Connected by the Tide (18 page)

She dug her nails into his
back, preparing for the explosion. “I love you,” she said with a moan.

He pounded into her harder. “And I you, baby.”

“Yeah,” she said she cupped his cheek.

He held on a few extra seconds so she could enjoy her orgasm as long as possible. When she was almost finished
, he released himself, coming deep inside her. It was the best orgasm he’d ever had. It wasn’t superficial, biological, or carnal. It was meaningful, powerful, and undeniable. He gave himself to her. It was the first time he had ever done that. He was completely hers for the taking. He loved someone with his whole heart, trusted someone above everyone else, and he’d chosen someone so perfect and amazing, beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. She was exactly what he wanted in another person. All the pain he’d felt before was gone, demolished. Now all was left was Renee—the woman he loved.

26

Henry lay beside her in bed, running his fingers through the soft strands of
her hair. He stared at her features, her bright eyes and her thin lips, and wondered how he’d gotten so lucky. Renee was the perfect match for him. He had fallen under her spell, and he never wanted her magic to break.

She met his gaze, her hand placed against his chest. “Move in with me,” she whispered.

His hand continued to caress her hair then glide down her slender neck. “You want me to?”

“Yeah.
I love sleeping with you. I hate it when you aren’t here.”

“I would love to live with you.”

She smiled.

“But it might be too soon.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“We’ve been dating for three month
s,” he reminded her.

“That’s plenty of time for me. I was with Dane for a year
, and all that time was wasted.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. Believe me. Give it time.”

“Will you still sleep with me every night?”

“You can’t get rid of me.”

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Although I think Perry is already pretty sick of me.”

She laughed. “He’ll get over it.”

“I’m glad you would rather sleep with me than a huge, smelly dog.”

“It was a tough call,” she teased.

He pulled her closer to him. “I want you to meet my family. They’ve been waiting for me to bring a girl home.”

“I would love to.”

“I know they’ll thoroughly embarrass me
, so I hope you don’t leave me because of it.”

“It’ll take a lot to scare me off. I want you to have dinner with me and my brothers.”

Henry was quiet for a moment. “Just us and your overprotective brothers?” he asked hesitantly.

“They aren’t that bad,” she said with a laugh.

“Did Dane meet them?”

“Yeah.
But not under good circumstances. Jeremy gave him a beating to remember.”

Henry swallowed the lump in his throat.

“You have nothing to worry about, Henry. You’re the sweetest guy.”

“I hope they agree.”

“They will.”

Henry leaned in and kissed her, letting his lips linger for a long time. “I’m glad Dane broke your heart. Now I get to keep you.”

She smiled at him. “I’m glad Sydney made the wrong choice.”

“She didn’t.”

She rubbed his nose against his, emotion in her eyes. She gripped his neck and pulled him closer to her, placing his mouth over hers. When she breathed into his mouth, a slight moan coming from her lips, Henry grabbed her hip and squeezed it.

“We’re never going to get any sleep tonight, huh?” he said between kisses.

“Did you want to sleep?”

“No.”

“I thought not.”

He moved on top of her then pulled her to the foot of the bed, her hips at the edge. She looked
up at him, desire in her eyes. He leaned over her, his feet still planted on the floor. Her legs opened wider, allowing him room. He stayed suspended above her, his eyes directed on her.

When he entered her, she moaned loudly, almost yelping. He thrust into her gently, rocking the bed against the wall. She sighed, gripping his forearms as she writhed on the bed, unable to digest how good he felt. When her moans continued, he knew she was enjoying it. He continued his pace, his eyes locked onto hers. He had never made love to someone before
, and he hadn’t realized how satisfying and enjoyable it was. It was much better than the random fuckings he had with women. Renee was the best he’d ever had, hands down. He didn’t realize how much he loved pleasing his partner. The more she enjoyed it, the harder he got off. He loved watching her lips gape open, breathing through the sigh of pleasure. When her nails gripped him, he moved faster. He loved feeling her intimately, connecting with her on such a personal level. He could do this with her all day because he enjoyed it so much.

Renee grabbed his shoulders and pulled herself to him, rocking with him. Her hair moved across the pillow, shining in the absence of light. She moaned repeatedly, biting her lip as he pounded into her.

