Captured Love (28 page)

and now were ahead of schedule. It was actually nice to see them giving their time to such a good cause. Even though I wasn’t sure what I would do with my time once the parole was over, I considered continuing helping out at the site when I had some free time.

They needed all the help they could get.

I walked in the garage and stopped dead.

A girl stood beside Ethan. A girl I thought I wouldn’t see again so soon.

“Hi,” Jessica said, her voice low. Her cheeks gained a red tint. It contrasted well with her fair skin, dark blond hair, and bright blue eyes, reminding me of how beautiful she was.

She wore tight jeans that hugged her shapely legs and hips, a leather jacket over a white tee, and black boots. Deluding myself, I chose to believe she had chosen those clothes to imitate me.

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My voice escaped me and I stared at her.

Ethan cleared his throat. “I think John is calling me outside.” He exited the garage, put an arm around his uncle’s shoulders, and walked to the track.

Finally, I shook my head and forced my voice to work. “Hey.” I opened the fridge along the wall and grabbed a bottle of water.

“Want one?” I offered, feeling lame about it.

She shook her head, and I leaned against the counter beside the fridge. I took a long swallow of my water, hoping it would give me as much confidence as a dose of whiskey. “This is a nice surprise, but I confess I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.”

After all, it was only October. If I had to bet, I would guess she would come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Or maybe not.

She played with the zipper of her jacket.

“I’m moving back. Sort of. Not here, not now, but since USC doesn’t have an architecture 484/504

program, I’m transferring to UNC Charlotte.

I start in January. I’ll live on campus, but since it’s not that far from Lexington, I’ll probably be home almost every weekend.

And after I graduate in two years, I plan on moving to Columbia, if I can find a job there.”

What? That was too good to be true.

Trying to be cool, I swallowed my feelings. “I bet your mother is happy about that.”

“She doesn’t know yet. In fact, she doesn’t even know I’m in town. I came directly here from the airport. I’ll go by her house later.”

I inhaled a sharp breath. Why was she telling me all this?

“Your parole ends soon, right?” I nodded. “In a month.”

“Have you thought about what you’re gonna do then?”

I drank the rest of my water then threw the empty bottle in the trash. “I’m not sure.

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I’m … I’m thinking about applying to USC for mechanical engineering actually. Racing isn’t forever, and that way, I would be able to keep working with bikes.” I hadn’t told this to anyone, not even Jason. Then why was I was telling her all of my plans? I shrugged.

“It sounds stupid.”

Her lips twisted in a small smile. “Not at all. I like your plans.”

I fixed my eyes on her and my heart stuttered. “I like your plans too,” I whispered.

We continued to stare at each other, the silence between us not awkward, but charged. I tried to think of things to say, how to keep this conversation going, but everything sounded too lame.

Finally, she took a book from inside her purse and handed it to me.

“What’s this?” I asked, taking it.

She shrugged. Curious, I opened the large book. However, it wasn’t a book at all.

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It was a photo album. The first page had a picture on it, the only picture in the entire album. In the photo, Jess and I stood in front of each other beside the pool at Rachel’s house. We weren’t touching, only talking, but the look on our faces while we stared at each other was unmistakable. Our feelings were written all over us.

“Rachel took that picture. She handed it to me before I left for Cleveland.” She crossed her arms, and I realized she was shielding herself. “With me, the mess started when Caryn handed me that cursed photo album, and I don’t know, it really was cursed.

For four years, I couldn’t look at pictures, much less be in them. And I used to love pictures. I used to love drawing people, and even that was ruined for me. For four years, I only sketched landscapes. Until a few weeks ago.” She fished her sketchbook from inside her purse. “I sketched you on your bike without even realizing what I was doing.” 487/504

She flipped the sketchbook open and showed me the drawing.

I gawked at it. “Wow, Jess. I forgot how good you are at drawing.” Damn, she was too good. I could see all the details, the stubble on my jaw, the muscles of my neck, the wear-iness of the leather jacket, the dirt in the bike wheels, the strands of hair, and the shadows obscuring part of my body.

