Chapter 28

28

ALY

T hursday night, I went over to Porter and Gina's place. Linc was not there. I played with Seth and he reminded me of Linc. Everything reminded me of Linc. Gina and I took some iced tea out onto the porch while Porter did the dishes.

"I'm thinking of taking him back," I said, not specifying who he was.

Gina smiled and toasted me with her drink.

"Do you think that's the right decision?" I worried.

"It doesn't matter what I think," Gina said. "But yes, I'm very happy for you both."

"I think I might go see him after dinner."

"If you're going to do that, let me help you get fancied up."

I smiled. I didn't need to get fancied up to see Linc, but Gina had her heart set on it, so I didn't argue. She took my hand and led me inside. Porter was nowhere to be found, and the baby was missing too, so I assumed it was bedtime. Gina pulled me all the way to her bedroom, flicked on the lights, and left me standing in front of the vanity.

"You need a skirt," she said. "You want to look as feminine as possible, but not like you spent any time picking your clothes out."

I looked down at what I was wearing. After work, I had gone home to throw on some jeans and a T-shirt. Gina was right, I didn't want to show up on Linc's doorstep looking like this. Still, I could easily go home and change. I didn't have to raid Gina's closet.

She was already two steps ahead of me, laying some selections out on the bed. "You try them on and pick which one you like. I'm going to make a phone call."

Alone, I examined the articles Gina had picked. They were two skirt and top combinations and two dresses. I went for the dresses first. I didn't often wear dresses, and I felt like they would be special. Sliding into the first, I looked at myself in the mirror. It was red and curve-hugging with a skirt that brushed my thighs. If I wore this outfit to go visit Linc, there would be no doubt as to what I was after.

I pulled the red dress off and tried on the other. This one was black and white and looked more like something you might wear to a job interview than a passionate reunion. Zipping it up, I could see why Gina had suggested it. It was certainly very flattering. I tried on the two skirt combinations next but ultimately went back to the little red dress. There was nothing like too much firepower when going into battle.

I put the dress back on and left the bedroom. Walking out into the living room, I found Porter and Gina sitting together on the couch. Gina stood up when I entered, gasping in appreciation. Porter's eyes grew wide, and he nodded slowly, like a man who knew enough not to compliment another woman in front of his girlfriend.

"I called Lindsey, the owner of the Wood Rose Salon," Gina announced. "The salon is closed, but Lindsey says you can come over to her house, and she'll give you a trim and a blowout."

I stared at my friend, shocked but happy. This was turning into a bigger event than I had planned. "I should just go over there?"

Gina smiled, excited. "Yeah, she's expecting you."

"Thanks!" I gave Gina a hug.

"Be careful," Porter said, rising for his own hug.

"Always," I responded.

I grabbed my jeans, shirt, and sneakers from the bedroom and took them out to my car. Gina lent me a pair of red pumps that matched the dress, and they beat a rhythm against the driveway. I had never been to Lindsey's house before, so I used my phone's GPS to guide me. I was surprised and delighted to find that she lived in a cabin not too far from my own. There were two cars and a truck in the driveway. Maybe they were having a party, or maybe they already had company.

Knocking on the door, I felt silly. Why should I disturb this woman at home when Linc wasn't going to care or notice? The door swung open, and one of the town police officers, dressed casually in jeans and a well-worn shirt, answered.

"Aly?" he asked.

"Detective White?" I assumed.

"Jason," he corrected me. "Come in. Lindsey's expecting you."

Their cabin was similar to mine, with a living area and a kitchen as soon as you walked in the door. Lindsey was sitting at the dinner table with a coffee mug in front of her. Another woman sat opposite her, also nursing a coffee. I had definitely seen the other woman around town and thought I remembered that she was some kind of child psychologist.

Lindsey stood up when I entered. She crossed the room and gave me a hug before I could stop her. Standing back to evaluate my dress, she nodded approvingly. "I used to have a dedicated styling room."

"Office," her husband corrected.

"Office," Lindsey allowed. "But we turned that room into a bedroom for Mary Ellen."

I nodded, assuming Mary Ellen was their daughter.

"So, we'll have to do this outside," Lindsey finished.

"Okay," I agreed and followed Lindsey and her friend out to the porch.

"This is Macy," Lindsey said, introducing her companion.

Macy offered me her hand. "Hi."

"Do you have a cabin up here as well?" I asked.

"I do," Macy said. "Right over the ridge."

