Chapter 17: Chapter Seventeen

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WARNING: This chapter may contain some mild mature content. Read at your own risk.

This time when he bent to kiss her it was different. The kiss was intense; more passionate than anything she’d remembered before. Annie reached up and ran her fingers through his thick hair.

Reon

She pushed away from him, just the thought of their son. It didn’t matter if he was sleeping in the other room or he couldn’t hear them. She turned away, her breath coming fast and her heart pounding against her chest.

“Annie,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

Why the hell was he apologizing? She wanted this: needed this. She was still in love with Andy.

Took you long enough. A tiny voice said in her head. Yes, she loved him; no denying it.

“I should not have done that,” he husked.

What? Something inside her heart shifted when he said those words. Why wasn‘t he taking her into his arms and devouring her?

Andy let go of her before turning away. He walked towards the window. Annie didn’t hesitate, she followed.

Darkness blanketed outside the window, and the only sounds she heard was the crickets singing their nightly tune. Taking a deep breath, she touched his shoulder.

Andy felt the warmth of her palms on his shoulder. He didn‘t turn around right away. Was this the right thing to do? He asked himself. He knew he loved her; always loved her, but he wasn’t ready to say it out loud. He heard movement behind him. Was she leaving? No, he couldn’t allow that.

God. His heart was pounding as if it was his first time. He wanted to laugh at his own nervousness. Shaking his head, he spun around to see Annie walking back to the room where Reon slept.

He was such an ass. Here was a woman—beautiful woman who was giving herself to him—wanting him, and he—

He wanted her too. This was Annie—his Annie. With long steps, he caught up to her. “Annie?”

Annie turned slowly as if facing him would reveal what she truly felt for him, feelings she didn’t want to—admit to herself?

“You are making this hard for me,” she whispered.

“You do things to me,” he whispered back to her. “Annie I—”

“Don’t say it.” She ducked her head.

“How do you know what I will say?”

“You don’t want—”

“Yes, I want you,” he cut off her words.

Ignoring the relief that flashed through her gut, she smiled when Andy took her lips in a passionate kiss. She was almost swaying on her feet when he whispered her name.

“Annie.”

“Y-yes?”  She looked up at him with everything she was feeling. Love. Nervousness. In a smooth motion, her top slipped off. And her bare breast spilled free.

She never took her eyes from his. Andy watched her; his eyes dark with passion. He made her hot: made her want it more. Liquid heat pooled between her legs. She resisted the urge to cross her legs. With everything she’d been through, she wanted this more than ever. Her skin burned with need.

“Annie,” he moaned before devouring her mouth again.

The thickness in his voice sent a tingle down her spine. She moved closer, her breast grazing over his chest.

“Annie.” He said again like if her name was the only English word he knew.

“Take me,” she whispered.

He kissed her with so much passion, hot and open-mouthed. She deepened the kiss, tasting him, wanting him and his arm tightened around her.

This is what she wanted.

“I want you.”

“Are you sure”

“I couldn’t be surer,” she whispered thickly.

********

It was hours later.

They had fallen asleep in each other arms. She’d gotten up a few times to check on Reon. Now she was in Andy’s bed, her head on his chest and her legs tangled with his.

When she looked at him, she saw he was watching her. He leaned over and kissed her.

Andy held her tight, and they fell asleep spooned together.

For it was the sunlight streaming through the blinds that awakened them.

**********

Andy left after breakfast that morning. He was going into town to pick up groceries. The kiss he had given her before he left had promised so much more.

Annie knew they would be safe in his absence. Gregg didn't call again. Andy had told her no one knew where they were. Well, maybe. She didn’t want to worry about their safety. Then thoughts about what things would be like after this was over consumed her.

She thought about her and Reon's future, would Andy take full custody of him? Could she allow that? Even if they shared custody, could she endure a day or more without seeing her baby’s sweet face? She knew he needed his father, but he was so small. Annie pushed away those thoughts. She needed to get out, get air.

After a little walk outside she had nothing more to do other than wait for Andy to return. She was homesick, but she had no home to return to. It felt like she’d been here longer than a day.

She missed what had been familiar, what she had with Andy but that was ages ago. She trembled as she looked out at the water. The day was beautiful, not too cold not too hot.

She settled down with a book but she couldn’t concentrate. Her thoughts were everywhere. She was restless.

What was taking Andy so long to come back? she thought.

Reon had fallen asleep on her chest. She was about to put Reon down when Andy’s car pull into the driveway.

The first thing she asked when he walked through the door was: “What took you so long?”

“I took my time and also someone had a blow out so I stopped to help.”

Annie blew out a breath, “Sorry for that I’m—I’m just a little jumpy with everything that has happened to us,” Annie said clutching Reon tighter to her.

“Understandable.” He walked up to her, placed his hand on her cheek gently.

“Everything will be okay Annie, I’ll protect you and our son,” he said with a kiss to her forehead.

“Here, let me take him,” he said, putting two paper bags with groceries on the table. “You can prepare lunch, okay? And try not to think too much, we will get through this together.”

“Okay.”

As he took their son in his arms, Annie watched how gentle he was. Placing a soft kiss to his forehead, he took him into the bedroom.

It was early afternoon. Lunch was over and the day stretched out with no clear aim.

“Annie?” Andy called out to her.

“Kyle called to say he’s back in the country.”

With her best fake smile, she said, okay to him.

“We have to confront my parents about what they did to you.”

Annie sighed. She didn’t want to think about them.

“I can’t believe they would…” He ran his hands over his face.

He couldn’t say it.

Annie knew it was too painful for him.

“Look, Andy, I don’t want to come between you and your parents. I—”

“No Annie, I have a right to be angry with them. They are to blame for the lies they told you. If wasn’t for this happening, I might not have gotten to know about my son or to get another chance with you.”

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