Breathing For The First Time (10 page)

She asks what’s going on and I tell her it’s okay. I lie her back down and cover her with the sheet and comforter on her bed. I kneel in front of her. The moonlight, or maybe it’s the streetlights, is shining through the blinds in stripes across the bed and her face. She looks so peaceful and delicate.

I brush the hair from her cheek and kiss her forehead lightly. “Hey, Brooke?”

“Hmmm?”

“Is it okay if I stay with you tonight? I don’t want to be alone, I want to be with you.” I tell her. It’s hard exposing such raw emotions, but if anyone will be sensitive to me, it’s Brooke. After the day we’ve had, and her support of me during class today, I know I can tell her anything.

“Always,” she whispers. “I was hoping you would, every day,” she mumbles, sleep already pulling her away.

I walk to the other side of the bed and slip out of my own clothes, leaving my boxers on. I climb into bed behind Brooke, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her tight against me. She adjusts her position to press against me and wraps her fingers through mine resting on her stomach.

I smile into her hair, inhaling the familiar scent of her coconut shampoo. I nuzzle a little closer and know my life is perfect, here with Brooke. Sleep pulls at me, dragging me into a dream, but nothing can pull me away from Brooke and our bodies tangling together.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Brooke

Tyler is staying at my place more and more lately. It’s nice to have him here with me. We’re learning to cook together and it feels like we’re a couple, maybe even forever. When we were first together it felt like sex was the big new thing. But now, I feel like we’re connecting on a deeper level, although more sex is nice, too.

The one thing I haven’t gotten used to is that Tyler is more of a morning person than I am. It usually works in my favor because he gets up and makes me breakfast, but today I’m not so thrilled about it.

I have my tennis shoes on, my running shorts, a sports bra, and a moisture wicking shirt. My standard running clothes. Usually I run on a treadmill, but Tyler insisted we go out running today, through the city. I must have been drunk when I agreed. Or maybe it was during sex.

Anyway, Tyler is meeting me at my apartment. He went home early to change, but made me coffee and breakfast first. The caffeine is kicking in and I’m ready to run.

I’ve been a runner for years. Playing softball growing up helped me keep in shape, but I never did much running. When I moved to Columbia for college I started going to the gym on campus, Strom Thurmond Wellness & Fitness Center. The Strom is well equipped with a running track, treadmills, and two pools for my cooldown. Of course there’s also weight machines, endless cardio options, and facilities to play just about every sport.

I learned that I love running. For years I heard about runner’s high, but once I felt it, I was completely hooked. I had to keep pushing myself to feel that again and again. Now, I’d never dream of giving up running.

Running with Tyler will be different. He loves running outdoors and the hills don’t bother him. I know I’m in good shape, but hills challenge me, and so does the heat of outside. This early, and being mid-April, I can handle the weather, I hope.

Tyler isn’t back yet so I decide to take advantage of it and start stretching. I work my quads and hamstrings first, holding my balance steady when I stand on each foot. I step onto the curb on my toes to pull my calves tight, leaning forward slightly to bring the stretch close to my heel. When I reach up to stretch my arms, Tyler pulls up in front of me. He jumps out of his truck and walks over to me, slinging a backpack over his shoulder. “Hi,” he says before planting a kiss on my lips.

I grumble at him, still not happy to be up and out so early. He responds with a laugh and tells me this will be fun. I ask him what’s up with the bag.

“I was thinking we could run to The Strom and go for a swim afterward.”

The pool sounds inviting right now. I consider his suggestion and tell him to wait while I go get my suit. I see Tyler stretching as I go inside.

When I get back to the street Tyler opens his backpack so I can shove in my suit, a towel, and clean change of clothes for after the pool. Tyler slides the backpack over his shoulders and secures it to his chest. He turns to me and flashes a grin. “You ready?”

Reluctantly I nod and drop my sunglasses over my eyes and take off.

Tyler takes it easy on me and we start with level ground. We head towards campus, keeping to some of the quieter streets. At the Blatt, the original gym on campus, we turn and climb the steps toward Blossom Street. Tyler turns right on Blossom Street, heading toward some of the biggest hills in the city.

