Let Them Talk

by Susanna Carr

  It felt as if time stood still as they explored each other. The room was silent except for their staggered breaths and long moans. Her skin was slick with sweat and her muscles were twitching and shuddering by the time he shucked off his jeans. Laura felt as though her eagerness was going to consume her.

  She rocked her hips, aching with lust, as Connor slid a condom onto his thick cock. He lay on top of her and she cradled his body, welcoming his weight. He reached for her hands and laced his fingers with hers.

  She stared wide-eyed at him. Connor was so serious. The rough hair on his chest rubbed against her nipples. His hard cock pressed against the wet folds of her sex.

  Laura couldn’t look away from his solemn eyes. This moment felt like a sacred ritual. A vow. But she knew her mind was playing tricks on her.

  Connor slowly entered her with one long thrust. A moan tore from her lips as she arched her body. She bucked her hips, encouraging him closer, wanting him to fill her completely. Connor retreated and thrust deeper. Again and again. His gaze never left hers as his rhythm gradually increased.

  Laura was tempted to close her eyes as the hot, biting energy swirled inside her and her skin began to tingle. But she was mesmerized by his dark gaze. Stunned by the agony and pleasure that played on his face.

  Her climax stole upon her. Laura closed her eyes as the bright colors exploded. She shattered underneath Connor, crying out his name, and he was with her every step of the way.

  * * *

  CONNOR LAY SPRAWLED on the bed, his eyes wide-open as shock began to seep in. He was careful not to touch Laura. He’d known having sex with her would be life changing. It was one of the reasons he’d kept his distance. But he’d decided maybe she was right. Maybe he had been going about his relationships the wrong way. He could do no-strings and they could still be friends. But he hadn’t expected this roller-coaster ride of emotions.

  “If you say anything negative,” Laura said in a low, fierce voice on the other side of the bed, “I’m going to kick you.”

  He turned in surprise. Laura had her forearm over her eyes. “How do you know what I’m going to say? You’re not even looking at me.”

  “I can tell by your silence.”

  “It’s just that...”

  “The only statement I want to hear from you is I regret nothing.” She lowered her arm and ensnared his gaze with hers. “I take that back. The only thing I want to hear is let’s do it again.”

  He smiled in spite of his mood. He wanted to roll on top of Laura, kiss her until her body yielded under his touch and make love to her again. Make love. He frowned. He didn’t want to think of sex with Laura in those terms. She didn’t want love.

  “I swore I wouldn’t cross the line with you,” Connor explained. “And this is why.”

  She turned to face him and propped her head against her hand. “Am I complaining?”

  He sat up. “How can we be friends after this? I was almost home free.”

  She drew back sharply as if she had been slapped. “What are you talking about?”

  Connor winced. Damn. He hadn’t meant to say any of that out loud. “Come on, we should get dressed,” he said as he rolled off the bed.

  “Connor...” she paused and took a deep breath. “Are you moving away because of me? Because you didn’t want this to happen?”

  He heard the hurt in her voice. He was tempted to deny it but a lie wouldn’t make this situation any better. “We’ve been heading to this moment for months and I tried to stop it from happening.”

  “Stop it? Why?” Her voice became husky. “What’s wrong with me?”

  “Nothing! You’re great!”

  “You think I’m a distraction to your big goals, don’t you? You want a white picket fence and a wife who bakes casseroles.” She turned her back on him as she pulled on her clothes with jerky, angry motions. “You had a restless nature and, despite what you said, I wondered if you would stay in Seedling. But you found where you belonged.”

  Connor pulled his jeans on and stopped. He did belong here in Seedling. And he belonged with Laura. But she didn’t want forever. “You want something different.”

  “I want to be with you,” she insisted. “But why can’t we just enjoy our relationship—no labels, no parameters? Why does a relationship need a goal? When we met, did you immediately plan to become friends with me and decide how long it would last? No.”

  He placed his hands on his hips. “There’s nothing wrong with having expectations.”

  “Yes, there is. Expectations lead to failures and disappointments. It means making assumptions and demands. I don’t want that. It ruins everything.”

  Connor was stunned by Laura’s words. “What are you saying?”

  “You are the most important person in my life. We’ve been there for each other every step of the way without making demands on each other, and then suddenly you had to get away from me.” She took in a deep, jagged breath. “Do you know how that makes me feel?”

  “Laura,” he said as he started to walk around the bed, “we are at different points in our lives and I’m not sure you’ll ever want what I want.”

  “I get it, Connor,” Laura said as she backed away. “You needed to get away from me because I’m the wrong kind of woman.” She glanced at the bed. “And now that I finally got what I wanted,” she said bitterly, “I guess there’s no point in staying.”

  “That’s not what—”

  “And don’t worry, I’ll stay out of your way. I won’t be a distraction to your dream,” she said as she marched out of the room.

  * * *

  A FEW DAYS LATER, Connor sat at the counter at Dawson’s Diner and stared into his ceramic coffee mug. This had been a bad idea. A disaster. It had taken him this long to be able to face Laura and he was still trying to gather up the courage to say what he wanted to say.

