by Nora Flite
Taking my chin gently, his response was a soft kiss on my eager lips. I was already getting chilly as the heat faded from the inside of the car.
Anything warmer was welcome.
Crawling on top of him, my back pressing into the wheel, I didn't break our kiss. His hands fumbled with my scarf, pulling me closer.
“Wait.” Leaning back, I looked into his hungry eyes. “The back seat.”
Taking the cue, he helped me off of him, the two of us scrambling into the wider space. I'd barely touched the cushions before Deacon pressed me down, his weight resting over me.
Our clothes were yanked, ripped away enough so we could reach the important parts. Places we kept hidden from others, but hungered for our own skin to connect with.
His chest ground against my breasts, eliciting a groan. In the darkness, I could still see our breath making steam in the air.
Our second time having sex in a car, I mused. “Hold on,” I hushed, an idea spiking me with guilt.
“What?” He asked, soft lips trailing along my stomach. Moaning, I arched into him, thrilling at the sensation.
My fingers ran through his hair, our eyes meeting. I could sense the raw desire in him, it mirrored mine so well. “Is this... is this okay? This is Bethany's car.”
“She won't know,” he assured me, wearing a tiny smirk. “Relax, how else can we stay warm?”
Rolling my eyes, my amusement vanished the moment he slid my jeans off my hips.
He's too good at this, he knows I don't really want to stop.
His thumbs traced over the edges of my panties, outlining the material lightly. He had a feather touch when he wanted, and a vice grip when needed. “You didn't actually want to stop, did you?”
“No,” I said quickly, flushing at my own admission. “Of course not. Don't tease.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he chuckled. In the dark, I heard the snow tickling the car. It battled the sound of him rustling in his pocket, digging out a little foil packet.
It wasn't even cool from the temperature, but if it had been, our bodies would have quickly warmed it up.
Lowering himself over me, Deacon stole another kiss. His tongue followed the shape of my lower lip, his nose nuzzling mine.
He didn't bother to remove my underwear, he shoved them aside, entering me with a low groan.
Rolling my hips up, I closed the distance, wanting to feel all of him. “God, Deacon,” I gasped, circling my arms around his broad back.
The inside of the car was humid, boiling with our bodies and the energy in our cores. Easily, we matched a insatiable rhythm, no one around to even catch a hint of our voices.
“Deacon, that's...”
Hissing through clenched teeth, he pushed me down on the back seat, grinding hard into my skin. My fingers felt every muscle in his shoulders, rippled down his spine.
When he thrust, I felt it, inside and out.
“Leah,” he breathed, hot on my ear, “I love you, I just...”
“I know,” I whispered, gasping louder than the connection of our bodies. “I love you too, I love you! I'm... god, I won't ever get sick... of saying that!”
His chuckle was brief, won over by an animal-like growl.
Tasting sweat, breathing delirium, and I only wanted more.
Every part of me thrilled, knowing that the rising tide of our climax was coming. Faster, we moved, no longer making words.
Our voices became panting moans, but that was fine, our flesh knew what it wanted.
Behind my eyes, I saw a rush of colors, far brighter than the snow clawing outside. With a final, shuddering squeal, my muscles tensed. Holding Deacon like I never wanted him to leave, I trembled with his last thrusts.
He let himself relax on me, damp hair tickling my cheek. Turning, I reached for his chin. He needed little coaxing, twisting to meet my inquisitive kiss.
Through half-shut eyes, I gave him a tired smile. “I really do love you, you know.”
His lips pressed to my forehead, voice thrumming through my bone and blood, nestling in my mind. “I know. I love you so much, Leah. More than I could ever imagine.”
Tucking my head against him, snuggling close to lavish in our body heat, I knew he was right... but only because I felt the same.
I love Deacon more than even I thought it was possible to love one person.
Chapter 21.
The snow gave up before the sun even started to rise. Together, we pushed the doors open, though they yawned angrily against us. It took everything to break the sticky ice keeping us trapped.
