The Truth She Knew (5 page)

A sigh of relief rushed out of me when Walker pulled into the parking lot.

“
Hey! Get in,” Walker said as he opened the passenger door for me from the driver’s seat.

I couldn’t control my smile as I checked that my car keys were in my purse. I locked my car doors and climbed into his car.

“
Hi,” I said, trying to tame the crazy smile that spread across my face.

“
Hi yourself,” he replied.

His gaze fell across my face and paused.

“
Is there something on my face?” I said, rubbing at my cheeks and mouth.

“
No,” he said, laughing. “You’re beautiful, Lacey.”

“
Oh.” I mentally swore as my cheeks reddened.

“
I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” he said as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“
No, it’s fine. Um, thank you,” I muttered.

“
I can be somewhat forward. I don’t mean to be, I just don’t have a good filter on my mouth sometimes.”

“
Isn’t that a guy thing?” I glanced at him and laughed.

“
Probably. Are you ready?”

“
Yes, let’s get the hell out of here.”

Forty-five minutes later, we pulled into a more private area of the lake and unloaded his car.

Walker shook out the plaid blanket and we sat down facing the water. The sun sparkled off the ripples, and the breeze brought in the smell of the water. It was perfect.

“
I brought strawberries,” he said as he opened the picnic basket.

“
Oooh, I love strawberries.” I grabbed one, plucked off the green stem, and popped the whole thing into my mouth. My cheeks bulged as I tried to move the fruit from one side to another, realizing what I’d done. I giggled as I brought my hands to my face and peered at him through my fingers.

Walker tried not to laugh but didn’t succeed.

“
Did you just do what I thought you did?” he asked.

“
Maybe?” I mumbled around the food in my mouth.

“
Oh my God, that’s awesome. I can’t say I’ve seen a girl do that before!”

I chewed my strawberry before I spoke again. My face flushed and matched the color of the fruit as I swallowed.

“
What, be rude?” I asked as I reached for another one.

“
No, I’ve met plenty of rude girls. I’ve just never seen a girl eat like that.” His laugh filled the quiet picnic area.

“
Well, I tried to warn you last night, but you didn’t want to listen. Sorry, I’m nervous,” I said as I wiped my clammy hands on my jeans.

“
I don’t care, it was funny. I want you to feel comfortable with me.”

I stared at him for a moment, still holding the strawberry in my hand. He reached for it and gently put it in my mouth. I took a bite. His eyes never left my face.

“
I’m glad you’re here.”

“
Me too, Walker.” As hard as I tried not to, I meant it.

“
There’s something about you. I mean other than the obvious.”

“
What do you mean, ‘the obvious?’” I asked as I made air quotes.

“
You’re beautiful, gentle, and funny. You don’t find that combination often. Hopefully you’ll let me hang around long enough to figure it out.”

“
Maybe.” A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

“
Do you want to take a walk on the beach?” he asked and extended his hand.

“
Yeah, I’d love to.” I accepted his hand and he pulled me up. We stood so close that his breath brushed against my cheek. He held my gaze as his fingers brushed across my hand. A tingle ran up my arm and swirled through my body. If I responded like this to holding his hand, I wasn’t sure I could handle it if he kissed me. But the more time I spent with him, the more I wanted to find out.

A ski boat whizzed by in the distance and broke my train of thought. I used the distraction to step back and take a breath. I’d promised myself I could handle this date and not do anything stupid. This was either going to be a perfect opportunity to show Mama I could make good choices, or not.

We reached the beach and I slipped off my sandals and rolled up my jeans. I squished sand through my toes and listened as the water splashed against the rocks.

“
Do you water ski?” Walker asked.

“
I’ve tried, but I don’t stay up long. I’m pretty wobbly and I only manage to smack my ass on the water, giving myself a massive bikini wedgie on the way down. You?”

