Page 16 of The Road Back Home

It’s later than my usual wake-up time, I know it without even opening my eyes.

I breathe in deeply, peace seeping into my entire being as I melt into the mattress.

My dreams slip from my mental fingers, though I don’t try hard to remember them.

I know they were pleasant ones, and that’s all that matters.

Warm lips press to my shoulder, and I bite my lower lip to stifle a smile. I don’t roll over even as I murmur, “Keep doin’ that, and we ain’t gettin’ outta bed.”

Holden’s chuckle ghosts across my skin. “Why would I wanna get out of bed when you’re right here?” He kisses the curve of my neck then pulls away. “Your accent is adorable, by the way.”

“I don’t have an accent. You do.”

Holden doesn’t bother arguing against my sleepy protests, just mmm s in response before leaning over to kiss my cheek.

I finally roll to face him, catching myself instantly captivated by the bright gray of his eyes.

He brushes a lock of hair from my face; a soft flush covers his cheeks, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Good morning.”

“Mornin’.” I push myself to sit up, yawning widely and stretching out my muscles. I don’t miss the way his gaze skims over my body. “What time is it?”

“Nine.”

“I haven’t woken up this late in a long time.”

Holden opens his mouth to speak, but the growl of my stomach interrupts him.

I frown down at my belly, which makes Holden laugh and promise there is food in the dining room.

I nod before climbing out of bed and padding across the room to the bathroom.

My skin heats when I catch sight of him watching me.

An expression of something lingers on his face, and I wonder what he’s thinking.

It isn’t the look of desire he’s given me many times before. I just can’t place it.

After using the toilet, washing my hands, and scrubbing my teeth clean, I step back into the bedroom to find it empty.

Holden sits at the dining table when I make my way downstairs, scrolling through an app on his phone.

Two plates sit on the table—one in front of him, the other in front of the chair to his left.

He leans over to kiss my temple when I sit beside him, and a dizzying sort of feeling washes over me.

I’ve finally done something selfish, something for myself that brings me joy.

Something that, while it has its own bitter edges, is sweeter than anything I’ve ever imagined. I’m here .

Evelyn joins us halfway through breakfast. The woman wears a pullover hoodie that hangs too large on her slight frame, her bubblegum-pink hair in a sloppy ponytail that she’s draped over her shoulder.

Her slender hands make the mug between them look enormous.

Evelyn smiles tiredly then gulps down a mouthful of her drink.

Wincing as she lowers the mug, she pokes her tongue out and goes cross-eyed while she tries to examine the appendage.

She shrugs after a moment and rests her elbow on the table, chin on her palm.

“Morning, lovebirds,” she singsongs, and Holden rolls his eyes and pushes the crust of his toast toward her. “Ooh, thanks!”

“Morning, freak. Sleep well?”

“You know damn well I did, Lynch. And I’m stealing that mattress one of these days.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

My gaze bounces back and forth between the two, and I listen to the game of verbal tennis I can’t help but be engrossed by.

Evelyn cheerfully calls Holden an ass for insinuating she’s too small to move a mattress by herself.

Holden responds in kind, explicitly calling her too small to move a mattress by herself, especially one that’s king-sized.

It’s so familiar between them that I feel out of place.

I have this sort of camaraderie with Luci and Tristan, of course, but they aren’t here.

They’re back in Austin while I’m here in my boyfriend’s dining room.

Once my plate is empty, I rise to my feet, carry my dishes to the kitchen, and wash them quickly.

Holden and Evelyn continue talking while I head upstairs.

I can’t join the conversation, so I might as well get dressed.

Choosing the outfit on top of the stack in my suitcase, I quickly change into the denim shorts and loose-fitting sleeveless top.

Unless Holden has a big agenda for the day, I don’t plan on leaving the house.

John has joined Evelyn and Holden, and the trio has migrated to the deck by the time I come downstairs.

I draw in a steadying breath before stepping outside.

Holden looks up and beams, his sentence continuing without a hitch.

His hand pats the cushion beside him, and I don’t hesitate to join him on the sofa.

I tuck my legs under me and lean into his side; his arm wraps around my shoulders, holding me strong and secure against him.

