Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Gavin
W hy am I not stopping her?
I groan inwardly before I start after her. At the same time, the tornado siren outside starts howling to alert us of bad weather.
What on earth? It wasn’t even raining earlier.
I half jog toward the door to look outside. The rain is coming down in sheets. The sky is dark, and a funnel cloud is dropping out of it. Lena stands on the porch, staring at it like it’s a mirage.
It could be. I don’t know when the last time there was a tornado anywhere around here.
“What are you doing? Get inside!” I growl as I grab her wrist and pull her behind me.
“It’s nothing right now,” she scoffs, yanking away from me. “My phone alerts say it’s just a thunderstorm warning.”
“There’s a funnel cloud. I’m not going to let you get hurt.”
“You’re not going to do anything.” She sighs as she shakes her head and pulls away from me. “I should be in town.”
“You can’t drive in this, Lena. Look at that tree out there; it’s practically bending in half.”
The sky turns a sickly shade of green, the color that makes my gut clench with a sense of impending doom. It’s more than just the distant rumble of thunder or the way the wind has suddenly stopped, making the world eerily still.
“We need to get into the pantry.”
“I need to get to the high school and make sure Jayla is safe.”
I close my eyes for a beat, trying to rein in my frustration.
This damn woman. She’s still just as stubborn as ever.
“Jayla’s fine. They have protocols for this kind of thing, and you know they’ll be in the hallway. You standing here isn’t going to help. She probably doesn’t have her phone on her either.”
Her eyes finally meet mine, sharp and full of the same fire that’s always driven me crazy about her.
“I’m not hiding in some pantry while Jayla…while the town…”
“Jayla doesn’t need to lose her mom because she was swept away in flood waters or hit by a tree or a flying cow.”
“Flying cow, seriously?” She laughs as she rolls her eyes. “That only happens in movies.”
“Says you.”
Her lips part, but she doesn’t get the chance to answer before the first bolt of lightning splits the sky, followed almost instantly by a deafening crack of thunder. The storm is moving fast.
“Inside,” I demand, grabbing her arm to guide her back into the house. But she yanks herself free, turning on me with that same fiery defiance.
“Stop telling me what to do, Gavin! You don’t get to make decisions for me!” Her voice shakes, not from fear but anger.
“Quit being stubborn!”
Her eyes narrow, a flash of heat in them. “ I’m stubborn? You have a lot of room to talk.”
The wind picks up, howling now, bending the trees so far that I half expect them to snap. The sky is churning. I can see another funnel forming in the distance, dark and menacing, dipping low and threatening to touch the ground. It’s not a matter of if anymore. It’s when .
I stare back at her. She’s breathtaking. The irony isn’t lost on me that the storm raging around us is exactly the same as the storm churning within us.
She’s always been the woman I would give my life for. She’s always had this way about her that makes me love her and want to own her at the same time. A woman like Lena is a breathtaking contradiction of fire and softness.
“Dammit, Lena!” I yell over the wind, stepping closer to her again. “You’re always so worried about what other people think, what they need, what’s best for everyone else. You put everyone else’s safety and well-being above your own, and that’s not okay! I don’t know who told you that you didn’t deserve to be your own priority, but they were wrong.”
She stiffens, her eyes wide for a moment, but then her expression hardens. “Not all of us can afford to be as selfish as you.”
I let out a short, sad chuckle. I can see the tornado in the distance now, closer than it has any right to be, barreling toward us. We don’t have time for this.
“I wasn’t trying to be selfish. I thought I was doing what was best for you.”
“Maybe you should’ve asked for my opinion instead of being a douche and making the choice for me,” she shoots back, stepping up to me, her finger jabbing into my chest.
That bratty fire in her is frustrating and sexy all in one.
I look down at her, my heart pounding. God, she has always been like this. Strong. Frustrating. She was never one to back down easily. And it’s driving me crazy. She looks exactly the same, just a little older. I can see the sadness in those blue eyes, though, and that breaks my heart.
“Lena,” I start.
“You always…” she hisses.
I grab her wrist, pulling her against me hard. Her breath hitches as I pin her to the wall, the porch creaking beneath us as the wind whips around us.
“Dammit, woman, you’re going to be the death of me.”
