Embracing Everly (15 page)

Peeking through the curtain of my hair toward his apartment door, I picked the vase up and slid the small card out of the envelope, trying to hide my smile in case he was watching.

Angel,

Forgive me. I miss you.

Mick

Instantly, I forgave him like a typical wishy-washy girl in love and wanted to pound on his door and push him up against the wall and have him take me in his arms and prove it. That was what my heart was screaming for me to do.
Just march over there and tell him how you feel, Everly… just
do it.
My brain smacked my heart like it was the idiot it could be when it came to love. Admittedly, I had only tried with two men before Mick stumbled into my life. Since both guys were a bust, the small cynical side of me convinced myself that I didn’t even know what love really felt like. Maybe it was just great sex? Maybe he made every woman feel worshiped, and adored while he was making her scream his name? Or, maybe that’s why he was avoiding me because he did feel something. Something he was afraid to admit to himself.

I forced myself to be patient and headed for my door and not barreling down his to rip his clothes off. I didn’t want to be the stupid, idiotic, naïve girl I had been so far. I wasn’t going to be so easy this time. Well, maybe a little easy, but I needed him to come to me. To prove to me that he was sorry.

Two days later I had yet to hear squat from Mick, so the flowers and the apology made zero sense. But, I held my own and steered clear of him. He thought I had no clue that he came in to watch me sing nightly and followed me home and waited for me to get inside safe and sound. But I did. For once, I wanted him front and center so I could see his face while I made my last ditch effort. If this didn’t do it, I was giving up. I had been singing an old favorite of mine at work more than I cared to admit with hope it got through to him. I had also been trying to write a song about him, for him but kept coming up with nothing that screamed hit song. I figured I’d sing his request from my apartment to get him to understand how I was feeling tonight. Music had always been my escape, kind of like my very own looking glass. I usually hid behind it, but tonight I was done hiding.

My hand grabbed the microphone even though I was shaking, hoping I wasn’t going to freak him out. “I hope you like this version of an old Kinks song, it’s a lot slower than the real version but I think you’ll like it. This one goes out to a guy who hides in the back almost every night. I know you’re there, Mr. O’Malley, so this one’s for you.”

Just as I was about ready to hit the chorus, Mick stepped out of the dark shadows and into the lights of the café making him visible. I poured my heart out, watching his eyes take me in, seeing the desire raging behind them as I sang to him like we were the only people in the room. Maybe he didn’t want me to remind him of that night. Maybe he wouldn’t get the lyrics and how they made me think of him. Maybe just maybe, as I watched him with hooded eyes from the stage, it would click. My finger strummed the last chord to the song as my voice faded along with it, “You really got me,” noticing Mick inching closer with each word as it came to an end.

He looked up, unflinching; refusing to take his eyes off of mine, and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

That was all it took. Two little words and I was his. No need for stupid long and boring explanations of why he had been MIA after the flowers, or before them. I didn’t need it from him. His eyes beamed with love showing me every single thing he had wanted to say, but couldn’t for whatever reason. I kneeled down on the wooden stage to get closer while he reached up to me. “You’re forgiven.”

He grinned, yanking my hand, pulling me toward him until his mouth seared with mine. The hoots and hollers sounded all around us, which normally would be enough to embarrass me, but not tonight. Taking my lips away from him was the furthest thing from my mind.

A small growl erupted from his throat. “How many more songs before I can take you home?” he asked, breaking the kiss that I hated parting with.

I smiled, winked and stood. “Okay, folks, I have one more song before I’m finished for the night. I’m going to sing my dad’s favorite, one he used to sing to me. This is for you, Dad, wherever you are. It’s called, “This Little Girl of Mine” by the Everly Brothers. I hope you like it as much as I do.”

Mick watched, arms crossed, grinning up at me from the front of the stage until I finished. The audience clapped, and even a few cheers sounded my name with words of encouragement. I grabbed my guitar and stepped down to find Mick had followed me to the side, waiting to greet me. “That was hot.”

“I’m glad you liked my set.”

“I think every dude fell in love with you if they hadn’t already when you played The Kinks. Your voice is so beautiful.” His hand reached up and cupped the back of my neck, tugging me closer. He dropped his forehead onto mine, pecking my lips. “I’m going to fuck up with you. But forgive me, I have to try.” Before I could respond or even deny him, his lips were on mine warm and ravenous. I barely felt the guitar leaving my grip as he pushed me toward the back and away from the crowd.

Eagerly, I went without questioning his motives or what he wanted to do behind the curtains that barely hid us from being seen. I heard my guitar gently being rested on the ground before both arms came up to wrap around my waist. Without worrying where we were, I placed my mouth right below his ear, nipping the lobe with my teeth. “I want you, Mick, so bad.”

A low guttural “fuck” and a quick “I missed you” rose from the depths of his throat as his lips roughly kissed my neck. I clung to him as he molded his body tighter to mine, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist. His hips ground into me, making me very aware of how much he desired me too. I hadn’t felt so wanted, so filled with need before. I was damn sure no one ever made me feel the way he made me—completely unhinged. He could make me forget everything with one sweep of his tongue, one whisper of my name. “Ev, let’s go before I take you right here,” he panted as his mouth grazed mine with his tongue, back and forth slowly teasing me. I loved when he called me Angel, but when he whispered my name like he was barely holding on, I cherished it.

I could only nod in agreement. He reached down for my guitar with one hand and pulled mine into a tight grip with his other. I knew I was in for one hell of a night once we were sitting in his truck, and he shot me that dimply grin that I loved.

Panties soaked—check!

In love—check!

