Losing You (Finding You Series Book 2) (21 page)

I snickered at the fans waiting to see their idol. If only they knew that the lame female on the crutches behind them had been his lover.

In the blink of an eye the crowd went psycho, screaming and calling out Kyle’s name and it was evident that he’d arrived. I was dizzy and on the verge of a panic attack, anticipating my first glimpse. Camera flashes lit the room as I searched for him. Cheryl snaked an arm over my shoulders to help anchor me.

Then as if all the clouds had lifted, he stepped forth. Standing in all his magnificence, he was as pleasing to the eye as ever before. Hair cropped short, a new man headed the procession. My darling. There was a yen to push through the crowd and run to him but restraint was vital. This was his moment, not mine. He’d earned the right to this night. To walk the hall of fame as his peers hanging on the walls had done before him.

None of my life leading up to this point mattered. Now, in the moment, in his very presence, all was forgotten. The abuse. The crash. My fight to survive. All a memory. My soul was opening up again.

Kyle paused for photos like the gentleman that he was before moving on. He walked the red carpet with grace and ease, flashing that blinding smile to all. I’d kissed those lips, felt those teeth graze mine in the heat of passion. I’d touched that freshly shaven jaw line and cried out into those perfect ears. My breasts ached for his touch. I wanted to get lost in him.

And that’s when I tensed. Walking like a queen to her throne was a beautiful blonde woman looking every bit the glamorous attachment on the arm of a movie star. I had to look away.

He has every right to be with someone else. He thinks I’m dead. I wonder if they’ve—.

It was too horrible to consider.

I should have been the one walking down the red carpet with him. We had talked about it before the crash. Kyle had told me that he couldn’t wait to show me off to the world but he was showing off someone else. My replacement.

I was overwhelmed. The enormity of the day was starting to bury me and I felt the first tear slither out.

Daniel tugged on my hand. He must have been watching me, watch Kyle. “Dakota, why are you crying? Are you not having a good time?”

“I really don’t think I can go through with this. Look at him over there with that other woman. He’s happy. He’s moved on. He’s not going to feel the same when he sees me.”

“But he is getting on with his life because he thinks you are dead. Am I not right?” he corrected me in a wise old man’s voice.

“I know but it’s hard to see them together, that’s all. Look at how beautiful she is. Why would he choose me over her?”

“Because he loves you, that’s why,” interrupted Joseph. “After all that he went through and put us through after your supposed death, you have to let him know you made it. It wouldn’t be fair to keep the truth from him. If he found out you were alive and you hadn’t tried to make contact it would kill him. The girl he’s with is a date. They haven’t even been seeing each other. You need to have faith. Look at you. I know it’s hard for you to see, but trust me, Dakota. You are truly beautiful.”

I dabbed at my eyes with a tissue Cheryl held out as everyone moved into the cinema. Kyle and his date had gone into a special booth, reserved for the stars of the show. Cheryl and Joseph had chosen regular seats. They didn’t care for preferential treatment. Both of them were from working class backgrounds and that’s the way they liked it.

The theatre lights dimmed, the heavy, velvet curtain parting, but I barely watched the movie as I felt Kyle’s presence directly above us in the VIP booth. I could feel him everywhere. I wondered if he felt me. Were we really connected?

No one in the cinema apart from the three individuals beside me knew what was going to unfold ninety-seven minutes from now. They would be on their merry way; the movie just a memory. Only those left behind to attend the party would be privy to the scoop of the decade.

Chapter Twenty

Dakota

Once the movie ended, Daniel, Joseph, Cheryl and I followed the crowd like sheep down another hallway into a convention room that was to hold a party for the crew, family members, and a select few.

Cheryl hugged me and whispered, “It’s time. We’ll be back in a moment.”

I didn’t know what to do. I was shaking.

My back was turned at Joseph’s request so Kyle couldn’t see my face from a distance. Both parents were milking this for all it was worth. They’d never had so much fun before at my expense. I just wanted to get on with it.

Don’t vomit now. Keep it together. Everything’s going to be fine.

Through the drone of voices, I overheard Joseph saying, “It’ll only take a moment of your time, son. This fan really wants to meet you. You can go back to Jodie shortly.”

“Oh my god, this is it! This is crunch time,” I muttered, having to will myself not to throw up everywhere as Cheryl walked over and spun me around.

Suddenly I was at eye level, swimming in the blue that I never thought I’d see again.

Kyle dropped his champagne glass, shattering it on the floor, drawing undue attention.

“See, I told you you’d want to meet this woman,” said Joseph, patting Kyle on the back before backing away and giving his son some space.

Kyle’s eyes locked onto mine with laser precision, disbelieving. He looked like he needed my crutches for support as he reeled back.

I savored everything about that moment, not needing anything more. His energy embraced me.

