He pulled into a space in the parking lot of my building, looking at it for a moment before turning my way. “We have to talk.”
I nodded, knowing we did but feeling anxious. “I know.” I fidgeted with the hem of my skirt, biting at my lip.
When I looked up, Preston was looking at me, his expression tender. “Come here,” he said and I did so quickly. He chuckled softly as I flew into his arms, needing reassurance, needing comfort, needing him. He’d swept me off solid ground, happily, wondrously, but now I needed him to help me regain some footing.
He whispered my name as he held me, kissing my forehead, my cheeks, my eyelids, and my nose. He ran his hands over me, but not in the same way he had earlier. This felt calm and tender, and I soaked it up like the sponge I’d always been when it came to physical affection. But this was even more pleasurable because it was coming from Preston. The intense longing I’d felt for him all my life was being quenched tonight in so many ways. I felt giddy and unsure and joyful and hesitant.
Finally, he pulled back from me slightly and said, “We have to tell Cole what happened.”
I nodded. “Cole and I aren’t together, Preston . . . we just . . .” I looked away, considering my words. “I don’t know, we’ve just sort of tiptoed around being more than friends with a few benefits but it’s never actually happened.” I blushed, not liking the way that made me sound. Sort of easy? The kind of girl who let a guy kiss her whenever he was in the mood but never demanded more from him? Or maybe just shallow? My feelings for Cole weren’t shallow, though. They just weren’t any more than friendly. If tonight had proven anything it was that Preston was the one I wanted with every fiber of my being. He was the one I craved. He was the other half of my heart.
He blinked at me for a moment, appearing slightly confused. He blew out a breath as he ran a hand through his thick, already tousled hair. “You waited for him, though.”
“I . . . no. He asked me not to give myself to anyone else. I agreed, but not because I was waiting for him. I love Cole, but . . . it’s you I’ve always wanted.”
He let out a shuddery breath. “Oh, Jesus.” The words were such a small wisp of sound that I barely heard them, even though I couldn’t have been much closer to him. He looked tormented as if my words had caused him pain. But he took my face in his hands and kissed me so gently and sweetly—thoroughly—that I melted into him. His kiss told me in no uncertain terms that he wanted me back. Finally. Oh, finally. When he finally broke the kiss, wiping a bit of lingering wetness on my mouth with his thumb, he said, “I think we have some time to make up for. A whole lot of it.” He tilted his head, seeming to consider something. “Or actually, maybe this is exactly where we were meant to start. Tonight. This is our beginning, Annalia.”
Yes. Our beginning. That felt right. As if time and circumstance needed to come together perfectly so that both of us were in the right place in our lives to start something special—something that was going to last where there would be no separations, no major growing up to do, nothing in our way. Nothing at all.
“It was . . .” I smiled slightly, teasing him, “a really nice way to start.”
He let out a breath and gave me a bashful half smile. Oh God, he was so handsome. Beautiful. “I can do better than that.” He winced slightly. “I should have done better than that.”
I grinned, kissing him quickly, letting my lips linger on his. “I can’t imagine better.”
“Me neither. Just . . . I can be slower.” He paused. “Maybe.”
I laughed and he did too, bringing his lips back to mine so I could feel the curve of his smile against my mouth. I love you, Preston Sawyer. I always have and always will. The words bubbled up inside me but there was time to tell him all the things I’d always wanted to say. This was our beginning, so we would have time. I wanted to make sure I told him at just the right moment. Maybe the next time I was curled up in his arms. Or maybe we’d walk through his property hand in hand. We’d stop under the huge oak tree in his backyard and he’d pull me against him and I’d say the words.
He smiled softly, kissing my nose and my forehead. “You’re dreaming again,” he whispered.
“Yes.”
“About what?”
“About you.”
“I’m dreaming about you, too, Annalia.” He kissed the side of my mouth, his tongue darting out to lick the place where I had a beauty mark as he groaned softly.
I smiled, turning my head so I could kiss him again, long and deep and then quickly once more, wanting nothing more than to stay tangled up with him in the intimate cocoon of his truck. I brushed back the lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead. “Do you have to get back?”
“I should. I’m supposed to be hosting a party.”
Remembering the barn party, my stomach dropped. The surge of jealousy I’d felt earlier hit me again when I remembered Preston kissing the redhead. “I suppose that redhead will be wondering where you ran off to.”
Preston blinked at me, appearing slightly confused for a moment, and then he grinned so suddenly that I almost startled. What in the world was there to grin about? He pulled me to him and kissed my neck, chuckling softly against my skin. “She kissed me. And I only let her because . . . I thought I was going to have to watch you kiss Cole and I was trying to distract myself. It wouldn’t have gone farther than that, though. I didn’t want her. I wanted you.”
“Oh,” I breathed.
“And obviously, it didn’t help lessen that.”
I pictured the frenzy of lust that had happened on his kitchen table. “No, I’d say not.” I bit at my lip. “So you won’t kiss anyone when you go back to the party?”
His face became serious, his eyes moving over my face for a moment. “No, I won’t kiss anyone when I go back to the party.”
I nodded, pressing my lips to his for a short kiss. “Okay.” I scooted away from him and smoothed my hair as much as possible. It still felt like it was in wild disarray, though I’d tried to fix it as much as possible.
“Do you work tomorrow?”
“Yeah. From seven to three.”
He nodded. “I should be done working by then. I’ll pick you up after your shift. Do you have a cell number?”
I blushed. We couldn’t afford the extra bill. “No, but I have a house phone.” I hardly wanted to talk on the phone to Preston in the same room as my mama, though.
He studied me for a moment, pressing his lips together as if he was displeased. I wanted to apologize but didn’t.
He brought his cell phone from his pocket. “What’s your home number?”
I gave it to him and he typed it in and then returned the phone to his pocket. “I’ll see you at three.”