My hand freezes at her words. “Have you done anything?” I ask, trying to act my age instead of jumping up and fist pumping the air at the fact that no other guy has laid a finger on her…at least I hope they haven’t.
“Nothing.” She hides her face against my chest. “My brother is kind of an ass about that sort of thing when it involves me. But realistically, I’ve never been all that interested in finding out what all the fuss is about. Until you, no one made me want to.”
Her admission has my dick trying to punch out of my jeans to get to her, but no matter how much I want to make love to her, nothing will happen tonight, regardless of what my body craves.
“Are you going to deflower me?” she asks, her voice full of mischief.
I burst out laughing at her question, which breaks some of the tension surrounding us. Lifting her closer, we lie face-to-face, our mouths mere inches apart.
“Yes,” I answer honestly, “but not tonight. I want more than a night, and I don’t want to make love to you and then have to get on a plane home the following day. I want to be able to spend the whole day with you afterward. I want to have time to run you a bubble bath the morning after. I want to watch you dress before I feed you breakfast. Not necessarily in that order. Are you hearing me, Felicity? From this point forward, I’m yours. Only yours. And we will be together again soon. If we want something strongly enough, then we can make it happen.” I smile and kiss the tip of her nose before moving to her watery eyes.
“I want that too.”
“I sense a but in there.” I search her eyes with mine.
She offers a small, sad smile. “I’m afraid that when I walk out of this hotel room that you’ll forget all about me.”
I cup her head with my hands. “That won’t happen. I promise. We’re going to exchange numbers before I walk you back to your room.” Burying my face into her neck, I add, “Be mine Felicity, let me be yours, whichever way…just tell me I'm the only guy you’re going to be thinking about from now one."
With her lack of experience, I’m terrified that I’m going to scare her away with my need for her, but I need to know that she’s going to be waiting for me. I need that assurance.
“I promise, Kasey. Please just hold me while I sleep. I feel safe here with you.”
Wrapping myself around her, I hold her close, wondering why she wouldn’t feel safe with her brother.
1
Kasey
Kicking back on the porch swing at my family home, I admire the multi-colored fairy lights that cover the buildings surrounding the farmhouse. Watching my brother Diego dance with his bride, Rae, makes me long for what they have. As I try to suppress the yearning, a shy brunette comes to mind, along with anger. After the amazing night of talking and connecting that we’d shared, come morning she’d just completely disappeared, leaving an ache in my heart. Nothing in my life feels right anymore, and as for other women, I can’t look at another woman without craving what I lost, even though I know I never really had her.
You’d think that after three months I’d be over her, but my heart had quickly become attached. Everything was so raw and pure, and I have a feeling that I won’t be forgetting about her anytime soon.
Aiden and Sarah have been married two months now, and just like today, I’d wanted Felicity by my side to celebrate with my family. I was probably being an idiot, but at thirty-two I knew what I wanted, and that is Felicity. One way or another, I need to find her because this has gone on for long enough. Even if she really doesn’t want anything to do with me, I just need to make sure that she’s okay. It would kill me to leave her to someone else, but I’ll respect her wishes. I just need to know. To see her . . .
“Kasey?”
At the sharp call of my name, my head snaps up and my eyes land on Andie, Diego’s new stepdaughter.
“Hey, what’s up?”
She rolls her eyes and sits next to me. “Other than the fact that I’m desperate for my bed and my feet are throbbing, nothing much.” She narrows her eyes. “But you on the other hand, keep avoiding me.” She raises a brow, almost daring me to dispute what she’s saying. “You know that I want to talk about Vegas, which is why I haven’t seen much of you lately. I want to know about the girl you disappeared with. She looked young.” There’s a judging edge to her voice that irritates me.
I close my eyes and recline back with the image of Felicity in my mind. “She was young. Too young.”
“Did you spend all night with her?”
“Yes.”
“Um, Kasey,” she starts with sensor in her voice.
“Nothing sexual happened between us and even if it had, she was legal at least…you know I’m not a total jerk. We talked for most of the night and I seriously felt a connection with her.”
“But?” she probes.
“She’s nineteen, Andie. Shy. Innocent. So damn sweet and beautiful that I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but if she’s the one, then don’t you dare let her go,” she says fiercely.