed her arms around my neck again. I was weak and could do nothing but return the embrace. I needed this just as much as she did.

  Her small voice took me by surprise. “Promise me you won’t do what you did in Paris. What you’ve let yourself do your whole life.”

  I pulled back, not understanding what she meant.

  She took my hands, turning them over to look at mine. “Promise me you’ll seek out what you’re looking for,” she said, gazing up. “Something that makes you happy. I want you be happy, Drake. So much more than myself. Please promise me you’ll try.”

  I placed my hands on her cheeks, kissing her soft lips gently. Moving over, I kissed up her cheek until I made it to her ear. “I promise I’ll try.”

  Lifting her head, the warmest expression lit up her face. “Thank you.”

  I pushed one of her curls behind her ear. “Now, hurry back to me. I’m a broken man without you.”

  Sniffling, she wiped her finger underneath her eye, her lips holding a smile. She wet her lips once and gave me one last kiss before taking her bag and walking away. I followed her with my gaze until the crowded airport swallowed her up.

  I thought about her words long after I left the airport that day. Despite everything else, her final thoughts were of me and my happiness. My lips lifted at the thought. How lucky I was to find such a girl.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Lacey

  Nearly the entire flight, I ran my finger over the crystal heart charm Drake gave me, hoping I made the right decision in going back to Paris. Before I left, I mentioned my dream and it possibly changing, but the minute Drake looked into my eyes he knew it hadn’t. He knew that Paris and the opera were what I wanted, but was that dream worth it if I couldn’t have it with the person I loved? Right now, it didn’t feel that way, and as I stepped into an empty flat, knowing his handsome smile wasn’t just a floor below and his strong arms weren’t there to greet me after a long duration of traveling, that feeling only felt stronger.

  My phone pinged as I collapsed onto the couch, and I immediately got it out, hoping it was Drake. I hadn’t talked to him in nearly forty-eight hours. The constant travel didn’t allow me any service and I couldn’t check-in.

  Miss me yet? Drake’s text read.

  Three simple words and my heart managed to explode in happiness. I texted away to tell him how much I did miss him until I checked the time on my phone. It was early evening here, which meant it was the middle of the night in Chicago. I could only gather that he sent his text earlier, and now that I had service, I was just getting it. The thought was confirmed by the text’s timestamp. It was sent only minutes after I got on my flight in Chicago. I smiled at the thought, but frowned that I didn’t receive it sooner. My phone pinged again in my hand. Another backdated text from Drake.

  Call me when you get in. Don’t worry about what time it is when you do. I just want to make sure you got home okay. Miss you. Love you.

  God, I wanted to call him, but it would literally be almost three a.m. over there, and I was pretty sure he’d be starting his new job in the morning….

  The phone made its way to my ear, and I bit the backing of my lip ring during the cell phone’s ring, hoping that there was a small chance he might still be awake, and I wasn’t disturbing him.

  “Hey, gorgeous girl,” he said, his voice a bit drowsy.

  I cringed. He sounded so tired. I knew I shouldn’t have called him so late. Sighing, I laid my head back on the couch. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to wake you. I can call back in the morning.”

  “Don’t be silly,” he paused, yawning into the phone.

  I couldn’t help but smile, knowing how cute he looked when he yawned. Like a little sleepy, cuddly bear.

  “Besides,” he continued. “I’m completely awake now that I’ve heard your voice and couldn’t sleep if I wanted to. So if you hang up now you will be the sole reason I won’t be able to get back to sleep. You don’t want that hanging on your conscience, do you?”

  I snickered. Three a.m. and he was still full blown with humor. “I suppose not.”

  “Good. Now, how were your flights? Did everything go okay? No problems?”

  I thought about the crying babies, smelly passengers, and bad airline food as I got to my feet and headed into my bedroom to drop off my luggage. I shrugged to myself. “Same long flights with terribly uncomfortable seats that were far more easier to deal with when I had you alongside me.”

  He chuckled. “Well, I just have that way of making even the most awful experiences better, don’t I?”

  I could practically hear him grin through the phone. I laughed, flicking on the room light, then depositing my bags onto my bed. “I refuse to boost your ego with a yes.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes then.”

  I shook my head. “Anyway, what have you been doing while I was away?”

  “Not much. Derrick’s been showing me around the neighborhood. Good places to eat, where to get groceries, and the location of the garage. I start work tomorrow.”

  I nodded like he could see, pulling my clothes out and tossing the dirty ones into my laundry basket.

  “And get this: I’ll be taking the bus. I’ve never had to do that before. It will be… interesting. I’m actually excited, though.”

  I couldn’t fight the chuckle I made at the actual excitement in his voice. Drake had been born into so much wealth his spoon could be described as platinum rather than silver. It didn’t surprise me he’d never taken the bus before. That elation wouldn’t last long after he
tried it, but I thought I’d give him some tips to make the transition easier. I took a seat on the bed. “Just make sure you’re up extra early. The driver will not stop if you’re late and actually makes a point of laughing at people that chase after the bus.”

  He snorted into the phone. “Okay.”

  “And if the bus is busy and you’re forced to stand, stay alert about the location of your wallet. I’ve never had any problems, but I’ve heard stories.”

  “Thank you so much, my white knight. I now feel thoroughly secure about future bus-riding endeavors.”

  He thought I was joking. Well, he’d see tomorrow. I stood, making my way to the bathroom with a fresh set of clothes from my bag. Drake spoke again while I was turning the faucet on.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  I poured bubbles into the running water with the receiver propped to my ear. “I’m about to take a bath. I need to wash this travel off. Hey. Just a sec okay?” I placed the phone on the toilet seat then stripped down. After covering myself with my silk robe from the bathroom door, I put the phone back to my ear. I was about to tell Drake I’d make the bath short and then call him back, but I was distracted upon hearing his voice on the other end. Actually, it wasn’t his voice. It was his breathing. Husky, deep, and labored. The sounds were reminiscent to the ones he made when… we were making love.

  I licked my lips involuntarily. “Drake?”

  He didn’t answer right away, and my heart raced while I listened to the rough breathing on the other end of the phone. “Can I join you, Lacey?” he asked.

  My breath caught in my throat, and when I swallowed, it was a large lump. “W-What do you mean? How?”

  He responded instantly. “Put me on speaker. Let me talk to you while you’re bathing.”

  He wanted to… oh my gosh. Before I left, he did ask if we could have intimate phone conversations, but that was before I threw myself at him that last day. He obviously was still holding me to my promise of not necessarily saying no to his request.