Emergence (Awakening Series Book 2) (14 page)

Chapter 26

Lou

Two weeks after we returned from the Bahamas was Caroline and Luke's wedding. He didn't want to wait and she didn't want to make him, so her mother in law, Martha, and Allison helped her plan an intimate ceremony at her parents' Bluffton house with just her family and close friends in attendance.

I was seated in the front row, where the bride's family was sitting, with Carly on my lap. Luke, and his groomsmen, Nick, Ben, and Carson stood with him, looking dapper in their black and white suits.

A bolt of lust shot through me as I looked Carson over. His broad shoulders filled out his suit jacket perfectly, and his crisp clean shirt fit closely to his body, hiding the sculpted abs and hard chest I knew were underneath.

It was probably bad to be imagining Carson driving his hard body into mine, propelling me toward orgasm, while my child sat on my lap at his sister's wedding, but I couldn't stop my mind from wandering there.

His blond hair was styled casually, as if he didn't spend any time on it, and I wanted to reach up and run my hands through it. His bright green eyes kept catching mine and each time we locked onto one another I felt an overwhelming sensation inside me. Yes, lust, but the emotion that threatened to overflow was love. I loved him so much, and I wanted nothing more than to have the future we'd talked about, but I continued to feel guilty about keeping a secret from him.

When I was wrapped up in work, or Carly, I didn't think about it as much, but at night, when I was alone in my bed, or after Carson fell asleep, if we were together, my mind would wander, or my dreams would taunt me.

I kept telling myself that there would never be a good time, and that the longer I waited the worse his reaction would be. But there had been things I needed to be certain of before I could feel one hundred percent confident in telling him. And now that I knew I could trust him, it was hard to find the right time to tell him.

Meanwhile the guilt of keeping something so huge from him was eating me up inside, but not knowing what his reaction would be terrified me. I needed one more day to tell him everything I wanted to say, and to live in our little cocoon of bliss before I burst the balloon. Soon I would have to deal with the fall out, but for today I wanted to hold him close, bask in his love, and feel his body moving inside mine.

Carly pulled my hair just as the Trumpet Voluntary began to play, and I shook off my depressing thoughts and rose, turning in my chair to see Caroline in her simple silk dress, tied at the waist with a rhinestone belt, making her way down the aisle on Jack's arm.

Her golden blonde hair was swept back from her face and pinned at the nape of her neck in a very elegant chignon. She only had eyes for Luke as she made her way towards him, stopping just to the right of her bridesmaids, Eva, Anne Marie, and Emily, Luke's younger sister, who were dressed in pale pink tea length dresses.

"Dearly beloved," the officiate began as the congregation was seated to watch Caroline marry the love of her life.

**

The reception was held on the bluff at the back of the house, overlooking the water. I had just congratulated Caroline when Luke walked up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist.

"I've been looking for you," he said into her hair.

She smiled softly, leaning into him and resting her head against his shoulder. "I was just getting ready to tell Lou how we met," she said.

"You were the prettiest thing I'd ever seen. I was fishing from the dock down there," Luke said, addressing me. "I heard some yelling and I looked up just in time to see Caroline's long blonde hair whip around in the breeze as she turned toward the house. She paused like she couldn't decide if she should go inside and see what was happening, or just stay out of sight."

"'Want me to show you how to fish?' he called to me, and I turned my head to see the cutest boy I'd ever seen. When I got down to the dock and sat next to him, I told him my name and that I was from Savannah," Caroline told me.

"I've called her Savannah at least half the time since then, and the rest of the time, it's baby or Caroline," Luke added, kissing her cheek.

"Luke helped me catch my first fish and then asked me if I wanted to fish again the next day. Of course I said yes. For a little while after that we were pretty much inseparable," Caroline finished.

"So, what took you so long to realize you were it for each other," I asked. "If you don't mind me being nosy..."

"I always knew," Luke said and then Caroline playfully elbowed him in the ribs.

"Well, there was high school, college, my grandmother, a lot of miscommunication-" she started.

"My brother, Caroline's stubbornness, and then my mother got involved, and finally the kidnapping. After we survived all of that, we knew we could weather anything and that we didn't want to live without the other for the rest of our lives," Luke interjected.