“So,” she continued, shifting her weight.

She was nervous. “I’m giving you this photo album as the start of a new chapter, a new beginning.”

What? I shifted my gaze from her to the photo album and back. Was she saying what I thought she was saying? This album was supposed to be a new chapter, a new beginning for us? For her and me? She was willing to do that? To give me another chance?

Her arms dropped to her sides and she sighed. “Well, I probably should go home for Saturday family lunch. I hope I don’t give my 488/504

mother a heart attack.” Visibly tense, she picked up her purse from the seat beside her and turned to the back door.

She started walking away and despera-tion filled me. I couldn’t let her go, not again.

She was moving back and she had come all this way to tell me about it, to give me this album.

“Jess, wait.”

She halted by the door. “Yes?” I took a couple of steps toward her and stopped, running a hand through my damp hair. “I … I don’t know how to say it, so I’ll just show you what I want.”

In four long strides, I was right in front of her, but I didn’t stop. I pushed my body against her, until she was trapped between the door and me. She let out a loud gasp, but didn’t push me away. I placed my hands on the wall inches from her head and lowered my mouth to hers, not too gently. Her lips 489/504

opened immediately, and her hands clutched my training overalls and pulled me closer.

Damn it, I had missed her more these past two months than I had missed her the first four years she had been away. I kissed her, long and hard, sure that if I broke any contact with her, she would disappear and I would die if she did.

I slid my hand down her body and clutched her ass, lining her hips with mine.

She gasped against my mouth, probably aware of my hard-on. It was crazy, how my body reacted to her, how every sound she made, every part of me that she touched, sent a jolt of pleasure through me.

She wound her arms around my

shoulders and her legs around my waist, rubbing her pelvis against mine.

I traced my lips down her jaw and nipped at her ear. “I missed you,” I whispered.

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“I missed you too,” she said, out of breath.

I pulled back and stared into the deep sea of her eyes. “What changed your mind?

What made you come back?”

“You, idiot.” She rolled her hips, making me groan. “I realized we found closure for the past, but my feelings for you wanted more. They want the future.”

I buried my face in her neck and inhaled deeply, savoring her scent, wanting to wrap myself in it. “Thank God for that.”

“Do you have to train anymore?” She ran her nails on the back of my neck, making me shiver.

Even if I had to, I would totally skip it.

“No.”

“Then take me out of here.”

I smiled, bringing my mouth to hers again. “My pleasure.”

Epilogue

Jessica

It was his day, so I made his favorite.

Chocolate chip pancakes and orange juice.

And a black coffee on the side for me.

I put everything on a tray and tiptoed to our bedroom.

When I graduated from UNCC two years ago, we moved to an apartment in downtown Columbia, three blocks from the big architecture office I worked at. My salary was nice enough, and with time and special-ization, it would only get better. My boss was planning on retiring in a couple of years, and he had been giving me hints about me taking his place.

Mama was happy about having me around again. About six months after Papa’s death, she started working at the bakery 492/504

again—part time, but still, it gave her lots to do. And she loved baking.

Jason had graduated and was now in medical school. He had a loan and worked part time at the lab at the school, but he loved it. He was already talking about spe-cializing in oncology. No need to wonder why.

I slipped into our room and smiled upon seeing him sprawled in our bed. He was still naked from the night before, and the sheet twisted around him like a gift I had to unwrap. I loved watching him, watching his long, hard body. A shiver spread through me from head to toe at the thought that that amazing body was pressed against mine constantly.

I set the tray down on the nightstand and sat down beside him. I ran my nails over his back, delighted when he shivered and moaned.

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“Hey, beautiful,” he muttered, shifting closer to me.

“Good morning,” I said, letting my hand and nails slip down the sheets over his ass.

“Only if your hand was somewhere else,” he said, eyes still closed. I snaked my hand under him and cupped his penis.

“That’s it right there.”

“Turn around, then, so I can give you a full service.”

