Letting You Know (29 page)

Making
a soothing sound in her ear, I rocked her slightly, listening to the
sadness drain away. “It's okay, you don't need to explain it to
me. You love them, how could you not? Hurt aside, they're still your
family... and it's okay to want to talk to them.”

“
It's
more than that.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper, the weather
almost blocking it out. If her breath wasn't on my ear, I'd have
missed it. “Deacon, I want to
see
them, too.”

Tensing
my jaw, I pulled back; looking into her shiny, red-edged eyes. There
was no hesitation on my end when I spoke. “Then let's do it.
Let's drive down and see them.”

Her
response was to laugh, a hand covering her mouth. Rubbing her cheeks,
she bit her lip, unable to stop the nervous giggles. “What? Are
you serious?”

“
Yes,
I really am. Leah, we have just enough time to make the drive, then
come back here to catch our flight back to California. It'd be tight,
but we can do it. If you want to, if you really want to.”

She
stared at me, sinking into the fact I really meant what I was saying.
“I want to. Now that it's a possibility, I honestly...”

“
Then,”
I said carefully, taking her wrists, lifting her hand with the phone
between us, “call them. Tell them we're coming.”

Oh
my god, I'm going to have to figure out how to convince my parents to
let me borrow a car, how to get down to Rhode Island on time, the
fact I'll actually be meeting her parents, the...

My
thoughts ended, smashed away when Leah threw herself on top of me.
Her lips were warm, welcome on my own.

The
rush of desire rippled through me, lids closing gently, out of my
control. So quickly, I was lost in the sensations; lost in
her
.

Fingers
dragged across her back, crushing her against me. Wanting to feel her
soft skin, I tugged my gloves off.

The
blanket under my body kept the cold, hard floor from ruining the
moment. I wasn't sure I'd have noticed the chilly ground even if it
was against my bare skin.

She
makes it so hard to think!

Why
did I need to think?

Her
teeth nipped my lower lip, then dragged down to my throat. I could
feel my own pulse through her, the desperate gasp of my pleasure
filling my ears.

“
God,
Leah, I...”

Straddling
me under the blankets, she searched for the zipper on my coat, the
sound vibrating through the barn. Every inch of me seemed to be
trembling; metallic, constant.

“
Your
phone,” Leah said suddenly, sitting up. Dazed, I shoved my hand
into my pocket, finding the device buzzing.

Shit,
Nicholas.

Pressing
it to my ear, I spoke fast. “Everything is fine, I found
her—yeah. In the barn, yeah. Of course we'll be coming back
soon. No, Nicholas, it's really... Yes. Yes, I just want some time,
thanks.” Shaking my head, I closed the phone and hid it away.

“
Is
everything okay?”

“
Yes,”
I said softly, ruffling my hair. “He was just, uh, a little too
cocky sounding when he realized I was sort of, well, busy.”

Leah
settled back on my chest, pushing my jacket open with her hands. The
way she smiled up at me made my mouth tingle. “Is that what we
are? Busy?”

“
Yeah,
I'd say so.” Cupping her chin, I guided her to me for a kiss as
soft as a whisper. Tracing the shape of her perfect lips, I nuzzled
into her hair with a sigh.

Her
weight felt good on me, welcome in the quiet barn. She slid down me,
lifting my shirt out of the way to expose my stomach. “I missed
you, you know,” she sighed.

I
couldn't respond, she stole my voice when she licked the hard skin of
my lower belly. Down, she went, my belt clinking as she removed it.

She
missed me, after only a few days.

Groaning,
her teeth tickling across my hip, I reached down to feel her soft
hair. “I missed you so much, too, Leah, I—aah!”
Biting my tongue, I arched into her firm touch when she rubbed her
cheek along my thigh.

“
I
know,” she whispered, glowing with mischief. “I can
tell.”

My
blood was racing, every bit of me craving her touch. Leah was eager,
if she'd been planning to tease me, it was quickly falling apart.

Gripping
my jeans, she tugged them down, exposing the dark cloth of my briefs.
I knew what she would see, my excitement was far too obvious.

“
Wait,”
I grunted, reaching down to grab her arms. Leah glanced up, eyes
twinkling like onyx in the dim light.

Coaxing
her up, I guided her forward until she was kneeling over me. “I
want to see more of you,” I groaned, pulling her scarf away.

“
But
it's cold,” she said weakly, even as her own fingers removed
her coat.

“
Not
for long, it won't be,” I grinned at her.

