Sunday (Timeless Series #7) (18 page)

“Sounds like a waste.”

“Since she and my dad lived there for most of their lives, it’ll be too painful for her to sell it. I suspect she’ll give it to me.”

“That would be generous.”

“Then I would give it to my kids someday. Wouldn’t be able to sell it either.”

Kyle and I were broken up for a while, and since he was close to his mom I assumed he told her. “I’m guessing she doesn’t like me as much as she used to…”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I left you.” My eyes were glued to the canopy so I wouldn’t have to look at him.

His voice came out quiet. “I never told her.”

“Really?” That was music to my ears. His mom seemed to hate Francesca with every fiber of her being. I didn’t want to be next on her shit list.

“I always hoped we’d get back together. I didn’t want to tell her unless there was absolutely no possibility of us making it work.”

“That’s a relief.”

He turned on his side and propped up his head on his palm. He looked down at me, those crystal blue eyes more memorizing than the ocean. “Why?”

“I didn’t want her to hate me.”

“My mom would never hate you.”

“She doesn’t seem to be a big fan of Francesca.”

“Well…as much as I care about Francesca she deserves it. But you, no.”

How could he say that when I hurt him so much?

“You had every right to walk away. I should have told you the truth from the beginning. My mom would never think less of you for that.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Does that mean she knows?”

“No.” He assured me with his eyes. “I would never tell anyone unless I had your explicit permission.”

I sighed in relief. The last thing I wanted was for people to know. It was humiliating and destructive. No one would ever look at me the same. They would just see me as a victim that couldn’t recover. “I don’t want you to tell her.”

“I assumed,” he said. “But I hope you change your mind someday.”

“Why would I want her to know?” That would be awkward.

“Well, she lost a daughter in a similar way. If anything, I think you may help her in the way you helped me.”

My eyes turned away.

“You’re too hard on yourself. No one would think less of you.”

“You’re the only one who doesn’t look at me like that. But everyone else does.”

He grinned from ear-to-ear.

It wasn’t exactly something to smile about. I gave him a look of confusion, unsure where his sudden jolt of joy came from. We were just discussing the night I was raped. What could be good about that? “What?”

“You said I don’t look at you like that.”

I hadn’t paid attention to anything I said. I’d been doing that a lot more lately.

“That makes me happy. Finally, you believe me.”

I did believe him. He always looked at me with nothing but love in his eyes. Sometimes he would graze his fingers down my cheek until they rested on my bottom lip. He wanted me in a physical way, but he also adored me like something that was innocent and pure. Now that I’d finally begun to put the past behind me, I started to notice all the subtle things. I thought about that night less and less. Slowly, I was starting to not think about it at all. “I guess it just took me a while.”

“That’s fine. We both know I was never in a hurry.” His hand dug into my hair until his fingers wrapped around the back of my neck. He pulled my face to his and gave me a sweet kiss under the trees. It was slow and purposeful, and full of everlasting love.

I kissed the man I loved and knew he loved me too.

***

The alarm went off, loud and screeching.

Kyle hit the button and silenced it before it split our skulls. He sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose, unable to wake up with the rest of the world. He was shirtless and just in his boxers.

I didn’t want him to go. I wanted him to lay with me all through the morning. When his body was wrapped around mine I was never cold. His strong muscles acted as a natural heater, and his skin was delicious on my tongue. I didn’t have to be in the office today, and now I wished he didn’t have to go to work. “Stay with me.” I rested his hand on his arm.

His voice was raspy from just waking up. “It’s payday. I have to give out the checks.”

“Right this second? Is the bank even open?”

“I’ve got to do all the paperwork and talk to my accountant.”

I pouted my lips because I was growing desperate. Anytime he was away from me I felt like I was drowning. He’d become a security blanket I loved to wear at all times. “Stay for a few more hours. It’s way too early.”

“Sweetheart, you’re making this really hard for me.”

“You’re making it hard for
me
.”

