Twenty Two
It had been two weeks since Colin came barreling back into my life. Two weeks of nothing but happiness. A life I never thought I would have, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid the honeymoon stage would end and we would end up bitter toward one another.
The warmth of the coffee mug in my hands made the chill of the morning breeze bearable as I rocked alone with a flannel blanket wrapped around my shoulders. Fall took my breath away, my favorite season out of them all. The amount of colors that swirled together to make such vibrant beauty was amazing.
“Should’ve known I’d find you out here.”
Colin pressed his lips to my cheek and sat in the rocker beside mine.
“I never want to go home.”
He chuckled and took a sip from his mug.
“It’s peaceful, isn’t it?”
“Unbelievably so.”
A couple nights ago he’d shown up at my door telling me to pack a bag of warm clothes and shoes I didn’t mind walking in. I had no idea what he was up to, but the thrill of the unknown interested me. So I tossed some clothes in a bag, along with my essentials, and told Emily that Colin was kidnapping me for who knew how long, but I had my phone if she needed me. She smiled like a fool and told me she wouldn’t be bothering either of us, to enjoy our lover’s getaway. I squeezed her tightly and headed out the door without looking back.
I was surprised when we turned onto a gravel road that led deep into the woods somewhere in Kentucky. Apparently Colin’s years of travelling as a musician had brought friends from all over into his life. One friend in particular had a gorgeous cabin hidden in the heart of the Bluegrass State, and boy was it stunning.
Colin covered my hand with his and gave it a squeeze as we listened to the sounds of nature around us.
“You know we can stay as long as we want.”
“Don’t tempt a girl.”
He smiled and lifted my hand to his lips.
“I’m happy to be wherever you are, so if we need to head home soon, that’s okay, too.”
As much as I wanted to stay tucked away in the woods with Colin, I had a job to get back to. Emily has covered for me more than she should’ve had to in a lifetime, but she never complained. Hell, she pushed me out the door a handful of those times. She lived and breathed her job, using it as a way to keep her mind off of how badly she wanted to start her own family. I knew everything would eventually fall into place for her, even if she didn’t think so. Life gives you exactly what you’re looking for when you least expect it.
Colin sat his cup on the ground and stood. He took my cup and placed it beside his own and pulled me up from the rocking chair.
“What are you doing?” I laughed.
Instead of responding, he slipped his hands beneath the blanket that was wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me tightly into his body. We moved side to side as we danced to the sounds of nature. My head rested on his shoulder, my lips grazing his neck with each turn. Chills engulfed my skin as he began singing “To Make You Feel My Love.” I closed my eyes and listened to each word. One after the other he chipped away at my heart, making me feel such intensity that I felt as if I could burst into tears at any second. After a few moments I quietly sang along and his hands caressed up and down my spine. Once the song was finished, we continued to sway without missing a beat.
“I love you, Arbor, with all my heart.”
Colin kissed my head and tears slipped from my eyes. Those same intense emotions I’d been feeling all morning crashed down like a heavy weight with his words, causing me to sob. We stopped moving and he lifted my chin to look at him.
“Hey, hey…I’m sorry if I upset you.”
I shook my head, pulling my face from his hold.
“I love you, too.” My voice was shaky as I managed to murmur the words I’d been holding in for quite some time.
He erupted with laughter and lifted me into his arms. Our lips fused, my arms wrapped around his neck while his rested around my waist, my feet dangling in the air as we poured our love for one another into our kisses.
My feet touched the ground and I opened my eyes as our kissing slowed to pecks before ceasing altogether. His admiration for me caused my heart to race like wild horses in my chest. He touched his lips to the tip of my nose and I smiled.
“I’ve been waiting so long to say that to you.”
“I’m glad you finally did.”
“I’m glad you feel the same.”
“How could I not, Colin?” I ran a hand up his face and tried to fix his wild hair. My eyes focused on his as I brought my hand back, rubbing his scruffy chin before linking my hands together behind his head. “My heart has been yours since that day in the bar. I couldn’t fully see it then, but now it’s as clear as can be. I want nothing more than what we have.”
