“Then break up with him because you missed me. Because you forgive me. Because you want to be with me. Break up with him because... because of this.” His lips were on mine within seconds. I moaned at his sudden advance, but the sweet taste of him on my tongue again was consuming in a way that made every thought I could possibly have evaporate.
My arms wrapped around his neck of their own accord as I tried to pull him closer. His lips were full and firm and I needed more. He sensed my urgency and used his hands to position my thighs on top of his before slipping his arms around my back and pulling me closer. The rough feel of his riding pants against my bare thighs sent a reminiscent chill up my spine and the friction that was building between us threatened an implosion of my will power. The feeling of being this way with him again was a jarring realization. I only ever felt this way with him. The throb between my legs needed his attention. I nipped his lip between my teeth and a moan rumbled from deep in his chest.
“I missed you so fucking much,” he said, breaking our kiss to lower his mouth to my neck.
“I know,” I answered, breathlessly. I turned my head to give him better access as his fingers kneaded into my thighs as he tugged me closer. “I missed you too.” The effortless way I told him that I’d missed him only made what we were doing seem right.
I felt myself quickly falling under his spell. “I swear I’ll never leave you again,” he promised, moving his hand to the back of my neck as if he was scared I was going to get away. Despite my desire to believe every word he was saying at that moment, he shouldn’t have been making promises he couldn’t keep. He’d been back in Halstead for all of a hot minute and my carefully laid plans were threatening to scatter like the leaves in the fall breeze. My ability to forgive and forget, to just let myself be lost in the moment, was waning.
“What about racing?” I asked.
“We’ll figure it out. I’ll come back on breaks and you can come visit me on the road. We’ll make it work.”
He will have to leave. He will choose to race.
“We have to stop,” I said, placing my hand on his chest. “We can’t do this.” I quickly removed myself from his lap and stood up, moving away from his as quickly as possible. As I struggled to catch my breath, the reality of what I’d just done crashed down on me as I stood there looking at him. I had a boyfriend and Reid would be leaving as soon as his parents’ house was finished. Even if what he was saying was true about trying to make it work, I didn’t know if I had it in me. I had a life in Halstead… family, friends, a good career and I was nowhere near close to being ready to make a decision that would upset all of that.
“Nora,” he called out. “Would you wait just a damn minute!”
“You promised you wouldn’t push,” I said, reminding him as much as myself before I turned to walk back to the track. I had to get away from him before I did something else I’d regret. “I just need more time.”
Well that hadn’t gone exactly how I’d planned. I watched her walk away from me and back toward the party before I stood up and gave the trunk we were sitting on a good kick.