“Thank you. I owe it all to you. I don’t know if we would have ever been able to work things out without a little encouragement from you. We can be pretty stubborn. You showed us the way.”
She let out a long breath. “I’m so relieved. I have been absolutely stressing out about the situation. I thought for sure I royally fucked up. I kept thinking I pissed him off and he was going to hate you forever because I butted my big old nose into your very private family business.”
“Just the opposite. I mean, it did take him almost a week to finally call me, but he did it. He told me he thought you were special. He approves.”
“Wow, that’s some high praise.”
I offered her a grape. She opened her mouth and I popped it inside. “Did your dad say anything?”
“About?”
“Our conversation.”
Her mouth fell open. “You talked with my dad?”
“He didn’t tell you?”
“No! When did this happen? I feel like I’ve been living under a rock.”
“I took your advice. I stopped by his office on Monday before I left.”
She pressed her hand against her belly. “How did that go? Wait, don’t tell me. I’m afraid to ask.”
“Well, it didn’t start out great, but things got better. I’m not going to claim we are best buddies, but he agreed to help me out. I still don’t think he likes me, but I don’t think he wants to kill me.”
She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. “I am just a little taken aback. This is a whole lot of information coming at me at once.”
“I bet. I’m not done yet.”
“Oh lord, have mercy.” She downed the rest of her glass and held it out. “Please tell me you have more wine in your little basket of goodies.”
I grinned and grabbed another miniature bottle. “I do.” I filled her glass and watched as she took several long drinks. “More?”
“Not yet. What else? I don’t even know where to begin to guess.”
“I love you.”
She blinked, staring at me without saying anything. “What?”
“You heard me. I love you.”
“Oh my goodness,” she breathed. “Oh my.”
I took the wine glass from her and put it on the little cement pad the bench was perched on. I scooted closer, reaching for her and pulling her closer to me. “I love you Evie,” I breathed the words before pressing my lips to hers.
She opened her mouth to me. My tongue swept inside her mouth, tasting the wine and the grape. She tasted like sweet ecstasy. My mouth opened wider, forcing her to open her mouth. I held her against me. All her soft curves pressed against my chest. I didn’t intend to make love to her right there, but need was overriding all other senses.
“I want you,” I whispered against her mouth.
“Please.”
“Can I? Here? Please say yes. I need you.”
“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes. Here. Now.”
It was the only approval I needed.
Chapter 68
Evie
I was being terribly irresponsible. I was not the girl who got naked in the park and had sex. Unfortunately, when I was with Xander, all bets were off.
And he loved me. The words echoed through my mind over and over. He loved me. I would follow him into the fires of hell knowing he loved me. I didn’t realize just how badly I needed to hear those words from him.
He loved me. I loved him. I didn’t know what that meant for the two of us, but damn if I was going to pass up the chance to find out. The way he was kissing me was different. Maybe it was mind over matter, but I could practically taste the love on his tongue. It was in the way he touched me. The gentleness of his hand on my cheek, holding me steady while his tongue plundered inside my mouth.
“Over here,” he said as he broke his mouth away from mine.
I felt a little dazed. His kiss made me feel drunk on lust. Again, I was ready to follow him anywhere if it meant I got more kisses like that. He took my hand and led me away from the bench that was in an exposed area. We walked through a narrow path and into the trees.
“Where are we going?” I asked him.
“I found this little area when we were here with Kade,” he answered.
“Oh,” I said.
The light was more filtered under the copse of trees. He pulled me against him once again. His mouth moved over mine, making me forget all about where we were. His arms were around me, making me feel like I was completely safe in his embrace. I was wrapped up in him and his love and it was the only place I ever wanted to be.
“I have never been so desperate for you,” he whispered against my lips. “I have missed you like crazy. I haven’t been able to think straight or sleep. I need you. I need you in my life.”
“I’m here,” I told him. I ran my hands through his hair. “I’m here for you. Always.”
He growled low in his throat before taking my mouth again. I could feel his erection pressing against my belly. I pushed back against him, trying to get closer. I couldn’t get close enough.
“This might be a little tricky,” he said with a small laugh.
“I think we’ll figure it out.”
“I know we will figure it out. There is no way I’m going to make it back to the car or to your place or my place. I have to have you. I need you. I’m so hard. I’m so on the edge.”
I looked around and came up with a plan. “Here,” I said and took his hand, leading him a little deeper into the trees. I dropped his hand and very slowly undid the button of his pants and slid the zipper down.
I reached for him, feeling the hard strength of him, and wrapped my hand around his shaft.
“Fuck,” he groaned. “It hurts so good.”
He was straining. I could feel the tension in his body. My instinct was to make him feel better. There was only one way to do that.
I quickly undid my shorts and slid them down my legs, leaving my shoes on. Next, I slid my panties and very carefully put them on my shorts. I wasn’t a big outdoors person, but I was not interested in whatever was on the ground making a nice bed for themselves in my panties.
“Goddamn,” he groaned. “I need you. I’m sorry, but I need you so bad.”
“Don’t be sorry. I want this.”
It was sweet he was thinking about me and my modesty. I had no modesty in that moment. All I had was a desperate need to have him buried inside me. I slowly turned and placed my hands against the trunk of a very tall tree. I looked over my shoulder at him and gave my ass a wiggle.
It was the only encouragement he needed. He stepped forward, nudged my legs open with his knee, and slid his hand up the inside of my thigh. He found my heated center. I was already wet and aching for him when he rubbed his fingertip over me.
I jerked at the contact. “Yes, please,” I begged.
He dropped his hand, and a moment later, the head of his cock was probing at my entrance. With a little adjustment and me bending forward a bit with my hands braced on the tree, he found his way deep inside.
“This,” he breathed. “This is what I have craved. Your warmth squeezing me.”