Laugh Like You've Never Cried (Summer Lake 5) (10 page)

He lifted his head, his mouth making a popping sound as it reluctantly let go of her breast. His breath was coming fast and ragged. “Don't Meggie.”

She froze. He didn't want to?

He shook his head. “I want to do this right. I don't want to go too far in the back of a car then drive off into the night. I already know you well enough to know that the first time you have sex with me, you're going to have doubts afterwards. I want to be lying right next to you when those doubts kick in.” His face had that pained look again. “I want to be inside you right now, and if you unfasten that zipper I'm not going to be able to help it. I'm going to have to. But this isn't how I want it to be.”

She nodded, knowing he was right, but tempted anyway. “I don't want to wait, though.”

He sighed. “I don't either, little one. But I think we should.”

She raised her hands, placing them on his shoulders as she looked into his eyes. “How long?”

He smiled at her and closed his hands around her backside. “I was thinking next Saturday. Ethan's going to stay over at Missy's. We'd have the whole night.”

Megan knew the disappointment she felt was apparent in her voice. “But that's a whole week away!”

“I know, but it's the best I can do.” He looked disappointed himself. And he did have Ethan to think about.

She dropped a kiss on his lips. “Are you giving me your word, then?”

He grinned. “How about I give you my word that I'll be trying to figure out something sooner, that it'll be next Saturday at the latest?”

She liked the sound of that. “Okay, you've got yourself a deal.”

“Deal it is.” He held her close against his hard chest. “And when did my little Meggie get so assertive, anyway?”

She smiled at him. “I told you. You seem to bring out the best in me.”

“I like that. And I do mean it, it'll be Saturday at the very latest. I'll try to make it happen as soon as I can, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay, but Ethan comes first.”

She loved the way he smiled at her. “And you don't mind that?”

“Mind? I wouldn't have any respect for you if he didn't.”

He nodded. “You're something else, Meggie.”

She knew she was smiling too much, but she couldn't stop it. “Thank you.” She slid off him. “I suppose you'd better take me home now. Since you've proved that you're not a man of your word after all.”

She had to giggle at the frown on his face as he asked, “What do you mean? I thought you were okay with it?”

“I mean, Mr. Morgan, that you said I could have some of your sausage any time I like. I just tried to and you told me no!”

He grinned now as he shook his head at her. “That's Doctor Morgan to you, and I will keep my word. If this is the time you like, then you just carry on. I've told you what I think, but it's your call. If you decide to have your wicked way with me right now, I won't be able to resist you.”

She smiled. He'd called her bluff and they both knew it. “Okay, you win, Doctor Morgan. I can wait.” She checked her watch. “And if you're going to get back in time for Ethan, then you’d really better take me home now.”

He caught a handful of her hair and brought her head down to kiss her. The way he thrust his tongue inside her mouth made her ache to feel him thrust himself inside her body. She clung to him for a moment as she kissed him back hungrily, before lifting her head to smile at him. “Promises, promises again, Doctor Morgan. I hope you're going to live up to them.” With that she climbed out of the car and went around to the passenger seat, feeling very pleased with herself.

Michael settled himself behind the steering wheel before he replied. “You've got no worries there, darl'.” He gave her that sexy wink then started up the engine.

***

A
s they drove back through town Michael kept his arm around her shoulders. She'd surprised him this afternoon. He grinned to himself, surprised him in a good way—the best way. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Better still, she wasn't shy about it either. Even now as they came back into town, her hand was resting on his thigh. She was driving him nuts—making his nuts ache! He knew he'd have to find a way to spend the night with her before next weekend. He already had the worst case of blue balls. He'd explode if he had to wait until Saturday.

As he turned the car onto Main Street, Megan lifted her hand to wave at someone coming out of the convenience store on the corner. The lady was grinning and waving madly at them.

Michael laughed as he waved too. “How do you know her?” he asked.

“She's....” Megan looked up at him. “Oh my goodness! She's your mom, isn't she! Mrs. Morgan. I didn't think. She comes in the library all the time. She's lovely!”

