Her Anchor (10 page)

Her nails pressed into his sweat slicked back, his teeth bared against her shoulder. Her orgasm rippled through her body, tensing her underneath him and tightening her sheath around his erection. The rumbles of a groan vibrated against her shoulder, Dylan’s hoarse cry of relief echoing her own.

His arms buckled and he lay atop of her, both spent and breathing heavily. Slowly he caught his breath and lazily pulled from her, pressing a kiss to the marks he had bit into her shoulder before rolling to her side.

She wasn’t sure what to expect afterwards, but he pulled her in close to him, her body molding to his again.

“I guess I should apologize.” He said against the shell of her ear. “But I really did have your best intentions in mind when I asked if you wanted a ride.”

“Turns out having them ignored wasn’t such a bad thing.”

“Yeah? Well in that case I might have to ignore those intentions again before San Antonio.” Dylan said, his hands wandering their way down her body again.

The remaining hours before they arrived in San Antonio was spent in bed with Dylan, the words and sex coming easily to them now. And when the bus pulled to a stop outside of her sister’s place she felt like a whole new woman.

She had left her old life behind and there wasn’t an ounce of sadness left in her. Whatever had sprung up when she dropped everything that morning had been washed away in Dylan’s bed. She could start her life with a clean slate and a clear head.

*****

18 Months Later

The sun was still high in the sky when Emily drove home from work and she smiled at her reflection in the rear view mirror. There wasn’t much better than a perfect Texas summer day. She loved living here, loved that it was so different from Colorado. Her life resembled nothing that it once was and all the work it took to get there was worth it.

The first thing she had done after arriving at Marin’s, once the fact had sunk in that she had made it and she was safe, was to get rid of anything that was part of her old life. Anything that was Shane’s. She hadn’t brought much, so she made quick work of trashing almost everything in her possession. Emily didn’t regret it and hadn’t looked back. And she figured Shane had done the same because a year and a half later she still hadn’t heard from him.

The weeks had flown by after Emily settled into Marin’s house. Her sister was just as happy to have her there as she was to be there. Family filled a void in both of them. The weeks turned into months and the disappointment of the life she left behind began to fade. She felt in control of her life for the first time.

Even with everything going on she spent more time than she ever admitted thinking about her night of freedom all those months ago. She figured it was only natural to fixate on the first person to show her kindness in so long, but the gentleness of Dylan’s touch and the way he allowed her the space to choose was as clear to her now as it was then.

She didn’t mind so much when the memories flooded back at night, when the house was quiet and her mind would travel over every touch and every press of his body against hers. It was during the day, doing the dishes or even in a room full of friends, when something he had told her would pop into her head and cause a stirring in her. A mundane detail that would resurface and bring a smile to her lips.

There was rarely any time to dwell, though. Those long summer days after she moved were filled with endless errands and interviews, planning and creating a life separate from anyone else. With each day that passed, each decision she made, she felt empowered, stronger. She even managed to get a decent job with her little experience.

It wasn’t until she had been living there for a few months that she found out she was pregnant. She knew immediately that the baby was Dylan’s, and found herself relieved that it was. Carrying a reminder of Shane would have been a clutching kind of torture, a way for him to exert his stranglehold on her from afar. Knowing the baby was Dylan’s made the shock of the news easier to swallow. She looked back on her night spent with Dylan as a fast tracked lesson in independence, their baby a reminder of her freewill.

In the space of a few months she went from a barren existence to a full life. Family, friends, and as the warm Texas spring rains filled the skies, her little baby boy. They all filled her house and she welcomed them with open arms.

Coming home from work to the house she and her sister shared, a house bustling with activity and filled with family was the greatest feeling she’d ever known. Emily pulled into the driveway and turned the car off, grabbing her purse and heading into the house.

“Marin?” She called out, passing through the living room into the kitchen.

“We’re out here.” She called from the back deck.

Emily deposited her purse on the table and headed back. The long summer days were coming to an end, soon to be replaced by the milder evenings of fall. Emily and Marin loved sitting out here at the end of the day, playing with Jack and enjoying the sun filtering through the trees.

Emily stepped out on the warm deck with bare feet. She took a spot next to Jack on the blanket that he sat on, playing with his toys. She bent and kissed his head, earning a toothless smile from him.

From her patio chair Marin pointed to the table beside her.

“Someone stopped in to see you today.” She said, indicating the note on the table.

Emily picked it up and unfolded the paper. Then glanced back up to her sister, sure it had to be a mistake.

“Dylan was here?”

“He was. He asked to see you, and when I told him you were at work he left that for you.” I studied the hurried scrawl, just his name and phone number. “He said he would be in town for a while and that if you didn’t call him he was going to stop back here before he left.”

“Did he see Jack?” Panic laced her voice. As much as she would love for him to meet his son, she didn’t want him finding out that way.

Marin nodded. “I was holding him when I answered the door. I didn’t say anything and he didn’t seem to pick up on anything. You’re going to tell him, though, right?”

“Yes.” Emily turned her face to the note in her hands. She would. Of course she would. She never kept the knowledge of their son from him for any malicious reason. She loved having a solid, real, connection to their night together, to him. But that didn’t mean he did. And until she had this solid proof in her hands, she wasn’t entirely sure if she would have stood out in his memory.

But since he did remember her after a year and a half and wanted to see her, she would tell him. It would be up to him whether he wanted Jack to be a part of his life, but at least he would have a choice in it.

