Love Resisted (The Real Love Series)

by Codina, Melanie

  Dropping his arms down from his hair, she watched as he tossed the one towel in the direction of the bathroom. Two strides in her direction and he lost the one around his waist, too. She could see his erection grow, as he made his way onto the bed and crawled toward her. The look in his eyes was predatory, and she couldn’t control the shiver that slithered down her body.

  He prowled closer, forcing her to lay back as he caged her in with his body. The heat and warmth of his freshly showered body forced a moan from her throat. Braced on his elbows, his face was a few inches from hers. “My beautiful, naked woman waiting for me in my bed … was that an invitation I saw in your eyes?”

  She loved how he talked to her in bed. It wasn’t necessarily dirty talk, but he growled it in such a sexy voice, she definitely considered it foreplay. She licked her lips. “It wasn’t an invitation, but a demand.”

  Her words apparently had the same arousing effect as his, because his lips slammed down against hers. His tongue had demands of its own as it pushed its way in to slide alongside hers. Dropping his full weight down onto her, one hand went to her breast, the other to her hair as he continued his assault on her lips. Sliding her hands around his waist, she used them to apply pressure before dragging her nails up his back to tangle in his hair.

  She could tell he’d become even more aroused. He began rocking his hips, sliding his erection against her now overheated core. Tearing his head away from her lips, he dropped his face to her neck and proceeded to taste and tease every bit of skin he could make contact with his lips, tongue, and teeth. She was on the verge of combusting, and she needed to be able to touch more of him. Planting her foot on the mattress, she straightened the other one as she forced them to roll, allowing her to successfully take control on top. Smiling down at him, she sat up straight and ran her hands up her body. Pausing to cup her breasts before stretching her arms above her head, as she grinded herself against his erection.

  His hands found her hips and helped guide her movements to his pace. Dropping back down, she placed her hands on either side of his head and let her long hair drop down around them. She continued rubbing herself along his length, as his hands circled her breasts, lifting them for him to taste. When his lips closed around her, he sucked hard. This shot a tingling sensation straight through her and her hips jerked in response.

  Reaching down, she took him in hand and guided him into her body. He groaned, and she sighed as her heat engulfed him, his erection filling her completely. Together, they moved. His hands guided her hips as hers dug into his chest to stabilize her rise and fall over him. Their bodies knew each other well—they responded to each other. They mated.

  Her pace faltered as the beginnings of her orgasm rolled over her. Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around her waist as he moved her body to his will, demanding she give him what he wanted. The friction of his pelvis against hers had her crying out his name as he continued to work himself in and out of her body. Taking everything she had to give, she held on to Mike, and rode the wave as his body tightened beneath hers.

  Pulling her lips down to meet his, he slammed her body down on his one more time before he found his release. Still holding her tightly, he nuzzled his face into her neck and placed small open-mouthed kisses along the length of her it. She ran her hands through his hair, scoring his scalp with her nails the way he loved.

  He sighed. “God, I love the way you feel in my arms.”

  She smiled, still perched on top of him. “I love being in your arms.”

  Rolling them, he landed on top of her. “Good, because I think I’m gonna keep you there as much as possible.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling. “Are you thinking I’m going to argue with you about that? Because I’m not.”

  Giving her a serious look, he said, “No, I don’t think you’ll argue with me about that anymore. I’m hoping your resisting days are over.”

  Slipping her hands to his face, she kissed his lips. “Thank you for not giving up on me, Mike Lawson.”

  “Giving up on you was never an option, Allie Baxter,” he said with sincerity. Tears filled her eyes at his words. He pulled his head back. “Oh no, I see tears. I didn’t mean to make your eyes water again, please don’t pinch me,” he said in a mocking voice, making her laugh.

  “Don’t be so dramatic,” she retorted, mockingly. “I’ll settle for another kiss as your punishment.”

