CHAPTER 23
Drake
“You still wanna come?” I asked, as I came downstairs.
“No, I don’t think I’ll go with you,” Elsie said.
“Why not?” I asked. “Don’t you want to see Delia graduate?”
“If you’re wearing a disguise, do I have to wear one as well?”
“Probably. I don’t want to take away from Delia’s day, you know? How do I look?”
“Your baseball cap is the one you always wear, and you wear those sunglasses all the time, too.”
“So, good?” I asked.
“I don’t think anyone will recognize you,” Tammy said. “Especially in tennis shoes and no guitar slung around your shoulder.”
“Good. That’s the point. All right, Elsie. One last chance. You comin’ or not?”
“Not. But—can you record it for me? So I can watch it?”
“Sure will. Tammy, I’m heading over to the campus. Tell Paul I got the vet bill paid and everything’s back on automatic payments. No more bills should be coming to the house. Including yours.”
“Yes sir,” Tammy said, with a grin.
I situated my baseball cap on my head and waited until I was sure there was no one stalking my gate. Paul was even lending me his muddy pickup truck so no one would recognize me in Black Betty. With all of that in place, I left to go watch Delia graduate.
I was hoping that going incognito wouldn’t detract from Delia’s day. This was a special ceremony, and one I wanted to see. I wondered what she was doing right now, and if she was nervous or excited, if she had any job interviews lined up or if she was going to stay at the company she was currently with. There were so many things I wanted to ask her, but I settled for anonymously watching her walk across the stage.
And did she ever look wonderful.
The Dean of the University was giving out special awards to the top ten students of the class. I listened to all the names being called out and smiled broadly when Delia’s name rang out over the audience. Elsie would love watching this when I got home. I knew she would be just as proud of Delia as I was.
Even though I wasn’t sure why I thought I had a right to be proud.
I held up my camera phone and recorded most of the ceremony. I skipped the boring speech by someone whose name I didn’t recognize, then recorded Delia receiving her award. Her smile was big and her stance was tall. The crowd roared with applause as she turned out toward her fellow classmates, and then her eyes panned over toward me.
She looked right at me, then continued to look around the stadium.
I wasn’t sure if she’d seen me. If she did, she didn’t let on to the fact that she had. My heart was hammering in my chest as the ceremony was dismissed, and I knew I had to find her. Seeing her with that cap and gown and her diploma in her hand—it tugged at a part of me that wanted to celebrate with her.
I strode in front of the crowd and made my way downstairs. I pushed past people, ignoring them as they cussed me out. I raced out onto the greenery of the front lawn, trying to find her as I stood next to a statue. My hands were trembling as I slid my phone into my pocket, saving the video for Elsie to watch later.
Then, I heard her cute little giggle as it rose up behind me.
I whipped my head around and saw her talking to a few people. I walked toward the edge of the greenery and stood by them, trying to bide my time until she was done. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about over the shrieks and hollers of everyone else, but I knew they were talking about something that made Delia very happy. She clapped her hands and jumped up, giving one of her professors a hug before she released him.
Then, she started toward me, her gown fluttering in the breeze that kicked up as she made her way to the road. She was beautiful. Electric and bright, like the sun bearing down on our backs. She had her cap in one hand and her diploma in the other, and there was something about her that glowed. A month and a half away from me had done her a bit of good. Part of me wondered whether or not to reach out for her as she passed me. Part of me wondered if I would ruin the happiness of the day with my presence.
But then I smelled her perfume, that light scent of honey and vanilla, and I was instantly thrown back to that first night.
Reaching my arm out for her, I spun her into my body. She gasped in shock, her wide eyes whipping up to mine as I slid my arm around her. I cradled her ass in one hand and the back of her neck with the other, then I crashed my lips down onto hers.
I felt her still in my arms before she moaned, leaning heavily into me.
