Page 43 of Long Time Coming

Reassurance wasn’t on my bingo card when it came to Tagger, but maybe I previously overlooked a vulnerable side. Or maybe . . . this meant more to him than he’ll admit. Is it wrong to hope for both?

He’s always so strong, so if he lets his guard down around me, does that mean he feels safe to do so?

I can hope.

Turning my hand over, we weave our fingers together, and I hold him like I have the strength to keep him here, even if for only one more day.

I won’t lie to him, though, not about this. “I do get lonely. But not with you around.”

He releases my hand to caress my cheek. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

No promises can be made.

I catch his drift without the words being spoken. When his hand slides back to his side of the truck, I look down at my lap, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. He’s right about this being a mess, and I’m not sure it can be cleaned up without someone getting hurt, a.k.a. me. It might be too late to keep that from happening.

He’s lived in my imagination for half my life. The real thing was even better. But that means it might be time for me to let him go, to free him from a situation he didn’t create. I look back at him, knowing what’s right and what’s best for him. I hold my chin high and my gaze steady on him. “We’ll always have the memories.”

I unbuckle and open the door to avoid dragging this out longer than it needs to be. It was fun. He was great. I’ll look back fondly one day, probably from that rocking chair next to Lauralee, and remember this all being worth it. The kisses, the orgasm, and that look in his eyes that, for one moment in time, I was his everything.I was the prize.

God, I think I just broke my own heart.

Swinging my legs out the opening, I’m just about to jump when he grabs my arm. When I look back, he says, “C’mere.” Running his fingers into my hair, he leans across the divide and pulls me closer.

Our mouths meet, this time with care. There’s no crashing of lips or frenzied kisses. No, he takes his time as if I’m being memorized. Slow strokes of his tongue around mine, lips that embrace every part of my mouth, and the hold he has on my head makes me think that he doesn’t want this to end either. But I’ll never ask. It’s not fair when he was always planning on leaving. I knew the risk I was taking.

His eyes are closed when he leans his forehead against mine, and his breathing is staggered as if he feels the same as me. He lifts his head and searches my face once more before landing on my eyes. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

I nod since the words are stuck in my throat. I pull away and hop down to the ground. With my hand on the door, I look back once more. It’s easy to find the will to smile when I’m greeted with one of his own. “See you around, Tagger.”

“Here, take this.” He tosses his black cowboy hat in the seat next to me. I take it, though I probably shouldn’t. It’s a nice hat, but now I have memories attached. I set it on my head, which makes him smile. “See you around, Pris.”

I shut the door and walk toward the house, not even bothered by the name anymore. Now it would sound strange if he called me anything else. I’m quiet going up the wood steps and give my permission to turn back just in time to see him still there watching me. He raises a hand, then shifts into gear and turns around.

I stand there long enough to watch those taillights disappear, and then with his hat as a souvenir, I go to bed.Alone again.

CHAPTER 15

Tagger

Two hours is notenough sleep.

I scrub my hands over my face, knowing wrestling with my thoughts of Pris will keep me awake. So why fight it?

Opening my eyes, I stare at my bedroom ceiling as images of her populate my mind.

The curve of her jaw when her head tipped back against the steering wheel.

Her mouth hanging open, making me want to fuck it, kiss it, and do dirty fucking things to it.

And the feel of her soft tit that fit so perfectly in the palm of my hand.

My dick is hard just thinking about it. She drives me fucking wild.

Diving my hand under the blanket, I rub over the boxers I wore to bed and then take hold. I close my eyes, letting my head fill with images of her, the feel of her soft lips, my fingers sliding through the slick folds, and the taste of her skin. Two more minutes alone and I would have been licking my fingers.

Fuck the cotton barrier. I push them down and get a firm grip, pulling faster and sliding quicker. If I’d had five minutes more with her, I might have been fucking her. I bet that tight little pussy of hers feels like heaven.

It’s not as good as the real thing, but the images of her are getting me there. I jerk faster, the pull deep down tightening.

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