Chapter Thirteen
Nash strummed his fingers down the strings of one of his acoustic guitars, the same guitar he used to create the music for the night of his and Petal’s date and the one he had used for two weeks in a row to lure him to her. He couldn’t stay away, couldn’t forget her, and now he was stuck in a strange, horrible limbo that would only end if she appeared. If not, he would always wonder.
The whole no names-no games thing was brilliant. If Petals was a one-night stand, it would have been the perfect set up. However, it meant he had absolutely no way to figure out her identity.
Rather than his vow to forget her, his new promise entailed sitting there every day at the same time hoping somewhere along the way she would make her way back to him.
In the last several weeks, there was only one place where he felt like a real man and that was with Petals.
Somehow, he had to find her. With no picture, no name, only an imprint on his heart, he needed to locate her.
How did one find the impossible?
At a rustle in the trees, he turned. He swore if it were that damn squirrel again, he would be having squirrel stew for dinner.
Maybe he couldn’t find the impossible, but the impossible could come to him.
Disheveled and with a definite scowl on her face, Petals moved the branches aside and entered the clearing.
For the first time since he allowed her to trundle through the forest at night alone and leave, he took a full breath. He continued his song, a tune he wrote for her and waited.
They stared at each other and she stood there, chin jutted out with a slight shake of her head.
At last, he let the music fade. He needed her, needed to touch her, hold her and apologize. In all the times he pictured their reunion, he never envisioned her glaring at him as if he were the enemy. They made it over the most difficult hurdle, they were together, she came here for him, so he had to somehow make things right. “Petals.”
Rather than answer, she crossed her arms.
“You’re here.” He put the guitar aside. From his position, if he tried to stand she would see him struggle, stumble. He needed to stay put and make her come to him.
“I didn’t think I would ever see you again.” Her voice came out terse, tight.
Her defensiveness put him on edge. Did he destroy his sweet flower with his own insecurities? “If you didn’t think so, then why are you here?”
“I had to know.” She balled her hands in defiant fists. “I had to know if you would be here. I think I’m going crazy.”
“Strange,” he said. “Because I know I’m going crazy.”
“Why?” Her question came too fast.
“Because I come here every day searching for the one person who I need. Every day I have sat here waiting and then every day I say it’s my last day, yet I end up here again.” He took a breath. “I’m crazy because I sent you away, and though I have no right to hope you could come here, and throw your arms around me and let me make up the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life, I still wanted for it to happen.”
“No, it’s me that’s crazy, because I wanted you to be here and say those words.” A tear streamed down her cheek and she held up her arm. “Did you leave this for me?”
His mother’s bracelet. There on her wrist was his gift to her. She had to have been here before looking for him. “You found it.” His heart raced.
She nodded.
“I call that magic.” He held his hand out to her.
At last, she rushed to him, stopping just short of touching him, instead she reached over and grabbed his guitar. “If that song is for me, play some more.”
Unable to deny her anything, he took the instrument and once more began to play.
As his fingers worked the strings, she bent down and watched him.
With her close, the faint floral scent of her perfume wafting on the light breeze and caressing him, he couldn’t deny himself any longer. He put the guitar aside and captured her hand.
She tensed, held back. “Is the song over?”
“I think it’s just begun.” He tried to gently pull her over.
“What are the words?” Her hand trembled in his, but she continued to resist.
At the moment, all he could offer her was the truth. “Until you came back I had no words.”
“They always say that actions speak louder than words,” she whispered and laced their fingers together. “Tell me something about you.”
“All right.” What did she want? Did she want to know his identity? Were they ready? “I was someone once. Now I’m lost. Though I think now I finally found my place.”
She nodded.
“Now you.” He pressed the back of her hand to his lips.
Her hand trembled and she got down on her knees. “My life is a mess and it doesn’t belong to me unless I’m here…” She held him tighter and her voice broke. “…with you.”
Apparently, they both had lives that needed help and they found each other. “Petals.” Finally, she allowed him to guide her to his lap and do as he dreamed. He wrapped his arms around her. Without waiting for permission, he took action, leaned in and kissed her neck. In truth, he wanted to ravage her.
“Um.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “There it is.”
“What?” Barely able to contain himself, he ran his lips up to her ear, the scent of her shampoo coupled with her light floral perfume swirled around him and gave him a heady, dreamy feeling.
She pushed him back and faced him. “You.” No sooner did the word leave her mouth than she leaned in and kissed him.
Their first kiss terrified him, shook him to his core. Their connection transcended the physical pleasure into something deeper. Maybe that was why he pushed her away.
With her taking the lead and her not holding back, the same sensation overwhelmed him, but rather than fight it, he embraced it and relished in the fact she returned.
Their mouths opened, their tongues touched, and her body molded to his as they shared their slow kiss.
She gasped and pulled back. “Why does it have to be you?”
“There’s a reason.” He pulled her down for another kiss. “There is.”
This kiss was full of more passion, more need, more everything. She snaked her hands under his jacket, and he cradled her in his arms. Everything he wanted was overshadowed by what he wanted from his Petals.
Their touches were tentative and exploring. He moaned when she snuck her fingers up the back of his shirt and grazed her nails softly down his back, and she let out a little mew when he cupped her breast in his palm.
His body had the requisite reaction.
“You do want me,” she said into his open mouth.
“Of all the truths in the world, that is one of them.” He went to kiss her once more.
This time she stopped him by putting her fingers to his lips. “But there are a lot of untruths.”
“We haven’t been untruthful, we have just held back.” He took her face in his hands. “Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you. Do you want names, numbers? It’s yours.”
She glanced around, then her focus returned to him. “Is it crazy if I tell you that right now I need Knight and Petals?”
He paused. Part of him was ready to let his identity be known, be able to take her out in public, be able to do all the things he should do with her. “Is that what you want?”
“The only thing I know for sure is I can’t lose this, and I can’t lose you, but…” She shook her head.
He embraced her, pressed her head to his chest and gazed out over the water. The moment they let their façade down, there would be no more Knight and Petals living a fantasy, there would only be the two of them in the real world. She would see him limp, would see his life, and she would discover his past and know she missed him in his heyday. Could they overcome it? “Maybe you’re right.”
Suddenly, she looked up, first at the sky, then her watch. “Knight, I have to go. What do we do now?”
Her shaking vibrated through him and he sat up. “What’s wrong?”
“I told you, my life is a mess, I have something I have to do,” she huffed. “Are we in this or not. I need to know if I should come back or not.”
“Petals.” He took her by the shoulders. “I promise I’ll be here at this time every day until you tell me otherwise. I will never send you away again.”
“What if I can never send you away?” Her eyes filled with tears.
They purposely put themselves in this bizarre state, and neither of them wanted out. “Right now we’re Knight and Petals.” He kissed her tears away.
“I have to go. I’ll be here a week from today.” She gave him one last kiss, then stood up. “Goodbye, Knight.”
“Be safe, my Petals.” He watched her go, wondering if her life was as messed up as his. “One week.”