9. Seth
As luck would have it, I get everything done with time to spare. As I pull into a spot near Just the Drip, I notice Bristol standing in front of another store a few doors down. I turn off my car and wait for her to notice me, but her attention is focused elsewhere.
“I guess she’s just as nervous as I am,” I mumble to myself as my eyes wander down her body. Instead of letting her hair hang loosely around her shoulders, it’s pulled back, with a few stray pieces framing her face. She’s changed out of the clothes she had on when I saw her earlier, swapping her outfit for a knee-length forest green dress that hugs all her curves.
Bristol blows a stray piece of hair out of her face before checking her watch a second time. I’d love nothing more than to continue to watch her, cataloging every part of this moment in my mind, but something tells me she won’t wait much longer.
“Time to put us both out of our misery,” I say to myself before climbing out of my car and jogging toward her. “Am I late?”
Bristol jumps slightly, her hand coming to her chest. “No.”
I smile, running the back of my fingers across the apple of her cheek. Her eyes close slightly, her cheek relaxing against my touch as she sighs softly. “I’m sorry if I startled you.”
“It’s fine,” Bristol responds, her eyes flying open as she takes a step back, putting some space between us.
“You ready for our date?”
“This isn’t a date.”
I smirk as I step closer to her. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes,” she whispers, her body leaning towards mine slightly. “This is just two old friends having dinner together.”
“Whatever you say, darlin’.” My hand slides down her arm before threading my fingers through hers and planting a kiss on her cheek. “You look beautiful.”
“Oh, this? Nothing special, just a dress I had hanging in my closet.” Bristol turns from side to side, as if she has no idea what that outfit is doing to me. “Did you have somewhere in mind for dinner? Crawdaddy’s shouldn’t be too busy this time of night.”
“This is the first time I’m seeing you in over a year; the last place I want to take you for dinner is Crawdaddy’s,” I turn on my heels and pull her toward my car. “I wanted to have you all to myself, so I figured I could make you dinner.”
Bristol’s breath hitches slightly as she nods in response. “Sounds like fun.”
She follows closely behind me as I lead her toward the passenger side door, holding it open for her.
“Your chariot awaits, milady.”
She giggles softly as she steps into the cab. I quickly close the door behind her before jogging over to the driver’s side of the truck, getting in, and pulling out of the spot. The cab fills with uncomfortable silence as I search for something safe to talk about. I doubt laying my heart on the line the second we’re alone together is acceptable first-date behavior.
“How have you been?” I ask, hoping that’s a safe topic to discuss.
“Busy,” she responds as she turns slightly in my direction. “My yoga studio is finally doing well enough that I can hire some employees. My friend, Audrey—you met her this morning—and her daughter, Love, moved here a few months ago to help.”
“That’s great, but I hope you take time for yourself every once in a while,” I tell her.
“I have Audrey, and that has been a tremendous help. But she has Love, and now Jade and Connor. I know she’d have a fit if she heard me say this, but I wish I could give her more time to spend with them.”
“Why’s that?”
“Connor and Audrey haven’t been together for long. The first few months of a relationship are important. The last thing she should be doing is spending all her time teaching classes at the studio. I give her as much time off as I can, without working myself to the bone.”
I reach over and grasp her hand. “I understand that. I guess you’re in luck now that you have me to take care of you.”
Bristol pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and shifts her attention back out the window. Noticing her discomfort, I change the subject. “It must be hard starting a business from scratch.”
“Not so much hard as time-consuming, but it could be worse. Everyone was willing to lend a helping hand when I got started. It also helps that I’m the only yoga studio in town.”
“Does that mean you’re still single?” I ask as I turn onto my street, hoping she hasn’t moved on to someone else in my absence.
I never told her about my decision to retire after meeting her. Honestly, I don’t think I thought about it myself until a few months after I was deployed. Either way, it would be na?ve of me to think she waited all this time for me to keep my promise, but deep down, I hope she has.
“Yeah, still single.” She hesitates for a moment before asking her own question. “What about you?”
I wait until I’m ready to pull into the driveway before I reply. “The answer to that question depends on you.”
“What do you mean?”