Michael chuckled as he pulled the car over. This could prove interesting. His mom was still waving, grinning like a crazy person as she came over. He rolled the window down and she stuck her head in.

“Megan, darling! How wonderful to see you. I was starting to think you were one of those mystical creatures who only existed inside the library. I've never seen you out around town.” She grinned as she looked at Michael's arm around her. “You might want to consider the company you keep though. There are some very disreputable characters moving to the lake these days. They come from overseas and everything.”

“Hi, Mrs. Morgan. It's lovely to see you too. And don't worry, I am very careful. This one may seem a little dodgy, but I hear he has a very good pedigree.”

Michael and his mom both laughed at that. “Hey, Mom, Meggie may seem like she wouldn't say boo to a goose, but she's got my number.”

His mom gave him a knowing smile. “I'm glad to hear it, angel. Do you want me to go and collect Ethan? He can stay over with your dad and me tonight if you like? You two could go out for dinner.”

Michael hesitated. He was dying to get his little man back, to hear all about his weekend, and they needed to get his things ready for school in the morning. On the other hand, he'd just been telling Megan that he'd find a way to spend the night with her. His mom was giving him the chance if he wanted to take it.

Megan made the decision for him. “That's very kind of you, Mrs. Morgan, but I have to get home. Ollie's waiting for me and I have some work to do this evening.” She smiled up at Michael, a smile of genuine understanding. “And besides, I've just been keeping this one company until his boy comes home.”

His mom raised an eyebrow at him. He nodded. “Yeah.” He was grateful to Megan for taking the pressure off. “Though, you know Mom, we may take you up on the offer later in the week if you don't mind.”

She smiled at them both. “Any time at all. You know we love having him. It's such a treat not to have to wait six months between visits. And he loves sleeping over with us too.” She looked back and forth between the two of them, making her point very clear. “All you have to do is say the word and he can come to us for the night.”

Michael felt bad, seeing how much Megan was blushing at that last part. “Thanks, Mom. I'll stop by later. I need to get Meggie home.”

“Okay. Perhaps the three of you can come over for dinner soon?”

He shot a sideways glance at Megan. Dinner with his family might be a little too much too soon. The look on her face said she thought so too.

“That'd be great,” he said, hoping it was noncommittal enough to satisfy both of them.

His mom certainly seemed to understand as she withdrew her head with a smile. “Wonderful. I'll look forward to it, but for now I think we all have better places to be, don't we? I'll see you both soon.”

“Bye, Mrs. Morgan.”

“Oh, please call me Lizzie.”

Megan smiled. “Bye then, Lizzie.”

“Goodbye, dear.” She stood up so that Megan could no longer see her through the window, then waggled her eyebrows at Michael. “I'll see you later, angel.”

He rolled his eyes at her with a rueful grin. “Okay, Mom. See ya.”

As he pulled away he tightened his arm around Megan's shoulders. “Thanks, Meggie.”

She smiled up at him. “I told you. Ethan comes first. You've been missing him all weekend. Neither of us would enjoy it if you spent this evening with me and not him.”

He shook his head. It was true. He just hadn't expected her to be so understanding. This was one of the reasons he mostly stuck to flirting with women. Even the ones who made it as far as his bed didn't make it into his life. Women never seemed to understand that his boy came first. Yet here was Megan,
telling
him that Ethan came first, while he himself was still struggling with the idea.

“You're not cross with me, are you?”

“How could I be cross with you? I just can't believe my luck. You're unbelievable, you know? You're so damned hot, so damned sweet,
and
you understand about my boy. If I'd known I'd meet you, I would have come home years ago!”

That huge smile lit up her face. “But I only just came here, the same time you did.”

“See? You even have perfect timing.”

He pulled up outside the rundown little house where she was living and looked out through the window at it.

She seemed to read his thoughts. “I know it's not much, but I do like this place. Do you want to come in? Do you have time?”