Something inside of me loosens, breaks free from the vice that’s had me within its grasp since I agreed to come.

Voices come from inside only an hour later.

I sit up to see who has arrived and get enveloped in a tight hug from behind.

Laughing, I pat the top of Eddie’s head where it rests on my shoulder.

He presses a smacking kiss to my cheek then ducks out of range of Holden’s swinging hand.

Samantha and Phil take the empty patio chairs at the end of the table, but before I can greet them, my attention is stolen by Holden as he captures my mouth with his.

His hand comes up to bury in my hair, holding me still.

The kiss isn’t the gentle, sweet ones or even the fiery ones full of desire we’ve shared before.

No, this one is him staking claim. Proving I’m his and no one else’s.

This is him making a point: Eddie is no competition.

Cheryl watches us closely when I finally pull away. Her expression is guarded, tight, but I don’t get long to think about it before John ropes me into conversation.

Holden disappears after a couple of hours.

Though I wish I could go search for him, I don’t.

I don’t want to seem clingy and give Cheryl more ammunition against me.

So I grab my phone and make my way down the wooden stairs, to the far side of the pool.

Sitting on the edge with my bare feet in the water, I type out a message to Katie. My phone rings only seconds later.

Katie smiles brightly when I answer the video-call. “Hey, how’s vacation?”

“It’s going well. I’m glad I came. How are you and Ashton?”

“We’re good. Let me get him.” The sight of the ceiling fills the screen, and I wince when Ashton whines in the background. A moment later, Katie comes back and lifts the phone. “Look, Ashy, it’s Dealla!”

Ashton squeals happily when he sees me, and I blink away the heat in my eyes.

The ache in my chest settles slightly at the grin on his face.

His babbling washes over me, and I listen intently, not wanting to miss a second of hearing his voice.

Or seeing his face. My skin prickles, and I glance up to see Cheryl standing at the railing.

The woman’s brow rises before she pointedly turns away.

“You ’ome?”

I look back at Ashton, at the hope on his face. “Oh, no, buddy. I’m not home, remember? Auntie Dee had to go on vacation. But I’ll be home in just a few days, then I’m kidnapping you from your mama so I can have you all to myself.”

“I’ll be ready for that,” Katie says off-screen with a laugh.

I swallow down the snide words bitter on my tongue.

Letting them out will only cause Katie to never speak to me again, therefore severing the connection I have with Ashton.

I can’t risk that. So I say nothing. I just listen to my nephew telling me about his new toy car.

Footsteps approach, and Holden comes to a stop a few feet away.

Nodding, I swallow thickly and smile at Ashton.

“Okay, my dude, I gotta go eat. I’ll call you again tomorrow, okay?”

“’Kay.”

“I love you more than the rainbow.”

His face scrunches up with his grin as he shrieks, “Bow!”

Katie ends the call without a word, and I cough to dislodge the lump in my throat.

After a moment, I push myself to stand, taking care not to fall face-first into the pool, and shake the water off my feet one at a time.

Holden links our fingers together, pulls me to a stop before I can pass by.

He doesn’t say anything, though. He just stares down at me, gaze searching my face for something.

I stretch up to kiss him gently, and his expression smooths out.

“It’s time to eat,” he announces, and I follow him up the stairs.

Night descends upon the backyard with a slow sort of patience.

Gradually, shadows fill faces, and John and Holden move to light the citronella torches lining the deck.

I excuse myself and head inside. Someone’s gaze lingers heavy on my back, but I ignore it in favor of going upstairs to the bathroom.

The door creaks open as I wash my hands, and Holden crowds me against the counter.

I can see a dangerous gleam in his eyes, reflected in the mirror as his hands move along my body.

I bite my lip when he presses closer; he’s hard already, and he grips the edge of my shorts.

He meets my eye in the mirror, questioning, waiting—hoping.

I nod.

Holden’s fingers make quick work of unbuttoning my shorts and letting them fall to the floor. My underwear is next, and he shoves his jeans to his knees.

“We shouldn’t do this,” I whisper while his lips trail against the back of my neck.

“Do you want to stop?”

I shiver at the breath ghosting across my skin. “Please no.”

