Between Octobers Bk 1, Savor The Days Series (24 page)

On the other side of the large white door
was my new husband. I wondered what he was doing. One worry was
that he’d be on the bed, sprawled out, naked as a jaybird. A grin
crept in as I tried not to think of it. I wanted him to be waiting,
of course, but the idea of something so cheesy . . . I’d probably
laugh out loud and that wouldn’t go over well.

I turned the knob and pushed.

Thankfully, the bed was empty. I searched
until my eyes fell on him, slouched in a plush, two-tone high back
chair across the room. A furnishing I’d missed in my passing
inspection. He was in his dress pants and a tank top, salaciously
holding an unlit cigarette between his lips.

My insides quivered as I sauntered forward.
The closer I got, the faster my breath came. He stared at my fluffy
robe, tied up nice and tight.

“Do you like my pedicure?” I asked, unsure,
and stuck out my leg, baring just enough hip. My damp skin tingled
in the dry air.

He ignored my feet. “Yes, very sexy.”

Encouraged by his reaction, I dimmed the
lights. “I didn’t plan on needing any lingerie.” My speck of
confidence increased with the dark.

Evans stood and reached forward, landing a
hand on the robes belt. Instead of pulling like I assumed, he
hooked it, drawing me closer. “Would you like to dance, Mrs.
Matthews?”

My name danced on his lips.

He raised a remote, pointing it at an iPod
dock. The sounds of the Paper Tongues’ “Get Higher” filled the
room.

“I love this song,” I whispered, as he led
me in a sensual rhythm that didn’t match the music. His hands moved
up along my back, one twisted into my hair.

My insides squirmed with delight and
anxiety. I hadn’t let myself consider what we were about to do. If
I had, I would’ve given in. Now, I would pay the cost for being an
insecure prude.

“I’m—I mean, Evan, I’ve had two children.
I’m not eighteen anymore.”

He sweetly touched my chin, smiling. “You’re
nervous? Must I explain the nature of the heterosexual male? We
don’t run from naked women. We seek them out. Some of us are quite
diligent about it. And, there’s no rush, love. We can go
downstairs, hit up the casino, or I could get you drunk first.” The
comical raising of his eyebrows made me relax. “Really, whatever
you want. No rush.”

Another song started to play. Pink Floyd’s
“Comfortably Numb”. The sensual guitar work filled the atmosphere,
stifling my nerves and feeding my growing desire for his touch.
Evans lips skimmed the length of my face, from forehead to chin. He
whispered my name, kissing my cheek, working his way down to my
neck. Something he knew would drive me crazy.

“
Why do you do that?” He
whispered.

“Do what?”

He pulled back and set a hand over my heart.
“Tremble when I touch you.”

I shook my head, “I don’t know.” I never
realized.

“Because you love me?” He pulled me back
into his chest, his breath licking at my skin.

“Yes.”

His long fingers stretched beneath the folds
of my robe, setting my skin on fire. “Because you want me touch
you?”

“Yes.” My breathing picked up.

His eyes glowed with promise. “I shall give
you what you want, then.”

He planted a very serious kiss on me. His
tongue parted my lips and danced in my mouth with frenzied fervor,
worshipping me. His hands tangled into my hair, holding me to him,
pressing me closer. In that moment, I knew. I made him just as
crazy as he made me. We’d both been holding back. The force his
lips exuded was grand and spectacular. It made the robe slip from
my shoulders.

It hit the floor with a gentle
thud
and Evan stepped back, staring.
The indulgent way he looked at me was usually a real confidence
booster. But right then, his excited inspection seemed to magnify
my weaknesses.

“You’re so beautiful.” He breathed, stepping
back in to peel my hands from my chest. “Here, I’ll hold these for
you.”

The unexpected humor made me laugh. I threw
my arms around his neck as he effortlessly lifted and carried me to
the bed. When I congratulated him on a job well done, he chuckled,
urging me to hold off on the thanks.

He laid me down and stripped off his tank
top in one, smooth move. His chest was beautiful. Soft and hard at
the same time, with a perfect smattering of hair on the center. He
seductively pressed himself onto me, and the bare skin of his
stomach slid against mine. That’s when I felt it. An awakening of
something deep inside. It rumbled, tuning me into those dark,
forgotten places. Every cell in my body was turned up in
anticipation.

