Out of Mind (28 page)

Delicious, even.

I’d never seen a more welcome sight than him, standing naked and wet in the shower with me. And I never would again. After he finished rinsing my hair, I grabbed his hand before he could snatch up the conditioner. “So…ready for round two?”

His eyes darkened. “Are
you
?”

“Heck yeah.” I nodded for good measure, running my fingers down his chest, over his abs, and closing my hand over his cock. “And three…”

“And four…” He dropped his head back against the white tile. I skimmed my fingers over the head of his erection before jerking him in my fist. “Fuck, that feels good, Ginger.”

I sank to my knees. “I know what will feel even better.”

“Yes.” He threaded his fingers in my hair, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. “Do it.
Now
.”

I sucked him into my mouth hard, rolling my tongue over him just like he liked. He tightened his fists in my hair, urging me closer. His body flexed and moved, and he gently pumped his hips into my mouth as I sucked on him. I tasted his semen before he tried to pull away, but I dug my hands into his butt and refused to let go.

I wanted to do this. To taste him.

“Ginger, I’m going to come,” he growled, pulling my hair. “Let me make you come, too.”

I shook my head and sucked harder, moaning. He growled and moved his hips, seeming to give in. He rested his shoulders against the wall and pulled me closer, instead of pushing me away. When I scraped my teeth over the tip of him, he cried out and came. It was such a heady feeling, knowing I’d done this to him. Made him feel this good.

I swallowed, finally letting go of him after one last kiss to the tip of his cock. He collapsed against the wall, breathing unevenly, his hand still fisted in my hair. “You’ve been a bad girl,” he said, his tone broken.

He tugged me up by my hair, and I stood. Once I was on my feet, he spun me around and entered me from behind. I slammed my hands against the wall, and my forehead smacked against it, too. “
Finn
.”

He reached around the front of me, pressing his fingers against my clit. “My turn to make you scream, Ginger.”

As he moved inside of me harder and faster, his hands seemed to be everywhere. He skimmed over my breasts, pinching my nipples, and then dipped down. As soon as he touched me there again, I tensed. He thrust hard. I threw my head back and screamed, my nails scratching uselessly over the tiled wall as I came. “
Yes
. Oh my God.”

He moved inside me once, twice, three times, his grip on my hips so tight it almost hurt—but in a good way. He dropped his forehead against the shower wall, cradling me in his arms from behind. “Holy shit, you’re going to kill me.”

“Never.” I slid off him and spun around, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I love you too much.”

Grinning, he trailed his fingers over my tattoo. “I love you, too. The sun is always shining around you, Ginger.”

My heart warmed. “Indeed it is.”

And I had a feeling it would never stop.

Four months later

I climbed off my bike and hung my helmet on the bars, taking a calming breath and smoothing my hair as I did so. The crisp early September morning air smelled fresh, sending awareness through my veins. Waking me up. It felt renewing, almost. Since this was the start of a new chapter of my life, it felt fitting. These past few months with Carrie had been pure heaven. We fought. We kissed. We made up. We loved.

I never thought I could be so damn happy.

My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my pocket. Senator Wallington.
Good luck, Finn. Let me know how it goes. Give Carrie my love, too. We miss you two already.

I smiled. We’d spent the summer with them, getting to know each other better. I could almost say that they actually liked me now. They got to see the “me” I was without the pain and grief. It had been good for us.
Thank you, sir
.

I still couldn’t believe how much he’d changed. But then again, we’d all changed. I sure as hell had, and so had Carrie. It stood to reason that he would have, too.

My phone buzzed again.
Talk to you later
.

“Who was that?” Carrie asked, smoothing her hair and coming up beside me.

“Your dad.” I slipped my phone into my pocket and offered her my arm. “He was wishing me luck.”

“Oh, that’s nice. I bet he—” She checked her phone and frowned. “Hey. I got nothing.”

I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m the favorite child now.”

“Only because you can talk with him in his study for hours about politics without getting bored.” She pouted, stealing a peek at me. “I had to escape. He can’t blame me. Even Riley left after an hour.”

I laughed. “That’s ’cause he’s not as cool as me.”

“I know it.” She wrapped her hand around my bicep. “But after we spent all summer living with them, I think my father really does love you more than me in some ways—and I love that fact, just for the record.”

“That’s not true.” I grinned. “Okay. Maybe it’s a little bit true.”

She smacked my abs with her free hand. “
Ha-ha
, really funny, fresh meat.”

“Hey, you promised not to call me that.”

She laughed. “No, I promised not to call you that in bed. I didn’t say anything about not doing it here. And I never promised not to laugh at you if you get lost on campus.”

“Brat,” I said, kissing her temple. I slid my bag higher on my shoulder and handed her hers. “Somehow I think I’ll be fine, though, with or without your help.”

“You think?” She smiled at me. “Are you ready for this?”

“Of course I am.” I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been on this campus since last year. What difference is taking a few classes going to make?”

“Tell me that when you’re buried in homework later this week.”

I readjusted so I could put my arm over her shoulder. “As long as you help me study? I won’t give a damn.”

“You know I will.” She wrapped her arm around my waist and hesitated. “You know…I was thinking.”

“Sounds dangerous,” I quipped.

She smacked my arm. “Stop it.”

“Fine. I’ll behave.” I grinned and yanked my bag up higher on my shoulder. “What’s up?”

