"Hi. I'm Lydia." She stretched her right hand out to me, and I shook it. "You must be Sydney."
"That's me." I returned her smile. "It's nice to meet you." I inhaled and smelled something delicious. "Wow, it smells amazing in here."
"Thanks," Lydia said. "I'm working on a chicken cordon blue recipe with a twist. I hope you like it."
"Lydia's a sous chef at The Glass House downtown," Andy explained. "We get to be her Guinea pigs tonight."
"That sounds exciting," I said with a smile. I had never been to The Glass House, but I had been told it was amazing by a number of people.
"I just opened a bottle of chardonnay. Would you like a glass?" Lydia asked me.
"Yes, thank you," I replied with a nod. She turned back toward the counter and filled an empty wine glass with the open bottle of chardonnay sitting next to her. She offered the glass to me, and I took it gratefully. I took a small sip and found it delicious.
"Have a seat at the island, and we can chat while I cook," Lydia said as she waved toward the tall stools lined up next to the kitchen island.
"Do you need any help?" I asked before sitting down.
"No, that's what Andy's for." She smiled affectionately as she glanced over at Andy, who was pouring himself a glass of wine.
"That's me. The lowly chef's assistant," he said with a laugh, his eyes lighting up as they fixed on her. The connection between them was obvious as I watched them interact with each other. They were adorable together. Lydia handed a metal colander and a head of romaine to Andy, and he wordlessly took it from her and moved to the sink on the island to wash it. Andy was facing me, and he took a closer look at my clothes. His mouth suddenly quirked up on one side as he narrowed his eyes at me. "Is that the same outfit you wore the night you met Jensen?"
"Um, yeah," I said as my eyes widened, shocked that he would remember, considering we never actually saw each other up close that night.
"And you call me devious," he said with amusement dancing in his eyes.
"I thought I might as well stack the deck in my favor." I smiled back at him.
"Well, you look gorgeous," Lydia added as she looked over at me from where she was working. "He won't know what hit him." I hoped she was right as a sudden wave of fear hit me, making my stomach flutter with dread. I took a big sip of my wine to try to calm myself.
"Are you alright?" Andy asked as he zeroed in on my unease.
"I'm terrified," I said as I met his eyes. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"I do," Andy said with assurance. "You guys need to talk this out and if this is the only way to force his hand, it's worth it. He's too damn stubborn to admit that he needs you, but he does."
"Okay," I agreed with a sigh. "But what if he refuses to talk to me?"
"He's not leaving this house until he does," Andy said with a serious expression. "Lydia and I will make sure of that."
I nodded, feeling a little better and took another sip from my wine glass. I was still nervous about what I was going to say to him since I hadn't really planned anything specific. I figured I'd just go with whatever felt right when I saw him. I hoped and prayed everything would turn out alright.
Andy changed the subject and started asking me about what I did for a living. We talked about my job, and Lydia would ask questions occasionally too. I realized that I really enjoyed their company, and the change in subject was a welcome distraction from my fear. Before I knew it, the doorbell suddenly rang and all of us fell into silence for a long moment.
"It's show time," Andy said after letting out the breath he had been holding. He squeezed my forearm for a second, giving me a reassuring glance, and then walked out of the kitchen to answer the door. My heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest as I watched him leave. I turned and looked at Lydia, who nodded reassuringly at me. A few seconds later, I could hear Jensen's voice from the living room. The deep sexy rasp of his voice filled me with anticipation, and I looked toward the doorway into the kitchen, waiting to see him. A few moments later, Jensen walked into the room with Andy right behind him, and he froze when he saw me sitting there. He looked a little thin to me, with dark circles under his eyes, but he still looked so good in his jeans and red T-shirt. I had to fight the urge to run and jump into his arms. Our eyes met across the room and the intense attraction between us ignited like fire, and time just stopped.