Evan’s soft hands held my face as he looked
deep into my eyes. “I didn’t know love until the moment I saw
you.”

My heart expanded as he took my mouth once
more. Fervent and with reverence. My fingers scraped the finely
tuned muscles of his back and he groaned. The sound shook me to my
core. That door that was shut so long ago flew open, suddenly blown
off the hinges. I let myself feel the lovely ache, the wanton
hunger, as I was consumed by his glorious lips moving in rapturous
ways, seducing me. He whispered sweet affections in my ear,
caressing me with his words.

He said he loved me and he needed me to love
him, too. He’d planned to marry me since the first night he spent
at my house. He told me that, though he was not one to pray, he’d
begged God to make me say yes.

His thumb grazed the corner of my eye,
wiping at the emotion he provoked. Then his soft hands were
everywhere, bringing a new splendor all their own. Evan made love
with his body and his words. The feeling was mesmerizing,
intensifying my aching need. The hunger grew as we became a
rhythmic tangle. And I could not get close enough, touch him
enough, feel him enough. I was ravenous, an unwitting cannibal,
anxiously devouring every part of him.

I reached for the
bottled water on the nightstand as Evan took up a
cigarette.

“Were you thinking about him?”

I looked back as he propped himself against
the headboard. “What? No. I was nervous.” And out of practice,
which must’ve carried over. “I’ll do better next time. Sorry.”

I heard the release of air as he sighed. “If
there’s an apology to be made, it should be mine.” His hand touched
my back. “I shouldn’t have asked. It’s just . . . I don’t think
I’ve made anyone cry before. That usually comes after.”

I looked up from the blankets to see his
smirk. “I couldn’t help it.” Everything he’d said . . . the sweet
words came back to me and I felt the lump rise in my throat.

“No, I couldn’t help it—that’s another
reason to apologize. Though, you did make me wait a long time. So,
I could argue that everything’s your fault.”

He smiled. I stared back, wondering.

“Don’t make me say it out loud.”

I thought about it for another minute before
understanding hit. “Oh,” I giggled.

“Penny dropped, eh?”

“You think you were a little . . . quick on
the trigger?” He acknowledged with a red-faced nod. I teased,
“Don’t be embarrassed. I hear it happens to a lot of men.”

He hid his face in the pillows and regret
seized me. “Evan, I’m sorry, I was only joking—Evan, don’t be
upset.”

I grabbed the large down pillows he’d buried
himself under and pulled. His iron grip was unrelenting. I tugged,
spewing grunted apologies with each jerk. My problem was a lack of
leverage. After adjusting my position, I jerked the pillow again.
It moved and he was suddenly looking at me with bright eyes, biting
his bottom lip.

“Are you mad?”

He shook his head ‘yes’ but said, “No. I was
actually thinking about flipping a coin to see which of us is going
to buy more jolly bags.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“You remember that I take birth control,
don’t you?” This was common knowledge. Not that I’d made a formal
announcement, but I took them every day—many times in front of
him—along with my vitamins. Sometimes I even forget to put them
away.

“Since when?”

“Since I turned fifteen.”

“I thought you said I was the only one you
dated?”

“You are, silly. That’s not why I take
them—how can you not know this? I take them to regulate my
period.”

“Why didn’t you tell me not to use a condom,
then?” He raised his voice. “These are things a man should know
right out of the gate, not after crossing the finish line.”

“I thought you wanted to use it—you just put
it on without saying anything.” I thought he was being responsible.
I was actually a little impressed.

“I was trying to be helpful, and I didn’t
know you were on the pill.”

“Well, you do now.” I spouted, matching his
volume, motioning the obvious with my eyes.

He was quick on the uptake.

Intimacy. I had no idea how much I missed it
until I felt it again—when he gave it back to me. Every time he
touched me, casual or not, I had to have him. Evan loved my
exuberant responses to his advances, or lack thereof.

