A Boy I Used to Love(29)

"On the ground, holding me?" Lacey asked.

"Exactly. You came here for a reason, Lacey. So, tell me. Open up to me, darlin'. There's no reason to hide."

Lacey put her lips to mine. We kissed, right there in the dirt, halfway in a ditch. Almost the same exact spot where her car had gotten stuck.

I ran my hands up her back and pulled at her. I loved the feel of her breasts against me. The taste of her gentle tongue as she tried to explore my mouth, but face it, I was the one in control.

I put a hand to the ground and pushed. I sat up, taking Lacey with me.

She was straddling me. My hand grabbed at her ass. Ah, that great fucking ass of hers. I squeezed her ass, wanting those wonderful, womanly curved hips to work their magic. I wanted to see what those ten years of experience had given her.

Lacey broke the kiss, hands pushing against my shoulders.

Her lips were red from kissing me so hard.

"Nothing is as good as you, darlin'," I said. "I hope you know that."

Lacey bit her lip. Then she looked around. "Can we go inside?"

"Of course we can," I said. "I could probably get cleaned up a little."

We got to our feet and I helped Lacey back to the road. When she looked at my back and ass, she covered her mouth, laughing. It was refreshing to hear her laugh. It was everything I had been wanting to hear and everything I had been missing. 

I grabbed for her hand and led the way to the cabin.

For the first time in a long damn while the pieces of my life started to make sense. The puzzle was coming together. All because of the laugh and the kiss of one woman.

I looked over at Lacey more than once.

Each time I shut my eyes I pretended I was taking a picture of her.

Somewhere in the pit of my gut, I knew this wasn't going to work out the way I wanted.





Lacey





PRESENT DAY





There was mud from the back of his head down to his butt. He had definitely saved me from a wicked fall and getting dirty myself. I just had some mud on my hands that washed away easily in the kitchen sink.

The cabin was beautiful. A small and quiet little place, big windows in the front and back, a large open floor that was the main area with a fireplace against the center of the side wall. The kitchen was small, able to fit basic appliances and a small two-seat bistro set that was next to a window looking out front toward the road.

It was cozy. It was the kind of place where you could go and forget about reality for a little while.

After I washed my hands, I left the kitchen and found River standing next to the couch, peeling his boots off his feet.

He pointed to a door under the stairs. "There's where the bathroom and bedroom are," he said. "Upstairs is just a little loft. There's enough room for sleeping bags, cots, whatever. I don't know why I'm telling you this." He smiled. "But I'm going to grab a quick shower. I've got dirt in places that it does not belong. When I slid, my shirt went up and …  you know … "

"Okay," I said. "I'll be here, I guess."

River walked toward the door and disappeared.

I stepped over to the couch and touched the back of it. I looked around the place and something hit me. One of the nights in the abandoned house the two of us were in a sleeping bag together. Sharing a little whiskey. Sharing a cigarette. River asked me if I wanted him to buy the house and fix it up. I said no. I said I wanted a little cabin in the woods. As the memory came back, I realized I was looking at the memory come to life. Then I looked at the bedroom door.

River said this cabin was owned by a friend of his? Someone he knew? Because it sure as hell felt like the cabin I had described to him years and years ago. Right down to the loft that had windows on each side.

I pushed away from the couch and walked toward the bedroom. I figured River would be in the shower by then. I could ask him about the cabin. Or maybe my deepest desire just wanted to see him naked. Just one more time. I had felt his chest and shoulders, but I wanted to see what they looked like now. My body, my heart, my brain, they were all confused.

I heard the rushing of shower water and I put my hand to the door and pushed it open. I took two steps in and looked to my right to see River standing there in nothing but a towel.

I gasped. "Oh, sorry."

River turned.

It was like life moving in slow motion.

His chest was built bigger than I remembered. More cut with precise muscle. Where his chest ended his stomach muscles began. Subtle yet beautiful rectangles of muscle that dipped down behind the towel. His left arm from shoulder down to elbow was inked up with a half sleeve full of stories I knew nothing about.

My eyes moved back up, looking at the scruff on his jaw. Up to his eyes.

I wanted to know something.

One thing.