Guilt poured over me. Never in my life had I felt as slimy as the day I made that deal with Diana. It was wrong, and I’d known it. After Lane walked in on me with the two topless groupies and then the horrible dinner we’d had, I knew she would never speak to me unless I forced her. My anger when we’d first reconnected overwhelmed me, and I had lashed out at her every chance I could. At the time, I was still hurt by her leaving me and I wanted to get back at her, to show her everything she missed out on, and to prove deep down she still wanted me just as much as I wanted her.
Lane stretched her arm across the table and reached for my hand. I grinned at how easy winning this bet was about to be, but at the last second she pulled her fingers into a tight fist. “Damn it. I almost forgot.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you go ahead and lose so we can get this over with. You know you want to come back on that bus with me just as much as I need you there.”
“Because I’m tired of fighting with you over a stupid job. Winning this bet means you aren’t allowed to complain at all, and I like that idea.”
It was never her job I hadn’t liked. It was the idea of her using it as an excuse not to give in and finally be with me that pissed me off. I’d admit that it would be hard to allow her to tie herself down to a job in Texas without bitching. If she took a job, she wouldn’t be able to just drop everything and join me on tour like I wanted, and being with her all the time was my main goal.
“What?” she asked, shaking me out of my thoughts.
I chewed on the skin on the corner of my thumb. “Nothing, I guess. It’s just I was hoping you wouldn’t have to take another job right away. I like the idea of you with me on tour.”
She sighed. “Noel, you know I want to be with you too, but I have to find another internship somewhere so I don’t throw everything away. I don’t really have a choice. I need experience in the marketing field.”
“I know, but I don’t want to let you go. I just got you back.”
Lane stood up and came around the table, stopping at my side. “Let’s call truce. You’re right. I don’t know if I can be away from you either.” She held out her hand to me. “At the same time, so we both win. I’ll come on the bus with you for a while, if you promise not to bitch whenever I do find another internship or job.”
I stared at her hand. This was really the best of both worlds. One, I could finally touch her again, and two, she’d be on Big Bertha with me. I slid my fingers into hers, our hands fitting together perfectly. Finally having her soft skin against mine sent a tingle up my arm.
“Deal.”
I pushed my chair back and pulled her down into my lap. Her dark hair tickled my nose as I leaned into her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She tossed her arms around my neck and then lay her head on my shoulder. For moments like this with her, I was willing to be anything and everything that she needed, even if that included learning to live apart from her from time to time. Her happiness meant everything to me, and I would try my damndest to always keep a smile on her beautiful face.
L
ane’s fingers entwined with mine was what I imagined heaven felt like. Even just that small touch connected me to her. It was nice finally being at peace inside my heart. Waging war on myself over everything that had happened Sophie for the last few months had taken more of a toll on me than I had realized. It’d made me do crazy, out of my mind things that I would never typically have done.
We continued to walk around my modest property. It wasn’t much, but it was the perfect piece of ground. It had vast woods as far as the eye could see, set atop high rising hills. There wasn’t another soul around for miles, and for some reason that was a totally freeing feeling, especially when compared to my typical lifestyle.
After the tour of the empty barn near the house, I took Lane around the back of the house.
“Where to next, Mr. Tour Guide?” Lane asked.
My lips pulled into a grin as the dock on my private lake came into view. “My second favorite place in the world.”
Lane gasped as she took in the landscape. The hill gradually sloped downward, just like it did at our parents’ houses back on Cedar Creek Lake. A slightly overgrown path led down to the entrance of the dock. I felt her squeeze my hand a little as the most beautiful smile lit up her face. I knew this would please her.
“Come on.” I gently tugged her forward.
Hand in hand, we made our way down the dirt path in the intense heat of the early summer’s day. Other than the white railing needing a new coat of paint, everything still seemed in good shape.
