“It’s over six hours.”
“Why don’t you have them fly to Austin? Or to Fort Worth when you’re dropping of Andres, you can pick them up then?”
“Or to Houston.”
“At least leave Andres here instead of dragging him all that way.”
His parents, his sisters, his sister-in-law and brother-in-law—everyone thought he was being ridiculous. Fine. He didn’t have to share their opinions, or heed them, or explain why he and his son were leaving Austin early to get to Rachel and Hannah. Andres downloaded a couple of movies to watch on the way up. They picked the most interesting hole-in-the-wall burger place in Sweetwater for lunch. They counted cows for a while. When they got closer to the feedlots, they counted types of cows instead, and he had to explain the beef industry. Andres said he wasn’t ever eating cow again and they talked about vegetarianism for a few dozen miles.
He wouldn’t say the trip flew by, but he wasn’t making life miserable for his son, no matter what his family said. And when they got to Plainview, there was Rachel. And Hannah, who latched on to Andres and unloaded every toy from every bag in the place. When his son handed over the books they’d bought her, her adoration of him was set in cement.
Speaking of adoration. “Hi.”
“It’s so good to see you, ridiculous man. I can’t believe you drove all this way.” She glowed. Not some kind of pregnancy thing, or probably not. Hell, she’d been pregnant for all but like the first three weeks they knew each other. But no, the glow predated the sex. It was those eyes, all those blue hues playing catch and release with the light.
Theo deepened the kiss and she was right there with him. The kids giggled but she didn’t tug her fingers out of his hair, so he continued to stroke the beautiful strong arch of her spine.
“Well, howdy. You must be Andres.”
Rachel pulled back and dissolved into laughter, hiding her head in his chest. He looked past her to find his son fist bumping the woman who’d shepherded Rachel through her teens.
“Aunt, this is Theo and Andres. Guys, Karin Johnston.”
It was all very friendly. Iced tea and chatter about the broken car and preparing a beef-free dinner. After the kids were in bed, his new favorite person Aunt Johnston said, “I’ll listen out for them. Cricket, you go and show Theo what passes for a town around here.”
Yes. He was half-flustered, making sure she had his number in case Andres needed him, trying to figure where Hannah had stashed his shoes, remembering not to grope Rachel in front of her aunt. Then they were in his car, and he said, “Nearest place with a modicum of privacy?”
And she gripped his thigh—not helping—and laughed—extra not helping—and very helpfully directed him past strip malls and drive-ins and down a dark and empty country road. “Here.”
He took it in. “Serious?”
“Serious. Now are you going to sit there or are you going to hop a graveyard fence with me?”
Grabbing a blanket from the back of the car, he followed her into the darkness. And into an actual cemetery, trusting her to keep them from getting caught. Or haunted. Or both. They fetched up beside a maintenance shed, which was a relief. A little more shelter than the headstones; a lot less creepy. “You are working me into a state, love.”
“Don’t even pretend like you weren’t planning on getting very naked with me tonight. I know you didn’t drive all the way up here just to be sure our kids got a chance to bond like you’ve been scheming for all summer.”
“Hey. They’re going to share a sibling soon. They should be pals.”
“Agreed. But maybe let’s talk strategy later and get naked now?”
He couldn’t. Not until he got another taste of her. Not when touching her, any part of her, holding her and feeling her press against him was more vital even than hearing her say ‘I love you’ in person. Contact with Rachel. Lips, hands, bodies and lips and smiles and eyes shining in the darkness. It was everything he needed.
“I love you, Theo.”
Okay, he’d lied to himself. Those words, her hands playing in his beard as she said them, the utter conviction in her voice. That was everything he needed.
“I love you, too. An entire world of love.”
“Good. Strip.”
He kicked off his shorts and shrugged off his shirt, managing to drop them in a pile on the corner of the blanket. Her sandals and t-shirt landed in the same general area, and that was as far as she got before he rolled her under him and kissed his way along her jaw, her neck. That spot on her shoulder that made her giggle; he knew that spot so well. He would always know that spot, and if he was the luckiest person around, it would always make her giggle.
“I missed you.” Truest words, but she paired them with shoving down his boxers so it might not be obvious that being with him again set her on the verge of tears.
“Hey.” He stripped her body and her heart bare.
Was this this price of love? A man with constant access to her emotional core?
She hoped her kiss had the same effect on him. Probably it did. Probably that’s why he’d spent all day driving to rescue her, and was happy to be exposed to all the summer heat and mosquitos in the middle of a cemetery where she and her friends once set off a nonsense amount of fireworks and got away before anyone caught them.
“You need to be inside me right now.”
“Why, are we worried about cops?” He shackled her wrists above her head and slow motion explored her torso with his tongue.
“No. Just bugs. That’s not the point.” She undulated to be sure he knew what the point was.
“You are so impatient.”
“Fuck yes. It’s been like a century.”
“I know,” he said and covered her breast with his free hand. “I’ve been counting the seconds.”
“And guess what?” She wrenched back her hands and propped herself on her elbows. “I didn’t even tell you the best part.”
His mouth seemed to think her navel was the best part. Or lower. He bit at her hip. “There’s a best part?”
“Theo, pay attention.” She tugged at his hair. His back arched and his cock jerked against her, so she did it again. He smelled so much better than she ever had after driving six hours. Mint and oranges and Theo. “When I went to the doctor, she did an STD panel. We’re clean.”
He tilted his head at her. “I think we knew that already?”
“Well sure. But since we’re clean, and we’re already pregnant....”
She didn’t have to finish her leading statement before he thrust into her. Smart man. “Oh fuck. Rachel. You. This. Amazing.”
Totally amazing. Not the sex with no barriers. Or not just the sex with no barriers. Not just the hand he cradled under her head to keep it from the bumpy hard ground. Not just the other hand he slipped between them to drive her to a fever pitch. Not just the slick of her palms over his body, the moan as his tempo increased, the way he pressed his thumb hard to her clit when her breathing went ragged and he caught her mouth in a kiss that stole everything from her. Her orgasm, her screams, her heart.
No barriers, that was the amazing part. He was fully in her. Even after his thrusts deepened and she wrapped her legs around his back and demanded his release and he bucked and moaned and nipped at her lip and neck and shoulder and it sent a jolt straight to where they were joined. After they came and crashed back to the blanket and used their shirts as inadequate cover over their sweaty, cooling skin. Humming and holding her hand and leaning over every few seconds for another gentle kiss. Even then, he was fully in her.
He’d gone and foraged around her soul, leaving alone the walls she still needed. Found space for himself. And it was so comfortable, having him in residence. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to let him leave.