The weekend had gone by much too quickly.
And as much as I hated to leave the uninterrupted bliss of our
hotel room, I missed my kids. Maria was probably pulling her hair
out. Halloween had left the boys with copious amounts of sugar and
energy.

While I made my last sweep of the apartment,
to make sure we weren’t forgetting anything, Evan was trying to
close his overstuffed bag. I’d offered to help several times, but
he insisted he could do it. When he grunted, exasperated with sore
fingers, I offered my help once again. He stepped aside, cursing at
the zipper. I opened his bag, took a few things from the top and
stuffed them into mine, then closed them both.

“That’s cheating,” he scowled.

Leaving the fantasy land of our hotel room
was daunting. Only because I hadn’t spoken with anyone. I called
the house a few times but no one answered. But they hadn’t called,
either. Evan said he spoke with Noah, so I wasn’t worried. I’d
decided that with Maria no news was good news, and set my mind to
other, more impractical matters.

“We should get a new bed.”

“I think we should get the one with the
canopy you were looking at.” Evan mused as he set the last of our
bags by the door and fell into the soft chaise. I’d tested his
endurance the last few days.

“Your taste is too extravagant for me.” I
sat across his lap, facing him.

“I thought you ‘loved the wood.’” He
smirked. “Turns out you were telling the truth.”

I acknowledged the euphemism he was so proud
of with a light laugh. “That bed was beautiful, but there’s no way
I’m going to spend so much on one piece when I’ll want a whole set.
That reminds me—the couches were supposed to be delivered
yesterday.”

“They were.” He wiggled his eyebrows and
that was enough. I leaned in and kissed him in a way that meant I
wanted more than a kiss. “You know, we have to leave soon.” He
mumbled, but grabbed me when I started to pull away, stretching his
arms around me. “But it’s a long drive. Who knows how long it will
be until we’re alone again.”

“We’ll have the whole night.” I reasoned,
contradicting myself by removing his jacket.

After a quick shower, we dressed again and
set out for the elevators with our overstuffed luggage. When the
doors opened, we stepped in and I pressed the button for the lobby.
Evan held my hand as we descended the dozen or so floors. My mind
went back to the day we first spoke. A small moment in a place he
had only been by chance—a moment that changed my life forever. He
was no more than a kind stranger. I apologized for touching him.
Now we were bound by rings that signified our commitment.

“Did you see the inscription?” He asked,
noticing how I was gawking.

I pulled the ring off for the first time and
inspected the band until I found the small elegant script.

Mon Seul Amor

“What does it mean?”

“‘
My only love,’ which is what you
are.” He slipped the ring back onto my finger and kissed
it.

Thankfully, the doors spread open after a
loud chirp. Part of me, though grateful for my incarceration, was
still spooked by the whole incident. Every time I got into one, I
had to drive away the unreasonable fear of never getting out.

Against Evan’s objections, I took all I
could carry with me to the car while he checked us out. On the way,
I had to refuse several employees who were trying to wrangle me
into using a luggage cart. That was not going to happen. Evan
would’ve considered it a potential breach of privacy. All bags had
to remain in our hands at all times.

The tires hopped
roughly
over an unexpected speed bump and I could tell
my Jeep was going to need new shocks soon. The jolt woke my new
husband, who’d fallen asleep an hour into the trip. I laid the seat
down and gave him Caleb’s car blanket. He sat up and looked around,
rubbing his eyes.

“Do you want some coffee?”

“Hell yes, I want coffee.” He garbled
through a huge yawn, stretching out his arms. His left hand swept
across the front of my shirt, fondling me in a quick, fluid motion.
I giggled, flattered and amused.

As we rolled to a stop in front of the
drive-thru menu, it was payback time. I reached suggestively
between his legs to pull the lever and right the passenger seat. It
made a loud popping noise. I imagined a brittle spring bursting
from the bottom as the back of the reclined seat flipped up and
smacked him. The folded blanket he’d used as a pillow flew into the
windshield. I laughed at his surprised expression.

“Actually, get a dozen scones, too.”

“Hungry?”

“
They’re for everyone. You know, this
is the first time I have a home to go to. There’ll be people
waiting for me—well, you and hopefully me.”