Lick (Stage Dive, #1)(84)

“I love you too.” His hands slid beneath the back of my top. We moved harshly together. Our furious breaths mingled into one. Sweat slicked both our skins, the fabric of my shirt sticking to me. The heat gathered low inside me again. It didn’t take long in this position. Not with the way he ground himself against me. His mouth sucked at the section of skin where my neck met my body and I shuddered in his arms, coming again. The noises he made and the way he said my name … I never wanted to forget. Not a moment of it.

Eventually, he laid us both back on the bed. I wasn’t willing to let him go so he covered my body with his. The weight of him pressing me down into the bed, the feel of his mouth on the side of my face. We should never move. In the best-case scenario, we’d just stay like this forever.

But actually, I did have something I had to do.

“I need my bag,” I said, squirming beneath him.

“What for?” He rose up on his elbows.

“I have to do something.”

“What could be more important than this?”

“Roll over,” I said, already urging him in that direction.

“Alright. But this had better be good.” He relaxed and let me roll him. I scampered across the mattress, trying to tug my skirt back down at the same time. It must have looked a treat because David came after me with snapping teeth.

“Get back here, wife,” he ordered.

“Give me a second.”

“My name looks good on your ass,” he said. “The tattoo has healed very nicely.”

“Well, thank you.” I finally got off the mattress and set my pencil skirt to rights. In the month we'd been apart, I'd ignored my ink. But now, I was glad it was there.

“That skirt’s coming off.”

“Just wait.”

“And that top. We have a lot more making up to do.”

“Yes, in a minute. I've missed my topless cuddles.”

He’d dumped my bag on a blue velvet wing-backed chair by the door. Whoever had decorated the condo had done a hell of a job. It was beautiful. But I’d check it out later. Right now I had something important to do.

“I bought you a present today, after we talked at the studio.”

“Did you now?”

I nodded, searching my bag for the treasure. Bingo. The fancy little box was right where I’d left it. With it hidden in my hand I walked back to him, a wide smile on my face. “Yes, I did.”

“What have you got in your hand?” He climbed off the bed. Unlike me, he stripped off his jeans. My husband stood before me naked and perfectly disheveled. He looked at me like I was everything. As long as I lived, I knew I wouldn’t want anyone else.

“Evelyn?”

For some reason I felt suddenly shy, awkward. Any money, the tips of my ears glowed bright pink.

“Give me your left hand.” I reached for his hand and he gave it to me. Carefully I slid on the thick platinum band I’d blown my savings on that afternoon, working it past his big knuckle. Perfect. I’d walk all winter and freeze my ass off, happily. David meant more to me than replacing my crappy old car. Given the money I now owed my parents, the timing wasn’t brilliant. But this was more important.

Except the ring covered half of the second last E from his Live Free tattoo. Shit, I hadn’t thought of that. He probably wasn’t going to want to wear it.

“Thank you.”

My gaze darted to his face, trying to judge his sincerity. “You like it?”

“I f*cking love it.”

“Really? Because I forgot about your ink, but—”

He shut me up by kissing me. I kind of liked his new habit of doing that. His tongue stroked into my mouth and my eyes slid shut, every worry forgotten. He kissed me until not a single doubt remained as to how taken with his ring he was. Fingers fussed with the buttons on my top, slipping it off my shoulders. Next the band on my bra loosened.

“I love my ring,” he said, his lips traveling over my jaw and down my neck. My bra straps slid down my arms and my breasts were free. Next he started in on my skirt, wrestling with the zip and pushing it down over my hips. He didn’t stop until I was every bit as bare as him. “I’m never taking it off.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“I do. And I need to get you naked right now and show you how much I like it. But then I’ll give you back your ring. I promise.”

“No rush,” I murmured, arching my neck to give him better access. “We’ve got forever.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO




We’d planned to meet Amanda, Jo, and a few other friends at one of the local bars the next night. My insides were in a permanent state of upheaval. Excited and nervous and a hundred other emotions I couldn’t begin to process. But not doubtful. Never that. I’d talked to Ruby about continuing on with the extra shifts at the café and she’d been delighted. It turned out her distraction the previous day had been on account of her finding out she was pregnant. My dropping out of college couldn’t come at a better time as far as she was concerned. Eventually I’d go back to school. I liked the idea of teaching, maybe. I don’t know. There was time.

The bar was one of the smaller ones, not far from our new home. A four-piece rock band on the small corner stage played grunge classics interspersed with a few new songs. Jo waved us over to a table out of the way. Meeting David was obviously big for her. Puppies jumped less.