Chattering my teeth, I hugged my arms and stepped out into the deep drifts. “Look,” my finger pointed over to the road, “we didn't go that far, just over the slope there.”
“We got lucky,” Deacon noted, standing beside me with a tight frown. “Come on, let's clean the car off. Bethany has a scraper in the trunk.”
Together, we cleared the snow and frost off the SUV. I pushed huge waves of it off the roof and hood with my arms, even smoothing it clean from the windshield.
We found, amazingly, almost no damage to the car itself. “How the hell did we manage this?” Deacon laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “And you're always calling yourself unlucky.”
My answer was a beet-red blush.
“Now we need to push it up this little hill,” he murmured, squinting at the prospect. “We might need to shovel some of this before we can do that, or we'll just slip.”
Pushing up my sleeves, I nodded. “Then let's do it. We might even still make it to our flight on time.”
“Impossible,” he shrugged, holding the snow shovel between us. “There's no way.”
“Didn't you just call me lucky?” I asked, leaning up to plant a kiss on his glowing nose. Surprised, he didn't fight when I took the shovel.
Yes, I mused, digging away at the heavy white drifts and clearing a path, thinking about it now, I may actually be lucky, after all.
How else could I have ended up with someone like Deacon Day in my life?
He turned the car on, aiming the headlights up the slope. “Now the question is, can I push this thing over this hill?”
“You want me to steer?” I asked, clambering over, sticking the shovel in the trunk and closing it. My fingers were numb from the wet slush.
He made a low noise in his throat. “I guess that's how we'll have to do it. Okay, get in, and I'll push from behind.”
Rolling the driver-side window down, I leaned out, watching him. “Tell me when!”
“Now!” He shouted, disappearing as he forced all of his weight against the back of the SUV. I felt the car shift, my foot grinding into the gas pedal. “Wait, Leah!”
I could barely hear his voice over the engine.
Tearing up the slope, I shouted with glee. I eased on the brakes once the car trundled over the lip of the flat road. Laughing, my eyes sought out Deacon. “We did it! Look!”
Spotting him, standing there at the bottom of the hill with both snow and mud stuck to him from front to boots, I was shocked. Too shocked to stifle my amazed laughter.
“It's not that funny,” he stated, smirking on his way to the car.
My only response was to cover my mouth, muffling my ridiculous snort.
Deacon reached for me when I stepped out of the car, pushing me against the door frame wickedly. It would have been sexy, if he wasn't trying to get grime on my face. “No! No, please!” I cried, still giggling.
“You're lucky I'm not as cruel as I could be,” he chuckled, brushing the smudge off of my skin.
“True.” Kissing his lips, the one place that seemed free of filth, I reached behind me. “I, however...” The handful of snow from the roof of the car smashed nicely onto his hair.
My squeals of delight echoed through the air, the two of us chasing each other around the car on the empty stretch of highway. When we finally gave up our game, the world was turning grey with the dawning hour.
****
“Yes,” Deacon said i
nto his phone, “we'll be there soon, but it won't matter. It's impossible to make our flight.”
Watching him, I wondered what Nicholas was saying. Especially when his eyebrows shot up.
“Seriously? That's too perfect. Yes. Yes, we can make that. Alright, see you!”
Blinking, I pulled my hair back, debating on tying it up. “What was it, what'd he say?”
Hiding his phone away, my boyfriend sped the car up. With the clear skies, the clouds empty after dropping their bloated load on us, the road was a straight shot to our destination. “Apparently, the snow delayed our flight. It sounds like we might be able to make it after all.”
Squinting at him, my grin grew tight on the edges, crinkling the skin around my eyes. Deacon looked at me, then the road, then back again. “What's that face for?”
“Lucky,” I chimed, leaning back proudly.
He just laughed, then turned the radio on.
We're really going to make it, I thought to myself, finally content with how everything had fallen into place.
Yawning, I closed my eyes, feeling the lack of sleep hovering over me. My body was sore from the accident, even if I'd not been injured the way Deacon had.