I reach over and take her hand in mine, pulling her closer to the center console before leaning over and resting my forehead against hers. “It’s always been you, Bristol. I never stopped thinking about you when I was deployed. I know you didn’t make me any promises beyond that one night, but I hoped that when I came back, you would still be here waiting for me.”
“You know how to lay it on thick, Casanova.”
“Only for you,” I release her hand and climb out of my side of the car.
I know I should probably take things slower and try to ease her into wanting to be in a relationship, but I’ve spent the last year dreaming about the moment we could be together again, and I’m not about to waste another moment on games. Bristol needs to know that I’m all in.
I rush around the truck and open her door. “It’s not much, but the Thomases are giving me somewhere to stay until I can find a place of my own.”
“Oh, so you’re here for the long haul.” She takes my hand and steps out of the truck.
“Have you heard the saying, Home is where the heart is?” I look deeply into her eyes, bring her hand to my lips, and brush my fingers across her knuckles.
She nods her head slightly.
“Tyson’s Creek is my home,” I continue.
She must understand what I’m trying to say because I watch her cheeks flush a light shade of pink.
“Come on, I want to show you my place.” I wink at her before turning and leading her up the stairs to the apartment.
“What do you think?” I ask, releasing her hand to hold the door open as Bristol steps inside and looks around, taking in our limited decorations.
“It’s not what I expected. But also, exactly what I expected.” She giggles as she points at the large television on the wall.
“You know, boys and their toys.” I chuckle. “It’s a little more ‘frat boy’ than we were hoping for, but this place is only temporary for both of us. Once we get started working at the construction company with Vance and Connor, we can make some changes.”
“Somehow, I can picture you doing construction.” She takes a seat, tucking one of her legs underneath her before arranging her dress around her.
“It”s not my goal, but it’ll do for now until I can take my civil service exam,” I say as I turn toward the kitchen and turn the oven on to preheat. “Would you like a glass of wine? I figured red would go best with dinner.”
She hesitates slightly. “Sure. One glass won’t do too much harm.”
I quickly grab the bottle and pour her a glass, then pull a beer out of the fridge for myself.
“Oh, fancy,” she giggles as I hand the glass to her and take a seat.
“To be honest, you can thank Mrs. Thomas for that. I asked her for one after I bought the wine.”
Bristol stiffens, placing the glass on the table in front of her before shifting over slightly to put more space between us.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” I sigh, getting up to move to the other portion of the sectional. I’m a lot farther away from her than I want to be, but making sure she’s comfortable is more important.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbles as she relaxes back onto the couch. “This is all just a little much for me.”
She reaches forward, grabs her glass, and takes a drink, then moans softly. The tip of her tongue peeks between her lips and swipes the leftover wine off them. I adjust my position on the couch slightly as my cock hardens down my leg.
We sit in uncomfortable silence, our eyes looking around at everything but each other. I knew things might be awkward between us, but this is more than I anticipated. I open and close my mouth a few times, searching for something to say before choosing an easy out.
“Hope you’re hungry.” I smile, pushing to my feet. “I made lasagna for dinner, and Mrs. Thomas baked a pie for desert.”
“Lasagna?” She sounds completely surprised that I’m cooking anything at all.
“What did you expect? A DiGiorno’s pizza?” I question as I head toward the kitchen and grab the lasagna off the counter. “It’s one of the few things I know how to cook. Italian food always reminds me of my parents. My mother used to make a full Italian dinner every Saturday for our family. It was always just the three of us together, but it was amazing.”
I give her a sad smile as I push the lasagna back into the open to warm and turn on the timer.
“I’m sorry,” she mutters as she comes up behind me and tugs my shoulder. I turn around slowly, my eyes locking with hers. “I’m sure you miss them terribly.”
“I do.” I sigh, wanting to share more of myself with Bristol. “My parents died when I was young. I didn’t have any other family, so I was put into the foster care system.”
Over the few months I knew her before deployment, I didn’t go into too much detail about my past. Instead, I wanted to focus on her, drawing out every bit of information from her I could. I told her things about me, but they were only surface level because I was afraid of what would happen if she knew.
I didn’t want her to think any less of me because I didn’t grow up the same way she did. It wouldn’t be the first time someone thought less of me because I was a part of the foster care system. To most people, it meant that I was unwanted by my parents or that I was the stereotypical drug addict’s son. No one bothered to ask me what happened to my parents or why I was in foster care until I was in high school, and by then, I learned to keep that information to myself. It was safer for my heart that way.