"My cabin is just down the road," I said.

"You'll have to come for a visit," she said.

"She's a friend of Porter's," Lindsey said.

Macy nodded. "You should come to one of our barbeques."

"Yeah," Lindsey agreed. "We had to bully Porter into showing up, but he's a regular now."

"I'll ask him," I promised.

The stylist had me sit on a wooden chair while she draped a nylon cover around my shoulders. There was an outlet on the porch, designed for Christmas lights and lawn mowers probably. She plugged her hairdryer in and went to work. I sat, feeling the heat and the exquisite comfort of gentle brush strokes. When she was done, Lindsey led me to her bathroom to look in the mirror.

A vision stared back at me. The red dress only looked sexier now that my styled hair fell softly around my face. I wanted to touch it, but I didn't want to break the spell. Instead, I wiped a tear from my eye. This must have been what Linc felt when he described the whole town coming together to support him.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Go get him," Lindsey said, giving me permission to continue my mission.

I raced back out the door, down the stairs, and into my car. Suddenly it seemed that Linc was too far away. If I didn't find him soon, my window of opportunity would close. It was crazy, but in that moment, I was convinced that the future was slipping away. Maybe he wouldn't stick around forever if I kept saying no. Maybe he would get tired and move on. I had to take a stand, pull out the big guns, and claim him for my own.

I drove straight to Linc's house and hurried out of the car. Gina's shoes were just a little too big and rubbed my arch the wrong way. I ignored the pain, clattering down the basement stairs to knock on the door. There was no answer. I tried the knob, but it was locked. Knocking again, I waited until I was sure he wasn't home.

It was late. By now, it was approaching eleven. When I had met him in the park before, it had always been past midnight, but I didn't know where else to look. I got back in my car and drove to the park.

The darkness was held back by four strategically placed streetlights, each one illuminating a corner of the parking lot. There was one other car at the far end, probably an employee who was working late. I climbed out, my high heels ill-suited for a stroll. I reached into the back to find my sneakers and, leaning up against the car, slipped my heels off and the tennis shoes on.

It would destroy the illusion of the red dress and the hair, but I needed to be able to walk. Locking the car, I ventured out into the park to see if I could find my one true love. Linc wasn't at the playground, and he wasn't visible on the track. I was about to return to my car in defeat when I saw a figure approaching from the trees.

I froze. Was it Linc? Or was it the owner of the mystery car? Or was it somebody else entirely? Should I run or call out? I remained where I was, frozen to the spot, watching the stranger advance on me. I finally recognized Linc's gait, his particular limp where he favored his good leg.

My heart stilled. All vestiges of threat evaporated into the night. I had found my king. We converged slowly, neither of us eager to rush it. When we met in the middle, there was no need for words. His eyes swept across my figure, making all the prep work worthwhile. Taking me in his arms, he kissed me until I forgot that I had ever been angry.

"I want you," he whispered, breaking away only to chase the urgency of our next act.

We couldn't very well dive into the bushes. Gina's dress would be ruined, and there might be another person in the park. The thought of a drive to either of our houses seemed like torture, but Linc's was closest. We hurried into the car and sped off down the street. I felt his eyes on me.

"You look beautiful," he said the way a drunk man would extol the virtues of a thousand-dollar bottle of wine.

I didn't respond. There was nothing I needed to say. Just showing up dressed as I was spoke volumes. He knew I had forgiven him, but just in case there was any confusion, I turned toward him at the curb outside Mrs. Washington's house.

"I want to be clear," I began.

He nodded, his eyes betraying only the slightest hint of urgency.

"I forgive you, and I accept you back, but if you get scared again…"

"I won't." He removed my hand from the steering wheel and kissed it.

"You might." I felt the first sparks light my insides, listening not to his words but to how he was delivering them.

"If I get scared again, I will come to you. I won't push you away." He broke contact and stepped out of the car, coming around to my door.

I allowed him to help me out, and he kissed me there on the sidewalk in front of nobody. It was midnight, and the street was empty. Yet the halo of light from the streetlamp embraced us and put our love on display. Taking me by the hand, he led me down the stairs to his apartment.

I remembered our last tryst in his living quarters, how desperate we had been to consummate the act. This time, Linc maintained composure all the way to the bedroom. I dropped my purse on the couch and followed him into the secluded space.

