One Moment (The Little Hollow Series Book 1) (29 page)

The apartment building had four floors and on each floor, there were three different corridors. Each apartment was named after the floor it was on and the corresponding corridor. Easy enough.

I climbed to the fourth floor, found corridor B and sure enough, apartment 14 was in front of me after walking a little way down.

Staring at the door, I decided to try knocking. He might’ve been in the shower or something when I buzzed earlier. My heart was pounding again as I knocked a few times but my suspicions were unfounded.

It was agonizing. Four o’clock passed, then five. I thought I’d lose my mind from waiting. By ten to six, I’d almost given up when the elevator door pinged open. I jumped up off the floor and casually leaned against the wall.

Out walked a very tall man with a huge beard and he was laughing, I sighed. I looked away from him as his eyes flicked to me then to the apartment door I was standing outside of. His mouth lifted in one corner and he came strolling over to me.

“Well, hi there. Are you waiting for someone?” I went to open my mouth; Lewis had obviously given me the wrong address. Just as I went to walk away, I heard what sounded like elephant footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Mac, you ass, you could’ve held the door! I carried this thing all the way up…” Connor looked between the both of us standing in the corridor, gaping like a fish.

“Well, it’s definitely not me you’re waiting for so I’ll be taking these and having a good time on my own.” The bearded guy, Mac, made his way over to Connor and took the crate of beer out of his hands before waving at me and disappearing down the stairs.

“Sammy? What are you doing here?” It was a perfectly acceptable question but I couldn’t help but detect an underlying tone of annoyance, which put me on the defensive.

“I’ve only drove for eleven-hours. But I’ll be leaving, sorry to have disturbed your night with your man friend.” I stormed off towards the staircase but he grabbed my arm before I made it to the top.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m just surprised to see you here of all places, that’s all.” I turned back towards him and studied his face. He walked towards his door and opened it. “Well, are you going to come inside or just stand there?” He smirked and I followed him into his surprisingly clean apartment.

It had a modern feel to it. A clean, crisp white open plan kitchen lead out to the living room area, with a hallway leading off from there. It felt sterile, not at all like Connor.

“Didn’t see you as a sleek, white cupboard kind of guy.” He laughed softly as I continued to look around the living area.

“Yeah, there’s not many apartments in the city that boasts a log fire and cozy feel. Plus, it’s close to work.” I nodded in understanding. “Can I get you a drink?” Before I could answer, he’d already pulled out two bottles of water. “Sorry, this is all I’ve got in, unless you want some coffee?”

I looked up at him and he was studying me quizzically. I should say something now, it was getting awkward, something I’d never thought I’d experience with Connor. I knew what I wanted to say but the words wouldn’t come out.

“Water is fine thanks, it’s hot as hell outside.” I rung my hands around the ice cold bottle before clearing my throat. “Why didn’t you stay to talk to me at the hospital?”

He looked down at his own bottle. “You were asleep, I didn’t realize you knew I was even there.” He looked up, his eyes full of anguish. “You told me to leave, Sam. What was I to do? I know I left you again but I had a choice to make. I’d rather have left you thinking I respected your wishes than to have stayed and made things worse and have you hate me more than you already do.” I stared. Hated him?

“Connor, I don’t hate you, I never have.” Now he really did look puzzled. “I was angry, sure, but I never hated you. If anything, I resented you. You got to leave and get away from it all. I thought you’d left me for that very reason, to get away from it all, to get away from me. Deep down I understood what I thought you’d left for. It was painful, and I got that, but it still didn’t stop me from resenting you.” I moved a step towards him. “But I needed you at the same time, I needed you more than anything.” I took a deep breath before continuing, “I didn’t know how to cope, every turn I made, I expected you to be there. Every phone call, every time someone knocked at the door, my heart would clench. I just wanted it to be you.” I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat but I was failing miserably. “After I saw you on the dock that first time, it was hard to piece everything together. You’d been coming back year after year.” He nodded, tears in his eyes. “Leaving those keychains, knowing I’d find them.” I was starting to get angry again. No, this wasn’t what I came here for.

“I never meant to cause you any more pain, I was there for my own selfish reasons, I know that, and if I could take away you seeing me that day, I would.” My head shot towards him, eyes intense.

“I wouldn’t,” I said and he opened his mouth to speak again. I moved closer to him. “Seeing you again was the eye opener I needed. I’ve been living my life filled with guilt, pain and regret. Burying it away so I didn’t have to deal with it all. Not opening up to anyone, pushing everyone away but the one friend I do have.” We were almost touching now and I could hear my heart beat in my ears.

The atmosphere crackled with sexual tension. We’d skirted around it for so many years and pretended it wasn’t there but it was, it was always there. I could see how he was looking at me, like he wanted to devour me, and I felt the same.

He was searching my face,
just spit it out Sam.
“I didn’t know I needed you in my life again until you came back and then you left and weren’t in it anymore. I’m sorry for-” With that, he pulled me into his arms and crushed his lips against mine effectively cutting me off. It was a soul crushing kiss that made me tingle all the way to my toes and then he was gone all too soon.