Henry dug a hand into her hair, cupping her neck, and pressed his face close to hers. He kissed her gently, imparting his love and adoration to her. He wanted her to feel loved and appreciated, to know that he loved her with all his heart. She had been treated appallingly, but those days were over. His lips made the promise for him—that he would never hurt her.

She gripped him tighter and started moaning incoherently. Henry knew she was reaching her unbridled pleasure. Watching the sweat between her breasts and her gaping mouth made him feel warm. He loved pleasing her as much as she pleased him. To make the sensation better, he pressed his finger over her clit and rubbed her gently, making her writhe underneath him. Her nail
s dug into his back while she breathed into his mouth. He could feel her shake underneath him, spiraling out of control as the emotion gripped her. He rubbed her hard, making it feel as good as possible. As he watched her, seeing the overwhelming pleasure rock through her, he felt himself give away and explode. He came hard, feeling himself shoot out. He made his final thrusts slowly, enjoying the tenderness in his groin. Even though he was satisfied, he wanted to keep going just to feel that connection with her. When he was with her, all other thoughts ceased. There was no stress, pain, or anger inside him. He wasn’t even himself. He was an intricate part of her, her other half.

He stayed on top of her, staring down at her. Her hand moved down his chest as she caught her breath, sweat dripping from her skin. Her green eyes
shone bright with love and affection. He could see her devotion to him, powerful and unyielding.

Henry gathered her in his arms t
hen moved her near the headboard. He tucked her in then lay beside her, setting his alarm on the nightstand. Perry whined then fell silent, feeling forgotten.

Ren moved closer to him
, wrapping her arm around his waist. He rested his hand on hers then closed his eyes, facing the ceiling. He was happier than he had ever been. He hadn’t realized how depressed and broken he was until he found Ren. Everything seemed to be better. Everything was right. Perhaps she was the thing that was missing from his life, the one thing that could make him completely whole. She was so unexpected, coming from nowhere, but she’d changed his life forever.

Ren sniffed then covered her face, turning into the pillow.

When Henry heard the sound, he turned to her, alarm running through his body. “Baby?”

She said nothing.

He turned on his side then grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. “Baby, what’s wrong?” Now he felt frightened. Perhaps he’d been too rough with her. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her. He would kill himself if he ever caused her any pain.

“Nothing,” she whispered.

“You’re scaring me,” he said as he kissed the tears from her eyes. “Please tell me. Did I hurt you?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then I don’t understand.”

She avoided his gaze and said nothing.

“I’m your best friend. You can tell me anything.”

Those words made her look at him. “I’m just—so happy. You treat me the way I always wanted to be treated. I can’t explain it. I’m just not used to it.” She wiped her tears away then averted her gaze.

He rubbed his nose against hers. “Get used to it. You’re my best friend, the woman in my heart, and I love you. You’re safe with me. I’ll never hurt you, Renee.”

She sniffed and gripped him. “No one’s ever made love to me before.”

“I’m glad I was your first. You were mine.”

“I was?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve never felt that good before.”

He smiled. “Thank you for the compliment.”

“Normally they just care about getting themselves off.”

He pulled her next to his chest and rested his forehead against hers. “You know what I enjoy most?”

“What?”

“Making you feel as good as possible. It gets me off.”

She smiled.

“I’ve never felt that way before. To be honest, I try to make it equal, but I don’t put in much effort. With you, it’s different. I want to make your legs shake, I want your neighbors to know my name, and I want to be the only one in your heart.”

“You are, Henry.
Just like I’m the only one in yours.”

His eyes softened before he kissed her forehead. “You are, baby.”

She ran her fingers through his hair while she held him close. Her breasts were touching his chest, and her leg was wrapped around his. Henry hated cuddling, but he loved doing it with her. He was becoming so dependent that he couldn’t sleep without her. The smell of her hair soothed him to sleep, and the touch of her soft skin made him feel warm.

“You’re the best sex I’ve ever had,” he whispered.

“The feeling is mutual.”

“And we haven’t even started fucking yet.”

“I don’t want to.”

“What? Why?” she asked as her hand drifted down his back.

“I love making love to you. It’s definitely more satisfying.”

“It’s still lovemaking.”