I KNEW THE
minute she sang that damn song and dedicated it to me that no warning from Dawson would be able to stop me from going after what I wanted. And I wanted her. This I was surprisingly sure of. The last time I was so positive in my desire for something was leaving my family behind and making a better life for myself. Every day and night I watched her from a distance watching her sing only to go home alone, lonely. I ached for her. Every single minute of every single day. It was odd for me since I’d never given a shit, or felt that love could ever happen to me. Well, love was knocking on my door hard now, and I never in a million years even thought I would want to open it. For her, I damn near ripped it off of the hinges with not one regret. Actually, I did have one; I should’ve opened it earlier.

If I lost my job, so be it. I’d have her. I’d walk away without blinking an eye if she remained by my side. I had money. Blood money from my dad that was there if I ever needed it. Money I had always refused to take because it meant that I needed him and his screwed up ideologies. I tapped enough to get by when I first left but not since. Once I met Dawson and his group of misfits, whom I was very fond of, I had been able to make it on my own financially, and that was enough for me.

I made the mistake of looking at her flushed cheeks in my truck. With the way she was looking at me, I couldn’t be sure we’d even make it home to get to the good stuff, but I had to be patient. I would never take her in my truck. She deserved a bed, or a floor, a counter, or a shower, but not my truck. Everly scooted over, placing her hand on my thigh, squeezing it lightly making me anxious to get her back. Her beautiful, blonde head dropped onto my shoulder with a small smile crossing her pretty mouth. “Your place or mine?” I asked.

“I don’t care. Just drive.” She quickly pecked my cheek. “And make it fast,” she purred in my ear just as she kicked off her heels, leaving them on my floor.

I slammed my truck into park as soon as I pulled into my spot on the street. Everly moved quicker than me and was already pulling her shirt over her head before we made it inside the apartment complex. “Shit, Angel, slow down.” But then she shot me a sexy as hell come-and-get-me-grin and took off. In shock, I froze, but then my brain registered what was coming next and as fast as a bullet, I hauled ass after her.

The door to her apartment was wide open. I remained outside, arms touching the frame watching her stand inside her bedroom as she waited for me to join her. I saw her eyes narrow, and her head tilt to the side, waiting and wondering what I was still doing outside her apartment. The not so pleasant memories slammed into me as we studied one another. My first thought, surprisingly was that I didn’t want to take her in that room—on that bed. The room I had heard her in with that douchebag night after night. Did I want to fuck her in the bed she had him in? Could I, knowing he slept on those very sheets?

“Are you just going to stand there ogling me or are you going to come get what you want?” My eyes held hers unable to look anywhere else, even as she tugged her jeans down and kicked them off to the side, revealing lacy black panties.

“Debating, Angel.”

Her face went from happy to worried in the blink of an eye. “What’s wrong? I thought you wanted this.”

I took a step inside, keeping the door open behind me. I tipped my chin toward her room. “Oh, I want this—you, more than even I can believe, but I don’t know if I can take you on the same bed. How about mine instead.”

She released a breath and licked her lips with obvious relief that I wasn’t turning her down. Her sexy little body moved like she was strutting on a catwalk toward me in just her bra and panties. She slithered around me, pulling the door shut and locking it. Her hands came around my waist; her lips gently running all over my back. Her fingers worked my belt undone allowing the straps to fall to the sides of my jeans. “Mick, don’t think about it. I need you. Tell me you need me too?” She didn’t give me a chance to answer. Her hands worked my zipper down, and before I knew it, I was kicking my jeans off alongside my boots.

“I want you to lay in my bed. I want you to be inside of me in my bed. I want you to love me in my bed. Can you do that?” She asked as she came around to stand in front of me, slowly lifting my shirt over my head.

I stood there naked, raking my eyes down her sweet body. I felt her mouth on my neck realizing I was taking too damn long. She lightly bit down using her teeth. “Angel, first round is going to be hard and quick because I missed the hell out of you.” I picked her up, her legs immediately wrapped around my waist as I guided us back to her room. I wanted to take my time with her, but it was a lost cause; she had gotten me so worked up. There was no way I was lasting but a few minutes, at least for round one. There was something about Everly that just did things to my heart, my soul, and my cock that I couldn’t explain. I had never wanted to be inside a woman so badly in all my life, and it frightened the fuck out of me to need someone so much.

I captured her pink lips, crushing mine with hers. Losing my mind. Losing control, as I got lost touching her. I reached down unable to hold back, tugging her panties down and then hoisted her leg over my hips and slammed inside of her. “Shit! Ev, I’ll be gentler next time. I promise.”

She swallowed as sweat was glistening on her forehead as she pulled my mouth back to hers. Greedily, she kissed all the air from my body with her mouth, and I didn’t care. I wanted her to have it. As soon as I felt those sweet little ankles wrap and grip around my ass, my entire body ignited like someone just tossed a match onto a fire. I tried my best to stop the inevitable by holding still, even as I felt her bathe my cock as she exploded, groaning my name and for God in my ear. “Fuck, Ev, goddamn I feel you,” I grumbled as I kissed every inch of her I could reach, loving the feel of her soaking me. I ran my tongue inside her mouth, sliding my cock partly out before taking one last deep thrust inside of her. “Fuck, baby,” I moaned in her ear as I ground out my release.

I tried to slow down my heart, stilling inside of her, my dick twitching as she milked the last of my orgasm out of me. I slumped against her soft body, allowing myself to come down from the high of my climax. I tugged her to my chest and kissed her temple. “Just give me ten minutes and we’ll take the next one slow and easy.”

She shifted until she was on top of me, rocking her hips from side to side, her hair cascading all around her face, tickling my chest. My heart clenched. Her smile was radiant, her skin flushed from the orgasm I just gave her. “Ten minutes, huh?” she teased.