by Vivien Vale
A minute later, I’m naked and stepping underneath the steaming water. Heat runs through me, instantly clearing my still sleepy mind.
Not surprisingly, my thoughts turn immediately to Wyatt. Seeing him again has affected me even more strongly than I would have guessed. I feel completely overwhelmed by my attraction to him.
I’ve thought of little else since he first stepped into my office. Or honestly, since Jake first mentioned he would be accompanying us here.
All of my dormant feelings have woken with a vengeance, surprising even me with their power.
I want Wyatt like I’ve never wanted any other man. I need him.
My entire body, every single nerve, seems to burn for his touch.
I imagine it again as I stand beneath the gushing water, picturing his hands roving roughly across me.
More than anything, I want to feel him for real. I want to know what those hands of his can do, want to taste him on my tongue.
I groan in frustration, feeling my pussy grow instantly wet.
All I want is to be near him again. It’s like a craving, I need to be able to look at him. At the very least.
My last bit of reservation seems to shrivel up and die. As much as a part of me would like to remain rational here, there’s just no space in my mind for it. I am already full to the brim with my need for him.
And if anything is ever going to happen between us, it’s going to be now.
I’m sure of it.
There’s never been a better time. Never a more perfect place.
After all, it was here that I fell for him the first time. Here, where we had our first kiss. Countless pages of youthful lusting were scribbled under this roof.
It should definitely be here that all that buildup is finally fulfilled.
I feel the grin spreading widely across my face as I work shampoo into my drenched hair.
It really is perfect.
I couldn’t have planned it better if I had tried.
As it stands though, this whole situation came to be without any help from me. Call me a romantic, but that kind of feels like a sign.
And more importantly, I think he feels it too.
If the way he looks at me now is any indication, I’d say I’m actually pretty damn sure of it.
I finish up and step from the shower, water pooling around my feet as a million different images flash through my mind.
Memories of our time spent here when we were young mingle with fantasies of what might happen now.
I feel my heartbeat accelerate, butterflies flapping wildly in my stomach.
I had given up on the idea of a relationship with Wyatt long ago, thinking that when he left for the SEALs, any chance of us went along with him.
Now, I see how extremely wrong I was.
Turns out, we might only have needed time, to wait, to grow up. Luckily, we’ve had plenty of it. Too much, in my opinion.
Now, there’s nothing left to stand in our way.
I dry off quickly, anxious to get dressed and go downstairs, wondering if Wyatt’s even awake yet.
I certainly hope so. Though if not, I can wait. What’s another hour compared to how long I’ve already pined for this man?
I feel like we’ve been given a second chance here, and I don’t intend to waste it.
Chapter 13
Wyatt
“Good morning,” I say without thinking as I see Ruby walking in the hall carrying a towel on her way to the bathroom.
I assume she’s going to shower.
“Hey, good morning,” she replies. Her smile is as wide as I had ever seen. “How’s your sleep?”
“Great,” I lie. I can’t show her my weakness.
“Me, too,” she responds. She sashays into the bathroom and I know she’s lying, too.
Okay, I don’t know she’s lying. I just fucking hope she’s lying. I can’t be the only one missing out on sleep from this back and forth teasing shit. Something’s gotta give.
Do I disrespect my goddamn best friend and his entire family by fucking Ruby?
Or do I make all my dreams come true by fucking Ruby?
Of all the questions I need answers to, those might be the smallest. I need to know why she’s always carrying that old book around. What kind of fucking secrets are she keeping?
I probably shouldn’t care, but I’ve never been one to trust fate. I mean, that’s damn near impossible to do with the life I’ve lead.
But—you know a thought is bad when you can barely say it to yourself.
What if there’s something in it that I should know? Something Ruby can’t tell me, but wants to? I’d never fucking forgive myself if she needed me and I didn’t do what I can to help her.
Yeah, I know this is my morning whiskey talking. But seriously, what if?
I hear the shower and I know that I’ve got about a half hour. I don’t know what that damn woman does in the shower, but she’s liked long showers for as long as I’ve known her.
I’ve gotta go in.
No one else is awake, and I’m extra careful to make sure no one wakes up while I do this. I’m about to read a girl’s diary—her secret book.
When I enter the bedroom, everything is a mess.
Ugh, fucking women.
She’s got clothes sprawled across her unmade bed and enough shoes on the floor to be considered land mines.
Now, if I was a little black book, I’d hide…here—I open the drawer to Ruby’s nightstand and hurry out of the room like I’d stolen classified FBI documents.
The black leather is hot and soft against my fingertips as I hurry to my own room. And an unexpected bout of nausea rushes through my gut.
Butterflies?
Fear?
I’m not very familiar with either, but I’m sure it’s one of those.
When I close and lock the door to my bedroom, I spend a few moments catching my breath, feeling like I’d been chased.
Yeah, the damn Navy fucked me up.
I sit at the mahogany desk facing the window. I’d always loved this view. It’s similar to the one in the living room where I like to watch the mountains, but higher; it’s a completely different world from up here.