“I’ve never seen you like this before.”

Neither had I. “It hurts when you’re away. It’s like a pain right on my heart.”

He returned to the bed and rolled on top of me. “Right here?” He placed a soft kiss on the skin right over my heart.

“Yeah.”

“Well, I can’t allow my sweetheart to be in pain, can I?”

I shook my head and ran my hands up his chest. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist and I was instantly wet. My body yearned for his in a way it never had before. I wanted to feel him inside me, to make love in the softest and sweetest way possible. It was always on my mind, and the yearning drove me slightly insane. “Make love to me.”

His skin immediately prickled under my fingertips, goosebumps erupting everywhere. He took an involuntary breath and couldn’t keep the desire out of his eyes. “I will.” Like always, one hand dug into my hair and he kissed me. “With my mouth.”

The Wait

Kyle

Practicing abstinence was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. When Rose and I were just spending time together I didn’t struggle with my desires. She didn’t want it, so I didn’t want it either. But now that I knew she wanted me, had asked me to make love to her not once, but twice, I was losing my grip on sanity.

She was ready for me, and she seemed to be a different person. Her therapy sessions helped and she finally let me in. She finally trusted me in a way she never did before. It would probably be fine if we went all the way.

But I still wanted her to realize what we were to each other.

She’d hinted at it many times. She knew our paths crossed for a reason, and she understood it wasn’t just a strange coincidence that we met on a blind date. But she still hadn’t reached the final conclusion.

So I had to wait.

Thankfully, we did other stuff. We had hot and heavy make out sessions, and she deep-throated me like a pro. The amateur stuff was enjoyable, but I really wanted the grand finale. I’d made love to her before, but it’d been so long that I felt like this was the first time all over again.

“So, have you slid into home plate yet?” Francesca sat across from me eating a salad. She was in her work clothes with her hair pulled into a single braid.

“Not yet.”

“Man, that’s brutal. Hawke made me wait a few weeks one time…thought I was going to die.”

That didn’t sound like him. “Why would he make you wait?”

“He said he wanted it to be special.” She rolled her eyes. “He was thinking about it too hard.”

I didn’t realize just how romantic he was until Francesca told me.

“What are you waiting for?”

“She hasn’t realized the truth yet. I’m waiting for her to get there.”

“Who knows how long that will take?”

“I don’t think it’ll be much longer. She’s said a few things, like she thinks our paths were meant to cross and stuff like that…but she hasn’t gotten to the end yet.”

“She said that?”

I nodded. “After we had dinner with you guys. And she’s been a lot more clingy with me. Whenever I have to leave she asks me to stay. Whenever we’re together she wants me to sleep over. And even when we don’t see each other she wants me to sleep over.”

“It sounds like it’s exactly what you want.”

“It is.” I just wish I didn’t have to hold back anymore.

“Are you nervous?”

“For?”

“You know…the deed.”

“I’ve slept with her before.”

“But this time it’ll be different.” She finished her salad and set her fork down. “Are you afraid now that she knows you know she’ll freak out and run? Are you afraid of the repercussions you could face?”

“I guess.” I had a feeling that wouldn’t be a problem. She seemed to trust me—really trust me. I had faith this was the beginning to a lifelong relationship. I believed this was the end of the road for me—that I found what Francesca found with Hawke. I believed this was the beginning of my happily ever after. “But I have a good feeling it’ll be okay.”

***

She eyed my sushi with her chopsticks between her fingertips. Her leg brushed up against mine under the table, giving me a hard-on through our entire meal.

“Want a piece, sweetheart?”

“Well, since you’re offering…” She snatched a roll and dropped it into her mouth.

“Well, I only offered because I was getting the third degree. But since you’re giving me a nice rub under the table I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“Wow. Too bad my hand can’t reach you…wonder what I would get then.”

