Hornet's Nest (15 page)

“You are breathtaking.”

Lance leaned down and kissed up my thigh. I fisted the sheets on either side of me, my chest expanding with each breath. He flicked his tongue and I squirmed from the intensity. Holding my legs down, he slowly entered one finger inside me. His mouth devoured me. Fuck, he knew what he was doing. I gripped his arm as he skimmed his way back up my body. When his lips found mine, I reached over for the drawer of my nightstand. I yanked it open and fished out a condom. Our kiss deepened as we both pulled down his briefs. He tore himself away from my lips as I handed him the condom. He ripped it open, and I watched him slowly roll it on.

Our eyes locked as he lowered himself on top of me. He swiped his tongue over my lips as he slowly entered me. I pulled out of the kiss and stared at him. For the first time in my life, I felt complete. I was in love with this man. He stopped, not thrusting or moving. We stared into each other’s eyes as he grasped both of my hands into his and lifted our joined hands above my head. I raised my knees a little higher. He slowly eased forward and pressed his lips to mine. My heart exploded from his touch. He kissed down to my neck as I slowly met his thrusts. His stare reached my eyes, and he whispered, “Damn, you feel so good.”

My stomach clenched as he moved faster. I moaned out and gripped his hand tight. He nuzzled his face in my neck, kissing to my ear. “Let go, beautiful. Let go.”

My body quaked on his cue. I screamed out, and Lance kissed me. He moved faster as he panted a breath. He pulsed inside of me with my core still clenching around him.

“Beautiful. You’re so beautiful.”

He shook as he released my hands. I grabbed onto his shoulders. His elbows bent on either side of my head as he pressed his lips to mine. My fingers threaded through his hair. He pulled from the kiss, and I smiled before opening my eyes. When they met his stare, his eyes widened.

My heart clenched. Did I do something wrong? I grazed my fingers down his face. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch. He then opened his eyes and exhaled.

“Katherine, I think I love you.”

OH SHIT! WHAT the hell did I just say?

Katherine’s lips parted. Her eyes widened. Oh, God. Was it too soon? It was too soon. Why the fuck did I say that! I ruined it. I ruined everything! I pushed off her in one swift move and sat on the edge of the bed with my back to her. She shifted beside me, sitting up. I couldn’t look at her so I buried my face in my hands. I just lost her. I fucking lost her with one statement that I said in a moment of ecstasy.

“Lance?”

I lifted my face from my hands, but I still didn’t look at her. I couldn’t. Everything hit me at once. Those words had only come out of my mouth to one other person, and that person was now married to my best friend. I couldn’t do love. I ruined love. I would ruin us. My chest ached from the emptiness of my heart. To lose Katherine would be hell. It would be a hell so much worse than losing Ellie. She shifted closer, placing her hand on my bare arm. I had to leave. That would fix this. If I left, it would be like nothing ever happened.

I raised my hand, motioning her to stop as she stilled on the bed. I reached down for my boxer briefs and pulled them on as I stood in the middle of the room. Was I really leaving? I rested my hands on my hips and exhaled a shaky breath as I stared at the ground.

“Lance.”

“No, Katherine.” I turned in her direction still not being able to meet her eyes. I couldn’t hear her end it. “Don’t say anything.”

I reached down for my pants and yanked them on. I sat on the edge of the bed, wasting no time in putting on my socks and shoes. The bed shifted beneath me as she drew closer. I couldn’t be near her. She made me say stupid things with the potential to mess up the best thing that ever happened. My heart ached for a year over this woman. I couldn’t deal with it if she couldn’t say she loved me back. I was such a fucking idiot.

“Lance, what are you doing?”

I stood up and grabbed my shirt. I remained turned away, still refusing to look at her as I pulled it over my shoulders.

“Lance.”

I buttoned it up as I walked out of her bedroom door.

“Lance!”

I walked through her living room. I headed for the front door.

“Lance Walton! Don’t you dare leave me again!”

