Never Too Far (23 page)

Dean to check on him for awhile.”

“Mom knew Rush?” Picturing my mother taking care of Rush as a little boy stuck with two

screwed up parents brought tears to my eyes. He’d known how wonderful my mother was once even if he didn’t remember.

“Yeah. He called her Beck Beck. He preferred her overGeorgianna and that didn’t settle well with Georgie either. Once Georgianna got Rush back she refused to let your mother check on him. Your mother cried for weeks worrying over the little boy she’d grown to love. But that was your mom. Always caring too much. Her heart was bigger than anyone I’d ever known…

until you. You’re just like her, sweetheart.”

I held up my hands to stop him. We would not be bonding over this. I wasn’t crying because I knew my mother was innocent of the lies I’d heard before. I was crying because she’d loved Rush once too, his entire childhood hadn’t been lonely.

“I’m almost done. Let me finish, then I’ll leave and you’ll never see me again. I swear.”

He knew I was leaving too. That this thing with Rush and me was over. The sharp pain in

my chest was almost too much.

“Val’s death was my fault. I ran that red light. I hadn’t been paying attention and I lost one of my girls that day. But I lost you and your mother too. You were both hurting so bad and it was all my fault. I wasn’t man enough to stay and bear seeing you both in so much pain. So I ran. I let you take care of Becca when it should have been me but I was too weak. I couldn’t stand the thought of seeing my Becca sick. It would end me. I drank myself into a stupor. It was the only way to stay numb. Then you called and said she’d died. My Becca wasn’t on this earth any longer. I was going to tell Nan the truth about her father and I was going to leave. I wasn’t sure where I’d go but I didn’t care if I lived or died.

Then you called and needed me. I wasn’t even a man anymore. I was worthless. But I couldn’t let you down. I’d already made you suffer so much alone. I sent you to Rush. He wasn’t exactly the kind of guy a man wants his daughter around but I knew he’d see in you what I saw in Becca. A lifeline. A reason to live.A reason to ight.A reason to change. He was strong. He could protect you and I knew if pushed he would.”

This was all too much. I couldn’t make sense of it. He had sent me to Rush? The guy who

adored a sister who hated me and blamed me for everything wrong in her life?

“He hated me,” I told him. “He hated who I was.”

My father’s smile was sad. “Yes, he hated who he thought you were, but then he met you.

He was around you and that was all it took. You are rare, Blaire. Just as your mother was.

There aren’t many people in this world as strong as you are. As full of love and willing to forgive. You always envied the way Val could charm a room. You thought she got the best out of the two of you. But what Val knew and what I knew was that we were the lucky ones because we had people like you and your mother in our lives. Val adored you. She saw that you were the one that had your mother’s spirit. We stood in awe of the both of you. I still do and although all I’ve done is hurt you since the day we lost your sister, I have loved you. I always will. You’re my little girl. You deserve the best in this world and I’m not the best. I’m walking away and I’m not going to bother you ever again. I need to live out the rest of this life alone.

Remembering what I once had.”

The grief in his eyes tore at my soul. He was right. He’d deserted me and momma when we

needed him the most. But maybe we’d deserted him too. We hadn’t gone after him. We’d just

let him go. The day we lost Valerie had marked all our lives. Momma and Val were gone now

and we could never get them back. But we were here. I didn’t want to live the rest of my life knowing my father was out there somewhere alone. My momma wouldn’t want that. She never wanted him to be alone. She loved him until she drew her last breath. Val wouldn’t want that. She’d been a daddy’s girl.

I stood up and took a step toward him. The unshed tears in his eyes slowly began to trickle down his face. He was a shell of the man he once was but he was my dad. A sob tore from my chest and I threw myself into his arms. When they wrapped around me and held me tightly I

let all the pain free. I cried for the life we’d lost. I cried for him because he wasn’t strong enough and I cried for me because it was time.

Rush

The house was dark and silent when I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Would Blaire have turned out all the lights if she were here alone? I’d been so focused on getting home to her after talking with Nan that I hadn’t let myself consider she could have left me. Would she have left me?

