Chapter 17
Seventeen
J ohn knocked on Abby’s door, nerves on high alert from seeing her cry.
He folded his arms across his chest and waited. The door opened, revealing a smiling Abby, who seemed happy to see him. His eyes raked over her body slowly, taking in how amazing she looked in black leather leggings that stuck to every curve on her body and a v-neck style shirt.
And then it hit him. Holy shit. She wasn’t covering up her scar.
“Abby. You look incredible.” He lifted his fingers to her neck and let his fingers settle just below the raised skin.
“You gave me the courage to try.” She held up a jacket in her right hand, smiling. “I’m not sure I’ll make it all night without wanting to cover it, but I’m going to try.”
“No matter what, I’m so damn proud of you for trying.”
He slid his hand around to the small of her back and pulled her into his side. “I’m gonna lock your door. You got the keys?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl.”
She pressed her back against the wall of the hallway. “You make me nervous,” she whispered.
“I make you nervous?”
“Yes. Good nervous. Like, butterflies in my stomach every time you look at me, nervous.”
“Oh, baby. You do the same to me.”
He laced his fingers through hers and they walked side by side down to his truck.
“So, where are we going for this alone time?”
“I picked up dinner from Sal’s.”
“Burgers and fries?”
“Yep. Pickles for you, none for me.”
“Perfect,” she laughed. “And where are we enjoying this picnic?”
“Figured we’d eat down by the lake, under the stars.”
“The lake?”
Shit. He’d known she would be nervous around the water, but he wasn’t an asshole. They wouldn’t be sitting anywhere close enough that it would be dangerous.
“At the park. Where we can see the lake, but are at no risk of accidentally ending up in the water.”
“You remembered.”
“You told me something important. Of course I did.”
“Well, now I think a picnic at the lake sounds exceptionally romantic.” She looked down at her lap. “But I don't think these pants are very picnic friendly.”
“I keep a change of clothes in the back. You’re welcome to any of my clothes that you may need.”
Abby’s laugh filled his truck. “I have to know. Do you honestly have a kink for seeing women in your clothing?”
He shook his head. “Women, no. One particular woman? Yeah, I’ll own up to that being a huge turn on for me.”
“Ah, you’re one of those guys.”
“What?”
“You know, a possessive guy who loves to see his woman walking around in his clothes.”
Fire sparked in John’s eyes.
“Is that how you see yourself? As my woman?”
“Do you see yourself as my man?”
“Yeah, baby. Yeah, I do.”
“Can we talk about what happened this afternoon?”
Abby set her drink down, running her fingers over the napkin on her lap. They’d been sitting in the park for the better part of an hour, and she was hoping the night would never end. But she could tell he was waiting for a chance to bring up that afternoon. Abby wanted to brush it off, but she also wanted to show John that she trusted him to understand.
“It was just a bad reaction on my part. Seb shouldn’t have bothered you. Although, I’m glad you came and I got to sneak a kiss.”
“I don’t think that’s all it was, baby. You looked like you’d been sleeping, but I knew it wasn’t that long between when I got the call and when I made it to your apartment.”
“I was in my bed crying when you came over.” Her confession was almost inaudible to her own ears, she wondered for a second if he’d even be able to hear her. But from the look of horror on his face, he didn’t miss a single word she’d said. “That’s probably why I looked like such a mess. I was hiding under my covers.”
“Why?”
“It was Emma.”
“What do you mean? What did she say to you?”
“No, no. I’m not explaining it right. She cut her hand when we were talking. She’s not good with?—”
“Blood.”
“Right,” she nodded. “And so she freaked out a little bit. Nothing really bad, she just asked me to call Sebastian for her. And he came running. I was just stuck standing there thinking about how it had felt when Marco…”
Lord. Her dinner suddenly felt like it was going to come up again, her hand rubbing small circles on her belly trying to calm the nausea. John didn’t say anything. He simply shifted his body, pulling her into the space between his legs.
Abby settled back against his chest. His warmth surrounded her as his arms pulled her into a hug, and she turned her face, burrowing deeper into his chest.
“I’m so sorry, Abby. I shouldn’t have left.”
“I just kept feeling the way it felt to have his knife slide through my skin. It’s stupid. I survived. Aside from an ugly scar, I’m perfectly fine.”
“Honey, I don’t think you’re perfectly fine. And I’d be shocked to shit if you were after going through what you did.”
“It didn’t happen to you, I know, but you were so calm that night. You saw it happen. You held my life in your hands and you saved me.”
