Rock Candy Kisses(20)

Whenever you want to talk about him-I'm here for you.

"Thank you." Blake lands a soft kiss on my temple.

The truth is I want to talk about everything under the sun with Blake.  It's nice to hear a guy's perspective on things like with Tristan, or  some of the other boys I've gotten to know throughout the years, but  with Blake everything takes on a new dimension. With Blake it's deep  waters where as before it was shallow ground. I'm fascinated by him in  far too many ways.

My hand drifts down to his stomach, and I inch my fingers up his shirt.  I'm ready for whatever else Blake Daniels is ready to give me. I untie  the sling from the back of my neck and take it off.

"You need that." He tries to replace it, but I push his hand down from the sling to the bottom of my sweater.

I don't need this either.

Blake latches onto my eyes, and we have a brief standoff that speaks  louder than any words-louder than the silence that engulfs my world.

"Annie," he says it with an inherent sadness. His eyes tell me how  grievous it is for him to take this next step with me, and I can't help  but wonder why.

What's the matter? My emotions are rolling like the tide, and I can feel  them looking to crash right here in his brother's carriage house.

He carefully takes my phone. I just don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you.

A moment bleats by without words or notes or whispers. A horrible ache  grips me. What if this is the end? The part when he very gently tells me  we could never work. A ripe anger percolates through me without  warning. The last thing I wanted when I came to see Blake was to get mad  at him. Ironically, I came to profess my feelings. I sort of hoped he  would do the same.

If I were some other girl, you wouldn't be saying that to me. I let my dark, non-enthused expression say everything else.

He squints out a heartfelt smile. "You're right."

I take a breath and glance at the door. I can text Marley or Tristan,  and they'll be here in a half hour. But my heart breaks because not one  part of me wants to leave.

So I'm just Disability Girl to you? I'm deaf, so you're playing along and being nice to me? Tears warble, blurring my vision.

"No," he says it so loud his voice vibrates over my chest. He shouted as  if demanding I hear. The vibrations, the distended cords in his neck,  give it away. Blake pulls me in by the waist, his hands riding up over  my back in a comforting manner. "I swear we're good." He takes my phone  and types into it. You're mine, Annie. I wouldn't want it any other way.  If I wanted to be just friends with you, then we would be. You and I  are together. This-he taps his chest and mine-is real. I'm in this for  the long haul. You are the only girl for me.

A lone tear rolls down my cheek, and Blake kisses it away before it has a chance to fall.

I bite hard over my lip to keep from bawling as I tap into my keyboard. Then why in the world would you not want me?

"Want you?" His head tips back a moment. "God, I want you." He looks  right at me, holding me by the shoulders as he speaks slow and clear.  "All of you, Annie. I want your heart, your body-and, yes, I want both  of those in my bed. You own me, Annie. I'm all yours. I'm not going  anywhere or looking anywhere else."

A swell of relief covers me, it submerges me in its beautiful waters and I want to drown in this joy, a very happy girl.

"Blake," I whisper his name like I've practiced so many times when I'm alone. "Thank you."

Now, it's his eyes that are welling up with tears. "Do you know how much  I love hearing you?" He shakes his head as he taps into my phone with a  marked aggression. I have to tell you something I've been waiting to  say for quite some time. His eyes press into mine. "I am in love with  you, Annie Edwards." He holds my gaze, his lips curving into a brilliant  smile. I love you. I'd move entire cities, rearrange the continents to  keep you safe-in my arms-he leans in ever so close-in my bed. You're the  woman I want by my side for the rest of my life. And that I can say  with certainty. Blake points to himself then crosses his arms over his  chest before pointing to me-the ASL sign for I love you. He breaks out  in a giant grin, his eyes never leaving mine.                       
       
           



       

My lips tremble as I bite down on them. I love you, too. I sign back  just the way he did. Blake's eyes enlarge. And now I'd like to teach him  something new. I hold up my hand with my middle and ring fingers down,  horns up (pinky and forefinger), thumb out.

