Page 102 of My Vows Are Sealed

“Brendan,” she groaned, collapsing against my shoulder.

I folded my arms around her and kissed the side of her head while I gave her a minute to recover. There was absolutely nothing better than getting to watch her come undone like that. Seeing her completely shed her inhibitions and lose herself to the feelings and emotions that always swirled around us when we were together like this was the most beautiful thing in the world. She didn’t open up to people easily, and letting me be the one that she’d chosen to share this part of herself with was the best gift she could ever have given me.

Darla reached over and opened the top drawer of my nightstand, retrieving a condom from the open box inside and tearing it open, then moved backward just enough that she could roll it down my shaft. Positioning me at her entrance, she slowly sank down until I was completely sheathed inside her. I sucked in a breath as she started to rock over me and the now-familiar jolts of pure ecstasy shot all the way through me. Her eyes slid closed and her mouth dropped open, but no sound came out. I pulled her close and peppered kisses along her neck and collarbone, losing myself in the bliss that came with being this intimately connected with her.

“Oh, God,” she breathed. “You feel so good.”

“I love you so much,” I whispered as I backed away just enough to claim her mouth again. “You’re my whole world.”

“I love you,” she answered, curling her arms around my shoulders as she sped up her movements.

This angle let me get so much deeper inside her than I ever had before, and I knew I wasn’t going to last nearly as long as I wanted to. Dipping my head down to pull one of her nipples into my mouth, I slid my hand between us and started to rub circles on her nerve center. She moaned and dug her fingers into my skin as she increased her pace again, and it was all I could do to keep myself from going over the edge before she did.

I rolled us over so she was under me and lifted one of her legs up onto my shoulder as I started to stroke in and out of her. Her whimpers and moans echoed in my ears, and within another minute, she was crying out my name as she pulsed around me. That was all it took to make me tumble off the cliff with her, straining into her as I detonated like a bomb.

I knew our lives were still a mess and that we had a hell of a lot to figure out, but somehow I justfeltthat everything would work itself out and days like today would just be the norm for us soon. I had to believe that. I had to believe God wouldn’t have let us suffer so much if there wasn’t a far greater blessing waiting for us on the other side of this.

Chapter 28

Darla

Truce

My phone chimed in my purse as I pulled into Kate’s driveway and hit the button on the garage door opener. As an extra safety precaution, Kate had decided to move her car to the driveway and let me take her spot in the garage so my car wouldn’t be visible from the street.

As soon as I took the key out of the ignition and hit the button to close the garage, I pulled my phone out and checked my text message.

Brendan: Ethan said he’s free tonight after work. Come back to my place?

Before I’d left his apartment this morning, Brendan had told me that Ethan Smith was back in town and that he wanted to talk to me. He’d said that he believed Ethan meant every word of his apology, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about sharing breathing space with the person who had made my life a living hell in my freshman year of high school. Ihadpromised Brendan that I’d hear him out, though, so I couldn’t say no now.

I sighed as I pressed out my response on the number pad. Why couldn’t someone invent a cellphone that actually had a full keyboard on it? Texting like this took forever.

Me: OK. Am I making dinner again?

Brendan: I wouldn’t complain if you did, but you don’t have to cook for him if you don’t want to.

Me: I’ll cook. For YOU, not for him.

Brendan: I love you.

Me: Love you too. <3

Sliding my phone back into my purse, I got out of my car and headed inside. I heard voices in the dining room and headed in that direction, and was shocked to find Naomi sitting at the table with Kate and Ashton.

“Hey, Nay,” I said. “This is a nice surprise. I didn’t see your car out front.”

“It’s in the shop. Again,” she grumbled. “Ash came to pick me up so we could all hang out today.”

“What’s wrong with it this time?” I chuckled humorlessly as I walked into the kitchen to pour myself a cup of the coffee I smelled brewing.

“Starter. Alex keeps saying he wants me to just trade it in instead of sinking more money into it, but I’d like to know what money he thinks I can do that with,” she scoffed.

“Right?” I agreed. “Wejustgraduated from high school.”

“And we don’t get any of our financial aid until we actuallystartcollege in the fall,” she pointed out.

“Yep,” I muttered.

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