"Yep, and we didn't want to waste any more time, so after he asked me a few weeks ago, we hurried to throw this wedding together. It didn't matter to us where we got married, just as long as we married each other."

The love and contentment between Luke and Caroline was palpable. It was more than obvious that they belonged together, especially after having navigated such a rocky path to get there. The two of them gazing into each other's eyes, it seemed like no one else existed in their world at that moment. I craved that. I yearned for that feeling of closeness with another human being. I wanted it more than anything, and I felt even more convinced that I needed to talk to Carson or I would be destroying any chance I had of finding a future with him.

"Hey, there you are! I thought you were inside with Carly," Carson said, walking up to me. His hard, warm body wrapped up in that suit brought my earlier lust back to the surface. I wanted to melt into him.

"I was, but your mom insisted on showing her off, so she stole her away from me and shooed me out the door to enjoy myself. Caroline and Luke were telling me all about how they met and their journey to falling in love," I said slipping my hands inside his jacket and around his waist, feeling my need for him ratchet up another notch.

"Not everyone has such a harrowing story to tell. Some people just fall in love because it's so right they can't fight it, and they don't want to," Carson said, pulling me into him. "Like us."

He smiled down at me and then nuzzled my nose with his and I slid my hands, still under his jacket, up and over his back and shoulders, pressing my body against him so I could lean up and kiss his mouth.

"I need you," I whispered into his ear, and then nipped it with my teeth. " He grabbed my upper arms and moved me back a few inches so he could look in my eyes. His pupils darkened as he took in my heightened state of arousal.

"Ahem," Carson said, clearing his throat. "Luke, Caroline, excuse us for a minute."

Luke and Caroline laughed and then smiled at us with knowing looks. "Have fun you two. Be back before it's time to cut the cake."

Carson pulled me along behind him across the bluff. When we cleared the house he told me to ditch my shoes, and then we were running through the soft grass, heading toward Luke's house.

We bounded up the back steps and through the french door into the kitchen where Carson slid his hands under my dress and pulled down my panties before pushing it up to my waist and lifting me onto a bar stool.

"Do you know what it does to me when you say you need me?" he whispered while I frantically worked to remove his belt and get his pants and briefs off. "It makes me feel like I'm the king of the world."

I stopped what I was doing and smirked at him. "Are you quoting Titanic?"

"I'll never let go."

I laughed and resumed undressing him, finally freeing his erection while shoving his pants and briefs down his muscular thighs. He watched me with amusement. "I love it when you're like this."

"Like what?" I asked, stroking him while scooting myself forward on the stool and spreading my legs wide to take him.

"So ravenous and aroused at the thought of having me inside you that you can't even take time to get fully undressed."

I positioned him at my entrance and wrapped my legs around his hips, shoving my heels into his firm ass and impaling myself on him.

"Fuck," he said, bracing one hand against the counter and wrapping the other around my tailbone to hold me to him.

"Don't hold back," I said, hoping he'd give me the pounding I craved.

He pulled back and then slammed home, drawing groans from both of us. He did it a few more times, his ass muscles clenching and releasing under my heels with every thrust. He was hitting something deep inside me with every pass and each time I felt like I was going to explode.

He picked up the pace until the room was filled with the sounds of damp flesh slapping together and our gasps and moans.

This wasn't just sex, it was fucking, and it was raw and perfect. He was giving me exactly what I needed, what I felt I deserved for what I was going to do to him, to us, when I told him the truth.

White hot liquid heat surged through my body with my release. My muscles contracted and my toes curled as I screamed out his name, clutching his body to mine as I stared into his eyes. Moments later Carson began to come undone, groaning as he unleashed himself inside of me, coating my tight channel with his seed.

When we could move again and our breathing had returned to normal, we cleaned up in Luke's hall bathroom, and made it back to the wedding just in time for me to slip my shoes back on and see the happy couple cut their incredible looking cake.

Once we saw them off for their honeymoon in the Virgin Islands, Carson and I took Carly and went to stay at his house. We made love slowly that night, taking time to appreciate every inch of each other's bodies before finally succumbing to such an intense release we could hardly move afterwards.

