by Meg Collett
Later that evening when the Thai takeout boxes were in the trash, Hale said, “I have a surprise for you.”
“Is it a furniture magazine?” Kyra asked, groaning as she rose from the floor. “Cause I really need to get some.”
“I can take you to some salvage places tomorrow to pick some stuff out if you want.”
“That would be great.” She stretched out her back. “So what’s the surprise?”
“Follow me.”
They went to the back porch and turned on the outside light. Kyra gasped.
The entire back garden was pruned and weeded. New plants with fragrant, white blooms had been added with fresh mulch. A hammock stretched between the two large magnolia trees.
“Hale! How did you do all this in one afternoon?”
“You did most of the work. But most old houses like this always had a white garden in the back. The flowers only bloom at night, and they have the sweetest smells.”
Kyra went down the stairs and examined her new garden. Something about the delicate, white blooms opening up only at night swelled her heart. They were hidden, precious gems with the nicest perfumes.
“This is…it’s amazing. Thank you, Hale.” She looked back up at him where he still stood on the porch. In the warm light from the porch and with the moon illuminating his face, he looked like the man she wanted to keep for all her life. She needed this, to see him standing on her porch smiling down at her. Tears brimmed along her eyes. This was what she wanted, what she yearned for.
Suddenly, Kyra just needed his hands on her. She needed to feel him close to her, to claim him while he was hers. When she pulled her shirt over her head, Hale’s eyes went wide with understanding. He was down the porch steps when she reached for the button on her shorts.
“I think we should break in that hammock,” she whispered, letting her shorts fall to the ground. Hale bowed over her, his hands reaching for her face to pull her into a kiss. Their lips met, and she knew she was falling in love with him.
He picked her up and carried her to the hammock. He sprawled out on it, pulling Kyra down on top of him. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, removing her bra. His hand closed over her breast. “Couldn’t stop looking at you that day we met. It pissed me off.”
“I could tell.” Her laugh turned into a gasp when he rolled her nipple between his fingers.
“I wanted you then. I knew I would need to get my hands on you.”
Kyra couldn’t respond as he kissed her neck, his hands rasping across her skin. She undid his pants and pulled his erection free. The ache between her legs was a steady pulse that needed to be relieved. He didn’t bother taking her panties off; he just pushed the material to the side and guided his tip inside her.
Their legs were so entangled, and the hammock was so tight around them that he couldn’t push too far inside of her. But Kyra moved against him, sliding him in as far as she could. Hale hissed, his hands clenching the meat of her ass as she rocked against him.
“You feel so tight,” he groaned, clenching his eyes shut.
“Touch me again like you did last night.” Kyra needed relief. She grinded against him, but when he started using his fingers on her clit, she started to feel that wonderful build up. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to force herself to come. She needed it so bad.
“Not yet,” he said, taking his fingers away.
“What?” she gasped, looking at him. Her body burned. “Why not?”
He started touching her again with one hand while he kept the other on her ass, guiding her motions and keeping her from moving too fast. “You’ll come when I tell you.”
Kyra would have protested, but she was already getting close again, so she only nodded. Her insides clenched as they rocked their hips together. She felt so close to tipping over the edge when he slowed his fingers again. “Ugh,” she groaned.
“Wait for me, baby,” Hale whispered in her ear.
She looked him in the eye as she moved against him. He guided her, controlled her. His finger made torturous circles around her clit. Finally, his muscles tightened beneath her and his breath started to hitch. A vein in his neck rose and pulsed.
“Please,” Kyra whispered.
His fingers dug into her hip. “Now,” he said, his voice a thick rasp. He reared back and smacked her ass, the crack loud enough to likely wake up Mrs. Harrison. The pain was a sharp burn that flared around the pleasure. Kyra gasped, throwing her head back as her orgasm crashed around her. She rode against Hale while he came, echoing her moans. Their bodies swayed above the ground, the storm’s breeze whisking across their electric skin.
When the orgasms had turned them into nothing but loose skin and trembling muscles, Kyra lolled her head back on Hale’s shoulder and looked up at him. Her voice was groggy as she said, “Ouch.”
twenty-seven
If I’d known you had such horrible taste in furniture, I never would have asked you to come.”
Hale’s brows lifted, twisting his piercing. “Volunteered to help, actually. And I don’t have awful taste. This is a really functional table.”
The table was plain and uninspired, with flat white paint and straight lines. Kyra blew a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. They had left early that morning, once Hale had given the crew instructions to get the house prepared for the storm. Now it was almost dinnertime, and he’d taken her to three salvage and antique stores. So far, she’d found some awesome things to fill her house, but she really needed a great dining room table so her friends wouldn’t have to sit on her porch’s rough floorboards when they came over for dinner.
“I can’t even imagine what Stevie would say about it,” she said with a smile.
“Fine. We’ll keep looking. Have you heard from her today?” He inspected every piece of wood they passed, which was a lot. Their going was slow.
“She texted me earlier. I guess she and Cade had a good time together yesterday. They went swimming.”
“Huh.”
Kyra looked over her shoulder. Hale had a purposefully neutral expression on his face. “He likes her, doesn’t he? Has he mentioned it to you?”
