Beyond Eighteen (24 page)

Exhausted, he fell against me. Damp chills
shot through my body as I lay there plastered with every emotion,
from elation to pain. Elation from our love making; pain with the
thought of having to spend three days away from him. I was flying
back to California the next morning. But I didn’t want to be away
from him ever again.

~ Max ~

I was spent. Wilson was so
hot, and I wanted her so badly she never even had the opportunity
to put on that little see-through black top and g-string. She
evoked in me something that made me go at her with everything I
had. I didn’t want to take her like I had done earlier in the
downstairs bathroom. But God knows, I really could have. I wanted
to make love to her so hard it would make her cry out my name. But
I knew I had to be slow with her, so she’d react and give back
exactly what we both needed. I needed her to know she’s the only
one I want to be with; that whether we are separated for one day or
one year, she is
it
for me.
There is nobody else who
makes me feel as complete as she does. It’s as if, when I’m with
her, nothing else matters.

I felt her take a deep breath under my
weight. I didn’t want to get off of her. I wanted to lie against
her all night, feeling the warmth in her skin and the beat of her
heart in rhythm with mine. As I shifted to slide off of her, she
moaned and wrapped her hands across my back, digging her
fingernails into my flesh.

“
Wait, I like feeling you
against me. Don’t move just yet,” Wilson sighed under a struggling
breath. I froze obediently. Her breasts pressed against my chest
and her hip bones locked with mine. I felt her stomach rise and
fall against me.

“
Okay, I can stay here all
night if you’d like,” I whispered as I pressed my forehead against
hers. Our lips brushed words across one anothers as the bends of
our noses lay perfectly against each other.

Wilson took another labored breath.

“
Maybe we should get under
the covers and I’ll cuddle up behind you,” I responded as I slipped
off her and pulled the duvet back.

She nodded as she stretched and curled up
under the blankets. I took a moment to handle my business before I
slid in behind her and pushed my body up against hers. Spooning
with her, I lay my arm over her hip, resting my fingers against her
stomach. I felt her nudge back against me, adjusting her body to
curve perfectly with mine. Naturally, I thrust my hips a couple of
times against her ass. I could go again, but I knew she was tired,
so I decided to save the next round for morning. I felt her breath
enter her lungs as her breathing lengthened. Her heartbeat slowed
and I watched the pulse in her neck beg me to press my lips to her
skin.

“
That was perfect,” Wilson
mumbled as she grabbed my hand and pulled it up to her pouty, damp
lips. Pressing my hand to her mouth, I felt her warm breath roll
across my fingers as she exhaled through her nose.

“
I think
you
were perfect,” I
answered. She pushed her ass back against me before she entangled
her fingers with mine and pulled my hand down between her thighs. I
could feel her breathing speed up, as she guided my hand against
her. I stretched my pinky to reach up and tickle the place that
knew only me.

“
I’m far from perfect on
my own,” she said through a smile I could hear in her
voice.

Her answer gave me the right moment to
remind her I was hooked; that there was nothing that would be able
to drag me away from her—not time apart, not miles between—nothing
could make me leave what we have.

“
You’ll never be on your
own ever again, Wilson, as long as you’ll have me,” I whispered
across her ear. I drank up her weight as she shifted against me and
swallowed her intentions. I could tell in the way her breath
hitched. She rolled over, facing me, her eyes damp with my
words.
God, I love this
woman
. Her lips, trembling against her
beautiful, bright smile, I pushed my hand up to her forehead,
caressing my fingers across the lines formed between her eyebrows.
I brushed away the creases in her forehead before I dragged my
fingers down her cheeks and across her lips. All the emotion in her
face released as I pressed my mouth against hers. I wanted to kiss
her all night, sleep inside her, push against her to a point where
we were using one breath.

“
Tell me I’ll always be
the last thing you think of when you go to sleep and the first
thing you want when you wake up,” I said.