He cracked one eye open, but instead of turning around, he wound his arm around my waist and pulled me under him.

“I like it when you wear my shirts.” He pressed his lips to my neck. “But I like it better when you’re not.” He raised his chest a little, pulling his shirt over my head. His eyes grew hungry as his gaze raked over my naked body. “So much better.” He lowered himself over me, his erection brushing against my pelvis.

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I gasped. “We have to get ready,” I whispered, not really sure I wanted to get ready anymore. “You have to be at the auditorium in an hour.”

“But the graduation ceremony starts in two hours.” He ground himself against me, drawing a moan from me. “I think we have time to turn this good morning into a great morning.” He nipped at my ear, his hot breath driving me crazy. “Don’t you think?” I didn’t think anything anymore. All I wanted was right here with me.

I wrapped my legs around him, digging my heels on his fine ass. “I think so.”

“Good answer.” He smiled before dip-ping his mouth to mine and slowly entering me.

***

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I stood and clinked a fork on my Coke-filled goblet. “May I have your attention, please?”

The little crowd gathered around the tables set in my parents’ backyard quieted down and looked at me. Everyone was here.

My parents, my brother, my sister, Jessica’s family, Ethan, Gabe, John, Sophie, Rachel, and Faith. Even Jessica’s grandma and her friend, Kristin, had come down for this day. I loved the radiant surprise on Jessica’s face when she saw those two in the auditorium for my graduation ceremony.

“What are you two doing here?” she asked, embracing them both at the same time.

“Ryan invited us for his graduation,” her grandma said. When Jessica was hugging Kristin one more time, her grandma winked at me and I had to press my lips together not to burst out laughing.

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“Thank you, everyone, for being here with me. Who knew this day would come, huh?” I said, trying to joke a little. Of course, Jason, Luke, Ethan, and Gabe hollered, making me chuckle. “I want to thank my parents for the support; my good friends—” I nodded at the guys. “—for putting up with me; John for believing in me and getting me back into racing; my future boss, William DeBouir—” I raised my glass to the man seated beside John. He was big investor in bike racing in North America, and he had seen me race many times. I would now race for him, and while not racing, work at one of his custom-ized bike shops here in Columbia. “—for the great opportunity he’s offering me; but my most special thanks goes to the woman seated beside me.”

I turned to my side and stared into Jessica’s beautiful blue eyes. She smiled at me, her cheeks reddening.

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“Without a doubt, she’s the reason I finally got my head out of my ass.” My mother gasped while the guys shouted. “I’m serious.

She was the only one able to get through my walls. She believed in me when I didn’t. If I learned to control my temper, if I made peace with the past, if I went back to racing, if I went to college and graduated, it’s all because of her. She’s the reason we’re all here today, celebrating my freaking college graduation.”

Pride filled me. Not because I was proud of my accomplishments, but because I could see it in her glassy eyes. The pride and the love she felt for me. It almost undid me.

“Jess, you’re the love of my life. I’ve known that for the last eight years.” I took a long breath, preparing myself for the rest of my speech. I fished the small black velvet box from my suit pocket, sank to one knee in front of her, and opened the box, revealing the ring I had bought for her. Jessica’s hand 498/504

flew to her mouth, and her eyes filled a little more. “Because I’ve known that for so long, I can’t go another day without making sure the world knows how happy, how complete you make me. I love you so much, Jess. Will you marry me?”

A tear rolled down her eyes and she nodded. “Yes,” she whispered, before throwing her arms around me, almost knocking us both to the ground. I gained my balance and stood, holding her tight against me. “Yes,” she said again, her voice louder.

The crowd cheered, but I wasn’t really paying attention to them. I had my woman, my fiancée, my future wife in my arms, and that was all that mattered.

I cupped her face and brought her lips to mine. I kissed her, slow and tender, but deep and firm, showing her how much she meant to me. Finally, I broke the kiss and pulled back a little.

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She gasped again when I placed the box between us. “It’s beautiful,” she said through a sob. A
happy
sob. That put a smile on my face.