Beautiful Oblivion (28 page)

He thrusts into me hard, and each time it feels as if his body is saying I love you straight into mine.

He loves me, again, and again, and again.

Our weeklong adventure bumps by in breaths, in the tug and pull of limbs, in kisses that spell out forever and eternity, with the poetry we write with our hearts.

Ace makes eggs and bacon for us each morning, well, late afternoon when we finally rouse from our delicious slumber—not that there’s been a whole lot of sleeping going on.

I made it a point to leave my phone in the car so I wouldn’t have to hear the annoying beep from the barrage of texts I’m most likely receiving. For the most part I trust Kennedy to do a good job of staving off my father and anyone else who might care to know where I’m at.

“Where does your family think you went?” I comb his hair back with my fingers. I could have said his dad, but I wanted to include Neva in the mix without saying her name. I’m sure just verbalizing it would conjure her up like a demon. God knows she’s doing her best impersonation in every other way.

He lets out a breath as he stares up at the tent. “I told them I was going to screw Reese Westfield in the woods for a week.”

“Right.”

“No I did, but they didn’t believe me because what are the odds?”

“Very funny.” I swat him with a pillow.

“Gavin knows.” His expression sobers up and my heart thumps at the thought of anyone knowing outside of the people I told.

“That’s okay.” It makes it real. My chest pounds at the idea of Ace and I having something real.

“You don’t look okay.” His dark brows narrow in on me and I trace my finger over them, content to be here doing just this.

“I was thinking maybe everyone should know.” I give a little wink to defuse the idea.

“Every cell in my body knows,” he teases, rolling me on top of him.

“Oh, yeah?” I laugh into his mouth as he grazes his teeth over mine. “What if I said that wasn’t enough?”

“All of me isn’t enough?” His dimples dig in, and I have a tiny orgasm by proxy. “Thanks a lot for insulting the hell out of me.”

“Very funny. That’s not what I meant.”

“I think you just want to show off to the other girls at Yeats—make them feel bad that they haven’t seen my mattress moves.”

“I would never do that because for one, you’d have a line around the block, and secondly, I need you to save all of your mattress moves just for me.”

“Come here.” He rolls me onto my back. “I’ve got a new move for you.”

“Are you ready to make love to your sweet innocent bride once again?” I love calling myself his bride. I’d die for it to be true.

“Nope. I’m going to fuck you.” He slaps my bottom playfully. “Get on your knees.”

“Oh, sounds kinky,” I say, complying with his wishes.

“It will be.” His dimples twitch as he fiddles with his never-ending condom supply. It’s safe to say, Ace estimated just the right amount of prophylactics to bring along for the ride. “Bend over.” He gives a wicked grin.

I do as I’m told, landing on all fours.

“On your elbows.” He taps my thigh until I’ve lowered my body. “Open for me.”

I part my knees and brace myself, readying for anything he’s about to offer. Ace rubs his fingers over me and my head arches back in a fit of pleasure. He plunges a finger into me, and a groan wrenches from my gut. Ace said there wasn’t anything he hadn’t done, well, he didn’t argue when I asked, so I can only assume he’s done this with some other girl and a flood of jealousy washes over me. I wish I were his first like he were mine, but, right now, I’m just feeling lucky to be his anything. Ace pulls his hand away and plunges into me with himself a little slower, guided and careful.

“Don’t let me hurt you,” he strains it out as if he were trying to control his breathing. “Does this feel good?” He moves in and out, and I choke out a yes. “Good.” His warm hands land over my back creating heated circles as he throbs into me over and over. His fingers drift down until he’s rubbing over my bottom and my eyes spring wide open. Ace dives his finger in slowly, and I try to protest the idea but it comes out far too unintelligible. “You like that, don’t you.” He gives it in a heated whisper. He wraps around with his other hand and touches me right at that tender spot and I start to lose it. “Wait for me.” He presses into me with his body at a quickened pace, his hands matching his rhythm and my body flexes in uncontrollable spams without my permission. Ace grabs ahold of my waist and bears down over me until a wild groan rips from his throat.

He lands over me softly and holds me like that.

“Damn”—he peppers me from behind with his soft kisses—“you’re hotter than a firecracker.”

“
You’re
hotter than a firecracker and a little dirty, too.” I bite down on a smile.

“You’re the dirty one because you liked it.”

“I did like it.” I spin into his damp chest. “I like anything you’re willing to give me, Ace.”

Our eyes lock, and the world stills for a moment.

“One day I’m going to give you everything.” He presses a sad kiss to my lips and doesn’t move.

“I thought you’ve already given me everything.” I reach down and rake my fingers over his soft curls. A part of me wants to hear him offer me the one thing that I long for.

“Not everything.” He collapses his arms around me again. “There’s only one thing left to give.” He doesn’t say anything else just starts to fall asleep with his head tucked against my shoulder.

I hope to God the next thing he wants to give me is his heart.

He already has mine.

Ace

The days and nights blur into one beautiful oblivion as Reese and I eventually lose track of them. We’ve dwindled down the food supply I lugged up here by the fourth day, and, after that, I’ve made frequent trips to the vending machine.

“I’ve got another Snicker’s bar to my name, but, after that, I think we should declare a
carbohydrate ceasefire
and spearfish in the stream,” I tease as she gets back in the tent with her hair slicked from the shower. Reese smells like paradise, vanilla and spring flowers. I probably smell like a sack of shit because instead of heading to the showers I opted to take a quick nap.