My hand rested on the door knob. The tears in her voice made me stop. My shoulders sagged. I stared at my hand before turning my gaze to her. Tears silently dripped down her flushed cheeks. Her auburn hair hung in waves around her face. She clutched the sheets to her chest. The same sheets we had just made love in. It had been the only time I ever truly made love. Seeing her there, with the hurt etched across her face, made me think that there might be a way to save this. Maybe I wouldn’t have to leave. I paced back to her, wrapping my arms around her, and holding her as close to me as possible.

“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to say it like that. It just came out.”

She buried her head in my chest. She sniffled a few breaths and then breathed deep. I couldn’t believe what I had almost done to her. What I had done to her. I ran my hand through her hair, holding her closer and breathing in her scent. She tilted her head back into my hand and gazed up at me with red eyes glazed over from tears. She still looked beautiful. I didn’t think it would ever be possible for her to look any other way.

“Lance, I—”

“No, don’t say anything.” I stopped her. Her eyebrows wrinkled and her face drooped. I exhaled and continued, “It wasn’t the right time. I shouldn’t have said it.”

She breathed deep as fear crossed her eyes. I coddled her face inside my hands and whispered, “I don’t want to lose you.”

She pulled back slightly and looked away.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
She turned back to me and started to chuckle. I stilled with her laughter. She slid her hands up my chest and around my neck, leaning in close to my ear to whisper, “We wouldn’t want you to run away so soon, now would we?”

I peered down in her eyes and saw I still had hope that I wouldn’t lose her. She gazed at me, grabbed my collar, and pulled me to her lips. I had no idea what just happened in the past five minutes, but the concern vanished as soon as she moaned against my mouth. The kiss deepened as I molded her body to mine. She pulled slightly away, but I continued devouring her mouth as we both started to tear off my clothes. Once my pants were down, I ripped off the sheet that covered her body. She gasped at the force and pulled herself away. No words could describe how beautiful she was standing before me with only her long hair covering her. I stepped out of my pants, pulled off my socks and stood before her naked just as she did. I roamed over her curves, my hands twitching with need. She stepped backward to the sofa as she motioned with her finger for me to follow. I would follow her to the ends of the earth.

My body met hers, and I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face in her neck. She let out a low moan and then pushed me down on the sofa. A possessive smile eased up her cheeks as she placed her knees on either side of my thighs. My body hummed with need as she peered at me, gaze heavy of lust. I couldn’t wait any longer. I grabbed her ass and pulled her to me, bringing our bodies together. She moaned and softly pushed against my chest.

“What am I going to do with you, Lance?”

I grinned and flipped her over, making her squeal. As my body hovered over hers, I whispered, “I guess we’ll find out now.”

• • •

The morning light glowed as Katherine stirred beside me. I could sense her mind reeling. She was probably thinking how she got herself wrapped up with a fool who blurts out that he loves a girl after having sex with her.
Stupid dumbass
.

“Your thinking woke me up.”

If it was going to come out, I needed it to come out now. I gazed over at her, expecting a frown that would begin a long conversation. But she was smiling. Maybe we wouldn’t need to rehash it after all. Maybe I would be saved from my embarrassment. I smiled back and said, “Good morning, beautiful.”

“Good morning, baby.”

I scooted a little closer and gave her a little kiss. She looked so beautiful in the morning. I hoped I could wake up next to her for the rest of my life. I was certain she would always be the one to hold my heart. I was surprised she wanted anything to do with me. I should have never told her I loved her so soon in our relationship. We had only made it official last night. I stared into her eyes as I brushed my knuckles across her cheek. I wanted to always remember this moment because I was petrified this would be our last.

I caressed her cheek and leaned in for another lingering kiss. She sucked on my bottom lip, and I deepened the kiss. I didn’t know it was possible to have the urge to have sex more than four times within a twenty-four hour period, but with Katherine, I couldn’t seem to settle myself down. She wrapped her legs around my waist, granting me permission to be with her. I lowered myself ever so slightly, worried she might still be sore. The deeper I pushed, the farther her head tilted back. When I hit her spot, the sexiest moan I had ever heard escaped her lips.

