Chapter 10
Wyatt Woods
Days have passed since I’ve seen or spoken to Valerie. I regret acting like such a fool. All morning, I’ve had this feeling in the pit of my stomach. Maybe it’s just gas, but then again it could be hunger. Yeah, that’s it. I picked up my order from the deli and saw my mother with Valerie.
Should I avoid her like the plague or man up and apologize like the man my mother raised me to be? I take a deep breath as my feet carry me to the park bench where they sit.
“Good afternoon, ladies.”
“Hello, son.”
“Afternoon, " she says, keeping it brief. She looks everywhere but at me. Her knitted eyebrows tell me she wasn’t happy to see me, and I don’t blame her. My mother looks between me and Valerie.
“Oh goodness, look at the time. I need to check on something back at the inn. Wyatt, can you please give Valerie a ride back?” Before I can answer, she leaves me standing with my mouth hanging open. I cleared my throat because I was about to eat crow.
“You know, I heard you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” She crumbled up the wrapping from her lunch and gathered the bag at her feet. She turned swiftly, hitting me with her bag.
“Oof!” I held my stomach. “Valerie, I wanted to apologize for my poor attitude the other day. I know I’m not the easiest person to get along with.”
She turned back and faced me, raising her eyebrow as if she didn’t believe me. There was a fire in her eyes that was terrifying, yet sexy as hell. “I’ll accept your apology because your mother is a sweet person.”
“I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
“You need to have a genuine heart to truly mean it.” She was turning up the sass meter, letting me know how pissed she was and wasn’t going to let me off easily.
“Can’t you just cut me some slack?”
“Why? So you can turn on a dime and act like an ass the next minute?”
“Hey, I don’t do that.”
“Well from my encounter with you, I beg to differ. Frankly, I’m pretty sure you have a dissociative identity disorder. Being a doctor, you might want to have yourself checked out.”
“I can’t help it. You annoy me!”
“Well buddy, you’re no picnic either.” Her eyes narrowed and they fell to my lips. I was unsure if she was deciding on punching me or kissing me. She dropped her bag and lunch wrapper and grabbed me by my shirt collar as her lips crashed into mine.
There was no denying that I found myself drawn to her, my heart pounding a hundred miles an hour.
I kissed her back with more force than I intended.
She was full of fire and determination. I heard a thunderclap in the distance just as the sky opened up and poured on us.
We broke apart, breathless and drenched, the rain mingling with our laughter.
I noticed the sky had turned near black; the storm had come out of nowhere which only seemed to amplify the electricity between us.
At that moment, I knew I was completely captivated.
“Come home with me.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“You heard me. Plus, your dress is a little see-through.” I grabbed my clean lab coat I picked up from the cleaners before I went to the deli and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Now I was glad I stopped to pick it up before lunch.
Offering my lab coat was more than just a practical solution to her see-through dress; for me, it symbolized protection and care.
It showed my willingness to shield her from the elements and offer comfort in an unexpected situation.
At that moment, it felt like a small promise of the warmth and safety I hoped to provide her beyond the rain-soaked street.
I picked up her bag from the ground and reached for her hand.
She took it and we ran to my truck. After opening the door for her, I quickly ran to the driver’s side to avoid getting more soaked in the rain.
I turned on the ignition and buckled my seat belt.
I brushed my hair back and cleared the wetness from my eyes.
I wanted to race home to have Valerie in my arms again.
But I knew better than to speed in these conditions.
The windshield wipers struggled to keep up with the downpour, their rhythmic movements filling the car.
As we drove, I briefly stole glances at Valerie, her face illuminated by the passing streetlights.
The warmth of her hand in mine was a comforting reminder of the promise I had made to myself to keep her safe.
She was unaware of my history, and that’s something I struggle with.
Letting people in and sharing my past so they can get to know all of me.
I took a deep breath, determined to share my story with her when the time was right.
For now, I focused on the road ahead, the rhythmic swishing of the wipers a reminder of the present moment.
When we pulled up to the house, Valerie’s eyes moved back and forth, indicating she was nervous. “Don’t worry, no one’s home. Emily’s at her grandparents for a few days.”
“You’re not going to be missed at work?”
“No. I was only scheduled to see a few patients this morning. The workday had been light, and I was heading home after picking up lunch.”
“I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“Having sex in the afternoon? ”
“No, having sex with a married man.” She fidgeted with her handbag.
“I’m not married.” I placed my hand on top of hers.
“You’re not?”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to go into details and ruin the mood. “No. So you don’t have to stress thinking you’re having sex with a married man.”
She blew out a breath she was holding. “That’s good to know, I was ready to have you take me back to the inn.”
I picked up her hand and kissed it. “We can’t have that. We were just getting started.” I lifted an eyebrow and leaned in and left a slow kiss that lingered on her lips. The inside of the car windows fogged up.
“Do you have condoms?” She asked panting.
“Fuck! No, I don’t.” I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand.
“No worries, I think I might.” She pulled out her purse and wrestled with the contents until she had two in hand. “I remembered that my best friend dropped something in my bag before I left.”
“That’s some kind of friend you have there.” I put them in my pocket for safekeeping.
“What can I say, I have friends that look after me.”
“Are you ready to come inside?” She nodded her head. I knew we couldn’t wait in the car for the rain to let up. “Let me go in first and I’ll grab you an umbrella.”
