“Of course I was.”
“Shit, would I like to slide into you right now.” Instead, two fingers move inside of me. He knows exactly how and where to put the pressure, but when he adds the motion to my clit with his thumb, it’s not long before my orgasm bears down on me.
When he pulls out, I hand him a tissue, and then I start laughing.
“What’s so funny?” he asks.
“It didn’t take us long to have car sex on this trip. Gah, are we bad or what?”
“Just don’t tell Jenna, because she’ll tell Ben, and I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I’d never tell Jenna. The only way she’d find out would be if they saw us.” Then a thought hits me. “Oh, shit! They’re behind us. They’re gonna figure it out with my head going down and all.”
Drew roars with laughter. “Yeah, you’re right. They already know. I’m surprised they haven’t called.”
“I know why. They’re saving it for when we stop to eat.”
Drew and I share a glance and we both know we’re screwed.
Sure enough, we stop for a late lunch and Jenna gives us her rendition of what my head looked like from their car.
“Damn, McKnight. Could you not at least wait until we got out of town? I mean we were still in fucking traffic!” Ben teases.
“Dude, who am I to turn down head?”
“Truth.”
“Stop!” My face burns red, I’m sure.
“Your fault, my friend,” Jenna rubs it in.
“I’m not saying another word.” Drew pulls me into his side, and kisses my temple. “Don’t let ‘em get to you, babe. It was the best.”
I elbow him in the ribs, before I even think. He winces and I immediately shrink away. “I’m good. Get back over here.”
I hate myself when I forget and do crap like that. But maybe it’s a good thing I can actually forget at all.
It’s after midnight when we finally pull into Charleston. I’ll be staying with Drew tonight because we refuse to stay apart from one another. Tomorrow I’ll go home for two weeks, while Drew returns to Indy, and then we’ll move into our house that he bought for us when he moves back to Charleston. It will give us time to get settled before our wedding, which is in one month.
Letty and Ray greet us with hugs. We’re beat but I can’t believe they stayed up.
“Of course we stayed up. We haven’t seen you two since what, March?” Letty says.
“It was my surgery, Mom.”
“You look wonderful, son,” Ray says.
“I feel wonderful,” Drew says.
“Are either of you hungry?”
Drew decides to raid the fridge and I snack on some of his findings. We chat with his parents for a bit, then head up to bed.
When we dive into the bed, Drew pulls me close and I’m almost asleep. I love the way he feels next to me. It’s like I’ve just taken a sleeping pill.
“Cate?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you.”
“Oh, Drew, I love you, too.”
“I know. Thank you for hanging with me.”
I lift my head to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“Cancer is a big fucking ticket, Cate. Most girls would’ve run away as fast and as far as they could. But not you. You’re here. And you act like you’re still as excited as fuck about marrying me. Like I’m fucking gold.”
Tears choke the air that I try to breathe and the words that I want to say, right out of me. So I hold up my finger, indicating to him I have something to say. He knows I can’t do it so he nods.
I wipe my eyes a few times and swallow, then say, “Listen to me, Drew, because I’m only going to tell you this once. I fell in love with you and that includes the good times and bad. I’m not some shallow twit that runs when things go south. I’m in this relationship for the duration, like it or not. Now you can thank me for whatever, but don’t you ever thank me for hanging with you. This is the real deal. When you love someone, this is what you do. And I love everything about you Drew, the beautiful parts and the ugly parts, and that includes getting rid of the cancer.”
“I never thought I’d meet someone like you. I’m sorry you have to go through this.”
What? He’s the one going through it!
“Don’t be sorry for me. I love you and wouldn’t be anywhere else. Nowhere else. But with you.”
The light that glows through his bedroom window lights up his eyes and I can see the love shining in them. He traces the outline of my face, brows, lips, and then kisses me. “How did I ever luck out with you, beautiful Cate?”
“I can say the same for you, Drew. I think you’re pretty damn phenomenal yourself. The truth is, I think they broke the mold after they made you.”