  He missed her. Missed the rituals they’d fallen into by sharing their day, talking about everything and nothing at all. He missed her bawdy laugh and the energy that shimmered from her. When she had been in his house, it had felt full. Content. Now his house felt flat and empty.

  He glanced in her direction. It was hard to miss Laura, and not just because her bright red hair clashed with the green apron she was required to wear. She flitted from one table to another, making the customers feel welcome. But she wasn’t paying attention to him. In fact, she had ignored him when he’d headed straight to the counter.

  That had hurt. Laura had never ignored him. He wanted to throw his arm around her shoulders like old times and listen to how her day was going. Hell, that wasn’t completely true. What he really wanted to do was take her back to his home and let her know that his heart belonged to her. It always had.

  But she didn’t want his heart or the responsibilities that came with it. Connor took a deep breath and drank his coffee. He was just about to get up when someone sat down next to him. He wasn’t up for conversation. Connor glanced up and saw Doris Brown watching him intently.

  “Good morning, Miss Doris.” He hadn’t really spent a lot of time with the town’s gossip. The most he’d ever said to her was “hello” and “it looks like rain.”

  “Connor Adams, correct?” she asked as she plopped her giant purse on the counter. “You’re the one who maintains the gardens and parks.”

  He nodded, his lips twitching as he noticed her use of “the one.” Apparently labels weren’t exclusive to the Dawson daughters.

  “Laura’s neighbor,” she said.

  “I used to be.” He used to be many things to Laura. He wanted to be something more. Something permanent. “I moved into a house on Cherry Lane.”

  “The old Pratt residence.” Her wrinkled face lit up as her eyes took on a faraway look. “That was such a great house to visit when I was a child. Full of laughter and warmth. But
it’s been abandoned for years. You have your work cut out for you.”

  He nodded. “I’m not afraid of hard work.” Unlike his father, who bolted at the first sign of trouble or resistance.

  “I was always a bit sad when I drove by the Pratt house,” Miss Doris chattered on. “It was meant to have a big family.”

  Connor gave her a curious look. That was exactly how he felt.

  “It must be lonely there right now, with just you. Much quieter than when you lived next to Laura.” Miss Doris leaned forward as if she was imparting confidential information. “I heard about the late-night scene with Valerie. She thought Laura was hooking up with her man. Ridiculous.”

  “I agree.” He was surprised Miss Doris hadn’t automatically accepted the rumor to be true.

  “But Valerie says you’re dating Laura.” Miss Doris gave him a speculative glance. “In fact, the whole street heard you say it. Not really big gossip, though, since everyone is still trying to figure out who John is sleeping with.”

  He glanced in Laura’s direction. She was at the cash register giving a big smile to an elderly man who wore overalls and a faded baseball cap. The man gave a toothless smile in return. Connor found that he was smiling, too. Laura had that kind of magic, that aura, that pulled people in.

  “But this is what doesn’t make sense to me,” Miss Doris said. “Why move away from the woman you’re dating?”

  “Laura and I are fine.”

  “Then why move away while everything is going great?”

  “You leave while it’s good,” he blurted out. “You leave before you mess it up.”

  He froze as the words echoed in his head. Where had that come from? Did he really believe that?

  “That’s no way to live,” Miss Doris declared. “You’ll miss out on something wonderful.”

  Was he doing that? Was he walking away from the possibility of something great so he didn’t have to see it fall apart? How long had he been doing that? The truth pierced him. Laura had been right. He’d been dating the wrong women, putting enormous expectations on all of his relationships because it had made it easier to break things off. And when he’d been with the right woman, he’d cut and run. He turned and stared at his coffee mug. “Would you excuse me, Miss Doris?” Connor was already getting up from his seat.

  “Of course,” she said with a knowing smile. “Say hello to Laura for me.”

  He walked to Laura as if he were in a trance. Why hadn’t he noticed this pattern of behavior? He’d thought he was taking action, getting the house he’d saved up for, taking the next step and putting down roots.

  Not true. He had been hiding. Running away from the truth. He’d wanted to feel a connection and intimacy with a woman, but he’d run the moment he had a chance to experience it. No more.

  He approached the cash register but Laura didn’t look up. He knew she was trying to ignore him. He stood at the counter and watched her fiddle with a stack of menus. “Laura?” He hated how his voice wavered. “I need to speak to you.”

  “I’m working right now, Connor.” She still didn’t meet his eyes.

  “It will only take a minute.” If she continued to ignore him, he would come back again and again until she listened.

  She glanced up sharply and their gazes clashed and held. Laura was the first to look away. “Sure,” she said dully. “Let me tell my cousin that I’m taking a break.”

  The tension coiled around his ribs, tighter and tighter, as she spoke to one of her cousins before she motioned for Connor to follow her out the front door. He was grateful that she was giving him time, but there was so much riding on this moment.

  They walked to the corner of the diner before she faced him. “What’s going on?” she asked, not looking him directly in the eye.