As I laid there in his arms listening to his words of love, I realized that it was moments like those that I would miss the most if things went badly. Not the sex, although it was phenomenal, but the affection, and closeness, and contentment of being in his arms. And as I drifted off into a fitful sleep, my mind running through thousands of scenarios, I wondered what tomorrow would bring.

Chapter 27

Lou

I stared at my grocery list, hoping the meal I planned to prepare for Carson, and a drink or two that evening, would soften him up for the talk we needed to have. I'd rehearsed what I was going to say over and over for the rest of the weekend, but nothing sounded like I wanted it to.

"Special delivery!" Carson said poking his head into my office.

I smiled halfheartedly as he stepped inside holding a cup from Starbucks.

"I think I got it right," he said handing it to me.

I took a long sip and smiled. "It's perfect. Thank you so much."

"What's wrong?" he asked, his smile falling from his face.

"Nothing," I said, dragging a hand through my hair, "it's just been a long day."

He walked around my desk and began to massage my shoulders. I leaned back into his hands as he worked the knots.

"How about we skip dinner later. Why don't you just let me bring over some takeout instead. It will be less for you to worry about."

He was so thoughtful to offer, but it wasn't cooking that was stressing me out even though there's no way he could have known that.

"No, it's okay. Cooking is therapeutic for me. I'm actually looking forward to it," I said, reaching up for one of his hands and pulling him around to face me.

"After dinner I'd like to talk about some things that I-" I held up my finger to him when my phone began to ring. "Foster and Company, Lou Evans speaking," I said.

"Lou! Thank God you answered."

"Kelly? What's going on?" I asked, hearing the panic in her voice. "Is Carly okay?"

At that moment Carly started crying in the background and I rose up out of my chair, a sense of dread working its way through my body.

  "Carly and I are fine, but the house is on fire. I don't know what happened. One minute I was tucking Carly in for a nap, and the next the living room was filling with smoke. We're waiting across the street, but the fire trucks haven't arrived yet and the place is blazing."

"I'm on my way," I said, scrambling to gather my stuff together as I slammed the receiver down.

"Lou!?" I turned to see Carson with his eyebrow raised in question. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

My tears rushed to the surface when I heard the compassion in his voice. All I could think about was my little Carly being terrified without me and every possession I have in the world being burnt to a crisp.

"Hey, baby," he said, pulling me into his arms. "Tell me..."

"It was Kelly, the house is on fire. I have to go."

His hands tensed around my shoulders and he pulled back from me, looking down. "Carly?" he asked, his face paling as he waited for my answer.

"She's safe. She and Kelly got out," I managed through my cries, which had turned into full blown sobbing.

He released my arms and tugged on my hand, pulling me out of the office. His feet hit the stairs a moment before mine, descending to the first floor.

He pushed open the door to the lobby with one hand, as I tried to dig my keys out of my purse. Racing across the lobby we reached the outer door and burst out into the sunny September day. The weather was beautiful and in such stark contrast to the way I felt inside.

"You can't drive like this, come on," Carson said, leading me to his truck.

"What am I going to do, Carson?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

"Lou, let's just get there and see if anything can be salvaged. The important thing is that you, Kelly, and Carly are safe."

He cranked the truck and peeled out of the parking lot, driving towards my neighborhood. When we arrived the street was blocked off, but we could see plumes of dark smoke rising into the blue sky above.

As soon as Carson put the truck in park, I raced out of the cab, and down the street. I only had one thing on my mind, and that was to get to Carly.

"Ma'am, you can't get any closer," a policeman said as I approached the blaze.

"That's my house!" I screamed trying to push past him to get a better view.

"Lou!" I turned at the sound of my name as Kelly pushed through the onlookers with Carly in her arms.

A fresh set of tears slipped from my eyes as I grabbed Carly, pulling her into my chest, and reached out an arm to hug Kelly to me as well.

"Thank God you're both okay," I sobbed into her shoulder.

I raised my head at the sound of Carson's voice as he made his way through the crowd toward us. When I turned to him his eyes searched frantically for Carly, the tension in his body releasing the moment he saw her in my arms.

