Chapter 22
As nice as it was to see Vanessa pluck up after the session with Chris and his lawyer, Kate was feeling a bit defeated. She hadn't wanted her friend's divorce to turn ugly. She knew that court battles could be tedious and costly. It was not the way that Vanessa deserved to start the next chapter of her life. Judging by Chris's demeanor and Vance tenacity for long trials, she knew they were in for a long ride.
Kate paced around her apartment as she rifled through her upcoming schedule in her head and on her phone. On top of Vanessa's case she already had a boatload of assigned work.
If I move this here... she slide her finger across her screen. And this here...
Re-organizing week’s worth of court dates and briefings, on top of firm meetings and then finding time to sit down with the paralegals to discuss what she needed from them. And then finding time for Deacon. For her friends. For a life. It was starting to seem impossible.
She managed to squeeze in a shower, change into a pair of pajamas and twist her damp hair up into a messy bun before diving back into the re-scheduling of her life.
She wanted to be able to devote as much time as necessary to Vanessa case, but she was nervous that Vanessa may have to seek counsel elsewhere if Kate couldn't convince her bosses to let her take this case on top of everything else. And then there was the fees. Kate felt nauseous thinking about how much all of this might cost Vanessa. Chris had made it clear that he wasn't going to let this thing wrap up quickly.
Her personal life was seeming to slip right through her fingers as she tried to digitally reorganize her life.
I can do this. She kept telling herself that she'd find a way, when a knock on the door stole her attention.
“Coming,” Kate yelled, giving her phone a rest on the kitchen counter. When she pulled open the door the last person she'd expected to see was standing on the other side.
“Deacon.” The last person she'd expected, but the one she was definitely hoping for. After their last conversation, Kate wasn't sure if he'd actually speak to her again, let alone see her. In a pair of black workout pants and t-shirt, his headphone cord around his neck, she knew that he'd been out for a run. A thin sheen of sweat on his brow said as much.
“Katie,” he said, walking through the open door and dropping a kiss on her head as he pulled her into his arms.
“I missed you,” she said, placing her head on his chest and falling as deep as she could into his hold.
“Well you didn't call,” he told her. “I had to come over and make sure you were all right.”
“I'm okay,” she said, leaning back to look up at him. His brown eyes a welcomed sight.
“Are you?” he said with a skeptical look. “I haven't heard from you in three days.”
“I know,” she said. “Work. Vanessa's case is going to have to go before a judge,” she explained. “And, I wasn't sure that you'd want to talk to me after our last conversation.”
“That's crazy,” he said, taking her hand in his and leading her to the living room. “I always want to talk to you,” he said as they took seats on the sofa. “Even if we have a disagreement.”
“Was that all it was?” Kate asked. “A disagreement?”
“All I saw it as.”
Kate was happy that he wasn't more upset with her. She was upset with herself. She hated that she couldn't be more decisive about their situation.
“What happened with Vanessa mediation?”
“Chris is an asshole,” Kate said before explaining the situation. “He's refusing to negotiate anything.”
“That sucks.”
“It really does,” Kate agreed. “And now I have to try and find the time to be her lawyer on top of my workload.”
“I'm sure you'll figure it out.”
“I hope so.” She scooted closer to him, letting her head fall on his shoulder. Deacon slipped his arm over shoulders and pulled her closer. The past few day had been more than Kate had been prepared for. Between Deacon asking her to go with him, Willa calling her out for being afraid, visiting Hope at the cemetery, and Vanessa's divorce drama, she wasn't sure how much more she could take. When she took in a breath and felt it catch in her chest like it was about to be followed by tears, she closed her eyes and cleared her throat.
“Have you eaten?” she said, sitting up and needing to change the subject.
“I haven't,” he answered. “But I need to talk to you about something first.”
“Okay,” Kate said. There was a seriousness to his tone that she knew was going to be the spark that lit the wick on the emotion bomb she was trying to bury.
“I'm leaving tomorrow,” he said. The proverbial strike of the match.
“You are?” She knew he had to go soon. She knew it and it still caught her off guard.
“Yeah,” he said. “But that's what I wanted to talk to you about,” he placed a hand on her cheek, “we’ll figure out a way to make this work. You here, me there, we can meet in the middle. Spend weekends together. Whatever we have to do to make it work.”