  “I’ve been thinking about what you said and you’re wrong. You are the right kind of woman.” She had demonstrated it every day with him. With her family and friends. “I realize you aren’t interested in long-term and I’ll accept that. But I want more than one time in bed with you.”

  She stared at the passing traffic as if the cars demanded her notice. “I slept with you knowing it would be just that one time. It already ruined what we had. Why continue?”

  He grasped her wrist before she walked away. “I want another chance.”

  She looked at his large fingers encircling her wrist. “There’s no point. I’m not going to change the way I am and I don’t want you to change. I like the fact that you can make a commitment. That you want to. But I see the world differently.”

  “I want to take you out tonight.” He swallowed hard as the blood pumped furiously through his veins. “On a date.”

  He felt her pulse skip under his fingertips but her expression didn’t change. She slowly met his gaze. “Why?”

  “Because I love you. I’m in love with you.” It scared him to say it. Out loud. In front of her. What if she didn’t believe him? What if she didn’t care? “I always have been.”

  She started in shock. Yeah, that probably wasn’t the answer she had hoped for. He was tempted to abandon this conversation before he made it worse. But he wasn’t going to fall back into old habits. “I tried to hide my feelings for you. Ignore them,” Connor admitted. “But I can’t anymore. I don’t want to lose you.”

  “You are in love with me?”

  He heard the panic in her voice and knew he’d messed up. It was the wrong time, the wrong place to tell her. But he didn’t want to hold back anymore. He wanted to start moving forward. Now. And after tonight, Laura would be certain of his love for her. “Does that scare you?” he asked.

  “Yes—I mean, no.” She pulled out of his grasp and dropped her gaze. “I mean...I’m not sure,” Laura said with a sigh.

  Connor didn’t move as his stomach twisted into knots. He was too late. He should have made his move months ago but he had been reluctant to take a risk. Determined not to mess up a good thing. He’d managed to do that anyway.

  Laura nervously swiped the tip of her tongue along her bottom lip. “I don’t know what to say.”

  This was getting worse and worse. He wanted her to believe him. Accept his love. He wanted her to say the words back to him. Why was she acting as if this was bad news? “Is there someone else?” He wanted to double over as the hot pain of regret ripped through him.

  “No,” Laura said with feeling. “Why would you think that? I just need to...”

  “I told you because I wanted you to know. No pressure,” he said with an encouraging smile that hid the disappointment welling inside him. He had hoped—expected—his words would make everything fall into place. Instead he seemed to be making things worse. But that just meant he’d try harder. “And I want to spend tonight with you.”

  She glanced at the diner window and jumped into action. As if she couldn’t wait to get away. “I have to get back to the register. I’ll talk to you later today.”

  “I can wait,” he said but she had already made a dash for the door. Still, now he was sure he had the patience and determination he needed to win over Laura Dawson.

  4

  LAURA SKIDDED TO A STOP on the library floor when she saw her friends waiting by the last bookshelf on the deserted second floor. She knew they wouldn’t be disturbed in the reference section.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Laura said as she hurried down to the far corner where they stood.

  Isabel glanced at her delicate wristwatch. “Where have you been, Laura? It’s almost closing time.”

  “I had to do a double shift at the diner.” It had been difficult to work after she’d talked to Connor. Her hesitation had made everything worse. She wanted to accept his offer, to be with him and no one else, but she wasn’t sure if she had the right.

  “Why the emergency meeting?” Sydney asked. “What do we have to d
iscuss that you couldn’t say over the phone?”

  “I need your advice.” She wasn’t sure if that was true. Did she want their opinion on whether she should be with Connor? What if they recommended she avoid him? “Connor asked me out.”

  “Go for it,” they said in unison.

  “I want to...so much that it hurts, but this was supposed to be a fling. Something fun and temporary.” She shoved her hands in her short hair. “Now he thinks I’m the one for him.”

  Sydney’s mouth dropped open. “What exactly did he say?”

  “That he loves me and he has always loved me.” Her breath hitched in her throat as her stomach gave a slow tumble.

  “And you don’t...want his love?” Isabel asked.

  “I do! But—” She wanted his love but she didn’t want to hurt him when he realized she couldn’t conform to his picture of the ideal woman. She didn’t want to be hurt, either. Laura knew she couldn’t handle that kind of disappointment and rejection. She couldn’t change for him and she didn’t want him to change for her. “I don’t know. I wasn’t planning for this to happen.”

  “What did you want to happen? You already had an emotional connection with him. Did you really think you could take him to bed and then go back to being friends?” Isabel argued.

  “Yes! I’ve been on friendly terms with some of my exes.”

  “But Connor is different,” Isabel said. “You were friends with him first.”

  “Connor is always so focused on creating something solid and lasting and I wanted to show—” Laura tossed her hands in the air as her voice rose “—that he can enjoy the moment and it’s okay if it doesn’t last forever.”

  Laura’s gaze darted from Sydney’s inquisitive face to Isabel’s troubled expression. “You guys, what do I do? He says he loves me and I can already tell that he’s imagining a future for us. I should just convince him it’s never going to happen, right?”