Page 29 of Something More

“We’re good. I think I’m going to play around with this today.” He pointed to the laptop.

“Ok, if you get stuck, just call me.” I waved as I stepped out of the office. When I stepped outside, the guys were coming over the hill toward the bunkhouse. Jack was skipping along chattering away, and Bo was nodding in agreement. I grinned as I marched in their direction. When they came to the split in the path, Jack waved and took off for our house. “I’ll be there in a minute!” I shouted. “Go ahead and get changed.”

“K, Mom!” He waved back.

I continued up the path and stopped when I met Hank. He looked unsure as he stared at me, his blue eyes softening as if he knew what I was thinking. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. “I told him,” I murmured when I pulled back. “I don’t want to hold back anymore.” I leaned in again, this time with a deeper kiss. Hank wrapped his arms around me, lifting me in the air and spinning in a circle.

When he placed my feet back on the ground, he pulled back slightly. “I love you,” he whispered next to my ear.

I tightened my grip on his neck. “I love you, too.” He leaned in and brushed his nose against mine.

“This is it for me,” he murmured. “I’ll come by later to say goodnight.” With that, he released me and turned toward the bunkhouse. I wobbled slightly, heady from our interaction, and watched as he disappeared inside. This was it for me too, and as I made my way to my place, visions of Hank and I played through my mind. Would things be like they used to be, or would they be better?

Chapter 15

Dakota

“This is it for me.” The words repeated themselves over and over all night. Dinner was a blur, and I felt bad because Jack had been chattering on about working with Grandpa and swimming with the guys. At one point he laughed because he had asked some ridiculous question, and I’d just nodded, oblivious to what he wanted. He helped me clean up, and then went to play in his room. I’d spent the evening pretending to watch TV. Thoughts of Hank flitted though my mind as well as questions about my sister’s odd behavior.

I’ve never been one to sit back and wait for things to happen, so after Jack said goodnight and went to bed, I decided to go to the bunkhouse. I needed to see if Hank knew anything about Lou and what had been going on while I was away, and then I intended to drag him into the woods for a long overdue kiss.

Just as I was opening the door, there he stood in the edge of the shadows. I jumped back, startled. I wasn’t prepared for him to be there, and I wasn’t sure how long he’d been lurking. “You scared me,” I whisper-shouted. He stepped forward into the glow of the porch light, his lips pulling into a smile on one side.

“Wasn’t trying to do that.” He chuckled. “Just wanted to say goodnight. You going somewhere?” He eyed my feet where I was slipping on a pair of sandals.

“I was coming to find you,” I muttered. I was slightly embarrassed at being caught, but also annoyed that I felt that way. We were adults and should be able to share our feelings. I motioned for him to come in. “Jack’s asleep,” I clarified.

Hank nodded and stepped inside. As soon as his boots cleared the threshold, he wrapped his arms around me andleaned in for a kiss. All thought of asking about my sister went away as every part of my body woke up to Hank’s touch. ’This is it for me’ floated through my head once again, and it was if a switch has been flipped, and I gave myself permission to feel all of it.

My arms looped around his neck, my fingers sliding up to thread through the soft hair at the nape of his neck. I tugged gently, and he groaned. He stepped farther into the house and used the heel of his boot to kick the door shut. Strong arms banded around my middle as calloused hands slid down my back, cupping my ass and pulling me closer.

“What are we doing here?” He panted as he broke the kiss. He leaned his head down and rested his forehead against mine. The ridge on his jeans pressed against my belly, making it known how he felt. “I’m holding on by a thread,” he mumbled before pressing a kiss to the tip of my nose. He bent his knees, so we’d be eye level. “You need to tell me what you want, because I can go back to the bunkhouse right now if I need to.” His eyes darted across my face, a mix of uncertainty and want swirling in the crystal blue of his eyes. “Talk to me.”

I leaned forward, brushing my lips over his, and whispering, “I want you. All of you. All the time.” As the last word left my lips, I crushed my mouth to his, sinking into his embrace. My arms tightened around his neck as I began moving toward the hallway. My bedroom was at the end, and we had to get past Jack’s first. As if he knew what I was thinking, he lifted me into his arms, and silently moved with cat-like reflexes down the hall.

The door softly closed as my feet touched the floor. I reached for the hem of my t-shirt and tugged it over my head, tossing is to the side before reaching for his. He let me push the soft cotton up, kiss his abs and chest at the same time. His tanned skin was warm, his pecs rising rapidly as he attempted tocalm himself. I tossed the shirt to the floor, running my hands over his broad shoulders, taking time to kiss along their tops as I made my way up his neck, pausing right below the ear. He stood there like a statue, letting me explore. Our last time together had been when we were kids. His body was more defined now with new ridges and dips, and I wanted to touch them all.

“You’re killing me, Codie.” He hissed as I pulled at his belt. His stomach sucked in, goosebumps running along his arms as I nimbly undid the buckle and button on his jeans. He kicked his boots off before I peeled the denim over his ass and thighs. He reached for me, tugging at the cotton shorts until they pooled at my feet, before reaching around to undo the clasp on my bra. We stood there for a moment, just admiring what we’d both missed over the last thirteen years. I was an inexperienced teen, and he was the boy who taught me what it meant to love someone. Now, as a woman, I knew myself better and what I wanted from all of this.

“I love you.” He leaned closer and rubbed his knuckles along my cheek. “You’re so beautiful.” He threaded his fingers with mine and led me over to the bed. When my thighs hit the edge, he squatted down and began tugging at my panties. He kissed my hip bone as the silk slid down my legs. “Beautiful,” he whispered. As he stood, I slid onto the soft sheets. He stepped back, shoved his boxers down, kicking them to the side in the process.

He climbed onto the mattress and laid down beside me. “This is better than the hayloft,” he teased as he kissed along my neck. My fingers dug into the sheets, fisting the cotton as I shivered against him. One hand glided down my belly as he rolled closer, toying with me until I was begging for more.

“I can’t… I can’t…” I started begging, and he leaned over, covering my mouth with his. His body moved to hover over me and in one quick motion, we were one.

He paused, “This ok?” Without words, I reached up pulling him closer, digging my nails into his shoulders and wrapping my legs around his hips. He began moving, fluidly at first, but the longer we went, the jerkier the movements became. The kiss broke as he froze and then dropped his head onto the pillow beside me. “I’m sorry. It’s been awhile,” he muttered before rolling to lay beside me. He tucked me against him and pulled the covers over us, cocooning us in the blissful warmth of each other’s bodies.

“Sleep.” He yawned. I closed my eye and drifted off into the best night’s sleep I’ve had since moving back here.

*****

I awoke the next morning to the sound of cartoons coming from the living room. I reached over and was met with cold sheets. My eyes popped open, memories of the night before seeming like they might have been a dream. The sun was beaming, and the last sounds of summer were in the distance.

I sat up, the sheets pooling at my waist when I realized I was naked. It hadn’t been a dream, and the pile of scattered clothes was proof. I quickly climbed out of bed and grabbed some clean panties and PJs. After slipping them on, I noticed a note on my dresser. Hank’s messy handwriting scrawled across it.

Morning Beautiful,

Weren’t sure how you felt about Jack finding me here in the morning, so I slipped out before the sun rose. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I’d hold you all day and night if I could. See you later.

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