I wanted this time to be slow and sensual. I wanted to show her that no man could ever love her like I could. I wanted to tell her over and over again how much I loved her, but I knew I couldn’t say it again. I showed her my love the only way that I possibly could. I listened to her every moan and gasp. Whenever she would make a change in sound, I knew she liked it, so I would do it again. I wanted to show her how attentive I could be. I wanted to prove to her that she belonged with me. I buried my face in the crook of her neck. I licked and kissed my favorite spot.

“You’re so beautiful.”

She moaned my name. There was nothing hotter than the way she moaned my name. I paced myself, allowing her to reach her release. Her body clenched around me until I couldn’t hold back anymore. She screamed out as I shook above her. God, I loved her. I couldn’t say it again, but dammit, I wanted to. I held her tight against me as we both tried to breathe. Her eyes closed as a tear rolled out. Oh, fuck. I hurt her.

I wiped it away. “Baby, why are you crying?”

She shook her head and opened her eyes. “You make me happy, Lance.”

I traced my fingers down her face and I asked, “Why do you look so sad?”

Her only answer was a shrug of the shoulders. I pulled her into my chest, holding her tight. I was going to lose her somehow, and it was breaking my heart.

• • •

Trees whipped passed me as I drove down the highway. My only thoughts were of Katherine and how I hated to leave. Pain filled my chest leaving her in bed. I always left her in bed. I wanted to take her with me, but it was too soon. I had a knack for doing things too soon. I needed to slow down or I would lose her.

My phone rang, pulling me away from my thoughts of her. ‘Mom’ flashed on the screen. I sighed, knowing what I would have to endure over the next twenty-four hours.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Are you on the road now?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Don’t act like it’s a chore to come see your parents.”

“I was just there a month ago.”

“And that’s twenty-eight days too long.”

“Mom! I’m a grown ass man.”

“Don’t cuss.”

I took a deep breath. I could feel her pointing a finger at me like she had done all my life. This was what I had to endure and what I didn’t want to subject Katherine to just yet. “I should be there in an hour.”

“Good! We’re having chicken fried steak for lunch.”

I smiled. “I’ll be there in forty-five.”

“Drive safely!” The call ended.

Forty-three minutes later, I pulled my Jeep into the driveway of my parents’ two story house. I missed Katherine. Leaving her behind made me uncomfortable, but seeing home calmed me. I rubbed my chest to ease away the ache. I tossed my bag over my shoulder and walked down the painfully manicured path between every flower imaginable. My father did well as a car salesman. My mother loved being a housewife. Now that I had left for the city, I didn’t know what she did with herself. I had gotten an apartment when I was twenty, but I still came by every day. Free food and all of that. I rarely, if ever, turned down my mother’s cooking. I pushed open the door and was hit with the smell of southern fried goodness. I walked down the foyer, seeing my mother’s back turned to the stove as the kitchen opened up to the living room. My father was kicked back in his recliner with a beer in one hand and a remote in the other, watching Appalachian State football.

“You got another one of those, old man?”

My father glanced up at me, unaware I had let myself in. “Ha! There’s my city boy!”

He pushed up out of his chair and just as he opened his arms for a man hug, my mother wrung her arms around my neck.

“Why must you wait this long to come visit!” She was seriously choking me.

“It’s called settling into a new job, Mom.”

She pulled back and looked at me. “You lost weight. You’re not eating!”

I glanced up at my dad as my eyes narrowed. He chuckled as he patted my shoulder and said, “I’ll get you a beer. I think you’ll need it.”

My mother wrung my neck again. In that moment, I was thankful that I didn’t bring Katherine.

After our lunch had ended, I went out to the screened porch with my father and a couple of beers. It was quiet back here. I gazed out over the calm lake as the sun set behind the mountains. Living in the city made me appreciate home more, but I also felt a tug on my heart when I thought of home. Home was waking up with Katherine in my arms.