Once we were on the dock Lane slid her hand along the rail. So many times I’d dreamt of bringing her out here. There had been times I’d sat out here with my eyes closed and imagined what it used to feel like when I’d held her in my arms on a dock just like this. For four years, I couldn’t shake those thoughts, and now she was here. It was almost surreal, very dream-like.
When we came to the end, I released her hand and wrapped my arm around her shoulders as she leaned on the rail to overlook the water. “Noel, this is perfect. It’s almost like being home.”
I brushed a loose strand of her hair off her cheek, and she turned her gaze toward me. “This could be home, if you wanted it to be.”
She twisted her pink lips. “We talked about this, remember? Taking things slow.”
“I know, but sometimes it drives me crazy because I already know what I want, and I’m ready to make that happen.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I’m sure because I never want to mess things up with you again. I can’t be without you. The only thing that concerns me now is your happiness. I’m just asking for the chance to be your everything. I need to be your forever.”
The light stubble on my chin scratched the tips of her fingers when she traced my jaw. “You are my forever, Noel. I promise, no more running.”
My heart thundered like a bass drum in my chest. Her green eyes gazed up at me, holding nothing but sincerity to back up her words. For some reason this felt like the perfect moment. What better time to do it but now? We were on a dock. We were fully committed to one another, and had voiced we belonged to each other forever at different times over the past couple days.
I opened my mouth to pop the question, but the words wouldn’t come out. It wasn’t that I was afraid or anything. It was the thought of being unprepared. Lane deserved that perfect moment. One like they showed in the movies, where the guy surprises her by being totally romantic and thoughtful and presents a ring that means serious business. I felt unprepared to deliver such a huge moment. I didn’t want her to think I was doing this on a whim, and that I wasn’t positive this—us—was what I wanted.
My eyes roamed over her face and I turned her body to face mine. Both of my hands cupped her face. Even though I really wanted to tell her what was on my mind, I panicked and said the first thing that popped into my mind.
“Good, because chasing you rips my heart out. I want you to stay with me. Always. No more running.”
Lane nods. “And no more secrets.”
That stung a little. “You’re right. No more secrets. From now on, we share
everything
. No matter if it’s something the other probably doesn’t want to hear. Deal?”
A slow smile filled her face. “What’s with you and all these bets all of the sudden?”
I shrugged. “I like keeping you committed to me, even if it’s just a stupid bet.”
That was the most ridiculous explanation ever. God! I was becoming a sappy dumbass. What the hell was wrong with me?
She lifted one eyebrow and shook her head. “Are you sure you’re not crazy?”
I knew it—even Lane thought I was losing it. Who knew trying to figure out how to get the woman I loved to marry me would make me go batshit crazy. This situation was getting too heavy.
I took a step back and glanced around the quiet lake. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lane wipe a little sweat from her brow and it gave me a brilliant idea to lighten the mood.
“Oh no!” Lane said before she stepped away from me. “I know that look. Don’t even think about it.”
I kicked off my shoes and laughed. “You might as well lose yours too, because it’s happening.”
She made a move to run but I grabbed her around the waist and then hoisted her over my shoulder. Both of her feet kicked wildly as I attempted to remove her shoes. When she didn’t hold still I gave her ass a smack, just hard enough to sting through her cut-off shorts.
Her shriek echoed around the open water as I yanked her shoes off one by one. “Noel, I swear, do not throw me in that water!”
I carried her to the edge of the dock.
“One.”
“Noel...” she warned.
“Two.”
“No. Wait!”
“Three!” I laughed and tossed Lane into the clear water of the lake.
The water rippled around the spot where she’d gone under, and when her head popped above water a couple seconds later, I dived in beside her, still fully clothed. The crisp water shocked my summer-heated body to the core, and for an instant I felt a little evil for throwing her in, but forgave myself a second later after I adjusted and it felt like heaven.
She splashed water in my face. “You asshole! I still have all my clothes on.”
My pierced eyebrow quirked up of its own accord. “Like I’ve told you before, clothing is optional around me. I prefer you naked.”