CHAPTER THREE
Jensen
I was about ten minutes early when I parked the truck in Andy's driveway. I still didn't feel very well after last night. The mere thought of drinking again made my stomach turn, so I had poured out all the alcohol in my place after Andy had dropped me off earlier today. I was grateful for the dinner invitation. Having someplace to go tonight would help distract me from wallowing in my self-pity and loneliness. Going to sleep would probably be a futile effort later, but for now I was going to try to have a good time and pretend that everything was okay for a few hours. I climbed down out of the truck, walked up Andy's sidewalk, and up the steps to his front door. I rang the doorbell and waited. A few moments later, I was starting to wonder if I had shown up at the wrong time. I was just about to ring it again when the door finally opened.
"Hey, man," Andy greeted me with a huge grin. "I'm glad you're here."
"Hey, yourself," I answered him with a smile of my own. I walked past him and entered the living room.
"How are you feeling after last night?" Andy asked me with a smirk.
"Still kind of shitty, but I'm better than this morning."
"Good. Lydia's in the kitchen cooking. I'll get you some water," Andy said as he fell in behind me as I walked toward the kitchen.
"Thanks for not offering me a beer, brother. I think I might have thrown up again," I said with a snort of amusement and glanced back at him as I walked through the doorway into the kitchen. I turned facing forward and froze in my tracks when I saw Sydney sitting at the kitchen island looking at me. I stared at her speechlessly, my brain unable to comprehend the fact that she was here in front of me. I lost myself in her brilliant gray eyes, feeling a longing for her so deep I forgot to breathe for a moment, and the rest of the world seemed to disappear. Before I knew what I was doing, I was stumbling toward her helplessly. I came to my senses a few feet from her and stopped myself from gathering her into my arms. I clenched my fists at my sides to keep from touching her.
I looked down at her as she stared back at me. She looked so beautiful, her gray eyes bright and her full pink lips slightly parted. She looked just as effected by our connection as I was. I wanted to touch her so badly, and it took all of my strength to keep my hands to myself. My eyes followed the smooth curve of her face and down to her bare shoulders. My breath caught as I recognized her outfit from the day we met. My hands unclenched and rose up of their own accord to cradle her face between them. Sydney pressed her cheek into my right hand and closed her eyes. I caressed my right thumb across her lips feeling their velvet softness. Her skin felt like home, and I breathed in her scent, realizing just how much I had missed her.
"W...What are you doing here?" I whispered in confusion.
"You wouldn't talk to me," she whispered back as her eyes opened and welled with tears. "You just left me."
"I...I didn't want to hurt you," I told her, my voice shaking with emotion. I looked away from the pain in her eyes, and noticed that Andy and Lydia had left us alone in the kitchen.
"But you did!" Her voice rose in anger. I looked back at her to see angry tears streaming down her face. My stomach clenched in guilt and shame as the raw pain in her eyes gutted me.
I collapsed onto my knees to look up at her, clutching her hands in mine. "I'm so sorry I tried to hurt you that night. It was a nightmare, and I didn't know what I was doing."
"That's not what I'm talking about!" she sobbed angrily. "You hurt me when you walked out and every day since."
"But your neck," I whispered in despair. "I...I tried to kill you in my sleep."
"Yo
u didn't," she said vehemently. "You barely even touched me."
"B...but you said I was hurting you."
"That's because a two hundred-pound moron was lying on top of me," she said in exasperation. "But you didn't bother to listen to me at all, did you?" Her voice dropped to a whisper again. "And then you said such horrible things to me. It hurt so fucking bad." She closed her eyes as her face twisted in pain, tears falling down her cheeks.
I sucked several breaths in and out as I watched her cry, the realization of my own stupidity stunning me. I was such a fucking fool. Too lost in my own fucked-up head to see the reality that was right in front of me and Sydney was paying the price for it. "I am a fucking idiot," I mumbled under my breath. "Baby, I'm so sorry for what I did to you." I gripped her hands tighter as she opened her eyes and looked down at me again. "So sorry I didn't listen to you."