The
wetness of melted snow had made her hair damp in places, I felt it
through the gaps of my knuckles.

Sitting
up with her straddling my lap, I eagerly ripped her sweater over her
head, letting it fall to the side. She had an adorable lacy blue bra
on, a sight that made me groan when I realized I might never have
seen it that night.

“
God,
Leah, you're beautiful.” My words were solid, I meant them
completely.
The
girl I love is talented and beautiful, how did I get so lucky?

The
blush on her cheeks was enchanting, it reminded me of what a contrast
her forward nature combined with her shy modesty could be. “Shh,
Deacon, I'm not—”

“
No,”
I said quickly, my tone scratchy with raw emotion. “Don't even
say it.” Cupping her cheeks, I kissed her forehead, then her
throat.

I
felt her tremble, her jugular throbbing. “I... Can you see
them, still?”

“
What?”
I asked gently, tasting the sensitive part of her neck by her
earlobe.

Leah
gasped, pushing into me eagerly. “My bruises, can you see them
at all, still?”

Lifting
my head, I held her chin, staring into her worried eyes. “I
don't see anything but you, Leah, so why does it matter?”

“
Just
look,” she whispered, sounding more emotional than I expected.
“For me, look.”

She
doesn't want me to pretend it never happened.

I
didn't hesitate; I couldn't, not for her. Easily, I tilted her jaw,
revealing her length of neck to the dim barn lamps. There, in the
almost darkness, I couldn't see a single mark. “Nothing,”
I said, breathing on her flesh, kissing where the yellowed bruises
had been. “Not a one.”

Leah
moaned, hugging me tightly against her. The tops of her smooth
breasts pressed into my chest; I yanked my shirt off the rest of the
way to feel more.

Holding
her close, my finger tips rolled across her shoulder blades. The hook
of her bra was easy enough to dispatch, the strap almost too loud in
the sanctity of our private world.

Sighing,
she leaned away, slipping her lingerie off so it could join her
discarded shirt. Even in the low lights, seeing the woman I adored
almost nude... it set my skin tingling.

Running
a finger down her sternum, I listened to her gasp. It was
encouraging, knowing she loved my touch so much. “Seriously,
you're amazing,” I said softly.

“
Shut
up,” she chided me, pushing me down to the blanket gently.
Straddling me, she lifted herself enough to slide her cotton pants
down her knees. “I don't want to take my boots off,” she
mumbled, glancing down at me. “Is that okay?”

“
Of
course,” I assured her, chuckling at her decision. “If
you're able to do this much, I'm sure it won't be an issue.”

Grinning
sideways, Leah sat over me, giving me a good look at everything. Her
panties would have matched her bra if she was still wearing them.

Bending
down, she lay across me, meeting my hungry mouth with her own
ferociousness. Our tongues swirled, exploring behind our lips like it
was the first time we'd kissed.

It
feels like forever, since we had such a moment.

Gripping
her hips, I pushed her against me, enjoying the feel of her pelvis
grinding against my swelling arousal.

Fumbling,
I reached down my side, unable to reach my pocket with my jeans
bunched around my knees. Leah, sensing what I was going for, broke
the kiss with a sad groan.

Sitting
up, she kept rolling her hips against me, until I was grunting with
frustrated pleasure. “I don't think I can take much of that,”
I admitted.

Leah
dug into my pocket, pulling my wallet out. With a glance at me for my
permission, she unfolded it, finding the wrapped condom in one of the
gashes. “This isn't, you know, frozen, right?”

“
No,”
I laughed, shaking my head. “I hope not, anyway.”

As
she tore it open, she slid her palm down, feeling my rigid length
where it pushed eagerly against my boxers. Closing my eyes, I hissed
in a moment of passion.

The
air felt welcome on my sweltering flesh, bared to the light when Leah
slid the cloth down. Touching me, her grip tight, she rolled the
condom over my member.

I
motioned her down to me, kissing her plump lips with a sigh. “Are
you sure you're ready enough for this? I just want—”

“
Shh,”
she whispered, reaching between our bodies to aim me into her most
private of places. Any question I had was removed the second I was
engulfed in her damp heat.

Quivering,
she tucked her face into my shoulder, my hand finding her lower back.
Together, we moved, arching into a steady pace that met both of our
needs.

Leah,
I love you, I just want to say it to you. Why, even now, can't I
just...

Grunting,
I flexed into her gripping thighs. She was riding me, wild with her
desire and out of my control. I let her go, meeting her strokes and
letting her take the lead.