For a moment, neither of us moves. Her chest presses against mine, and her wrist is caught in my grip.
She’s leaning into me like she wants this just as much as I do. Her eyes are wide, but not with fear. No, she isn’t scared of the storm. And she sure as hell isn’t scared of me.
I crush my lips against hers, kissing her with all the pent-up frustration and anger that have been simmering between us our entire lives.
God, she still feels the same after all these years.
She doesn’t resist. Not even for a second. Her free hand fists into my shirt, pulling me closer and kissing me back just as hungrily. I can taste the adrenaline on her lips, the desperation and need, and it matches my own.
The wind roars around us, the sky swirling into chaos, but all I can focus on is her. The low, ominous roar of the tornado reminds me of the danger we’re still in. I pull away and grab her hand, tugging her toward the door.
“We have to get inside. Now.”
She pulls back, not wanting to move.
“I will not let you put your life in danger,” I hiss as I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder.
I stumble into the house, slamming the door shut behind us just as the first real gust of wind hits, rattling the windows. I can hear the storm bearing down on us, the pressure shifting in the air, making my ears pop.
We barely make it to the small room off the kitchen when the world outside explodes into chaos. The sound is deafening, a freight train tearing through everything in its path. I shut the door behind us, plunging us into darkness.
I set her down on the floor, but I hold her tight, my back against the wall, her body pressed against mine. Her breathing is fast and shallow, and I can feel her trembling, but she doesn’t pull away. She doesn’t try to argue or fight me this time.
It’s been eighteen years, and nothing has changed between us. It’s like I’ve been holding my breath this whole time, waiting for her.
I lean down, finding her face in the dark. My thumb runs across her bottom lip before my mouth follows. The kiss is tentative and slow at first, but as her arms wrap around my neck, her tongue darts between my lips. Her fingers curl into my hair, pulling me closer.
Dammit, why does this feel like home? Like everything I’ve been missing in my life.
I kiss down her neck, my fingers quickly unbuttoning her blouse and revealing her white lace bra. My mouth goes to the swell of her breast before I slip my fingers in and find her nipple.
Does she feel it, too? That this is more than a kiss, that this is everything?
My lips close around it, teasing and tugging gently as she shivers in my arms. I pinch it gently, causing her to moan softly. Her breaths grow deeper as I kiss a trail down her stomach. When I reach her waist, her breathing becomes more labored. I bunch up her skirt until it’s up over her hips. Her white lace panties stand out in the darkness of the pantry. I drop to my knees in front of her, kissing the lace gently, inhaling her scent.
She lets out a long moan as my fingers slide into the sides of her panties, ripping them out of my way as my mouth goes directly to her clit.
God, I forgot how good she smells.
I lick her there, tasting her sweet nectar as she mewls and writhes above me. Her hands fist in my hair, urging me on as I probe deeper with my tongue.
“Fuck, you’re so damn wet for me, baby. You taste so good for me.”
“It’s your voice,” she breathes with a teasing lilt.
Ah, there she is. There’s my bratty little princess.
Her hips begin to dance, pushing herself deeper into my mouth.Her legs tremble lightly as I hold her waist tightly, not allowing her to fall. I focus on her clit, using my tongue to flick it in gentle circles before exploring the folds of her opening. My finger slides inside her, searching out her G-spot. I add another finger, stretching her slightly.
“You still take me so good, Princess. Your body responds to me on command.”
“Gavin,” she breathes.
Her hands grasp the back of my head, pulling me in as she moans softly with each circle of my tongue. I trace her pussy lips with my fingers, feeling how wet they are.
“Look how wet your precious little cunt gets for me.”
She moans in response. With a soft growl, I plunge two fingers inside her, feeling the walls of her sex throbbing around them. It’s intense, and I know she wants more. I won’t disappoint, increasing the speed with which I lick her clit while pumping my fingers in and out of her.
“That’s it, be a good little girl and coat my fingers and my face. I love tasting you.”
“Fuck, your dirty talk is fucking hot,” she purrs.
As her moans grow louder, her walls grip tighter, and I realize she’s close.
I’m going to push her right over that edge.
My own arousal is painfully apparent in my pants, but there’s time for that later. Right now, I need to bring her all the pleasure.
