Текст книги "Give Me Yesterday"

Автор книги: K. Webster

Соавторы: Elle Christensen
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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

As she sleeps the afternoon away, I stare at her for hours. Each time her lips twitch, I don’t fight the urge to kiss them and gently graze mine against hers. Her lids flutter and her brows furrow, no doubt dreaming of sad, terrible things. But all it takes is my finger stroking her cheek or running my palm over her hair that’s long been unraveled for her to relax and a tiny smile to cause the corners of her lips to quirk up.

Her phone vibrates over and over again from inside her purse, most likely her mother, but I make no moves to answer. Earlier, when she had her mental breakdown, I carried her away from the cause of her pain. Away from her family and the memories. I promised her it would always be this way—me carrying her when she’s too weak to handle it on her own.

As the sun dips lower on the horizon and the room darkens, I decide I should wake her up to get something into her belly.

“Tori,” I murmur, kissing her forehead. “Time to wake up. We should eat.”

She moans and eventually squints open her eyes. “What time is it?”

“After six. You’ve slept the entire day away.”

A frown plays at her lips and I kiss her.

“How are you feeling?” I ask.

She tears her gaze from mine and stares up at the ceiling. “I feel broken.”

Her answer is honest and she takes a ragged breath, tears welling in her eyes.

“The wedding set you off?”

One nod and her teary eyes meet mine. “It reminded me of my own wedding—of the fact that my daughter will never have a wedding of her own.”

An ache forms in my chest as I think about Ashley. We were going to marry one day. Have kids of our own. It was all ruined in an instant. I instinctively run my fingers over the angel on my chest, feeling the ache in my heart. I’ve seen her look at it with questions in her eyes, but I don’t volunteer the information. I can only image the heartache Tori must feel.

“My life is empty. Even after all this time. I’m nothing but a shred of who I was when I had them,” she chokes out.

What she calls a shred is my entire goddamned world. Ever since I laid eyes on the woman with an exterior made of ice and a warm soul that craved to be loved again, I’ve been enamored, and for once in the last decade, I could see a future with someone again.

“You’re not nothing,” I whisper and drop a kiss on her mouth. “You’re everything, Tori. To me, you’re everything. I want to make you happy again.”

“I don’t want happiness. It isn’t fair without them. They’re dead and I’m not. Why should I go on and enjoy life?”

Life’s not fair.

I push away my mother’s words and narrow my eyes at her. “What do you think your husband would say right now if you could speak to him? Don’t you think he would want you to be happy?”

The tears spill over her cheeks and she bites her lip. We both know the answer. He would. A million times over he would.

“But he’s not here,” she sobs. “So we’ll never fucking know, will we?”

I cover her quivering lips with mine and kiss her softly at first. But when her mouth parts open and her tongue searches mine in a desperate manner, I deepen the kiss. Our tongues become one and soon I’m completely on top of her swallowing every moan as my dick presses through my boxers against the sweet spot between her legs.

Our kiss becomes slower and I thrust against her body in conjunction with our kiss. It’s our own erotic tango that only we know the steps to. Her heavy breathing is a fucking turn on and I want to fix her.

“I want to make love to you, Tori,” I murmur, my lips hovering over hers.

Her entire body quivers at my words but she starts to cry. “I want you to, Chase, I truly do. But why do I want this? It’s a betrayal of him.”

I kiss her again slowly before pulling away to stare at her. “He’s gone, baby. And I’m so fucking sorry. But you deserve to find love again. What we have is something special. Let me heal your broken soul.”

“Chase,” she says tearfully.

Tearing away from her mouth, I trail kisses along her jaw and down her neck. My lips travel over the T-shirt and I kiss her through her clothes. I’ll worship her body all night long with my mouth. I want her to see what I see. Feel what I feel.

When I reach her breast, she gasps.

I lift away from her and sit up on my knees. Her eyelids are still swollen from crying earlier today and her cheeks are tearstained. Wild blonde hair surrounds her head as if she’s some broken angel without her heaven—lost and alone.

I’ve found you, baby.

You’re not alone anymore.

Her chest heaves as she stares at me with a mix of apprehension and hope. She’s scared to feel again, yet she craves it more than her very next breath.

I will fix her.

I will fill the gaping hole in her chest with everything in my soul.

She will feel again. I’ll make sure of it.

With my eyes never leaving her crystal blue ones, I grab onto her panties on each side of her hips and drag them down her thighs. Her eyes widen and she bites her lip but she doesn’t stop me.