“I knew back then that you were what my heart had been searching for.”
I shyly smiled. “How did you know?”
He hooked some hair behind my ear.
“You know that feeling in your gut when you’re on a roller coaster; it’s climbed to the very top of the slope and the last click sounds, shooting you downward into a hectic ride that sends an array of emotions through your mind, body, and soul?”
I nodded, knowing the exact feeling he’d described.
“That’s how you made me feel that night. Waking up that next morning to an empty bed felt like all hope of having something good had disappeared. Like I’d had my taste of what could be, but that was the extent of it…a taste. Not a damn bit more. You changed my outlook on soulmates that night, Arbor. I was never one to believe in them. I simply thought lovers came and went over time, and if you were lucky enough you’d find one person you could tolerate for the rest of your life. Some people might not be lucky enough. But you…you made me feel things I’d never felt, so I knew that soulmates existed, and that you were mine.”
I pushed the blanket from my shoulders, exposing my almost naked self. Standing in nothing but Colin’s shirt, I took a step back from his hold and began undoing the buttons down the front of it.
“What are you doing?” Colin’s eyes heated with desire with each button I undid.
Once the entire front was open I dropped my hands to my sides, hoping he’d make the first move, knowing what I wanted from him. A lopsided grin slowly spread across his face as he took a step toward me, slipping a hand beneath the open material to cup my bare breast. My head dropped back when he added his other hand against my flesh, teasing my most sensitive area. I groaned when the feeling of his hand disappeared and my eyes shot open. He pushed his shirt off my shoulders and I wiggled my arms to allow it to fall to the wood floor. Colin took a step back to admire my naked body, shaking his head with appreciation. A gentle breeze blew across my heated skin, causing goose bumps to rise in its wake.
He closed the distance between us, pulling me against his body, gripping my backside with one hand while pushing the other deep into my hair. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m thankful as hell.” His lips crashed to mine and my hands rushed to undress him. Neither of us cared about being outside, another perk of being tucked away in the woods with no one around.
I yanked at his linen pants, trying to push them down his body.
“It’s awfully chilly out here, are you sure you don’t want to move this inside?”
I sheepishly grinned and nipped at his bottom lip. “You can warm me up.”
Colin shoved his pants to his feet and stepped out of them, all while lifting me in the air and placing me on the wood railing. My back was flush with a large column, my legs spread wide with one foot on the top railing and the other dangling. He pushed into me with ease, gripping my waist so I was secure. My head rested back against the wood column and he repeatedly slammed into me.
“Look at me, Arbor.” His sexy, demanding voice forced me to raise my head. Everyday Colin was breathtaking, but demanding sex-driven Colin…there wasn’t a word in the dictionary that could describe the way his intense stare made my insides heat with need.
But boy did it.
My arms snaked around his neck as our tongues danced with each kiss, the taste of coffee on our breaths. The feel of the column pressing into my spine was on the verge of ruining our moment. I pulled myself closer to him to try and relieve the sting of pain the wood grain was causing me. He rubbed his hands up my back and lifted me from the railing, still moving inside me. I moved myself up and down as he walked us into the cabin and lowered me onto the plush white rug between the fireplace and couch. The room was bright from the morning sun as he rocked his hips into me. My legs wrapped around his waist. His forearms caged my head to hold him above me. I turned my face and nipped the skin of his arm, pulling a rumbling growl from deep within his chest. A split second later and my entire body rolled as he seated me on top of him. I slowly began rocking my hips as his hands massaged my heavy breasts. My pace quickened and I dropped my hand to the one spot that was beckoning to be touched.
“There’s no need for you to do that.” Colin replaced my hand with his. My mouth went slack and my movements became erratic as my body climbed higher and higher toward release.
He was a master of my body with each flick of his fingers, roll of his hips, and lick of his tongue against my heated flesh. Everything seemed to fall away as the whooshing of my pulse filled my ears. Colin’s hands gripped my waist as he took control of moving my body on top of his. Something deep in my core broke free and I loudly moaned out my release before collapsing against his chest. He kept pumping into me until his own release crashed down and my name fell from his lips.
