by Emma Tharp
She’s up and next to me in the blink of an eye. “After you left Nashville, all I could do was think about us and our past. I don’t want to be without you ever again. I’m miserable without you. I’m willing to work on us every single day. I’m in love with you. I’ve never stopped loving you.”
Hearing her say the words after all this time burns a fire in me, heat warming me from the inside. “Really?”
Both her hands are on my shirt, fingers pressed into me. “Yes. What about you? Do you still love me?”
“I’ve always loved you. It never went away.”
Her lips are on mine and I move my leg between hers, bringing us closer together. My body sparks to life, electricity moving through me. There’s no room for space between us anymore.
“Tell me that no matter what, we’ll never be apart again. I can’t do it anymore.” She pleads with me like her life depends on my answer.
I’d give her anything she wants, even though I must be out of my mind. “I thought I could live without you, but it hurts too much. Promise me that you’ll talk to me, that we’ll work through everything. I won’t ever be able to live through this again.”
Her hands are in my hair. “We don’t have a choice. We’re meant to be together. Nobody else will do. We’re drawn to each other like magnets, the pull is too strong to keep us apart. You have my vow, no compromises, only the truth and communication.”
Our lips come together again with more intensity and longing. Her mouth is backing up her words, punctuating everything she told me. And I might be crazy, but I believe her.
11
Caroline
“Let’s go to my room,” I say on an exhale.
His eyes, heavy with lust, take me in and he kisses me again, deeper this time. His tongue presses against mine, stroking and tasting me. My nipples harden and press against the fabric of my bra and goose bumps blanket my skin.
“You turn me on. I need you so badly,” Ethan says as he swoops me up in one swift motion, arms cradling me under my legs. I need you, too. I thread my hands around his neck and let out a giggle. He whisks me into my bedroom and sets me back onto my feet. “Arms up.”
I do as he asks and he tugs my dress up and over my head and tosses it on the floor. Unclasping my bra, he removes it and it joins my dress on the floor. His hands come up and caress the sensitive skin on my sides and glide up to the outer swell of my breasts causing me to quiver. His mouth is on my nipple and I arch into him, enjoying the sensations that surge straight to my sex. “I need you, too,” I rasp.
Ethan’s eyes meet mine. “You’ve got me. All of me.” He slides down to his knees and tugs my thong off and I step out of it. He removes his shirt and takes one of my legs and anchors it over his shoulder. “Hold onto me.”
Grasping his strong deltoid, I stare down at him as his tongue sweeps over the delicate skin of my clit. My pulse quickens at the immediate onslaught of sensations. His finger comes up and presses into me and his mouth never leaves my core. Another finger joins the first and he goes deeper now and my body begins to tighten, tension building from being caressed inside and out.
Throwing my head back, I close my eyes as I start to see stars, focal points of light as pleasure intensifies with every flick of his tongue and thrust of his finger. I grip his shoulder and my knees start to weaken.
“I’ve got you. It’s okay to let go.”
“Yes,” I moan and the first wave of my orgasm begins, his mouth never leaving my sex as I shudder and ride it out. Ethan’s hands are on my hips stabilizing me, holding me close until the last wave passes. “I need to lie down.” In fear that my legs won’t hold me up, Ethan guides me toward the bed and when the back of my thighs hit the mattress, I fall backward and allow all of my muscles to sink into the bed.
Ethan strips off his jeans and boxer briefs. My lips part and my breath hitches seeing what I do to him. He’s hard and ready for me. I reach over and grab a condom out of the nightstand and he tears open the wrapper and puts it on. The mattress dips as he climbs on and hovers over me, fingers in my hair as he says. “Ride me, gorgeous.” Before I can object—which I wouldn’t—he flips us over and I’m straddling him.
His arms come around me and I suck his bottom lip into my mouth, licking and teasing him. His hips move up and his erection slides over my sex. I sit up and grasp his chest, loving the feel of his taut muscles under my hands. Bending my knee, I grasp his hard length in my hand and ease him in inch by inch, allowing myself to adjust to his size. We moan together as I take him all the way.
