Untamed (A Moretti Novel) (14 page)

Damien reached over and took her hand.  “I think you’re
gonna be happy that you took the leap.  I know leaving wasn’t easy.  If it’s meant to be, you and Steve will find your way back to each other.  That makes me sound like a pussy but it’s true.”

She leaned into his shoulder.  “Thank you for coming home with me.  It means a lot.”

“It wasn’t completely selfless.”  Damien winked at her.  “Your sister is waiting up for me.”

Lily laughed as she switched her phone from airplane mode. Kidding or not, she hoped Mia was awake.  The kiss she had walked in on a few months ago was
full of heat.  Damien deserved someone amazing and she couldn’t think of a better match than her sister. 

Mia
had dated her high school sweetheart on and off for years.  Last time she spoke to her, they were on again and Lily had taken that opportunity to see where her feelings could go for Damien.  She adored him but knew they could never be more than friends with her heart tied up in Steve.  Maybe this was a chance for Mia to get to know Damien and realize spending time with him had more promise than her dead end relationship. 

Her phone buzzed with a text.
 
The way you walk.  Even when you’re walking away from me, you’re beautiful.

Lily covered her mouth and let out one sob. 
Was leaving a mistake?  Was he worth giving it all up for?  “Yes.” She whispered.

“You ok?”  Damien put his arm around her.

She nodded, typing a text back to Steve.
 
The way you can make my day with a simple text.

Mia was sitting on the couch
in sweatpants eating a bowl of ice cream with her boyfriend, Lewis, when Lily and Damien finally arrived.  She jumped when the front door crashed open and Damien fell into the living room.  Lily’s laugh echoed through the hallway.

“
Smooth, Reynolds.  Real smooth.”  Lily winked at him as he untangled his legs from the mountain of suitcases he assured her he could carry by himself. 

Lewis flew from the couch, pointing a
t the mountain of luggage and limbs.  “Holy shit.  That’s D Rey.  Mia, that’s D Rey.”

Mia
belly laughed.  She had forgotten all about Damien coming home with Lil so she hadn’t warned Lewis.  “Yep, that would be him.”

“No Mia, D Rey is standing in your living room.”  Lewis clapped his hands and jumped. 
Mia’s eyes widened in embarrassment.

“D Rey is off duty tonight.  Call me Damien.”  Damien waited for Lewis to introduce himself.  When he didn’t, Damien raised
one eyebrow at Mia.  “Is he ok?”

“He’s obviously lost his mind.  Bless his heart.  Damien, this is Lewis.”  Mia smiled. 

Damien shook his hand.  He leaned into Mia and whispered in her ear.  “Ditch lover boy. I need some Mia time.”

She shivered.  “You guys must be exhausted.  I’ll just clean up
out here and head to my room.  Lewis, I’ll walk you out.”

“I’ll be unpacking.  Damien, come in whenever you
’re ready. Or don’t.”  Lily winked at him and left the living room.

“But the movie’s not over.”  Lewis stuttered in confusion.

“It’s ok.”   Mia pushed him toward the front door.  “They’ve traveled all day.  Let’s give them some space.”

Mia shut and locked the door.  Her heart was pounding like crazy.  Damien was even hotter than she remembered.  When she turned around Damien charged.

His lips were on hers before she had a chance to protest.  She moaned into his mouth, surrendering to him completely.  His tongue swirled against hers like a sensual dance.  He backed her up against the front door, pressing all his weight against her body.  Her blood heated.  She had never wanted anyone so much.

“I’ve never seen anything sexier than you in
a pair of sweatpants. I didn’t expect to react this way when I saw you.” His voice was low and raspy.  “Dump the dork.”

“I did this morning.”  She was breathless, her body at his mercy.  “He was here picking up his key.”

As Damien’s lips descended once more, Mia knew she would never be the same.

Chapter 17

The first few weeks in Georgia dragged along.  Damien had left a few days after arriving and was a few cities into his summer touring schedule.  Lily had loved seeing him get close to Mia.  They had parted as friends with the promise of seeing each other if they were ever in the same part of the country. 

The promise Damien had made Lily was a little more personal.  He had given her six months to get her life together in Georgia.  In his speech the night before he headed out on tour, he had told her that he didn’t want to see her throwing away what she could have had with Steve unless there was something special keeping her in Georgia.  In true Damien fashion, it ended with the threat to kick
Steve’s ass if he didn’t know what was right in front of him.  Lily had laughed at his seriousness.  She would miss him.  His companionship had been something that helped her get through her last few weeks in LA. 

Lily missed Steve terribly.  She had spent so many days moping around the apartment
in his old baseball hat that Mia suggested she get a job for the summer.  She had picked up three tutoring jobs and that forced her to get out of the house.  But in the darkness of night, she couldn’t help but wonder what Steve was doing.  Being in a different time zone was more difficult than she ever expected.  She cried herself to sleep the first few nights after hanging up with him before bed. 

