by Shae Scott
I wasn’t sure how to react to that. I hadn’t been expecting it. It was fast. As much time as we spent together and as good as things were going between us right now, I wasn’t sure I was ready to give up the safety of my place or my life in the city. I didn’t think I was ready for that kind of step. We’d only been back together a short amount of time. We were still working through everything. If I moved in with him now, if we moved to fast, we could easily fall apart.
“Owen, slow down. We have time. I’m not going anywhere. We are together nearly every night. Let’s just enjoy each other okay?” I didn’t want to hurt him by saying no. I wasn’t really saying no. I just needed to move slower.
“You’re not ready.” He didn’t ask it as a question.
“I don’t know. I just want us to do this the right way. I don’t want us to do anything that’s going to mess us up again. Can you understand that?” I asked.
“Of course. I get it. I just want you so badly that I get impatient. You are where I belong. That’s all,” he smiled and I knew that he was okay. I knew he understood where I was coming from.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
He gave me a questioning tilt of the head.
“For understanding me. For giving me time to get there,” I explained.
He kissed my forehead. “I would wait a lifetime. You are it for me.”
I kissed him then, needing to feel his mouth on mine, to show him that I was right there with him. I wanted this to work out. I wanted to take every step to make sure that it did. I wanted to fight down every single demon that made me question our future, because I felt I too, that there would be no one else. There never could be. He owned me and there was no way I’d ever want to belong to anyone else.
He pulled me close to him. His hands running up and down my back as he deepened the kiss. Sometimes, when words didn’t say enough, our kisses could say the rest. I felt every emotion he had and it spoke to the places of my heart that had been guarded.
As was the case so many times when he kissed me, I felt myself falling under his spell. Each time his mouth found mine I seemed to go weak to him. My entire body lit up and my need to touch him and feel him became all consuming. When he touched me I lost all rational thought. Maybe it was because we were back in the honeymoon period, but every touch left me wanting. even simple outings like dinner would have me contemplating an escape to the bathroom to relieve the deep ache he created in me. It made me feel reckless and alive and while I assumed it would fade over time, right now I was enjoying every mind blowing moment of it.
That was another reason I didn’t want to rush into moving in together. There was still that part of me that wondered if we were just in that lust filled beginning stage, like a really long make-up sex session. I had to be careful. I had to make sure we were still strong once this heat had faded.
I slid my hands beneath his shirt to touch his warm, hard flesh. He groaned against my lips, pushing his hips into mine so I could feel that he, too, was feeling the rush of need.
“You ever do it in a classic car, Kit Kat?” His words moved across my skin and the suggestion had me itching to take his shirt off.
“Maybe you could help me check that off my list,” I suggested as he began to walk me backwards to the barn. There was a time when I’d refused to have sex in Granny’s barn. It was the respectful thing to do. But now that he was touching me and kissing the breath from me, I wasn’t feeing quite as hung up on the decision. The idea of straddling him in that truck had my blood pumping hard in my chest.
“God, Ally, I want you. I always want you. I can’t get enough of you. Your body. Your lips. You have no idea just how much I need you.” The words tumbled from his lips, between kisses as we moved towards the truck he’d just parked. His hands moved to the hem of my shirt and began to pull it up and over my head. The crisp air hit my skin and my nipples hardened instantly. His hands found my breasts and he ran his thumbs over my nipples, teasing them. He ground against me, my back against the truck cab. I could feel his erection pressing into me and it made me hungry for more.
“Owen,” I breathed out his name, as my fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt.
“Owen!” We froze. Susie’s voice called out into the night.
“Shit,” I laughed, burying my face into his warm chest.
“Owen, honey, ya’ll come on up to the house. We’re gonna have dessert,”
“Damn it,” he groaned, but he started to laugh.
“We should go back before they come looking for us,” I said.
“I’m going to need a few minutes to get myself under control,” he laughed.
“It’s the barn. We’re cursed,” I pointed out.
“Goddamn, you’re right.”
I reached down and stroked his hard cock through his jeans.
“You aren’t helping matters,” he groaned through gritted teeth.
“I know. I can’t help it. I love the way you feel. I want you so much right now.” I admitted.
“Ally. Back away. I’m serious. I am not above taking you anyway and offering up a thanksgiving show for purely selfish reasons,”
I laughed. “We’d never be invited back,”
He rested his forehead to mine and we took a few steadying breathes together.
“We’ll finish this later,” he said.
“Promise?” I asked.
“I’m tempted to take our pie to go just so I can be inside you that much sooner,” he said.
“I like the way you think, Brooks.”
He grabbed my ass and gave it a squeeze. “Let’s go, before they show up or I change my mind,” he said. He grabbed my hand and we started back towards the house. I looked over at him as we walked and smiled as he tried to adjust himself to accommodate the bulge.
“You’re fucking sexy as hell, you know that, Kat?” He gave me a sidelong glance.
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” I teased.
“Baby, don’t you know? Every girl in the world disappeared the moment you showed up,” he said.
“Good answer,” I laughed.