I can hear the wind whipping around the house. The rain is coming down in sheets, and probably some hail since it sounds like softballs are hitting the house. I barely pay attention to any of the background noise as I’m fully focused on her pleasure.
I’ve waited so long to taste her again. If it’s the only time I get this, I’m going to make it count.
Her muscles tense beneath my fingers as she builds to her climax. Her breaths become shallow and ragged, and her hips begin bucking uncontrollably against my face.
Her fingers clutch at me, desperate, grounding herself in the storm I’ve created. The way her body moves—arching, trembling—like she’s caught between wanting to pull me closer and letting herself go completely. It’s mesmerizing. She’s always been beautiful, but this... this is something else entirely. This is her, stripped of every wall and pretense, and it’s the most intimate thing I’ve ever witnessed.
She cries out as she reaches the height of her pleasure, and I keep going, not wanting to miss a single moment of her release.
She’s so different than she was back then. She’s more sensual, more comfortable in her own skin. Her confidence is so sexy and calls out the confidence in me.
“Oh, look at my perfect princess coming apart for me,” I growl against her as my fingers continue to play inside her. “Such a beautiful sight.”
Her body shakes violently as wave after wave of pleasure washes over her. Her juices flow freely now, coating my fingers as they continue to thrust in and out of her. She grips the back of my head once more, holding me tightly against her as she rides out her storm of pleasure.
I forgot how much I love her hands in my hair.
As she finishes, I slide my fingers out of her and into my mouth. I hear her whimper as I make a loud sucking noise.
I need to bury myself inside her.
Glass shatters outside of the pantry. That’s a different mess I can deal with later. I unbutton my pants and pull them off. I step out of them as my hands move down to cup her butt cheeks. I pick her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around my waist as I guide my cock inside her.
The way her body fits against mine—it’s like we were made for each other. It’s like nothing has changed in eighteen years .
“Fuck yes, Gavin,” she groans as she throws her head back.
I start slowly, thrusting in and out of her as she clings to me tightly. She gets louder with each one of my movements, urging me on. Her nails claw at my back. I can feel her heat radiating against my shaft.
“You feel so good, Lena. So tight for me. Like a glove around my cock.”
My hips move in rhythm, each thrust pushing deeper into her warm and wet core. Her whimpers become moans, and her moans turn into cries of pleasure as I continue my pace.
“Gavin, oh my God,” she whimpers.
“You take this cock so good. Such a good girl, holding off on coming again, aren’t you?”
She nods and lets out a small scream as I continue to pump in and out of her. I reach up with one hand to find her breasts and knead them gently, tracing the outline of her nipples with my thumb before taking one in my mouth. She arches her back, pushing herself closer to me.
“Fuck me.”
“Good girl,” I coo in her ear.
There’s another loud boom of thunder that causes us both to jump. I increase my pace, each thrust deeper and harder than the last. She whimpers with each one. Her hands claw at my back, digging into my skin as she arches to meet each thrust.
Her cries grow louder, and her legs tighten around me.
She’s so damn sexy.
“Come for me,” I growl, feeling my release building. “Come now.”
She does as I ask, her body bucking wildly against me as her orgasm courses through her. As her walls grip my shaft, I feel the same pleasure ripping through me. I thrust one final time, deep inside her, feeling myself empty into her as the wave of pleasure takes over. Her cries mix with mine as we ride out our orgasms.She buries her face into my neck, and I hold her close, running my fingers through her sweat-drenched hair.
She’s the only thing that’s ever felt real in my life. I don’t want to let go of her because I’m terrified I’ll never get another moment like this with her.
“I…I think the storm has passed,” she mumbles awkwardly as she pushes herself away.
I slowly pull out of her, noticing the empty feeling immediately. I put her back on the floor. She straightens her clothes as I feel around for mine. She opens the pantry door and pokes her head out.
“The house is still standing,” she announces lightly as she walks into the kitchen.
As I pull on my pants and walk out of the pantry, she turns to me with a steely glare.
“And that can never happen again.”
My biggest fear is now reality.
I’ve never loved anyone like I do her, and I’ll be damned if she thinks I’m going to walk out of her life without a fight.