On top of that, my mind felt truly at peace with the choking cloud of doubt finally removed. Knowing that Deacon loved me, loved me, made the world feel like it was full of tingles and cotton.
I fell asleep within minutes.
The dream that took over was amorphous. It was soft, airy and warm. There were no details, perhaps a whisper or a word here and there. Sometimes, I thought I saw a face. It was a dream that wrapped me up and took me deep, keeping me safe the entire time.
It was the first dream I could remember where I'd felt so welcome, so loved.
The first dream I didn't run from anyone.
Loud voices woke me, the engine of the car idling as it stopped moving. Lack of motion was what yanked me into clarity, the understanding we must have reached Deacon's grandparents' house.
Sitting up, scrubbing my eyes, I saw people were standing just outside. Deacon touched my shoulder, his expression grim. “Come on, we need to tell Bethany about her car.”
Turning, I caught a glimpse of the blonde girl outside. “I think she has a pretty good idea of what happened, if you ask me.”
Together, we exited the vehicle. I didn't get two steps before I was almost bowled over by Deacon's mother. “Thank goodness you both are alright!” She cried, crushing me against her with a strength rivaling her son's.
Balking, my arms high in the air, I stared at everyone in confusion. Deacon had no answer for me, he seemed just as uncertain.
Warily, I lowered my arms, hugging the woman back tentatively. “We're fine, really.”
“The storm was horrible,” she mumbled in my ear, cracking my back with another squeeze. Catching a glimpse of Nicholas smirking, I tried to pry myself away politely.
It didn't matter, the younger brother had Deacon in his line of sight. Stepping close, he stood a mere foot away, eyeing the bandage on my boyfriend's head. “That's all? You walked away with just that scrape?”
“I said it wasn't a bad accident,” Deacon sighed. He opened his mouth to say more, until Nicholas grabbed him hard with one arm. The hug was rough, brisk.
When he was finished, Nicholas stepped back, hand picking at his sling. “I would have gone looking for you last night, if you had let me.”
“We didn't need that,” Deacon chuckled.
“No, not at all!” Their mother released me, so I drew in a gulp of air into my burning lungs. “I couldn't have handled all of you out in that snow!”
Someone coughed; we all turned, spotting Dr. Day standing just outside of our gathering. His face reminded me of milk gone bad, it looked like he hadn't gotten much sleep. “They're fine, Jenna. They said as much.”
The electric mood in the air was uncomfortable. It ran into my veins, hinting at some unspoken expectation.
Nervously, I studied Deacon while he stood there, watching his father quietly. It was impossible not to remember the last time they had talked, the argument that had come up over us taking the trip.
With a straight back, Dylan crossed the snowy ground. In one quick swoop, his arms circled his son, clapping him on the shoulder. “I'm glad you're both okay, son. When that snow started coming down, we got awfully worried.”
“Did you know about the accident?” He asked softly, leaning into the act of affection.
Looking over, I saw the flicker of guilt on Nicholas's face. When he saw me staring, he rubbed his neck awkwardly. “I told them, Deacon. I didn't plan to, but after I talked to you, I went and woke Bethany. We were pretty loud, I guess, with her telling me we couldn't go out in the storm chasing you guys down.”
“I didn't want anyone getting killed,” she mumbled, unable to meet my eyes. She stayed staring at her feet, digging a hole in the snow. “I understand it would have been brave, maybe, but it also just seemed—”
“Reckless,” I said, thinking I knew what she was trying to say.
Bethany lifted her head, blue pools watching me curiously. “Yes. Exactly.”
Dr. Day broke away from Deacon, dusting himself off like he was embarrassed. “We all heard them arguing. When I went up, to ask why Nicholas was even up there with her at that late hour... he told us you'd gotten caught in the blizzard.”
Inhaling deeply, Deacon gave his head a quick shake. “I'm really sorry. We didn't predict things would get as bad as that. And Bethany,” he added, looking over at her somberly. “I'm really sorry about your car.”