  “Is that more demands I hear?” he asked as he leaned forward and kissed her before he gently shifted his hips forward—a clear reminder that he was still inside her and gearing up for another round.

  Lifting her legs to wrap around his waist, she said, “I have a list of them.”

  Later that night, after having all of her demands met, she curled up against Mike and fell soundly asleep, knowing in her heart that the time had finally come for her to say goodbye to her husband.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  MIKE awoke to soft lips pressed against his temple. Allie seemed to like kissing the scar that was still healing there, even though the staples were long gone now. “Wake up my handsome man.”

  “As much as I love the way you wake me up, baby, I can think of other ways that I’d love just as much,” he said with a smirk, not even needing to open his eyes to know she was rolling hers. When she didn’t respond with a laugh or anything, he opened his eyes to see what was wrong. She was kneeling on the bed next to him, already dressed. The shy look on her face told him there was something on her mind, but he was momentarily grateful that whatever was going on didn’t seem to bare resemblance to the time she rushed out of his room.

  “What’s up? Is there something wrong?” he asked hesitantly.

  She shook her head as she chewed on her bottom lip. “I want to go somewhere today, and I was wondering if you’d come with me?”

  Thinking it was strange for her to be shy over this, he sought to comfort her. Brushing her hair back and out of her face, he said, “Of course I can come with you. Did you want me to get dressed now?”

  She nodded quietly. “Okay, just give me a minute to jump in the shower, and I’ll be right out. Do we have time for breakfast?”

  “We can grab something while we’re out, if that’s okay.”

  “Great,” he said as he stood from bed, kissing her on top of head before rushing to get showered. She didn’t seem upset, but there was something heavy hanging over her head.

  When he got downstairs, she stood from the couch, gave him a shy smile and handed him his truck keys. “Can you drive?”

  “Of course. Where to, my lady?” he asked as she bowed and motioned toward the door. She snorted a laugh, which he was happy about since he would’ve worried if she hadn’t responded.

  Once outside, she took his hand. “Can we grab a coffee and maybe a muffin on our way? The drive isn’t long, but it’s not short either.”

  Mike was intrigued. He wasn’t sure where she wanted to go, but if her somber mood was any indication, he was glad she was bringing him along. After a stop to fill up the truck, then a quick stop for coffee, they were heading toward the freeway. Before the light changed, he said, “Okay baby, you know I love a good mystery, but you gotta tell me which freeway to take.”

  He glanced in her direction, but she was staring at her coffee cup. “Head north on I-5 until we pass Camp Pendleton.”

  Mike thought he wouldn’t have been more surprised if he’d woken up with his head shaved. He knew exactly where she wanted to go, and he was humbled that she wanted him to go with her. Reaching across the bench seat, he took her hand in his as the light turned green. “You got it, sweetheart.”

  The drive would take them close to an hour, give or take, based on traffic. The first half of the ride Allie was quiet. She seemed to be nervous, or maybe just deep in thought, but he wasn’t going to interrupt whatever was going on in her head. This was a big step, and even bigger for her to bring someone else. Mike passed the time by enjoying the drive, listening to the radio, acting as n
ormal as he could for her. When they got within fifteen miles of Camp Pendleton, he looked over to see her body taut with tension.

  His hand on her knee surprised her, and she flinched before looking to him. “Sorry.”

  “No problem, sweetheart. You sure about this? We could stop somewhere for breakfast, maybe find a place on the ocean with a view,” he offered.

  She smiled at him and shook her head as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Sliding over, she secured herself in the middle one next to him. “Thanks, but I need to do this.”

  He slipped his arm around her shoulders and her hand went to his thigh. He loved how perfectly she fit next to him. “I agree, it’s something you need to do. But if it becomes too much right now, it can be done later. We can come back.”

