When my body calms its trembling, Smith gently slides up my body, his lips trailing ever so smoothly along my skin. My hand is still locked in his hair, not quite able to loosen my grip. I pull his mouth to mine. I once thought it impossible to have his lips on mine, so I memorize him, store his taste, his smell, the feel of his skin on mine, the feeling of his weight pushing me into the mattress. All of it.
My legs spread wide as he rests his hips against my own. Outside, the rain hits the windows with a gentle patter like our own personal soundtrack. Smith breaks our kiss, both of our chests heaving. His large hand slips into my hair, his gaze searching for something in mine. I push all the emotions billowing out of me toward him, willing him to feel it. To act on it.
He hums low, pressing his lips against mine once more, his forehead resting against mine as we sit nose to nose.
He says my name like a prayer as he pushes into my welcoming body. For the first time, his eyes flutter closed as he sits himself deep within me, both of us moaning in unison. My eyes are locked on his face and the look of pure awe resting there. I brush back that stubborn strand of inky hair out of his forehead and his eyes flicker open.
“I’ve missed you too,” I breathe as I hold his head in my hands. My head lifts off the mattress as I kiss him slowly, our tongues teasing and exploring. Still locked in our kiss, Smith starts to move in long, smooth strokes.
Our hips move as one, neither of us in a rush. This isn’t the time for a frantic coupling lost in everything except for our own pleasure. We make love with each other, every touch and caress aimed to heal the hurt my decisions brought us. Smith presses kisses to my neck, each kiss a unique form of worship.
The pleasure builds in slow increments, each stroke feeding the flames of my desire for him. Smith lets out a groan ashe begins to lose control, his movements becoming faster, and deeper.
Now I’m the one dragging his face to mine. Our foreheads rest together, our breaths intertwine, his sapphire eyes filled with desire. My pleasure overtakes me, my orgasm dragging him along with me. Neither one of us loses focus of the other as we find our release with one another. Slowly finding our way back to each other.
Chapter Ten
Smith
It was torture dragging myself out of bed. Especially with Cara still wrapped in blankets and sleeping peacefully. But I have a plan.
We slept through dinner and Darla hadn’t batted an eye when I came downstairs barefoot and mussed. She found everything I asked for and I got to work.
I know what happened today is just the first step, the first leap back to what we were. Cara’s holding something back, something about what caused her to leave me, to send us both down a long road of heartache. She’s never been one to face something head-on, but I need to know. If I don’t, I’m not sure how to fully mend the black hole that has started to close since coming to this town.
The door to my room creaks open ever so slightly, but Cara doesn’t stir. Even when I slide under the covers and press my body to hers, she stays asleep. I nuzzle my nose into her now dry hair planting kisses along her silky-smooth skin. She lets out a groan, her hand coming up to my shoulder smacking me with a weak swat.
“I was sleeping,” she complains in a raspy voice.
I kiss her neck again. “I know. But I have something for us. Get up.” She groans pitifully as she rolls over, her hands rising above her head as she stretches. Even like this, all sleep rumpledand stretching, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Unable to help myself, I lean down and plant a sweet kiss on her lips before pulling myself away and off the bed. “C’mon sleepy head.” For good measure, I smack her delicious ass and am rewarded with a playful squeal.
Cara grumbles under her breath as she crawls out of my bed shooting me dirty looks. She doesn’t complain when I toss her one of my T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. Both will be too big on her but our clothing isn’t dry yet. As she slept I wrung out the water that I could and hung them up to dry.
She asks where we’re going as she dresses and scoffs when I don’t answer. I simply smile and grab several blankets and wait for her by the door. She flips her now dry long dark hair, her earrings glimmering in the lamplight as she stops in front of me and takes the blanket I offer.
Her eyes widen as I lead us out into the hallway. “Smith,” she whispers. “What are we doing? People will see us.” I slide my arm across her shoulders pulling her against my side.
“Don’t worry, Care. We’ll be fine.” She leans into me as I kiss her head and breathe in the scent of her hair. “I think you’ll like it.”
Cara’s eyes dance in every direction as I guide her down the stairs and out the side door. The crisp, chilly air smells faintly of leaves, our breaths leaving a trail of steam as we walk down the steps and onto the gravel walkway. The rain stopped sometime while we slept, leaving its wet sheen to dance in the starlight.
Firelight blinks in the distance and Cara gasps. The smile she gives me makes my heart stop, so breathtakingly beautiful. “What did you do?”
“A little bit of this, a little bit of that. I thought you’d enjoy having dinner with me.” I shrug, smiling down at her. I spot Hank the closer we get a give a wave of thanks for watching over the firepit while I woke up sleeping beauty. He gives a curt nodbefore disappearing into the trees, presumably heading back to the house.
The gravel walkway spills out into a wide circle, a blazing fire roaring in the center. Four Adirondack chairs are spaced around the pit, two of them scrubbed dry for us. There’s a low table settled between them, an array of food waiting to be eaten.
Cara’s stomach lets out an angry rumble at the sight of the food and I pull her close to me as we laugh. “I guess I am hungry,” she admits sheepishly.
I make sure she’s settled, tucked carefully into the chair with her blanket blocking her from the cold. Her smile is carefree and unguarded as we eat in the firelight.
This is the side of her I’ve been missing. She talks openly about her life in Rose Prairie, her friends, and her business. In the course of an afternoon, everything shifted.
The soft glow of the firelight reflects off her dark hair, now shimmering with flecks of red and gold usually hidden in the light of day. Each laugh, every smile, works to ease the hole she left.
She humors my questions, playfully teasing me about my inquisitive nature. In return, she peppers me with questions about my life back in the city. The longer we talk in the dim firelight, the more this whole thing feels like a dream. Was it only a few days ago when our lives collided for the second time?
Hours pass as we find each other again.