He smiled down at her. “I like this place too, because it's where you live. I'd love to come in with  you, but I'm not going to. If I did I'd have to call my mom to get Ethan. No way would I be leaving before morning.”

There went the naughty, guilty little smile again, making him shift in his seat. He had to leave, or he wasn't going to be able to.

“I told my mom you had my number, but you don't have my phone number—and I don't have yours. Do you want to give it to me?”

She nodded as she watched him pull his phone out. She told him her number and he tapped it into his phone and hit save. With a grin he tapped out a text and her phone buzzed.

He put a hand on her arm. “Now you have got my number. Do me a favor though? Don't read the text until I've gone.”

He came around and opened her door for her. When she got out he pulled her against him and kissed her, deeply and slowly, knowing he should leave while he still could.

It was Megan who broke away first though. “You should go now. You don't want to be late for Ethan.”

He nodded his head slowly, seriously considering calling his mom to go pick the boy up.

Megan smiled and shook her head at him. “Go on. Go! If you won't, I will.” She pulled away from him and opened the front gate.

He couldn't help it, he stepped after her and caught her wrist to pull her back to him for one last kiss. He was shocked at the look of sheer terror that crossed her face as she jerked her arm out of his grasp. “Meggie, I'm sorry! I...”

The panic was gone as quickly as it came. She smiled and came to him, wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her head against his chest. “It's okay. There's nothing to be sorry for. Sometimes I overreact, that's all.”

He held her tight, both arms wrapped around her as she stood there trembling. What the hell was that all about? “You want to tell me about it?”

She heaved a big sigh before she looked up at him. “Another time, maybe. For now you need to go.”

Now he
really
didn't want to go. She squeezed her arms tight around his waist. “I'm going to go inside and you are going to drive off into the night.” She looked up, her eyes shimmering gold and brown as they pleaded with him. “Please?”

“Okay, but can I call you later? After the little guy's gone to bed.”

That smile was going to be the end of him! “Yes, please. I would like that.”

He tried to pull himself together as she stepped away from him. “Will, Meggie. Not would.”

She gave him that smile one more time and made her way up the path, giving him that little wave before she closed the front door behind her.

He stood there, staring after her for a moment, then came to his senses. He checked his watch. It really was time to go.

***

M
egan closed the front door behind her and reached down to pet Ollie who was barking and pawing, wagging around her legs. She was still shaking. Michael couldn't be more different from Adrian if he tried, but when he'd grabbed her arm just then it had all come flooding back. She shuddered, then straightened up.

“Everything's okay now, Ollie.” She knew she was telling herself, not him, but Ollie barked twice. She had to smile. Michael said that meant yes, so it must be true.

She took out her phone to check Michael's text.

She smiled. She couldn't either!

T
uesday was one of Megan's nights to close up the library by herself. She looked over at the blonde woman who was sitting in the reference section. She was pretty sure she was one of Michael's friends who had been at the Boathouse the other night. Not Leanne, but one of the ones at the other end of the table. Holly maybe? The woman kept giving her a friendly smile, but Megan was wary. She'd never  seen her in the library before. She was hoping that this wasn't going to be like college. She'd thought when she went to college that all the bullying was behind her, but it wasn't. The first time she had gone out on a date with a guy, she'd been warned off the next day by a group of the popular girls. He was one of their crowd—she wasn't. She'd kept out of the way after that. She'd gone back to hiding, in her sweatshirts, in the library, behind her big glasses. It was easier that way. She was really hoping this wasn't going to be history repeating itself, that the blonde woman wasn't here to tell her to stay away from Michael, that she wasn't welcome. She took a deep breath, deciding that even if she was, well....tough! She liked Michael. As he had said, she was tired of hiding, tired of being scared. Since she'd come up here and started building her own little life, she was starting to feel that she had as much right as anyone else to do what she wanted. So if that woman was here to warn her off—well, she just wasn't going to listen!

The woman stood up and started making her way towards the desk. For the first time, Megan wished she was wearing heels so that when she stood up for herself she could at least do it eye-to-eye. The woman smiled. It did seem a friendly smile.