Chasing the Sun (A Rebound Novella Book 2) (16 page)

“Hey gorgeous, can I get four Buds? Bottles, please.” Trey glanced at James, one of her regulars, and smiled.

 
“Sure thing, handsome. On your tab?” He nodded and she bent to pull some beers from their chilled cavern.
 

“So you call everyone handsome, huh? I thought I was special.”

She stilled, rear end facing the owner of the voice that sent a wave of flutters to her stomach. Trey closed her gaping mouth and schooled her expression as she stood and turned. It took everything she had because every time she took in the depths of those baby blues was like the first time…and be still her throbbing loins, she wanted those baby blues gazing up at her from between her thighs.
 

She got it together though. Her face said, “hey, what’s up” even if her insides were doing their best MC Hammer impression.

She didn’t skip a beat, flinging the tops of the Buds with fluid efficiency.
 

“Here ya go.” She handed them off with a large smile, then gave Ian a nonchalant gaze.

She’d thank God for her acting abilities later.

“What’re you doing here? Shouldn’t you be balls deep in the Big D by now?” See, she was making jokes, everything was cool. No one wants to jump over the bar and tackle the gorgeous man in the tattered gray t-shirt.
 

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Ian asked. She’d never seen him so tentative before, like he was afraid she’d say no.
 

He was clueless as hell.

“Sure, let me just close out my drawer. Sit tight.” She gave him a smile that she hoped said nice to see you and not maniacal clown.
 

She did her best to stroll to the other end of the bar.

“Megan, can I bounce? I have a visitor.” Megan looked over her shoulder.

“Holy shit! What’s he doing here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Go, go! Don’t worry about your drawer I’ll do it.”

“Aw, thanks, but I’ll do it. It’s almost all cards, anyway.”

“Trey, if you don’t leave right now I’ll never forgive you!”

“Okay, okay. I owe you one.”

“Trey, you’ve done so much for me that’s not even a drop in the bucket,” Megan said.

Trey squeezed her arm and smiled. “Love you, Megs.”

“You too. Now go get him.”

“Nah, it’s his turn to get me.”

They walked towards her Passat, the muted music from the Royal was the only sound. Trey was waiting for him to speak, but he hadn’t. His face was pensive as he chewed on the lower corner of his lip. The beep of her alarm disengaging sounded. She couldn’t stand it, the silence. It was making her feel antsy.
 

“Ian…why are you here? It’s not that I’m not glad to see you or anything, it’s just—”

She was surprised when he grabbed her shoulders and drew her into him. He just held her, tightly, like he hadn’t seen her in months, not hours.

“I had to see you,” he said into her hair.

She let out a short laugh. “You just saw me.”

He pulled back and cupped her cheek. “No…I know it sounds stupid, but I feel like I’m seeing you for the first time.” Nothing could’ve kept the smile from her face. He’d come back for her…but, why now? And did it really matter?

“When I was driving home a sick feeling came over me. The thought of not seeing you…the thought of you in the arms of someone else, it made me sick.”
 

“Ian, I’m going to say this…I really don’t want to, but it needs to be said. Is it just that you don’t want anyone else to have me? You want me when it suits you or something?”

“See, that’s what I thought at first. When I saw you kiss that guy at the opening I wanted to put my hand through the glass, but I chalked it up to me just feeling protective over you…but I realized that I don’t want you in anyone’s arms ever, unless they’re mine.”

When he rested his forehead against hers, she felt the release—the mangled coil that had snaked from her heart to her stomach was there one moment and gone the next. She could breathe, a full breath, the kind that filled her belly and lifted her chest.

“I’m not sure why I was fighting it so hard. Fear or stupidity…either…both, who knows. But I
do
know that it took me all of ten seconds to pull out of my driveway and get back to you.”
 

“You drove home and came all the way back? Ian! You could have just called me.”
 

“There’s no way I could say what I had to say over the phone. And there was no way I could sleep knowing that you were here, not knowing how I felt.”

“Wow, that’s…just, wow…But how do you feel exactly?”
 

“I want to be with you, just you.”