As the weeks passed, it got easier.  The warm June turned into the scorching hot July, full of humidity and mosquitoes.  It was summer in the south and she found the song of the crickets every night calming.  Her balcony was just big enough for two lounge chairs and a small table.  She went out every night after dinner and sipped her wine while she listened to the sounds of nature surrounding her.  She had reconnected with several friends from college and had forced herself to make lunch or dinner dates to keep her mind occupied.

A part of her had stayed behind in the little apartment in downtown Los Angeles.  She missed Kevin and his terrible jokes.  She missed her pedicures with Sophie and her concerts with Jena. Most of all, she missed everything about Steve.  She closed her eyes and thought about the way his hair stood on end in the early morning or his chocolate eyes when they were full of sleep.  She missed the scruffy jaw that appeared every night and was clean shaven in the morning.  She missed the warmth that radiated from his body or the way his muscles filled out his long sleeved t-shirts.  She missed his long tanned legs that were so strong she had a hard time looking away from them.  His laugh was contagious, his smile was perfect and his voice was deep and sexy. 

“Shit.”  Lily threw back the last sip of her wine and stood to head inside.  “Come on Lil. 
Time to move on.”

Mia was sitting in the living room reading when Lily came back inside.  Noticing her sister’s face, she put her book down.  “Is it Steve thirty? 
Seems to be the same time every night.  You get that look on your face like mom and dad just told you Santa wasn’t real.”

Lily huffed and crumpled onto the loveseat.  “I need to get over him.  I’m dying a slow death.”

“Lil, the dude lived with you and didn’t fall helplessly in love with you.  He’s either blind or gay.  It’s his loss.  I miss my fierce sister that didn’t put up with anyone’s bullshit.  Any chance she’ll be moving back in with me too?”

“I’m sorry.”  Lil rubbed her hands down her face.  “I need
to get out and meet some new people.  You free Friday?”

“My shift ends at six.  I’m yours after that.” 

“It’s a date.” 

Lily watched her sister walk toward her bedroom.  She was so proud of her.  There wasn’t much of an age difference between them and they had been best of friends for as long as she could remember.  Mia had chosen a career in marine biology and had started working with the dolphins at the aquarium close to a year ago.  She hadn’t ever looked back or regretted one single second of her life.  Lily knew she had been like that once upon a time.  It was time to find that girl again and bring her home.

Steve threw his softball gear on the floor in the foyer.  He couldn’t wait to talk to Lily.  It was late where she was but this couldn’t wait.  He stumbled over his glove before making his way down the hall.  He cursed himself for forgetting his phone when he left the house.  He collapsed onto the bed and hit the button that would bring his beautiful girl a little closer, even if just for a few minutes.

Her voice was quiet when she answered.  “Hello?”

“Lil, I have the most amazing news.”  Steve laughed.  His voice was full of excitement.  “I’m going to be trying out for the USAA coed national softball team this weekend.  Moretti and I have tried to get them to take a look at us for two years.”

“That’s great.  I’m proud
of you.  You’re good.  They’d be stupid not to take you.”  Lil smiled hearing his voice.  “I’ll send good vibes your way.”

“I wish you could be here.  I hate doing the important stuff without you.”  Steve sighed.  “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”  Lil’s voice cracked.  “What else is new?  How’s the gang?”

Steve chuckled.  “Jena and Caleb finally set a date for the wedding.  It will be right before you start at UGA but I would love it if you would co
me home for that.  I think J is going to ask you to be in it but I’d love it if you came as my date.”

“Of course I will.”  Tears filled Lily’s eyes. 
It wasn’t the first time she regretted the move.  Pushing those thoughts into the back of her mind, she asked about Sophie and Mark.  She smiled listening to Steve talk about his friends.  They truly were like family and she missed every one of them.

“Kevin’s up to no good, as usual.”  Steve laughed.  “He’s bragging to all the men at the gym about how he
’s going to get Andi knocked up. Caleb cringes every time.  I seriously think he enjoys torturing him.  And it gets worse the more Caleb responds.”

Lily couldn’t help but snort.  She laughed so hard picturing Caleb and Kevin in their battle of wits.  “I wish I could see that. 
Poor Caleb.”

“And the babies are so big.  Mario is all over the place.  Mark even has him swimming.  Little
Kev is walking and destroying everything at Ryan and Layla’s.  Molly and Rich will be home for Caleb’s wedding.  They’re trying for baby number two so Mark and Soph won’t be far behind them.”  Steve sighed.  “When the hell did we all get old enough to have kids?”

“Speak for yourself.  I’m way too young.”

“Whatever.”  Steve smiled.  “I’ll let you get back to sleep.  I just wanted to share my news with you.  You free to video chat this weekend?”

“I’m free anytime.  I look forward to it.”

When Steve hung up the phone, he ran his hands through his hair.  Her voice was always sad.  Her laughs were always forced. He needed to get out to see her.  He made a mental note to check on flights for July.  If there was any way at all that she wasn’t happy, he would beg her to come back.  He missed her.  He missed how good his apartment smelled with her in it.  He missed how everything was better with her by his side.

Steve crawled into bed and prayed for sleep.  He hadn’t been do
ing much of that lately either.

Chapter 18