Page 38 of Bound by Family
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s just nice to see you and not just hear your sexy as hell voice.”
“My voice isn’t sexy.”
“Yeah, beautiful, it is.”
That shy blush tinges her cheeks again.
“You hungry?” I ask.
“Not really.”
This surprises me. “You’re not?”
“No, I’m nervous, Cooper. This is so out of my comfort zone it’s in another realm.”
I reach over and grab her hands. They are ice cold, so I rub them with mine to help warm them, smiling the entire time.
“Out of yours? Try out of mine.” She has no clue how far out this is. Take a woman to bed, hell yeah. Actually talk to her every damn night on the phone, drive three plus hours to see her, and sit in some little rinky-dink diner just to spend time with her. Never happened before, but I’m happy to do it with her.
“I’m not sure what we’re doing here.”
“What can I get ya?” the waitress says, coming back to the table.
Bristyl tries pulling her hands out of my grasp, but I hold tighter, not allowing her to. She doesn’t resist.
“Order.”
She does, and then I do, thankful when the waitress goes away.
“Let’s just see. I can’t give you any guarantees. I know I like talking to you every night. I know I like seeing you face to face. I know you make me smile in a way I don’t normally.” I give her hands a squeeze.
Two hours later, she’s laughing so hard tears roll down her face, and we’ve finished our hundredth glass of soda. The sun is getting low in the sky. With Bristyl having an hour drive, if she leaves now, then she won’t have to drive in the dark.
“We should head out.”
She says nothing, but the playful smile leaves her face as sadness rolls in. Damn, I didn’t realize how much it would suck ass to leave her and drive back home. It’s like leaving a piece of yourself behind when all you want to do is throw it on the back of your bike and ride away with it.
I toss down some bills, slide my wallet into my pocket, and reach out for her hand, holding it all the way out the door and to our vehicles. With our hands locked tight, a strange feeling comes over me. A connection so tight the pull to her nearly knocks me on my ass.
Women have always just come and gone. This feeling, though, I want it to stay. It’s more than fucking this woman. Everything is real—a bond, a friendship.
When her eyes lift to mine, a slight sheen covering them, I know she feels this, too. This upcoming loss.
I reach around the back of her head and pull her toward me, wrapping her in my warmth. I can’t tell her it will be alright, because I have no idea what lies ahead in the future. What I do know is this moment, saying goodbye, doesn’t sit right with me.
My lips touch the top of her head, and I feel her shiver.
“I want you to call me when you get home. I probably won’t be able to answer, but leave me a message, and I’ll call you when I get back to my place.”
She nods, her head brushing against my chest.
When I pull back and she looks up, there isn’t a single tear cascading down her face, which I’m thankful for. Though, they are in her eyes, ready to fall. She looks as if she’s controlling it, and I appreciate that. I don’t want my last vision of her to have tears running down her cheeks.
Pressing my lips to hers, they dance slow and steady, savoring each touch, lick, and nibble. The deeper the kiss goes, the stronger I’m pulled to her like a connection that’s palpable in so many ways. How this little woman can do this to me is beyond my comprehension.
An invisible string ties itself around me. The pull, the attraction, is too much. Therefore, I stop before it becomes more.
