She recognized his voice immediately. Her heart gave a little bump in her chest, and she allowed herself a deep breath.
“Hold on.” She unlocked the door, opened it partially. “Chase? What are you doing here?”
The night seemed to disappear when he smiled, his brown eyes crinkling. “I couldn’t wait to see you. So I drove down.”
“From Chicago? That’s a long drive.”
“I know. Trust me, I know. I was going to wait until morning, but I saw the light on and heard the dog . . . Can I come in?”
She was touched, and surprised, and a little bit nervous. But most of all, she was glad to see him. So very glad.
“Of course. Please.”
She stepped back and he came into the little foyer. Winston barked once in hello and trotted back to his nest in the kitchen.
The moment she shut the front door behind Chase, he had her in his arms. The phone dropped to the floor, forgotten.
“I couldn’t wait,” he whispered. “I couldn’t wait.”
He kissed her, and she forgot she was supposed to be thinking of Josh, instead melted into him. Kissing Chase was like riding a wave, back and forth, up and down. He had a hand in her panties, and she only struggled for a moment getting his belt unbuckled.
She didn’t allow herself to think, just feel.
And it felt so, so good.
? ? ?
They gathered themselves off the living room floor. Aubrey pulled on Chase’s shirt, loving the feeling of the cool cotton on her bare skin, and went to the kitchen. She made tea and returned to the living room with their cups, suddenly shy. Shy and sore and dying to take him upstairs and do it all again.
She handed him the hot mug, liking how her fingers prickled when he brushed against them. She was sad to see he was wearing his jeans again, though he’d left the top button undone.
“I can’t believe you drove all night.”
He scooted over on the couch, made room for her to sit. She did, leaning back just a bit so she could see his eyes. They were the deepest brown she’d ever seen.
“I told you, I couldn’t wait to see you. There’s something about you that’s intoxicating.”
“Intoxicated, you mean.”
He shook his head. “Don’t do that. Don’t deflect. I’m giving you a compliment.”
She smoothed down her hair and took a sip of the tea. She needed to be honest with him. It was only fair.
“I don’t know how to do this,” she said.
He smiled widely. “Don’t know how to do what? You seem to be quite on top of things, if you know what I mean.” He ran his hand up her leg and leaned in to kiss her. She shut her eyes and focused on the softness of his lips. She wanted him. So much. He finally stopped and pulled back, one eyebrow raised.
“See?”
“It’s not that. I’m a mess, Chase. I have to give you fair warning. You may want to run away as fast as you can.”
He smiled. “I’m willing to do whatever I have to, Aubrey. You are one in a million. I can see that already. I’m just looking forward to getting to know what’s in here”—he tapped her right -temple—“as well as what’s in here.” His other hand moved all the way up her leg this time, and he cupped her, moving inside.
She felt the impact through her whole body. Her back arched a bit, allowing him to settle deeper. He didn’t move to kiss her again, just stared deep in her eyes as he moved his finger slowly. Her breath came short, and before she could stop herself, stop the feelings, she began to shake. Only then did he kiss her, and drive himself inside her. She rode him, wave after wave after wave, and felt all the parts of her shatter.
PART TWO
Days of absence, sad and dreary,
Clothed in sorrow’s dark array,
Days of absence, I am weary;
She I love is far away.
—JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU
CHAPTER 21
Josh
Eighteen Years Ago
Josh closed his pocketknife, put it back in its small leather pouch, and returned it to his front pocket, smiling at Aubrey the entire time. Small curlings of bark and pale tree flesh clung to his forearm.
“For you,” he said, flushing his hand toward the lovers’ oak, bursting with a nearly indefinable combination of lust, love, and pride.
The small furrow appeared between her sun-bleached blond eyebrows.
“ ‘JDH plus AMT equals TLA.’ Josh, what does that mean?”
Aubrey and Josh were at the huge old oak tree in Dragon Park, their tree, the place they met when Josh could get out from under Daisy’s ever-watchful eye. It was easier when school was out—Josh could talk Daisy into letting him do things alone, go to the library, go for a walk. Anything to get out of the house, away from his bitchy, disapproving mother, and closer to Aubrey.