"I needed you and you...you left me," she sobbed. "I missed you so much."
I brought both of her hands together in her lap and rested my forehead against them, feeling sick with remorse. My stomach seemed to burn inside me with the pain of my guilt. I could feel hot tears begin falling from my eyes, and I didn't even try to stop them. I wanted her to see them, to know that I knew exactly what I had done to her, and that I'd gladly suffer for my own stupidity. I started sobbing with her, my anguish pouring out of me, and I didn't care.
"I'm so sorry, baby," I whispered raggedly as my tears soaked into her jeans. "I...I thought I was protecting you. I was so fucking stupid." I felt her lean down and press her cheek to the back of my head, her tears flowing into my hair. She began running her fingers through my hair. Fuck, even now when she was angry at me and all of this was my fault; she still tried to comfort me. I didn't think I could ever love her more than I did at this moment. "I love you so fucking much, Sydney. Please forgive me. I can't go another day without you."
"I love you, too," she whispered into my ear, her words and soft breath sending a shiver through my body. "Will you make it up to me?" she asked. I lifted my head from her lap and pressed my forehead against hers then placed a hand on each side of her head.
"Yes, baby," I whispered earnestly. "Whatever you want. Anything."
"Then I forgive you." Her words hit me with the force of a blow. I sucked in a sudden breath and pulled my face back to meet her eyes. The love I saw in them was tempered by pain and anger, but nonetheless, it was there, and I latched onto that with everything I had, willing to do whatever it took to fix this.
I kissed her then, needing to feel her lips against mine, and when she kissed me back I couldn't help but moan helplessly into her mouth. I deepened the kiss, pressing my tongue into her mouth when she parted her lips for me. My God, she tasted and felt so fucking good. I stood up as I continued kissing her, lifting her by her hips and setting her on the counter next to me. She spread her knees apart so I could step closer to her, her breasts pressing against my chest. I groaned as her fingers latched into my hair, and she pulled my head toward her, pressing my lips harder against hers. I moved my hands up the outside of her thighs until my hands were digging into her ass, and I ground my cock into her pelvis with a deep growl of need. Sydney whimpered and writhed against me with her own desire, and I forgot about everything but her, and how much I needed her.
Suddenly, the oven timer started beeping. "Fuck," I groaned as I pulled my lips away from Sydney's, and remembered where we were. Sydney and I wrapped our arms around each other, and pressed our foreheads together as our breathing started to slow.
"Guys?" I heard Lydia call from the other room, sounding apologetic. "Is it safe for me to come back in? I kind of need to get that before it starts burning."
"Sure, Lydia," I called out as I returned the amused smile that was on Sydney's face. "Come on in."
Lydia rushed past us to the oven, but not before I noticed the triumphant smile she shared with Sydney. I pursed my lips, unsure how I felt about being manipulated into this situation. Part of me wanted to be angry with Andy and Lydia for not minding their own business, but the way it felt to have Sydney back in my arms, I couldn't help feeling gratitude as well.
"Can I get down now?" Sydney asked quietly, her hands still wrapped around the back of my neck.
"Not just yet," I whispered and glanced down pointedly between us. My cock was still ready to go, and I needed a moment to settle down.
"Oh," she said as she noticed my problem with an amused giggle.
Lydia placed the pan she had pulled out of the oven on top of the stove, and turned to face us. "It looks like you guys have worked everything out," she said as she gave us a huge shit-eating grin. "How about we celebrate with dinner?"
"That sounds wonderful," Sydney answered as I snorted in amusement. I lifted Sydney off the counter and set her back down on her feet, reveling in the feel of my hands on her body. I held her against me for a few seconds longer than I needed too. Sydney smiled up at me, and I really wished we were alone right now so I could have my wicked way with her.
"Is it safe to come back in?" Andy called from the doorway into the dining room. A shit-eating grin covered his face as he looked at me, and I scowled at him. Sydney moved away from me, and went over to help Lydia while I stalked toward Andy. I stopped in front of him and leaned in close, feeling satisfaction when his smile faltered, and he shrank back from me.