“Oh, no,” she whispers, her eyes instantly filling with tears.
“It wasn’t bad.” I turn around, not wanting to see the look of pity in her eyes everyone gets when I tell them my story. “I had great foster parents. I moved around a lot, but not as much as most kids.”
“Is that why you joined the military?”
I continue moving around the kitchen, grabbing dishes from the cabinet and setting the small table. I try to think of the right answer that will keep her from running out of here screaming, never to return. Bristol has an aversion to the military; I’ve known that since the day we met, but that part of my life is over. However, I can’t deny that being a Marine is a big part of the man I am today.
“Partially, but mostly it was because I wanted a place to belong. I wanted to be a part of a family.” I turn and notice Bristol staring at me, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she wraps her arms around my waist.
“Once a Marine, always a Marine,” she murmurs, planting a kiss over my heart before taking a step away from me.
“No, it’s a little more than that.” I chuckle as the timer sounds, signaling that dinner is ready. “Being a Marine gave me a place to work through my anger while learning to trust others again. To trust that there were people out there in the world that would have my back no matter what.”
I bend down and open the oven, pulling out the lasagna and placing it to cool on the stove. Carefully, I remove the aluminum foil. The smell of cheese and seasonings fills the air. “But it wasn’t until I met Brady that I felt like I was part of a family again. Spending time with him and his parents made me feel safe and loved in a way that I haven’t since my parents died.”
“I’m glad you found them.” She smiles brightly in my direction, as if I’m the only person in the world, and my heart swells.
“I am, too, for no other reason than because they led me to you.”
Everything I have gone through in my life has led me to this moment: the moment I lay my heart on the line for the woman I love. Sure, this might seem fast, but nothing about our relationship has ever been conventional. If I’ve learned one thing from being in the Marines, it’s that we don’t have time to wait. We have to take what we want when we’re given the opportunity or take the chance of losing out on it forever.
“A lot of things can change in a year, but deep down, you’re still the girl who stole my heart before I left on my last deployment. The only woman I’ll ever love.”
Electricity sizzles between us. She leans toward me as if she’s being pulled by an invisible string in my direction. I scan her face, trying to commit every detail to memory: the color of her eyes, the way a few strands of her hair fall into her face. But neither of us makes a move. It’s as if we’re in our own world, and nothing else exists but the two of us.
“You don’t need to lay it on so thick tonight. I don’t need your fancy words and pickup lines,” she whispers as she attempts to put some space between us, but I grip her hand.
“You don’t need to run away from me, Bristol.”
“I’m not running away, Seth. I’m protecting myself. There are things going on in my life that you don’t know about. I’m afraid that once you learn what they are, you’ll leave me heartbroken and alone. Again.”
“I don’t want to ever leave you again.” I lean forward, brushing my lips lightly against hers a few times.
Bristol relaxes, running her hand up my chest and around my neck. Her nails scratch across the sensitive skin at the base of my neck, and I groan.
“I’m going to kiss you again,” I warn her, giving her a chance to pull away or give me a signal that this isn’t what she wants.
“Please,” she moans, just like before, and she pulls me closer to her.
I run my tongue against the seam of her mouth, and she opens for me, sweeping her tongue into my mouth. I let her take control of this kiss as she tentatively massages my tongue with her own. I can taste the red wine and something else that is entirely her, and I’m lost in her… until her stomach growls loudly.
“Well, that’s embarrassing.” She snickers as she pulls back, our foreheads resting against each other as we wait for our breathing to calm.
“I guess I should feed you.” I stand and head back toward the couch to grab my beer and her wine.
She smiles. “I think that’s probably a good idea.”
I lead her to the tiny table in the kitchen, placing our drinks on the table and pulling out one of the chairs for her. “Sorry it isn’t much, but I tried to make this a little special.”
The table is set to perfection with a small vase of wildflowers in the center that I picked while on my run earlier. I also scored two small votive candles from Mrs. Thomas that I placed on either side of the vase. It’s nothing fancy, but I wanted Bristol to know that I put some thought into tonight, wanting to make it special for both of us.
“More help from Mrs. Thomas.” She giggles as she sits down. “This is perfect.”