I adjusted my jeans without being discreet about it. Her sexy playfulness was unbelievable. And the most shocking part was, she had no idea just how sexy she was. She didn’t even need to try. That sexy lingerie was useless when she already had everything she needed.

She snatched another roll off my plate and took small bites, looking cute as hell.

“I love watching you eat.”

“Yeah?” she asked. “I love watching you eat me.”

Fuck, she was killing me.
“We’ll have dessert when we get back to my apartment.”

“I look forward to it.”

I quickly got the check and slipped the cash inside, wanting to get back into bed as quickly as possible. I had a fiery minx that wanted me, and all of the foreplay we did was intoxicating.

We entered my apartment then immediately headed to the bedroom. Having lunch with Francesca made me realize a grave mistake I made. I told Rose’s secret to someone without getting her permission first. Rose would probably never find out that Francesca knew, but I knew I needed to come clean about it. The last time I kept the truth from her we broke up. I didn’t want to go down that road again. “Not to kill your engine, but I need to tell you something.”

“What?” She pulled her shirt over her head then immediately moved to her bra. Her timid nature had completely disappeared over the course of the month. Now she was comfortable with me in a way she never was before.

I tried to ignore her nakedness and move on. “I know I told you I wouldn’t tell anyone your secret but…I told Francesca a few months ago. You and I were broken up and I needed someone to talk to. I’m sorry.” I sat at the edge of the bed and put my arms on my knees. This would probably lead to a huge fight. And she would probably walk out on me—not that I wasn’t used to it.

“Oh…” She sat beside me, covering her chest with her arms.

“I told her because I wanted her to help me get you back. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. But I was desperate.”

“That means Hawke knows too…?”

“No. “ I doubt she would tell him something like that. “I understand if you’re upset with me. I told a secret that wasn’t mine to tell. I hope you can forgive me.”

Instead of being silent and standoffish she sighed. “It’s okay, Kyle. I know you meant well.”

Say what?
“Huh?”

“I said it’s okay.”

She wasn’t going to walk out on me? She wasn’t going to yell at me? She was just okay with it? “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” She placed her hand on my thigh. “I know you would never hurt me on purpose.”

Somehow, I fell more in love with her. This was the relationship I wanted from the beginning. This kind of trust and understanding was something I always knew we would have. We were perfect together, opposite sides of the same coin. The connection between us ran deep, deeper than anything else. “Thank you.”

“Now get those clothes off.” She moved into my side and started kissing my neck as she buttoned my shirt.

I felt my heart speed like a train, and I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to remain in control tonight. With every passing day it was growing more difficult, more impossible.

Hopefully, I’d make it through tonight.

***

Rose held the blueprint as she looked at the few acres of beach I owned. She was double-checking her measurements, looking at the trajectory of the sun as well as the direction of the wind. “I think it’s perfect.”

I already knew that before we came out here. “Great. Now we can start building.”

“It’ll probably take a year to build.” She gave me an awkward look, like she wasn’t sure if that would upset me.

“It’s okay. I know these things take time.”

She rolled up the blueprint and kept her back to the wind so it wouldn’t go flying into the air. “It’s a beautiful day today.”

“I think it’s just you.” I wrapped my arm around her as we headed back to the car. “Want to head to the beach house?”

“Sure.”

“I’m excited to sleep there with you—not at my mom’s.” I smiled at her so she knew I was just teasing.

“Who said anything about sleep?” She smiled back when she knew she had me.

My smile immediately dropped.

We drove to my house just a few miles away then walked inside with all of our luggage. It was exactly the same as I left it. I didn’t spend as much time at the place as I should, and every time I arrived it felt like another home. “What do you want to do tonight?”

“Other than get naked and make out?”

She was torturing me on purpose. I knew it. “Yes. Other than that.”

“Maybe we can make dinner here and sit on the beach.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea.”
And a PG one
.

***

After we made dinner we sat together on the beach with our feet in the sand. The wind had died down so it was easy to eat the chicken and greens we prepared. We shared a bottle of red wine and looked out at the ocean, cherishing the sunset just before it disappeared over the horizon.

