CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
A chill ran down Sky’s spine. “What? What are you talking about?” He looked at Meg, who was pointing at the tombstone. “Meghan Marie Novak,” he read. “Your mother?”
“Yes,” Meg said, as she hung her head. “I never knew her, because she died when she gave birth to me. I killed her.”
Sky looked at the date of death on the tombstone, and realized that it was twenty eight years ago to the day. “Oh my God, baby, I’m so sorry.” He pulled her close. “I had no idea. Why didn’t you say something to me?”
She sniffed, and wiped her nose against his fleece jacket. “I don’t know…it’s something I never talk about. I guess I thought that you’d…”
“That I’d what? That I wouldn’t love you? Because I do, you know. That’s why I’m here, because I couldn’t be away from you. You can try to run away, but I’ll always find you.”
An involuntary gasp escaped her lips, and the butterflies re-appeared in her stomach. She lifted her head up so she could look him in the eyes. “You love me?”
“Yes, absolutely. I couldn’t love anyone more.” He kissed her on top of her head. “You’re my guardian angel, and I love you, Meg Novak.”
“I love you, too, Sky Johnson.”
“Good,” he said, as he pressed his lips to the top of her head.
They remained seated on the ground at the gravesite for the rest of the afternoon. Sky kept his arms wrapped around Meg, and she accepted the quiet love and comfort that his presence gave her.
After a long silence, Sky motioned towards the bouquet of flowers resting at the base of the tombstone. “Did you bring those flowers today?”
“Yes. Daisies were my mom’s favorite flower. They’re my favorite too.” Meg’s voice faltered as she continued speaking. “Actually, that was supposed to be my name.”
“Daisy?”
She nodded her head. “My parents were going to name me Daisy Marie, but when my mom died, my dad decided to name me for her instead.”
Shit. That’s a hell of a burden to carry. “How does that make you feel?”
“I don’t know. I know my dad meant it as a tribute to my mom, but at the same time, it’s a constant reminder of what I did, that my being born ended my mother’s life.”
“It wasn’t your fault. It’s not like you made a choice, it’s just something that happened.”
“If I’d never been born, she’d still be alive.”
“Meg, don’t say that…”
“It’s true, though. My very existence means that she’s dead. It’s why I don’t celebrate my birthday.”
Sky closed his eyes and shook his head. Now I know what I sound like when I blame myself for my own mother’s death. “It’s getting late, and I’m pretty hungry. Can I take you someplace for a bite to eat?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I just told you that I don’t celebrate…”
“Yeah, but we still have to eat. It doesn’t have to be a birthday celebration. I haven’t eaten anything since this morning. You do eat on your birthday, right?”
“Yes.”
“If I wasn’t here, what would you do for dinner?”
“I’d probably grab some take out, and eat it at the beach.”
“Then let’s do that. Come on,” he said as he stood up. He offered his hand to Meg and helped her stand.
They drove into Southampton village and picked up some fried chicken, a side of broccoli slaw, potatoes, and soft drinks at Catena’s Market. While at the store, Meg introduced Sky to the two brothers who owned the shop.
“I like that place,” Sky said, as they got into Meg’s rental car. “It’s a real ‘mom and pop’ type of business. And I like that the people in there didn’t make a fuss over me. It’s refreshing.”
“Yeah, well, this is going to come out all wrong, and I hope you don’t take it the wrong way, but while you’re famous in most of the country, you’re really not that famous here. There are so many huge celebrities out here all the time, and they’re all treated as ‘normal’ people. They’re usually just left alone.”
“Seriously? I like that,” Sky said. He looked out the window as Meg drove south on Main Street. “This is a really cute town.”
“Yes, it is,” Meg agreed. She pointed out Knit Hampton, her cousin Jennifer’s yarn shop, as they drove by. “She probably isn’t in there now, but if you stay for the weekend you can meet her. She invited me to a family dinner tomorrow night, and I’m sure you’d be welcome to join us. I know the rest of my family would love to meet you.”
“I want to meet your family too.” Sky placed a hand on her thigh and gave her a squeeze. “I’ll stick around for as long as you’re here, if you want me to. We can fly back to Nashville together, whenever you’re ready.”
“Okay. My plan is to go home on Sunday, because I have to work on Monday.” Meg pulled the car into the parking lot at Cooper’s Beach and up the ramp adjacent to the sand. “We can watch the sun set while we eat,” she said, reaching for the bag of food.
“Good idea.”
They ate while watching the ocean waves break in the waning sunlight. Sky broke the silence just as they finished their meal. “This was a great dinner,” he said. “What do you want to do the rest of the night?”
Meg shrugged her shoulders. “I usually just go back to the guest house at the farm, and call it an early night.”
“Sounds good.” He leaned over and gave her a chaste peck on the cheek. “Whatever you want to do is fine with me. I just have to pick my rental car up at your father’s house.”
