Chapter 55
CHAPTER 55
DIXIE
M y heart fluttered with hope. He was ready to talk . That was all I needed to hear. I looked up at him, our faces almost nose to nose, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a flicker of the connection we’d been missing.
I rested my head against his shoulder, being careful not to smudge my makeup on his black tux. The warmth of his body against mine was comforting, grounding. The music swirled around us, but all I could focus on was the feel of his strong body against mine and the way his hand rested on my back. It felt like forever since we’d been this close, so long since we’d really talked. It had been days but it felt like years.
I wanted to say something, but I didn’t want to break the silence between us. I didn’t want to rush him. He’d said he was ready, and that was enough for now. Part of me was a little worried about what he might say.
I leaned my head back to look into his eyes. He stared down at me. And then he kissed me. I had ached for this kiss since things fell apart. I leaned into him as his mouth covered mine. I didn’t care that we were surrounded by fifty people. For the first time since I found out I was pregnant, I felt safe.
Steady.
The music was all around us, but all I could focus on was the way his body moved against mine, the way his breath hitched when I pressed closer. It was just Hayes and me, and the promise of something better.
When the song ended, Hayes didn’t let go. Instead, he took my hand and led me away from the crowd. We slipped out the back of the reception hall and into the manicured gardens of the country club. The gardens were quiet, the only sound the distant hum of the reception and the soft rush of water from a nearby fountain.
I took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of the lush gardens. I didn’t realize how tense I was until I got some fresh air. The fountain was positioned in the center of the garden surrounded by tall shrubs. It felt like it was very private. Our own little sanctuary.
The fountain was ornate, carved from stone and illuminated by soft, golden lights under the bubbling water. Hayes led me to the fountain and pulled me down to sit on the edge. The sound of the water falling was very soothing. It was exactly what I needed.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t want to be the one to speak first. I was waiting for him. Had been waiting. The waiting was killing me.
“Where do we start?” I asked finally. “Talking this through, I mean.”
Hayes hesitated. He seemed to be at a loss for words, and I could see the struggle in his eyes.
“I don’t know,” he admitted after a long pause. “I just… I don’t want to mess this up, Dixie.”
I reached for his hand, lacing my fingers through his. “You won’t. We won’t. And we don’t have to figure it all out right now. I know how overwhelming it is to process. We can take our time. We’ve got several months. You’ve only had this information for a few days. I think it will get better. I’m still trying to get my head around it. A baby. It was definitely not on my bingo card for the year, but here we are.”
He turned to look at me. There was so much emotion in his eyes. It made my chest ache. Without thinking, I leaned in and kissed him again. Hayes hesitated for a moment, his body stiffening, but then he kissed me back, his hand coming up to cup my face.
It felt so damn good.
The kiss deepened. I could feel the tension between us unraveling. My hands found their way to his chest, then his shoulders, pulling him closer. Hayes’s hesitation melted away, and soon his hands were everywhere—in my hair, on my waist, sliding up my leg and moving under my dress.
I gasped as his fingers brushed against my thigh, the sensation sending a shiver through me. I pushed for more, my body craving the closeness, the connection. Hayes hesitated again, his breath ragged as he pulled back slightly.
“Dixie,” he murmured, his voice low and strained. “We shouldn’t?—”
I cut him off with another kiss, my hands tugging at his jacket. “I need this,” I whispered against his lips. “I need you.”
That was all it took. Hayes’s restraint shattered. Suddenly, I was on my back on the stone edge of the fountain, his body pressing into mine. The cool stone against my skin was a sharp contrast to the heat of his touch. Out here under the stars, it all felt so primal. So raw. And real.
His hand slid higher up my dress, his fingers brushing against the lace of my underwear. I arched into him, my breath catching as his lips trailed down my neck. It was reckless and rushed, the kind of passion that came from weeks of pent-up emotions and unspoken words.
Hayes’s touch was desperate, his movements almost frantic as he pushed the fabric of my dress up around my waist. I helped him, my hands fumbling with the buttons of his shirt until I could feel the warmth of his skin against mine. Hayes’s breath was hot against my ear, his teeth nibbling at my lobe.