A moan escapes when he bites down on the column of my throat, and his hand comes up to cover my mouth. His other presses against my back, pushes me forward until I’m bent over the countertop. My fingers splay across the marble, and I squeeze my eyes closed as he carefully pushes into me.

“Shh,” he murmurs when I gasp at his first gentle thrust, at odds with the fire in his eyes. The heat of his hands. “The others could come in at any minute. Do you want them to hear us?”

I shake my head, but something in his words sends a tightening in my gut. He lets out a husky laugh and grinds against me. I don’t—they can’t know of this—but the risk… God, the risk…

“Are you sure?”

I shake my head again, whispering breathlessly, nearly silently, “No, just us.”

“Then be quiet, darling. Can you do that?”

I promise, I swear , but that vow goes out the proverbial window when he pulls back, when he slams forward.

The counter digs into my waist, but I can only relish the slight pain brought on by his thrusts.

The bite of his nails on the jut of my hips.

Each movement screams of his jealousy, his possessiveness, back with a vengeance.

I cry out when Holden’s hand slides along my damp skin to cup my breast, his fingers pinching my nipple relentlessly.

My body rocks with every piston of his hips.

I lift my head to see his face in the mirror, and oh, his face—so gorgeous and dark and wild.

One arm comes up to stretch across my chest, his fingers curling around my shoulder, and I bite my lower lip until I taste blood when he gracelessly tugs me back onto his cock.

Time stops, the world disappears, nothing matters.

Not Holden’s friends, not the fact I’m so far from home, not a fucking thing but the two of us.

Right here. In this moment. Heat builds within my gut.

Holden seems to know how close I am, for the fingers of his free hand slip between my thighs and press against my clit.

I gasp, whimper, then explode. My cry echoes through the bathroom, so loud, too loud, and Holden flashes a smug smile before draping himself along my back.

His hips still only a moment later, and I fight to catch my breath as he spills his release inside of me.

“Do you feel better?” I ask lightly once he’s cleaned himself and pulled up his jeans.

“Yeah. I, uh… Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Trust me, if I had a problem with it, I would have never said yes.” I catch his bottom lip between my teeth, tugging gently, then I grow serious. “You know you have no reason to worry, right? You’re the only one I want. No one else comes close. Tristan, Eddie, no one. Just you.”

“I know.”

After pressing a soft kiss to the tip of my nose, Holden leaves the bathroom.

I laugh, a quiet sound so loud in the silence, and a shiver of delight runs down my spine with the ghost of Holden’s touch.

A twinge ripples through my body from the way he fucked me without restraint.

Exhaling slowly, I press my fingertips against the half-moons that mar the skin over my hipbone.

I hope they stay.

The week flies by in a blur of peace and freedom from responsibility.

Days are peaceful, lazy, beautiful hours lying around the house or swimming in the pool or going to a hole-in-the-wall bar to hang out with his friends.

Nights are spent between the sheets, exploring the taste and feel of each other, learning and committing to memory the sounds we make.

I wake on the final morning of my stay, pleading with the universe for more time. My heart sinks with the weight of a goodbye I haven’t yet said. I don’t want to leave, not right now. I want to continue being selfish and stay here in this bed with this man until the world turns to dust.

It’s too soon for that sort of desire, but… I want it.

A restless sort of buzzing flickers beneath my skin, and my veins turn molten as I watch Holden sleep.

As my gaze rakes over his bare chest and the dusting of hair that disappears beneath the sheets.

I brush his hair from his face; he doesn’t wake at the gentle touch, much like I’d expected.

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I stare at him.

It isn’t fair this is all I’m getting of him.

I want more.

My hand travels along his shoulder, his arm, his side, and he lets out a soft groan when my thumb presses into the divot of his hip.

Holden exhales sharply through his nose, and his eyelashes flutter against his cheekbones before he opens his eyes to peer blearily at me.

I merely smile in response and drag my fingertips along the length of his shaft.

His sleepiness takes one, two, three seconds, then it vanishes abruptly.

I squeal when he rolls onto his back and yanks me on top of him.

My heart races, pounds, beats out a rhythm that sings of desire and need and love that fills me as surely as he does.