Chapter 12
Ford
I was in love with this girl. She was everything to me, and I walked away from her because I thought it would be the best thing. I hadn't thought I could juggle work responsibilities and the demands of a long-distance relationship.
But now, we were in the same town and working on the same project. She was giving me all the signs that she wanted me.
Her skin was flush, her eyes bright with desire. It could have been the circumstances, the visit to my parents' house, or any number of things. But I couldn't deny that I wanted her, that I'd probably never stopped.
"What are you saying? I need to hear the words." There couldn't be any mistake.
She moved in front of me, her breasts threatening to spill out of the red triangles she called a bikini. Earlier, when she opened the door in that see through cover-up, I thought I was going to lose my mind.
I didn't think she'd done it on purpose to drive me crazy, but it was working nonetheless. Natasha was effortlessly seductive. She could draw me in without any effort, and now she was standing in front of me, and it felt like we were on this precipice together. Which one of us would make the move?
"I want you."
There was a roaring sound in my ears as I surged up, standing in front of her. My hand went to her shoulder, trembling as if I couldn't quite believe what she was offering. "You want me?"
Her lips parted, and her chest heaved from exertion. "Yes."
I cupped her jaw, tipping her face up so that her gaze met mine. "If we do this, there's no going back. There are any number of consequences—"
Her lips quirked, and she lifted one finger to cover my mouth. "Shhh."
I tipped my head to the side.
"Tonight, it's just us and this hot tub. Nothing else."
I could get on board with that, and I didn't need any other words or permission.
She was mine. She always had been.
I lowered my mouth to hers. It wasn't gentle. It was a claiming, a realization that this was what I'd always wanted. I might have walked away once, but it hadn't been what my soul desired. I never wanted to be apart from her.
Her breasts pressed against my chest, the hard points of her nipples reminding me that I needed her. That nothing could stop what was happening between us now.
No matter how many times I told myself it wasn't a good idea, my body was not on board. My hands roamed over her body, settling on her hips. I pressed my hardness against her soft belly, broadcasting how much I wanted her.
She was slippery and wet, and it only heightened my desire. I wasn't feeling particularly nostalgic or gentle. I wanted to take her, to claim her, to declare her mine to the world.
I envisioned her with her hands on the edge of the tub, her ass in the air, or with her riding my cock while I was seated on the bench. But I couldn't decide on which one.
I wanted it all.
I ripped my lips from hers, needing to see as well as feel her. I pulled the cups of her triangles down, baring her breasts to me.
She was large and full, her nipples hard and begging for my mouth.
She reached around her neck and tugged the strings of the bikini free of its bow. I groaned when the material fell into the water, skimming the surface, staining it red.
"You're absolutely gorgeous." She was breathtaking. She was everything I'd imagined over the years but so much more. She'd filled out, her breasts larger, her hips more pronounced. Everything about her was enticing.
This wasn't like when we explored as teens. It was explosive. My fingers tingled with anticipation, and my heart thumped wildly. I couldn't seem to settle on one course of action. I wanted all of her.
I settled for sucking one nipple into my mouth, cupping her second breast, reveling in the way her head fell back. I let my hand drift down to the ties of her bottom. With one tug, the material gave way, and with a second on the other side, it floated away in the water.
She was naked, but I couldn't step back to take her in. I needed to keep her in this moment, feeling everything.
When she shivered, I tugged her into the water with me so that she was straddling my lap, her nipples at the perfect angle for me to suck on them.
She writhed over my dick that was weeping at her proximity. She sucked on my ear lobe, and I pulled off her nipple, irritated that I was still wearing swim trunks when the object of my fantasies was so close to me.
I reared up long enough to remove them, not caring where our clothes floated. We were protected here on the balcony. No one could see us, yet I felt exposed to the elements and to Natasha.
I was acknowledging that nothing had ever changed, that I'd never stopped wanting her. My heart was gaping open, but I wouldn't stop.
She settled on top of me, and I gasped when her pussy glided over my aching dick. I wanted more.
She dropped her forehead to mine. "Do you have protection?"
"It's inside. But I just had a checkup. I'm clean. Are you on birth control?"
She eased back so that I could see her face. "Yes."
There was a familiarity with her that there wasn't with other women. I trusted her, but I'd respect her decision. "You want to go bare?"
She reached down, gripping my cock, and all reason flew out of my head.
Her eyes drifted closed, and her head fell back as she sank down. Her walls compressed around me, and the rest of the world fell away. There was nothing except for the two of us here in this moment.
I gripped her hip, sucking her nipple into my mouth again as she glided up and down. Her fingers tangled in the hair at the base of my neck, sending tingles down my spine.
I never wanted anyone like I wanted her. She satisfied something deep in my soul. A need that I'd never been able to satisfy before.
It could have been our childhood connection, our teen love, or even the night at my parents' house, but I suspected it was more. I wondered if she was meant for me.
I tried not to think too hard about that realization, because that meant that I'd walked away from her. That I'd let the best thing in my life go. That didn't sit right with me.
She whimpered when I rolled her nipples, cupping her breasts, and then tugged her down so I could kiss her. Her movements became jerky, her rhythm uneven. I gripped both of her hips and drove into her from underneath, needing her to move faster.
