Bound to Her
Page 5
“You don’t get to meet her. Don’t pry into my life. It’s private.”
“That’s unkind—” Mandy interjected.
He noted his sister’s comforting hand over Bethany. That should be him holding Bethany’s hand. “Mandy, stay out of this.”
“Can I talk to Rock…alone?” Bethany covered Mandy’s clenched hands.
“Only because you asked. Rock, you’re an ass.” His sister walked past him with tears brimming in her eyes.
He’d hurt her. But he didn’t care what she called him. The door to this part of his life had been sealed to everyone. Behind that door, he dwelled in pain and longing. What scared him was he had not visited that dark place since he’d been with Bethany. His guilt mounted, along with his anger that he could possibly be moving on.
“I’m sorry.” Bethany closed the albums and handed them to him.
Rock nodded. He didn’t trust his voice to deliver his fear and emotions.
“She…Judith was pretty.”
“I don’t want to talk about her.”
“I know you loved her very much. I can see it in the photos.”
“Why are you digging into my life? You’re gone tomorrow.”
“I don’t have to be.” Her message was soft and a direct hit to his heart.
“Oh, please, don’t do any favors for me. You came here for three days to fuck. You’ll head back to California and get back with your boyfriend.”
“You seem to know a lot more than I do about my life.”
“Instead of nosing around my life, why don’t you be honest about your motives?” He approached her and picked up the photo albums.
Because he couldn’t toss them out of the hotel, he went to his cabin to avoid both women. The physical distance should help him from making a fool of himself when Bethany checked out of the inn.
****
Rock checked the cloth for the umpteenth time. He’d marked Bethany’s departure based on their checkout time, the long ride to the airport, and her scheduled departure time. None of it made him feel better. His mood grew darker knowing she’d left with the nugget of sunshine that had peaked through the curtain in his life.
Mandy opened the front door of the cabin without knocking. He didn’t even bother to protest. Actually, he didn’t bother to get up from the couch where he’d slept. And he didn’t care if she saw him in this state.
“I think there is something you need to see.” Mandy was unaffected by his dark frown. “I was going to show you yesterday, but you were so angry and mean.”
“Sorry.”
“So I brought it here. And I’m not leaving until you read this.” Mandy handed him a small note. “It was in the photo album when you and Judith graduated from high school.”
He took the paper, trying hard not to let his hand shake. Without reading the words, he recognized his wife’s handwriting.
“I’ll leave now.”
Rock waited until he heard the front door close. Only then did he move. He sat up to read the note.
Dear Rock
I’m writing this note in Mr. Sanford’s boring history class. You’ll never get this note because, well, I’m writing it for the future. I’m hoping we have a future together. That we will get married like we said we’d do after graduation. You will go to the Academy to be a Ranger. I’ll go to beauty school so that I can officially dye hair. Remember the awful orange dye job I did on Rebecca…Hah! Anyway, in my heart, I hope that we will live a long happy life with lots of girls and boys who look like you and me. But if for any reason our dream doesn’t quite go as planned, know that I will love you, now and forever after. Grandmama says life is meant to be lived. Stop dawdling and be alive. Well, that’s all. Thank goodness this boring class is over. Can’t wait for Homecoming. I love you, Rock.
Rock refolded the note. His head hung down before he took a long, deep breath and exhaled. He stayed seated for several minutes listening to the heartbeat in his head. For so long he’d held on out of guilt, fear to move on, dread about opening up his heart.
While his heart had closed in pain, tightening and withering from lack of oxygen. A transformation was occurring, triggered by the letter and Judith’s beautiful advice. Finally, he uncurled his body from the chair and noticed that dusk had descended. Only the low flame from the fire lit the room.
“Bethany,” his voice was low and rough. “What have I done?”
By now, she was back home in California. He’d let her go, practically pushing her out the door with his foul temper. Now what to do?
Go to her.
Rock wasn’t into ghostly visits. Never had been, but he knew in his heart that Judith was telling him to go to Bethany.
He put on his coat and hurried out of the house. Once his feet picked up momentum, he couldn’t stop until he got to his SUV. Only behind the steering wheel did he take pause to decide what to do. Right now he wanted to go to the airport and jump on a plane to California. The weather had cleared and the inn was bustling with guests again.