“Sorry, Sam, I don’t know what came over me.” He ran his hands through his hair, tattooed forearms tensing and I put my hand on his sculpted chest.

“I don’t want to have to wait any longer.” I threw my arms around his neck, barely able to reach even on my tip toes. He leaned down and I found myself with my legs wrapped around his waist as he picked me up and started walking.

I didn’t even think before closing the distance between us and pressing my lips against hers. I threaded my arms through hers and deepened it, picking her up so she was straddling me.

In the heat of the moment, I just started walking towards the bedroom. I’d give her the option to back out but I’d waited for this for a very long time. To make love to the only girl I’d ever cared for. Hell, what was I thinking, I loved her.

I pushed her up against the door on the way into my bedroom and pulled away, looking into those beautiful, lust filled, green eyes. “I don’t want to go any further if…“

She kissed me softly and whispered against my lips. “I need this, Connor, please don’t stop now.” Just hearing my name come from her lips sent shivers down my spine.

I let her down gently, her body rubbing against mine as she placed her feet on the floor. I cupped her cheek and let my thumb slide over her swollen lips, down her neck, and over her shoulder before griping the bottom of her tee in my hand and pulling it over her head.

She blushed as I looked over her body. I’d seen it plenty of times before as teenagers, because we used to go swimming all the time, but this was different, she was a woman now and she was giving herself to me, all of her.

“You’re so beautiful, this just doesn’t feel real.” I helped her pull my own shirt off and I leaned closer to her so I could push my lips against hers again.

Breaking apart briefly, she put her hand on my bare chest and traced a finger down towards my belt. She stalled there and I cupped her face once more. “We don’t have to do this, Sammy. It can wait.” She looked embarrassed and it clicked, I didn’t know how to ask her but I was pretty sure she was a virgin.

“Have you…have you ever?” She shook her head and looked down at the floor. There was no need for her to be embarrassed with me, if anything, it only made her more appealing.

Scooping her up, I moved towards the bed, laid her down onto it gently and leaned on one elbow above her. “I would wait forever for you, Samantha Reynolds. As long as you tell me this is what you want…” I motioned between the two of us. “Me and you.”

She smiled up at me, looking me dead in the eyes and wriggled under my bodyweight. “I came here today to tell you I didn’t want to spend another moment without you.” I heard her zipper as she pulled it down. “To tell you I don’t want to waste another day thinking about what ifs.” She lifted up slightly and I froze as she peeled away her jeans and brought her hands back up to my face. “To tell you I can’t go on pretending you don’t mean everything to me anymore. I love you, I always have and I always will.”

It felt like a boulder had been lifted off of my shoulders, to have the person you love the most love you back, is a feeling that can only be described as euphoric.

She started undoing my belt and I sat up to kick off my work boots and jeans before moving back up to admire her body. She was curvaceous but still petite. From her ample sized breasts to her shapely thighs, she was perfect in every way and I let her know as I placed sweet, soft kisses up her body and all the way up to her mouth.

“So perfect.”

She smiled against my mouth. “Not so bad yourself, muscles.”

I laughed a big hearty laugh, feeling her hands exploring my finely tuned body. I sat her up with me to undo her bra and she looked at me under her heavy lashes, driving me crazy.

I was going to take this slow and enjoy every second while looking into those pools of green.

Laying her back down, I started to kiss down her body, not missing an inch. Looping my fingers at the sides of her panties, I looked up at her for one last confirmation. She leaned her head back and shut her eyes. Taking this as my cue, I slowly tugged on them, trailing my fingers down the sides of her thighs and threw them to the floor as they came sliding off.

I removed my boxers and placed myself over the top of her, bringing my mouth close to her ear I whispered, “Open your eyes, Sammy.” They fluttered open and I lost myself in them.

We lay there, bodies intertwined and breathing hard. I’d never felt anything like it, there was nothing but a pure raw connection, nothing like the awkward first time stories I’d heard about.

His arm curled around me and he pulled me in to place a kiss on the top of my head. “I love you.”

I shivered as his breath floated down the back of my neck and I raised myself up onto one elbow kissing him firmly on the lips. He threaded his fingers through mine and it brought my attention to his wrist.

He was still wearing the watch I bought him for his sixteenth birthday. I traced a finger over it and he looked down.

“I’ve never taken it off.”

I smiled, he really was thinking about me. He was right earlier, this didn’t seem real, everything felt like it was about to fall apart at any moment. I couldn’t really be this happy, could I?

The questions suddenly started snaking their way through my head. We lived eleven hours away from each other, how was this going to work? Keeley had been my rock over the past three years, I didn’t think I could just leave her and the salon I’d worked so hard for. As if sensing something was wrong, Connor lent up on his elbow too.

“Smile, it might never happen.” I tried to muster up a smile for him.