Instead of the heart-to-heart, my tongue tangles with hers, my lips affix themselves to hers, fighting for real estate as I reach down and lift her onto the hood of our car, here in our field, in the moonlight.
If it wasn’t for the circumstances, this would be the perfect night.
Chapter Five
Dalton
Our fingers fight against one another, feeling for flesh neither one of us have touched in so long.
When Mandy tries to get my button-down flannel undone, something sticks, she growls into my mouth, and I hear fabric rip.
Slightly pulling back, I chuckle. “Good thing that wasn’t one I’m attached to.”
She hooks her legs around my waist, pulling me to her. “I’d rather have you attached to me.”
This is the Mandy I know. This is the woman I married, and have loved since we were kids. Finally she’s showing me the piece of her I’ve missed so much. All seems right with my world as I reach down and unbuckle my belt, making quick work of the zipper and button, sliding them down to my knees.
It’s cold, but not too cold to be doing this. The two of us are acquainted with sex in this field.
She wrenches her lips away from mine. “Hurry Dalton, I need you.”
I need her too, and I’m not lying to myself anymore about how much. Somehow clothes get removed from the lower half of her body and she’s pulling me into her.
“Slow down,” I croon.
I’m fully aware this is the first time we’ve done anything since she lost the baby, I don’t want to hurt her.
“I can’t,” she grabs at me, her nails dig into my hips and before I know it, I’ve plunged into her warm wetness.
“God, you’re wet.”
“I know,” she leans in, nipping against the skin of my neck. “I’ve been thinking about you for at least a week.”
“Why didn’t you call or text me?”
She’s trying to move, but I refuse until she answers my question. Reaching up, I tip her chin down so that our eyes are forced to meet one another.
“It’s too painful,” she finally puffs out. “It’s just a reminder of something I had and now it’s gone.”
Before I can tell her I’ll always be here, she’s hooked her heels into my ass, and I’m done for. It’s been too long, I’ve wanted her too much, and being in her arms feels more like home than anything has in months.
Together we push and pull, taking each other’s bodies in ways we haven’t in a long time. There’s a savagery to way she pulls against me and I push against her.
The only thing that can be heard between us is the slap of our bodies and the grunts and groans as we work so hard to meet the physical release we both know we can get. Fuck the emotional one at this point.
We need something and we’re taking it.
All too soon she tightens against my cock, pulling it deeper into her core and that’s all it takes for me to let go.
In the aftermath, I sleepily rest my forehead against hers.
“Tomorrow I’ll move my stuff back to the house,” I kiss her on the forehead, my heart finally feeling light after all this time of being weighed down by the uncertainty of our situation.
“No,” she whispers. “Dalton, things still aren’t fixed.”
My stomach drops as I lean back from her, tucking myself back into my jeans. “Well, I kinda feel like we fixed some things.”
“We fucked, Dalton. We both had needs, they were met. Physical needs, met by physical pleasure.”
Anger and rage tear at me, making me want to rip my skin from my body. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why can’t you see?” Tears are streaming down her face now. “Why can’t you see what I need from you?”
Grabbing her by the arms, I get in her face. “Why can’t you fucking tell me what you need from me? I keep making gestures, I keep trying and you continue to tell me that whatever I’ve done isn’t good enough. What do you expect me to do, Mandy? Please, just tell me.”
“I don’t know!”
Her scream can probably be heard for miles as it reverberates off the hills of the surrounding property. She continues screaming those words over and over again. When I try to grab her for a second time, she shrugs me off, turning so that she’s facing me.
Her shirt is hanging halfway off, tears are making tracks down her face and she looks miserable.
“There’s something,” she points to her head, “Going on up here, and if you think I’m not scared to death after what happened with Travis, then you don’t know me, Dalton.”
“I do know you, babe,” I do my best to level my tone with her. “Which is why I’m telling you, I need to be with you and Walker.”
“No,” she shakes her head. “I need to figure this out for myself.”
“No,” I argue. “You need me, you need your family. I need you too.”
She smiles sadly. “There’s no way you can need me. You hate me for losing our baby, and to be honest, I hate me too.”
Before I can say anything else, she’s gone. The taillights of the car are gone, and I’m standing in this field the way I started.
Alone.
Scared.
Completely unsure of what to do and how to proceed.
Chapter Six
Dalton
Three Months Later
“I need to talk to you.”
Liam’s voice is unexpected, so I turn around sharply from the bike I’ve been working on. As soon as I get a look at his face, I’m terrified.
“What’s happened?”
“When was the last time you saw Mandy?” He questions, his voice harsh.
The harshness slightly pisses me off. “A few days ago. I’m not exactly her favorite person right now.”
“She’s struggling, Dalton.”
It’s the way he speaks, the tone he uses that scares me. I’ve never heard him use it before, and I’ve been around when Liam