"Are you sure you weren't a super-villain in a past life?" I growled at him, a corner of my mouth turning up as I tried not to smile.
"I'd like to think so," he replied as his smile came back full force.
"You are a devious fucking bastard, I should be pissed at you," I said, finally letting myself smile back at him.
"You're welcome," he said in a self-satisfied tone. We shared a look that spoke volumes about my gratitude and his willingness to look out for me when I was too stupid to look out for myself.
"By the way, we're even now," I told him pointedly.
"No, no, no," he argued as he shook his head. "I took a bullet for you."
"You were barely grazed."
"A bullet is still a bullet, dude," he replied patronizingly.
"Yes, but I'm going to refrain from dragging your ass outside right now and beating the shit out of you," I said, my mouth twisting into an evil grin as I leaned closer to him again.
"Point taken," he conceded with a nod, his eyes lighting up with amusement.
"Alright, boys," Lydia announced from where she stood next to Sydney. "Dinner is ready, come get your plates."
A few minutes later, we were all sitting at the dining table. For the first time in days, I actually felt hungry, and I had piled my plate as high as I could with Lydia's food. Sydney looked at my full plate and then looked up at me. "Got enough?" she asked me with a wry smile.
"Just wait until you try it," I answered her. "You won't be able to get enough either."
She looked dubious until she put the first bit in her mouth. Her eyes lit up in delight. "Holy shit, Lydia. This is amazing," she said incredulously as she looked across the table at Lydia.
"I'm glad you like it," Lydia said gratefully with a nod.
"This is why I've gained five pounds since we moved in together," Andy added as he looked at Lydia with an affectionate smile. "Wait until you try her cheesecake."
For the rest of the meal, I had a hard time focusing on the conversation going on around me. I kept finding myself staring at Sydney, drinking in the sight and sound of her. It felt like I was alive again, and I couldn't stop touching her. I don't know how I survived this last hellish week without her. I had my hand on her leg under the table as often as I could. I couldn't wait to get out of here and get her all to myself.
After we finished our dinner and Lydia brought out dessert, Andy stood up and tapped the side of his wine glass with his fork. "I'd like to propose a toast," he announced loudly and lifted his glass up.
"You're such a drama queen," I grumbled at him with a wry smile. He glared at me for a second and continued speaking.
/> "Here's to butting in and not minding my own business," Andy said dramatically.
"Here, here!" Lydia cried in response as she raised her glass.
I smiled and rolled my eyes as I raised my water glass, and watched Sydney laugh and raise her wine glass. We clinked all of our glasses together and drank from them. I put my glass down with a contented sigh, feeling calm for the first time since I left Sydney last week. I grabbed Sydney's free hand and squeezed it firmly. Her eyes met mine, and my world felt right. She returned my squeeze with one of her own, and her eyes darkened with desire as she licked her lips. I took a deep breath as lust flooded through me. I let go of her hand and grabbed my fork, intent on finishing my dessert as quickly as possible. If I didn't get inside Sydney soon I was going to lose my damn mind.
We finished eating, and I excused us for the night to the knowing looks on Andy and Lydia's faces. I was so worked up that I made Sydney squeak in surprise when I abruptly pushed her up against the side of my truck in the driveway. I tangled my fingers into her long dark hair and moved my face to the side of hers, taking in her scent and the feel of her body against mine. I buried my face against her neck and started pressing kisses against her bare skin as she shivered against me.
"I want to fuck you so bad," I whispered as my body began trembling with need.
"Come home with me tonight," she whispered as she arched her back and pushed her breasts against me. I nodded wordlessly and pulled away from her neck to kiss her on the lips. My need was so raw that I couldn't help but grind my hips against her, heedless of the fact we were in Andy's driveway and anyone walking by could see us. After kissing her for several more moments, I pulled my face away from hers with a deep sigh.
Let Me Save You Page 4
