Pivotal Moments (In Time #1) (18 page)

“I—” I struggled for words, then sighed. “Look, I don’t know why I took off like that. I really don’t.”

He narrowed his eyes and studied me for a moment, then shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. There is a reason you did that.” He tilted his head to the side, watching me.

With my free hand, I plucked the wet shirt away from my body. “I really don’t know.” I frowned when that didn’t change the fact it was entirely see-through. The damn material clung to me like a second skin, outlining everything. It showed all flaws, and I plucked at the material in an attempt to hide them. I flushed deeply, glancing up at Teagan.

His eyebrows shot up. “Wow,” Teagan said in a low voice. “Is this about your weight? ’Cuz trust me, there’s not a thing you need to worry about there.”

I didn’t answer. There wasn’t anything I could say. Flushing even deeper, I tried to take a step back, but his hand tightened on my arm. I met his gaze, a feeling of helplessness coming over me.

“Hey, listen.” He gently traced my bottom lip with his thumb. “You’re beautiful. There’s no other word for it.” His eyes darkened to an expression I recognized, one of affection…and desire.

I sucked in a jagged breath as warmth rushed through me. The hand that had been holding my arm slipped around my waist, and a tremor ran through me. He pulled me tight to him, and his warmth caused my body to heat up in response. My hands trembled as I placed them on his chest, and I blushed. The hand cupping my face moved to clutch the nape of my neck, and he leaned down until his cheek rested against mine.

“You’re sexy as hell, Aislinn. I hope one day you’ll let me show you how much,” he murmured in my ear.

My face burned, but a thrill of anticipation rushed through me. Feeling brave, I pressed my lips close to his ear. He shuddered when I brushed it softly, and I smiled. “Maybe one day I will,” I breathed.

He pulled back, his eyes wide with surprise. It was my turn to smirk, but it faded as his eyes darkened further. His gaze dropped to my lips, then returned to meet mine. “Now that, baby…” A wicked grin stretched across his face. “That was hot.” I ducked my head, unsure of how to react, but Teagan didn’t suffer any such indecision. I gasped as his lips moved to trace a path along my cheek to my ear. He paused there for a moment, whispering, “I like that.”

My breath hitched as his lips moved along my jaw, toward my neck. The sensation of warmth sent new and unknown feelings racing through my body. I shivered as he lightly nipped at the spot where my neck and my shoulder met, and I curled my arms around his back to grip his broad, hard shoulders.

His hand skimmed up my back from my waist and slipped beneath my hair, his fingers stroking my neck. Winding his fingers into my curls, he gently pulled my head back, and his mouth moved from my shoulder until it was at the hollow of my throat. I moaned when he brushed hot, open-mouthed kisses against my skin before moving along my collarbone to the other shoulder. I gasped in a shuddering breath.

Teagan pulled back and studied me, his eyes searching my face. Loosening his grip on my hair, he took in a stuttered breath, trying to get himself under control. I was both thrilled and terrified at how much I affected him.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he said in a gentle tone. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

I blinked. Did he mean he didn’t want that with me? I didn’t know if I should be upset or not. My thoughts must have shown on my face.

He gave a wry grin as he gazed down at me with hooded eyes, and I suspected he knew what was going through my mind. “I can assure you it’s not what you think.”

I bit my lip and stared at the grass. I just didn’t have enough familiarity with the subject to gauge his mood, his reaction. While my heart was still pounding over what had just happened, I still didn’t know what was going on in his head. What were his thoughts, his feelings? And why had he said what he did?

I took a deep breath, collecting myself, and then plowed ahead. “Okay, then…what did you mean? Did you not like it or something?” I held my breath and prayed that wasn’t the case.

He chuckled and shook his head, then released a deep breath before continuing. “I just don’t want you to think that’s all I’m about here. There’s a lot more than physical attraction going on with us, Aislinn.” I felt him, hard, against me and I flushed.

My brow furrowed as I considered his words. “What do you mean, exactly?”