She watched his throat bob as he swallowed.
“You don’t think that night still affects me? Of course it does. I still think about how things would have been better if I’d taken the shot. If I hadn’t hesitated, maybe he wouldn’t have had a chance to get the knife close enough to cut you. There’s a lot of guilt that I have about how I handled it all.”
“John. You saved me. In the end, that’s all that matters.”
“It’s not all that matters. You’re still in pain. You’re hurting and having to put on a happy mask every day to make sure no one around you thinks anything is wrong. But that’s not fair to you, Abby. I’m responsible for what happened to you. I don’t want you wearing that mask around me. I want you to call me the minute you start having those thoughts. Okay? I need you to.”
“Because you feel guilty?” She pushed away from his chest. “Is that what this is? All these little moments? It’s because you feel guilty?”
“Fuck, no.” John pulled his hand down his face and sighed. “Shit. I’m not interested in you because I feel guilty about what happened. If I had met you any other way, I would have asked you out immediately.”
Lightning flashed in the distance.
“You don’t think that storm is going to?—”
A crack of thunder shook the hill where they sat and cut off her question. They both jumped up, gathering the food and shoving it back into the picnic basket. A drop of rain hit the top of Abby’s head and a second later, the whole sky opened up.
She hurried to grab the picnic blanket and basket, but saw out of the corner of her eye that John wasn’t moving at all. Instead, his face was tilted towards the dark sky, a smile growing across his face.
“What are you doing?” Abby laughed, watching John stand with his arms stretched out towards her. They were both absolutely drenched, and she sent up a prayer of thanks for whoever controlled the weather because John, in his dark wash jeans and tight fitting white shirt, soaked through, had her heart picking up pace.
“Set all that stuff down and come dance with me.”
“What? It’s pouring out! Don’t you want to get back to the truck?”
“What I want is to dance in the rain with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”
She walked towards him, dropping the picnic blanket away from her body.
“You can’t say things like that to me, John Boone. I’ll start falling in love with you.”
“Then everything is going according to plan.” He pulled her in tightly to his body, the warmth radiating off of him soaking into her skin.
There could have been a million cars driving past them, people shouting at one another, an entire symphony of fireworks, and Abby would never have noticed. In that moment, it was just her and John. Just the two of them, holding each other close, dancing to the beat of their hearts, now perfectly in sync with one another.
God, it was so romantic tears started to prick at the corner of her eyes. She didn’t deserve for good things like that to happen to her. She was broken. Scarred. A gorgeous man, with a heart of gold, shouldn’t pick her. But John Boone did. He’d saved her. Over and over again.
“You’re thinking awfully loud there, beautiful.”
“Sorry.”
“Want to tell me about it?”
“Have you danced in the rain with all your girlfriends?”
“All my girlfriends?”
“You’re stunning, and this is a very romantic thing. I’m just wondering if this is your go-to move.”
Abby felt the deep rumble of laughter roll through his chest.
“I love that you think I’m stunning. But no, you’re the only woman I’ve ever danced in the rain with. The only woman I ever want to dance in the rain with.”
“You’re making my knees feel weak, there, Romeo.”
His arm tightened around her waist.
“That’s okay. I’ll keep you upright until you’re feeling more steady on your feet.”
“What if that never happens when I’m around you?”
“If you think I’m going to complain about needing to hold on to you, you’d be very, very wrong there darlin’.”
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
“Are you sure?”
“Don’t make me ask twice, Deputy.”
His hand went to the back of her head and his fingers gripped her wet hair. Suddenly, her face was being tipped towards him, the rain making her close her eyes as their lips crashed into each other.
“Take me home, John.”
“Take you home?”
“Take me home.” She nipped at his bottom lip, grazing her teeth across his flesh. “Come home with me.”
“Run your cute little bottom over to my truck, baby. I’ll pick this stuff up and be right over.”
“I’m helping.”
“Abby.”
“Don’t growl at me unless you want my claws to come out, handsome.”
John groaned and adjusted his jeans.
“Fine. You grab the blanket, I’ll get everything else.”
Abby rolled her eyes as she picked up the wet fabric. John grabbed the bag with their food in it and before she knew what was happening, she found herself being scooped up into his arms. She playfully took the edge of the soaked blanket and traced down his neck.
Rivulets of water were cascading down his skin, and she nipped and licked his neck. His grip tightened on her as they got closer to his truck, and a low groan from John had her reaching up to run her fingers through his hair.
“Abby. You have to stop touching me like that. I’m trying to be a gentleman tonight.”