I press a gentle kiss to her cheek before turning to check the lasagna. I cut us both a piece and set a plate in front of Bristol.
“More wine?” I ask.
She nods, so I grab the open bottle of wine off the counter, topping off her glass before grabbing my plate and taking my seat.
“All right, if it’s gross, I do, in fact, have a frozen pizza I can make in a jiffy,” I tease.
Her tinkling laughter fills the kitchen. “I’m sure it’s delicious.”
She takes a small bite, and I wait impatiently. After a few seconds, she hums in delight. Relieved that she is enjoying her dinner, I dig in.
Bristol and I spend most of dinner catching up on what has been going on in our lives, laughing and talking about the time we spent apart. She tells me all about the shenanigans she has gone through with Leia, Selina, and Audrey over the last year, but you can tell she is unbelievably happy for her friends. In turn, I tell her about all the hijinks and pranks that Brady and I got into in the middle of the desert.
However, both of us are dancing around the inevitable conversation as we get up from the table and head back toward the couch. Neither one of us wants to go there, I can tell, but it’s an important conversation, and we have to have it if we want to see where our relationship is headed. I take a deep breath, deciding now is as good of a time as any.
“Are you ready to talk about us?” I ask, taking a seat close to her on the couch.
“There isn’t really anything for us to talk about. We spent an amazing night together over a year ago before you left to serve our country.”
I ball my hand into a tight fist on my leg. “I told you I was coming back for you, and I meant it.”
“I know, and you kept your word. I broke my own heart that day when I walked away from you, not knowing whether you’d make it back in one piece. I spent weeks worrying about you, begging for a sign from the universe that you were okay, but after a while, I had to stop waiting.” She swipes angrily at her cheek before turning her face away from me.
“I meant every word I said in the driveway that morning. If there is one thing you can be certain of, it’s that I’m a man of my word.” My voice scratches against my throat from all the emotions clogging it. “Please give me a chance to prove how much you mean to me.”
Bristol sighs softly as she turns toward me. Her eyes scan my face, looking for any sign that I might be lying, but she won’t find one. We stare at each other for a few moments as I lean forward and brush my lips against hers. My eyes remain locked with hers as I press my lips against hers a second time, trying to put all my feelings into that simple touch, to let her know that I never stopped thinking about her.
“Seth,” she replies breathlessly before gripping the back of my neck and pulling me in for a deep kiss.
I’m caught by surprise at first, but soon lean my body into hers. She drags her lips up the left side of my face and whispers in my ear. “Make me forget. I want to forget any of this ever happened. That we’ve spent more than a year apart, that this probably won’t work between us. Everything.”
I pull back and search her eyes, looking for any signs that her judgment is clouded. Finding none, I kiss down her neck as I place both my feet firmly on the ground and stand, knocking her bag to the floor.
“Leave it,” she mumbles around my lips before wrapping her legs around my waist, grinding her core against my cock.
Taking that as my sign to continue, I make my way down the hallway toward my room. I kick the door open and spin her around, slamming her back into it.
“Are you sure?” I ask one last time.
“I want you,” she moans.
My last thread of control unravels as I capture her lips with my own in a heated kiss, trapping her with my body. We moan in unison as my hand slides between our bodies. My fingers brush against her soft skin as I trail them up her thigh, grasping the bottom of her dress. We break apart long enough for me to drag it up and over her head before I toss it over my shoulder. My teeth scrape down her neck, nibbling and sucking my way across her collarbone before pulling one of her nipples into my mouth through her bra.
“Are you wet for me, baby?” I ask, slipping my hand into her panties. My fingers run along her slit before sinking two fingers into her.
“Please,” she begs, rocking her hips into my palm.
“Your pussy is hungry for me,” I growl into her ear, finding that magic spot and curling my fingers. “So beautiful.”
I pull my fingers from her and shove them into my mouth, licking them clean before gripping her ass tightly in both my hands and lifting her into the air. Bristol squeals in surprise, and she wraps her legs around my waist, grinding her pussy down on my cock.
“Patience, darlin’,” I mumble against the skin of her neck as I stumble into the room.