  “Nope, today is the day,” she said with conviction and a squeeze of his thigh. It made him smile. Pushing through the last leg of the trip, since the rest area, known as Vista Point, where Marc crashed was only accessible from the Southbound side, they had to drive North past it by a few miles. At the first possible exit, Mike made the turn that would bring them onto the Southbound lanes, and their destination.

  Being one step closer had her squeezing his leg harder, and he could feel the anxiety radiating off her. He wanted to take her away from the source of her stress, away from the place that held her pain, but he knew he couldn’t. Support was all he could give. When they came around the last curve before the rest area came into view, he looked next to him and asked, “Are we stopping?”

  She nodded vigorously, never taking her eyes off the road in front of them. When Mike slowed the truck down and began to take the exit ramp, he heard her breath hitch. There was nothing he could do but take it slowly and let this play out for her. Once they rounded the sharp curve of the exit, he pulled into the first possible parking spot that could accommodate his truck. Throwing it in park, he quickly turned and threw his arm back around her. “Allie?”

  ALLIE could feel the burn in her chest reminding her that she was still holding her breath. Slowly, she let it out and opened her eyes. Mike was staring at her, concern etched on his face. Oh, how I love this man, she thought to herself. Lifting her hand to touch his face, she gave him a half smile, and a nod. “I’m fine.”

  He raised his eyebrows at her in question, but she only nodded again in reassurance. And it was true, she was fine. It wasn’t her first time visiting the spot, but it was her first time coming with Mike. For some reason, she had a sudden of moment fear as he drove on that small stretch of road where she lost Marc, like it was going to take him, too. It was ridiculous, but the thought still nearly knocked the wind out of her.

  The concern was still clearly visible on his face, so she gave him a full smile. “You want to hear something crazy?”

  “From you? Always,” he said with smirk. It helped her relax more when he did that.

  “When we were pulling off the freeway, I panicked at the thought of losing you, too. It was like I thought the road was going to just take you right from my hands.” Shaking her head, she kissed him on the lips. “Crazy, I know, but it was there, and I didn’t like it at all.”

  “Oh, Allie. That’s not crazy at all. How do you think I feel? You have breasts,” he said in a joking manner, like that should be a surprise to her.

  She smiled. “Glad you noticed, babe.”

  “Oh, I noticed all right. But my point is, I look at your beautiful body, and I get crazy excited over it, and then sometimes, I touch your breasts and I have to wonder … is this breast going to try and take you away, too?”

  “Oh, Mike …” she said as she closed her eyes and touched her forehead to his. “What a pair we make.”

  He leaned in and pressed his lips gently against hers. “The way I see it, we’re a perfect match.”

  “I like the way you see it.” She smiled again, marveling at how easy it felt to be there with him.

  After a few silent moments, she asked, “Do you want to get out with me?”

  “I didn’t come all this way for you to make me stay in the car, you know,” he joked as he jumped out and rounded the front of the truck as she opened her door. Stepping down, she took his hand and they walked to the edge of the sidewalk. It stretched along the length of the rest area and faced the ocean. There was no way to get close to the beach; it was only visible in the distance.

  Glancing to the left, she could see the area where she knew Marc had gone off the road. Years ago, when she had first come there, she marveled at how such a short drop-off could’ve taken him. But, the human body was fragile and that was all it took. Looking back out at the ocean, she slipped her arm around Mike’s waist and he wrapped his around her shoulders. Together, they stared out at the ocean.

  The sun was breaking through the marine layer of clouds that were pulling back. There was a chill to the wind as it rolled across the space, but it was a nice day out. It was a nice day to say goodbye. Still enjoying the view, she asked, “Do you ever wonder if Elizabeth were to appear in front of you what she would say?”

  Mike chuckled next to her. “You know, I used to always think about what I would say to her. Like if I had only moments to tell her something, what should I pick?” He laughed again. “I don’t know that I ever wondered what she would tell me.”

  “Did you ever pick the one thing that you wanted her to know?” Allie asked, her curiosity peaked.