This is happening.

The scrap of fabric slides over her knees and she pulls her legs out of them one at a time, her legs falling open to bare her sweet pussy to me. Once I toss the panties to the floor, I push the T-shirt up her belly and over her breasts. She takes the fabric from my hands and pulls it away from her body and off her head.

She’s naked before me.

I want her. All of her.

To consume her from the inside out.

To fill her with my strength.

Sitting up on my knees, I push my boxers down, letting my hardened cock bob out before us. Her eyes tear from mine and she eyes it warily. For someone who hasn’t made love since before the death of her husband, I’m sure she’s unsure about how it will feel to be stretched and filled again. Fear flashes over her features.

I won’t ever hurt her.

Crawling over her, I kick my boxers off the rest of the way and groan when our bare skin connects. Electricity volts between us and her mouth parts, needing the connection of our lips. I dive down and steal her lips away with mine. Our kiss connects our souls. With every slide of our tongue and breath between us, we pass along our fears and worry to the other. And together we squash them.

“Make love to me, Chase.”

Her words sing their way into my ears and through my body, warming me every step of the way. My cock that’s smashed between us throbs to grant her wish.

“I’m going to make you happy again,” I vow before I crash my lips to hers.

A needy moan ripples through her chest against mine and it’s my undoing. Grabbing hold of my cock, I slide it against her wet pussy. I push into her and inch by inch, her body stretches to accept me.

“Chase,” she whimpers.

When I’m completely pushed into her tight, hot body, I graze my nose against hers. “Do you feel how perfect we are together?”

She nods and gasps when I begin a slow thrust inside of her. It occurs to me mid stride that I’m inside of her without a condom.

“Baby,” I groan and continue thrusting, “I’m inside you bare.”

Her eyes widen but she locks her ankles around my ass and urges me to go faster. “I’m on the pill. It’s okay. I need to feel you.”

I slam my eyes closed and drive into her harder. Her body grows increasingly wet and I know I’ll come soon. She feels too good, I can’t hold on forever. This isn’t about feeling good though. Our souls are uniting and with every pound into her, our hearts grow closer. My strength mends her shattered heart shard by shard.

Slipping a hand between us, my middle finger connects with her clit and she yelps. I massage her in unison with each thrust and shove away the urge to come suddenly and without warning.

I want her unraveling before I do.

I need her to feel everything I have to offer her.

“Tori, you have no idea what you mean to me. I’ve never wanted to be with someone so bad in my entire life. You’re everything,” I whisper fiercely. “Do you hear me? Fucking everything to me.”

She nods and tears well in her eyes again. Guilt twists her features and I shake my head at her.

“Don’t feel guilty about living, baby. It’s time to live again. Do you understand me? Do it for her. Do it for him.” I kiss her. “And do it for you.”

She relaxes in my arms and flutters her eyes closed. I watch as she focuses on reaching her orgasm and the moment she cries out in ecstasy, I lose control and spill inside of her. My cock throbs out its release and I fill her perfect body with the proof of my need for her.

“Everything,” I remind her against her lips and then kiss her again.

As the evidence of our lovemaking leaks from her languid body, I relax and hug her to me, careful not to completely crush her.

“How do you feel?”

A small chuckle reverberates through her chest and into mine. “Good. Really good.”

I lift up and flash her a grin. “Just good? I was hoping for mind-blown. Fucking ecstatic. Ruined for any other man. But good? I guess I need to practice my moves some more.”

Her lips break into the most beautiful smile and if I hadn’t just given her everything I had to give, I’d make love to her all over again.

“We may need some practice,” she teases.

She’s absentmindedly tracing the little angel forever drawn on my heart and I can’t bring myself to tell her the meaning, so I drop down and press a kiss to her forehead. “Baby, I promise we’ll practice until neither of us can walk. Now, let’s get showered—this time my efficient way, with both of us in the shower at once—and then grab a late lunch so we’ll have the strength for all this practicing you plan on doing.”

When I pull out of her and sit up on my haunches, I admire how my lost angel has a glow about her now. She’s finding her way again and with my help. I’ll never leave her side. Ever.

“What?” she questions with a frown.

I grab hold of her hands and pull her into a sitting position. “Nothing,” I lie.

She’s fucking everything.

She raises a brow in disbelief. “You’re a terrible liar.”

Shrugging my shoulders, I climb off the bed and pull her to her feet. “Better than a horrible lover.”

“That one’s still up for debate,” she laughs.

