I release a breath and close my eyes, bend clear down to rest my forehead on hers. “See? The wait was so worth it. Those words mean everything to me. I’ll never tire of hearing them. I love you, Bri.”
Her hands make a trail to my back and she tugs on the fabric of my shirt, causing me to lift my head. “Now, I’m starving. Where are you taking me on our second first date?”
I chuckle, grateful she pulled us back to the present. Instead of telling her, I wink. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, simply enjoy.”
After a forty-five-minute ride, I place my hand on her arm, stopping her from getting out of the pickup. She looks at me in confusion, so I lean over and kiss her, threading my fingers through the soft curls.
“I told you, when I had you back, I was going to go slow and make it right. The slow part is stumping me a bit. I really want to be on the fast track, to be honest. But tonight is about us. I was going to take us to the same place we went on our first date, but I got to thinking, that’s the old us. We’re new and improved Brady now.”
She bursts out laughing. “You did not just do the name combo thing on us!”
“Hey, it’s not my fault – Mia was the one who reminded me that everyone called us Brady back in the day!”
“Yeah, when it was popular to combine names. This isn’t 2010, you know.”
I grin. “No,” I tell her, voice low and husky. “We’re definitely older, wiser…” I trail my lips along the column of her neck, her breathing shallow. “Everything will be better now.”
She shudders and opens her mouth to say something but no words come out. “I think I’m going to need a moment before we go inside,” she tells me, her head nodding to the restaurant in front of us.
I pull on the latch to my door and walk around the front of the pickup, open her door and extend a hand. “Enough time?”
“I’m afraid there will never be enough time,” she says, and I can’t stop my heart from reading into those words.
“No. There never will.”
I thread our fingers together and head into the restaurant my uncle James swears by—says he took his wife Carly to on their first date. As we sit at the best table in the house James secured for me, we watch the sun setting over the lake. We eat and talk, laughing about everything and nothing, but not about the past. Because the past? Behind us.
“One more stop,” I tell her after I sign the credit card slip and slide my wallet back into my pocket.
“What are you up to?” she asks.
“You’ll see.”
The smile can’t be wiped from my face as I lead her back to my pickup, open her door, and help her inside. She’s perfectly capable, obviously, but I’m not about to overlook an opportunity to have my hands on her.
A few minutes later, I’m parking in a familiar lot.
“It’s so much smaller than I remember,” she says in awe.
“I know. Though, to be fair, we weren’t exactly big when we were here.”
“True, true. How’d you manage this?” she asks, as we walk onto our old elementary school playground, I’m a little sad to see the old equipment has since been replaced with all new stuff. Better, safer, more than likely.
“The great Grady Ryan? Football hero? Poster boy of this town?” I tease.
She rolls her eyes, not at all impressed. “I promised the principal seats for opening day,” I admit, and she laughs.
“Sounds a little more accurate.”
She runs through the broken up black rubber on the ground beneath the equipment and jumps onto a swing, kicking her legs out immediately so she begins to soar into the night sky. After playing football with my friends and me, the swings were always her favorite.
I give her one hard push, doing an underdog and feeling a little proud of myself for not even sneaking a peek up her dress. Her laughter rings through the empty playground, bringing back so many memories at once.
I sit in the swing next to her, kicking my legs out to start swinging too. The evening so perfect I wish we could bottle it up and never let it end.
“I bet I can jump farther than you,” I joke, remembering how when we were little she would always try to jump off the swings out farther than me.
“Ugh, you’ll never let me live it down, will you?”
“Nope. Not a chance. You were like a Great Dane trying to be a lap dog. You never did let your height, or lack thereof, get in your way.” I chuckle as she guffaws.
“You ass! I can’t help it!”
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing. I like you being pocket sized.”
We swing for a few minutes before… “I dare you.”
I glance over, knowing she’s never been able to let a dare go by.
She glares then looks down at her dress and rolls her eyes before grumbling, “Fine. What are the terms?”
“I never said anything about terms. What do you take me for?”
“In all the years you’ve been issuing me dares, you’ve always had some sort of condition.”
“Pssh. I just want to see if you have the guts to jump.”
“Are you saying I’m chicken?”
“If the bock fits.”
“Bock?” she hoots, throwing her head back so hard her swing jerks and she has to right herself before falling on her ass. “Holy shit! Did you see that?”
Now I’m laughing so hard I have to slow my swing down. I place my feet on the ground and lean over, reaching out to grip her rubber-covered chain to stop her movements.
“The look on your face was priceless,” I say between laughter.
“I totally thought I was going backward. Swinging is dangerous! Why do they still have these on the playground?”
I stand up and pull her up next to me. “Come here.” She wraps her arms around my waist and looks up at me. “This is the first place I fell in love with you.”
“Because I intercepted the football from you?”
“Yup.”
“Me too.”
“Because I let you intercept the football from me?”
She playfully hits my arm. “You’re such a liar! You know damn good and well I caught that football fair and square!”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“I have a few ideas of what would help me sleep better tonight,” she tells me and the look in her eyes basically kicked over the metaphorical ‘take it slow’ sign and buried it for good.
