The Way Home (Chasing #3)

by Linda Oaks

  There was no sign of her, but Hank greeted me, his tail wagging. I just wasn’t in the mood for it. “Go on outside, buddy,” I said, and pushed open the screen door letting him out. He took off like a shot. I locked the door, and glanced around the room. Miley’s purse was sitting on the floor near the couch. She was still here. Taking a deep breath, I sat down in the recliner and tugged off my boots. I took my time, trying to get a hold on my emotions.

  Don’t be such a hothead!

  Those words whispered through my mind. Seriously, I was beginning to think I was losing my shit. I’d never had this problem until I returned home. Maybe, my gran was haunting me. I shuddered at the possibility. If she were here, it was very likely she would have already taken a switch to my backside. Feeling calmer, I replayed the events of the night over in mind before heading upstairs in search of Miley. From overhead, it sounded as if something were being dragged across the floor. What was she doing up there? Hiding a body? I paused at the staircase staring at the ceiling. It was now or never.

  The door to Miley’s room was open. A suitcase lay on the bed already half full. Aww, hell no. I barged into her room without even bothering to knock. She was not staying with Cecil… over my dead body. “What in the hell—” I began, only to have the rest of the words I’d been about to hurl her way instantly freeze in my throat.

  Damn, she was breathtaking!

  She stood in front of the closet wearing only a white lace bra and a matching pair of bikini panties. In her hand, she was holding a dress. She appeared as stunned as I was, and then her eyes flashed angrily. She made no move to cover herself, but instead marched straight toward me with swaying hips and bouncing breasts to poke a single fingertip hard into the middle of my chest.

  “Get out of my room,” she demanded, her nostrils flaring. Her skin was smooth and creamy. I knew for a fact it felt like satin. Briefly, I wondered if she tasted like cream. My mouth grew dry as powder at the thought of kissing her intimately, driving her wild with my tongue… then she poked me again harder and this time, I snapped and grabbed a hold of her wrist.

  That fucking hurt!

  “Didn’t your momma ever tell you not to poke a damn bear?”

  Even though I was angry, I well aware of the fragile bones beneath my grip. I would never hurt her, well not physically. Emotionally, I couldn’t promise her anything. She was delicate, but feisty as hell. It was such a turn on. Whatever it was about this woman, it was as addicting as sin.

  “Don’t you know that it’s rude to enter a lady’s room without knocking first?”

  Her heaving breasts held my attention. What in the hell did she just say? The tiny smattering of faint freckles dusting her chest and shoulders reminded me of flecks of gold. The lacey bra she wore provided little protection and allowed for a teasing glimpse of her nipples. They were the color of a ripe, juicy peach. I was hard from the moment I walked through her door. All I could smell was honeysuckle and woman. It was intoxicating, and I felt drunk just from her scent. The teasing pull of the power she held over me left me writhing like a fish on a line. My tongue felt thick. It became hard to swallow. Hell, I forgot how to speak.

  “Ugh!” She yanked her wrist free, then spun around granting me a delicious view of the graceful curve of her spine and that delectable ass of hers that resembled a perfectly shaped heart. She shook out the dress in front of her and raised her arms quickly slipping it over her head. The length ended right above her knees and shamelessly hugged her curves. It was black and seductive as hell.

  “Where are you going?”

  She whirled around wearing an expression close to one of disbelief. “You have some nerve,” she said, her voice trembling. “As if you care.” Then, she turned her back to me once again and began searching through her closet. I watched as she slipped on a pair of matching high heels.

  “It’s after midnight, Miley,” I reminded her, feeling the weight of my words and my decisions pressing down heavily on me.

  “So,” she muttered, and when she started to walk past me, I stepped in front of her blocking the way.

  Her eyes flashed. Her lush mouth flattened into an angry thin line. “That’s real smooth,” she said, and then she started around me again. I blocked her a second time. “Nate,” she warned, her eyes narrowing in on me.

  “I’ll ask you once more, where are you going?”