Her body stiffened as she cried out. Then her walls spasmed around me, drawing my orgasm to the surface. I couldn't hold back and came with a roar.
Her forehead dropped to mine, and our breaths were ragged, uneven. "I can't believe that just happened."
I stroked the damp strands of her hair. I bit back the words that I could believe it. That nothing about this evening felt like a surprise. Instead, it was a culmination of our entire lives. We were always going to end up in this moment.
A few years ago, I would have thought the idea was wild and completely impossible. But now, it felt right. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
I was here with her.
She sat up slightly. "I never in my wildest dreams would have thought we'd hook up again."
"Yeah." The lie rolled from my lips even though I didn't like her characterization of our coming together. I let it go for now. Maybe she needed to distance herself in this moment, to pretend that it wasn't as intense or as earth-shattering as it was.
She eased off me and sat on the bench next to me. She didn't bother to cover herself, and I wondered if she'd ever bathed naked in the tub before. Or was she that comfortable with me?
She bit her lip. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I really wanted to show you the view and extend an olive branch for friendship."
I reached over and tucked a chunk of hair behind her ear. "We barreled right past friendship and into lust."
She smiled. "This complicates everything when I wanted to make it simpler."
"It doesn't have to," I said lightly, carefully masking the pain her words caused me. "We can satisfy our desires and work together without any issues."
She raised a disbelieving brow. "Are you sure about that?"
I was positive about her, about us being together, but I didn't know where her head was at. It seemed like she was distancing herself from this, or she was lying to herself about what it meant. Either way, I could afford to give her time.
"Let's watch the snow come down and enjoy the wine." I reached for the bottle and poured it.
She lifted her phone and scrolled to the weather app. "We're supposed to get a lot of snow. You should head back soon if you want to be safe."
I sank into the water, enjoying the warmth and the snow. "What if I don't want to leave?"
She chewed her lip again. "I suppose you could stay."
I hauled her into my lap, nibbling her neck as her head fell back. "I was hoping you'd say that."
She giggled. "You're the one who's naughty."
"You're the one who answered the door in that red bikini. You were a siren I couldn't ignore."
I felt rather than saw her eye roll. "I was wearing a cover-up."
I lifted my head. "You realize it's see through, right?"
She turned slightly in my lap so she could face me. "I didn't intend to seduce."
"You did it without trying then. With that bikini and this body." I ran a hand down her thigh. "I didn't stand a chance."
She laughed then, light and free. "You're ridiculous."
It wouldn't have mattered what she wore, but it certainly escalated things. The outfit left nothing to my imagination. All I could think about was getting close to her.
I was pleased to know that what we had before was more of a teenage experience. This was so much better. We both knew what we wanted and took it. There were no tentative caresses or questions about where the other person's head was at.
It was natural, as if we'd grown together over the years instead of distancing ourselves. I couldn't believe I'd let her go, but I was more shocked that we were in this position now.
I had a feeling she was rationalizing this in her head. Maybe assuming that it was just lust, and I was familiar. She didn't need to get to know me. She already felt safe with me. I was a sure bet. But a future together was probably harder for her to envision.
I'd bide my time. I had plenty of practice being patient and waiting for the end result. I could do the same with her.
I didn't need to travel the world to find the one who was meant for me. She had been here all along.
She settled against me, her head on my shoulder as we watched the flakes fall around us. We stayed in the water until our skin was wrinkled, and then I gently suggested that we go inside.
We grabbed our towels, wrapping them around us.
"Go inside. I'll clean up."
She was already next to the slider. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." But I wasn't talking about cleaning up. I was talking about her. I'd never been more sure about anything.
Maybe it was everything I'd been through over the years, but I knew a good thing when I saw it now.
I fished out our clothes, turned off the jets, and covered the water with the top. I draped our wet swimsuits on the chairs and turned off the lights. Inside, the heat was churning and the fire blazing in the fireplace, but Natasha wasn't in the living room or the kitchen.
I went into the bathroom where I'd left my clothes from earlier. I toweled off, and got dressed, wondering if she'd send me home. I wouldn't be surprised if she did.
When I emerged, she was curled up on the couch, her damp hair twisted into a messy bun, wearing a hoody and sweats.
It was her uniform when we were teens, hanging out at home.
Except this time, there were no irritating brothers or hovering parents.
It was just us, and we could do whatever we wanted.
"I thought we could watch a holiday movie." It was one of the things she loved to do with me in the past.
I was just grateful she wasn't kicking me out. I sank onto the couch next to her. "Sounds good."
She pursed her lips, avoiding my gaze. "I don't want you driving home in this."
"You know I grew up here. Snow isn't a big deal."
She patted my hand and said, "Humor me."
Then I remembered that her parents had died in a storm. She'd feel better if I stayed, and I wanted to anyway. "It's not a hardship to stay here with you."
She smiled, and I was pleased I'd gotten her mind off other things.
We settled onto the couch, the throw blanket on our laps. She curled up next to me with her head on my shoulder. It felt exactly like old times, except we were older and more mature. But the stakes were higher than ever.