Bri
We tumble into his house, Rocky jumping around us, excited his master is home.
We’re all hands and tongues and ripping each other’s clothes off. When I saw the heat in his eyes as he took in my dress, I was so grateful I wore it. Now, though? Not so much.
He pulls and tugs, but my stupid zipper is still up.
“Zipper,” I whimper and step quickly out of his embrace, so I can unzip it. He swats my hand away.
“We’re going back to slow,” he murmurs before tugging down the metal zipper at a painstakingly sloth-like pace. The sound echoes through his house.
The black fabric drops to the floor and his eyes caress my exposed skin. He’s seen it all before, but the years between make it feel like the first time all over again.
Lucky for me, it appears he likes what he sees.
“I still can’t believe how much more beautiful you are,” he rasps.
I figure if I’m standing here practically naked in front of him, the least he could do is join the party. I point to his shirt then decide it will be far more fun for me if I take matters into my own hands. Literally.
I swat his hand away the same way he did to me a few moments ago and he smirks, raises his arms above him letting me get to work. I scrub my hands together, not being able to contain my excitement over once again seeing what lies beneath the soft cotton covering his chest. Last night was too quick and I didn’t get nearly enough time to explore. I grab hold of the hem but can’t resist teasing him a little bit.
I raise an eyebrow at him as I slip a finger b
eneath the waistband of his gray pants. His stomach contracts and I feel the rigid muscles of what I know is a glorious six-pack tremble under my touch.
I trail the grooves with both hands, my touch so light it’s more like a butterfly kiss. When I get to his sides he lets out a breathy laugh.
“Still ticklish on your sides, I see?”
He throws a mock glare in my direction, arms still raised above his head as he waits patiently for me to undress him.
“Fuck it,” he growls before reaching behind him and tugging his shirt off, throwing it to the side. He crashes his mouth to mine, but I pull back, planting a hand to my hip.
“You were taking too long,” he explains with a shrug.
“You were the one who said we needed to go slow!” I accuse, pointing a finger at him.
“I think I’ve waited long enough, don’t you?” he asks, reaching for me again, pulling our bodies flush against each other. Me only in my bra and panties, him in just his pants. Our bare skin touches, starting a wild fire in my belly. We both pause, eyes connecting.
“I missed you so damn much,” I tell him, voice wavering. I told myself not to get emotional and cry. Again. I’m tired of the tears, of worrying about the past. It’s time for me to accept his forgiveness and move forward. But try as I might, I can’t ignore the fact we’re here, together. It’s something I wasn’t sure would ever happen again and I’ll never take one second of it for granted.
“You have no idea, B. No idea.”
I smile, bringing myself back into the present, I grip him over the fabric of his shorts. “Oh, I think I have a little bit of an idea.”
His hips jerk, shamelessly pressing himself deeper into my hold. “If you remember correctly, there’s nothing little about it.”
Oh, I remember. All too well. It was what kept my hand between my legs on more than one occasion, when I was missing him even more than usual.
I roll my eyes like his words don’t cause an immediate reaction to me. It’s a lie. I squirm, rubbing my thighs together, my panties soaked in seconds.
Next thing I know, I’m being lifted and thrown over Grady’s shoulder. My upside-down view of his back muscles contracting as he moves us through his house with quick feet isn’t a hardship. Rather than fighting it, I settle in. Rest my elbow on his shoulder, chin in hand. My other hand, though? It’s on a mission, massaging with my fingertips over the strong planes of his upper back, feeling him up as best as I can.
I sigh then kiss his shoulder.
“What’cha doing up there?”
“Just enjoying the view. You don’t work out at all, do ya?”
“Nope. All natural, baby.”
I scoff then squeal when he tosses me onto the bed. I bounce a few times and watch as he chucks his pants off, jumping out of them before throwing them over his shoulder.
Annnnnd, he’s commando.
My mouth waters, and I shift, trying to tame the ache.
“All about saving time tonight, huh?”
“Eh, they’d just have been in the way.”
“Kind of glad I didn’t know what was going on under your pants earlier. Might have tried skipping to the strip show portion of the night before we even left my house.”
“Yeah, well, trust me. It took a great deal of self-control on my part.”
I pull his head down, our lips collide, words no longer necessary as we let our bodies speak for us. I tilt my head, mouth open for his tongue to slide in. Mine tangles with his. We take our time tasting and caressing each other’s bodies, getting reacquainted.
His lips make a path down my neck as he reaches behind me to unhook my bra. While he’s busy, I figure I might as well help him with the rest and I shimmy out of my panties. Careful not to knee him anywhere important at the same time.
I arch my back when his mouth fuses to my already sensitive bud, biting down gently then letting his tongue snake out to ease the sting. I cry out and wrap a hand around his neck, holding him close. The best kind of pleasurable pain zipping through my breasts, making them feel heavy and aching for more.