“The Snicker’s is perfect.” She lies down, using my stomach as a pillow “It’s Tuesday by the way,” she says it dejected. “For the second time.”

“Shit.” I get up on my elbows to get a better look at her. “That means we’ve been gone eleven days.”

“Best damn honeymoon ever.” Her hand wiggles between my legs like a fish.

“I couldn’t agree more.” I pull her up next to me. “Do you think your dad has a bounty out on me yet?”

“Maybe.” She leans in and bites down over my lip. “But I don’t want to go home. I’d rather be here, doing this with you.” She grabs ahold of my dick and rubs the tip with her thumb. “Nothing back home compares to this.”

“I agree.” I pull my lips across her cheek in one slow line. “I really do, but I’d better get you back to the castle before the king has my balls on a spit.”

“There’s no hurry, Kennedy is covering for me.”

“I promise you, Kennedy is not that good a liar.”

“Crap.” Her eyes widen a moment. “You’re right.”

She tries to sit up, but I reel her in by the waist. “Where you off to so quick?” I hold back the grin waiting to erupt and graze my fingers over her chest before taking off her T-shirt. “I think we should at least give this place a proper goodbye.”

Her hair spills over her chest like a waterfall at midnight, and her nipples peer out like twin pink pearls.

“Where are my manners?” She lies back and slips off her shorts in one svelte move.

“Who says you’ll be lying down?” I pull her up until she’s seated over my hips. I pull on a rubber in record time, and she laughs as I graze up behind her. “Get up here, girl.” Reese rises before sinking over my cock—purposefully slow—watching me with those glowing eyes as I penetrate her, inch by inch. My head knocks back, and a groan rips from me. “Just like that.” I take in a quick breath as her knees lock tight around me. “I’m going to rock your world, literally.”

Reese pulls me in by the back of the neck and drowns me with sugared kisses. Her tongue lashes mine as we rock back and forth, her body falling softly over me in rhythm. Reese and I linger, we hold each other and make it last, before picking up our tempo again. It’s been hardly two short weeks and already we know the nuances of each other’s bodies, the ways to touch, to tease, to bring each other to life in our own unique ways.

I reach down to make sure she’s with me, right where she needs to be before I release inside her. Reese arches her head back, and I bow into her with a kiss over her chest. It takes all my strength not to say I love you—because damn it all to hell, I do love Reese.

After a long while of holding one another, getting lost in the rhythm of our breathing, of our hearts, we pack up and fill the trunk of the Cougar with all the crap I managed to lug up here. Unfortunately, my bruised ego caused Reese to miss the ride and now she has to drive back in her own car.

“Ace.” She gives a hard sniff in my arms, and I pull back to find tears streaming down her face.

“What’s going on?” I brush her tears away with my thumb and tighten my grip around her.

Shit. I did this. I never should have taken advantage of her.

“Nothing.” She gives a soft hiccup. “I’m just happy.”

“You always cry when you’re happy?” More like un-happy. I bet she’s sorry about everything that’s happened. Knew it. I never should have agreed to anything, and if it were anyone else I would have run in the other direction. This is more than some one-night stand. This took our friendship to a whole new level and turned it into a bona fide relationship whether we want to admit it or not.

Reese doesn’t answer. She just rains hot tears over my shoulder, and I hold back the urge to cry right along with her.

“It’s going to be okay,” I whisper.

And for the first time ever, I think I just lied to Reese.

Reese follows me back down toward Loveless, and I can’t help steeling glances at her in the rearview mirror. After days of fusing my body to hers, my boys are already going through some serious withdrawals. I take a turn toward Wilson Bridge just as the sun is getting ready to set and catch a glimpse of the lake bathed in pinks and golds. If the landscape could describe what went down between Reese and me in that tent, that would be it—beauty beyond words that only God could accurately depict.

My body aches, every muscle is crying out for Reese.

“I need her,” I whisper as I head into the bridge.

I drive into the protective covering of that old rundown scaffolding and park the Cougar before hoping out. Reese does the same.

“You forget your way to Loveless?” She runs at me a million miles an hour, jumps up and wraps her legs around my waist.

“Nope. Just wanted to do this one more time.” I bring her in by the back of the neck and kiss her hard. I sit her on the hood of the Cougar, and we break our record for longest lip-lock these past two weeks. Reese’s kisses have the power to thrill me, kill me—same difference. They make me want to do insane things like tell her I love her right here, right now.

“Reese.” I pull back and take in her beauty—her pale shining eyes that smile just for me. “What had you so upset back there?” Maybe if she goes there first—if she even hints at it, I’ll take it and run with it.

“I don’t know.” Her voice dips down and marinates in grief. “I think—um…you make me happy.” Her lips tremble as she says it.

“I think you make me happy, too.” This is good. We’re definitely headed in the right direction.

“Really?” Her entire body relaxes as she breaks out into an easy smile.

“Hell, yes. You’re amazing, Reese. I wish we never had to leave.” My heart thumps hard against my chest because I just laid it out on the line. “What we shared was beautiful.”

Her gaze dips to my waist. “We can still steal moments.” She reaches into my shorts and gently holds me in her hand until I’m growing again. “In fact, we can steal a moment, right now.”