“Better than the top floors?” I ask as I grab my plate and sit to eat.
“Much better,” Leanne confirms, giving Bodie one last squeeze before sitting to eat with me.
“Did you hear about the storm?” I snort, the bright sun shining through the windows.
“Yeah, Lola called me from Cancun, told me to stay at her house because it’s better stocked and closer to town if I need something.”
“Wow, this town takes this crap seriously.”
“Sugar, these people know their home better than you,” Leanne scolds, pointing her fork at me. “Don’t be so dismissive.”
“Okay, okay!” I raise my hands.
“You’re welcome to stay at Lola’s with me,” she offers.
“I may take you up on that even if there isn’t a storm.” I smile.
We continue to eat and chatter away at all the grand plans she has for The Lantern, my own excitement bubbling over as Leanne describes a bright future.
But my mind keeps going back to Andy and all the things he told me this morning, the pain in his voice and sorrow in his beautiful eyes. And although I have a million other reasons, all of them genuine, deep in my heart, I know—I’m staying for him because I finally accepted what it is that I really want.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Andy
I’m lying on the couch with my legs up, completely engrossed in my book, when there’s a knock on my door. All my instincts kick in, the rain pounding on the windows, and the darkness of the night making it impossible to discern who the person standing on the other side is.
It takes me about thirty seconds and an additional knock to pull myself back to reality, realizing this isn’t Afghanistan. I’m in my mom’s house in a small town where people knock on other people’s doors during off-season storms at 1 AM to ask if you have a flashlight handy in case the lights go out or whatever.
“Yeah, coming!” I yell over the downpour and throw my book and glasses on the coffee table as I walk toward the foyer. I was expecting any one of my neighbors to greet me with a kind smile and prying questions. I was not expecting a shivering wet Phoebe with a very see-through white blouse.
“Jesus, Curls, you’re going to catch your death, come in here.” I pull her into the house, practically herding her to the bathroom where I pull out a big fluffy towel that I deemed impractical, but my mom likes to have lying around because they’re decorative or something, and start trying to dry Phoebe off. Her mass of hair is dripping everywhere, and combined with her soaked clothes, it makes for an impossible mission.
“We need to get you out of these wet clothes.” I start unbuttoning her shirt, only to realize what I’m doing when I unbutton the third button, the one plastered right in the valley between her breasts.
As I start pulling my hands back, Phoebe catches my wrists, holding me firmly in place.
“Keep going.” Her eyes mirror the storm outside, gray and tempestuous, and it sparks my entire body to life.
I rip her shirt open and pull her against me, pressing my lips to hers in an urgent kiss as I unzip her skirt and let it fall to the bathroom floor before lifting her up. Phoebe’s strong legs wrap around me, and I grab both her butt cheeks, holding her close as I make my way to the bedroom, unable to resist kneading her firm ass as we go.
Phoebe rubs herself against me and moans into my mouth, prompting me to shamelessly slide my tongue over hers, relearning every corner as I stumble blindly in the direction of the bed. Suddenly Phoebe’s hand snakes under my sweats, and she releases my cock, stroking it and rubbing it with the damp fabric of her skimpy black panties and the need to know if they’re wet from the rain or from her is stronger than me.
I pin her to the wall and let one of my hands slide from her ass to her pussy, moving the fabric aside so I can slip my index finger through her folds.
“Phoebe…” I groan, and I can’t help myself from hooking a finger into the fabric of her panties, moving it aside even more, to glide my cock over her wet mound. She’s rocking her hips in tandem with mine, enjoying the feel of my cock as much as I’m enjoying the feel of her pussy.
“You feel so good,” I moan. “I want to be inside of you, Phoebe, tell me I can.” I’m already pushing into her, not waiting to hear an answer.
“I’m not on the pill?” It’s more of a question than a declaration, and we stand there staring at each other.
And I wonder if it’s really such a bad thing, that she’s not on the pill. If I wouldn’t have left, we’d probably have at least two little minis running around by now. The thought is like a slap to the face, reminding me of all I gave up, and of everything I robbed from her, the future she wanted with me, the life we were planning on building together.
So, I force myself to pull back. I’m not about to take away the chance to build something new by letting nostalgia and wishful thinking dictate such a big decision.
“I don’t think we’re there yet, Phoebs. I want us to be,” I confess without hesitation. “But, we aren’t.”
“We’ll get there,” she promises with a smile. “But in the meantime…” She rubs her wet pussy over my cock again, and I spin her around quickly, causing her to squeal in delight, laughing, and sprinkling kisses over my face.
We make it to the bedroom, and I drop Phoebe on the bed, leaning over her and roughly pulling off the rest of her clothes, standing only when she’s completely naked to drink in her form.
She’s leaning back on her palms, legs crossed to hide what she knows I want the most, her firm breasts pure perfection, and her nipples hardened from cold and arousal.
“Let me see you,” I plead, trying to pry her knees open, but she resists with a mischievous smile.
“Earn it,” she commands, and I can’t help but chuckle.
I run a palm over her shoulder and down her collarbone, cupping her breast and grazing the erect nipple with my thumb. Her back arches though her knees stay firmly pressed together.
Catching her earlobe between my lips, I keep playing with her nipples. Phoebe’s writhing under me with soft mewls as my lips descend down her long neck, kissing the hollow and then down between her breasts, licking her olive skin as the coconut scent emanates off her and then grazing my teeth over one of her nipples before sucking on it hard.
Phoebe arches her back off the bed with another mewl, and I soothe the taut peak with my tongue.
A yelp of surprise followed by a loud moan escape her lips when I push her onto her back and pin her knees to her chest, pressing my tongue against her pussy, licking and sucking on the tender flesh at the back of her thighs until her legs fall open.
I keep my slow exploration of her soft skin, taking my time to taste every inch of her as I make my way to the juncture of her legs. When my mouth covers her pussy, Phoebe lets out a desperate whimper, but I continue taking my time, tasting her as she writhes under me.
“Andy,” Phoebe pleads, pulling me up by my wrist and kissing me with fire, her tongue swiping through my mouth eagerly. “I want to look at you.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.” Her hands frame my face, and her gaze is tender, caring. “I just want to feel good, I want to make you feel good.”