“Who’s the terrible liar now?” I say as I hunch and haul her over my shoulder.

Her squeals and her giggles are music to my ears as I strut toward the bathroom.

She’s fucking everything.

“Just try it,” I tell her with a growl, the fork poised in the air near her mouth.

Her eyes narrow at the calamari I’ve stabbed and drenched in marinara. “I can see its legs. Why would you make me eat that little baby squid?”

I roll my eyes. “Its deep fried, baby. Stop thinking about it as a living animal and start thinking about it as food. Now eat it.”

We’re sitting side by side in a corner booth and have been enjoying light conversation about our jobs and other simple stuff. It’s been quiet and relaxing—the air between us now changed. Different. Easy. Perfect.

She slams her eyes closed and parts her mouth open to accept the food. But, with the dim light shining on her beautiful face and painted lips open and waiting, I decide the food can wait. I drop the fork to the plate with a clatter. Sliding my palm over her cheek and to the base of her neck, I tug her to me and smash my lips to hers. She tastes like the wine we’re drinking—sweet and fucking delicious.

A moan enters my mouth as I kiss her. I slide my palm down her neck and over her breast and continue my journey until it rests on her bare thigh.

“Now that I’ve had you,” I mutter and suck her bottom lip through my teeth, “I’ll never have enough of you. I plan on taking your sweet pussy again soon.”

Not caring if anyone can see us, I slip my hand under her skirt and tease her through her panties. She whimpers and squirms as I touch her.

“Would you let me finger you right—”

“Ahem,” someone clears their throat, interrupting us, “How is your appetizer?”

I drag my mouth from hers but leave my hand where it is so I can regard the rude waiter. His eyebrows are at his hairline as he unmistakably takes pride in interrupting our little make out session.

Wiggling my finger and eliciting a gasp from Tori, I meet his gaze. “Delicious. Absolutely delicious. I’m not sure I’ll ever get enough. In fact,” I continue while pushing her panties to the side and slip my finger inside of her, “I could feast on this delicacy all night long.”

The waiter gapes at me and his eyes flit over to Tori who’s biting back all sorts of moans. “Uh, okay, I, uh….” he trails off.

“Can you check on our entrees? We’re ready to finish up and get back to our hotel room,” I clip out and dismiss him.

And as he scurries away, I finish taking care of my woman, swallowing her moans so the rest of the restaurant doesn’t witness our dirty little show.

“God, you’re messy,” she groans as she tosses more of my shit into my overnight bag in the bathroom. “Do you have to leave your crap everywhere? Some of us have to work in the morning.”

I laugh as she continues to pack up our things in the hotel. Originally we were supposed to check out by noon but once she had her episode, I booked the room for another night while she slept. But, even though the room is reserved, we both have work tomorrow and are going back to the city tonight and away from the memories that seem to hurt her so much.

“Some of us aren’t neat freaks,” I tease as I lean against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest, watching her pack.

Her peach colored skirt she wore to dinner hugs her curvy ass and my dick twitches to be inside of her again. Seeing her now, not as broken or vulnerable as she was earlier, I want more than to simply make love to her. Now, I crave to fuck her.

Stalking over to her I wrap my arms around her waist from behind and stare at her in the mirror. Her wild blond hair has been tamed into submission and twisted into a messy bun. Blue eyes find mine in the mirror and they blaze with a mutual desire.

“I want to fuck you.”

She widens her eyes at me. “W-w-what?”

“You. The skirt. The hair. The Ice Queen bitching at me for leaving my shit everywhere,” I say as I slip my palms over her breasts and squeeze them. “It turns me on and I want to fuck you right here over this countertop.”

I thrust my hard dick against the crack of her ass through her clothes to prove to her how turned on I am by her.

“I don’t fuck,” she snips out and drags her gaze away from me so she can shove my can of shaving cream into my bag.

Slipping my hands down her sides, I grab the hem of her skirt and shove it up her hips, baring her ass to me.

“Nobody said anything about you doing the fucking. I’ll be doing the fucking, baby. You’re just going to spread those sexy legs and watch me as I take you from behind,” I tell her with a smirk.

She gasps when I tug her thong down her hips and push it down her thighs to her knees.

“Chase,” she mutters in a warning tone.

I slip my hand between her legs and push my middle finger into her hot pussy. “Yes, baby?”

“You make me weak.”

Laughing, I begin teasing her by massaging her insides. “Maybe I like being the strong one.”