I got out of the car and ran up the front steps. As I reached for the doorknob, I heard the slamming of the car door and turned to see Valerie was indeed, running in heels. She was soaked from head to toe. I unlocked the door and allowed her to step inside.
She kicked off her heels and stood four inches shorter. It was difficult not to be hypnotized by her eyes and the curves of her body. I slammed the door with the heel of my foot, picked her up, and carried her upstairs. When we got to the landing I placed her feet on the ground.
She unbuttoned my shirt as she kissed me. However, her attempt to slide it off was difficult due to it being wet. We both giggled like teenagers. She finally had it free and threw it on the floor making a squelchy, slapping noise as it hit the wood.
I backed up and had her follow me to the bedroom. Removing my shoes and socks, I left a trail as we made our way to my bed. I searched her face looking for any hesitation. I admired her figure through her wet dress and licked my lips.
Slowly, she unbuttoned her sundress. My erection was straining to be released but I held on to my willpower. I stepped forward, ran my tongue over her lips, and proceeded to lick the top of her breasts. She moaned as I pulled her bra strap down, exposing her nipple and flicked it with my tongue .
She gasped when I tugged at her dress. It dropped to the ground and pooled at our feet. Her hands pushed me backward.
“Off with your pants!” She demanded, lifting an eyebrow. The corners of my lips curled into a smile. She’s hellfire, and it’s hot! I unbuckled my belt, slid my zipper down, and dropped my pants to reveal my Captain America boxers.
A smirk appeared on Valerie’s face. “Captain America, huh? I’m more of a Winter Soldier fan myself.” I crashed my lips into hers. I wanted nothing more than to continue the dance we started and discuss our shared interests later. But right this minute, I wanted to taste every bit of her.
My hands gripped her ass, and I picked her up. Her fingers gripped the back of my hair. We fell awkwardly onto the bed. We laughed as we adjusted ourselves, our bodies intertwining. Heated kisses led to more, as our bodies moved in sync .
Being a doctor, you would think I’d be more graceful.
However, that was not the case. I clumsily unclasped her bra and threw it across the room.
We both heard a crash as it hit something off my dresser.
I didn’t bother to look, as I knew nothing I had would have broken, falling to the floor.
We broke apart, our breathing erratic. We removed our underwear simultaneously, as if it was a race against time.
There was no doubt it felt as if our hearts were in sync while we lay skin to skin.
I reached out and grabbed the condoms from my pants pocket that were next to the bed.
I slid it over the tip of my shaft, her eyes watching my every movement.
Once it was fully on, I positioned myself, so I was hovering above her.
I couldn’t help being mesmerized by her eyes.
I kissed her again, this time slower, longer.
I pushed slowly into her entrance, inch by inch, watching her beautiful face for any discomfort or hesitation.
When I was seated deep inside, I moved slowly, rhythmically and she matched my movements.
Her fingernails dug into my back as I increased my speed.
The room was filled with our shared breaths and soft moans.
Our passion ignited. We lost ourselves in each other, savoring every touch and kiss.
The night became a blur of desire and connection, leaving us both breathless and fulfilled.
I woke up to the sound of that asshole, Sir Clucks-A-Lot, crowing.
I turned over and found the bed empty. Worried about Valerie knowing her clothes were probably wet, I sat up in my bed.
That’s when I noticed her perched in the chair next to my window, cozily wrapped in a soft blanket, gazing thoughtfully out into the distance.
The light from the rising sun cast a warm glow around her, highlighting the peaceful expression on her face as she seemed lost in her own world.
I pulled the covers off my body, picked up my boxers from the floor and briefly thought about slipping them on, then thought better of it and tossed them back to the floor. I padded my way over to Valerie and wrapped my arms around from behind and whispered. “What are you doing out of bed?”
She tilted her head and looked at me. “I woke up kind of early and thought I’d let you sleep.”
“Next time, wake me up, and we can have another go at making love.”
She blinked her eyes. “Next time?”
She wasn’t questioning that I used the words making love, which surprised me. “What? You don’t want to have sex again? I know we started awkwardly, but I think we found our rhythm eventually.”
“You don’t think we’re rushing into this?” She let out a breath.
I moved and squatted so we were face to face.
“Is that what you’ve been thinking about all morning?
” She nodded her head. “Listen, I don’t think we’re rushing into anything.
I don’t know about you, but I have this undeniable pull to you that I haven’t had in a long time.
Yes, I don’t deny that I can be a dick sometimes. ”
The early morning silence broke when she let out a laugh.
“I think we’re both guilty of being dicks.
” A slight curve played at the corners of my lips.
“I’ll be right back.” I went to the bathroom, and when I returned, she was still sitting where I had left her.
“Here, stand up for a second.” She stood, blanket and all.
I sat on the chair and patted my lap, inviting her to sit.
She opened the blanket, dropping it onto the floor.
My dick stood at attention as she stood in front of my window, naked as the day she was born.
I was planning to cuddle with her in the chair and watch the sunrise, but I liked her plan better.
Our lovemaking this time was tender, not awkward like before.
All the previous awkwardness was mainly on my part as I haven’t had a physical relationship since Lauren died.
I know in my heart of hearts; she wouldn’t want me to be alone for the rest of my life.
After we made love, we sat and watched the sun rise over the apple orchard, as the sky was now clear again.
I found myself feeling content with Valerie in my arms.