Finally understanding the sick feeling in my stomach as anxiety, I take a deep breath and open the book.
He’d probably never look at me as more than Jake’s silly little sister, but if I had one wish, it would be for Wyatt to see me as a woman. I know, I’m just a teenager, but I feel it in my soul. We were made to have beautiful little babies together. A girl named Wynona. A boy named Rueben? Am I crazy? Could he ever love me?
I slam the book shut and immediately reopen it. What the hell? I’m in shock. The date on the journal entry is seven years ago.
“Seven years.” I whisper to myself, still unsure if I believe it at all.
I flip ahead—maybe 30 pages.
My heart is broken. He slept with that stupid girl. Why her? Why’d she have to be his first? Why not me?
No one understood why I was so quiet at dinner tonight. Of course not! I wouldn’t want to be in trouble if someone else found out that I eavesdropped on Jake and Wyatt’s conversation.
I’d be in trouble for loving my brother’s best friend. We could’ve been each other’s firsts. He was supposed to take my virginity, too.
When I slam this book shut, this time it’s for good. I sneakily smile to myself, suddenly with a sober feeling like I’m a damn Bond villain.
I can have her.
These can’t all be old feelings, right?
It’s all starting to make sense. Ruby was always kinda weird around me, but Jake told me weird was her normal.
That’s what brothers say about their sisters. He probably didn’t know any better.
She’d been trying to impress me just as much as I’d been showing off for her. I laugh internally, especially when she sliced her hand open the other night.
I continue connecting the dots and I’m loving it. Then, I hear the sound of
the shower stop.
Oh, fuck!
I sneak back into Ruby’s room, returning her journal to its original spot.
Pacing the halls, I decide it’s a good time to take Rowdy for a walk. I need to clear my head, fucking figure my plan out. I can have her.
No, I already have her.
How do I solidify it, though, without Jake and his parents hating me? Am I really good enough for her?
I choose to walk Rowdy without a leash today since the Watsons’ vacation property is so big.
We walk among the trees and gravel in the front. Making our way into the woods, Rowdy sees a squirrel he wants to chase.
I follow him, my mind wandering.
Every memory from every moment I’ve shared with Ruby plays in my mind. I can feel the goofy fucking smile I fought back when we shared that kiss.
I understand what she meant all those random times she stammered and spoke in circles around me. I know her now in a way I’ve never known any person, and I’m trying to figure out what to do with it.
Because at the end of the day, I’m still me. I’m not the Wyatt she wrote about, the one she planned to have babies with.
I’m not the kind of guy nice girls like Ruby are supposed to fall in love with. I’m the monster who was discharged from the SEALS, right?
Ruby can’t love me. She shouldn’t love me—but she does.
And I love her. But can I really ever tell her?
I continue following Rowdy’s lead, envisioning my beautiful future girlfriend, or maybe even wife stepping out of the shower. I see her in nothing but a towel, sitting on her bed, reading about me, writing about me.
She’s vulnerable and needy, finally ready to confess. Yet I’m not around cause I followed Rowdy into the damn woods like a fucking idiot.
“C’mon bud, it’s time to go.”
He follows after me and we walk back to the lake house. I tell him all the new things I learned about Ruby. His reply is to chase another fucking squirrel.
While he’s off running amok, I sit back and think to myself.
Could Ruby really still feel this way? Because if she does, I’ll spend every second to show her that I feel the same way, too.
Chapter 14
Ruby
In the shower, I was surprised by how cavalier I was with Wyatt in the hall. But when it really came down to it, that shower was all about him.
I fantasized about being naked with him: rubbing his strong, sexy body and licking him from top to bottom. I thought about sitting on his face, using it as my throne.
And babies. The babies are back. I ache so badly for a future with this fucking man, I don’t know how to deal with it.
In the privacy of my bedroom, I observe my naked body in the full-length mirror. I think about the “flaws” I had before and picture the way Wyatt looks at me—like I’m perfect.
I wonder how many women he’s been with at this point and if any of them matter at all. I undress my naked body with his eyes and hope there is nothing to worry about.
Of course, he’d love me.
My dad sends me a text letting me know everyone’s ready to go hiking. But I can’t go. Not like this.
My heart is racing. My pussy is wet. And I’m naked with a locked door.
I lie on my back in the beautiful plush bed I’ve had thousands of dreams about Wyatt in throughout the years. I hear his voice call my name, knowing the echoes are just intangible fantasies.
I still allow them into my head, the way I wish his stiff cock would. I lick my index and middle fingers, sucking on them until passion forces my teeth to interfere.
Then, I guide them back and forth on my clit, moaning silently into the open country air. I subconsciously whisper his name trying to find some relief. I decide I can’t come without him, and I stop.
I stop the fantasy. Stop the motion.
I frown on my back, hungry for him. Wishing for his rock hard cock to show me everything I’ve been missing, everything I’ve been wishing for.
Just as I think it’s safe to get dressed and join my family, I see that it isn’t. My pussy is still tingling for him. I need to come.