Her arms wrapped around my neck as I pulled her against me into my warmth. She felt so good in my arms—so sweet and soft as she melded to my shape. I felt her knees give out as my tongue swiped across her lips, begging entrance as I held her body weight in my arms. I felt people looking at us, casting us curious glances. But as Delia’s lips parted and our tongues connected, electricity shot through my bones, breathing life back into my haggard body.
I had to have her. No matter what it took, I knew I couldn’t let her go. I had to feel her body against mine, and her lips on my cock. I had to kiss every inch of he . I grabbed her hand as we ran across the road, my body tugging her behind me as she shuffled in her heels.
Helping her into my truck, we barreled back to her apartment. I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder as she squealed with delight. Her hands clung to my shirt as I dashed up the steps, taking them two at a time as sweat began to drip down my back.
I set Delia down on her feet long enough for her to unlock her front door for me.
Pushing her clear through the threshold, she closed the door with her back. I ripped her flimsy black gown off her body and tossed it to the floor, allowing my hands to roam along her body. Her lips were swelling against mine as she rolled her hips into me. My hands shoved underneath her shirt, feeling her soft skin underneath my fingertips.
Rubbing her stomach, something felt a little different. I nearly stopped to see what it was, to see what had changed about Delia’s body, but her lips were trailing down my cheek and her teeth were nipping at my ear. I could feel her tits pressed against me, her nipples poking through and begging for my hands.
We stumbled to her couch as we ripped each other’s clothes off. I brought one of her nipples to my lips, licking and teasing as her moans filled her apartment. Her body was already flushed with want for me, and I couldn’t hold myself back any longer.
She needed to be mine now.
Picking her up, I pushed her against the wall as her juices dripped onto my skin. Our kisses were frantic as I pinned her hands above her head. My lips dropped down to her breasts, marking her and sucking red welts into her skin.
I slid my cock into her dripping pussy and she moaned with delight. She smelled different than usual. More potent. It tugged at the animal inside of me as her tits jumped against my body. I thrusted up into her, rolling my hips as her legs pulled me deeper. I could feel her shaking and hear her moans. Her juices were already dripping down my cock.
Releasing one of her hands, my fingers snaked between her folds. Her hand threaded around my neck, pulling my lips back into hers. Our tongues battled for dominance as my hand worked her clit, and I could feel her fluttering around me. I pinned her body to the wall as she whimpered and gasped, her legs growing weak as they dropped to my sides.
“Come for me,” I said, into her lips. “Do it now.”
“Drake! Oh—oh shit. Yes. I’m coming.”
Her pussy throbbed around me, pulling me deeper as I stilled my hips. Our foreheads connected and I could feel all of her, aching and shivering as she jumped with her climax. I kissed the tip of her nose and pressed her entire body into the wall, feeling her legs dangling as I slid my knee between them. She collapsed onto me as I pulled my cock from her, and I gathered her in my arms and pushed into the first room I found.
We toppled onto the bed and she rolled me over. Her hand reached down and took my throbbing cock and slid it back into her body. My hands roamed over her curves, taking in the swell of her tits and the tightness of her stomach. There was something definitely different about her, and I loved it. I loved the mystery of her body that I couldn’t put my finger on. Her face was shining with sweat and her skin was glowing underneath the Nashville sunlight streaming through her curtains. My hands moved from her tits to her hips, squeezing and feeling all of her before I grabbed her ass.
“Like this,” I said, as I guided her. “Just like this.”
She rolled into me, matching my motions as my cock throbbed against her walls. She was intoxicating. Her face was scrunched with pleasure and her hands were palming her tits. I spread my legs wide for her and spun her around, grinning as she gasped at the quick movements. I reared up and put her on all fours as I kissed up her spine, watching as her ass rose for me.
Slowly, I ran my hand along her skin. I grinned as goosebumps rose against the skin of her back. Her legs were trembling, and her hands were twisted in the sheets. She was a moaning mess and my cock was dripping for its release. I found the tresses of her hair and twisted my hand within them, pulling as she gasped with pleasure.
I slid my cock back into the swell of her body, groaning as her pussy took me in beautifully.