One of his hands tugs at my nipple while the other digs into my hip guiding me up and down. I ride his length, shallow and deep, fast and slow. Leaning forward, I lick around the circle of his nipple, sucking it to a hard point and he wiggles under me. He guides my head to his and the heat in his gaze is so intense with longing and desire, I moan, “I love you, Ethan.”
His mouth crashes into mine, his tongue pressing against my lips and I open to him, taking in all his lust and hunger and giving him back my own. His hips thrust up into me, driving hard and fast. Friction and pressure build at the same time Ethan’s muscles tense.
Ethan is here with me, making love to me. It’s incredible that he’s giving me another chance, that he still wants me with all my scars and flaws. I feel like the luckiest woman alive.
In a sudden rush, my belly clenches and a climax rips through me.
“Yes, baby. You feel so good,” he says and shudders underneath me.
We clutch each other, holding on until our breathing subsides. He rolls us onto our sides and I gaze into his eyes. I’ve got so many questions on my mind, but I don’t want to ruin the moment.
“What is it?” Ethan asks. “We just had mind-blowing sex and you look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
My throat goes dry with the heaviness of his question. “I want more. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the sex, but I want to go to bed with you every night and wake up next to you every morning.”
He smiles, his full lips and eyes sparkling. Pulling me close, he squeezes me to him. “I love you, Caroline. If I wasn’t clear before, I’m all yours. I’m ready to move in together if that’s what you want.”
Snuggling into him, the beating of his heart is a comfort to me. “Where? Nashville or Pennsylvania?” For the first time, I ask the question and I don’t care what the answer is.
“Doesn’t matter. Here or there. I simply don’t care. I’m ready to change my life and you’re the reason why.”
“What about your parents?”
Ethan’s arms tighten around me. “They’re going to be okay. I talked with my mom today. I called her when we were at the bar. She’s ready to make a change, and when I’m honest with them, I think they’ll be ready, too.”
Kissing him, slow and soft, I pour my love and support into it. “It’s all going to work out. I feel it.”
“You do, don’t you?” He pulls back, scanning my face.
I give him a peaceful grin, fully confident in myself and my gut. Everything is clear all of the sudden. My dad used to have moments like this. He just knew things. I remember crying after I left an important exam, convinced that I failed it. My dad told me that I passed and not to worry. He said he just knew. He was right. It’s the same now. “Yes. Trust me.”
Reaching behind his neck, I pull him into me and lock my lips to his, my heart happy and full.
“If you keep kissing me like that, I’m never letting you out of this bed.” He rolls on top of me and presses his forehead to mine, eyes dark and full of longing.
“That’s what I hoped you’d say.”
And with that we don’t leave my room for the rest of the night.
Epilogue
Ethan
Ear-splitting screams and cheers echo behind us as we exit the stage. All five of us are high on the adrenaline that comes from playing our first concert after the release of our first album. We’re backstage now and the energy flowing
off my band mates washes over me and I stand back to take it all in.
Everyone is high-fiving and hugging now. I lift Caroline up off the floor. “Holy shit. That was incredible. You were incredible. The crowd loved “Forever Just Us.” Pride swells in me. My beautiful girlfriend just brought down the house with her voice and her stage presence.
“You were amazing, too.” Her voice is full of emotion. “Can you believe that all of this is real?”
“No, but we just lived it.” I press a firm kiss to her lips and the familiar flames I always get from kissing her light up my insides.
If someone had told me two years ago at the reunion that Caroline and I would end up back together with a house back in my hometown, and that our band would get signed to a major record label and we’d end up touring the country together, I never would’ve believed it. Yet here we are, our dreams a reality now.
Rachel comes up to us, her smile wide and a gleam in her pretty blue eyes that match her sister’s perfectly. “You guys, we just played to a crowd of thousands of people, and they knew our songs, and sang along.”