I turned and took the stairs two at a time. Once I hit the top step I started running. My heart was pounding in my chest. She couldn’t be gone. I’d told her I loved her. I’d told her I was coming home. She had to be here. I had to tell her everything. I had to tell her things would be different. I had to tell her I remembered her mom. I remembered those Mickey Mouse pancakes. I had to tell her I was going to be the man she needed. I was going to be the best damn father the world had ever known.

I jerked the door open leading up to my room and darted up the steps needing to see her.

God, let her be there. Please let her be there.

The bed was empty. No. NO! I scanned the room for her things. Something to tell me she

hadn’t left me. She couldn’t have left me. I’d chase her down. I’d get on my knees and grovel. I’d be her damn shadow until she gave in and forgave me.

“Rush?” Her voice broke the silence and the pounding in my head and I spun around to see

her sitting up on the sofa. Her hair was a tangled mess and her sleepy face was perfect.

“You’re here.” I fell down on my knees before her and dropped my head in her lap. She was

here. She hadn’t left me.

Her hands touched my head as she ran her hands through my hair. “Yes, I’m here,” she replied in an unsure voice. I was scaring her but I just needed a minute to reassure myself she hadn’t left me. I hadn’t completely messed this up. I didn’t want to be like her dad. The lost and empty man I’d seen yesterday wasn’t someone I ever wanted to become. And I knew without

Blaire I’d be just like that.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

I nodded but kept my head in her lap. She continued to try and soothe me by gently stroking my head. When I was sure I could talk to her without completely breaking down I lifted my head to look up at her.

“I love you.” The way I said it was so fierce it almost sounded like I was swearing.

A small sad smile tugged at her lips. “I know and it’s okay. I understand. I’m not going to make you choose. I just want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it and I’m going to be ine. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m strong. I can do this on my own.”

I wasn’t following what she was saying. What was she doing on her own? “What?” I asked,

replaying her words back in my head.

“I talked to my dad today. I know everything. It’s hard to comprehend but it all makes more sense now.”

Abe had come here? He’d come and told her everything. She knew… but what she was saying still made no sense.

“Baby, maybe it’s because I haven’t slept much in the past eight days or because I’m so fucking relieved that you’re here but I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me.”

A tear glistened in her eye and I jumped up and pulled her into my lap. I didn’t want to make her cry. I thought this was a happy thing. She knew the truth that she’d always known, her mom was as pure and honest as she believed. I was home and I was ready to be everything she deserved in life. I’d die making her happy.

“I love you and because I love you I am letting you go. I want you to get out of life what you want. I don’t want to be a chain around your leg.”

“What did you just say?” I asked as the words ‘letting me go’ sank in. Like hell she was letting me go.

“You heard me, Rush. Don’t make this harder than it is,” she whispered.

I stared at her in disbelief. She really meant what she was saying. I’d left her here to think all kinds of things while I’d sat in the hospital with Nan. I should have called but I hadn’t. Of course she was confused.

“Listen to me, Blaire. If you try to go anywhere I will chase you down. I will become your shadow. I won’t let you out of my sight because I can’t live without you. I made so many damn mistakes with you I don’t even want to try and count them but I am going to start making things right from here on out. I swear to you that this won’t happen again. I know now that this is where I’m supposed to be. No more lies. Just us.”

She snif led and buried her head in my shoulder. I pulled her tighter up against me. “I mean it. I need you. You can’t leave me.”

“But I don’t fit. Your family hates me. I make your life difficult.”

That’s where she was wrong. “No. You’re my family. My mother has never been my family.

She has never even tried to be. My sister may not have completely come around but she did

tell me to ask you if she was going to be able to be apart of her niece or nephews life. So she’s getting there. And as for making my life difficult, you, Blaire Wynn, make my life complete.”