Colin pulled me against his side and we cuddled closely. We watched the flickering of the fire and listened to the popping of the embers as we laid there. No words were spoken, just loving caresses. Peacefulness washed over me, and I felt as if everything from the past had to happen for us to be exactly where we were. Our unexpected meeting, the night we spent together, the pregnancy, losing our daughter, our second unexpected meeting, and me running yet again before he hunted me down one last time. All of it had to unfold as it did or we’d most likely never have gotten the chance to try and be something great. We probably would’ve ended up being stories we told to our friends over heavy drinks and laughter during nights out. But fate had a different plan for us. I was excited to see exactly what that plan was.
Colin wouldn’t let me drive. I wasn’t sure why, but no matter how many times I asked if he needed a break, he would tell me he was fine. So after asking him one last time, I kicked my sock-covered feet up on the dash and turned on my favorite boy band station on Pandora radio. His sideways glance and furrowed eyebrow was more than enough indication that he wasn’t a fan. “Bye Bye Bye” blared through the speakers. My feet danced on the dash as I sang along at the top of my lungs, not caring how silly I’m sure I looked.
As the chorus kicked in, I faltered on my dance moves because Colin was belting out the words. I tossed my head back against the headrest and cackled. I smiled as I watched him do the dance moves the best he could while still safely driving.
“I didn’t peg you as a closet boy band lover.”
“Who said I was a closet boy band lover? You’ve never asked.” A mega-watt smile spread across his face as we took the last exit toward home.
“Okay,” I chuckled. “Backstreet Boys or NSYNC?” I crossed my arms over my chest awaiting his answer.
“I was more of an NSYNC kind of guy, mainly because Justin Timberlake went off on his own and killed all competition. But in all honesty, Backstreet Boys had some killer harmonies.”
“Very thought out answer. Personally, I could never choose. I loved them both.”
“You would be one of those on the fence fans.”
“Hey now!” I playfully smacked his arm. “I’m a lover of all.”
“I hope you mean a lover of all music and not men.”
“I’m so going to hurt you.”
“I hope you do.”
A fit of giggles hit me. His playful mood was uplifting. I could get used to having him by my side throughout the rest of my life.
My phone buzzed in the cup holder, reminding me that I’d never switched it from silent. To my surprise, Emily’s name lit up the screen.
“Hey!”
“There’s my long lost friend.”
“Come on, I haven’t been gone that long.”
Colin gave me a sideways look, as if he was asking who was on the phone. I mouthed Emily’s name and he nodded.
“You’ve been gone for almost a week.”
“You were warned that there was no telling when I’d be back.”
“This is true. But please tell me you’re on your way home soon.”
“We’re about thirty minutes out actually.”
“Thank the good Lord above!” Emily heavily sighed.
“What’s going on?”
“I hate to be a stickler, but can you swing by the office on your way home? If Colin has somewhere to be you can ride back with me once we’re done. I have a giant stack of stuff that needs to be done and not enough time to do it myself. This week has been insane, and everything I have is on a tight deadline.”
“Of course! As long as traffic isn’t nuts, I’ll see you within the hour.”
“Thank you so much for doing this.”
“Hey. I owe you big time for everything you’ve done for me, so no worries.”
“Everything all right?” Colin kept his eyes on the road as we came up on some heavy traffic.
“Yeah, Emily needs some help at the office is all. A ton of deadlines barreling down. If you don’t mind, can you swing me by there? You don’t have to stay unless you want to.”
Colin reached over the console and slipped his hand in mine.
“I don’t mind, I’ve had you to myself for days now. I’m sure Emily wants her friend back.” He kissed the back of my hand and rested our linked ones on the console between us.
Officially back to reality for us. As much as I wished we were still tucked away in the privacy of those Kentucky woods, I knew we couldn’t avoid adult life any longer. So, jumping in head first as soon as we got back was the only way to do it. Emily rarely asked for assistance with anything, especially work, so if she was asking I knew it was a lot more than she could handle. There was absolutely no way I could tell her no even if I wanted to.