“We’re going to be studying so much, and at the same school, so I thought,” she peeked up at me, “maybe I could move in with you? I mean, I practically live there now, but we could make it official.”

I stopped walking, my heart thundering in my ears. “R-Really? You want to?”

“I do.” She smiled up at me. “If you do.”

“Fuck yes.” I picked her up and swung her in a circle. “Yes! Are you sure?”

“I’m as positive as a proton,” she said, grinning.

“Me too.”

She laughed, and the melody washed over me, washing away any nerves I had—that I’d deny I had if anyone asked. I had her with me. What could ever possibly go wrong? She loved me, and I loved her.

Life was fucking good.

I kissed her, my mouth melding to hers perfectly. Which made sense, since she was made for me. I pulled back and grinned so big my cheeks fucking hurt. “If we weren’t on our way to class, I’d celebrate this with you my favorite way—naked and wet.”

Desire flared in her eyes. “Meet you out here at twelve for a nooner at home?”

“Yes.” I kissed her one last time. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I looked to the left and sighed. “I have to go this way to my economics class.”

“And I go this way to trigonometry.” She backed away from me, our fingers still entwined. “Then tonight, we’ll tell my dad together? About us living together?”

I groaned, not letting go. “Do we have to? He liked me, but will he like this?”

“I don’t know.” She grinned. “But we’ll find out the best way possible.”

“Together.”

“Always,” she said, looking at me with so much love it almost hurt. “Now get your butt to class, freshman.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I let go of her reluctantly. “Look in your bag first, though.”

She reached in and pulled out a yellow rose. Grinning, she read the message. “
I’ll miss you. Love me
.” I’d ended the note the same way as I had the day we’d gotten back together. It was easily one of the best days of my life. She looked up at me, her blue eyes shining in the sun. “I’ll miss you, too. And I do.”

I blew her a kiss. “Stay in class and don’t wander off, since I won’t be watching you.”

She laughed and called out over her shoulder, “You worry about me too much. Good luck!”

“I’ll never worry enough when it comes to you,” I said under my breath, watching her walk away. She took my heart with her, but I knew it would be safe in her hands.

Always.

Seven years later

I watched Carrie from across the room, my arms tightening on the precious bundle in my arms as I juggled the phone with my free hand. She stretched her arms up, trying to get the last ornament on the perfect branch toward the top of the tree, her lips pursed in determination. The pink rose I’d given her earlier lay on the table behind her, the message still attached to the stem.

“Are you still there?”

“Yeah, sorry.” I forced myself to focus on the conversation I was having with Carrie’s father. “We’ll be there first thing in the morning for Christmas breakfast.”

“Coffee starts at eight,” her dad said. I heard paper crinkling, which probably meant he was wrapping his presents at the last minute like usual. “Did Carrie tell you to make the fruit salad? She told me she would remember.”

I laughed. “Yeah. It’s all ready to go. We’ll see you tomorrow, sir. Tell Margie I said merry Christmas.”

My father-in-law sighed. “If I ever finish wrapping these godforsaken presents, I will. I should really just hire someone to do it.”

But he wouldn’t, because he liked doing it. “Well, good luck. I have to hang up now, because your daughter needs help with the tree.”

“Don’t let her knock it over like she did last year,” Senator Wallington said. “She might hurt—”

I rolled my eyes. “I won’t, sir.”

“All right. Merry Christmas Eve.”

“Same to you.” I hung up and tossed my phone on the sofa, turning back toward Carrie just in time to hear her curse under her breath. “I heard that, Mrs. Coram.”

She shot me a frustrated look, her blue eyes blazing at me. “I’m going to get this last one on if it kills me, I swear it.”

“I
can
help you, you know.” I crossed the room slowly, trying not to upset my balance. “I am a bit taller than you.”

“Nope. I get the red ones, not you.” She looked at me, her gaze dropping low and then slipping back up. “It’s our Christmas Eve tradition.”

I grinned. “Yeah, it is. Then when we’re done, we drink and have hot, sweaty—”

“Sh,” she hissed, her cheeks going red. “She’ll hear you.”

“I think we’re safe,” I whispered, stopping directly in front of her. The colored lights on our tree twinkled merrily, and all that was left was the ornament in Carrie’s hand and the angel—which came last, of course. “She doesn’t really speak English.”

“Still. It’s the principle.” She peeked at me, a sly grin on her face. “We don’t want to have to foot that therapy bill, trust me. We cost way too much.”

I rolled my eyes. “Believe me, I know that.”

Carrie had changed her major the second year of college. After seeing how much Dr. Montgomery had helped me, she decided she wanted to do that for other people like me. Wanted to help soldiers and others who suffered from PTSD. She worked on base now, and she always looked so damn happy.

I liked to think I had something to do with that.

And I liked that we worked in the same building, so we got to have lunch together every single fucking day. It was heaven, and I never failed to thank God for giving me my Ginger. She was my life. My partner. My world. My everything.

Sometimes it all seemed too good to be true.

She was a therapist, and I was a computer engineer, just like we’d both wanted. We still lived in Cali, thank fucking God. D.C. was way too cold, even if her parents still lived there half the year. They spent a lot of time out here, too.

Everything in our life was perfect. Scarily, unrealistically
perfect
.

Carrie waved her hand in front of my face, laughing when I jumped slightly. “Hello? Earth to Finn?”