“Hello, Kyle,” I bubbled, letting the floodgates open. So much emotion burst forth. It was all a mix of anticipation, fear of rejection, time lost, love, relief, and just being in his very presence again. I couldn’t look away, fearful I would miss something.

He responded, closing in, eyes wide, mouth open. He moved to within a foot of me and stopped. He didn’t say or do anything other than drink me in, blinking rapidly. I let him do it.

Kyle’s face crumpled with sentiment, tears licking his cheeks.

“My beautiful girl. Is it really you? You’re alive? What’s going on? How can this be?” His thumb brushed my jaw, pulling away in shock to see me, solid and real and not a trick of the eye.

The gentleness of his fingers had me close my eyes. To be at a place I had fought so hard to get to lifted me to new heights. I soared in that moment. His touch seared a trail across my face. We could barely see each other through the shower of tears.

“This is bizarre. Look at you. You’re even more beautiful than I remember.” He sniffled, drawing me to him, oblivious to the crutches that someone took from me. It could have been Daniel. It could have been Cheryl. It didn’t matter. I didn’t need them. Kyle was my anchor. My stability.

We dissolved into each other like liquid. Touching would never be enough. We needed more. Much more.

He kissed my tears away and in between sobs, he searched for his own voice. “I love you. I’ve never stopped loving you. You’re a part of me. I died when you died. I tried to go on but I was pretending. God, there wasn’t a minute that went by when I didn’t feel you in some way.” His hands plunged into my hair. Every inch of him was pressed in to me.

I craved his plush lips. I took. No more talking. There was nothing safe about it. I didn’t want safe. I wanted out of control. I matched his rhythm, tongues tangled and heads alternating to deepen the kiss. I felt his love through that kiss. He wanted me. The raging estrogen was like a wild beast I couldn’t tame. My heart throbbed in time with my groin.

“Oh Kyle, I love you, too. You saved my life. If it hadn’t been for your love, I’d have given up my will to survive. I was so worried that you would see me again and not want anything to do with me. I’m a cripple.”

The kiss had left him flushed, pupils dilated, lips engorged. “My poor Dakota. You’ve endured so much but your pain ends tonight, right here and right now. I’ll make sure that you never suffer again.”

He turned to his parents, suspicion tainting his voice. “How long have you known about this?”

“Just today,” explained Joseph. “I got a phone call from a young lady claiming to be Dakota and I didn’t believe her at first. She was persistent that I meet with her and when I did, I knew right away. I took her and Daniel back to our home.”

Kyle’s face clouded at the mention of Daniel. “Who’s Daniel?”

I signaled to Daniel, who stood in the shadows, giving me a moment. He stepped forward. “Kyle, I’d like you to meet the other man in my life. Daniel, this is Kyle.”

Surprised and relieved that the youngster posed no threat, the allies shook hands. Daniel studied Kyle for the longest time, comparing his mental picture to the real thing.

“I guess we’ll have to share her now, hey?”

“I guess so.” Daniel giggled, possibly relieved that it was all over and now we could all start living like the family I had promised. It had been a colossal day and he looked more than ready to go to his new home.

“How though? How did you survive?”

“It’s a saga in itself. One I really don’t feel like sharing tonight. I don’t want to think about it. Just take me home. Please?”

Kyle’s lips brushed mine as he murmured, “Don’t go anywhere. I’m not done with you. I have some business to take care of.”

He looked over to Cheryl, who had been the one to take the crutches. She handed them to Kyle and he placed them under each of my arms, kissing me again. “I’ll be right back.”

I kind of knew or at least hoped that the business to take care of was Jodie. A twinge of sympathy for the woman fleetingly struck a chord within me. How much of her heart had already been given to Kyle? Would her sorrow exceed mine?

Cheryl and Joseph threw their arms around me in a group hug, welcoming me into the family and then seeing that Daniel was standing alone, they pulled him into the circle and started hugging him too.

We now belonged. Our dreams had finally come true, taking a mountain of hardship to get here. It was worth the wait. The growing I had done in the last eight weeks had readied me for this moment. I was strong enough now to offer myself completely to Kyle and his family. I was ready to take on the challenges of motherhood to a boy that through no fault of his own carried his own army of demons. It was all meant to happen this way as a test of my faith.

These two welcoming adults that hovered over me probably never would understand the scale of my deliverance from hell.

Kyle returned minus Jodie. His demanding gaze spoke loud and clear.

“How did she take it?”

“She’s a strong woman. She’ll get over it. Come on.” He motioned with his arm. “I’m taking you home. Somewhere we should have gone a long time ago.”

“Mom, Dad, I’ll call you tomorrow, and thanks for bringing my woman home.”

The broad, heart-stopping smile he gave his parents melted me and I was grateful I had the crutches to hold me up.

“You’re welcome, son. She’s quite a woman, too.” Joseph winked at Kyle and they shared some unspoken communication that I couldn’t quite decipher.