Sky drove behind Meg as she turned into a driveway and through a tall white gate. He followed her car past the large farmhouse and barn, to where she stopped in front of a tiny white house. He grabbed his duffel bag from the back seat, and followed her to the front door.
“This is the farm’s guest house,” she explained as she opened the door and turned on the lights.
Sky looked around the simply furnished living room. “Do you always stay here when you come home?”
“Usually. I actually grew up here, in this house.”
He was confused. “But your father doesn’t live here.”
“No, he lives in the house he and my mom bought when they were first married. After I was born and my mom died, he needed help taking care of me, so he moved back here to the farm. My grandmother basically raised me. My Aunt Grace and Uncle Peter came out from the city every weekend to help my grandmother out, and so that I could play with my cousins.”
“Jennifer?”
She nodded her head. “Jen, Pete, and Gina. They’re like my siblings. Jen is really protective of me, like a big sister. And Gina and I are the same age.”
Sky put his arms around Meg. “I like this.”
“What?”
“Peeling back the layers.” He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head before continuing, “I like getting to know you better. I always thought there was more to you than what you let me see, because you dodged so many of my questions, but had no idea what it was you were hiding.”
“I thought you’d walk away from me. That maybe you would think I was too broken, and wasn’t worth fixing.” She shrugged out of Sky’s arms, and sat on an ancient blue and green chintz covered sofa.
“No, baby. Never. You couldn’t get rid of me that easily,” he said, as sat down next to her. He leaned in, placed his hands on either side of her head, and brushed his lips against hers. “I need you to understand that I’m not going anywhere. The moment I first saw you, it was lust at first sight. I’d never seen anyone so exotic, so beautiful before. You literally took my breath away. But then, once we started talking that night, I knew that I liked you. I mean, I really liked you. You listened, you cared. You ‘got’ me, and you wanted to help me. You treated me like a regular person, and not a celebrity. I knew I had to see you again, and get to know you better. And all the time you took care of me after the accident, little by little, I was falling in love with you. I just didn’t realize it until last weekend in Vegas, when I was worried that I was going to lose you. I was too afraid to tell you then. But no matter what happens, Meg, I love you, and I will always love you.”
Meg exhaled and snuggled against Sky’s chest. “I love you too.” She ran her hands over his chest, then down to the waistband of his jeans. She slipped her fingers underneath the denim fabric and shifted her body so that she was facing him while straddling his thighs.
“Meg, baby, what are you doing? I thought you would just want to talk tonight.”
She reached for the bulge in his crotch. “Mmm…making love is like communicating without talking.”
“Yes, it is.” His voice cracked as she massaged his erection. “Jesus, that feels good,” he said, as his heart began to race. “If you keep that up, I’m gonna have to cart you off to the bedroom.”
“Ooh…is that a threat or a promise?”
“Both, baby.”
“Good.” Meg stood and beckoned Sky to follow her.
He followed her into the bedroom, and watched her strip down to her underwear, before he peeled his own clothes away. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, as he closed the gap between them. “Beautiful inside and out,” he said as he took her by the hand and led her towards the bed.
Meg pulled back the covers and lay down. “It’s just a full-size bed, so it’s going to be a little tight.”
“Do you really think I’m gonna complain about having to sleep so close to your gorgeous body?” He climbed onto the bed and took her into his arms. “Besides, it’s actually bigger than our bunk on the bus.”
“True.”
“Was this your childhood bedroom?”
“No, my room was down the hall. It only has a twin bed, so I usually stay in here since my dad moved back to his house.”
“Wait…hang on a second.” Sky backed away so he could look her in the eyes. “This is your father’s bed? Isn’t this a little weird for you?”
“Having a guy in my dad’s bed? I actually never thought about it.”
He chuckled. “So, you’re a little bit of a naughty girl…”
Her lips unconsciously formed a pout. “Naughty? I thought I was nice…”
“Oh, baby, you are nice,” he said, his voice husky with desire. “Very nice, but doing it in your father’s bed…that’s downright naughty. And in bed, I’ll choose naughty over nice every time.”
“You know, you’re incorrigible.”
“And you love it.”
“You’re right.” She chuckled and kissed his bare chest. “I do.”
They became quiet as they lay next to each other with their limbs intertwined. The only sounds in the room came from their breathing.
Sky broke the silence, and asked, “Are you sure this is what you want tonight?”
“Yes. I need you tonight.” She clung to him, and ran her fingers through his hair. “I’ve never spent my birthday night with a man before.”
“Didn’t your doctor fiancé come with you in the past?”
She shook her head. “No, never. We were together for over a year before he even realized that he didn’t know my birthday. When I finally told him that I didn’t celebrate it, and why I didn’t celebrate it, he just shrugged his shoulders and accepted it.”
“He never followed you, never insisted that you not go through this alone?”
Meg closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “No.”