  She wasn’t leaving this house until she told me. Instead of answering, she tried to step around me once more and failed. My lips curved into a half grin. I could do this all night. Plus, there was nothing I found more attractive than a pissed off Miley. “Fuck you,” she yelled, and crossed her arms over her chest glaring back at me as she tapped the toe of her high heel against the hardwood floor.

  Tap.

  Tap.

  Tap.

  “Anytime. Anyplace. Anywhere,” I teased, only adding more fuel to the already raging fire. She turned an interesting shade of red, and my own anger was temporarily forgotten by the immense joy of teasing her.

  “Cecil is coming to pick me up. We’re driving to Hurley,” she informed me with a too sweet smile. She was goading me, but at the mention of his name… my temper spiked. I couldn’t help it.

  “Think again.” In the blink of an eye, a sharp elbow hit me square in the gut stealing my breath. She darted past me and even though I reached out trying to grab a hold of her… I missed.

  “If you walk out that door, you’ll be sorry.”

  She laughed out loud, clearly not taking me seriously. “Whatever.” She blew me off and disappeared down the hall.

  I was on her before she made it to the stairs. She never even saw me coming. Hell, I was acting half crazed, but that didn’t stop me from scooping her up into my arms and carrying her squirming body to my room. The vile names that gushed from her mouth had me grinning from ear to ear. She again reminded me of an angry kitten spitting and hissing. I strolled over to my bed with the intentions of tossing her onto the mattress, but at the last second, her arms latched around my neck causing me to lose my balance. We both toppled over onto the bed, and I landed directly on top of her. For a moment, I was afraid to move, afraid I’d hurt her.

  She started struggling against me. I grabbed her flailing arms pinning her wrists above her head. She’d almost socked me right in the eye. Sometimes, you had to fight fire with fire. If looks could kill, I’d be lying cold on the floor. She bucked against my body growling at me to let her go, but all she really managed to do was cement my position between her thighs. She grew still feeling my hardness pressed intimately against her.

  Hell, I couldn’t help it.

  Warm breath panted against my lips; only a scant inch separated our mouths. Her hair was spread all around her head. My dark blue sheet played the perfect backdrop for those long strawberry blonde strands of hers. It was then I noticed the sheen of tears shinning in her eyes.

  “Are you ready to listen?” I asked.

  A tear streaked from the corner of her eye disappearing into her hair. At that moment, I felt like a piece of shit, but this was the only way I could make her listen; otherwise, she’d already have been out of the door and long gone by now with Cecil. Outside, I could hear Hank barking his head off so I knew he’d already arrived. That fucker was out there waiting for Miley. If I had my way, he’d be waiting a hell of a long time.

  “Let me go,” she demanded, but I shook my head no as I continued to stare down at her.

  “I’m not hurting you. What you saw tonight at The Eight Ball with Katrina wasn’t what you think.”

  She snorted. “You must think that I’m ten kinds of stupid to fall for that.”

  “Miley, I don’t think you’re stupid. Please let me explain.”

  She glared at me. “Well, it’s not like I have a say so in the matter. It’s not as if I can go anywhere. I detest a man who thinks he can manhandle a woman.”

  My chest grew tight like a giant fist squeezing my heart. Those words hit home, and in less than a second
later, I’d released her wrists and rolled over onto my back lying on the bed. She was free. From outside, I heard a horn honk.

  “Nate,” Miley said, her voice soft, but instead of jumping at the chance to desert me, she rolled against my side and placed her hand on my chest covering my heart. She leaned over me, and I averted my eyes staring at the far wall so I wouldn’t have to look at her. “I didn’t mean you, Nate. I know you would never hurt me.”

  For some unexplainable reason, moisture gathered in my own eyes. I was turning into such a pussy. I blinked it away just as quickly, refusing to look at her. Those words had caused me more pain than any blow she could have ever physically dealt me. She was making me weak.

  “Please say what you wanted me to hear. I’m listening now.”

  The horn honked once again.

  “Your ride is waiting,” I reminded her, finally bringing my gaze to meet hers. The expression on her face was soft and a bit forlorn. She seemed sad. Wayward strands of strawberry blonde hair lay draped along her sleek neck and clung to my chest. I wanted to bury my hands in all of that softness and just forget, but instead I remained still. Blue eyes regarded me intently as I lay there as docile as a lamb beneath her.