“
No, I can’t say I’ve ever had a bikini wedgie,” he said, smiling. “I used to go with my dad, but that was years ago, before my parents divorced.” He frowned slightly and turned his attention toward the lake.

“
How long have they been divorced?”

“
Since my little brother was six, so seven years now.”

“
Mine too—I mean, they’re divorced. I’ve always wanted a younger brother.”

“
Really? You can take him. He’s a brat.”

“
I’ll give you Krissy, my older sister,” I said. “We can trade.” My voice filled with excitement at the idea of getting rid of her.

“
How old is she?”

“
Twenty-three. She’s away at college.”

“
So, you’ll trade me a bratty younger brother for your older sister who doesn’t live at home? That sounds like a deal I can’t pass up,” he said.

I laughed. He was right, but I’d always wanted a brother. I thought they might be less of a pain in the ass than an older sister, but I never found out.

“
I think our parents might object to our idea. What’s your brother’s name?”

“
Garrett.”

“
Oooh, I like it. You guys live with your mom?”

“
Yeah, for now.”

I waited for him to elaborate, but he stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared at his feet. I’d asked the wrong question. I was trying to figure out how to break the awkward silence when he finally saved me.

“
Lacey, I want you to meet my family and I’ll tell you all about them, but for today can we not talk about them?”

“
Walker, of course, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude or nosy. It’s so not my business.”

“
Stop, you didn’t do anything wrong. Come on, I want to show you something. You need to put your shoes back on so you don’t cut your feet, though.”

I wasn’t sure why he didn’t want to talk about his family, but I understood it all too well. I was familiar with keeping secrets. And, for today, I wouldn’t ask him to share his.

I bent down to slip my shoes on, taking a moment to soak him in from head to toe. He ran his hand through his hair, leaving the short, dark strands rumpled. I wanted to fix them, but I decided he wore it well. His shirt was halfway tucked into his shorts and halfway untucked. He appeared comfortable in his own skin. I wanted to be comfortable with his skin as well, and I found myself thinking about running my hand over his chest and stomach. I bit my lip and brought my focus back to my shoes. I wasn’t doing well with keeping my word to myself.

“
Do you need help?” he asked as his eyes twinkled.

I wondered if he’d realized I was checking him out or if he was trying to be nice.

“
Huh? No, no, they’re just a little stubborn sometimes.” I glanced away and tried to focus on actually slipping the strap over my heel instead of imagining him without a shirt.

As I stood up, he reached for my hand and led me forward. I followed in silence and enjoyed watching him climb the hill in front of me. I wasn’t sure what sports he played, but he definitely played something. The tight muscles in his legs flexed as he moved with ease up the rocky path. A few minutes later he stopped and turned, helping me the rest of the way up the hill. He guided me over to a small clearing in the trees.

I gasped. “My God, it’s beautiful,” I whispered.

“
I’ve never brought anyone here before.”

“
Really? Not even Brittany?” I asked, not taking my eyes from the lake.

“
No, she wouldn’t understand.”

The sun cast a warm orange and pink across the tops of the trees as it began its slow descent. There were gentle ripples across the surface of the lake as the fish jumped and nipped at the bugs. I held my breath and absorbed the moment.

“
You get it, though. Your expression says it all,” he whispered.

“
It’s amazing watching the sunset from up here.”

“
It reminds me that no matter how crazy life gets, there’s something greater,” he said. “I’m not sure what it is, but it’s there and it helps.”

We stood in silence as the sun continued its descent behind the trees. I realized then there was more to Walker than beautiful eyes and a hot body.

“
Walker.” My voice came out a hoarse whisper and betrayed my emotions.

He turned to face me. “Lacey, there are a lot of things going on in my life and I’ll share them with you later. I promise I won’t hold out, but for tonight, I just wanted to look at you while the sun sets. I wanted to see the light on your hair, look into the most amazing green eyes I’ve ever seen, and let everything else go except us. I’m in trouble already. You’re going to kidnap my heart and make me fall in love with you. I knew it the minute I laid eyes on you at the party.”