“What an asshole. From now on, you will never be alone on your birthday. I’ll travel here with you, and sit all day at the cemetery with you, if you want me to.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
They continued to hold each other, sharing kisses and caresses. “I could spend the entire night like this,” Sky whispered as he nibbled on her earlobe. “I love being close to you.”
“Me too.”
He caught a glimpse of the clock on the nightstand, and bolted upright. “I almost forgot something,” he said as he jumped out of the bed.
“What’s wrong? Where are you going?”
“Be right back,” he called out from the living room. He returned a moment later, with a small box in his hand. “We only have a little while left of your birthday, and I want to give you your gift.”
“But, Sky…”
He gazed into her eyes. “Meg, I know you don’t want to celebrate your birthday, but I do. You gave me back my life the night we met. You’re my guardian angel.” He handed her the small box. “Open it.”
She sighed. “Okay,” she said, as she opened the box with trembling hands. She gasped when she saw the heart-shaped gold pendant. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
Sky ran his fingers over the gold heart. “Two angel wings come together to form a heart.”
Meg looked more closely at the necklace. “Ooh, I didn’t notice that at first. I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
He pulled her close, and kissed her on top of her head. “Like I said, you’re my guardian angel, so I thought it would be the perfect gift for you.”
“Thank you again.” She placed the box on the nearby nightstand. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.” He eased her backwards, until her head was resting on a pillow. As his lips brushed against hers, he asked, “Are you still up to…”
She looked into his eyes. “Yes.”
“Good.” He reached around her back and unclasped her bra. “I can never get enough of you,” he said, as he flicked his tongue over her nipples until they were pebble-hard.
Meg gasped with pleasure at Sky’s touch. Her back arched as he peeled off her panties. “I can never get enough of you, either.”
As he wriggled out of his underpants, he let out a low moan when Meg’s fingers encircled his manhood and began to massage him. “Jesus, Meg, we’ve gotta slow down. I feel like I’m about to explode.”
She reluctantly let go of him. “Well, we wouldn’t want that.”
“No, we wouldn’t. I need to be inside you, but let’s take our time.” His lips covered hers in soft kisses that grew more intense as his tongue began to explore her mouth.
A low moan escaped Meg’s lips as Sky nibbled his way down her neck to her breasts. She savored the alternating sensations of his soft lips and scratchy five o’clock shadow as his mouth nudged her legs further apart when he reached her most private place.
He knew he had reached her sweet spot when she began to writhe with pleasure. As his tongue lapped at her entrance, her body began to convulse, and he urged her on. “Let it go, baby. Come for me.”
“Oh my God, Sky,” she called out as the spasms overtook her. As she struggled to regain her senses, she felt him climb on top of her. His hard manhood poked against her inner thigh, and she savored the pressure of his body on top of hers.
His lips met hers in an urgent kiss. “Meg, baby…,” his voice trailed off as he rocked his pelvis against hers. “I’ve got to ask you something. It’s important.”
Alarm bells went off in her head, and her heart began to beat wildly. She tried to keep her voice at a normal register. “What is it?”
“Are you on the pill? Or something?”
“Yes, I’m on the pill. Why?”
“Because, after today, I don’t want anything to come between us ever again.” He rubbed his erection against her inner thigh, and continued, “Not even a condom. You know I’m clean from the test results in the hospital. I’m assuming you’re clean too.”
She could barely breathe as she nodded her head. “I had myself tested after Craig broke up with me, when I learned he had cheated on me. There’s been no one since then, other than you.”
“I’ve never had sex without a condom.” Sky searched her eyes. “It will be my first time fully feeling a woman, and I want it to be with you. Are you okay with that?”
She gazed into his eyes as she nodded her head. “Yes,” she said, as she pulled him in for a deep kiss. “I want you to feel all of me.” She shifted her body, and wrapped her legs around his waist.
Sky rocked his pelvis, positioning his manhood at her slick opening. He teased her sweet spot with the tip of his erection, before taking a deep breath and entering her one inch at a time.
Meg kept her eyes focused on his face, watching as a flood of emotions overtook him. When he filled her, his eyes opened, and she was surprised when she noticed his tears. “Sky?”
“I’ve never felt anything like this.” He rocked his hips, taking his time with every thrust. “It’s incredible.” He alternated his strokes with kisses. “You’re incredible.”
“So are you.” She was breathless as she clung to him, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around his torso as his pace quickened. She knew he was close to finishing when he began to pound into her with a fierce abandon.
“I’m so close, baby. I’m gonna…oh my God.” His body stiffened and jerked as he emptied himself inside her.
As his body erupted in pleasure, Meg dug her fingernails into his back and urged him on. She clenched her inner muscles so she could milk every drop of Sky’s seed. She ran her fingers through his hair, and kissed the side of his neck. “Did you like it?”
His voice was deep with emotion. “Love is more like it. I never felt anything like that. The whole experience blew my mind. Now I know what it really means to make love.”