Our eyes meet in the mirror but eventually she closes hers and grips the countertop.

“I’m not used to giving up control—but with you—you just take it,” she moans.

When her eyes reopen, I smirk at her. “I thought we both established that you like it when I manhandle you and do whatever the fuck I want when it comes to you.”

Her blue eyes blaze with the independence that I admire about her. “You can’t do whatever you want,” she hisses through her teeth as I dive deep inside of her, grazing her g-spot with each thrust into her.

I chuckle. “I want to fuck you. Right now with your belly pressed against the edge of the countertop. Are you telling me that’s not going to happen?”

She nods. “Yep,” she says and rotates her ass against my palm, “exactly what I’m saying.”

Using my other hand, I reach into her hair and roughly tug at the rubber band keeping it in place. Her hair falls free around her face. “I kind of think you’ll let me get my way.”

Her eyes flutter but she jerks them open. “Nope. Not going to happen.”

I raise a brow at her. “Is that so?”

When her hooded eyes meet my dark, lust-filled ones, we both know one thing’s for sure:

Tori’s getting fucked tonight.

I want to fuck you. Those words. Those dirty, delicious words. No one has ever spoken to me like that. I’m so fucking turned on right now, that I’m losing the will to be stubborn. Chase’s finger thrusts a little harder and a moan escapes my lips, my eyes closing, my head falling back to his shoulder, and my hips involuntarily pushing back. I hear his swift intake of breath and then a deep groan as he grinds against my ass.

The tempest of sensations spiraling through my body are new to me. I didn’t realize passion could be so completely all consuming. Chase’s thumb presses on my clit as two fingers thrust hard into my pussy. The storm inside explodes, and I scream as lightning shoots through every inch of me. Before I can land from the whirlwind I’m caught in, I feel a tug and my panties are ripped the rest of the way off me, and another moan rips through me when I feel Chase’s hard length snuggled up against my ass.

The fullness in my pussy disappears and I open my eyes to see Chase licking his fingers, his eyes connecting with mine in the mirror, dark and a little wild. “Your taste is sugar and spice, baby. I need more.” He whirls me around and lifts me up, landing my bare ass on the cold marble of the counter. My skirt is shoved up and Chase grabs my ankles, pushing my legs wide and back into me. Then he kneels, his face buried between my legs, and inhales deeply. “Your scent makes me hungry.”

The arches of my feet are placed on his shoulders, then he looks up at me.

“Wrap your arms under your thighs, and hold your legs open. I want to see and taste every inch of this pretty little pussy.” Once again, his words ignite a fire low in my belly, and I do what he says without thought. “Good girl, now hold on tight, baby. I want to feel you come on my tongue—I want to taste you.”

I’m sure my eyes are wide as saucers. I’ve never had anyone’s mouth on me there. My experience with sex has been very limited, we were so young. Oh fuck! My every thought flies from my mind with the first swipe of his tongue and I cry out, the pleasure so exquisite I’m quickly lost to the sensation. Chase starts a steady rhythm, licking, sucking, and penetrating with his stiffened tongue. My breath is coming out in choppy pants, the muscles of my legs are clenching, and I feel every movement of his mouth acutely.

Two fingers enter me as Chase latches on to my clit and sucks, hard. The movement and suction have my body coiling tight, my pussy sucking his fingers in, and drenching his mouth. I’m milliseconds away from exploding when his fingers leave my pussy, holding open the lips, and are replaced with his tongue. My orgasm tears through me and my walls clench tight as he drags his tongue out and begins to lick up every drop of my arousal. I start to float down from the high, but his tongue is now twisting and licking, building a frenzy again, making me whimper because I can’t take anymore.

Swiftly, he pulls away and stands up, grabbing my hips, lifting me to the ground and spinning me to face the mirror. In no time flat, he has his zipper down, his cock freed, and is making me scream as he drives into my pussy, bottoming out. Then he pulls out almost all of the way and does it again, causing my eyes to roll to the back of my head. I’ve decided fucking isn’t so bad.

“Eyes on me, Tori,” Chase says, one of his hands slipping around to my throat and gripping gently. He thrusts slowly, minutely, while his other hand leaves my hip to travel to my breast, gripping it, twisting and plucking at the taut nipple. My eyes meet his in the mirror and the hand at my throat glides down, grasping the hem of my shirt and whipping it over my head. He yanks the cups of my bra down and goes back to working my nipples. “You have the most amazing tits, baby. Sexy as hell.”