He gently pushed a few wet strands of hair away from my face, flashing me a small smile, his eyes soft and affectionate. “I really like you, but for more reasons than just…that.” I blushed, and he grinned. “Did I like it? Yes. Do I want more? Yes. Are we ready to go there? No. Not yet.”

I glanced away, analyzing his words. His finger guided my chin back toward him; he wasn’t done talking. “We’re still in the getting-to-know-each-other phase. I don’t want you to feel like I’m rushing you, pushing you into something. In all honesty? Seeing you, standing there, dripping wet, clothes clinging to you—you’re gorgeous, and I couldn’t help myself.”

I smiled and gave him a nod. His candor was nice, easy to work with. “It’s okay.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded again. “Yeah.” I paused. “I mean, yeah, I’m a little overwhelmed. But you stopped, and that says a lot to me.”

He tightened his arms around me, holding me as close to his hard, muscular chest as possible. He let out a breath and pressed a kiss to my forehead. Smiling, I nestled my head under his chin, burrowing into his warmth with a shiver of contentment. I might have been in uncharted waters, but even I knew we had something special. Maybe that stupid dog had done me a favor, after all.

I frowned, pulling back a bit. “Um, Teagan? Where’s Zver?

He stiffened. “Shit! I forgot about him!”

We both turned toward the stream, and I giggled. There, in the middle of the creek, sat the large dog. He watched us as the water rushed around him, the flow coming halfway up to his shoulders. His expression was pitifully forlorn; it was the funniest and most pathetic thing I had ever seen.

“That’s just sad,” I whispered. “I almost feel sorry for him.”

Teagan narrowed his eyes at Zver. “Don’t. He gets away with too much as it is. This is punishment for all of the times he should’ve gotten in trouble and didn’t.”

I laughed. “God, you sound just like Mom when she’d punish Connor for something he was actually innocent of.” I shook my head. “Still, he’s just sitting there, in the water. That’s pitiful. Impressive, but really pitiful. I think he’s been punished enough.” When Teagan snorted and cocked an eyebrow at me, I said, “What? Don’t you feel bad for him?”

“You do realize he figured out how to work you, right? He knows you’re a pushover,” Teagan said with a laugh.

I shrugged. “I don’t care. He looks so sad over there. Please?” I pleaded with him.

Teagan sighed, and then ducked his head to give me a quick kiss. “Fine. But if he does this again, it’s your fault.” He turned and gave a sharp whistle. Zver perked up, his attention centered on the man who owned him.

“Zver! Komne!” Teagan commanded.

The enormous canine leaped to his feet and bounded across the creek to the embankment. Scrambling up the incline, he reached the top, gave a mighty sneeze, and shook himself, flinging a heavy spray of water in every which direction. I shrieked, though it made little difference; I was already soaked.

Teagan laughed. “You should have seen that one coming, babe,” he teased.

Finished attempting to shake out his coat, Zver trotted over to us and plopped down on his haunches. From the warm enclosure of my boyfriend’s arms to the dog at my feet, everything felt right. I belonged. I reached a hand down and gave Zver a quick scratch behind the ear, which earned me an affectionate lick.

“You ready to head back, sweetheart?” Teagan asked, giving me a slight squeeze.

I sighed, but nodded. “Yeah, I guess we should. Besides,” I said, plucking at my damp shirt and glancing at my wet shorts, “this is starting to get uncomfortable.”

“Really?” he flashed me a grin that might have made me melt just a little. “I could help you out with that, you know.”

I swatted his chest. “Stop it,” I scolded, laughing. “You’re so bad.”

He hummed with a shrug. “Maybe, but I think you like it.”

I looped my arms around his neck and pulled myself up to him with a smile. “I think you might be right,” I murmured, molding my body to his, and I kissed him. He stiffened for a moment, before crushing me to his chest again with a groan. I saw my opportunity and took it, slipping my tongue into his mouth to search for his. Finding it, they tangled together, sliding against each other with delicious friction.