He leaned over and kissed me softly
“Let’s get this over with.”
29
Owen
“I’m sleepy. I ate way too much turkey. And pie. I think I had too much pie,” Ally said holding her stomach as she sunk into the passenger seat of my truck. I smiled at her as she blew out a breath, causing her bangs to puff up. I was so in love with her. I couldn’t help it that it was the only thought going through my head when I looked at her. Especially today. I had her back in my life and every second I was thankful for it. Every second I prayed she wouldn’t go away. I was still getting used to having her back. Most of the time it felt like a dream and I was sure to wake up at any moment. It would crush me. So in moments like this, where things felt perfect I caught myself trying not to make sudden movements as if it would keep me from waking, making all of this fade away.
“No one said you had to try all of the pies,” I teased as she groaned. I laughed and reached over and rubbed her knee. “It’s okay. I’ll get you home and you can sleep it off…then wake up and have a turkey sandwich with all these leftovers that Granny sent back with us,” I said.
“I’ll never eat again,” she declared, eyes still closed. I should start the truck and start driving, but I was too busy staring at her. No shame.
“I’ll remember that when you try to steal my sandwich,” I muttered, knowing full well she’d want to share later. I didn’t tell her, but I was hoping that we could do so in bed later after we worked off all of today’s calories. I almost looked forward to sharing the sandwich as much as the lead up to it. Almost.
“I’m glad your mom came,” she yawned. I smiled. It had been nice seeing her. I’d missed her. And it felt good to have my whole family around me. I had never given it much thought before, but there was something about being with Ally there at Granny’s table that had me longing for tradition and imaging all ou
r future holidays together. It made my heart ache a little. It felt too good.
“Me too. I think she might actually decide to move back. If she can convince Ron to make the move. I think she wants to be close to Gran.”
“She cornered me and told me she was ready for grandchildren,” Ally smiled, glancing over at me. I lifted an eyebrow at her as if to ask her opinion on it. I wasn’t going to say anything, but the idea didn’t scare me. In fact, a miniature version of Ally sounded kind of amazing. She laughed. “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she teased, but I saw it in her eyes, it didn’t sound so scary to her either.
“We’d make pretty babies,” I said testing her further.
“Let’s worry about keeping Charlie alive first, babe,” she smiled.
Thankful. That’s what I was. For this conversation. This hope. We’d made it this far and it was incredible.
Finally, I started the engine and started towards my place. I didn’t even ask if she was staying over. We both knew that she would. We had quietly been falling into a closeness and a routine that found us together more than not. I loved it. I loved having her sleeping beside me. I loved knowing she would be there when I woke up. I still saw the caution in her eyes when she caught herself thinking too much. But I tried to push it away. I’d get her back there making one memory at a time. I hoped that my lack of doubt would ease hers and so far it seemed to be working. I was willing to be patient. It was easier to do when she was beside me.
“Are you really tired? Wanna go down to the water for a bit?” I asked hopefully.
“Sure, that sounds nice,” she agreed. She covered the hand that I had resting on her knee and I felt warmth run through my veins.
Granny’s wasn’t too far from my house. I pulled the truck into the clearing in front of the water, backing it up so we could sit on the tailgate like we used to. I grabbed a couple of blankets and pillows that I had thrown into the back cab this morning.
“Aren’t you prepared,” she smiled.
I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m smooth.”
She laughed and the sound was the sweetest music I’d ever heard. It was amazing how all of the simple things I’d always taken for granted before were suddenly demanding my full attention. I knew what it was like to be away from these things and I wasn’t about to forget how important they were now that I had them back. I was a lucky bastard and I knew it.
I put one blanket down on the bed and left one so she could cover up from the cold. I placed the two pillows against the back of the truck, like a mock headboard. It wouldn’t be comfortable but it would keep her from getting dirty. I jumped up onto the tailgate and offered her my hand. She smiled up at me and I pulled her up, holding her close to keep her steady.
“Hi there,” I smiled.
“Hi.” I kissed her nose before we both sat, leaning up against the pillows. It was chilly, but it was still warm for November. Typical southern fall, we refused to give into winter until we had to.
“I love it out here,” she said, sounding content as she snuggled up against me.
“It’s ours now. For always,” I said kissing the top of her head. This was my perfect. This is the thing I’d only dared dream about. Shit, I was feeling sappy today.
“I know. I love that you bought this place. I can’t imagine not being able to come here,” she said.
“Yeah. We’re lucky.” I said.
She tilted her head back to look up at me. “I love you,” she said simply. Best words ever. After everything we’d been through I held on to each time she said them.
“I love you, too, baby.” I kissed her slowly, sinking into her. I loved making out with her. Sitting here in this truck I thought back to when we’d been two teenagers hanging out here. We had never made out then, but now I wondered what would have happened if we had. Would we be here now? Or did we have to go on this complicated journey to get here?