My hands slid under his shirt, feeling his hard chest and abs. Hayes groaned as I raked my nails over his skin, urging him on. He shifted against me, pinned me harder to the rough stone fountain edge. I ignored the little voice telling me I was probably snagging the fabric of the expensive dress.
I didn’t care in that moment.
I tangled my fingers in his hair and yanked his mouth back to mine in a hungry kiss, all tongues and teeth. Hayes responded with equal enthusiasm, one hand gripping my hip while the other slid up my thigh under my dress to palm between my legs. The heat of his touch seeped through the thin lace of my panties.
I let out a choked moan as he stroked me through the damp fabric, pleasure sparking up my spine. My hips bucked involuntarily, seeking more friction. Hayes teased me mercilessly, rubbing me slowly until I was writhing against him.
I couldn’t wait any more. Reaching between us, I fumbled with his belt and zipper until I could wrap my hand around his thick length. Hayes groaned as I stroked him from root to tip. He was already hard, the evidence of his arousal throbbing against my palm.
Hayes rocked into my touch, his breath coming in harsh pants against my neck. “Dixie, you’re crazy,” he rasped.
I pumped him harder, reveling in his reaction. The power of that intensely erotic moment sent waves of anticipation flooding through me. I licked at Hayes’s throat, tasting the salt of his skin as I worked him toward the edge.
Hayes made a strangled sound low in his throat and suddenly tore my drenched panties away. The whisper-soft sound of lace tearing made me shudder with need. He tossed them aside carelessly without a second thought.
Pinning me down with the heat of his body, Hayes settled between my thighs. The blunt head of his cock notched at my slick entrance, making me shiver.
“Condom?” he asked.
We both laughed.
“What did you say? The ship has sailed.”
He nodded and stared directly into my eyes for several seconds.
I arched up, making him slip slightly inside me. A groan escaped my lips at the feeling of his thick length throbbing against my clit. My body trembled in anticipation as he stayed perfectly still. Then, in a swift, powerful thrust he plunged himself fully into me, stretching me deliciously around his hard length.
I cried out in ecstasy as he filled me completely, the exquisite burn of his possession creating shockwaves of pleasure that radiated outward from my core.
“You feel incredible,” Hayes gasped, pausing for a moment as I adjusted to the girth of him inside me.
“So perfect,” I breathed.
“Dammit. This feels too good.”
The jagged stone scraped against the sensitive skin of my back but I didn’t care, too caught up in the overwhelming sensations. He pushed up on one arm, his hips and cock pinning me to the stone under me. He took a ragged breath, his hair falling forward across his forehead. I could see him trying to rein in his control.
I slid my fingertips across his chest. I wished we were naked, but this would have to do. He started to move. His hips pumped steadily as he took me with a fierce intensity that had me crying out. His lips crashed against mine swallowing my cries. My fingernails raked down his back as the pleasure mounted, coiling tighter and tighter low in my belly.
“Yes, Hayes! Yes! Just like that.” I panted against his mouth as he drove into me again and again.
Hayes froze. He swore under his breath. “I’m close, Dixie. Too close. This feels too good.”
“So am I,” I gasped.
He shifted his hips, drilling his thick cock into me at a different angle and hitting that perfect spot inside. Pleasure exploded outward from my core, radiating through every nerve ending in my body. My internal muscles clamped down around him squeezing him as I came with a silent scream.
“That’s it, baby. Let go,” Hayes growled, driving into me wildly. A few more hard thrusts and he shuddered violently above me, burying himself to the hilt as he spilled his hot seed deep inside me. I could feel him pulsing.
When it was over, we stayed together for a moment, our bodies pressed together, our breaths mingling in the cool night air. The fountain’s trickling and gurgling noise sounded louder than it did before.
Hayes rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath. “Dixie,” he whispered, his voice raw.
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. Instead, I wrapped my arms around him and held on tight, my heart pounding in my chest. I heard the regret in the way he said my name. I couldn’t regret what happened.
The distant hum of the reception reminded me we were outside and very exposed. There were a couple hundred people nearby but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
Even as our bodies cooled, I could feel him pulling back. Withdrawing emotionally once again.