Cheryl came up to me, hugging me and kissing me on the cheek. “Call me tomorrow and let me know how your first night goes.” Her eyes glistened with emotion.

“I’m so grateful to you for everything. For taking Daniel and I into your home and making me look human again. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

“It’s more than all right. I enjoyed it and liked getting to know you and Daniel a little.”

Joseph’s turn was next and he was all smiles as he wrapped his large arms around me, pulling me into him so that I could smell his cologne. “You’ve made my son happy and that makes me happy. Welcome to the family.”

I didn’t know what to say. “You’ve been so good to me. Thanks for taking the chance.”

He kissed my head and then shook his son’s hand and Daniel’s. Cheryl gave him a big hug and promised him ice-cream next time we visited so there was more excitement.

And then we were on our way home.

The limousine driver let Daniel sit up front with him, leaving Kyle and I to our own devices.

The door had barely shut when Kyle seized me at the waist with one hand and frantically forced our lips together as if he was starving for me. A primal growl escaped as he gorged himself on my mouth.

“Mmm, I want to do things to you that are illegal. Beautiful, you’re killing me.”

He pulled me onto his lap so that my back pressed into his chest. My buttocks met a hard bulge, aching to spring free. I ground against it, throwing my head back against his shoulder as he cupped both of my breasts in his desperate hands. A perfect fit. We were both frantic with longing, ignorant that the limousine was powering through traffic on the open freeway. I was timeless. Ageless. Nameless. Speechless.

I turned my head, needing his smoldering mouth. He tasted of lust in every sense of the word.

Understanding that a young boy shouldn’t be seeing two people getting hot and bothered in the back of a limousine, the driver put the screen up, closing them off from the newly reunited couple.

“I need you so much. I want to make love to you right now.”

I was ready too, but it was not the place to be carrying on like two hormonal teenagers. We would need to simmer down until we were home. Home. How I liked the sound of that. Finally, it was clear where my home was and I couldn’t wait to get there.

“I want you too,” I moaned, biting his lip. “But not in the back of a limousine with Daniel on the other side of that glass. Wait until we’re in bed so we can truly enjoy each other.”

“I don’t think I can wait. I can’t keep my hands off you. Turn around and face me.”

Bumping my head on the roof of the limo and elbowing Kyle, I turned full circle so we faced one another. Kyle’s mother’s dress rose to my thighs, exposing what he wanted most. His hands ripped at my panties, trying to tear them down but my hand stopped him.

“Ummm…mm. No, you don’t.”

“Don’t tease me.”

“How much do you want me?”

“Let me show you.”

“That’s very tempting. You have no idea. I have waited so long to feel you again.”

He silenced me by kissing my neck in a way that ripped away any sane thoughts I had left.

“Kyle?”

“Mmmm?”

“I want you.”

His fingers had skillfully managed to work the top of the dress down to my midriff to expose my breasts. His mouth burned across each one and over each nipple.

There was no point fighting the ache. The desire was too strong.

I just started to unbutton Kyle’s shirt as the limo braked and then stopped. We’d arrived seconds before the point of no return.

His eyes bore into mine as we both realigned our clothing.

“You. Upstairs. Now,” he growled.

The door flew open with Daniel’s gleeful face looking in just a split second after the final button had been done up and the short dress had been pulled down as far as was possible.

“We’re here!” he shrieked in anticipation, turning and heading towards the glass doors of the apartment building.

We fought to compose ourselves and catch up. Kyle paid the driver after we got out and we caught up to Daniel.

“Do you want to press the button champ?” Kyle smiled at Daniel as the doors of the elevator opened.

The boy looked at me and I nodded.

“It’s number thirty. The last number.” Kyle pointed.

Daniel pressed the button, watching it light up, and then grabbed onto the handrail as we started our ascent.

Wow! A penthouse! I’d never been in one before and now it was to be my home. It didn’t really get much better.

The speedy elevator only left enough time to knead each other’s butts behind Daniel before the bell sounded and the doors opened.

We stepped out into an open foyer. A large glass window covered the wall to the right, divulging some of the cityscape below. Adjacent to us was a front door with two large pots filled with fake greenery.

Kyle walked to the door and unlocked it, motioning us inside.

Wow! The place was amazing inside. Very minimalistic with whites and blacks throughout. Definitely a guy’s place. It was quite masculine with a black leather lounge in the center of a large room surrounded by glass. The floors were made up of large, shiny tiles and the walls were white, making it feel light and airy. A couple of abstract paintings hung on the walls in the living area, offering a splash of color to the otherwise bland color scheme.

Daniel stood beside me, inspecting the apartment with obvious approval.

“It’s getting late. How about we put you to bed and then tomorrow we’ll show you the rest of the apartment and see some of the city sights?”

Please go to bed. Be good for mamma.

He yawned and agreed, eager to wake up and do some exploring tomorrow.