Blaire’s mouth covered mine as she grabbed istfuls of my shirt. Her tongue slid into my

mouth and I savored the taste of her. I’d missed her so much. How I could have thought for a minute I’d survive without this… without her, I don’t know.

Blaire

“I need to be inside you,” Rush whispered in my ear as he kissed along my jawline and slid his hands up under my tank top.

“Good,” I replied, reaching for his shirt and pulling it over his head. He chuckled and lifted his hands to make it easier then pulled my top off too.

“Damn, they’ve grown since I’ve been gone,” he murmured, cupping each of my breasts in

his hands. “Is there… like milk in them already?” he asked.

“No,” I giggled.

“I’m trying real hard not to be a man about this but I can’t help it. I’m real fucking excited about these,” he admitted before looking up at me through his eyelashes as he pulled a nipple into his mouth.

“Oh,” I moaned and grabbed his head to hold him there. Somehow, they’d grown even more

sensitive. With each tug of his mouth my clit throbbed. It was like there was a direct line between the two.

“Get these panties off,” Rush said with his mouth full as he tugged at my panties. I eased up and slid them down with his help. He only let go of one nipple to suck on the other.

“Fuck,” he groaned, sliding a finger inside me. “It’s wet. Always so wet and ready.”

I reached for his buckle and started unfastening his jeans. I wanted him naked too.

“Not yet,” he said, moving me off his lap to lay me back on the sofa. “I need a taste.”

I watched as he pushed my legs apart and lowered his head to lick right through the center of my folds.

“Oh God! Rush!” I cried out,lifting my hips to get closer to his mouth. The barbell slid over my clit as he flicked it against my swollen bud over and over. Driving me crazy.

“I love it when you squirm,” he said with a wicked grin. I loved it when he made me squirm.

His inger slid into my heat as he continued to torture my clit with his tongue piercing.

This wild sexy man was mine. It was hard to comprehend at times but I was so glad I’d showed up at his door four months ago.

He stood up and pushed his jeans and boxer briefs down stepping out of them. I stared up

at him. He was beautiful. I let my eyes roam over his body. Nothing could make him any more perfect. Except… “Rush?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you get your nipples pierced?” I asked, surprising myself at the request.

Rush laughed as he came back over me. “You want my nipples pierced, now do you?”

I nodded and slid my hands up his chest and ran my thumbs over his nipples. “I like your

other piercings.”

He kissed my neck and ran his hand down my leg until he hooked his arm under my knee

and pulled my leg up. “Will you kiss it and make it better? ‘Cause I’m thinking that’s gonna hurt like a motherfucker.”

“I promise to make it feel very good.” I smiled up at him.

“Anything you want baby. Just don’t ask me to pierce anything south of my waist.

I raised my eyebrows. I hadn’t thought of that. Before I could say anything else Rush was pushing inside me and all other thoughts left me. He was illing me and stretching me and everything was perfect in the world again.

“Fuck! How did you get you tighter?” Rush panted over me as his arms trembled from holding back.

I threw my head back and lifted my hips. It was better. I hadn’t thought this could get better. “It’s more sensitive,” I managed to say with a strangled cry.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, pulling back. I grabbed his ass and held him in me.

“NO! It’s good. It’s really good. Harder, Rush. Please. It feels incredible.”

Rush groaned and plunged the rest of the way inside me. “I’m not gonna last long. It’s too tight. I’m gonna come.” He stopped moving and slowly eased back. I was so close. I didn’t want him to slow down. The sensation each thrust sent through me was amazing. I needed more of

it. I pushed him back with all the strength I had. He sat back watching me while I quickly climbed on him and sank down on him hard and fast.

“Holy SHIT!” he yelled grabbing fistfuls of my hair.

I pumped up and down on him as my body climbed closer to that ecstasy it was promising

me was close.

“Baby, I’m gonna come, ARRRRGGGGHHHH!” Rush called out then grabbed my face and kissed me with a ierceness that sent me over the edge with him. Crying out in his mouth I shook with release as he held me tightly, tasting me and sucking my tongue into his mouth.