I close my eyes and feel Wyatt’s lips on my neck. On my earlobe. With his baritone down to a whisper, he confesses that he’s always wanted me. He’s ached for my touch.
That’s why he’s come back. I rub my clit again, this time more aggressively. There’s more fire.
With my free hand, I go back and forth squeezing my nipples. Panting deeply, biting my juicy bottom lip to keep any sound from escaping.
I love him. There, I love Wyatt.
I feel myself getting closer to reaching the climax—closing my eyes tighter, biting my bottom lip harder, and rubbing my swollen clit faster.
What if I just allowed him to come inside of me?
I envision Wyatt taking my tight little pussy from behind.
He’s handling me like a beast. He knows what I need. Most of all, he’s taking what he needs for himself.
He thrusts in and out of me, back and forth. I feel myself wanting to blend my reality with my dreams, so I roll over onto my stomach. I stick my ass high in the air and continue to rub my clit.
With my face buried into my pillow, I feel it’s safe to finally let the moans that have been begging to escape my throat loose. I want them free in the bedroom I now share with Wyatt as his wife, his best friend, his everything.
As I rub my clit, I feel more juices escape my pussy. I breathe deeply in preparation for my first orgasm. I need this just as much as I need him.
He senses it, so he digs harder, deeper into me. I almost scream, but I bite hard onto my bottom lip, once again afraid I’ll alert someone else of what’s happening.
My eyes tighten as I feel it. The rush I’ve heard described many times before. I can barely breathe; I need this.
I need this.
I finally feel my pussy come, my clit raw from the rubbing. I collapse onto my bed and allow myself to enjoy a temporary stillness.
Breathing deeply, I let myself think of nothing. My entire body is numb, riding a train of inexplicable bliss.
I try bringing myself back to reality. There are people waiting for me, after all.
I think I heard my phone ring since my dad’s last message. Maybe not. I don’t know anything to be true anymore.
Well, no. I know that I need Wyatt.
I lick my sweet cum from my fingertips and savor the flavor. It’s my reward for loving him. He’s my reward for life.
I’d stay in the position all day, flat on my stomach. Cum inviting stickiness between my inner thighs.
But I can’t. People will worry, and before I know it, they’ll be at my door.
How could I explain my current situation to anyone but Wyatt at this point?
Still, I feel myself blush at the thought of him seeing me this way. Love should be easier, like the movies.
I sit up in my bed and exhale in frustration. Then, I get up and walk to the mirror that started this whole thing.
Mirror, mirror on the wall…I smile to myself.
I feel different now—a little more grown up, bolder, and more confident.
I’m not saying I’ll walk up to Wyatt and grab his cock. I just think that if he doesn’t see the glow and the beauty I see right now, something has got to be wrong with him.
Right?
I hate the way he makes me feel insecure and unfocused. But on the flipside, I love thinking about us as the happiest couple in the world. There’s got to be a reason things happened this way.
There has to be a reason I’ve grown a million ways over the years, except one. I am a totally different person, but still love the same man.
Why is that?
Perhaps it’s something I should ponder while getting dressed.
Chapter 15
Ruby
I lay still for a long moment—my breathing hard and fast, small tremors still racking my body. This is getting ridiculous.
Some
how even getting myself off on the idea of Wyatt is more intense, more powerful than when I imagine anyone else.
I can’t remember the last time I came so hard, if I ever have. It makes me wild at the thought of actually being with him.
Even in the limited scope of my fantasy, he takes my fucking breath away.
Literally.
I laugh in delight, thinking how amazing it will be when it actually is him. I don’t know how much longer I can wait. Even the single day he’s been back in my life has been torture.
My need for him is driving me crazy.
I stare unseeing at the ceiling, my mind running back through my fantasy of him. His kiss, his touch. I feel my skin flush from head to toe.
Heat is still radiating through me at the mere thought of him. I’m so caught up in the daydream that it takes a while before I even remember that I have some place to be.
The hike.
With a contented sigh, I roll to the side, forcing myself to finally rise up from the bed. I waver as I stand, feeling shaky on my own feet.
I cross to the vanity and take a seat, thoughtlessly grabbing for my brush. As I pull the occasional tangle free my mind wanders naturally back to Wyatt.
It’s fucking thrilling to know that he was in the house while I came to the thought of him. Somewhere, maybe just on the other side of the wall, he was sitting while I bit my lip to keep from screaming his name. Some part of me only wishes he could know about it.
With a practiced hand, I apply my makeup, not even focusing on the task. My body is running on auto pilot, my mind thoroughly diverted elsewhere.
While my hand grasps for my lipstick, my mind is back in that amazing fantasy. As I brush the light color on my lips, I feel only my tongue sliding against his. When I grasp my powder brush, I’m imagining holding something else entirely.
Before I know it, I’m done getting ready, finished without having paid attention to a single thing I was doing. I look myself over in the mirror, impressed by the results. Not bad for someone who was off in la la land the whole time.
I run my fingers through my hair, arranging it to fall the way I prefer before turning to leave the room.
At this point, I’m not even surprised by who I find standing in the hall.