“It's fine,” she shrugged, walking around the SUV slowly. “I don't see any major damage. If it turns out you messed it up somehow, I'll just send you the bill.” Her smile helped the mood deflate, relief edging in on all our faces.
Grandaddy Day, who'd been quiet the whole time, finally gave a soft grunt. “We gotta get these kids going, or they're gonna miss their flight even with the delay.”
“I hate to ask again, but Bethany, can we...?”
“Yes,” she nodded, “except you're way too tired to drive any more. I'll take you guys to the airport.”
Deacon looked ready to argue, his mouth half-open. Nothing came out, so he clamped his teeth and smiled sheepishly. “Alright.”
Turning, I intended to get back into the car. The hand on my shoulder stopped me. Blinking, I found Deacon's grandfather standing before me. He had a sweet smile, those eyes twinkling in a way that reminded me of his grandson's. “We didn't get much time together, you and I,” he explained. “You also never got a chance to try any of these, what with how things went down.”
In his hands, he held up a small plastic bag of shelled pecans. Gasping, I took them like they were fragile jewels. “These are for me?”
“'Course,” he chuckled. “You enjoy these. But don't bother savoring them,” he winked. “There'll be plenty more when you come back next year.”
Stunned into silence, I simply grabbed the older man in a tight hug. I might have held onto that moment forever, if Deacon hadn't called out to me. “Leah, we really need to go.”
Stepping back, I wiped my eyes hurriedly and smiled. “Thank you so much,” I whispered. Spinning, I was quick to scramble into the back seat of the SUV, letting Nicholas have the front with his girlfriend.
With the windows down, we started to wave, the engine humming as we reversed down the driveway.
“Wait!” Dylan shouted suddenly, stomping through the slush towards us. Nicholas, confused, stamped on the breaks.
Through the side window, Dr. Day handed something to Deacon. Those eyes fell on me in the back seat; for once, hesitantly welcoming. “You almost forgot this. I found it in the living room, on the table.”
Gasping with chagrin, Deacon took the envelope eagerly. “I—thanks, Dad. Thanks.”
“I just thought you wouldn't want to lose it,” he mumbled. With a hurried wave, like he wanted to get away, the man stood back so we could drive off.
> Wrinkling my forehead, I leaned over the seat so I could see what Deacon held. “What was that about?”
He turned towards me, not needing to say anything. The object in his hands was one I was very familiar with. I'd worked on it in secret during the weeks before we'd flown out to Kentucky.
It was the painting of swallows I had created for Deacon.
His father had made sure it wasn't left behind.
****
Bethany proved to be a skilled, if reckless, driver. I was, personally, grateful when we made it to the airport in a single piece. Deacon's hand, crushed by mine between the seats, no doubt felt similar.
“You guys need to move,” Bethany said sharply, halting the car on squealing wheels next to the departure curb. A number of people shouted angrily, but she ignored them.
Jumping from the car, I managed to catch my bag seconds before it hit my face. “Hey!” I gasped, hugging it, glaring over the top at Nicholas.
“Sorry,” he winced, handing the other to Deacon. “Swinging with one arm has a lot of force. Listen your plane is leaving in twenty, and you need to get through security still.”
“I know,” I sighed, fighting the battle between being happy we'd made it, and frustrated at how fast we had to say our farewells.
Deacon hooked his bag over his shoulder, reaching out to grab Nicholas's hand. “Hey, thanks again. I don't think I could have done this. Pretty sure I fell asleep off and on back there.”
Shrugging, the younger brother gave a quick hand squeeze before letting go. “It was nothing. Send me a postcard when you get to California.”
“Visit sometime, instead,” Deacon laughed.
“Right,” his brother grinned. “Between classes, lab work, and visiting Kentucky to see a certain someone,” he glanced at Bethany, “where would I ever have the time?”
That admission about the visits, it jolted a conversation I'd had with both Bethany, and Deacon, into place. I thought she left Deacon because she couldn't handle the distance...
As they chuckled, I turned towards the blonde girl. She seemed startled by my stare, shooting her gaze one way, then the next.
