Chapter Eighteen
As we drive down the road to his house, I sing along to the song playing on the radio. My mood is so high right now that I don’t think anything could bring me down. Being in Chance’s arms on the dance floor felt absolutely amazing. I’ve been held by him many times before, but tonight was different.
Chance squeezes my hand and glances over at me. “I love hearing you sing. You have such a beautiful voice. It’s nearly as pretty as you are.”
In the past with any other guy, I would think he was feeding me lines. With Chance, I know that is not true. With him, he is constantly complimenting me, constantly telling me how much I mean to him. He doesn’t want something from me; he just wants me. All of my issues, my insecurities, he wants it all.
“I would say the same, but I don’t like to lie,” I say, smiling at him.
He chuckles as he pulls into the driveway. He doesn’t say a word as he shuts off the truck and unbuckles his seat belt. He winks my way before opening the door. Shutting it behind him, he walks around the front of the truck to my side. Chance opens the truck door and helps me down, wrapping his arms around me.
Pulling me close to his side, he says, “I hope you had a good time tonight.”
I couldn’t have asked for a better night, couldn’t have even imagined a night more perfect. Tonight was better than prom and homecoming put together, at least what I imagine prom and homecoming are like. It was amazing and magical, a night I will never forget. It will live in my memory for the rest of my life.
“I had an amazing time,” I reply, leaning up to brush my lips over his. “Thank you so much for taking me with you.”
“I was lucky enough to have the most beautiful woman in the world on my arm all night, so I should be the one thanking you,” he says as he steps back and grabs hold of my hand.
We stay quiet as we walk toward the house. Stopping twice to kiss me, he leads me inside and shuts the door behind us. Just as we step into the living room, my phone starts to vibrate in my purse. My eyes automatically move across the room to the clock and see it's nearly midnight, and my heart starts to race. I pull it out of my purse, worried that something is wrong. When I see Hank’s name, the worry turns to fear.
“I’ve got to take this; being this late, something could be wrong,” I say, bringing the phone to my ear. “Hello.”
“Hey, sweetheart. How did the big date go?” he asks, letting out a drawn-out yawn. “Did you have fun?”
Realizing that he is just checking in on me, I let out a relieved breath. My eyes lock on to Chance and I mouth that everything is okay. He smiles and motions that he is going to grab us a drink. On his way out of the room, he untucks his shirt and loosens his tie. I’m not the only one that isn’t used to fancy clothes.
“I had a wonderful time,” I reply, going on to tell Hank all about my night. “It was so much fun, more fun than I have ever had.”
When Hank and Lucy came down for the weekend, they ended up staying here at Chance’s house instead of my trailer. Hank and Chance spent the time fishing, drinking beer, and talking about sports. By the time they headed home, the two men were already making plans for another visit. The only difference being, Chance and I coming to Macon to visit them.
“Did you get twinkle toes to dance with you?” he asks, chuckling under his breath. “Still can’t believe the kid thought he could take you to something like that and not dance at least once. No woman is gonna put up with that.”
I made the mistake of calling Lucy before I got ready tonight. Of course, she had to ask a million questions. Even though she didn’t mean to, she ended up making me even more nervous than I already was. While we were talking, I happened to mention Chance’s aversion to dancing. Obviously, she must have told Hank.
“Yeah, it took a little begging, but he danced with me,” I reply with a smile. “And he only stepped on my toes twice.”
He chuckles again then says, “I really like that boy. He seems like a good man. I think he’s good for you. He’s helped you come out of your shell. You’ve laughed more in the last few weeks than the entire time I’ve known you.”
Thinking back on everything that has happened over the last month living here in Paducah, I have to agree with Hank. Chance is a good man. Not just a good man, he’s a wonderful man. He treats me like a queen, his own personal queen. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better man. In truth, he is my dream man.
“I figure by this time next year, I’ll be walking you down the aisle to him,” he says, drawing me out of my thoughts. “I have to tell you that I’m not giving you away, but just gonna share you with the boy. If that ain’t good enough for him, he’s not getting my girl.”
Visions of myself in a white wedding dress flash through my mind. I can see Chance standing at the front of the church with a huge smile on his face while his mother and Lucy sit on the pews crying with joy. At that moment, I know there is nothing I want more in the world than to make that a reality.
“I love him,” I mumble before I can even think about what I am saying. “I really do; I am in love with Chance.”
The words are barely out of my mouth before the phone is jerked out of my hand. Chance says something to Hank and then tosses it on the couch. A split second later, I am in his arms and his lips are on mine.