She stuck her bottom lip out just as he opened the door and deposited her on the seat. She’d honestly expected him to buckle her in, but he closed the door fast, probably to stop the rain from getting in.
John slid into the driver's seat, shaking out the water from his hair before turning on the truck. Abby watched as he turned the heat up, and then she found the courage to leave her seat. Her leg moved over the console and she slipped onto his lap.
The truck’s horn honked, and John placed his hands around her waist, laughing as he pulled her closer to him.
“Did my ass just…”
“Get the attention of everyone in town? Yeah, I think it did.”
“That was an incredibly sexy move, but I need you to get back in your seat, baby.” John tried to think of something, anything, other than the fact that Abby was sitting on his lap, her small movements starting to drive him wild. He would not have their first time together be in his truck after their first date.
“Not until you promise that you’ll come up to my apartment with me.”
“I wouldn’t be a very good gentleman if I didn’t see that you made it all the way home safe and sound, now would I?”
“I think you better make sure I make it all the way to my bed…”
Fuck.
“Abby.”
Her tongue pressed into his mouth, and he had to fight every instinct he had to tease her with a quick bite.“Take me home, John. I’m feeling a little desperate here.”
“Baby. Are you in pain?”
“Yes,” she panted as she circled her hips over his growing erection.
“Shit.” John sucked in a sharp breath. “Get in your seat. Put on your seat belt and I’ll get you home so we can make sure you’re feeling better.”
“Fine.” She pouted as she slipped back over the console and into her seat. John’s hand landed on her thigh, squeezing as his fingers slowly crawled closer to the place he knew she was aching for him to touch.
“You are such a tease.”
“Don’t worry, beautiful. I’m going to make that ache go away. I promise.”
“Your parents will keep Katy until after we’re done? When do you need to pick her up?” Her hand slid over his and he nearly slammed on the breaks when he felt her moving his hand up towards the apex of her thighs. God, all he could think about was sinking his fingers into her. Finally tasting her after she soaked him with her release.
“I’ll get her in the morning and bring her to school.”
Abby laughed. “Was that the plan all along?”
“No. I’d never assume anything, and if we get to your apartment and you change your mind, I’ll leave and pick her up.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Abby drag her teeth across her bottom lip.
“I don’t want you to leave, and I won’t change my mind.”
Before he could respond, Abby lifted his hand off her leg and brought it up to rest on her belly. She pulled her shirt up so his fingers landed on her smooth, warm skin. He could feel her breathing turning to heated pants as his fingers found their way beneath the fabric of her pants.
John focused on the road, turning on his signal to park near Sprinkles.
“Go around to the back parking lot.” Abby’s directions were a breathless whisper as his fingers traced lower.
He searched for fabric to move out of the way when the realization hit him.
Fuck.
“Baby, are you not wearing any underwear?”
“I didn’t want there to be lines visible with how tight my leggings are.”
“Fuck. You are going to be the death of me.”
She laughed, tilting her hips so his fingers slipped lower. He parked his truck, the lights going off, sending them into darkness.
“John, I need to come. I can’t wait. Please, don’t make me wait.”
His fingers parted her, sinking into the wet heat of her eager pussy.
“Oh shit. I’m already so close.” Her head rested backwards on the seat as she spread her legs wider. His thumb circled her clit adding pressure in rhythm with the pumping of his fingers.
“Give it to me, beautiful. Give me this first orgasm of the night. I promise it won’t be the last.”
He felt her whole body go rigid as her walls clamped down on his fingers. John continued to pump in and out of her, loving the way she moaned his name like it was as essential to her living as the air she was breathing.
When she sagged against the back of her seat, a slow smile meeting the flush of her heated skin, John pulled his fingers out of her pants and pressed them to his lips. He sucked them into his mouth and groaned.
“Jesus. You taste amazing. I can’t wait to lick you until you do that again all over my tongue.”
“Why was that the hottest thing I’ve ever seen?”
“If you think that was hot, just wait until you see what else I have planned for tonight.”
She giggled. “There is just one slight problem.”
“What?” His brows furrowed with worry. Had she not wanted him to do that? Was she regretting it?
“You finger fucked me so thoroughly that my legs are literal jelly right now. I don’t know how I’m going to make it upstairs.”
“Stay put sweetheart. I think I can help with that.”
John grabbed the black bag from behind her seat. He always kept a change of clothes in his vehicle, ever since Katy was a baby and would spit up all over him at the worst times.
He opened Abby’s door and barely had time to catch her as she fell into his arms.