He passes the hills and runs straight to Five Points. I find my stride as pass bars and businesses closed at this early hour. Tyler turns again onto Greene Street, heading back toward campus again. He throws me off when he crosses the street and darts up the hill next to the business school, leaving me trailing behind. At the top of the hill he turns left, heading west toward the pool and my relaxation. But after only two blocks he turns north then west after another block.

My stride picks up on the flat ground, and we run side-by-side until the light stops us at Assembly. Tyler and I run in place waiting for the light and my heart rate slows. I glance over at Tyler and feel my heart speed right back up again. Sweat is pouring off him, soaking his shirt. His sleeveless shirt is clinging to his tight chest, outlining his strong muscles. His arms are bulging with each breath as the blood pumps hard through his veins. His hair is bushed back out of his face, held in place by the sweat seeping from his skin.

My breath catches in my throat as I take in my hot, sweaty boyfriend. He hears me gasp and turns to me, a look of concern on his face. He quickly sees I’m okay and that I was just checking him out.

“You like your man sweaty, huh?” he teases me, raising his eyebrows.

I shake my head, knowing that’s not all of it, “I like seeing you out of breath, a flush on your cheeks, and these strong muscles tense and pulsing. I don’t know if I can keep running.”

Tyler laughs and I see a bulge in his shorts. He leans into me, pulling me into a sticky embrace. “If it makes you feel better, I’ve been trying to run ahead of you because being behind you... all I can see is your sexy tight ass and next to you my throat tightens with every bounce of your sweet breasts.”

I press a little tighter against him, allowing my breasts to push up toward him. “Is that so? Well, who knew running could be an aphrodisiac for us?”

Tyler opens his mouth to say something, but I see the light change and I take off across the street. He groans behind me before he follows me a few seconds later. I turn south and head toward The Strom. I keep my pace up, staying a little ahead of him, letting him watch me run. The downhill road helps me run faster and I outrun him given the head start I took.

He finally catches up to me as I’m climbing the steps to the main floor of The Strom. Tyler grabs my arm from behind and turns me around, forcing me tightly to him as I spin. He catches my head with his free hand, pulling me to him in a passionate and desperate kiss. His tongue probes my mouth, twisting with my tongue. I feel the desire he’s baring to me, the need he feels.

I return his force with my own, knowing I want him as much as he wants me. But teasing him is making getting up early for a run worth it. I pull from his embrace and run the rest of the steps to the entrance, waiting for Tyler to catch up to me.

He comes up behind me, meeting me at the desk. The look he gives me takes my breath away. His blue eyes are dark with lust and I know he is barely restraining himself.

He hands over our ID’s to the student at the desk and we pass through the entrance to the interior. Tyler pulls my bikini out of the bag. The color drains from his face as he sees how small it is and he lowers the bag in front of his crotch, hiding what I’m sure is an impressive erection. I flash him a smile, knowing this is killing him, but that I’ll make it up to him later.

I go to the locker room, stuffing my running clothes and my fresh clothes into a locker. I slide my feet into my flip flops and walk outside to the pool.

Tyler isn’t out here, yet. I kick my shoes under a chair near the deep end of the pool before diving in. I take off across the pool, stretching my aching muscles in the water. I don’t get over here as much as I would like to. Growing up in North Carolina, everyone knew how to swim. I spent summers at the beach and winters at the YMCA pool in town. But college is busy.

I flip and turn back toward the deep end, elongating my stroke as I go. When I get to the other end I stop, wiping the water from my eyes. I didn’t bring goggles and my eyes are already stinging.

I cling to the edge of the pool and rest my back against the side, kicking my feet in front of me. A splash next to me brings me out of my trance. Tyler surfaces in front of me, tossing his head to the side to throw the hair from his eyes. And he looks sexy.

I let go of the edge of the pool and swim to Tyler, kissing him sweetly, tasting chlorine and the saltiness of his sweat. Our legs tangle together under the water as our lips meet. I break the kiss and see the darkness is still in his eyes. I smile, happy to put that look on his face and ask what took him so long to get outside.

The corner of his mouth turns up at me, “I was trying to... calm myself down. I couldn’t walk outside without bringing my backpack with me unless I pushed you out of my head. And that took a little while. Then I got here and saw you swimming. And I’m right back where I started.”