  “Nate?” she whispered, her voice softer, almost pleading.

  “There’s nothing to explain. Go,” I said harshly. She moved away allowing me to sit up on the bed.

  This is why I didn’t let anyone in or allow them to get too close.

  She stood before me and smoothed down her dress. The whole time her gaze never left mine. She shoved her hair back and over her shoulders. At the moment, it was too hard to describe what I felt. She wasn’t mine and never could be. I wouldn’t allow myself to have her; not physically… not emotionally. Her forehead was wrinkled in thought as she studied me, then she turned and walked from the room.

  It was just as well.

  I tugged my shirt over my head slinging it onto the floor. Hank bounded into the room, skidding across the floor, and jumped up on the bed beside me. I loosened the snap on my jeans and unzipped them without bothering to take them off and grabbed a couple of pillows positioning them behind my head. I should have just talked to her instead of shutting down. I shouldn’t have let her walk away. Miley was good at pushing every single one of my damn buttons.

  She’d left with him. I hated that fucking Cecil. Did I really expect any different?

  I closed my eyes shutting out the world. The house was quiet except for the sounds of Hank’s soft snores. Suddenly, the bed dipped, and a hand rested lightly against my chest. Miley. My heart stuttered. The tip of her nose touched my bicep. Disbelief had me lying still beneath her touch with my eyes shut tight. This wasn’t happening. Miley had left with Cecil, didn’t she? Warm breath teased my skin. The blood in my veins thickened with awareness, sliding sluggishly throughout my body.

  Besides Natalie, I’d never wanted anyone as badly as I wanted Miley. That thought alone was terrifying. My heart pounded. Surely, she could feel its galloping rhythm beneath her palm. She made me want… want what I’d denied myself for far too long.

  Just maybe, I didn’t deserve to be alone, but was I willing to take that chance? To let someone in… only to have them ripped away from me again?

  I felt her shift beside of me. The soft underside of her arm brushed against my chest, skin on skin, and I bit my lip trying to lay as still as possible and not groan out loud. Soft fingers curled around my wrist. I allowed my muscles to relax. She moved my arm across my chest. She was my guide. Curiously, I wondered what she was up to. There was the brush of silky fabric against the back of my hand then the scrape of lace. There was no denying the warm flesh or the pebbled hardness pressing into the center of my palm.

  Opening my eyes, I stared into the depths of hers. A soft groan pushed past my lips. I was as hard as steel. I couldn’t speak. What was this woman doing to me? Everything I’d never allowed myself to feel, she left me with no choice but to face. For the first time in a long time, I felt something… something more than the rush of pleasure at feeling the weight of a breast in my hand.

  “Nate,” she whispered, her voice husky with desire. I stared back at her feeling slightly dazed and confused. “Not everyone you care about is going to leave you. I’ve been hurt, too, but I’m still willing to try.”

  At hearing those words, self-preservation finally reared its ugly head, and I slipped my hand quickly from the V of her dress. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  There was no way she could see through me.

  For an instant, a flash of anger registered in her eyes then it shifted into something more. Something that had my heart slamming in my chest. She half-way smiled, a sad smile that made me want to take her in my arms, but I didn’t move. I was afraid to. If I touched her… it was all over.

  “But I do know what I’m talking about,” she argued. Her palms slid along my jawline cupping my face. There was no other option but to look at her. “I will fight for you, Nate. You only have to let me in.”

  I closed my eyes, but even then there was no escaping her. In the darkness, her image was burned onto the back of my eyelids, and while lying there at war with myself, she took the decision completely out my hands. My eyes flew open at the sudden weight of her body covering mine. Her toned thighs straddling my hips had my attention completely and irrevocably focused on her. My hands suddenly had a mind all of their own.

  That ass felt awfully damn good.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, even though I’d just squeezed a handful of her ass, hard. I couldn’t help myself.

  Without answering me, she leaned in closer. Her hair slid forward curtaining her face and she braced her hands on my shoulders. Her stomach was flush against mine. Her lips close and teasing.