I squeeze my eyes closed as his lips wrap around my nipple, sucking hard then soft before shifting over to the other side, giving it equal attention.
My fingers dig into his shoulders then under his arms as I pull him back up to me. I feel his hardness pressing against my center, triggering a deep-rooted desire for him to come bubbling to the surface.
His hips dip and even through the haze of lust, I almost giggle.
“I’m not sure what’s so funny,” he grumbles but the smile on his lips tells me he’s not annoyed in the least.
“We’re dry humping.”
He chuckles. “Like the good ol’ days, huh?”
“Mmm,” I agree.
“As much fun as this is, I think the best is yet to come,” he says as he moves us slightly, so my legs are bent, opening myself up.
Right before he’s about to enter me, he pauses. I look up at him, half scared I’m going to start crying while I throw a fit worthy of a three-year-old in the middle of the Wal-Mart toy section.
“I have a condom in my wallet.”
“In your pants all the way across the room?” I ask, breathing heavy.
A nod, hard swallow, then a rough kiss. His lips enveloping mine.
“Well, I haven’t been with anyone since you,” I admit shyly. Licking my lips, I allow my eyes to fall away from his gaze.
“No one?” he asks, thumb grazing over my cheekbone, resting on my temple as my head shakes side to side slowly.
Blue and green collide, the skin around his eyes crinkling. “That makes you happy?” I ask, throwing his words from earlier back at him.
“I’m not going to lie. It does. First, only, last,” he says quietly.
I blow out an unsteady breath. “I’m on the pill. I promise. I had to go on after I got out of treatment to help get me back on track. No more surprises. I’m also supposed to get my period next week. How’s that for sexy?”
The look on his face causes me to giggle.
“Remind me what that means?”
“I’m not ovulating at the moment.”
“Well this took an awkward turn,” he chuckles. “I’m clean, too. I had a physical right after I got the job. Not that there were many chances to not be clean… it was only once and…”
Yeah. I don’t need to hear anymore. “Then what are you waiting for, Coach?”
“No turning back?”
My next words come out with no hesitation. “I love you, Grady. Time didn’t change that, and it never will.”
“I never thought I’d hear you say those words again.”
“I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to come back to you.”
“It doesn’t matter. I love you, too. I never moved on from you because there was no moving on.”
I reach between us, taking hold of him in my hand and guide him to my center. “I think it’s time we do something about this, yeah?”
His answering smile is everything and soon, words aren’t necessary.
He fills me, a small bite of pain from the many years of not being with anyone else.
“Keep your eyes open, B.”
He wraps a strong forearm under my knee and rests my leg over his shoulder, pushing in impossibly deep.
“You’re mine, yeah?” he grunts, my eyes losing focus as the pleasure takes over.
“Always,” I moan, his hips rotating slightly.
In the silence of his bedroom, every noise we make seems to be amplified.
It doesn’t take long before I’m tipping right over the edge. I gasp and cry out, my hand pressing against the wall behind my head as I anchor myself against the orgasm taking over.
He grabs my other hand in his, threading our fingers together, pressing our joined hands into the mattress. He squeezes tightly as his own orgasm bursts through him, burying his head in the side of my neck as we both pant heavily, coming down from a high I had forgotten existed.
I close my eyes and feel the beat of our hearts pound against each other.
“You were so worth waiting for.”
Grady
I wake up with a taste for Bri and thank my lucky stars she didn’t rise early because I have a plan.
Rocky whines beside me, and I shush him, hoping he can hold his bladder for a little while longer since we let him outside late after we finished round three. He cocks his head to the side, probably wondering why I’m not jumping out of bed to serve him, which is apparently my reason for being put on this earth.
“Give me a bit, boy. I have other priorities at the moment,” I tell him. He lays his chin down on the edge of the mattress, and I try to shoo him away, not needing an audience for what I’m about to do.
I settle myself between her legs, only the bright white sheet covering us both. I remember the few times we were able to spend the night together she was always a hot box when she slept, which worked great because I’m the same. Right before we went to sleep, she folded the comforter down and laid it at the foot of my bed, something I’ve done ever since the first night I shared a bed with her. The familiarity of it made my chest ache, but I simply pulled her closer, letting my hand rest on her stomach as we drifted off to sleep.
I trail kisses along her inner thigh. She squirms beneath me, my hands grip her thighs, spreading her open. Licking her seam, I relish in her taste, the fact she’s in my home, my bed… my life. I hum, my mouth never leaving her body, as I continue to use my tongue to wake her up. When I suck on her tight bud, she moans so loudly I know there’s no possible way she’s not awake—the brat probably has been awake since I got started.
“Holy shit,” she moans, her short fingernails digging into my scalp. “Good God, Grady. I’ll kick your ass if you stop.”
I smile but listen to her because—well, I don’t want to stop.
I bring her to the brink then slow down, kissing the apex of her thighs, down to her knees and back up. She growls, and I feel her writhe between the sheets, her knee nudging against my head to get me where she wants me most.
Waiting for Her Page 19
