Watching You: KJ Elite Inc. (24 page)

The things that that one word from those lips did to my lady bits was remarkable and indescribable.

My inner voice screamed, “Whatever you say!”

My actual voice asked, “What are we doing, Tommy?”

“I haven’t figured that one out yet.”

“I meant right now.”

“Yeah, that too.” Tommy sighed heavily.

Despite the fact that it seemed immature and silly, I was partly giddy that the idea of ‘us’ was still in his head. It was no secret that there was no intention of my staying, but the thought of us never being us again, hurt in places of my heart and head that were otherwise never known to exist. To say our relationship and feelings were complicated would be the understatement of the year and quite frankly, they could give anyone whiplash. The upside though, in my opinion, is that all the best romances in history and fiction, were no different. Love sucks sometimes.

Eventually, we were going to have to figure out what was going to happen between us, but the mind-blowing, euphoric, adrenaline inducing, make-ya-wanna-smack-somebody, sex was pretty great and I didn’t want it to end. Selfish or not.

He stopped at the coat rack and thrust an overly large sweater at me that swallowed me whole. We walked out of the French doors at the back of the house which opened to a stone pathway, guided to a detached three car garage. Being so put back you didn’t notice it when you pulled up in front of the house.

Opening the side entrance of the garage, we passed a smaller car with a cover on it and went to the middle spot where what looked like a brand spanking new, jacked up, black Silverado was waiting for us, already running. Tommy led me to the passenger door, helped me up into the truck and then needlessly buckled me in while he was at it.

“I can do that, you know?”

“Yes, but it’s a great excuse to touch you.”

“We aren’t fifteen anymore, you don’t need an excuse.”

“If I recall, I didn’t really need one then either.”

“Never stopped you from using one.” I laughed, shaking my head at him amused at the flashback of fifteen year old Tommy.

“Well, I was and am, a gentleman.”

“Mostly.”

His grin lit the inside of the truck as he climbed in behind the wheel.

After driving only a few short miles deeper into the property, Tommy pulled the truck over and put it in park.

“This is gonna be fun.”

Those were the only words he spoke before he proceeded to jump out of the truck and disappear behind thick growth, leaving me to wait for either him or some crazed killer. Considering that the latter was entirely possible at this point in time, I grew all the more nervous with every half second that passed. After ninety mcbillion heartbeats, a semi-loud roar hit my ears and right where Tommy had disappeared, he shot back out of the tree line riding a ridiculously bright, yellow four wheeler.

Lord help me.

              * * *

“I know you’re not serious.” Taylor started on Tommy as soon as he opened her door.

“Come on, that was so long ago.” He retorted, fighting like hell to hide his shit eatin’ grin.

“It’s still fresh to me!”

“Then you won’t drive.”

“YOU were the one driving when it happened!” She shrieked at Tommy, trying her damnedest to be angry.

“I still haven’t figured out how you moved from behind me and got your head wedged between the handlebars and that tree we hit.” He had the cajones to snigger like a little school boy.

“WE?! I repeat, YOU were the one driving! I nearly died.”

“Oh, stop it. Now you’re just acting like a big ole’ baby.”

“I will cut you.”

Her threats were pretty cute sometimes. It was like a baby kitten hissing at its own shadow.

Tommy chuckled to himself picturing the image and then reached out for Taylor.

“Get your ass out here.”

“If you crash again, I’ll kill you dead.”

“That’s not the first time I’ve heard that.”

“You should be worried.”

“I’m shaking in my boots, don’t you worry it none.”

She reached over and punched him in the chest with all of the power of a marshmallow, making Tommy laugh even harder.

“I’m never talking to you again. I want a divorce.”

That made Tommy stop and nearly climb into the cab to pull her taught little body right up his chest, into his own face.

“Don’t even think those words again.”

“So that’s what gets you serious?”

“Of course it does and your safety is my top concern. It always has been and always will be. And divorce is not something that I care to ever discuss with you, so you can just forget that word all together.”

That had Taylor quiet for at least forty five seconds; long enough to haul her out of the seat and over to the quad.

“Put this helmet on.”

“Do you have a hair tie?”

Tommy eyed her unamused.

“Do I look like I have a hair tie?”

She smiled at him, lightening up and grabbed the helmet out of his hands.

“Safety first.” She mumbled and then instantly froze, staring at Tommy nearly stupefied.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, reaching for the second helmet.

“Tommy- um…” She twisted her fingers around the helmet strap and kicked the tire a few times. When she bit her bottom lip, Tommy knew she was really struggling with what she needed to say.

“Spit it out Tay. There isn’t a whole lot we haven’t done or seen with each other.”

“That’s kind of it.”

“What?” Now he was concerned.

“Tommy, I told you that I haven’t been with anyone since you and well… I don’t really know how to say this because it seems so damn stupid.”

“The best way to say anything is just to say it.”

“We didn’t use any protection and I’m not – I’m not on the pill or anything.”

Tommy couldn’t help but just look at her. Of all the things that could have come out of her mouth, that was the last thing he expected.

“Say something, damnit.”

“What would you like me to say?”

“It takes two to tango, Tommy. Surely you can’t be mad at me about this.”

“Baby, have you forgotten me that much as to think I am mad at you?” Tommy set the helmet back on the seat of the four-wheeler and reached out for her waist.

“Are we in a healthy, stable relationship? Maybe not, but we are married and I have no intentions of that changing so if we become ‘with child’, that is not the worst thing in the world. You are my wife, Taylor. I want children and while we may not be in the best place right now, I would do nothing but support you and raise our child with you, with nothing but love.”

