Unconditional Love (Journey of Love #1)(7)
Author: Kelly Elliott

Then, he just stopped moving. I had to hold on to something to keep my legs from going out underneath me. I grabbed on to his arms and stared into his eyes. He brought his lips barely up to mine and stopped just short of kissing me. I could feel his hot breath, and I was trying like hell not to seem desperate for his kiss.

“Who’s the guy you’re with?” he asked.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. He had me pressed up against his hard-on, and I was going insane with lust.

“Um…just a friend. He’s just a friend.”

He smiled as he tilted his head and looked down at my lips. Then, he looked back up into my eyes and said, “What’s your answer?”

“My answer?” I asked, confused as hell.

He lightly brushed his lips against mine, and I let out a moan. I was inwardly cursing myself for seeming so needy. He dropped his hands and took a few steps back from me.

No! I wanted to call out and reach for him to pull him back against my body. I needed to feel him close to me. I needed to feel his heat.

The farther he moved away, the colder I felt.

“If it’s a yes, Azurdee, tell him he can leave anytime, and the sooner the better, because I really want to make love to you. Now.”

He turned and started toward the house. I stood there, just watching him walk away from me, as I tried to catch my breath. He turned back around and smiled at me right before he walked into the house.

Oh dear God. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, dreaming about since the first time he ever looked into my eyes. He had been the one I was saving myself for.

I looked around to see if anyone had been watching us. I could feel the heat burning my cheeks. I took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. I looked around and found Paul, my date for the wedding.

As I walked over to tell Paul good-bye and to thank him for coming, I had the strangest feeling that I was about to give my heart and soul to someone who could possibly take it and crush it into a million pieces. I knew one thing for sure though. I was about to walk into something that both excited and scared me.

“Azurdee? What in the world are you thinking about?” Ari asked as she bumped my arm and I jumped. I shook my head and smiled.

“Earlier, dancing with Lark. Just something he said to me,” I barely said.

Ari’s smile faded and she looked down and then back up at me. “Do you think he knows that…um…that you’re a virgin?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not sure. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jessie told him to keep him away from me.” I turned and looked at Ari. “Do you think that would turn him off? I mean…if I tell him, do you think he will change his mind?”

Ari threw her head back and laughed. “Please. Show me a man who doesn’t want to be the first to journey down that valley. I would guess he knows but you’re going to have to tell him, Sweets, just in case.”

I nodded my head. The screen door opened and Jeff, Ari’s husband, came walking out.

“Hey baby, everyone is pretty much leaving. You about ready to say good-bye?” Jeff asked as he reached his hand down for Ari.

Before she stood up, she smiled. She gave me a hug and whispered, “It’s going to hurt and feel good at the same time. Call me tomorrow morning.”

She pulled back and smiled at me as I smiled at her. Was I really going to do this? Give Lark the one thing I’d guarded so strongly? Yes. I was and my clenching stomach couldn’t wait another minute. I’d waited almost a year to feel his lips on mine. I’ve dreamed about his hands moving gently over my body. Yes. I was more than ready for Lark to make love to me.

We both stood up and I followed them back into the house. As I made my way around thanking everyone for coming, I couldn’t help but look over at Lark doing the same. I swear every girl either asked him out tonight or gave him her phone number. I rolled my eyes as one of my college friends attempted to get Lark to come back to Austin with them and show them around all the dance clubs.

After the last person walked out the door, I walked upstairs and got out of that damn dress I’d been in for hours. I left my lace bra and panties on, but put jeans and a T-shirt on over them and made my way back downstairs.

I wasn’t sure if Lark’s brother Tristan was still here or not. He had been the last person talking to Lark. Their conversation seemed to be a serious one, so I was hesitant to even go outside.

When I stepped outside and made my way down the steps I looked over at Lark and Tristan sitting down talking. Lark looked up at me, and the look on his face when he saw me was one of disappointment. I stopped in my tracks.

He’s regretting what he said earlier. He doesn’t really want to be with me.

I swallowed hard and wished I hadn’t even come back out. Tristan turned and saw me and smiled. “Well, it looks like you decided to get comfortable.” I smiled and nodded my head. When I looked back at Lark he seemed…angry. He was regretting what he said. He was probably pissed at himself for saying he wanted to make love to me.

I looked around and quickly walked over to a table and began cleaning it off. I tried desperately to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill over.

Oh God. How stupid could I be? He had so many girls asking him out tonight and here I was stupid enough to think he wanted to be with me.

I began piling everything up and was about to pick it all up and toss it when I felt a shock run up my arm. It didn’t take me long to figure out Lark had grabbed my arm. He pulled me to him and said, “What are you doing?”

I still had been fighting the tears in my eyes, so I didn’t want to look at him. I kept my head turned. “Cleaning,” I said as my voice cracked. Damn it, why he had such a hold over me was beyond me. I hated how weak I felt when I was around him.

“Look at me, Azurdee,” he whispered.

I turned and looked at him and he sucked in a breath. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

I shook my head and said, “Nothing.” I pulled my arm out and picked up the trash and quickly headed to the trashcan.

“Azurdee, put that stuff down and just let this go. Y’all can clean up in the morning,” Tristan said.

“The wild animals might make a mess of things if we don’t get…” I looked around and saw all the food was gone. That’s when I noticed the only table that had any trash on it was the table I just cleared off.

“Who? When did this all get taken care of?” I asked as I looked over at Lark. He smiled and said, “I hired someone to come in and take care of it. They were cleaning up as we were trying to get everyone the hell out of here. It ran over later than I thought, so they said they would be back tomorrow.”