My fingers gripped his hair as he slanted his mouth over mine, deepening the kiss. His hands clutched the material of my shirt, and a thrill went through me. The fact that I could create this reaction caused a demanding heat to work through my belly, begging for more. Smiling inside, I plunged myself into the building sensations and was swept away by the Teagan tide.

It was quite a while later when we finally got in his truck and headed back home.

Chapter 15

Teagan and I spent as much time together as possible during our spring break, and the rest of the week passed in a blur. Too soon, Saturday night arrived. Our clock was ticking, and I dreaded the morning. Would he still want me once he got back to school? Or would he get back there and realize a relationship with me was a stupid idea? The questions whirled through my head as I tried to focus on my last few hours with Teagan.

The hollow of his shoulder seemed tailor-made for me, and resting my head there, I sighed. I tightened my arm around his waist and pulled myself closer. His hand caressed my arm softly. I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment. The hammock in my backyard we lay in swayed gently in the evening breeze, but Teagan’s warmth shielded me from the chill.

In the distance, a neighborhood dog started barking, and I glanced over at Zver. He had stationed himself at the foot of one of the trees the hammock was anchored to, sprawled on his side, snoring. I smiled and let my head drop back into place, and closed my eyes when Teagan began to run his fingers through my hair.

“What’re you thinking about, beautiful?” His voice was barely louder than a whisper.

I moved my hand from his side to his chest and played with the taut fabric of his shirt. I considered for a moment. “Not much, really. I just don’t want tomorrow to come.”

He made a sound of agreement.

“I don’t know,” I added. “It’s just, I’m so used to you being here now, after the past two weeks. I don’t want you to go.” A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed hard to push it down.

He tightened his arms around me and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “I don’t want to go either, baby. Believe me. But it won’t be that bad. I’ll be back to see you in a couple of weeks.”

I nodded my head; we’d made plans for him to come back for the weekend in three weeks. Still, it seemed like an eternity from now. A lot could happen in three weeks. I wished I could look into the future and see how everything would play out.

“I’m going to miss you too,” he said in a gentle tone. “You know that, right?” I shifted so I could meet his gaze, and he smiled at me. “I know it’s not the same, but we have the phone and email. You have my schedule, and I have yours. We’ll make it work.”

I bit my lip, debating what to say. Then, “Do you really think we will?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I do. There’s something between us, Aislinn, and I know you feel it too. I’m not going anywhere.” His tone took on a vulnerable note. “I hope you’re not, either.”

I scrambled up to gaze at him in shock, jaw dropping, then I closed it. Had he really said that? The slight frown on his face confirmed his insanity. All I could do was shake my head.

He reached up and pushed my hair over my shoulder with a wry grin. “What? You’re not the only one with worries, you know.”

I had no idea what to say to him. Even thinking I might not be here was ridiculous. “Why would I not be here, Teagan?” I asked. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He flashed me a relieved grin. “It’s nice to hear that.” He placed a finger under my chin and tilted my face up to his. “I needed to hear that,” he murmured, then gave me a long kiss.

Pulling back with a sigh, he stroked my hair back away from my face and tucked it behind my ear. His eyes roamed over my face, his expression thoughtful. I waited for him to speak. Finally, he said, “You going to talk to Connor before we leave?”

I flinched and shook my head.

“Aislinn, you need to talk to him sometime.”

I shook my head again, harder. “No, I really don’t.”

“Look, I know he was a total dick that night, but he’s still your brother. He cares about you, sweetheart,” he chided.

“I have my own opinions about that.” I gritted my teeth against everything unpleasant and laid my head on his chest. “This is our last night together. I really don’t want to talk about this.”

He nodded. “Fair enough. But we are having this conversation sometime soon.”

Not if I had anything to do with it.

***

I blinked at the early morning sunlight. I stretched, and the hammock swayed with the movement. Teagan stirred and opened his eyes, and giving me a sleepy smile, he pulled me closer. I slipped my arm around his waist and slung a leg over him—for once, I was comfortable being affectionate.