John took the stairs to her apartment two at a time, hardly feeling any strain from the effort when they arrived at her door. Abby was busy pressing kisses to his neck and driving him crazy with little nips to his skin.
“Baby, we need your keys.”
“Oh,” she laughed. “I got a little distracted. Set me down…”
“Don’t know if I can do that.”
“Just for a second. Then you can pick me back up. I know you have a thing for having me in your arms.”
“Mm, I really do.”
She unhooked her legs from behind him and slid slowly down his front, gasping when her core brushed over his already painfully hard erection.
“Jesus, that really should come with a warning.”
“What?”
“This.” He hissed as she palmed his cock through his pants.
“Abby…” he warned. He wasn’t joking when he said she was getting all the attention once they got inside.
“I want to see you, John. Taste you. I need you.”
“Keys, Abby. Now.”
Her eyes never left his as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys.
“Would you like the honor of taking me home, John?”
“More than anything.”
The door swung open and Abby jumped back into his arms. It was his turn to press his mouth to hers with reckless abandon. A few steps into her apartment, John shut and locked the door while palming her ass.
“We need to get out of these wet clothes.”
“I know,” she laughed. “I’m trying to get you to take me to my bedroom so I can.”
“Give me one second. I’ve got a change of clothes I’m going to get into. You do the same and then we’ll meet in your room.”
“What? No, let’s just get naked.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “No, baby. Tonight I’m going to make you feel so fucking good. And you’re going to let me.”
“You don’t want… you don’t want me to touch you?”
“Fuck, I want you to touch me so goddamn bad, Abby. But I’m not going to jump the gun and take advantage of you on our first date.”
“Oh my god. I’m acting ridiculous, aren’t I? Like some horny weirdo. Oh shit… I’m so sorry, John. I’m not… I’m not normally like this.”
She started pulling at the collar on her shirt and he immediately realized his mistake. Fuck. He wanted to slow things down because she meant so much to him, not because he wasn’t attracted to her.
“No. Wherever your mind just went now, just no. I want to take this next step. I want this moment of intimacy with you. You’re going to have me, beautiful. But I’m a man of my word. Right now is for taking care of you. It’s because you mean so much to me that I want to take things slow. I want to do things the right way, Abby.”
Holy shit. The moment she’d fantasized about for the last six months was actually happening. John Boone’s mouth was on her bare pussy, and nothing had ever felt so right or amazing before. It was a million times better than anything she’d imagined while taking care of business herself.
“Oh shit, John.”
“Mm, that’s right baby. I’m going to eat you until you can’t even remember your own name.”
“You’re killing me,” her breath hitched. “Let me come.”
“Soon.”
He dove back in. His tongue fucked her until her body with convulsing as pleasure pooled low in her belly. When she was finally ready for the wave of her orgasm to wash over her, John lifted his head.
“No…” she groaned.
“Sorry, baby. Is there an ache you need me to take care of?”
“It hurts. Stop teasing me.”
His laugh was deep, and his beard roughed up the inside of her thighs as he went back to conducting the most insane symphony of sexual prowess on her. With her clit thoroughly cared for by his god-like tongue, John began pumping his thick finger into her.
“Oh shit…Oh shit, John.”
The vibrations of his moan, along with the addition of a second finger inside her sent her crashing over the edge. Stars danced in her vision and her back arched off the bed as he curled his fingers, perfectly hitting her G-spot.
“Good girl. God, you are so fucking perfect, Abby.”
John slid into bed behind her and she rolled so her face was buried in his chest. Her body was buzzing, a million little waves of release still making their way through her jelly-like bones.
He tucked her head under his chin and her eyes started to flutter closed.
“I want you to come away with me,” he whispered into her hair.
“I already feel like I’m floating in another dimension.”
John laughed. “Well, when you come back to this one, I’m hoping you’ll go away with me.”
“What does that mean? Away where?”
His fingers stroked her arm. “I have a hunting cabin a few hours north. I go for the long weekend every year. I want you to come with me.”
“It’s really fast, isn’t it? What if you change your mind about me?”
“Baby, now that I’ve had a taste of you, there’s no chance I’d change my mind. Will you think about it?”
She nodded, snuggling down even more against him.
“I don’t want to have my heart broken, John.”
“I don’t plan on doing that, baby.”
“I won’t be able to survive falling in love with you and Katy, only to have it taken away.”
Abby yawned. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, just as sleep was taking her away, she heard his reply.
“Good thing I plan on keeping you forever.”