“You never do anything without love.”

“And I never will.”

He pulled her into him and kissed her head, breathing her in and picturing their life with a baby in it. The image made him smile and give her a little squeeze.

“Is that all you want Thomas Kane? Me, pregnant and barefoot?”

“No, no, of course not. I want you with me, pregnant and barefoot, in my kitchen.”

She pulled back and smacked him in the chest playfully and put the helmet on before he could try anything.

“Come on, you.”

He grunted, entertained, before tossing on his helmet and settling onto the machine. Starting it up, it roared to life and she clutched his middle tightly before he hit the gas, sending them straight forward along the dirt road and cut into the trees. Just down a path clearly created by the guys, Taylor looked on as Tommy steered them towards a sort of course they had created by simply driving it so much. Before Taylor could speak up, Tommy gunned it straight for the mud hole and sent them flying through walls of brown water and red clay that was sure to stain parts of their bodies that never saw sunlight. Her smile burned into his back in the best of ways.

Three hours after getting onto the four-wheeler, Tommy pulled them back up to the truck and helped Taylor un-suction her ass off of the seat. Three hours of nothing but laughing, flying, being free and being together; no fear, no threats, no strangers or crazy chicks. Neither one of them wanted it to end, but Tommy had to get Taylor back to the house where he knew he could control every encounter possible. No unknowns were roaming around inside of his house; not anymore. Noah was able to figure the ‘slip-up’ happened when they were conducting a shift change. Not only had some lunatic made it into the room with Taylor sleeping, but Lissy was able to get onto the land without anyone noticing as well. One had to think it wasn’t a coincidence and Tommy never left things up to chance so he would be taking care of his own security measures within his house. Losing Taylor was not an option.

“Looks like it might rain again, tonight.” He noted, checking out the sky above them.

“It is welcome.” She declared.

“Ever the farmer’s daughter.”

“I’ve never heard you complain.”

“That is, not since you let me make love to you in the rain.” He pointed out, smiling ear to ear.

“All the same.”

Tommy decided to change the subject before his zipper gave his dick a permanent tattoo.

“Is there anything in particular you would like for supper?”

“I can cook, you know.”

“Yes, I know, but if I let you cook I won’t be able to let you leave.”

She looked at him confused.

“Taylor you already know that if writing didn’t work out, you could be a chef. If I let you cook for me again, I won’t ever be able to let you leave because I won’t be able to force myself to eat what barely passes for food when I cook.”

She laughed at him and clicked her seatbelt on.

“Let’s go home. I am beat.”

Hearing Taylor say home was music to his ears. Like for the first time in six years, he really knew his place and had everything he wanted right where he wanted it. He supposed it was true, then; happiness could be just an illusion. But was love just the same? Lost in his own rapidly declining thoughts, she pulled him out of his own head when she spoke again.

“Today was fun Tommy, thank you.”

“Anytime, baby.”

Taylor reached for his hand and he gave it a squeeze before settling their clasped hands on his knee. Tommy figured that if he only had one hand, he would drive with his toes if it meant he got to hold onto her. They rode to the house in a comfortable silence, winding down from their mini-adventure.

“You’re like a unicorn, you know that right?” Taylor said, looking over to Tommy from a tilted head.

“I’m sorry…what?” He choked out, tapping the break a little too hard.

“I said….”

“Yeah, I heard what you said. Why would you say that to a man?”

“Aw, did I make your penis shrink?”

“Wanna touch it and find out?” He wiggled his eyebrows and she couldn’t help but laugh with him.

“Seriously though. Every single woman on this planet and probably all the other planets too, are looking for a man exactly like you and somehow I managed to…. Well, I managed to do whatever I did to you.”

Tommy backed up to the center door of the garage, put the car in park and killed the engine.

“How do you figure this?”

He asked but got out of the truck and walked around to her door, opening it for her. When she jumped down, she looked back to him and answered.

“You’re so ridiculously sexy there are truly no words to describe it. You are smart, funny, caring, tender and masculine and so many other things that if I kept trying to explain to you, I would talk for about five years straight.”

“Only five?” He joked.

“And then you prove you’re still a man.”

“That is a compliment. But truly, Taylor, if ever you seem to forget that I am a man…” Instead of telling her, he stepped into her space and pushed her up against his truck. Reaching behind her, Tommy grabbed onto her upper thighs, squeezing her bottom and pulled her legs up to wrap around his waist.

As if someone up above was trying to help Tommy, the soft pitter patter of an ever-growing rain storm sounded, bouncing off of the garage’s tin roof. Their heads were beginning to get wet and he smirked, taking pride in the fact that he was the only one who knew how deeply Taylor really loved the rain; it made her good and frisky, no whiskey needed. With that knowledge, he walked with her wrapped around him, right over to the back bumper of his truck and let down the tailgate. Tommy set Taylor on the tailgate of his pickup and began to litter kisses up and down her neck while his steady fingers slipped under her tank and drew it up, then tossed it to the side. He grabbed for the blanket he kept in the bed of the truck for emergencies and laid it out behind her.

The risk of being seen by pretty much everyone made it all the more exciting; not like he needed any more excitement in his life with Taylor around.

With absolutely no words, Tommy lay Taylor back, stripped her of her mud and rain clad clothes and made love to her; sweet, steady, unhurriedly, and paying thorough attention to every inch of her delicate body until she cried his name out into the black of the stormy night sky. They were connected; as much of one person as two could be.