  “Yeah, I did. I decided that if I could only tell her one thing, it would be that Zane was doing fine.” He looked down at her and gave her a half smile. “It’s the one thing I would want to know if the tables were reversed.”

  Tears pricked her eyes as she looked into his. “I think you’re right. A mother would definitely want to know that.”

  A smirk graced his handsome face. “Now, if she were the one that got to say something, or ask, I’m sure it would be something along the lines of ‘Are you taking your vitamins?’ and ‘How are my plants?’” He laughed as he brought his gaze back to the ocean. Allie giggled, too.

  They were silent for a little while when Mike asked, “What do you think Marc would say if he were to appear right in front of you?”

  Allie shook her head, “Oh, he’d probably say something along the lines of ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ or ‘Did you seriously think I would be okay with that?’” She paused and let out a sigh. “He would probably be so irritated with me.”

  “Why would he be irritated with you?”

  “Oh, for a few reasons … starting with locking his Camaro up in storage, for moving away from the family when he made it possible for me to stay. For acting so selfish and hiding behind my grief. There are so many things he would’ve called me out on if he could have.”

  Mike chuckled. “He sounds like a great guy.”

  She smiled through the tears that welled in her eyes, like they always did when she thought of him like that. “He really was.”

  After another few quiet moments, he asked, “What about what you would tell him?”

  She nodded before leaning her head on his shoulder. “You know, for the longest time I thought that if I got to tell him something, I would tell him how angry I was at him for trying to drive home when he was tired like that. Especially since I know he only did it because I whined on the phone that night about having to wait until morning to see him. Then, for a while, all I could think to tell him was that I missed him.”

  “And now?” Mike asked.

  Turning to look up at Mike, she smiled. “Now? What would I say to Marc if he were to appear in front of me and I could pick something to tell him?”

  Holding her gaze, he nodded. She tiptoed up and pressed her lips against his. After a moment, she pulled back, looked him in the eye, and said, “I would say, Marc, I’d like you to meet Mike Lawson, the man I love.”

  EPILOGUE

  MIKE moved away from the doorway as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Looking at the screen, he wasn’t surprised to see it was Gillian.

  “Hello
, Gillian.”

  “Don’t you hello me, mister, just tell me how our girl is doing,” she scolded him.

  He couldn’t help but laugh. “Calm down, she’s doing fine. Jason’s in there with her now. I had to step out for a minute—not sure I was being much help.”

  “That’s ridiculous, I’m sure you were very helpful. But really, tell me, is she doing okay?”

  He sighed. “It was rough at first, but when she got her breathing under control, it got better. It shouldn’t be too much longer.”

  “Are you sure she doesn’t need me? I could be down there in a heartbeat, you know?” Gillian asked with hope in her voice.

  He knew this had to be rough for Gillian since she and Allie were essentially two halves of a whole, but Allie needed to do this, and he feared an audience would intimidate her too much.

  “I know that, and if she needs you, I promise I’ll say the word. But she’s doing great, and I promise you can see when it’s all over.”

  Gillian grumbled, “Okay, if you say so. You’re lucky I like you because I really want to smack you around for keeping me away.”

  “If it makes you feel better, you can lay one on me afterward,” he replied with humor.

  “Strangely, that does make me feel a little better. Oh, and I want a picture,” she demanded.

  “You got it. Talk to you soon,” he said before disconnecting and shaking his head.

  Pushing himself off from the wall, he was making his way back to the door when it opened and Jason walked out with a smile on his face as he nodded and said, “She’s ready, man. You better get in there, she’s asking for you. I’ll take care of stuff out here.”

  “Thanks, man,” Mike said as he shook Jason’s hand, giving him a pat on the shoulder as he made his way inside. When he rounded the corner, he saw his little firecracker. She looked up and gave him a smile before waving him over. Moving quickly to her side, he bent over and kissed her, hoping to convey all of the love and support he wanted her to feel from him.