"Rock on?" He shakes his head as his grin spreads wide.

Shorthand for I love you. I show him my phone.

He holds up his hand, mirroring mine. "I love you," he mouths before his lips cover mine.

Blake pulls back a moment. "I want everything with you, Annie." He  glances down at my body then up again. "If you're feeling ready to move  things along, so am I. This is about us." His mouth moves slowly,  methodically. "I want you to feel comfortable. I would never force you  to do something you didn't want."

A coy smile creeps up the side of my face. I'm ready to move things  along. I'm putting down the phone now. I shake it a moment before  setting it on the coffee table.

"Okay." A slow, sexy grin flirts with his lips. Blake knows how to smile  with his entire being. The joy on his face shines through like the sun,  and it makes me feel amazing knowing I put it there. "But how about we  work our way up to the big event," he mouths carefully. "I want to do  something beautiful that you won't forget."

Sounds like more waiting to me. I don't stop the disdain from taking  over my face as I reach for the phone, but Blake gently lands his hand  over mine.

"You said you were putting it down." He pulls us to the rug in front of  the fireplace. The flames blink on and off so quick they look like an  illusion. "There's something I've wanted to do for you." Blake reaches  over and grabs a guitar from the corner. That sad ache returns to his  eyes. "Annie, I want to sing just for you." Tears come to him again  because it hurts him to know I can't hear it.

I nod and get on my knees. My fingers grip the bottom of his T-shirt, pulling it right off his body before he can protest.

I hold a finger up and do the same to my sweater. Blake blows out a  breath as his eyes roam over my pale skin, my pink lace bra that shows  my nipples right through. I straddle him from behind and lay my chest  over his bare back, dotting a kiss to his ear. Gently, I cup my hand  over his throat.

"Go," I whisper in his ear.

Blake turns and stares into me sweetly with that constant look of  anguish alive in his gaze. I wish it didn't pain him that I can't hear,  but knowing that it does makes me want him ten times more.

His fingers strum the guitar, and I feel the slight buzz trickle through  his body to mine. Blake starts in on a slow song and my hand, my chest,  vibrates with a warm beautiful rhythm. I close my eyes and let Blake's  body slowly rock me while the throbbing of his voice penetrates my  bones. This moment, right here, is the one that binds our souls  together. Blake strums his way into my life one note at a time, headed  toward that special place where his existence becomes inextricably  linked with mine, his life an indelible part of who I am. Blake sings  for a beautiful livelong hour. These are the same songs, the same  vibrations I've felt at the Black Bear while pressed against the wall.  All those lonely nights I was desperate for any part of Blake and deep  down I was afraid those quivering pulses that were once meant for  hundreds of girls in that room are now just for me.

He pulls the guitar strap off his shoulders and glides the instrument  back into the corner. Blake twists into me until I'm kneeling in front  of him. His eyes do a quick sweep of my partially clad body. His lips  curve in approval. I reach back and clasp my fingers to the back of my  bra.

Blake shakes his head. His eyes never leaving mine. "That's my job." His  grin expands as his hands find mine, and he unhooks my bra. Carefully  he slips it off, his eyes still trained on mine. I lean back, inviting  him to see me like this. The cool cabin air licks over my body, but my  skin burns alive under the supervision of his heated gaze.

"Annie"-he shakes his head just barely as he examines me-"you are so beautiful."

A groan emits from deep in my core. I love reading his lips. I die a  little when he says things like that. Both Blake and his lips are  perfect.

My gaze drops down to his bare chest. Blake has wide set shoulders like a  linebacker. His abs alone are enough to hold my attention for weeks on  end. I trace my finger from his neck to his rock hard stomach, dripping  down slow as six weeks.

He touches his finger to his lips before dropping it over my nipple. "I'm going to kiss you right there."

I can feel a string of giggles trying to bubble their way up my throat,  but I won't let them. I want to tell him that he doesn't need to  ask-that an invitation isn't needed to a single one of my body parts. He  can have them all. They're all his, for his pleasure alone. I don't  need them anymore. I only need him.