Her Journey (Her Series Book 2) (27 page)

There were so many things I didn’t get to tell her, so many things I didn’t take the time to explain that I wish I had. When regrets got too heavy, I locked myself in the office drinking whiskey until I passed out on the couch. Not that it helped at all, but it helped me forget for a few drunken hours. I always locked the door when I was in the office. Fuck, I locked the door everywhere I went. I didn’t want any whore to slip in when I was sleeping or passed out and start shit. Knowing my luck, that’d be the one time Melia showed up. I wasn’t risking it.

If I knew where she was, I’d go after her. No one knew where she was, except Monk, that motherfucker. No matter what though, he wasn’t sharing. All he would say was she was okay, she was safe. I’d threatened him with all sorts of bodily harm, even came close to carrying out the threats, but he never budged. I couldn’t be too angry because at least he was being a good friend. Something she probably needed.

Both Ryan and Ellis felt horrible about everything. They had been so consumed with the babies and making sure they were doing okay that they’d only stopped by twice, both times she had been sleeping. When they went to try to see her again, she had already been discharged from the hospital. The woman who had been through so much for them ended up feeling abandoned when she needed someone most. Even I had failed her; my single visit to her had gone horribly wrong and it had been the only time I’d visited her.

The guys had let me know they were going to be having a party at the house. I agreed, not that I cared. I wasn’t going to be around. It’d be just another day in hell for me. I could hear people coming and going out the front door. The one time I’d glanced out the window to the backyard, there were quite a few people milling about out there as well.

After ten o’clock, I stood up from my office chair and stretched. My neck hurt from looking at the computer all day, and my shoulders and back hurt from sitting in the chair for so long. Grabbing my keys off the desk, I turned everything off in the room and locked the door. As I was walking toward the stairs, a few of the guys called out to me; I nodded to them and kept going.

“Oh come on. Just for one night, act like you aren’t a mopy dick and have a couple drinks with us.” Brew separated from the group and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Although most of the guys didn’t know what my deal was, the ones I was close to did. Those who had gotten to know Melia. They’d been trying to get me to drink with them for weeks, trying to cheer me up. Sighing, I agreed. Brew hooted loudly and pulled me to the kitchen where a beer bottle was pressed into my hand by someone else.

Standing in the kitchen, nursing the beer I hadn’t really been in the mood for, got old fast. I didn’t want to hear about their adventures with women, which is what the conversation had turned to. Excusing myself, I started to leave. Brew grabbed me again and I glared at him.

“Seriously? I’m just not in the mood for this crap tonight,” I growled at him.

“Just go sit in the game room. Watch pool, play poker. Do something besides hide out in your room or the nursery. It’ll be good for you to get out for a while.” Brew ignored my glare as he guided me towards the game room with an arm around my shoulders.

“Fine.” I waved him off and found a spot to lounge back on the couch to watch the football game on TV. Not normally my favorite sport, but it was something to watch. Drinking my beer, I drowned out the noise from the rest of the room.

“Here. Have a refill.” Brew appeared out of nowhere, grabbing my mostly empty beer and exchanging it for a new one. I shrugged and started drinking it without a response. When I was about halfway through my beer, Brew plopped down on the couch next to me. “You know, you’re supposed to be, like, talking and interacting with people. Not actually watching the TV. It’s the whole point of a party.”

“I’m here at least. I don’t want to talk to anyone.” I glared at him before turning back to the game. I was actually following along, hoping the team in white won.

“Hey, Wrench. Why don’t you come with me to check on the babies?” Ryan appeared next to me. I hadn’t talked to her much since the babies arrived. She was always busy doing one thing or another for them, but she was supposed to have someone helping her with them so she could have a night to relax for once.

“I thought you had the night off.” I looked up at her. She grabbed my hand and pulled on it, trying to pull me off the couch.

“Just come with me,” she insisted, yanking harder.