“
You will always be the
road I’ll take, the voice I will follow, and the breath I’ll hold.
Max, you are my home,” she breathed as she looked into my eyes; her
words filled me and shook me to my core.

I was free in her words, complete in her
eyes. I was the one who healed her pain and gave her a family. She
gave me the strength to be who I was, to stand strong in my weakest
moments. She was the piece of my soul I’ve been looking for.

I pulled her tight against my chest as I
dropped my hand to the bend of her lower back. My fingers pushed
against her ass as I draped my leg over hers. She nuzzled up to me,
her breath hot against my chest. This is what I wanted every night
for the rest of my life. I didn’t want to fall asleep; I wanted to
live in this moment for as long as she was with me. I didn’t want
tomorrow to come too fast. I didn’t want to watch her leave. I felt
my stomach twist into knots thinking about her going to California
without me. I hated the idea, but I knew I she had to go. I took a
deep breath and swallowed the bad taste rising in the back of my
throat. Without another word between us, I fell asleep holding my
future against my chest. It was one of the most decisive moments in
my life.

****

The morning sun bounced
and glistened off the snow. Its glow burned and tore at my eyes as
it filled my room with the start of a day I never asked for.
Damn, I should have pulled the shades.
I stretched and turned to look over at the clock.
It seemed early enough for us to lay with each other a little
longer, reminisce the morning sex we had before falling back to
sleep. I saw 8:45 glowing on the clock and every muscle in my body
felt betrayed.

“
Shit, Wilson, honey, we
have to get up. Its 8:45, the limo is going to be here in 45
minutes.” I pulled the covers back, letting the cool air from the
room wake her up.

“
What? I’ve decided I
don’t want to go. Why can’t you just take me,” she yawned as she
extended her legs and reached her arms above her head. With every
stitch of clothing absent from her body, her porcelain skin was
flawlessly exquisite. I wanted to sit there forever and watch her
muscles tighten and relax; see her nipples as they reacted to the
chill of the room; observe her skin crawl with the evidence that
she was freezing without my body next to hers.

“
Babe, I wish I could take
you but I have that conference call with Gary at 9:45. Besides,
Joanie is waiting for you to pick her up. You’ve got to go,” I said
as I dragged my hands across her thighs before capturing her hands
and pulling her to sit up.

“
Okay, fine; but just tell
me I have time to take a shower!” she groaned.

“
Yeah, I can stall the
driver, but you’d better hurry.” I pulled her up until she was
standing. I noticed her blonde hair, knotted and twisted with the
evidence of our incredible moments last night and this morning. I
pushed my hands through the back of her hair before clutching both
sides of her face. “I love you…now get your ass in the shower,” I
demanded. She smiled then pushed her mouth to mine, giving me a
fast peck before heading to my bathroom.
Damn, she tastes like strawberries laced with sweet whipped
cream.
Her flavor lingered as I slid my
tongue along the ridge where my lips met. God, I wanted to taste
more.

I would have preferred to
sneak into the shower with Wilson, but I had to take a moment to
pull it together, put on a pair of Levi’s and a random t-shirt. It
was totally fucked up that we had to rush to get her ready to
leave, but that was the way it was going to go. It was time for me
to start handling my business. And the first order of business was
to get my girl and her best friend in a limo waiting downstairs. I
heard the water shut off, then listened as Wilson hummed a couple
of bars to a song before her hums turned into words.
“And I feeeel your finngerrrs, pound like
thunnderrr…and I am so muuuuuch mooooore... I’m so much mooore.
You’re turn, turn, turn, turning me on…like a slow fire burn…I know
that it’s wrong, still I run, run, run, run right into
you.”

My mind vacillated between
the pure fucking turn-on of the tone she sang the verse in and the
reality of the lyrics she chose to sing. I decided to make a mental
note…
ask Wilson who sang that song and
make sure I download it immediately onto my iPhone.