He rushed forward, pulling Carly from my arms and crushing her into his chest. "There's my girl," he whispered, smoothing her wild curls as she gripped his shirt collar in her little fist.

His eyes met mine a moment later and he pulled me against him as well, kissing my temple before turning to Kelly.

"Thank you for getting her out Kelly. I'm so thankful you're both okay. What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said, tears leaking from her eyes as she surveyed the damage. "One minute we were fine, and the next smoke and flames were engulfing the house."

My eyes went to my house across the street where firefighters were working to put out the flames, acrid smoke curling upward from the damage. It was clear, even while the fire still burned, that our home was a complete loss.

"Where are we going to go?" I said to anyone within earshot.

"I have plenty of room, you can all come and stay with me," Carson offered.

"Thank you, but Reece said I could stay with him. He's out of town this week, but when I called him he said he would catch a flight home tonight. I'm going to stay with him until I figure out something long term," Kelly said.

Carson nodded to Kelly before turning to me. "Lou, you and Carly should come stay with me. Please."

I searched his eyes, knowing that there was no place else I'd rather be, and feeling some of the burden lifted off my shoulders.

"I have the porta-crib in the back of my car," Kelly said. "Take that so Carly will have a safe place to sleep."

I nodded numbly, leaning into Carson.

**

After we arrived back at Carson's, I bathed Carly and put her down for a nap before calling the insurance company, showering and crawling into Carson's bed for a much needed rest.

When I woke I heard voices downstairs in the kitchen and after throwing on a bra with a tee and a pair of jeans, I headed down.

"There she is," Allison said, coming around the kitchen island and pulling me into her arms. "I'm so sorry for everything you're going through, but I am so thankful that you and your sweet Carly are okay."

Releasing me, she headed toward the refrigerator, opening the door. "I brought a casserole, it's chicken tetrazzini, one of Carson's favorites. It just needs to be heated up when you're hungry."

"Thank you so much, Allison, that was so nice of you to do," I said, offering her a polite smile.

"Well, I'm sure you're overwhelmed and while I know Carson wouldn't let you starve, there's nothing better than a home cooked meal, and let's face it, Carson isn't a cook."

I snickered while Carson rolled his eyes at his mother. "I can cook. It's just that my specialty is breakfast food!" he defended.

A knock at the door drew my attention as it opened to Caroline hauling shopping bags through the door.

"Carson, go out to my car and get the rest," she said, heaving her load onto the kitchen table.

I watched Carson head for the door as Caroline untangled herself from the bags and made her way over to me.

"I'm so glad Carly is okay. I just can't even imagine..." She said, tearing up as she absently rubbed her hands over her belly. "Anyway, I figured you needed everything, so I got... well... everything."

She walked back to the kitchen table digging through bags from Target as she pulled out several outfits for Carly, baby wash, lotion, and powder, diapers, jarred food, formula, bottles, wipes, a Bumbo seat, and anything I could possibly need. I choked up as she pulled open another bag and dug out a soft pink baby blanket and a Winnie the Pooh lovey, just like the one that Carly always slept with.

"And I couldn't forget about you," she said, picking up some department store bags and handing them to me. "I bought you some new panties and bras, and there's also a few outfits in there."

Right as I was feeling overwhelmed with love and support Carson walked back in the door carrying several dry cleaning bags full of clothes.

"Since I'm going to be gaining a few pounds and won't be able to wear most of this for the next nine months," Caroline said patting her stomach, "I brought you some of my clothes. We're about the same size, so I think all you'll need is shoes, although I did toss in a couple pairs that I don't want to go to waste," Caroline finished.

"You're pregnant?"

She laughed a full bellied laugh. "I am, but only a handful of weeks. We're still keeping it on the down low."

"Congratulations Caroline, and honestly, I can't thank you enough for all this," I said, gesturing at all the bags.

When I moved to Savannah I never imagined finding such amazing friends, or of being welcomed whole heartedly by such an incredible family. The Foster's were so selfless and loving that I hoped I would never see the day when they weren't all a part of my life.