“Not getting in the middle of that crazy train. What about this?”
She barely glanced at the table he’d stopped in front of. It was falling apart and appeared to be slightly rotten. She crinkled her nose, opening her mouth to tell him how ugly it was, but then she saw it.
“Oh!” Kyra gasped. She shoved by Hale and made her way over to a table propped up in the corner. “Look at this one! It’s amazing!”
It was huge enough to fit ten people around it. The legs were carved into angels with their wings holding up the top planks of the table’s surface. Their faces were heartbreakingly sad, their expressions turned upwards to the sky, as if longing to go home. The ancient wood was a little banged up in the corners, but Kyra thought it added character. She couldn’t imagine all the people who had likely sat around this table. The stories it would tell, she thought. She turned to Hale, grinning like a fool.
“I would tell you that it doesn’t match the era of the house, but since you’ve already picked out a pink zebra-print chair, an early-nineteenth-century gargoyle, and a sixties-era shag rug, I’m not wasting my breath.” Running his hand down the wood, he shrugged. “Nice table, though. Solid. Probably hundreds of years old. Look at the wood. Those rich, undulating colors aren’t from a stain. That’s just time. Time and age. You can’t recreate that.”
His eyes glazed over as he ran his hand back and forth over the planks. Kyra rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Tag it. I want it.”
“You don’t even know how much it is.” He twisted the price tag over. “Never mind. It’s a steal.” Shaking his head, he added, “These people don’t know what they have in here.”
“It’s amazing,” she said, still in awe of the beautiful angels.
“Yeah. You got lucky with that one.”
“I always get lucky.” She called the wor
ds over her shoulder as she walked away, looking for chairs to go with the table. She’d found a lot of great things today, even if Hale had made fun of every one. If it were up to him, her house would be full of stuffy, uncomfortable furniture that was true to the time period of the house. Her tastes were a little eclectic and all over the place, but she could tell he was having a good time trying to teach her about the different time periods’ styles. As if she was paying attention.
“Look at these chairs, Kyra.” She doubled back to where Hale was standing. “Before you say it, I know they are plain. But they’re well made, and they won’t distract from the table. You could get the cushions reupholstered and they would look good as new. And, little miss lucky, there are plenty of them here to fit around the table.”
She snapped her fingers. “Tag ‘em.”
“You get bossy when you shop,” he grumbled.
She picked out a few lamps, mirrors, and knickknacks she deemed she couldn’t live without before they left an hour later. Hale arranged for the larger pieces to be delivered tomorrow while Kyra toted her smaller gems out to his truck. Its entire bed was filled to the brim. She checked the sky, hoping it wouldn’t start raining early. All people had been talking about was the storm coming in.
It was evident in the clouds over the ocean. Miles and miles away, they were building, dark and foreboding. She shivered and looked away.
“Do you want to stop at the art gallery? They always have cool, local art,” Hale said when he’d joined her outside.
“Nope.” She hopped in the tall truck. “I already have art for the house.”
“Oh, really? What?”
“You’re going to frame your drawings of the house. I want them signed too,” she added, speaking over the rumble of the truck.
He pulled out of the parking lot. “Those aren’t art. You don’t want to hang them in your house.”
“Yes, I do.” He was about to complain some more, but she held up her hand. “No more arguments. I’m getting them framed.”
“Not if I don’t give them to you.” He maneuvered through the traffic. It seemed like everyone was in town getting supplies for the storm.
Kyra smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. She knew how to get him. “I’ll withhold sex until you do,” she said, joking.
Hale barked out a laugh. “Like you could. One look from me and you’d strip in the streets.”
“Oh, please. You’re not that good.”
“Funny. That’s not what you said this morning.”
The heat spread up her neck and fanned out to her cheeks. She was certain she’d begged for it, praising him with each stroke. With one glance, Hale confirmed that she was blushing. “Well, I…”
“Exactly.” He parked the truck outside of her house. “Looks like the crew got a lot done today.”
Recovering from her embarrassment, she asked, “Are those my storm shutters?”
Solid aluminum panels covered every one of her new windows. They made the house look like a grinning old man with silver teeth. Overall, the shutters didn’t add much to the aesthetic of the house, but if they worked, Kyra was okay with them.
“Yep. You have storm-resistant windows that shouldn’t break, but the shutters are good precautions,” Hale said.
“Oh, okay.” She shielded her eyes against the setting sun and peered up at her house.
They ushered in her purchases, making multiple trips and joking with each other as they passed. Hale complained about Kyra ruining the aura of the house with her incorrect-era pieces, but she knew he liked her taste, even if he wouldn’t admit it.
“What are you going to put up in the front bedroom?” he asked, sprawling out on the stairs.
Kyra set the last two lamps down in the front hall. “Uh…” She hesitated. “Probably nothing,” she said, muttering the words as she bent down and pretended to dust off the lamps.
“Why not?” He sat up straighter, his eyes like lasers on her.