He closed the door, even though he didn't have roommates, just to prove that we were truly alone. Cupping my face as if I were made of porcelain, he kissed me softly. "Tell me you want to sleep with me," he said roughly, breaking the enchantment.

"I want to sleep with you," I replied.

He seized the fabric of the dress at my hips and I was afraid he would damage it. "Tell me you want to fuck me."

All concerns for Gina's dress vanished. I latched onto his shirt at his biceps, afraid that I would melt into a puddle on the floor. "Yes," I said.

"Say it," he demanded.

"I want to fuck you," I growled.

He pulled the dress up over my head in one rough movement, stripping me down to my underwear. "How do you want it?"

I wasn't sure what he meant, and I didn't care. I tried to silence him with kisses, but he abandoned my lips and moved greedily to my neck. He picked me up and set me down on the bed, pulling his shirt off and casting it aside.

"Do you want it from behind?" he demanded, lowering himself on top of me.

I didn't know what I wanted, other than to feel him inside me. I was about to tell him that when he sealed my mouth with a hungry kiss, leaving me breathless and dizzy. He worked my panties off with a few quick tugs, planting his lips on my throat and then my collarbone.

I stretched out, almost naked beneath him. With one hand, he urged my thighs apart, and with the other, he slid my bra strap down my shoulder. I arched up to help him, but he didn't give me any room. Before I had a chance to remove the one remaining garment, he had it bunched around my rib cage, my breasts swinging free.

The fire of lust consumed me as he blazed a trail from my collarbone to one nipple, his tongue an instrument of pleasure. Circling my areola, he licked at the crown, sending a jolt of lightning crashing through my core. In the same instant, he pressed a finger into my most intimate place.

I felt helpless, at the mercy of a man who knew my body better than I did. I felt my heartbeat rise toward a crescendo and I squirmed beneath him. Every time I pressed up into him to try to escape the furnace, he pushed me back down, dragging me closer and closer to my release.

"Is this what you want?" He left one nipple to suck on the next, transferring the eye of the storm to the western hemisphere.

"Yes," I moaned. I needed him to finish what he was doing.

If he left me now, I would be devastated. He added another finger to his probe, increasing the width of the instrument and the pleasure that it produced. I felt myself peaking, breaking through the cloud cover to glimpse the magnificent sky. Just one more shove, one more nibble at my breast, and I would be free. He complied without being asked, and I dove, screaming into an ocean of relief.

My inner muscles clenched against his fingers, immediately disappointed when he retreated from his task. I moaned, closing my eyes in supreme delight. I heard the sound of a zipper and the rustle of denim as he shifted his weight above me. When I opened my eyes, he was naked, holding his cock above me. I took the opportunity to slip out of my bra, removing the last remaining fabric between us.

"Tell me what you want," he rasped.

"I want you inside me," I demanded, grabbing hold of his hips.

He complied, pressing his cock into the opening made slick with desire. I urged him forward, stretching my legs as wide as they could go. The farther down he drilled, the sweeter the sensation, until I was filled to capacity. I wrapped my hands around his ass, using the leverage to swallow every last inch.

This was what I had been missing. This was my heaven, my love, my happy place. I couldn't believe I had waited so long to feel this good. He bit his lip, lowering his torso until he covered me completely. When we were chest to chest, he began to move, sliding in and out as his body crushed mine to the bed.

The heat that was generated left me staggering. I dug my fingernails into his shoulders, desperate to climb that mountain again. He found my hands and pinned them to the mattress. Depriving me of any escape, he became the only light at the end of the tunnel. I would have to go through him to achieve relief.

He was moving too slow at the beginning, but when he sped up, I saw fireworks behind my eyes. The pleasure became all-consuming. The lights dimmed, the world fell away, and there was nothing but Linc's body plowing in and out of mine, creating friction at the center of the universe.

I felt myself peaking again, the rush of adrenaline sweeping all thoughts away. He was coming too, shuddering into my hips with an urgency that I knew all too well. We would reach the top together, summiting the mountain of ecstasy that we had built with our own two hands. I cried out, feeling the flood waters burst as he buried himself deeper than ever before. One last thrust was all it took for him to climax, releasing his seed into me.

Exhausted and elated, he sank down on top of me. We lay curled up in one another's arms, feeling the pulse of aftershocks tease our erogenous zones. I felt myself drifting off, and this time, I didn't care if I fell asleep in his bed or not. We were officially boyfriend and girlfriend, and neither of us was going to run out on the other.