I don’t turn on the light before stalking toward my bed and dropping her onto it with a bounce. Soft moonlight filters through my window, casting just enough light into the room to allow me to look at Bristol. Really look at her for the first time in over a year. Her body looks pretty much the same. Her breasts are slightly fuller than I remember, and she has more pronounced hips than before. Her body is still toned from yoga, but my mouth waters at the idea of nipping at the soft swell of her stomach.
Bristol’s eyes fill with worry as she lifts her arms to cover herself, but I rush forward, grabbing both of her hands and pinning them to the bed above her head.
“Don’t hide from me,” I whisper, pulling her ear between my teeth before nibbling gently on it. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember.”
Bristol moans softly, her back arching off the bed as I unclasp her bra with one hand and slide the straps from her body. Her rosy nipples call to me as I discard her bra to the side and feast on her once again. Her skin is like nothing else I have ever tasted: slightly sweet, but something that is entirely its own. I take my time worshiping her breast before sliding down her body.
I nip and suck at the exposed skin of her stomach, circling her belly button with my tongue. My eyes lock with hers as I reach for the waistband of her panties. Seeing nothing but desire in her eyes, I bite down on the band and pull. Bristol lifts her hips and helps lower them before kicking them off onto the floor.
Without a word, I stand and strip off my clothes, pulling my shirt over my head quickly and taking a condom from my pocket. I place the foil packet on the bed, then shove my jeans and boxers to the floor. Her eyes travel down my body, locking on my cock as I unbuckle my pants and pull it out. Her pupils dilate, and she licks her lips, desire written all over her face.
“Do you want my cock, baby?”
“Yes,” she moans breathlessly as I lower myself onto the bed between her legs.
My tongue drags along the seam of her pussy before I suck her clit deep into my mouth and ease my middle finger into her folds. We both groan in pleasure as her walls tighten around me.
“Nothing will ever taste as good as you for as long as I live,” I mumble, burying my face deeper and lapping at her juices as they drip from inside her.
“More. I need more.” Bristol grips the end of my hair tightly and pulls, causing ripples of pain mixed with pleasure to run down my spine.
I grind my hips into the bed, searching for some relief, and nip at the inside of her left leg as I insert another finger, continuing to pump them in and out. Bristol arches her back, screaming my name as I find that bundle of nerves and bring her closer to the edge.
“Are you ready for me, baby? Do you need me inside you, fucking you until you scream?” I growl, then attack her clit and suck hard.
Her screams of pleasure fill the room as I drag my fingers from her center. I sit back on my heels and shove them into my mouth, licking them clean. Bristol leans forward and grabs the foil wrapper, quickly ripping the package open and sheathing my cock, before threading her fingers through mine and lying back.
“Make me yours again,” she breathes.
I slide my cock against her soft skin before plunging my tongue into her mouth. Her hands make their way around my shoulders, and she tugs on my neck, pulling me toward her. I’m pouring all my feelings into this one kiss, hoping I convey my feelings to her without using words.
I love you.
I missed you.
Please be mine.
I rock back and forth, rubbing my cock between her folds and not-so-accidentally hitting her engorged clit.
“You going to have your wicked way with me?” she asks with a smile.
“I plan to do much more than that,” I say as I line my cock up with her center. “I plan to keep you forever.”
I hoist her up by her ass cheeks and thrust into her core, both of us moaning. Her juices drip down my balls as I pump in and out of her at a punishing pace. Bristol bumps her head against the wall, meeting me thrust for thrust. “I don’t know if I can be gentle, baby. I need you too much.”
Bristol’s eyes meet mine as she releases one of her arms from around my neck, snaking her hand down to rub her clit, first slowly and then faster and faster. Her inner walls clench around my cock, signaling her pending release.
“I love you,” I whisper in reverence as I piston my hips in and out, feeling her juices dripping down my balls.
“Yes! Yes! Seth!” Bristol’s head thrashes from side to side as my pace quickens, and I pound harder into her core.
“I’m close, baby.” I grit my teeth together, trying to hold off my impending release. “Come for me, Bristol,”
My hips slap against hers until she shouts my name, and both of us tumble over the edge into oblivion. I slow my pace, pumping in and out of her as both of us come down from our high, not wanting to lose the connection we have finally made. Then I roll over to the side, dragging her body along with me and pulling her tightly to my chest.
I don’t care about the past anymore. After tonight, there is only the future. And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that Bristol is part of it.