His hand drifted down my side to my thigh. He paused there for a moment, gripping it and then moving on before coming to rest on my knee. He nuzzled the top of my head and dropped a soft kiss into my hair. “Good morning, beautiful.” His sleep-roughened voice was sexy and all male, and I shivered. Teagan had the power to melt me into a puddle of goo.

“Beautiful, huh?” I hid a smile in his chest. “Yeah, I don’t think so.” My hair was a mess, morning breath was a given, and there were probably lines imprinted on my face. Beautiful was far from what I was right now.

A finger under my chin tilted my head up, and I met his warm, amused gaze. “I do think so.” He leaned his head down and placed a soft peck on my lips. “You’re a gorgeous sight to wake up to.”

I blushed. He had the power to make me feel amazing, and I was starting to love it. The thought of him having to go back to school put a lump in my throat. I swallowed hard, trying to make it go away.

Sadness crept into his eyes. “Don’t.” His voice was soft. “Don’t be upset. Everything will be fine. I promise.”

My nose was burning and I blinked, hard. I wasn’t ready for him to leave. I needed more time with him. He inhaled sharply and my gaze shot to his. My eyes widened in surprise at the intense look he had trained on me.

“You’re not the only one who didn’t want today to get here,” he said quietly. “But I know we’ll be all right.”

His confident tone made it easy to believe. We could do this. It’d be hard, and I would miss him like crazy, but it was definitely doable. He needed my faith and trust as much as I needed his. I wet my lips and gave him a quick nod. “I believe you.”

The smile he gave lit up his whole face, and I caught my breath. A sense of pride came over me. I had done that. Maybe, just maybe, he was as attached to me as I was to him.

We cuddled close for a while longer, enjoying the feel of each other. We watched the sun rise, bathing the world in its golden light. I dreaded the coming hours, but I would savor the limited time I had.

***

My body went stiff as Connor moved to give me a hug goodbye. Every time I saw him or even thought about him, his words echoed through my mind.

“For whatever it’s worth…I’m sorry, Ash.” Connor gave me a tight smile. “I’m just trying to look out for you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I looked at him, weighing my words. “Connor…this is none of your business. It’s between Teagan and me, no one else.” He opened his mouth, but I cut him off. “I don’t want to hear the excuses, okay? You crossed a line. I love you, you’re my brother, but you broke something that night.” While I tried to keep my tone hard, some of the hurt leaked through.

“You’re right.” He hung his head. “I’m sorry.” Heaving a sigh, he looked at me. “So, that’s it, then?”

I shrugged and walked to where Teagan stood, watching the exchange. He shook his head ruefully, and I raised an eyebrow. “What’s that look for?” I asked, bristling.

“Nothing.” He jerked his chin toward Connor, who was saying goodbye to Mom. “That didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped…but at least it happened.”

I frowned.

“You’re going to make me crazy, aren’t you, baby?” he asked, grinning. I didn’t reply; it was a distinct possibility. Chuckling, he reached out and drew me close. I wound my arms around his neck and held on tight. “It’s okay,” he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. “I believe you’re going to be worth every crazy moment we have together.” I smiled. He was going to be worth every second of it too.

Zver whined from the back of the truck, and I broke away from Teagan to give the dog some love. Zver must’ve known I wasn’t going with them, because he kept whimpering softly, trying to break my heart. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I’d grown fond of the damn animal. As bad as he was making me feel, I was going to miss him. He nuzzled my hand, giving it a lick.

“He won’t be fit to be around, you know that, right?” Teagan rested his hands on my shoulders, standing behind me.

I turned with a smile. “Yeah? What makes you say that?”

He squeezed my shoulders, and then slid his hands down, wrapping his arms around my waist. I stepped back and rested against his chest, breathing a sad sigh and staring at the bags piled up in the back of the truck.