“Why are you being weird?” I asked. She kept looking over my shoulder. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was worried. Rising from the chair, I wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Sure, sis, whatever you want.”

I felt her physically relax as we started to walk towards the door. At the last minute, I turned around to get a good look around the room. Immediately, my eyes locked on the sight I knew she had been rushing me from the room hoping I’d miss. Dropping my arm from around her shoulder, I stepped forward. She latched on to my wrist with both of her hands.

“Wrench, just leave it be. Don’t do anything,” Ryan pleaded. I shook my arm, knocking her wrists off before marching across the room. I tossed my beer to Brew, who was rounding the couch. He fumbled, but caught it before setting it on the end table.

When I reached Monk, I pulled his arm from around Melia’s shoulder and wrenched it up behind his back.

“You must have a death wish,” I growled into his ear as the pressure I was putting on his arm made his knees bend.

“I see nothing has changed,” Melia said calmly before her hand met my face, leaving a burning sting in its place. She was walking away from me, her heels clicking on the ground, her tight dress emphasizing the switch of her hips and gorgeous ass. Shoving Monk to the floor, I ran after her, grabbing her elbow when I got close enough. I spun her around, both hands on her arms, holding her. I had to touch her to know she was really there, I hadn’t imagined her.

“Get out. Everyone out now!” I shouted, my eyes staying on hers. I didn’t care if I had to hold her there forever, I wasn’t letting go of her till I had some answers. Even opening a door was too much of a risk since she could run. No. It was time things got cleared up.

Standing staring into each other’s eyes, I barely noticed everyone leaving until there was no noise in the room. Even then, I still held her, still looking into her eyes. She looked better than I’d ever seen her. Like a tall glass of water after walking through the hot desert for days. I soaked her up as much as I possibly could. Finally, I couldn’t stand the silence anymore.

“Where have you been?” I croaked. My throat was dry from nerves. I’d never been nervous in my life around women, but I couldn’t fuck up again. It was quite possibly my last chance.

“Around.” She shrugged as the corner of her lips lifted. “Miss me?”

“Fuck yes,” I nearly moaned. I wished I had the words to say all I wanted to, but my mind went blank at her beauty. She’d colored her hair so it was a few shades lighter than before with blonde mixed in. Every single part of her had gotten better when before I didn’t think she could’ve gotten any more beautiful. I wanted to ask if she missed me, but I couldn’t force the words from my lips for fear of the answer.

“I missed you.” Melia surprised me by sliding her hands up my stomach to my chest and around my neck. “Kiss me, Wrench. Show me you missed me as much as I missed you.”

Growling, I slammed my mouth to hers. My hands ventured down her arms to her thighs, pulling up her short dress up to her hips before grabbing her ass and lifting her. Instantly, her legs wrapped around my waist bringing her hot pussy right up against my jean-covered, throbbing cock. Our tongues dueled while she dug her fingers into my scalp, pulling me closer to her. Turning, I set her on the edge of the pool table. Again, she surprised me by pushing back from me, sliding to the middle of the table.

Pushing up on her elbows, her thighs slid apart, her heels digging into the felt on the table.

“What do you want to do to me right now?” Melia purred the question, biting down on her bottom lip and sliding a hand between her legs. It was only then I noticed she had on no panties, her fingers sliding up and down her bare pussy.

“Why say it when I can do it?” I smirked at her, grabbing her calves and pulling her down to the edge of the table. Lowering my face to hers, I whispered, “I have too many things in store for you. It’d just be wasting time when I fully anticipate doing each and every one of them to you.”

She squirmed against me, making my smile broaden more. Pressing my lips to hers, I slipped two fingers into her. The moan that slipped from her lips as she arched her back was swallowed in our kiss. Her hips rotated with the slide of my fingers, trying to get me to go deeper, faster. Pulling back from our kiss, I kept my pace slow, taking my time to cherish the feel of her, letting my eyes feast on her after being starved for so long.