“I want to feel connected to you at all times, to feel your soul within mine.”

“And you will. It’s even stronger. Trust and respect are always the foundation of amazing sex. I trust you, Henry. I know I mean everything to you.”

“You do.”

“More than everything.”

He smiled. “You got that right.”

She closed her eyes and sighed, falling asleep.

Henry was tired, but now he didn’t want to sleep. Instead, he stared at her thin lips and eyelashes, counting the number of hairs. She had a tiny freckle near her eye. He’d always thought she was beautiful and gorgeous, but now she was exemplary and magnificent. He could stare at her all day and never grow tired of her. His heart ached while he looked at her, knowing he was madly in love with the girl of his dreams.

He couldn’t believe the night he
’d just had. For the past few months, he’d drowned in his own misery, wishing he had the girl he wanted since the moment he saw her, but now everything was different.

Renee was so much more than he
’d ever expected. Not only was she beautiful with a perfect body, but she had an exceptional spirit and a playfulness about her. She wasn’t ordinary, but extraordinary in her personality and drive. After being treated like garbage, she’d finally realized just how amazing she was. Henry was glad he was the one to make her realize it. And she was the one who’d completed blindsided him with her unexpected appearance, making him forget about the girl he’d thought he could never get over. Now Renee was in his heart. Only Renee.

He was excited to begin this new relationship, a relationship built on a strong foundation of trust and friendship. There were a lot of things about himself that he hadn’t told her about, told anyone about, actually. Now that he was in love, he knew it was time to open
up, reveal things he’d never even told Sydney.

His brother was a drug addict
and an alcoholic. Henry was scared he would get that phone call that told him his brother had died. He’d never grieved for his father, unable to because he had to be strong for his family. He was still angry at his mom for having an affair, and he was never allowed to express that frustration. Now he had someone he could break down to. But would she still love him anyway? He hoped she would.

For the first time, he felt loved by someone
who wasn’t a relative or a friend. Renee really loved him, madly and deeply. He was her muse, a man she was obsessed with. It was something he’d always wanted. Their love for each other was equal. He was thankful he’d gotten what he deserved in the end. Now it was his turn to be happy. He hoped it would stay that way.

27

Henry stood on the sidewalk as he looked into the parking lot. It was early in the morning
, but the sun was shining down on him, warming his skin. The humidity of the air coated the dry cracks of his hands and knuckles. He looked at his watch and continued to wait.

Sydney’s
Jeep pulled into the parking lot. A moment later, she and Coen got out and approached him on the sidewalk.

He stared at Sydney for a long time, seeing her tan
ned legs under her shorts and the tight-fitting top she wore. Her breasts were noticeable and curvy. Her long brown hair stretched past her shoulders, shining under the light of the sun. She met his gaze until she reached him.

He continued to stare at her, saying nothing. Her green eyes met his, spark
ling in the light. He used to stare into those depths for hours, admiring her perfection and beauty. She made his heart beat like no one else, making it palpitate at a dangerous pace. The curve of her lips was still there, but they weren’t desirable or kissable. The feeling he’d had for her was gone. She was ordinary, plain. Her body wasn’t appetizing, and he didn’t want to glide his fingers through her hair. Now she blended into the crowd, no longer noticeable. While he loved her and cared for her, there was nothing there.

He smiled at her, feeling the relief was
h through him. He grabbed her and hugged her, holding her against him. He said nothing, just enjoying the moment. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, but he didn’t notice. Her smooth skin didn’t elicit any desire within him.

Coen stood by and watched them
, unsure what was happening.

Sydney held onto him. “Is everything okay?” she whispered.

He pulled away, smiling at her. “It’s more than okay.”

She stared at him, gauging his features.

“I don’t feel anything for you anymore.” It was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The guilt and stress he had were gone. Now he didn’t have to feel bad for loving someone else’s fiancé. He didn’t have to feel like an asshole for being in love with someone other than his girlfriend. Renee was the only one. “I don’t feel anything for you,” he repeated. “Nothing.”

Sydney smiled at him then jumped into his arms. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I’m so sorry about everything,” he said as he held her. “I know this has been awkward for you and Coen.”

“
It’s fine, Henry.”