*****

That night, after Jack had been tucked into bed and she had given Marin the baby monitor, Emily grabbed her phone and dialed Dylan’s number. He answered right away and within a few minutes she was out the door on her way to see him.

He was staying at a hotel downtown and the drive there gave her time to think about all the reasons why he would want to see her. She had been so preoccupied thinking about the reason she wanted to see him that she hadn’t considered why he had shown up after all this time.

Her mind scanned all the likely reasons he would want to see her, none of which was conducive to the news she had to tell him. She hoped for Jack’s sake he wouldn’t turn her away. But when the most likely reason for wanting to see her was because he wanted to try for a quick hookup, that outcome wasn’t too likely.

Pulling up to the hotel she was still conflicted, but she couldn’t postpone what was to come. And underneath it all she was excited to see him again. With each step the anxiety climbed, nervous and excited in equal measures, until she was standing outside his door.

Emily had barely pulled her hand away from knocking when the door was pulled open. She hadn’t prepared herself for what it would be like facing him again after all this time, her breath coming out shaky until she could get a grip on herself. She could see now, being faced with Dylan again after so long, all the features that he and their son shared. A pang of guilt raced through her.

“Hey,” Dylan said, running a hand through his hair as his eyes took her in. His hair was shorter than it was when she saw him last, but he was every bit as dark and tempting. “Thanks for coming down here. I would have come to you, but I figured it would be a bit quieter here, you know?”

He stepped back and she entered, her arm brushing against him. She tried to pretend she couldn’t feel his pull on her and kept moving into the room.

“Can I get you a drink?” He asked from behind her.

She turned to him. “Sure. Whatever you’re having.” She said, buying herself a little more time.

While Dylan fixed their drinks she looked around his room. It was huge, with a kitchenette and the bedroom in a separate room. Emily had never been in a hotel room like that before. While she looked around she noticed his luggage. Bags and cases sat piled in the corner of the room, way more than just a few days’ worth of clothes. Once again, her curiosity got the better of her.

“How long are you staying in San Antonio?”

He didn’t turn to look at her, but he stopped pouring, his shoulders tensing. “Not too sure yet. It depends on a few things.”

“So not Houston and then maybe New Orleans?”

He finished pouring their drinks. He turned, carrying them over to her, his amazing smile touching his lips. “No, not anymore. Our final tour wrapped up a couple months ago.”

“So what brought you here, then?” She asked, getting the sense that she wasn’t getting the whole story.

“I came here to see you.” His blue eyes holding hers.

“Just me?” She said, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, that’s great and I’m glad you looked me up, but there has to be a real reason.”

Dylan moved to the sitting area, placing their drinks on the table before turning back to her. He came to a stop in front of her, close enough that she could have touched him. He scrubbed his hand over his jaw, thinking over his next words before speaking them.

“I can’t get you out of my head, Emily. I wanted to see you again.”

His voice was so sincere. The words were pulled from him like he hadn’t intended to be so straightforward. She knew he was taking a chance laying it out like that, but regardless of what he thought he wanted she knew her news would change that.

She had taken their hook up for what it was. It was a convenient situation, a vulnerable moment, a rebellious choice. Not a promise of anything more. But now, because of Jack, there
was
more and she could only imagine how that would change how he felt. There was no point in being keeping it a secret any longer. 

“Me too, Dylan. I’ve thought about you more than I probably should admit.” She read the relief in his face, but she kept going. “But there’s more to it than just that one night.” She licked her lips and took a breath. “A couple months after our night together I found out I was pregnant. We have a son.”

When he didn’t say anything, didn’t move at all, Emily’s racing heart picked up. She opened her mouth to say more, but she wasn’t sure what else there was to say. Finally, a long few moments later, with his eyes still concentrated on hers, he spoke.

“You’re sure it was that night?” His voice was quiet, cautious.

“Positive. Shane barely touched me anymore, and I haven’t been with anyone since you.”

Dylan nodded and seemed to consider her words. His eyes were still trained on her own, but she couldn’t read what was behind them.

“Do you have a picture?”

She nodded and pulled out her phone, letting him scroll through the pictures. His eyes flicked between the screen and her. He moved through them slowly, studying each one for several seconds before passing on to the next. When he got to the end he handed the phone back to her, his face still calm and unreadable.

“Well shit.” He said, his hand running through his hair. “That’s not what I was expecting.”

The jack rabbit beat to her heart sped up at his words. Facing him and the honest truth of how she felt, Emily didn’t want him to turn her out. She didn’t want him to be hurt by her keeping this from him.

“I know. I’m sorry. This is a terrible way to find out and I didn’t do it to hurt you. Neither of us signed on for this when we hooked up.” She still couldn’t read his face and not knowing how he felt was killing her. “Just because I was happy with the news didn’t mean I expected you to be. Maybe I was wrong in that decision, but I can’t change it now.”

Dylan’s forehead creased, his lips pulling down. “I came back for you. This is unexpected but it doesn’t change that.”

Of all the things she was expecting him to say, this wasn’t one of them. She couldn’t wrap her mind around his words, at how obviously he stated what he wanted.

“It should. I mean, we barely knew each other. This is a big deal.”

“It is, but you can’t say we barely know each other. I told you more about myself that night that I had with anyone else in years.”

She looked away from him. Not because he was wrong. Just the opposite. She had made a true connection with him that night and had been trying to deny that it meant anything other than an infatuation. But standing in front of him, hearing him tell her that he felt it too was a lot to take in.