I rolled her to her back and deepened the kiss. I couldn’t get enough of the way she tasted and I wanted to feel her pressed beneath me. She let out a low groan as I pressed against her, grinding my arousal against her jeans. She was so fucking perfect and no matter how many times I had her, I still wanted more. My hands ran up her sides pulling at her clothes in a needy impatient way. I had just wanted to kiss her, but now my body was humming with the need for her.
I did my best to pull back and get control of my breathing, but when I looked down at her I saw that she too had been carried away by the moment. Her skin was flushed; her breathing heavy and her fingers were tight in my shirt, tugging at it as if she wanted it gone.
“I got a little carried away,” I smiled. “Something about you just makes me crazy with want,” I admitted nipping at her bottom lip. She pulled my shirt until my mouth was on hers again and she moved her legs so that I was settled between her hips. I groaned out as I moved against her.
“Carry me away then,’ she breathed out between kisses. I moved my hands along her body feeling the frenzy build inside me. I wanted her badly. It was an ache that could only be soothed by being buried deep inside her, to hear her panting against my ear as I pounded into her with a steady rhythm.
“Owen,” she breathed my name out as she reached for the buckle on my belt. “I want you.”
I caught her eye and realized that she was just as impatient as I was.
“Here?” I asked. I was all about taking her here in the back of this truck. I’d be lying if I hadn’t imagined it before.
“Now,” she breathed. The buckle open and the button undone she was working to get my jeans over my hips. I helped her out kicking them off. Her hands went to my boxers, but I stopped her so I could help her catch up. I pushed her shirt up and over her head and then my mouth moved to her breasts, against the lace that covered them. I reached behind her and found the clasp, freeing them. The moonlight hit her creamy skin, as I kissed each inch of exposed flesh.
She shifted below me, her need growing as I teased her with my tongue. I ran my hands down her stomach until I found the button of her jeans. Slowly I pulled them down along with the red lace of her panties. I stared down at her taking her in. My cock was throbbing in my boxers, but I needed to take a moment to look at her. She was fucking stunning.
“Shirt,” she demanded, reaching up to fumble with the buttons. “I want to touch you.” I helped her out and slid the shirt off of my body. I loved the way she licked her lips as she looked up at me, like she was itching to taste me. I knew what she was feeling.
I lowered myself over her, kissing her again, deeply, unable to hold back any longer. I needed her. She clung to me as I nipped at her lips, the skin along her throat, needing something I couldn’t explain. I needed everything from her, I needed to brand her somehow and the feeling was consuming all of my senses. She pushed at my boxers finally freeing me and removing all of the obstacles between us.
I rested just at her entrance, kissing her again. As I pushed in her, I swallowed her moan. Chills ran across my skin as her nails scraped against my back as she pulled me into her.
Heaven.
She was heaven.
We moved together, perfectly in sync. Hands roaming, mouths crashing and breaths ragged. We took and we gave and pushed each other to the brink of ecstasy.
The bed of the truck was murder on knees as I moved, pushing deep into her. I knew with each thrust that I was pushing her against it, I wanted to pull her up and away from it, but she held me close, pulling me against her and I knew that we’d just worry about our bruises later.
I drank her in and as I felt her body begin to tremble beneath mine I knew that she was about to shatter. It pushed me on, taking her higher and when she screamed out my name, filling the silence out in this field I lost it. My entire body shook with the powerful release.
I held her against me as we both tried to slow our breathing. It took more than a few minutes for me to even find the strength to speak again.
“Holy shit, baby,” I breathed against her skin. She giggled ag
ainst me.
“I know,” she said, she sounded just as weak as I felt. I pulled out of her and tucked her against me, needing a few more moments to recover from the intensity.
“I didn’t hurt you did I?” I asked, lazily running my hands across her back.
“No. I might have bitten you though,” she confessed with a small laugh.
“Hmmm, I’m okay with that,” I laughed. I felt so content in this moment that I didn’t dare move except to pull the blanket up around us, to cover our sweat kissed skin from the cool air and then pull her even closer to me. She sighed, content and with the steady rhythm of her breathing I found myself fighting the pull of sleep.
30
Ally
Months passed and we remained in our bubble. Each day healed us a little more. Each amazing new memory working to fade the bad ones that had come before. Owen was so different now. He was devoted and honest with me at every turn. He pushed me to face the walls that I threw up from time to time. He was determined to knock them down permanently. It was scary, but I appreciated it. I wanted to be done with the questions and fear. We had been through so much together. I wanted to find a way to stop and just enjoy it. Accept it. Embrace it.
And that’s what I thought I was doing.
Honest.
I leaned against Owen checking my email on my phone as he lazily ran his fingers down my arms. We were both so relaxed and I relished the peace. I loved being out here at his place. It felt like home to me. I spent most of my time here now, and didn’t even care that it was so far away from Nashville. There was something about the quiet and the sound of crickets while watching the sunset in our special place. It was special anyway because of the memories that it held, but the fact that Owen had bought it for us to make new memories together made it feel magical.
I scrolled through work emails, replying when needed, my concentration split between the words on the screen and the feel of his lips against the back of my neck. I liked this working from home thing.
