Unconditional Love (Journey of Love 1)

Then she screamed. Right in my ear. “Azurdee! You and Lark? Oh. My. God. Was it good? I mean, I know it hurts at first, but after that? How many times did y’all? Was he sweet to you? That bastard better have been sweet to you! Was it hot? Oh my God, tell me everything!”

I laughed as I made my way downstairs. I saw about a half dozen people out back cleaning up the rest of the reception. Tables and chairs were being taken down and placed into a trailer.

“Azurdee!”

“Oh, sorry. I was watching them take down the rest of the things from the reception.”

She let out a long sigh and said, “Azurdee, spill it.”

I moved into the living room and sat down on the sofa. “Oh Jessie, it was amazing. He was amazing. He kept calling me mi amor! It melted my heart every time he said it. He was sweet, passionate, and so gentle. It was beyond anything I had ever dreamed.”

She let out the silliest little yelp. “I knew Lark Williams had it in him. He just needed to find the right girl.”

My stomach dipped a little and my smile faded a bit. “Well, I’m not sure if I’m the right girl or even the girl.”

“Wait. Was this a one-time thing? Please tell me you didn’t agree to him taking your virginity and walking away!”

“No. We both agreed that we would be exclusive, but I have a feeling this is the first time he has been exclusive since…well since…” Why couldn’t I say her name?

“Nikki?” Jessie asked.

“Yes. Jessie, why do I feel like I’m in competition with someone who passed away years ago? I can’t shake this feeling that he was comparing me to her.”

She let out a breath and said, “Pesh. Nonsense, Azurdee. He would never do that. I’m sure it was probably just very powerful for him. I mean, by his own admission he has said he has no intentions of ever…”

Her voice trailed off and I knew she was regretting what she had just said. “Jessie, I knew how Lark was and how he thought when I got into this. I know he could walk away at any given moment.”

I silently prayed that would never happen, but deep down inside I knew it was a strong possibility.

“He won’t walk away, sweetie. I see the way he looks at you. I think you are the game changer he’s been waiting for.”

I bit down on my fingernail and began chewing it. “Maybe. I don’t want to get my hopes up, ya know?”

“So tell me…are you sore?” she asked with a giggle.

I felt like a teenager in high school. “Let’s just say he told me he was going to make it so I would think about him every time I moved…for a few days.”

Jessie let out a gasp and began laughing. “Oh my.”

I dropped my head back onto the sofa and said, “Jessie…he is amazing. I mean…the way he can be so sweet and then so dirty. Oh God. He had me going insane with lust for him.”

“The sweet part surprises me, but not the dirty,” she said with a laugh.

I laughed in return and said, “Four times.”

“Four times! Look at the stamina Mr. Williams has!”

We both lost it in a laughing fit. “Jesus, Azurdee. No wonder you’re sore.”

“Bed twice, bathtub once, and then the shower,” I said in an almost whisper.

“Well damn. I’m a bit jealous. I think I’m going to have to run a hot bath,” Jessie said with a giggle. “When will he be back?”

The strangest feeling moved over me and I wasn’t really sure what to think of it. I almost felt scared. Like Lark might be in some kind of danger.

“Azurdee?”

Jessie’s voice pulled me out of my daydream. “He um…he said he’d be back in five days at the most.”

“He mention where he was going?” Jessie asked. I could see her now all perked up. I let out a weak laugh and said, “Nope.”

“Damn it. What does that boy do for a living? One of these days I’m gonna find out.”

Right then my cell phone buzzed and I pulled it away. A text message from Lark scrolled across the top.

“Oh my God!” I screamed.

“What? Is everything okay? What’s wrong?” Jessie screamed back.

“He just sent me a text. I gotta go!”

“No! Wait. Don’t hang up you bitch—put me on speaker and read it,” Jessie said in a panicked voice.

I hit speaker and opened up his text message.

Lark: I can’t stop thinking about you. I hope your morning is going good.

Even with Jessie on the phone, I had to reply right away.

Me: I can’t stop thinking about you either. My morning has been…uneventful so far.

He quickly replied back.

Lark: Have to take off again but just wanted to say hey. See ya in a few.

Me: Be careful and have a safe trip.

Lark: Always.

Jessie cleared her throat. “Hello! I’m still here, ya know. What did he say?”

I sighed and said, “He said he was thinking about me and that he hoped I had a good morning. He said he had to take off again and would see me in a few days.”

Jessie and I both let out sighs and then began laughing. “Well, I mean it’s not very romantic considering he just popped your cherry and all.”

“Jessie! Oh. My. God. Really?”

“Hey, I have to run. I see my handsome husband walking my way. Take it easy and stay at the house as long as you want, sweets. I’ll see ya when we get back.”

“Hey, Jessie?”

“Yeah?”

&nb

sp; I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Do you think Lark is…well, do you think he is capable of just being with one person? You don’t think I just made a mistake, do you?”

“Azurdee, I know I’ve never seen Lark look at someone like he does you. I know he never talks about bagging girls, as he so lovingly puts it, anymore. Yes, I think he is very capable of being with just one person. Do you think you made a mistake?”

I chewed on my lip and said, “No. Either way, I wanted it to be him.”

“Don’t worry, babe. I have a feeling Mr. Williams is officially off the market.”

I gave a weak smile even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “One more thing, Jess. Bathtub sex is amazing.”

She let out a laugh and said, “Oh hell yeah it is!”

I hung up and tossed my phone to the side of me. I held out my hand and it was shaking. I dropped my head back and let out the breath I had been holding. I looked up and glanced over to the buffet table and saw a picture of Scott and Lark when they went fly fishing a few months back. I got up and walked over to it. I reached down and picked it up and ran my finger across his face.

I closed my eyes and whispered, “Lord, please keep him safe and please let me shake this uneasy feeling I have.”

I set the picture back down and decided I needed to go for a run and clear my head.

I headed into the laundry room and put the sheets in the dryer and then bolted upstairs to change.

By the time I was running on the dirt road that ran around Scott and Jessie’s place, I was finally feeling better. I began running a little faster as I thought about all the things I wanted Lark to do to me when he got home.

I attempted to push Lark from my thoughts and began planning things for the restaurant. Another half a mile and I stopped. I put my hands on my hips and let my head drop.

“Shit. Shit. Shit,” I yelled out. I shook my head and took in a few deep breaths and totally pushed Lark Williams out of my mind as I began running and started laying out the table locations in my head.

When my cell phone buzzed, I stopped and pulled it out, shocked I even had a signal. One look at who it was and I rolled my eyes. I hit reject and started running back toward the house.