I reached through the water until my hands found her torso so I could yank her against my body. Even through the chilled water, I felt my temperature rise. She just had that effect on me. My eyes peered down at her chest as the thought of Lane in a wet T-shirt crossed my mind.
“What’s that smirk all about?” she teased.
I bit my lip. “Just how fucking hot you’ll look in that white tank top when we get out of this water.” I reached over and traced her bra strap with my fingertips. “If only you weren’t wearing this.”
Her smile turned wicked as she turned away from me while treading water. With some crazy-mad skill, she pulled her shirt up just high enough to reveal her bra hook and reached behind her and did a one handed flip to unclasp it. Once her shirt was down she faced me again so that I could witness her masterful removal of her bra without taking off her shirt. It swirled around the air a few times in her hand before she flung it up on the dock.
“That was impressive.” I laughed, fully enjoying her slight striptease.
Lane threw her arms around my neck and leaned in to press her soft lips against mine. I would never get enough of her sweet taste. I plunged my tongue into her mouth and wished I could bury other parts of my body inside her.
It was difficult to get the closeness I craved while treading water, so I knew I needed to end this before I got so turned on that I tried to fuck her right here in the lake. Sex in water was never my thing. I much preferred to slide into a woman with an ease caused by her natural arousal.
I pushed away from Lane and grinned before quickly placing my hand on top of her head and shoving her under. That should be good for a mood shift. The thought alone of being inside Lane was enough to make my dick hard.
She resurfaced, fighting mad. “You’re such an asshole!”
I laughed as she splashed water in my face again. “So you keep telling me, but I know that’s just another way of you saying you love me.”
She rolled her eyes, and I knew I was right.
I
rolled over in the darkness and stretched my arm out to find a cold spot in the bed where Lane’s body should have been. I sat up and looked around, still half asleep. There were no lights on, and I felt panic rip through me. I sat up and called out her name, but she didn’t reply.
There wasn’t any noise as my bare feet padded across the wooded floor toward the master bathroom. “Lane?” I tried again.
Still no answer.
I crept down the dark hall before flicking on the light and heading down the stairs. When I got into the great room, I froze at the sight of Lane curled up under a blanket on the leather sofa. Panic washed through me as reasons as to why she wasn’t sleeping in bed with me flashed through my brain.
Just as I opened my mouth to wake her and ask what she was doing, she erupted into a coughing fit.
Oh no. She was sick.
I tiptoed over to her and placed my hand on her forehead. “You’re burning up,” I said, more to myself than her because she was out of it.
Leaving her fast asleep, I went into the bathroom to find a thermometer and ibuprofen. I rummaged through my medicine cabinet, slinging bottles out of the way until I found the pain reliever, but no thermometer. After cursing myself for not being better prepared for a situation like this, I went to the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water for Lane.
I returned to find her scrunched into a ball and shivering. I almost felt guilty for waking her, but I knew she needed medicine for the fever.
“Lane?” I nudged her arm. “Lane, wake up. I brought you some medicine.”
She groaned and then opened her eyes. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”
I shook my head. Silly girl.
“No. I was just worried when you weren’t in bed, so I came to find you. Here.” I held out the glass for her. “This is ibuprofen.”
Both of her arms shook a little as she pushed her weight up off the couch and then took the glass and pills from me. “I don’t know what’s happened to me. I felt fine when we went to bed.”
A frown pulled on my lips as the thought crossed my mind that somehow I made her sick by throwing her in the water earlier today. My fingers raked through my hair.
“Don’t do that,” she said.
I stopped and tilted my head. “What?”
She swallowed the pills and chased it down with a gulp of water. “Blame yourself for this. I’m sick. It happens. I’m sure the virus was in my system long before you tried to drown me today.”
Her mind reading ability was uncanny. Sometimes it was easy to forget she knew me just as well as I knew her.
“I’m calling a doctor in town first thing in the morning.”
Lane closed her eyes and shook her head. “No. I don’t want to go anywhere. Just let me sleep this off.”