I have to fight to keep my eyes open, but somehow I manage it, tethering them to the almost black orbs behind me. His passion and lust raging. He squeezes my breasts hard, and his rhythm picks up speed and strength. Releasing my tits, he moves to my hips, his fingers digging into the flesh as he begins to pound into me, grunting with the exertion of every thrust. Every time he goes deep, hitting my cervix, and making me cry out.

“Chase! Yes!”

He starts to move with more power, losing control, and fucking me hard, a dark and determined look on his face. “I want you to come again, Tori. Give me another one.”

I’m so fucking exhausted, but I can’t help the buildup of pressure, the uncontrollable feeling that I’m about to burst. He leans in and bites my earlobe, the sting making me gush around his cock. “That’s good, baby. Soak me. I love feeling how wet I make you. Squeeze my cock hard.” Shivers begin to course through me, his words heightening every sensation, and my hips shove back to meet his every thrust. “I want to bury myself so far inside you that you’ll feel me in that tight pussy for days. Consumed by what it's like to have my cock fucking the hell out of you.” His words set me off and I splinter into a million pieces, screaming his name as I fly toward the sun.

Chase pounds into me two more times. “Yes,” he groans as he stiffens and buries his face into my neck, his warmth invading me, filling me, marking me as his. He pulls a little roughly on my hair, dragging my head back to kiss me thoroughly.

“Now tell me you don’t like being fucked.”

I shift restlessly in my seat once more, suppressing a groan, but the hard wooden chair is unforgiving and I can’t find a comfortable position. I almost cry with relief when the judge calls for a recess until tomorrow. I’m in desperate need of some painkillers, a bath, and a glass of wine. I’m starting to wonder if going ten years without sex has made my virginity grow back.

Chase and I finally checked out of the hotel yesterday and drove back to the city. With every mile we traveled, I felt less caged, less burdened. He pulled up to my apartment and helped me out, then tossed his keys to the valet and grabbed our bags from the trunk.

“You seem awfully sure of yourself, Dr. Monroe,” I’d snipped.

He’d smiled and thrown his arm around me, putting his mouth to my ear. “Yep. And, by the way, you might want to watch the ‘Dr. Monroe’ talk. It turns me the fuck on.”

I gasped and looked around, sure that everyone around us had heard him, but no one was paying us any attention. Chase laughed all the way to the elevator, then when the doors closed, he dropped our bags and kissed me until I was a quivering mass of Jello.

I decided to let him stay for a while and with two spoons, we dug into a pint of chocolate ice cream, which he then ended up eating off of me, after which he felt the need to remind me how much I liked being fucked. Twice. After that, we curled up on the couch together and watched a movie that I wasn’t really interested in. There was something on my mind. I’d shared so much. I wanted to know more about Chase’s secrets. I rolled to face him and started to trace the inked angel wings over his heart. There was an inscription underneath, “She dances with angels.”

“Chase?”

“Hmmm?”

He sounded relaxed and content, and I took advantage of his laid-back attitude to ask a question I’d been holding onto.

“What does this tattoo mean? Does it represent someone? The person you lost?”

Chase stiffened and his hands came up to cover mine, splaying them over the tattoo and successfully hid it from view.

“Yeah, it’s…” he trailed off and looked down at me, his eyes were dark, his mind somewhere else. “I got it after the accident.”

I waited for him to go on, to explain, but need filled his chocolaty depths and he kissed me fervently. He deepened the kiss and rolled me to my back, coming up over me and proceeded to show me what it felt like to be loved from head to toe. I forgot about everything but him.

After that, I kicked him out. He argued all the way to the door and was extremely unhappy with my decision. I wanted him to stay over. It wasn’t an issue with our relationship. I had court this morning and I knew if he stayed, I wouldn’t get any sleep and I was already starting to feel the effects of our acrobatics in my aching muscles.

Gathering my things, I take a few moments to talk with my client and make an appointment for the following morning to go over the strategy before court. I walk slowly to the large, wooden double doors at the back of the courtroom and feel every muscle scream as I push it open.

Happiness lights up my insides when I see Chase leaning against the opposite wall, casually waiting for me. He beams when he sees me, his dimple creasing his cheek, and strides over, pecking my cheek, and taking my hand, gently leading me from the building. I know he’s restraining himself, and it warms me even further to know that he is protecting my professional reputation by not hauling me into his arms. That is, until we get around the corner, at which point I find myself up against the stone building with full, sexy lips devouring mine.