“You’re amazing on the grill.” She ate all of her food, which was rare for her. Most of the time she just picked at it until it was a mess on her plate.

“Thanks. I get that a lot.”

She ate the last piece of roll then set her plate aside. “If I were you, I’d be here all the time.”

“Well, I have a lady and a job in the city.”

“I guess I should be grateful you don’t have a lady out here.”

“I can hardly handle the one I’ve already got.” I drank my wine then gave her a playful smile.

“You can definitely handle me, Kyle.” Her arm hooked through mine and she kissed me on the cheek.

Somehow, I loved that kiss more than the ones on the mouth. “I love this.”

“What?”

“I love how different we are now. I love how you look at me like that. I love the way you touch me. I love the way you need me.” I wasn’t as verbose about those kinds of things, but with Rose I couldn’t stop talking. I wasn’t self-conscious to say sissy things.

Her smile disappeared and her face turned serious. “I love it too. You brought me back to life. I feel like the person I used to be, the carefree and happy woman I’d forgotten about.”

“I like her. I’m glad I’ve finally met her.”

“She’s glad to meet you too.”

I rubbed my nose against hers, feeling my heart ache in joy. Even if she didn’t realize what we truly were to each other, I was grateful I found the kind of love I’d been looking for. With Francesca, I thought she was the woman of my dreams. But when I met Rose, everything changed. I’d realized that my love for Francesca was pathetic in comparison to the way I felt for Rose. I knew we would get married someday and have two beautiful kids. We’d grow old together, and when we passed away, we’d still be together. Maybe one day she would realize that. I hoped so. “I’ve waited a long time to meet you. More than you realize.”

Her hand tightened around my arm. “Somehow, I feel like we’ve already met. Or, I feel like I already knew you when I walked into that restaurant. Only someone truly special would have been able to make me fall in love, to trust a man the way I trusted you. I didn’t think that was possible…until you.”

“I feel the same way. I knew there was something different about you. I didn’t just think you were beautiful. And I didn’t just think you were interesting. The second I saw you, I knew there was more to it.” I wasn’t sure if she would ever make the connection, but I certainly did.

“You know who we remind me of?”

“Hmm?”

“Francesca and Hawke.”

My fingertips suddenly burned in expectation. “Really? Why?”

She looked down like she was ashamed, or couldn’t find the words she wanted to say.

“Sweetheart, tell me.”

“It’s kind of silly.”

I had a feeling it wasn’t.
“I want to know anyway.”

“Well…sometimes I think we’re just like them—that we’re soul mates.” She still wouldn’t look at me, afraid of my reaction. “I know that sounds just as crazy as it did when Francesca said it but…I don’t think I’d ever be able to be with anyone else but you. Only someone that shares my soul would have put me back together the way you did. Only someone destined to be with me would have gone through the same experiences. Only someone…I was connected with would have been so patient and understanding. I just find it hard to believe that we’re just two random people that happened to meet in that restaurant. I feel like our fates were meant to intertwine. I don’t think we ever had a choice.”

That’s what I’d been hoping to hear but never expected it to actually happen. She realized it on her own, that there was something special between us. I didn’t have to convince her or make her realize it on her own. She came to the conclusion based on her own thoughts and experiences. “I’ve known for a while.”

She finally met my gaze. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”

“No. I knew before we broke up. I think I knew the moment I saw you. It wasn’t love at first sight. It was something more than that.”

Her eyes slowly coated with tears. “Really? You aren’t just saying that?”

“No. Never.”

“Kyle…”

Both of my hands slid up her cheeks until I cupped her face. Then I pressed our foreheads together, treasuring the moment as a single person.

Then she began to cry. “I didn’t think I’d ever be okay again…I didn’t think I’d ever be put back together. You’re the reason I’m here now. You’re the reason I’m so happy.”