Coming Home (The Morgans) (6 page)

 
“I don’t know how Victoria feels, but I know she isn’t immune to me.” Drue stated with a smile.

 
“How do you – ’’ Drue stopped him.

 
“I’m not telling you how I know. I just do, and we will leave it at that.” Drue smirked at his brother. He wasn’t going to kiss and tell.

 
“Well, I’m in both your corners, so I hope things work out. Then maybe she’ll really be my sister.” Kevin said to Drue.

 
“Whoa! Let’s not rush into anything.” Drue said with all seriousness. “We’ll have to see where this leads one day at a time. I don’t even know if it will lead anywhere at all.”

 
Kevin hoped his brother was wrong. He hoped it led right to the church. He loved them both and knew in his heart that their destinies lay entwined. God. He sounded like a romance novel.

 
“You know anything I can do to help I will, big brother.” Kevin said.

 
“For starters you could keep your hands off her a little more.” Drue grudgingly admitted.

 
Kevin laughed heartily. “Oh, Dude. You got it bad.”

 
“Yeah. That’s what I’m afraid of.” Drue admitted. “Not a word to Mom and Dad, big mouth.”

 
“Hey, they won’t hear it from me, but you know mom’s radar.” Kevin reminded Drue. “It won’t take her long to figure it out, so you better figure it out before she does.”

 
Kevin headed toward the house on that last comment. Drue shook his head. He couldn’t believe he had just had this conversation with his brother about Victoria, but he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Now the only thing holding him back from Victoria was himself.

 
She was having the most delicious dream.

 
Drue was holding her, stroking her hair and pressing feather-light kisses to her forehead, her cheek, her lips. Mmmm. So good. She turned into him and felt a solid wall against her hand.

 
Wait. What? That felt too real. Slowly Tori’s sleep-softened blue eyes drifted open and looked straight into Drue’s vibrant green ones.

 
A slow smile spread across his face. “Time to wake up, sleepy-head.” Drue said softly as he tucked a strand of unruly hair out of her face and behind her ear.

 
She smiled automatically back at him, stretching languorously.

 
“Drue?” she questioned. “What are you doing here?”

 
She sat halfway up in bed awaiting his reply.

 
“Firstly, I came to check on you and to make sure you aren’t going to be late for dinner.” he stated as he continued to gently caress her face.

 
“Secondly, I came to tell you that I can’t stop thinking about you, Victoria.”

 
With that statement Tori looked deeply into Drue’s eyes. She saw the longing and heard the rawness in his voice as he waited for her response.

 
“You can’t?” she whispered breathlessly as her throat constricted with emotion.

 
“You asked me last night what I was sorry for after I pulled back in the kitchen.” Drue continued. “You were right. I am not sorry that I kissed you. I’m sorry that I stopped, because I didn’t want to, and I don’t want to stop now.”

 
He pressed another gentle kiss to her lips.

 
“There’s nothing I want more at this moment.” Drue studied Victoria’s face. He could see her surprise, but he also thought he saw hope.

 
“The question is do you feel the same way?” Drue couldn’t stop his hands from caressing up and down her side as he talked.

  “Do you …”
Tori interrupted Drue.

 
“Shut up and kiss me.”

 
Drue needed no further encouragement.  Their mouths met halfway as they leaned into one another. Instant fire shot through Tori as Drue’s lips lit a flame that blazed inside her. What started as gentle probing quickly changed to an all out assault to her mouth and her senses.

 
Their tongues tangled as he sucked hers into his mouth. Tori gave as good as she got and she nipped his lower lip and soothed it with her tongue.

 
Panting they broke apart to gather some much needed air into their lungs. Drue pulled away only inches from her face. He rested his forehead on hers as they caught their breath.

 
Tori’s legs were now entwined with Drue’s and his chest pinned her beneath him on the bed.

 
All that could be heard in the bedroom was their panting.

 
She couldn’t help but chuckle.

 
Drue raised his head and looked at her questioningly.

 
“Pinch me, because I must be dreaming.”

 
Drue hand slipped to her behind and gave her a sharp pinch.

  “Ouch!” she shrie
ked. “I was speaking metaphorically.”

  His hand be
gan to massage the spot where he had just pinched.

 
Oh, did that create a delicious sensation. Tori’s leg rubbed up and down Drue’s as he massaged her.

 
“Does that feel better?” Drue asked teasingly.

 
Tori stared at Drue not sure she could believe nor understand this change in his behavior. She’d seen glimpses but never been front and center as a recipient to this charming, playful individual lying in her bed.

 
“Who are you, and what have you done with Drue Morgan?” Tori asked somewhat seriously.

 
She loved the feel of him against her. It was doing crazy things to her libido. If she were to lay here much longer with Drue she wasn’t sure what she might do.

 
“This is me, Victoria, wanting you.” He stroked her hair as he talked. “I’ve wanted you for a very, very long time, but I was never able to admit it.”

 
Her world turned upside down. He’d wanted her for a long time? Seriously?

 
“And now you can?” Tori managed to whisper. “What’s changed in two days?”

 
He was continuing to rain tender kisses on her cheeks, her neck and her lips, causing her to lose focus on what they were even talking about.

 
She untangled her legs from his and pushed herself up to a complete sitting position beside him.

 
She shook her head to clear it from the passion-filled cloud she was in.”I can’t concentrate when you are kissing me.”

 
Drue’s smile spread across his face like a cat that had stolen the cream. He liked the idea that he had the same effect on her that she had on him.

 
“What’s changed, Drue?” Tori asked again more seriously this time.