Coen clapped him on the back. “I’m happy for you.”

Henry pulled away. “Thanks for being so understanding. If the situation was reversed, I know I wouldn’t be so nice about it.”

Coen shrugged. “Sydney loves you. I really didn’t have a choice.”

“So you’re in love with her?” Sydney asked.

“More than in love,” Henry said, still smiling. He couldn’t stop.

“Does she know?”

“Yeah.
I told her in more than words.”

Coen laughed. “
I’ll bet you did.”

Sydney grabbed Henry’s hand. “I’m so happy for you. Now we can be best friends again.”

Henry shook his head. “No.”

Sydney released his hand, surprised by his response.

“Coen is your best friend now. Ren is mine. That’s how it should be.”

Sydney nodded. “I guess.”

“But we can still be friends,” Henry added. “You know I would still do anything for you. I know you would do the same for me.”

“Of course,” she said with a smile. “But you’re still my closest friend, Henry, beside
s Coen. I don’t want our relationship to change.”

“It will. But I think it’s better now.”

“Yeah,” she said.

Henry breathed a sigh of relief. “Sydney, thank you so much.”

“For what?” she asked.

“For rejecting
me. I’m so happy with Ren, happier than I ever would have been with you. Now I’m where I belong, in the right major with the right woman. I’m glad Coen came into our lives. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Everything worked out,” Sydney said.

Henry turned away. “I have to get my girl and get to class.”

“
’Bye,” they both said.

Henry walked across campus until he reached the building where his first class was being held. When he walked into the lobby, Ren was standing near the hallway
, but she wasn’t alone. She was talking to Dane.

Henry advanced to her, stepping in front of Dane, then grabbed her face, kissing her hard. He wasn’t jealous that she was talking to him, but he wanted to claim his territory. She responded to him, feeling his lips with her own. He continued the kiss for a long time before he broke their lips apart, looking into her eye
s. “Good morning, baby.”

“Morning,” she said with a smile.

Henry wrapped his arm around her then looked at Dane. “Would you like to introduce me?”

She leaned into him. “This is the man I was talking about.”

Dane stared at him, saying nothing.

Henry met his gaze. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Dane nodded. “Likewise.”

“Let’s get to class,” Henry said as he took her hand and pulled her away.

Ren walked beside him, squeezing his hand. They said nothing for a long time. “Well, are you going to ask me why I was talking to him?”

“No. I trust you, Renee.”

She smiled. “You aren’t mad at me?”

“You’re free to talk to whoever you want. I know you only love me.”

“Well, I’ll tell you anyway. He apologized to me and said he wanted another chance.”

“Too late,” Henry said.

She kissed him on the cheek. “It’s way too late.”

Before they got to their classroom, Henry pushed her against the wall and kissed her hard, disregarding the students around them. He felt her breasts against his chest and imagined her topless. He was instantly hard. When he pulled away, he rubbed his nose against hers. “I’m so lucky.”

She said smiled at him but said nothing.

“Let’s get to class,” he said as he opened the door for her.

They took their seats in the back of the class. Henry kept glancing at her, seeing her hair cascade around her shoulders. He stared at her fingers for a long time, noticing the sharp edge of her nails. He imagined her scratching his back when they made love. Her presence continued to distract him. They got into small groups with the other students and dissected a play.

Amy,
a girl who sat in the next row, joined their group. “Are you a transfer student?” she asked Henry.

“No.”

“I’ve never seen you before. I thought you were new.”

“I just changed my major to English,” Henry said.

“Oh,” Amy said. “What was it before?”

“Zoology.”

“Cool. Now, that makes sense. I definitely wouldn’t have forgotten you if I had seen you before.”

Henry wasn’t sure what that comment met. He opened the play and turned to the page he
’d highlighted. “I think the author is manipulating the reader’s emotions to root for the character even though they shouldn’t. It’s the use of words and language that makes this effective, not dialogue or character development.”

Amy nodded. “I write for the school newspaper. You should apply to be one of our editors.”

“Uh, thanks for the offer.”

“I’m the lead editor
, so I decide who we hire.” She leaned closer to Henry. “We can get coffee and talk about it after class.”

