“You’re amazing, Delilah.” He kisses me again—deeply with intention as his tongue sinks inside me. “Your trust is a beautiful thing. I promise never to abuse it.”
I sigh in relaxation, my muscles and mind getting lost at this moment, getting lost in him again, something that’s so easy to do. Blame it on the moonlight or his magical tongue, or maybe a combination of both, but my orgasm comes fast and hits hard, my back arching as he holds me still. When I catch my breath and come to life again, I whisper, “You’re so bad.” My body is a puddle of blissful goodness. “You’re going to send me to an early grave of ecstasy.”
“Hey, honeysuckle?” When my eyes connect with his, he says, “I may be bad, but I’ll always make you feel good.” He maneuvers onto the truck and lies next to me. Looking over, he takes my hand, rolls to the side, and kisses me.
It’s naughty and rough, raw, and God, so crazy. “I feel so carefree with you, like we could disappear into that star-filled universe and never look back.”
“Is that what you want? Do you want to leave here, leave the farm?”
Turning my eyes to the night sky, I lean my head against his shoulder. “I don’t know what I want other than a redo.”
“How about we start with an I do?”
I smile, my happiness bubbling to the surface through giggles like I’m a teenager. “Sounds good to me.”
We lie there a little longer before grabbing the blanket and shutting the tailgate. The music is loud, the wind whisking in through the windows. I haven’t felt this free of cares in years. It’s deliciously addicting. My calf is warmed by Jason’s hand, his touch comforting.
My protector—of heart, body, and soul.
When we enter the city limits of Solace Pointe, I rest my head on my arm to watch the town roll by. I’ve seen these same buildings my whole life, passed under this stoplight a million times, and every time I do, I wonder what it’s like to be somewhere else. To get . . . away.
My sister knows. She got a job offer right after college and stayed for the money. Almost every time we talk, she tells me she wishes she were back on the farm feeding the chickens and swinging on that rickety porch swing.
I’d trade the quiet of the country for six months in the city. Big dreams die in little towns.
Jason runs his hand over my thigh, pushing the skirt of my dress up, his heat searing my skin. I glance his way, and he says, “You seem sad.”
“Not sad. Confined to a life I didn’t choose.”
“What about us?”
“You’re the best part of my reality.” My recovery and next chapter. I angle my back against the door and prop my boots on his lap. “Tell me a story about one of your adventures.”
Goose bumps are left in the wake of his hand as it runs over my knee. “I once drove from Seattle to San Diego. That’s some beautiful country out there.”
“What’s the ocean like?”
We pull up the drive to the farmhouse. “There’s nothing like a sunset over the Pacific Ocean. I’ll show you one day.”
I have no doubt he will. He’s a man of his word. “As much as I want to travel and see the world, I feel like you’ve brought some of it back with you.”
Taking my hand, he kisses the top. “I’m going to give you the best life, Delilah, the one you always wanted. You’ll never want for anything. I want you to share your dreams with me.”
“I’m too broke to dream outside my means.”
“Dreams are free. What does your heart long to do?”
“I love the farm. I’ve always seen myself living out my life here, but I’ve always dreamed of seeing the Eiffel Tower, and I wonder what it feels like to dig my toes in the sandy beaches of Southern California. Although I don’t need to be rich to be happy, I do wish to see what’s beyond these county lines.”
“I have money.”
I slide across the truck bench. “We’ve already talked about this. I don’t want to take your money.”
“I’ve saved it for my future, and you’re my future, Delilah.”
“Future Mrs. Jason Koster.” I lift and kiss his neck. “I like the sound of that.”
26
Delilah
A bottle of wine, two beers, and three BLT sandwiches later, Jason is dancing with me in the kitchen.
We’re happy.
We’re stuffed.
We’re drunk.
We’re high on life.
We’re turned on.
That’s nothing new. I’ve never felt so alive, or is it more that I never recognized how empty I felt prior? Like a summer storm rolling in right before a picnic, he wrecked all my plans. But in his destruction of my perfectly planned life, he gave me a sunrise of hope.
His hands tighten on my thighs, causing me to gasp in pleasure. With his lips to my ear, he whispers, “I suspect you wear these dresses to tempt me into sinning.”