Ian just pulled her into his chest. Trey inhaled—she loved the way his clothes smelled. Don’t even get her started on his skin. The rhythmic beating of his heart and the sound of his breathing made her lightheaded. She’d fantasized about him saying these kinds of things to her, it didn’t seem real. But did he love her? She loved him, like crazy, every fiber kind of love. If he dropped on one knee she wouldn’t even have to think about it.
 

Her life flashed before her eyes, the life she’d yet to have and he filled every frame.
 

But she didn’t want to scare him away, so she’d keep that tucked away until the appropriate time. She’d been professing feelings for months. Now she’d give him the chance.

Pulling back he said, “Can I stay at your place? I turned in my keys this morning…I didn’t really think this through.”

“Well, romantic gestures usually don’t include logistics.” They both laughed, then he kissed her softly. Her eyes blinked, fluttered really, at the gentle feel of his lips. When he sighed she pulled away. “Yes. Stay with me.”
 

She meant that in every way.

“I know we live in two different cities and I know you’re going to be busy with school, but we’ll find a way to make it work. Okay?”

She nodded. The kiss that followed sizzled hotter than the humid air around them. She felt it zing in every part of her body. The urge to jump into his arms and wrap her legs around his waist was overwhelming.
 

Ah, what the hell.

She sprung. Ian barely faltered, grabbed her ass and didn’t let go. As far as kisses went, this one was a religious experience. She threw out a silent prayer of thanks to anyone that could hear…Thank you for Ian’s soft lips, nimble tongue, and delectable breath. A special thanks for the hardness now pressing into her shorts, that was the perfect thickness and length as if it was made just for her.
 

Shalom, hallelujah, namaste…

“I love you,” Ian whispered into her parted lips.

Could you die from an uttered phrase? Could you die from happiness? The fact that she was still alive and well answered those questions. But she felt as if she was no longer corporeal—her body floating and weightless.
 

Trey slid back down to the ground, her gaze naturally went to his face. The street light was blocked by his head, only the peripheral streaks of light were showing…heavenly.

Standing on her tip-toes she gave him a gentle peck. “Meet me at home.”
 

He smiled and kissed her forehead.
 

Ian was almost to his car when she called out to him.

“Thank you for not saying I complete you. I would’ve had to kick you in the balls.”

She got into her car as his laugh echoed in the dark parking lot. Trey gripped the steering wheel with shaky hands, the gravity of the moment taking it’s toll in the best sense of the word. She looked up at the roof of her car, tears streamed down her face.
 

He loved her…he loved her…“He loves me!”

Ian knew that she loved him too. She’d said it before and she’d she say it again. But, any amorous affirmations tonight would be post coital. After all, he had her twisting in the wind there for a while. He owed her an orgasm…or two.
 

Would it be greedy to want three?

Nah. She’d always been an overachiever.

Comeback Story

“So, you’re really leaving?”

Ian paused, box in hand. The voice was a familiar one, but one he hadn’t heard in almost a year. He set the box into his Jeep and turned.
 

Katrine was just as he remembered. Petite, beautiful, doe eyes and full mouth. But the difference was he didn’t feel the twinge in his groin at the sight of her.

“Looks that way…Maddie rat me out?” When he smiled at her, she relaxed her shoulders and her booted feet took a few more cautious steps closer.

“I can be very persuasive when I need to be,” she said.

“I remember.” They both laughed gently, the thin smoke from their breath mingled between them.

“I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye…without saying I’m sorry for how things ended between us. I can’t explain it, not without it sounding like lip service.”

Ah, he did remember that face. The verge of tears, please forgive me face. And this time he did. It’d happened a while ago, but he wasn’t certain until this very moment.

“There’s no need to apologize. I actually get it, trust me…Things happened as they should. You don’t have to feel guilty anymore. I’m good…really good.”
 

And as if on cue she called from the door.

“Baby, do we need this extra remote? You have like fifty. We could make a fort…”
 
She didn’t notice they had a visitor until she was even with the small moving truck in the drive.
 

“Oh hey, sorry, didn’t see you there,” Trey said, eyes shifting between Ian and Katrine.

