Page 130 of This Time Around
Forty-One
Cooper
We ended up taking a nap.Before that, I insisted on seeing the cattle.The devastation of her main home and several buildings was obvious, but for my own knowledge, I had to see everything.She climbed in next to me on the Kubota and we drove the pastures, double-checking the cattle and destruction.We fed the goats, gave them fresh water.
We’d come back later and bury the animals we lost, but fortunately, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d imagined.
New animals would be purchased.Stuff was just that.Stuff.It could be replaced.
She didn’t have electricity.That had been lost well before the cell phone service and who knew when it’d come back.
Plus, exhaustion was finally setting in.We needed food and sleep.
I didn’t sleep a single damn wink on the plane.Adrenaline and fear coursed through me, kept my eyes peeled on the weather channel.I was a fucking storm spotter last night, tracking eight different websites, both local and national watching the devastation occurring as it happened.
And I’d never been as terrified as I was, flying thousands of feet in the air, everything completely out of my control.
The flight attendant kept my coffee mug hot and fresh the entire flight and by the time the plane landed, I was on the verge of passing out and sleeping for eight hours or running a marathon.I hoped like hell I didn’t crash and pass out behind the wheel and got moving.
Rebecca insisted on staying and starting to clean up.
I insisted we get food and rest.
We argued.Her stubbornness cute despite the purple rimming her eyes and my inability to speak without yawning.
I won.
She grabbed the bag of clothes she’d taken with her to the cellar and we headed to the Carlton Golf Resort and Spa.
Ten minutes after we arrived, we were checking into a one-room suite.
Two minutes later, we were stripping down our clothes and climbing into a hot shower.
Twelve minutes later, we were asleep on the bed, naked and tangled together, clean and safe.
I woke up to Rebecca’s hand on my chest, her fingers playing with my hair.My hand covered hers.Thank God.
“I never rode a storm out alone in the cellar before,” she whispered.Her lips were at my shoulder, her warm breath wafted over me.Her hair was still damp, pressed against the pillow, my chest, it was everywhere.I pulled her closer.
“You’re safe, Rebecca.And thank fuck.I’m glad you’re okay.”
“All I wanted last night was you with me.”
Jesus.A spear to the heart couldn’t hurt worse than hearing her lingering fear.
“I sat there, listening to the storm, knowing how bad it was and all I could think about were all the people in my life I’d lost well before I was ready to lose them, all the things I didn’t say to them when I had the chance, and I couldn’t get ahold of you—”
“Shh.”I shifted us, rolled so I was on top of her, and my intent hadn’t been sexual in the least, I just wanted the weight of my body on hers to know I was there.We werefine,everything else would be fine, too.“I’m here.You’re here.”
“I know.”She nodded frantically, pressed her hand to my cheek.“But you’ve been gone a month, and all this time, all I’ve realized is that I didn’tneedthat month apart from you.I didn’t need the time.I was just being stupid and scared, but I love you.And I don’t want a minute to go by when you doubt it.Ever.”
“I don’t.”I pressed my lips to hers, and she opened immediately.I kissed her slowly, relaxing more of my weight onto her.Her body responded, legs shifted to make more room for me and I settled my length against her center.I needed to feel her.Make love to her.Touch her and treasure her.“I won’t,” I whispered, sliding my mouth to her jaw, her throat, that spot right by her ear that always made her fingers dig into my ass.“I need you and I don’t have a condom.”
“I went on the pill.”
I was almost to her breasts, my mouth watering to taste her, slide my tongue around her nipples until they hardened and she’d arch her hips into me.“What?”
She grinned that sheepish little smile she always had when she was embarrassed or nervous.“When you were gone.I didn’t want the next time we were together to have anything between us.”