Tom comes up behind Rachel and slips his arms around her waist. She clasps her hands around his and her diamond ring—that quite possibly costs as much as my car—shimmers in the lights.
“Congrats to all of us,” Tom says. “Our show was epic.”
“Damn straight,” Darren chimes in.
Mallory, Marcus Campbell’s assistant, comes backstage and joins the group. “You guys brought down the house. We’re all so proud of you. We need you to follow me. Craft Services have a big spread set out for you. It’s time to celebrate.”
We all follow Mallory around the maze backstage to what looks like a conference room. It smells like grilled meats and garlicky vegetables, and my stomach growls. I was so pumped, I didn’t realize that I was starving. There’s a bar set up at one end of the room and tables and chairs are scattered around.
The opening band of the night, The Saints, are already in here, enjoying the food and drink. Darren’s wife and daughter are also here along with Caroline and Rachel’s mother. Marcus Campbell is here drinking a glass of amber liquid. He sees us coming in and stands and starts clapping. Everyone else follows suit.
“Mom,” Rachel cries and runs to her mother, throwing her arms around her.
Caroline follows behind, and she and her mom share a moment together. She’s put on a few much needed pounds and seems to be taking better care of herself. Her clothes and hair look clean and she’s wearing makeup. It’s been nearly a year since she quit drinking. It makes me smile seeing my girl building a relationship with her mother again.
Marcy, Darren’s wife, and their three-year-old daughter, Layla, make their way to Darren and they get together in a group hug.
Tugging my phone out of my pocket, I see that it’s bad timing to call my parents. With the time change in Maui, they’d be in their cooking class by now. As soon as they sold the insurance agency and the house, they packed up the basics and found a small home in Hawaii. They couldn’t be happier and my dad has had a clean bill of health since they got away from the stresses of the agency. They enrolled in cooking school as a hobby and they love to call me up and tell me about all the exotic foods they’ve learned to make and how I need to get there as soon as possible to visit. They couldn’t possibly be any happier for me and I for them. Turns out Caroline was right, everything did end up working out.
“Are you hungry? I’m starving.” Caroline puts an arm around my waist and pulls me into her.
“I could eat.” I curl my fingers around hers and we make our way to the buffet line.
Filling my plate with steak, potatoes, veggies, and salad, Caroline and I find seats at the table where Marcus Campbell sits and take a seat.
“You guys were on fire tonight. Bravo.” He smiles before taking a sip of his drink.
“It was good of you to come see us play tonight,” Caroline says.
She’s right. It’s an honor for him to fly out to see our first concert. I never would’ve guessed that he’d come. “Yes, thank you for being here. It means a lot to us,” I say.
He gives us a dismissive wave of his hand. “I wouldn’t miss it. It was me who discovered you after all.”
I laugh on the inside. He did see us play at the Freemont last year, but he only wanted to give Caroline a contract. If it weren’t for her, the band wouldn’t be where we are today. But Marcus didn’t have to give us a chance and he did. For that I am forever grateful.
“Did you guys get all moved into your new house?” Marcus asks, his salt and pepper brows rising. “In your last email you mentioned trying to get everything finished before the tour started.”
Caroline glances at me and we share a contented smirk. “Barely, but we somehow did.” She rubs her hand up and down my arm. “Ethan made it happen.”
I melt seeing the admiration in her eyes. How I put it there, I don’t know. We bought a house back in Pennsylvania. Everyone in the band lives there and so does her mother. It made the most sense. We were able to put a nice-size deposit down on the perfect house in the neighborhood Tom and Rachel live in. With Caroline’s savings from her waitressing job—who knew that damn job would be good for something—and our advance, we were able to buy a home that we can grow a family in.
The rest of the band takes seats at our table and we all talk and laugh and enjoy each other’s company over the meal. I’m having a hard time taking my eyes off Caroline. Her dress tonight shows her smooth shoulders and a hint at the swell of her breasts. I can’t wait to get my hands on her later.
