Duke turns his head to my right, blows out a deep breath, and whispers, “Okay.”

He turns to look at me, steps closer, cups my face in his hands, and pushes his lips onto mine. A rush of heat and electricity flows into my body as our lips touch. I feel the butterflies flutter around in my stomach. A sense of perfection and belonging makes its way into my heart as our lips dance. His tender lips filled with compassion and yearning kiss mine eagerly.

Our lips part and he sneaks his tongue inside my mouth, brushing along the tip of mine. I gasp and hear him moan with desire. He lets go of my face and wraps his arms around me, crushing me into his body. I move my hands up his back and around his neck, admiring his strong, husky build. We stand there in the living room, kissing for what feels like hours. My entire body is filled with excitement, affection, and spellbinding desire. The electric current continues to flow through me from my head all the way down to my toes. My heart beats a hundred miles per hour as his hands run up and down my lower back.

He pulls apart and we breathe rapidly, trying to get our emotions in check. Duke smiles wide with adoration and love. As we stand there staring at each other, bewildered by that mind-blowing kiss, we hear a new song start to play. As Falling for You by The 1975 begins, Duke grabs hold of my waist and pulls me into him. We step side to side as we slow dance to the rhythm of the song. I stare into his eyes and smile as we sway in the living room. The thundering storm still roars outside but we pay it no mind. All I focus on is the man before me who has charmed his way into my heart and captivated my soul.

For the rest of the morning, we dance along to anything and everything, completely absorbed in one another. Once the storm passes by, we head out to grab a few things for the house. As we drive into town, I realize that this is what I want. Duke was right and he knows he was right. He holds my hand as we walk t

o the store and my heart skips a beat. I feel like skipping down the sidewalk, I’m so giddy. I am completely head over heels for him and have been since the moment I met him.

Duke

I step into her room and tip toe to her bed as she sleeps. She snores a little and it’s adorable. Her entire body takes up the whole bed—arms and legs completely stretched throughout and half of the comforter is on the floor. I chuckle quietly and make my way to the nightstand. I place a small glass vase with a pink daisy on the table and then take out a small piece of paper and scribble: If you want your dreams to come true, then wake up and live your dream.

I race to the hallway to grab her songbook and the new guitar that I bought for her and place by the nightstand it in her room. I watch her sleep for a few minutes and lightly brush my fingers along her cheek. She shudders at my touch and my heart jumps. I see the light from the sunrise start to lighten the room, so I quickly run out, shutting the door behind me.

I head into the kitchen to start breakfast and make a pot of coffee. I get out the Belgian waffle maker and the ingredients and start working up the batter. Once the batter is mixed and nicely thickened, I pour the first layer into the maker, shut the lid, and let it cook. Two minutes later, I place the fresh, steamy waffle onto a plate and dab a little powdered sugar on top.

As I start to prepare the next waffle, I hear a squeal and an “Oh my God!” come from Raya’s room. I chuckle and smile at her reaction to my gifts and pour the batter into the waffle maker. Raya comes rushing out of the room, beaming with joy, and jumps into my arms. She squeezes me tight and pummels kisses all over my lips and face.

“Thank you…thank you! I can’t believe you did this! How did you get my old songbook?”

I laugh and continue making the waffle, “I actually ran into the new owners of your home a while back and they told me they found a box of your belongings, so they gave it to me. I’ve had it ever since and I asked Rob the other day to drop off your songs so you wouldn’t have to start from scratch.”

“Wait…a box? That means you have my father’s stuff, too?”

I nod, “Yup, the box is at my loft.”

Tears fill her eyes and I begin to worry, “Baby, I didn’t mean to make you sad. I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head, “I’m not sad, I’m happy. I never thought that I would see his stuff or sing my songs ever again. This means so much to me, Duke. Thank you.”

I kiss her lips, “You’re welcome. Now, come eat before breakfast gets cold. Then I can teach you a few chords with the guitar.”

It’s been six months since Raya’s been home and four since we’ve been at the beach house. The summer has passed and the fall winds have gone into effect. The sun is still warm but not as hot as it was during the summer. The days are shorter now, bringing darkness to us much quicker. Raya’s been really great with the guitar. She has that natural talent. Buying that guitar for her was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I figured her song writing would be a great outlet for her. She still keeps things bottled inside, but she’s slowly starting to open up again. She still has the nightmares about Derrick, and when she does, those days are rough. She looks over her shoulder when we’re out in public or she flinches when someone comes near her. She’s only back to her normal self if we are alone or if Melanie visits.

Having Melanie visit has helped me tremendously. They do their girl bonding which Raya needs in her life. I have no clue what they do exactly or talk about, but I can tell that it’s helping her. I remember one conversation between Melanie and me as Raya was taking a nap.

I tidy up the living room and Melanie walks into the room, “So…you finally kissed her, huh?”

I stop and stare at her, “She told you?”

She shakes her head and sits on the sofa, “Nope, I can just tell from her mood changes and the way she looks at you.”

I sit on the sofa next to her, “How did you know?”

“You forget that I know what it’s like to kiss you.”

I look away, “Look Melanie, I didn’t—”

She puts her hands up, “Relax, I’m not here to cause drama. I wanted to tell you that I’m happy for you guys.”

I smile, “Really?”

She nods, “Of course I am. You two are my best friends and I just want you to be happy. Besides, you two are meant for each other.”

“Thanks, Mel.”

Tags: Madison Street Second Chances Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net