Page 1 of It Should Have Been Me

1. Catalina

Prologue – Five yearsago

I step out of the bathroom, take three long strides, and launch myself onto Scott’s sleeping body. I was hoping the jolt would wake him up, but instead, all I get is an irritable groan.

“Wakey, wakey, Soldier,” I sing with just enough chirpiness to irritate him even more. “Let’s go for a run.”

Running together is a habit we got into during our first year of college. Our crazy schedules didn’t leave us with much quality time, so it was a nice way to destress, stay in shape, and spend with each other. I’ve been traveling a lot lately, so this is definitely not a part of our daily routine anymore, but it’s always a habit I try to resume every time I return home.

My visit this time was shorter than I would’ve liked. My mother remarried last weekend, and I was so grateful that my schedule allowed me the slightest reprieve to attend the wedding and spend some time with all the people I love. Unfortunately, the time I could spare for this trip was very limited. The deadline for the project I’m working on is looming, and I have to fly back to Europe today. I’m trying to make the best of the last few hours I have left with my fiancé, and here he is smooshing his face into the pillow in an effort to drown out my voice.

“C’mon, wake up,” I say.

He shifts to toss me off his back until I slip onto the bed beside him. “What time is it?” he murmurs tiredly.

I place a soft kiss on his bare shoulder. “It’s six o’clock.”

“The fuck? No! I’m not going running at six o’clock on a Sunday morning.” His arm slips around me and he pulls me closer to nuzzle his face against the side of my neck. He lets out a small groan of satisfaction when his hand moves up to cup my breast.

“It’s my last day, and I was thinking that when we get back, I could make you those protein pancakes that you love. What do you?”

I’m silenced when his hand moves up to cover my mouth. “Shhh! It’s too early for this kind of nagging. Just be quiet and cuddle with me.”

I shift his hand back to my breast and he doesn’t protest because he prefers it there. “The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. It’s the perfect temperature for an early morning run.”

“I’m not sure which part of that was supposed to convince me but?” He stops short of finishing his sentence when his hand moves lower down my stomach. “Wait. Why am I feeling so much skin?”

He finally lifts his head to look at me and the sight of me draws a groan of appreciation out of him. I’m wearing quite a skimpy pink running shorts and a blue and pink sports bra, and I’d be lying if I said that the look in his eyes was anything short of ravenous.

“Holy shit! Is that what you’re wearing to go running?” His gaze skims down the length of my body. “Yeah...I’m definitely awake now.”

“Good. Let’s go.” I shift to get off the bed.

“Yo, where you going?” He grasps me around the waist and drags me back to him. “You’re out here advertising an all-you-can-eat buffet and then you’re not even handing out snacks. Nah, let me get a little taste of this.”

“It’s going to get hot soon,” I protest, though it’s very halfhearted.

His hand is already slipping below the waistband of my shorts, and I moan when his fingers slip inside me. “It’s getting hot right now.”

He shifts, pulling the duvet with him as he drags my shorts down my legs and then he disappears beneath the covers. He kisses his way down my stomach, and I feel the heat of his mouth before his teeth sink into my inner thigh. His hands move beneath me, lifting my ass off the bed so his tongue can lap against my clit before it probes inside me. My fingers slide into his hair as I spiral into a whirlwind of ecstasy.

I’m moaning like crazy, gripping his head as my hips rock up and down. “Ohhh, Scott. Right there...Right there.”

My voice is high-pitched with urgency. Scott and I have been together for over four years now, and he has used that time wisely, learning my body inside and out. He knows exactly what I like and how I like it. He knows every pleasure point and the precise spot that drives me delirious. I’m so close, and he knows it because just before I climax, he flips me over. Firm hands grip my hips to hoist them up and then he thrusts into me. Wrapping my hair around his fist, his pelvis hits against my ass.

An orgasm ripples through me and not long after that, his upper body collapses on top of me.

“Well, that’s one way to start the day.” He lets out a satisfied sigh as he kisses his way up my back. “Good morning, beautiful.”

After he slowly withdraws from me, we drop over onto the bed. “How do you have the energy for that, but you complain about going for a run?”

A wide grin spreads over his face before he leans over to kiss me. “I don’t cum at the end of a run. It’s that simple.” He interlinks his fingers with mine and toys with my engagement ring. “I hate that you’re leaving today. I miss you like crazy when you’re gone.”

Hearing the words causes a heaviness in my chest that is becoming increasingly familiar to me. “I keep asking you to come with me.”

“You know I can’t, Cat. I’ve got a lot going on, too. And I don’t want to delay it. I want to get my life and my finances in order so that we can get married as soon as you get back.”

I smile at the thought and prop myself on my elbow. “Speaking about that...why don’t we get married on the beach?”

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