When he finally pulls back, he looks into my eyes. “I love you, too, Gypsy. Love you more than anything in this entire world.”
His whispered words and soft caresses have shown me just how much I mean to him, but hearing him actually say it is different. It makes it all feel so real. Suddenly, that feeling is exactly what I needed to put my past where it belongs, behind me.
“I love you,” I say, reaching up and laying a hand against his freshly shaved cheek. “I’ve known it for a while now, but tonight is the first time I’ve been brave enough to even admit the way I feel, even to myself.”
Chance holds me as his lips descend on mine again. Gently, he nips my bottom lip, forcing me to open up for him. His tongue slides into my mouth, rubbing against mine. Leaning closer to him, I deepen the kiss. My hands go down to his waist then under his shirt. The moment I feel his warm skin, I moan against his lips.
“We need to be heading to bed.” He pulls back, grabbing hold of my shoulders. “Gypsy, baby, I need a second to catch my breath and then we’ll head upstairs.”
I know what he is saying without him having to use the actual words. Chance is being the nice guy, letting me know that he wants more but isn’t going to push me. He is trying his best to not scare me, in fear that I will freeze up again. He has been so patient with me, never trying to force me to do anything that would make me feel uncomfortable. That’s not going to happen tonight. Not now, not ever again. I am ready to give myself to him completely. Not only am I ready, I’m also looking forward to it.
“No,” I reply with a shake of my head. “I want both of us to be completely breathless when this night is over.”
He pulls me against him again, searching my face with his bright hazel eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I’m ready to do more than sleep,” I whisper, not sure exactly how to say what I mean. “I’m ready for more.”
Without giving him time to reply, I pull out of his arms and grab his hand. I lead him to the bedroom. Once inside, I step out of my shoes and lift my hair. Without having to ask, he unclasps my necklace and lays it on the dresser while I unzip my zipper. I step out of the dress, leaving me in nothing but a lavender bra and matching panties, and then turn around to look at him.
“I want this; I want this with you,” I say, taking in a deep breath for courage. “I hope you want me just as bad.”
He will never know how much those words cost me, how much nerve it took to even say them. My interaction with men, sexually at least, is limited to high school boys. Even that was many years ago, and I would never have said anything so bold to any of them.
Shrugging off his jacket, he smiles my way. “No way you want me as bad as I want you, Gypsy Girl.”
His tie is next, quickly followed by his shirt and shoes. He slides his pants down his legs, leaving him in nothing but a pair of navy blue boxers. Spending every night, I have seen him like this more than once. Each time, I’m reminded of how amazingly handsome he is. His body is perfect, with not an ounce of fat anywhere.
“I know that a man is supposed to be handsome, but I swear, you are beautiful,” I say, my eyes glued to his abs.
He shoots me a wink and says, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Walking to me, he stops in front of me and picks me up. I let out a laugh as he walks me toward the bed. He lays me down and climbs in beside me. His lips are on mine in a flash while one hand tangles into my hair and the other starts exploring my body.
His tongue slips between my lips as his hand finds its way to my breast. Sliding underneath the lace, he plays with my nipple. He’s done this more than once, but this time it feels different. It feels better, even more wonderful, absolutely outstanding.
My hands travel over his body as he somehow moves us around enough to unclip my bra and pull it off. His lips find my breasts as I slide my hand over his back. As he pulls my nipple into his mouth, I moan in pleasure. He moves to the other, giving it the same attention as he did the first.
“I love you,” he says, chanting the words over and over again. “I love you so much; I never knew I could feel like this.”
Wishing there were words to express how I feel but knowing there isn’t, I simply say, “I love you, too.”
He finally moves back to my mouth. As we kiss, his hand continues its exploration. Finally, it slides into my panties. When he makes contact with my sensitive clit, I gasp in pleasure. I’ve never felt anything so extreme before, never felt anything so amazing.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asks, pulling his mouth from mine. “We can stop if you want to.”
Looking into his eyes, I know that my next words will set the tone for the rest of my life. Can I move forward, grab the happiness he is willing to give me, or do I continue to dwell on what happened to me? I know the answer without even having to think.
Feeling the love for him filling my soul, I reach up and cup his cheek. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
He slowly pulls my panties down my legs, sending shivers up my spine. When they’re gone, he shoves his boxers off and rolls on top of me. For a second, Kilo’s face flashes into my mind. I force it away and stare at the man I love. Chance’s lips meet mine again, just as he joins our bodies. After that, my mind is lost in a pleasure that I didn’t even know existed.