Even before she’d gone shopping, she knew she wasn’t going to put anything in the room. She couldn’t confirm it, but she just knew it had been her mother’s room. And she didn’t want to tarnish the memories in there by masking it with new furniture that wouldn’t match what had been in there before. The only bed that belonged in there was the one her mother had slept on, but it was long gone now.
“It just doesn’t feel right,” she said when she met his gaze.
He thought about her words for a moment before he nodded. “Was it her room?”
“Yeah.”
“I get it.” He rose from the steps and pulled her in for a kiss. It was deep and passionate and over far too quickly. He pulled away and looked down at her. “Want to surf for a bit?”
Kyra didn’t answer. Instead, she bounded up the stairs and raced into her bedroom. She was already naked when she heard Hale chuckle from downstairs. “Guess that’s a yes,” he called out.
By the time she was downstairs, he was in his trunks, which he kept in his truck, and had taken a larger board from her back porch. Together, they walked to the water where the swells were noticeably larger, which made Kyra’s heart pound with excitement. She couldn’t bear it any longer, so she started running toward the waves. Hale followed at a more leisurely pace.
They surfed until they were worn out. Then, surprising Kyra, Hale made dinner. He’d found a vegan recipe that he was willing to try, and it was one he could cook. She taste tested and smiled her approval. They ate and laughed from the kitchen floor until they were stuffed.
Hale laid back and beckoned her over. Without thinking twice about it, Kyra crawled over to him, tucking her body along his side. His arm cushioned her head so that she could’ve fallen asleep in seconds.
With a contented sigh, she wiggled closer, wrapping her arm around his chest. “I lo—” she choked off the word, her body going tense. She was about to accidently tell Hale that she loved him. The words had practically spoken themselves. She cringed.
“What?” he murmured, clearly not understanding what had almost happened.
But it was an eye-opener for Kyra. She had no clue how he felt about her besides that he liked sleeping with her. She wasn’t the type of girl that could just have sex or even just have a casual relationship. She felt herself opening up to him, but it also meant she was experiencing wild swings in emotions. She couldn’t handle that; her throat closed. She didn’t know how she would deal with things if he broke her heart.
She hated herself for thinking it, but she already had before she could stop herself: How many times would she have to cut herself to deal with the pain when he left? Even once was too much. Even thinking about it wasn’t okay, she knew. She resolved to call Dr. Clemens tomorrow.
She shouldn’t ask him, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Hale?”
“Hmmm?” He stirred next to her, his eyes closed and his breaths deep.
“What are we doing?”
Hale grunted and shifted against the hard floor. “Giving ourselves back problems.”
“No, I mean, like, what are we doing together?” Kyra propped up on her elbow and looked down at him. He opened his eyes and instantly narrowed them.
“Thought we were just enjoying each other’s company,” he said carefully. Too carefully, she thought.
“But you hated me when you first met me,” she said. She stood up from the floor. Behind her, Hale sat up, crossing his legs and running his hand through his hair.
“You have to admit, the overly perky attitude was pretty hateworthy.”
She spun around. “Don’t make a joke right now. I’m serious.” She sighed. “I need to know.”
“Why?” he asked. “Does it matter? Does it make a difference?”
“Yes!”
Hale scowled at the floor before he looked back up at her. “It shouldn’t. If we both like each other, why should it matter what this is? Shouldn’t we be able to just have fun and experience things as we come to them? Cause that’s life, or at least how I underst
and it to be. If my answer changes that for you, then I don’t think you’re living life the way it should be lived.”
Kyra covered her face with her hands so he couldn’t see her grimace. “You’re right,” she said, the words garbled against her palms. She lowered her arms, but she wasn’t really agreeing with Hale the way he thought she was. She’d only agreed that she wasn’t living life the way it should be lived, because his answer would definitely affect how she felt and how she wanted to experience things with him.
Hale mistook her distress. “Come here,” he said, opening his arms.
She crossed the room and climbed into his lap, threading her legs around his waist. Hale tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. His other hand settled against her hip bone. “Don’t worry so much,” he said quietly. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”
“Okay,” Kyra breathed.
Hale leaned forward, weaving his fingers into her hair, and kissed her. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, and she sighed. His lips worked over hers, his tongue stroking along her lips.
Rocking against him, she could already feel his growing hardness. His hand on her hip slid around and down her backside until he was between her legs. Through her shorts, he stroked her. He pressed hard, ensuring she could feel every flick of his thumb through the material of her shorts.
Kyra couldn’t believe how turned on she was with all her clothes still on. Hale watched her as she moved with his hand, encouraging more from him. Already she could feel the steady thrum between her legs. Heat radiated out from her clit, making her body jerk every time he moved his finger. Kyra hummed her pleasure, letting her head fall back.
“Doesn’t this feel good, Kyra?” he asked. His fingers caressed up the middle of her backside, making her gasp. The pulse quickened as she drew closer to her climax.
“Yes.”
“Then why question it?” Hale sounded almost as if he was growling. He rubbed his fingers faster and harder against her.
Because something was wrong with her, she thought but didn’t say the words aloud. Even through the haze of pleasure, even when she was so close to coming, she could sense the bottomless black hole inside her, waiting and preparing to pull her in. If she gave in to it, she would fall forever.