“Trevia, this is Katrine. Katrine, this is my fiancé,” Ian said, wrapping his arm around Trey’s shoulder.

Katrine’s smile spread, wide and genuine.
 

“It’s so nice to meet you!” Katrine hugged Trey, which she returned after a brief pause.

“Sorry, I’m a hugger…I’ve just heard so much about you…not from this guy of course.” She jerked her thumb in his direction. “He was too busy pretending I don’t exist. But luckily my sister filled me in. Congratulations on your engagement. I hadn’t heard that part.”

Trey smiled, but Ian could see she was confused. Like she was attempting to match the heartbreaker with the warm woman in front of her.

“Well, it just happened this morning.” Trey beamed. Katrine’s face had a similar look.

Katrine let out a small squeal as a small ball of brown fluff bounded towards the group.

“There you are, you little monster,” Trey scolded. She lifted the puppy into her arms and nuzzled the floppy puff. “She must’ve been hiding in the closet again. I couldn’t find her.”

“Oh my god! Who is this sweet thing?” Katrine cooed.

“This is Chewy,” Trey said. A stream of baby talk came from Katrine’s mouth along with several snuggles.
 

Chewy had been Ian’s wingman that morning. He’d slipped the platinum antique ring onto Chewy’s collar and set him on the air mattress they’d slept on, knowing he would pounce onto Trey’s chest. She’d cuddled the pup and it took a minute for her to notice Chewy’s new adornment.
 

Of course she cried and screamed, then tackled Ian onto the comforter.

“Is that a yes?”

“Are you kidding me?” was all she screeched, before she kissed him cross eyed which led to other, sweatier things.

Happiest day of his life, hands down.

“Let me guess. Chewy is short for Chewbacca,” Katrine said with a smirk.

“Hard to believe someone so hot is such a nerd, isn’t it?” Trey added.
 

The girls both laughed.

“Hey, you know all about Star Wars too, Katrine,” Ian said.

“Um, I have an eleven year old son.”

“I was once eleven, too,” Ian pointed out.

“True…but I liked Barbies when I was young, but you don’t see me walking around with them on my t-shirts,” Katrine teased.

“Wow, five minutes out of the dog house and you’re already busting my balls.”

“Sorry, it’s kind of a compulsion,” Katrine said.

“Hey, me too,” Trey said with a laugh.
 

Katrine looked at Ian and smiled.

“Well, Chewy is precious. I know Ruby can never be replaced, but I’m glad you were able to move on.” Double meaning in that, Ian was sure.
 

“So happy for you two. I hope you like living in Austin, Ian.”

“Oh, I will. I fell in love with it when I was there this summer, and of course anywhere Trey is, that’s where I wanna be…After she passes the bar, who knows where we’ll land.” He kissed Trey on the temple and she nuzzled into his side.

Katrine’s eyes glistened a little as she looked at them. “Well, I wish you both the best of everything…And I would love it if you came to my wedding next month.”

Ian had heard about that from Maddie, once she knew he was serious with Trey, that is. He was surprised, but glad that Manhattan did in fact love Katrine. She deserved to be loved, to be happy. But that didn’t mean he wanted to be front row Joe when she married the guy.

“Thank you, but I don’t think Xander would want to see my face on his special day,” Ian said. It was probably true and he was going to milk that angle.

“Oh no, he wouldn’t care…maybe if…well, you might have a point.” Katrine blew a strand of hair out of her eye.
 

Ian tilted his head.

“Okay, but know that I would want you there.”

“Fair enough…and hey, congrats to you, too,” Ian said, giving her a small hug.

Katrine hugged him back, with more gusto and kissed him on the cheek. Then she pulled Trey into a hug again, this time returned immediately.
 

Katrine had that affect on people.

“Bye, you guys. Drive safe…and take care of each other.” She waved one last time and walked away. She was about to get to her car when Ian called to her.

“You take care too, Katie-Mac.”
 

Katrine’s eyes teared up in earnest when she heard him use his old nick-name for her. She blew them a kiss and drove away. He wasn’t sure if he’d see her again, but he hoped their paths would cross one day.