“Damn, I missed you,” he growls in my ear. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. I’m going to take you to lunch because I can’t go the whole day without seeing you.”

He kisses me again and a little mewl surfaces, my knees going weak from the heady atmosphere and the sweet things he says. He eventually steps back, and takes my hand again. I walk stiffly beside him, until he notices my hesitant gait and stops.

“Tori, are you okay?” he asks, voice filled with concern.

I grimace a little. “Um, I’m a little sore.”

His mouth turns up with a smug smile. Like his ego needed any more boosting. He moves in close and loops his arms around my waist, dipping his head and nuzzling my neck.

“I would tell you I’m sorry,” he breathes, “but I’m not. The thought of you, walking around all day, feeling stretched, and well-loved by me. It’s fucking hot.”

I roll my eyes, but a giggle slips out, and Chase lifts his head, no longer looking smug, instead he looks like he’s just opened a birthday present.

“I love your laugh, baby.”

It’s my turn to beam, his words filling me with butterflies. Dropping his arm across my shoulders, he walks me slowly to the front and his car, parked on the street at a meter. He helps me in, and starts to buckle me up, but I bat his hands away. “I’m sore, not a child, Chase.”

He chuckles and kisses my forehead. “After yesterday, I think we’ve established that you are indeed a woman. A very sexy woman.” He shuts the door and lopes around to the driver’s side, gets in, and pulls away from the curb.

He takes me to a cute restaurant decorated like we’ve gone back in time to the thirties. They have an eclectic selection, mainly known for their hot dogs, burgers, and Italian beef sandwiches. I haven’t been to this place since I was a teenager, I forgot how much fun it was. I decide to really get the full experience and order a chili cheese dog, a large cheese fry, and a root beer. It’s messy, and delicious, and I find myself having fun soaking in the atmosphere and my time with Chase.

After lunch, he returns me to my office, waving off the valet as he exits, and rounding the car to open my door himself. He puts a hand on either cheek and kisses me, with sweetness and longing. When he’s through, he smiles and asks, “Can I come over tonight?” I’m distracted by that damn dimple and don’t have any other response except yes, so I nod.

He grins and kisses me hard one more time, then gives my rump a pat, as I walk dazedly to my building. I spend the rest of the day buried in work, unaware of the time until Stacey pops her head in to say goodnight. I glance at the clock and see that it’s after eight. Shit. I forgot to ask Chase what time he was coming tonight. I grab my phone but don’t see any missed calls or texts. Maybe he’s running late too.

I pack up and swiftly make my way to the elevator, and ride it down to the lobby. Pushing through the revolving door, I stop and a smile grows on my face when I see a midnight black, Dodge Challenger, idling in the circular drive. The driver door opens and he strides over to me, gathering me up in his arms and landing his mouth firmly over mine. My mouth opens for him automatically, our tongues twisting together in a slow dance.

I unseal our lips and look at him a little sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching the time. Have you been here long? You should have texted me.” He raises an eyebrow and stares. “Okay, you should have called Stacey and had her tell me I had a text.” He throws his head back and laughs, the sound setting off those butterflies again.

We pick up Chinese on our way to my apartment, demolishing it when we get there, both of us starving. After we clean up, it’s late and I have an early appointment, so I announce that it’s time for bed. Chase stands and narrows his brown eyes at me, a determined glint in their depths. I don’t have the strength to kick him out again, so I hold out my hand. Relief floods his features and he laces our fingers together and leads the way to my bedroom.

He makes love to me with tenderness, worshiping my body, and making me feel like I am precious to him. We are snuggled in post-coital bliss when he whispers to me, “Baby?”

“Yeah?” I yawn, barely able to stay awake for this conversation.

“What’s your schedule like on Sunday? Can I take you somewhere special? Somewhere fun?” His voice is quiet, but there is the slightest undercurrent of excitement. I lean up on my elbow and just barely make out his smile in the dark.

“Where?” I hate surprises.

“You’ll see.” Ugh. Did I mention I hate surprises?

“No hints?”

He shakes his head and pulls me back down to rest on his chest. My cheek warming the inked skin over his heart, the dancing angel from his past. Maybe he’ll open up to me there, and let me carry some of his burden too. I try not to let it, but it bothers me that he has cracked me open so wide, and yet, he doesn’t talk to me about his loss. I want us to be on equal footing.

“Okay,” I whisper.

He hugs me close and kisses the top of my head. “Thank you, Tori. I promise, you’ll love it.”