Caroline clears her throat and says, “Everyone, can I get your attention please?”
The room quiets down.
“I hope tonight was everything you hoped and dreamed it would be,” she says.
A few of us say yes and cheer.
She tucks a piece of her wavy blonde hair behind her ear and shifts her stance appearing as though she’s nervous. “That’s great. It was an incredible night, but there’s one thing that would make it better for me. It’d put the icing on the cake.” She shifts her gaze toward me. She’s got my full attention. “Most of you know that I’ve loved Ethan since ninth grade and I still love him today. He’s everything I could ever want in a man, but, I’m afraid if I don’t take the initiative and do this now, he never will.”
What the hell?
Caroline fumbles around in her pocket, pulls something out, and drops to her knee.
My skin flushes and my heart beat pounds against my chest. Is she honestly going to do this?
“Ethan Brooks, I love you so much. There’s nobody else in this world for me. Would you make me the happiest woman on earth and marry me?” She holds up a platinum band for me.
Holy shit. I tug her up and she sits on my lap. I bury my face in her neck, inhaling her familiar wildflower scent. “Are you kidding me?”
“I had to do it. I want to marry you and I don’t think you’d ever ask me. We were together for almost nine years before and you never did. So what do you say?” Her tone is playful and she’s right. I wasted so much time on trying to figure out the perfect time and the best way to propose that I never actually did it.
Pulling back, I admire the shimmer in her eyes and the sweet smile plastered on her gorgeous face. “Of course. Let’s do it tonight.”
“Oh, no, no. I get the fairytale wedding; the white dress, the flowers, the cake, all of it.”
I grab the ring from her and slide it onto my finger. It fits perfectly. “If that’s what you want. You can have it. Anything you need for the rest of our lives, I will give it to you.”
A tear forms in her eye and she leans in to kiss me, all full lips and tongue. I almost forgot that we aren’t alone until everyone in the room starts clapping and congratulating us.
There was a time when I felt stuck in my life and it seemed like nothing would ever go right for me again. That is, until Caroline waltzed back into town. Seeing her was exactly what I needed
to propel me forward and start making changes. Now, here I sit with the love of my life on my lap, our band together on tour, and my parents happy and healthy in Hawaii. Life couldn’t get much better.
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgements
One thing I know about myself is that I am not good when I’m spread too thin, but I can do amazing things when I put pressure on myself and refuse to give up. I put myself on a rigorous writing schedule for the first half of this year because that’s what my mentor advised. And guess what? I did it. Thank you for challenging me to do what you knew I could.
To my family and friends, my husband, and kids. None of this would be possible without you.
I plotted this series at a John Mayer concert. Live music is one of my muses and being there that night the story for Caroline and Ethan was born—the true band geeks from high school. I loved their love story before it was even written. Thanks, John, for the inspiration.
From the bottom of my heart, I have to thank everyone who helped make this book what it is today. My editor, Theresa Schultz, you are a Rockstar. You dig in and help me see things I never would’ve seen without you. I appreciate that so much. Julie Deaton at Deaton Author Services, I tip my hat to you. I notoriously put commas in the wrong place and misspell the same words. Julie makes the finished product readable. To my CPs, Lisa and Sandy. You guys have no idea how much you help me.
And my fans. I am humbled every single day by your reviews, comments, and emails. It lifts me up and fuels my fire to keep going. Thank you all so very much. xo
About the Author
Emma Tharp is the author of The Bluff Harbor Series, Keeping It Casual, Drawn to Dark, and the McLoughlin Brother Series. She was raised in upstate New York. Being an only child, she spent a great deal of time alone, dreaming up characters who would keep her company on long family road trips. Putting her writing on the back burner, she went to college and became a chiropractor. After spending twelve years healing patients, Emma decided—with the help of her amazingly supportive husband—to use the creative side of her brain and let her characters come to the page.