  “This is me fighting for you,” she answered, a whisper that sent her soft lips lightly dancing across mine in the gentlest of caresses. At the faint brush of her tongue, I was shaking.

  I was drowning in her, and it felt like heaven.

  My mouth moved hungrily — tasting and gorging on all of that sweetness — and thoroughly devoured her lips. She moaned low in her throat, a humming sound that vibrated deep inside of me. Her thighs were trembling as she squirmed to get even closer against me. The warm, smooth glide of her skin along my lower abdomen had my abs tightening almost to the point of pain. A sense of urgency threatened to snap what little control I had left.

  I had to go slow.

  Miley deserved slow.

  One of my hands held hers while the other decided to explore what was hidden underneath her dress. I nudged her panties aside. She was hot, liquid heat; silky and sinful coating my fingertips. When I crooked my finger, my name rushed past her lips. I could come just from hearing that sound alone.

  With her head thrown back in abandon, I increased the pressure in order to hone in on her frantic panting. She was close. My own skin grew increasingly tight, too tight for my frame. I was coming undone, but first, I had to take care of her, before it was too late. Slipping my hand from the warmth of her bottom, I reached for the nightstand, opening the drawer and fumbling for the box of condoms inside, where I successfully managed to snag one.

  Fingers dove into my hair distracting my train of thought. When her mouth latched onto the side of my neck, it became hard to think. A groan rolled past my lips. I dropped the condom onto the bed. My hand slipped from her heat in search of the thin straps of her panties settled low on her hips. I tugged hard. At hearing the elastic snap, she grew still and so did I. With wide eyes, she stared down at me; her face flushed. Her breasts heaving.

  She was so fucking beautiful.

  “I haven’t been with anyone since I found out I was pregnant with Sierra.”

  My hands paused their explorations as I noted the seriousness of her expression. I couldn’t allow myself the opportunity to contemplate the depth behind her words.

  Why me?

  Why now?

  Refusing to think about
it, I skimmed my hands up her arms. My fingers finding the straps of her bra and dress. “I’ll be gentle,” I promised, and began slowly tugging down the material covering her curvy body, carefully exposing each inch by perfect inch of her radiant skin. I wanted to savor this. Cleavage swelled above the tiny scraps of white lace cupping her breasts, and I was mesmerized.

  This woman… she meant more to me than I cared to admit.

  I leaned forward reaching behind her back to undo the clasp of her bra. Greedy lips skimmed my ear, sucking and nibbling as I tugged the lace from her arms and tossed it onto the floor. Her dress pooled around her waist. Bare skin met mine as she arched closer pressing against me. Warm breath fluttering in my ear sent a shiver running straight through me.

  “I don’t want gentle,” she whispered, her voice low and urgent.

  Emotions I didn’t dare contemplate, swelled to life within my chest, threatening to swallow me whole. Without warning, the thin thread by which my control hung chose that exact moment to snap. When I flipped Miley over onto the bed, Hank yelped and scrambled for cover. I’d completely forgotten all about him. Miley giggled and my own lips curved a fraction of an inch into a smile. My hands continued their search and found the hem of her dress.

  “Lift your hips,” I ordered, and in a matter of seconds the dress was tossed aside.

  She had grown quiet, studying me from beneath her long lashes; just watching me, and I wondered what she was thinking. It amazed me that she had no clue as to how much power she really held over me or how hopelessly helpless I was against her. I took in the breathtaking sight of her laid bare before me; the soft flush of pink porcelain skin, legs a mile long, and breasts that were absolutely fucking perfect. Her body was mine to explore, and I didn’t plan on missing a single inch of it. First, I’d start off by teasing her with my hands, and then my mouth would soon follow.

  Only when she finally lay beneath me trembling did I tear open the condom wrapper. With our eyes locked on one another, I took care of myself and, in a matter of seconds, I was positioned once again between her thighs. Fingers clenched my back as I teased her without mercy. At times, it was almost painful, and other times, there was so much pleasure I fought against the urge to come. I stilled my teasing and patiently hovered over her. It didn’t matter what my mind kept telling me… I wanted her.