“Just for me,” I said. “Only for me.”
She moaned at my words as she bucked back into my hips.
I lost myself in her in that moment. I pounded into her, shoving her all the way to the edge of the bed. I released her hair and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her upright as her head slammed down onto my shoulder. She turned her lips my way and I captured them, a sloppy kiss forming against my tongue as I pounded into her from behind. I could feel her ass jiggling against me as her tits bounced freely. My hand wrapped underneath her arm, cupping her breasts and massaging her nipples.
“Fuck Drake. Holy hell. Mmmm—like that. Only like that. Don’t stop. Please.”
Her sounds were intoxicating, throwing me into the same haze I felt whenever I drank. I chased that high, feeling my balls curling into me as her pussy fluttered around my cock. She was jolting and moaning, gasping as I grunted into her neck. I nipped at her skin and kissed the shell of her ear, feeling her lose control against me as I held her close.
I slammed into her one last time, feeling her release around my cock. Her body went weak in my arms, causing me to wrap my arms tightly around her. We fell back to the bed, my cock pumping hot, sweet cum into her precious little body as she laid there on top of me.
Every muscle in my body was twitching as we came together, filling her bedroom with our scents.
My hands ran up and down her form, taking in the slope of her body again and again. I kissed her shoulder, helping her come down from her high as our juices trickled down my thighs. I slowly pulled from between her legs, rolling her limp body beside me as I brushed her hair away from her face.
She was the epitome of innocent perfection, wrapped up in a body I’d never be able to shake.
“That was amazing,” I said.
“It was,” she agreed.
“Do you mind if I grab a quick shower? It was hot as hell out there today.”
“No, go ahead.”
“If you wanna hop in with me, I won’t say no,” I said, with a grin.
She didn’t answer me and I could see the light of doubt flickering in her eyes.
“Delia?” I asked. “Is everything ok?”
“Everything’s fine,” she said, though I wasn’t one-hundred-percent convinced.
I hopped out of bed and started for her bathroom. I turned on the shower and stepped in, reluctant to wash her body from mine. My head was swirling, drunk with the passion I had just experienced. It was the same every time. She was not only the perfect distraction, but the perfect addition to my life. She gave me a high I’d never felt before. Not even on my drunkest nights on that damn tour bus. I scrubbed myself down quickly and got out, then grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my body.
But when I came back into the bedroom, Delia wasn’t on the bed.
“Delia?” I asked. “Where’d you go?”
The apartment was silent as I started walking around.
“Delia? Where are you?”
Panic began to fill my chest as I crossed her apartment and checked the other room.
“Delia?” I asked, as I threw open the door.
I strode over to the door to see if it was open, but there was something taped to it that caught my eye. I tore the piece of paper off the front door of her apartment as my eyes scanned it, and suddenly it all made sense.
Drake,
It means a lot that you came to my graduation. I’m not sure who invited you, but I’m glad they did. But Drake, as much as I might want to, I can’t do this. You're in recovery and I have a life I’m about to start. Maybe our futures will bring us together again, but for now the time isn’t right. Not for you, anyway. Focus on you. Get back on your feet. Tackle the adventures you have coming your way. Leave me in your past for now.
I called a cab so I could go get my car from campus. I needed to clear my head. Tell Elsie I said hello.
Delia
I crumbled up the note and tossed it into the garbage can. My chest hurt and it took me a moment to realize that it was from the disappointment I felt standing there alone in her apartment. She was letting me go and it hurt like hell. I’d never before wanted anything more than a good fuck from any woman I’d been with after losing Shannon. Until Delia.
She thought she was doing the right thing by not complicating my newly found sobriety, but I needed her. I needed her and I wanted the fuck out of her. I walked through her apartment and shut the door behind me. I made my way to my truck, stopping just shy of the door. I looked out along the horizon, toward the direction of my farm. I was torn between wanting to go after her and convince her we could be good for one another and wanting to go home and wallow in my self-pity. For once in my damn life, I chose to do something constructive.