Page 72 of Where You Are

“Beautiful woman… my Sunshine. I’ve never been anyone’s but yours.”

Not taking my eyes off her, I take her hands and we slowly drift down the short hallway to the bedroom. The room is dead quiet, save for the sound of my pulse pounding in my ears. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want her in this moment, right here. I have the eagerness of a teenager combined with the patience of a man as I pull her sweater up over her head, enjoying each inch of her smooth skin as it’s slowly exposed. Her eyes hold a storm of wonder swirling together with need, and they hold onto mine which I know reflect the same. I reach around her and unhook her bra before delicately easing the straps down her shoulders and don’t watch as the black satiny garment falls to the floor. Instead my eyes go to her breasts, taking them in as I refresh my memory of what their weight feels like in my hands. Her breath catches as I massage them gently, fondling, my stare going between her skin and her eyes.

Her hands come up and her fingers grip the cotton of my shirt, starting to move it upwards and I release her breasts to swiftly help her pull it off of me. My arms come around her, clutching her close and letting my thumb sweep back and forth across the silky skin of her back.

“Matt, I need you so much,” her voice trembles against my bare shoulder as one of her arms tightens around my neck and I squeeze her back. I want to soak in this moment; the feel of her skin against mine, but this is what I’ve done every night for the last week, and my ache to connect with her on a deeper level is blaringly prominent. I need her too.

“Touch me, Em. Please,” my voice husks out desperately.

And as if a gunshot just went off, her hands frantically go to the front of me, running up and down my abs, my chest, my shoulders. Her lips singe the skin of my chest in the most incredible way as I fumble with the button on her jeans and jerk them down her hips along with her panties. She steps out of them just when my mouth decides it’s been too damn long since I’ve tasted her skin and skims along her jaw. My lips caress the spot behind her ear and my tongue glides along her neck in sensual strokes, making sure not to miss breathing in her beautiful scent while she makes quick work of the fly on my jeans. I pull away to yank them the rest of the way off, along with my boxers, before pulling her towards me again, my aching cock pressed and straining between us.

I don’t take more than a few beats to look at her, her eyes glassy with love, relief and desperation, before I crash my mouth down on hers. She whimpers against my lips in response and it’s music to my ears. I back towards the bed and sit, pulling her onto my lap, causing my dick to swell even harder between her thighs. I smooth her hair out of her face with my hands and let them both tangle in her soft, silky locks. She rubs every inch of her body against mine that she can as we caress and hold onto one another.

I thought I knew how bad I was aching for her; for her body, her touch. I was dead wrong. As we desperately kiss and gasp for breath, it feels like my next breath depends on every movement. I’m experiencing the most exquisite sensory overload, my mind registering every single touch, kiss, feral noise that comes out of her.

I stand to swing us around so that I’m lying on top of her. Her hands thread into my hair as I kiss down her chest to her stomach and back again and her head drops back when my tongue sneaks out to taste her searing skin. Her guttural moan tells me she’s ready, and I’m beyond so. Both my heart and my cock physically ache to make love to her, to join our bodies and souls after so long apart. I lock eyes with her yet again as I circle the tip of my shaft around her supple opening before finally pushing inside. We release a mutual groan at the satisfaction and relief of sharing this raw connection again.

I bring my mouth down to hers again and she holds my face in her hands as I start to rock into her. We go between sweet and tender slow love to unbridled fucking and back again, but the one thing that doesn’t change is the mounting love and emotion with each pass.

Ispend the rest of the day making love to Melanie. I take her to bed and spend hours worshiping her, breathing her in. I take my time with each touch and each kiss, letting our bodies get reacquainted. Being under the covers with her like this is like being in a fantasy, completely enveloped in our love for each other. I hold her close to me and try to infuse her with everything I feel for her. I tell her how much I missed touching her and being with her, and how beautiful she is.

During one of our respites, we talked. Deciding to have a completely clean slate between us, we were both honest with what life had been like for each of us during the time we were apart. I told Mel about how I’d sunk into such a deep depression I couldn’t even make it through a show without being buzzed, and how I reached rock bottom one night, but Chris had saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life. Confessing that to my Sunshine about broke my heart all over again. I didn’t want her to think that my actions that night happened because I wanted to hurt her or didn’t love her anymore, just that I’d reached a place so low, Icouldn’tcare about anything anymore and just wanted to be numb. In turn, she told me how her days were a struggle to even get out of bed, how the constant ache in her chest made her feel like she’d never smile again; how she’d mailed me the postcards wanting me to know she was missing me and thinking about me, even if she couldn’t be with me or talk to me. She told me that she’d made a friend that had been through some hard times himself, how they had leaned on each other, and though there was a moment that he’d wanted to explore more, he completely respected that she was still in love with me.

The conversation was hard to take on both ends, but with all the love that passed between us in words, movements and touches, we were both able to understand and forgive each other quickly, as well as agree that with this, we can begin to really move forward. There’s no question that all this time, we’ve truly belonged to no one but each other.

Our lovemaking recommenced, fraught with even more passion if that were possible, and at some point in the late afternoon, we both drift off to sleep, my arms around her, her back to my chest. I awaken a while later, before she does, and when I inch my head away to get a look at her, I can’t believe my eyes. There, between her shoulders, is a tattoo of a heart, drawn in white ink to look like a suntan.

Oh my God.

After the last few days, not to mention what happened between us today, I know she never stopped loving me, but this hits me hard in the heart. She wanted a piece of me with her. I let out a shuddery breath as I trace the design with my finger tip, just like the day on the boat when I drew it on her. I lean in to place a kiss right in the center and decide I can’t wait another minute.

I carefully climb out of bed, trying not to wake Melanie. I quietly pull my clothes on and walk out to the kitchen and grab my guitar before walking out the door.

MELANIE

My eyelids slowly lift to greet the sight of my bedroom in the afternoon light. I breathe in the most content, cleansing sigh that has ever graced my body. I’ve never felt so fulfilled, loved, strong or happy. Matt held me close in his arms while he showed me how much he loved me over and over. And while he seemed happy taking the lead, I did my best to give every bit back to him.

I didn’t mean to doubt his feelings for me earlier. It’s just been so long, and he was so angry the last time we saw each other. I just couldn’t help but consider the notion that he’s been caught up in what he found out from Jack, and just overcome with emotion that will wear off in time when he remembers how my leaving made him feel before. But after his words and the feel of his arms around me, I know that’s not the case.

I roll over to find that I’m alone in the bed. I touch the spot where Matt was lying to find it still warm. He must be around somewhere, although the house is eerily quiet.

“Matt?” I call out, and the absence of a response sets me on edge for just a moment, wondering if he left. I told him to earlier after all. But the strength I’ve reacquired in the last few days is enough for me to hold onto faith, to trust Matt. A small voice in the back of my head tells me he ripped the band-aid off and just left, but I do my best to tell her to shut up. I stand still, listening hard. What is that? It’s definitely strumming. On a guitar.

Oh my God. No way…

I feel my cheeks stretch in the greatest smile that I think has ever graced my face, and it feels better than any smile I’ve ever had. It’s completely effortless, no thought to it whatsoever. I stride to the door and throw it open and my heart jumps excitedly in my chest at the sight before me. I cross my arms against the February chill as I take in Matt, standing before me in the morning sunlight. There’s a devilishly charming grin on his face as he strums out a tune I’ve never heard before in my life. His smile widens when he sees the one I’m giving him, and when he reaches the right place in the beautiful melody he’s playing, he starts to sing.

Across the world

Across the room

Either way, you’re way too far

To the cold end of the earth I’ll follow you

So I can be where you are

Everything in me

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