“He’s gotten attached to you,” he murmured against the side of my head. “He’ll be happy to see you in a few weeks.” I rested my arms over his, ready to grab his wrists and keep him from getting in the driver’s seat. For Zver’s sake, of course. Teagan exhaled and tightened his arms around me, pressing a long kiss to the side of my head, and I closed my eyes. “In case you’re wondering,” he whispered, “I wasn’t referring exclusively to Zver.”

My eyes flew open, and my heart skipped a beat. Twisting around in his arms until I faced him, I questioned, “What?”

Teagan smiled. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t stutter. But just so we’re clear…” He leaned down until his forehead rested against mine. “I’m just as attached to you.”

A shiver wriggled through my stomach. My heart was racing double-time now, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Tears burned the back of my nose. All the fear, all the insecurities, the emotion, the passion…it wasn’t one-sided. Something clicked into place just then. But Teagan wasn’t finished.

“So, you see, baby, I won’t be fit to be around, either. Zver and I are going to be quite the pair. At least until we get back here, to you.” He grinned.

I gave him a watery smile, and his face became a blur through the tears. He used a thumb to brush away one that broke free and began to run down my face, and I whispered, “You don’t really need to graduate, do you?”

He shrugged. “Normally, I’d say no. But I’m only a few weeks from being done with this semester, so I think I will finish this one.” He pushed my hair back over my shoulders; I’d worn it down for the occasion, and he couldn’t keep from playing with it.

I gasped in mock outrage. “You would choose years of school and a college degree over me?” I teased.

The grin he flashed made my knees go weak, and honestly, I couldn’t think of a better reaction to suffer.

“So, I’ll call you when we get home, okay?” He ran the back of his fingers along my jaw with a frown. “Damn, this is going to be a long three hours,” he muttered.

I swallowed hard, tears rising again. “Just drive safe. I want you able to make the call in three hours,” I warned, my voice cracking. I nuzzled my face into his chest and took a deep breath, surrounded by Teagan’s addictive scent.

“Oh, that reminds me—I have something for you.” He disentangled himself and reached into one his bags, rummaged around, then withdrew something with a triumphant grin. “Here it is.” He stepped back and held the item out to me.

I glanced between him and the item he held, and raised an eyebrow. “One of your shirts?”

“Yep.” He flashed me a grin, but there was a hint of shyness. “Something to remind you you’re mine while I’m not here.” The quick glance he gave me was definitely a little nervous.

I might have fallen just a little harder right then.

“I won’t forget that, you know,” I said. Before he could conclude I didn’t want the gift, I hurried to add, “But I have absolutely no problem with you giving me this.” I snatched it from him before he could change his mind and shook it out. It was one of his school shirts, one just like what he was wearing. Both were old and faded, but different colors.

“We’ll match,” I exclaimed, irrationally delighted.

He nodded. “That may or may not have been deliberate.”

I grinned. “I hope it was.”

He opened his mouth, but then he glanced over my shoulder and stood straighter. I frowned and turned, then jumped. Mom was standing directly behind me.

“Mom, jeez!” I yelped, clutching my chest. “Warn me next time.”

She just shrugged and turned her attention to Teagan. “You have everything you need?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Just dreading the drive home.”

A thrill of affection, paired with a stab of pain, rushed through me. I sucked in a breath to keep from breaking down and Mom looked at me for a brief moment. Her gaze dropped down to the shirt I was clutching, and she gave a knowing smile. She rubbed my back, providing a small amount of comfort.

“You’ll be back in a few weeks, right?” Mom turned back to Teagan, with an eyebrow raised.

He nodded again. “As long as your daughter still wants me to come.”

Mom’s snort was less than ladylike. “Somehow, Teeg, I don’t see that being an issue.” She dropped her hand from my back and stepped forward to wrap her arms around him in a hug. Teagan froze, arms spread out, and he looked at me and silently asked me what to do. I motioned for him to hug her back, and I had to stifle a laugh as he brought his arms around to give the stiffest hug in history. Mom patted his back for a moment and then stepped away. “Yeah,” she drawled, “we’re gonna have to work on that.” She gave him a stern look. “You drive safe, and make sure one of you boys let us know you made it home all right.”