He pulls me against him and I feel a fierce erection pressing into me. “Well, I guess I better leave you alone then.”

I push off him and turn to swim another lap of the pool. I hear him groan and drop under the surface. I turn to swim backward and watch him surface again. He sees me watching him and comes after me, crossing the distance between us quickly.

The water is shallower here so he is able to stand. He pulls me tight against him, his erection still pressing hard into me. Tyler covers my mouth with his, tracing my back with his fingers. Despite the cool water, fire erupts on my skin under his touch.

I know I can’t resist him much more so I pull back from the kiss. “What do you say we call this a day? We can change back to running clothes and you can chase me back to my apartment?”

He raises an eyebrow at me, knowing exactly what I’m offering and he seals our mouths together again, pushing all his want into me.

When Tyler pulls back from the kiss, I’ve forgotten what we were talking about. He  climbs from the pool, slipping on his flip flops and heading back toward the locker room. I regain my consciousness and follow after him.

I change quickly and pull my hair back into a loose ponytail. I drop my bathing suit in the spinner to dry it before shoving it into the bag with my dry clothes. I push through the front doors of The Strom and start down the stairs. Tyler is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, in the shade. I hand him my clothes and ask if he will put them in his bag again.

He drops his bag from his shoulders and takes my things. As soon as he has my stuff I take off running. He calls after me, but I push myself to run as fast as I can.

I know Tyler has to shove my clothes into his bag and throw it back over his shoulders, but he’s also faster than I am. My apartment is only four blocks away. The lights are on my side and I’m able to sprint to my complex. I don’t look back, I just run. I push through the door to my building and run up the stairs, desperate to catch my breath before Tyler shows up.

I hear the door to the stairs opening below me as I push out of the stairwell onto my floor. I race down the hallway to my door and slide the key in the lock and turn. I shove the door open and rush inside. Before I can close the door, Tyler’s hand is pushing it open and he’s right behind me.

I jump, not realizing he had gotten upstairs so quickly. His eyes meet mine and bore a hole into me. Passion is flooding from him, but there’s an amusement in his eyes. “You like to be chased I see,” he says to me, his voice deep and thick.

Before I can answer Tyler throws me over his shoulder. I yelp at the suddenness and start pounding on his back. He carries me through the bedroom to the bathroom. He turns the water on in the shower but still doesn’t put me down.

He checks the temperature of the water with his hand, then pulls the shower curtain closed. I’ve stopped fighting him by now, unsure what he’s doing. Anticipation and excitement are rising in me, flooding my body with tingles of desire.

Tyler unties my tennis shoes and tosses them from my small bathroom to the bedroom. He pulls off one sock, and then the other, keeping me securely over his shoulder with his hand gripping my upper thigh. He kicks off his own shoes, then balances on each foot to pull his socks off. He drops his shorts, giving me a rare, but fabulous, up close view of his sexy ass.

He reaches up and grips the edge of my shorts, hoisting me up to maneuver the shorts from between our bodies. I wriggle against him now, trying to get down. I can’t see his face, but I know he’s enjoying every bit of this.

Tyler sets me down and I cross my arms over my chest, trying to be mad at him. He reaches down and pulls his shirt over his head, exposing his entire body to me. I reach toward him, desperate to touch him, sweat running down his bare skin.

A smile peeks at his lips, knowing I would forget trying to be mad at him if I was confronted with him naked and sweaty. He flexes his muscles as he moves toward me, tugging my shirt and bra over my head.

He steps toward the shower, checking the water again before getting in. He pulls me in with him before ducking his head under the water and closing his eyes. I watch him silently, trying to process my emotions. The desire I feel right now is more powerful than anything else. My stomach is in knots and I’m nervous. I know he’s just teasing me the same way I was teasing him. Shit, this isn’t fair.

Tyler reaches up for a shampoo bottle, motioning for me to turn around. I oblige, even though it means I won’t be able to look at him. I try to regain my focus when I feel his hands push through my hair. His fingers massage my scalp as they work the shampoo through. Who knew washing my hair could be so sexy?