Remembering Yesterday

“Friends…I like the sound of that.” Then she smiled and it was a burst of sunshine amongst the rain and dreariness.

He dipped his head lower and claimed her lips, before he could tell himself to stop. The flavor of her mouth was sweet and elusive, sublime. It was heaven. And without a doubt it was also pure utter torture. Neither of them cared about the rain, as their mouths remembered each other desperately, hungrily kissing as if they had never been apart.

***

A mash of fear and desire churned in Ava’s gut, overwhelming her. She’d wanted him to kiss her. Just to see if she would feel something. Anything. When Patrick took her in his arms, she was blank. So void of feelings, it petrified her.

Devlin’s lips took hers and all she could do was feel.

He made love to her mouth, stroking her tongue with his. Their kiss was hot, wild, and wet. She gasped into his mouth, dropping her keys to twine her fingers, entangling into his thick, ebony hair. Oh God. It was as if she was another person. Excitement hummed in her veins, and she felt as if everything that’d been wrong and uncertain had righted itself.

How was this possible? He stole the rest of her thoughts with his drugging kisses, and she moaned as arousal stirred in her blood. He dipped his hands under her coat and drew her shirt out from her pants. His cold, rain dampened hands against her heated skin were an erotic shock, and she purred into his mouth.

She wore no bra, and his thumb flicking across her nipple sent a bolt of lust deep between her legs, making her so wet, so fast, from the fleeting caresses that it stunned her. Arousal dampened the bare piece of silk panties she’d chosen to wear instead of the serviceable cotton ones her mother bought for her, as if some unconscious part of her, had wanted to be prepared for such a moment. Her eyes blinked opened and focused on him. He let go of her and stepped back, and she immediately missed the warmth he had wrapped her in, the sweet pleasure stoking inside of her. She moved with him, not letting go of his neck, unable to explain the desire in her to be skin to skin with him.

Suddenly the ache for him was overwhelming, and she felt as if she missed him, yearned for him with all her being.

“Leave, Ava,” he whispered against her lips, before taking them in another quick kiss. “Leave and I’ll meet you in the diner tomorrow for lunch and we’ll talk. Okay?”

Her heart was beating a terrified but wonderful tempo. “Okay,” she agree, but she didn’t release him.

They stood staring at each other, and she very much liked the awe and need on his face. Impatient to taste him again, she grabbed his shirt collar and drew him down to meet her. He groaned as she took charge of their open-mouthed kiss. A distant part of her was in shock, as this was not the personality she’d had since the accident. So free, so wild, so empowered, so aroused. She shivered more from the arousal pumping through her veins, than from the cold, driving rain now pelting down so steadily. It would finally melt the snow, she thought absently, but every other thought was of the sensations filling her to the brim and running over into wonder.

He hoisted her into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his hips as he walked with her up the porch steps. Devlin pulled his lips from hers breathing raggedly. “If you don’t leave I’m going to make love with you the whole damned night. If you don’t want this, tell me now.”

He reached the door and pressed her against it. Resting his forehead against hers, his eyes holding hers captive, he waited for her answer. The thickness of his erection pressed between the juncture of her thighs and her clit p

ulsed in answer. All thoughts of Patrick, her parents, and her lack of memory faded. Ava could only focus on Devlin and the feelings thrumming inside of her. She felt alive for the first time in months. “I want you. I want this . . . please. But only for tonight.”

Something stark and raw flared in his eyes, but Ava couldn’t take the words back. She was broken, and it would be stupid to hide from it. Desire was coursing through her now . . . but what would she feel tomorrow, or next month? Until the pieces were mended, there would be no committing to anything serious. Dating Patrick casually for months already told her that. To give Devlin any hope that she wanted more than one night to chase away the loneliness and fear would be cruel.

“Only tonight?” he asked, eyes probing her soul.

“Yes.”

“And what if I need more, Ava? What if I want you to be with me so we can relearn each other?”

Her heart climbed into her throat and the ache to say yes well inside. “I…I…”

“Yes,” he urged, pressing a kiss to the corner of her lips. “We’ll go slowly, I promise. We’ll go on dates, take long walks, rowing on the lake, and we’ll talk about everything.”

Doubt scythed through her, and she desperately wanted to concentrate on now, and not wonder about their uncertain future. “Only now. Only tonight…please. I’ve been so empty, so hollow, but now…now I ache—”

“Ava.”

She pressed a finger to his lips. “Please, Dev, make love to me.”

With a harsh groan he took her lips while wrenching the door opened. Everything then became a blur of need and frantic desire. With lips fused together they made it to the sectional in the living area. Ava dropped to the floor and shrugged out of her coat. The moment felt surreal as they stripped, staring at each other. The fireplace crackled and the determined way he stared at her as she removed every last inch of her clothing, had her core heating more and more.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered. “I have missed you so much, Ava.”

The reverent way he stared at her, made her entire body tremble. The insecurity she normally felt at her lack of curves and small breasts disappeared as he drew her into his arms, rubbing her breasts against his naked chest, igniting even more arousal in her. He was so delicious and hard.

His lips claimed hers, concentrating her thoughts on only him. His hand glided down to her wet core and a long finger pushed in deep. She mewled against his lips and rocked her hips in time to the delicious sensations. The room spun, and she found herself lying splayed on the couch. Heated lips trailed down her neck and down to cover her pebbled nipple. Desire sluiced through her body and her hips arched towards him. His lips continued their downward path, and she splintered as another finger slid deep inside her where they moved slowly teasingly stimulating her channel. He covered her clit with his mouth and his tongue flickered back and forth making her writhe as she lost all control. As he licked and sucked, driving her high with need, she struggled to hold her body taut to permit his glorious ministrations. Ava drowned under the waves of pleasure, nothing mattered more than the sensations he was so gently inflicting upon her skin.

She heard the distant rip of cellophane as he opened a condom wrapper. She licked her lips as he sheathed his length in a condom. He lowered his body to hers, nudging her thighs apart, spreading her wider.

“I want to touch you, Devlin. Let me touch you,” she moaned.