“
What? Walker, you don’t know me.” The words tumbled out of my mouth, but they contradicted the emotions that churned inside me.

“
I realize it sounds crazy, but I want to be with you, Lacey. Go out with me—let’s talk until three in the morning and fall asleep on the phone together. I’d like you to meet my family and eat dinner with us. I want to learn everything about you. Please say yes, that you want the same thing.”

“
What exactly are you asking me, Walker?” My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to wrap my head around what he was saying.

“
I don’t want to share you with anyone else. I want to spend every possible moment with you.”

“
Walker, there’s so much we don’t know about each other. I told you last night I wasn’t good for you,” I said.

“
No, I’m not okay with that,” he said and shook his head. “Spend time with me and give me a chance.”

I stared into the sunset as guilt gnawed at me. I knew I shouldn’t let this happen, but the pounding and ache in my chest told me I wanted differently. I’d experienced it too—when our eyes met at the party, we’d said so much more than hello.

“
Don’t break my heart, Walker. You’re too good to be real, and as much as I want you, you scare me. I would never forgive myself if I said no, and I might not forgive myself for saying yes.”

He released my fingers and brought the back of my hand so close to his lips that his breath caressed my skin.

“
I’ll take care of you like no one ever has before, Lacey Beaumont,” he said, brushing his lips lightly across my hand. He brought my other hand up to his mouth and grazed it with a soft kiss.

I bit my lip and struggled to still my shaking knees.

“
Lacey,” he whispered as another soft kiss landed on my left palm and then my right.

Heat flooded my body and an ache swirled through me.

He slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me within an inch of his body. His fingers brushed against my cheek as he feathered kisses across my forehead, nose, and cheeks. He paused, our lips almost touching as his hand slipped under my shirt and teased the small of my back. I gasped as I grabbed his arms to balance myself.

“
Lacey,” he whispered, still not kissing me as his fingertips played gently across my back and up my spine. My legs wobbled as I leaned into him, bringing our bodies against each other. He stepped backward into a tree to balance us. His breath quickened as his reaction grew and I released a soft sigh as I allowed my body to fully lean into him. His fingers continued a slow and steady caress on my back as he planted light kisses along my neck. I couldn’t handle much more. I wanted to kiss him; I needed his lips on mine.

He pushed a wisp of hair from my cheek and gently ran his fingers down the side of my face. He tilted my chin up toward him until I met his eyes. An intense ache washed over me as his hand slid down my side and wrapped around my waist. He pulled me in tighter as his soft mouth brushed across my lips. He tugged at my bottom lip and brought his mouth down on mine. I parted my lips and welcomed him as I tentatively touched the tip of his tongue with mine. A groan rumbled in his chest as I brought my arms up around his neck. His salty and sweet taste filled me.

Walker lifted me up and I instinctively wrapped my legs around him as he turned and leaned me against the tree. I could feel his desire as he leaned his hips into me. I tightened my grip on his arms as his lips moved from my mouth to my neck and then trailed down to my collarbone as he slipped my shirt buttons open. The hint of my bra peeked out of my shirt as his fingertips danced over the lace trim. I grabbed the back of his hair as his hot breath burned my skin. He gently pulled my bra back and lightly grazed my nipple with his tongue.

“
Shit! Walker, stop. Walker!” I said and pushed him away.

He stepped back so fast he almost dropped me on the ground.

“
Lacey, oh my God, are you okay?” he asked.

“
Walker,” I said as I adjusted my bra and struggled to button my shirt. “Shit, shit.”

“
Did I hurt you?”

I buried my face in my hands. I’d allowed my hormones to completely control my actions. Guilt flooded through me as Mama’s earlier words whispered through my thoughts.

“
No, I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry I did that. Listen, I’m—” my voice faltered. I stared at the ground trying to find the right words. He stepped toward me and placed his hands on my arms.