****

Not long after Wilson was
showered, dressed, and had me download the song (which was a duet
between Matt Nathanson,
of
course
, and Jennifer Nettles called
Run;
and it was,
according to Wilson,
the sexiest
lovemaking song ever),
I grabbed her
suitcase and we traipsed downstairs hand in hand.

I was about a quarter of the way down when I
saw Allen, our driver, in the foyer talking with my mom like old
friends, sharing their favorite memories of my father. My mom broke
out into a giant smile as she saw Wilson and me. Her damp eyes
looked like they were recalling every time in my life where she’d
greeted me at the bottom of the stairs.

“
Allen and I were just
sharing some old stories about your father,” Mom said against a
bubble in her throat.

“
Good morning, Miss
Wilson, Mr. Goldstein,” Allen attached to Mom’s words. I wanted to
remind him not to call me that name; it was reserved for my father.
But, seeing that he found solace in the only name to connect me to
my father’s legacy, I didn’t correct him.

“
Good morning, Allen. Good
morning, Mom, I bet you and Allen both have enough stories to keep
even the busiest of people captivated,” I answered as I set
Wilson’s suitcase down and pulled her against my side, embracing
her in a one-armed hug while I shook Allen’s hand.

“
Oh, well, your momma has
more stories than anyone I know,” Allen answered.

“
Well, let me say…the
Aspen morning has paid you the best attention,” my mom sang,
changing the subject as she pulled Wilson into her embrace. “You
are just bright eyed and glowing like an angel,” Mom continued as
she played with Wilson’s hair. I noticed Wilson put on her
disappointment-masking smile. I knew it had nothing to do with the
attention my mother was giving her and everything with what she
would be missing when she headed back to California.

“
Oh, Nancy, you’re too
nice. Morning, Allen, good to see you again,” Wilson
replied.

He nodded before collecting Wilson’s
suitcase. “I know Miss Wilson is short on time, so let me load this
while you all say your good-byes.” He shuffled out the front door
as he caught Joanie, about to knock.

“
Oh, pardon me, Miss,”
Allen apologized as he shifted past J and carried Wilson’s suitcase
down the stairs.

“
J! What are you doing
here? I thought we were going to pick you up,” Wilson called out as
she rushed over and hugged her best friend.

“
Oh, so this is Joanie?”
my mom asked as she looked over at me then back to the two
embracing.

“
Yeah, this is Wilson’s
best friend-slash-sister,” I answered her as I walked toward
them.

“
Hey, so how did you get
here?” Wilson questioned Joanie casually.

“
Nick dropped me off,”
Joanie answered in a nervous whisper.

It wasn’t a millisecond later that I
recognized the black Toyota Sequoia parked on the other side of my
driveway, past the limo waiting to take the girls. Wilson glanced
over at me and I felt all the muscles in my jaw and down the back
of my neck tighten. My heart started to thrash in my chest and the
burning need to keep my girl safe rushed through my body.

“
Maxi, was that Calvin’s
friend Nick?” Mom asked as she held the front door wide
open.

“
Yeah,” I answered in a
low growl as I grabbed the door and shut it.

“
Well, why didn’t he come
in? I think Calvin is still upstairs.”

“
Oh, he was just dropping
me off, Mrs. Goldstein,” Joanie answered quickly.

“
Oh please, Joanie call me
Nancy,” my mom insisted.

Joanie smiled at my mother before she looked
over at Wilson and me. Instantly, her smile fell off her face and
her eyes widened as she read every last painful story splashed
across both of our expressions. I think it was at that moment
Joanie realized how truly destructive Nick had been.

There was a light knock at the door. For a
moment I thought Nick had the balls to come up and face me again.
But when I opened the door it was Allen, our driver.

“
Alright, is this sweet
lady my other passenger?” Allen asked, looking at Joanie as he
approached the group of us. He was clearly unaware of the situation
that had just occurred.