Now he felt really uncomfortable. He thought his classmates knew he and Ren were together. They didn’t share affection in class, but they were still together around campus. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m too busy to work on the paper.”

“What else do you do?” she asked with interest.

“He and I work on
Penumbra
together,” Ren said.

“Oh, that’s cool,” Amy said in a bored voice. She turned back to Henry. “But you
’d actually get paid for this. It’s good money.”

That got his attention. Now that he
’d switched majors, there really was no reason for him to work as a janitor at the aquarium. And if he made more money, he could move of out of his apartment. He hated living there. “What are the qualifications?”

“Let’s talk about it over coffee,” Amy said with a smile.

Henry looked at Ren. Her face was stoic, but he knew she was angry. He didn’t blame her. “Sure. It can be the three of us.”

“Three?” Amy asked, confused.

“Yes, my girlfriend and I already had plans for coffee. You can join us.”

Amy raised an eyebrow, looking disappointed. “Oh. Who’s your girlfriend?”

Henry reached across the table and grabbed Ren’s hand. “This beautiful lady right here.”

Amy blushed then averted her gaze.
“Yeah, sure.”

“Cool,” Henry said. He released her hand then flipped through the page
s of the book. When he glanced at Ren, she was smiling at him, approving of the way he’d handled the situation. When their class was over, they picked a time to meet Amy before they went to their next class. When the period was over, they walked toward the cafeteria.

“Renee, are you okay with this?”

She shrugged. “I’m a little uncomfortable.”

“Then I won’t do it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“But do you want this job?”

He said nothing for a long time. “I really don’t want to work at the aquarium anymore.”

“Then do it.”

“I care more about you than a job, Renee.”

“I trust you, Henry. I don’t care if that stupid bitch wants you.”

He smiled.
“A little angry, huh?”

“I
knew women would come onto you, but I never expected it to happen right in front of me.”

“In her defense, she didn’t know. And she backed off right away.”

Ren sighed. “You’re right.”

He kept his arm around her as they entered the building. They met Amy at a table. Henry pulled out Ren’s seat then sat beside her. Amy didn’t look comfortable being so close to Ren. She kept her gaze
averted, only looking at Henry.

“As a writer, you can write a
n article about anything you want, as long as it’s appropriate, school-related, and another writer isn’t doing the same piece.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Henry said with a nod.

“Each article pays two hundred dollars, and our newspaper is released once a week.”

“Can I only write one article?”

“You can write as many as you want, but that doesn’t guarantee it’ll be accepted.”

“That makes sense.”

“We meet in the English building in Dr. Peterson’s office. She has a computer lab, a printer, and the software. She’s also the faculty in charge of the production.”

“Great. I’ll check in often.”

Amy nodded. “I look forward to working with you.”

Henry noticed
how professional she was being since Ren was sitting beside him. He was glad it had worked out that way. Now he didn’t have to worry about making Ren jealous or upset. Amy clearly understood that he wasn’t interested. “Me, too.”

Amy grabbed her bag and stood up. “I’ll see you later.” She turned and left the building.

Henry smiled at Ren. “It’ll be fine.”

“Just as long as it stays that way.”

“You got nothing to worry about, babe.” He grabbed her bag then helped her out of the chair. They walked to the table where his friends were sitting. Sydney had a big smile on her face, happy that Henry was finally over her.

Henry helped Ren into a seat.
“What would you like, baby?”

“You don’t have to get my lunch every day, Henry.”

He kissed her on the forehead then walked away. “I’ll pick something out, then.”

She sighed as she watched him go.

Henry piled his tray with food then returned to the table, sitting beside her.

“You wouldn’t need a job if you didn’t have to feed me all the time,” Ren said.

“I like feeding you,” he said as he put the tray in front of her. He started to eat his sandwich with one hand while he draped his arm over her chair.

“You guys are cute,
” Nancy said with a smile.

Henry knew Sydney
had told her everything. It was obvious in the way Nancy was smiling. “Yep. She’s the apple of my eye, the spring in my step, the joy in my smile.” He leaned toward her and rubbed his nose against hers.

Derek cringed. “Now you are just annoying.”

Henry ignored him.

Ren ate her salad and nibbled on her sandwich. She didn’t eat much, but Henry didn’t push her. Some people just didn’t have an appetite.