Reaching up, she grabbed a handful of my shirt, yanking me forward. “Make me come or I’m walking out the door,” she growled.

“I’d like to see you try to leave. It’s not happening, little one. You came back to my cave and I’m never letting you go again,” I growled back, slapping my fingers hard into her repeatedly, sliding the tips of my fingers against her g-spot. I could feel it swelling, telling me she was close. Bending, I lowered my face to her pussy, sucking her clit into my mouth. My tongue flicked quickly over the tiny ball of nerves as I fingered her hard and fast, pressing against her g-spot each time.

Melia’s fingers slid into my hair, holding tight, pulling hard as a moan ripped from her throat and her release covered my fingers. Leisurely, I dragged my tongue over her again and again making sure I got every last delicious drop before standing up. I let my eyes linger over every sexy inch of her exposed skin before sliding my hands under her shoulders and pulling her off the table. Once she was on her feet, I tugged her dress down before planting a firm kiss on her lips. A disappointed look flashed over her face, but she didn’t say anything as I threaded my fingers with hers and pulled her towards the door.

Hearing her heels click on the floor made me turn and give her another appreciative glance. It was the first time I’d seen her wear heels and they looked damn good on her. Not that I wanted her to wear them all the time, but for a reunion meeting, they were perfect. Opening the door, I realized how we’d managed to not be interrupted; Monk was standing guard at the door making sure no one entered. I slapped him on the back and smiled at him. At the bottom of the stairs, I slipped an arm under Melia’s knees and one around her back so I could carry her up the stairs. I would’ve carried her from the room, but her dress was too short and too many people would’ve had to die if they got a glimpse under it.

In my room, I kicked the door shut and gently laid her down on the bed before pulling off each shoe and throwing it over my shoulder. Kicking off my own boots, I dragged my nose up her torso as I crawled on top of her, her thighs cradling my hips. A strand of her hair fell over her forehead and I pushed it back, letting my fingers caress her skin as they went.

“You are so incredibly beautiful. I don’t know why you came here tonight…” She started to interrupt me, but I put a finger over her lips. “Just listen, okay?” She nodded quickly. “What happened downstairs was wrong.” Instantly her eyes filled with tears and I shook my head. Sighing, I tried again. “I know I’m fucking this up. That’s not what I meant, damn it.”

Rolling off her, I paced the length of the room while she sat up on the edge of the bed watching me. I could tell she wanted to say something, but she waited. I stopped and knelt in front of her.

“I’m never going to get this right no matter how much I try. I’ve never cared so much about a woman before. I don’t know how to say how much you mean to me. The time you were gone nearly fucking killed me. I’ve missed you so much I think if I lost my leg I would miss it less. I need you with me. It’ll require a lot of patience and forgiveness on your side, but I promise to try. I’m not much of anything, but I promise to give you all that I am. Just don’t leave again. I can’t handle it again. While I wish I could say I’ll be happy as long as you’re happy, I can’t. It’s not possible. I want you too much. I can’t let you go. It’s just not possible. Your beauty, your strength, it makes me want to be better. To figure out how to make this work. I’d do anything to keep you in my arms.” I grabbed both her hands. She hadn’t said a word, hadn’t batted an eyelash, just looked into my eyes as I spoke to her. “What I meant about what happened downstairs is I shouldn’t have done that, we should’ve talked first. I just couldn’t help it. You looked so good, I was a starved man. If I never see you again, I at least have that one final memory to live with.”

I dropped my head, sitting back on my heels, waiting for her to push me away. I’d never opened myself up to someone like I had done for her, but I knew it could possibly be the last time I saw her. As much as I wanted to fuck her, I wanted to keep her more.

When her hand slid through my hair, I closed my eyes. I loved when she touched me, especially when it was such a delicate, loving caress. Her thumb brushed down my cheek and under my chin, making me lift my head until I met her eyes again.