 
She didn’t want this to be some hormone rush he was experiencing, and in the end he would back away again when he changed his mind or decided this wasn’t a good idea, leaving her heart tattered and possibly broken this time.

 
He couldn’t stop touching her. He knew they needed to finish this conversation before they could move forward, but being this close to her, having held her and tasted her he wanted more.

 
He continued to stroke her hair as he spoke.

 
“I have, Victoria.” Drue simply said. “I’m tired of fighting what I feel for you. I can’t and don’t want to any longer.” Drue sighed. “For years I fought the feelings I had for you because I thought you and Kevin were meant to be together.”

 
“Ugh! That’s like being with my brother. I-’’Tori was interrupted by Drue laughing.

 
“That’s exactly what Kevin said…well…sister anyway.”

 
“Wait. You talked to Kevin about us or whatever this is?” Tori asked surprised.

 
“Yes, I did. I didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding between Kevin and I if I were to have this discussion with you.” Drue explained to Tori. “I hope you understand why I had to do that.”

  And that
was part of what attracted her to Drue in the first place, his loyalty to his family.

 
“Of course I understand, but I don’t understand why you let that be an obstacle when there has never been anything between Kevin and I but true friendship, Drue.”

 
“I believe that now, Victoria. I thought that maybe it was just an adolescent crush and once you were gone away to college the feelings would diminish and it would be as if they never existed.” Drue chuckled and shook his head.

 
“God was I wrong.” He lifted and held her chin so he could look directly and pointedly into her eyes as he said, “Victoria, I’ve never wanted anyone more than I do you. You got under my skin in 30 seconds flat two days ago when you came home, and I can’t get you out.” Drue explained. “I don’t want to. I want to find out what this is between us and get to know the adult you, because there is nothing childish about what I feel for you right now.” He watched her expression change as she listened to him explain his feelings.

 
Her eyes darkened and huge smile spread across her beautiful face.

 
“The question is do you feel the same way, and if you do, are you willing to explore whatever this is together?”

 
She didn’t hesitate. Her exuberant “Yes” as she lunged at him in her excitement and knocked him back down on the bed from their sitting positions had him laughing whole-heartedly.

 
She was showering kisses everywhere her mouth could find skin. His ear, his cheek, his forehead and then his mouth.

 
One touch and the fire was reignited. His arms surrounded her as he flipped her onto her back giving him the advantage. He drank in her flavor and tasted her sweetness. He couldn’t get enough of this woman. He didn’t think he ever would. He didn’t know how in two days he felt that he would thirst to death if he didn’t taste her. He didn’t want to analyze that now. He just wanted her.

 
The kisses turned to touching as his hand slid and cupped her breast. The tight bud strained for his touch. Her moan as he rubbed her made him painfully harden in his jeans. She was rubbing against him, the friction a painful pleasure for them both.

 
Just then a loud obnoxious beeping sounded on the nightstand breaking them apart.

 
Drue was trying to get himself under control and figure out what the hell that noise was and make it stop as Tori leaned over and grabbed her phone off of the nightstand.

 
He watched her swipe a button on the phone and the incessant noise stopped.

She held u
p the phone to him and laughed.

 
“Saved by the alarm clock?” she teased.

 
She set the phone down and lay back on the pillow exhaling loudly.

 
If the alarm hadn’t gone off, she wasn’t sure she would have been able to have stopped where this seemed to have been heading. Even though she loved him- no- loved the feel of Drue with her, she knew it was too soon for them to take it to that level. They didn’t need to jump off a bridge right out of the gate.   She hoped he understood and agreed with that. Drue swiped his hand through his hair, a tell-tale sign that he was just as unsettled as she was.

 
“Yeah. I guess so. Probably a good thing given that things were heating up in here.” He leaned over and gave her one last chaste kiss and sat up.

 
“The funny thing is I really did come over here to just talk.” Drue smiled ironically. “You see the effect you have on me already, Victoria?” He stood and straightened his clothing and tucked his shirt back into his jeans.

 
She laughed and stood with him. She ran her hand down the front of her length and back up smoothing out her semi-wrinkled clothing.

 
“Think it’s obvious you aren’t alone in that.” Then she frowned.

 
Drue became concerned. He came around to her side of the bed where she stood.

  “What is it” he asked. “What’s that look for
?”

 
“How is this supposed to work exactly, Drue?” she asked confused. “We’ve never been anything but at odds with one another. How is it going to be actually spending time together?” she asked. “What if it’s not what we thought it would be?” She looked like she was about to break down in tears.

 
“Victoria, let’s take this a day at a time, okay?” He lifted her chin yet again. “Hey, the hard parts over. We don’t have to break the ice. We know each other figuratively speaking, right?” That received a slight smile in response.

 
“Now let’s just spend time finding out if this is more than getting under each other’s skin. If it’s not then we agree to at least go back to the normal behavior of you and Kevin antagonizing me when we are together. Agreed?” he waited for her response hoping he hadn’t read this situation incorrectly.

 
“Agreed.” Tori stated firmly. Drue pulled her in for a warm embrace and squeezed her tightly.

 
“Okay. Deep breath. Get ready, and we’ll head on over for dinner with the family.” He knew this should be an interesting evening, especially if he couldn’t keep his hands off her during dinner.

 
She didn’t know if she could ever go back once they took this step forward, but she would never do anything to hurt the Morgans. She also knew she didn’t want to lose this chance to get close to Drue.   She’d waited what felt like her entire life for this opportunity. No pain. No gain, right? Wait. She needed a different phrase. No need to start out with that negative symbolism, was there? How about all or nothing? That was it.

  She was in this to win it…more importantly to win his heart. She just wondered if he was ready to give his heart away?