By the time he got to the inn, he had made up his mind to request a few days off from his ranger job and Mandy. And as quickly as he could manage, he’d head for California. He might be too late, but he wasn’t walking away from Bethany.
“Rock, would you get inside. We need all hands to be working, not daydreaming.”
He got out of the SUV and trudged up to the inn.
“You look like shit, by the way.” His sister touched his cheek. “Glad to see you among the living.”
“You’re such a nag.”
“I live to be one.”
He followed her into the inn. The lobby was a burst of activity. Guests were arriving and making themselves at home. Gone was the quiet intimacy that he and Bethany had enjoyed. That was a special moment, an unexpected blip in his hectic life. Days he wished he could have to redo.
“Why are you standing there like a tree stump? Take those bags up to the suite. The newlyweds are registering now.” His sister handed him the keys.
Rock grabbed hold of the luggage and headed to the room. He unlocked the door, keeping the door open with his hip until he pulled in the luggage. The room was dark. He turned on the light so the guests could feel welcome.
“Took you long enough.”
“Bethany?” He couldn’t believe his eyes. “You’re still here.”
She sat on the edge of the bed looking beautiful and natural, and so unbelievably sexy in just a T-shirt and jeans.
“You missed your flight?” He was confused, but ecstatic that she was in the room.
“Yeah. I took a gamble that I could get you back. That I could get through the wall to tap on that heart. No matter what you said, I believed in…us.”
He raked his hand through his hair. “I can’t…you’re here. I’m so sorry for the things I said. You’re such a special lady, a gift that I didn’t appreciate. Didn’t know how to…”
“You couldn’t. Not until you let go. I’d walked away from Kelvin when I’d left California. Yet, I couldn’t stop going over everything in my mind for my fault. Doubts crept in, shaking up my balance. Coming here was the best move.”
He started to speak, but she closed the gap between them and touched his cheek.
“From the first instant that you prevented my stay in the cabins, I was drawn to you.” She winked. “You’re sexy as hell, but it was more than that. You’re respectful and humble—two attributes that my soul craves.”
“Kelvin was a fool,” he blurted.
She nodded. “When he’d called yesterday pleading to be back in my life, any doubts disappeared with his pathetic excuses. I deserved better. I deserve you.” She pulled him into her arms, filling the ache to touch him.
Rock encircled his arms around her waist, holding on tight, keeping her close.
“We’re going to get through this together, baby. I’m here.”
“You’re this ray of sunshine. All around me, the women are reminding me to live.”
“I’m al
so gonna remind you to fuck.” She pushed him back onto the bed.
He grinned. “I hope all night long.”
“Oh, you won’t be working downstairs today.” She pulled off his shoes and socks. Then she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants.
“And the luggage?”
She pulled up his T-shirt and tossed it aside.
“Some old luggage that Mandy had.”
“You planned every detail.”
“Not everything.” She sat on his hips. “I hoped, but didn’t dare dream.”
“Oh, Bethany.” It was his turn to strip her bare. Thank goodness she helped because his hands could barely handle the task.
Bethany looked down on Rock. “I came here looking for a new start. Had to pick up the pieces of my life. Didn’t know how long that would take. Wasn’t sure what would happen. My heart has always been open and I’m one to easily care, to my detriment. But from the beginning, I connected to that wounded spirit in you. While we had that kindred spirit for different reasons, I knew that I could reach over and pull you up and we would rise and breathe again, together.” She slipped the condom on his dick and lowered herself onto his cock. “That was what I knew for sure.”
She worked her pussy against the hard hilt of his cock. Grinding. Sliding back and forth. Giving her labia free rein to be stroked and her clit to be aroused.
His hands slid up her body, covering her breasts, cupping them in his palms. He squeezed and she moaned as her nipples grew hard and sensitive to his touch.
Rough against smooth.
Hard against soft.
His hands continued their journey, now cupping her face. “Look at me.”
She obeyed, eager to do so.
“I look into your eyes and I can fall right in.” His deep voice stroked her as if it was his hand.
Their hips moved together in beat and rhythm. Every move, twitch, and motion was fluid and beautiful. Bethany held on, knowing that they were meant to be together. Her pussy quivered against his cock, sealing the pact in her heart.
The End
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