Kate nodded, his words sweet and kind. She almost believed that they could make it work. Almost. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and for once in her life she didn't try to stop it.
“Baby, don't cry,” he said, wiping the pad of his thumb over cheek. “We'll be okay.”
“I know,” Kate said, not sure she believed that they would. The overwhelming need to tell him how she felt overtook her as she tried to placate him and herself. “I love you.”
The moment the words were out of her mouth she felt relief. She'd known for a while that felt that way about him, but allowing herself to finally say it made her smile. And him.
* * *
“I love you too.” He closed the distance between them and placed his lips on hers. The sweet smell of her clean skin and the sexy way her floral patterned pajamas clung to her body was almost more than he could take. While he felt a sense of relief that she'd finally let herself say it, he never questioned their feelings for one another. Deacon was always sure that she felt the same way, which is how he knew they could make it work. If she wanted to stay in Chicago and keep her job, then he'd be the one to make sacrifices. He would do that for her. He would do anything for her.
He wanted more than anything to beg her to come with him tomorrow, but the frustration he saw on her face when he'd first walked in the door said he should tread lightly.
“I shouldn't be gone that long,” he said. “A month, two maybe. I can make it as quick as possible and get back here.”
She nodded, but didn't speak. He hoped like hell he was doing the right thing. He'd even considered setting up shop full time in Chicago, but it was something that would have to wait until after his next round of meetings. Kate leaned in and pressed her lips to his, abruptly stopping his planning. She kissed him deeply and let her hands tangle in his hair. She moved her body to his—straddling his lap with her knees.
Deacon slipped his tongue between her lips and felt the vibration of a moan through her body. His arms circled her waist as he viced their bodies together. When her head fell back and she gasped for a breath, he began laying kisses on her neck.
“I need you now,” she told him. He stood up, her body wrapped around his, as he carried her to her bedroom. He didn't need to be told twice. In fact, he didn't need to be told at all. He could tell by her kiss that she means every word of “I love you.”
When they reached the bedroom, and began stripping clothes from one another, Deacon realized that this time was very different from all of the rest. For one, this would be the first time that they had sex after saying the l-word. Secondly, it would be the last time before he left. As he pulled Kate's shirt over her head and pushed her shorts to the ground, he laid her out onto the bed before standing to get a good look at her.
“What are you doing?” Kate asked with a curious smile.
“If we’re going to be apart, I need to remember all of this,” he said. He leaned down and pressed his kiss to top of her breast. “Every curve,” he said before moving to the other. “Every spot.” He kissed his way down her stomach. “Every single inch.” Kate writhed as he slipped his fingers underneath of the edges of her panties and pulled them down her legs.
“You couldn't forget me if you tried,” Kate teased, as Deacon spread her legs and started to crawl up her body.
“Let's not take any chances,” he said with a wicked smirk as placed his mouth at her center. He flicked his tongue against her clit as her body quaked with excitement. As he alternated between slow and deliberate and fast and careless, her breathing began to accelerate like his. He could practically feel her racing pulse under tongue.
Her hands reached for him—one kneading his shoulder and the other stroking through his hair—as his name roared off his lips.
When her legs kept threatening to close to relieve the pressure that was building between them, he moved his body up hers and with one wickedly delicious thrust they were connected. Her tight, slick pussy pulling him deeper than he'd been expecting. The wanton look in her eyes even more hypnotizing than before. He might not have been sure about exactly how they'd make their relationship work, but what he did know for sure was that he loved this woman even more than he could possibly explain.
When they reached their climaxes together, he couldn't help but wrap her in his arms as they both came down from their highs. She let her head rest on his chest, taking every chance she got to press a kiss on his skin.
Deacon pulled the ponytail holder from her hair and as it spilled down her back he ran his fingers through it.
“You just took a shower,” he said, realizing that it was still damp. “And I just got you all sweaty,” he said, looking down at her.
“It's okay,” she said, straining her neck to kiss his lips. “I can have another shower... with you,” she suggested. Without hesitation, Deacon swooped her up from the bed and carried her to the shower. While they didn't talk about their upcoming time apart any more that night, they made sure that they each knew exactly how much the other meant to them.