Page 106 of Pink and Country

“What’s bothering you then?” I could tell something was off. Over the last two weeks, I caught her staring in the distance or sitting in front of her shut-down laptop for great amounts of time. Other times, she’d flash me her smile, the one that made me as pussy-whipped as a teenager in love, and I’d forgotten what we were talking about seconds ago.

“Got a lot on my plate, that’s all.”

Was April doubting our relationship?

I checked the time. “Taylor will be here in fifteen minutes. Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?” At my request, my chief of security had agreed to drive April home and promised to keep me updated. I thought April could use the company and protection in case someone recognized her. For once, she didn’t butt heads with me. One less thing to worry about.

“Do you know how sexy you are when you’re drooling on your pillow?” She winked and just like that, all my worries vanished. If only April knew how wrapped around her finger I was. I sighed. When she was around, everything inside me softened. Jeff would have had a great time teasing me if he were here.

I hooked my arms around her and pulled her toward me. April looked her usual sexy self in her silvery leggings and fluffy pink sweater. My teeth found her lower lip and gave it a pull. She melted in my embrace. Pride filled me, and lost pieces of my heart came back home. My fingers tickled her waist, and April covered my naked body with hers. No doubt she could feel my erection pressing against her belly.

I begged her with my eyes.

“We can’t, Country Boy. I’m already late. I’m not sure Taylor would like our chorus.”

“But I like it when you sing my name. Taylor will wait outside.” I cupped April’s tits over her sweater, and she moaned. “Yeah, like that.” My length grew stiffer. “You can’t leave me like this.”

April broke free from my arms and jumped to her feet. “You’re not allowed to take care of yourself, HN. See how long you’ll last without me.” She winked, and my heart fell into my stomach.

I stroked myself a few times to release some tension. April waggled her finger.

“I said no touching.” I let out a shaky breath.

“Kill me already,” I said, my hands in a prayer.

“One last time. And you can’t undress me. Hands to yourself.” I nodded. April joined me on the bed, and I took a handful of her ass. She writhed beside me and pumped me, hard and fast. I saw stars. The whole fucking galaxy.

A bad hunch crippled me as I watched April walk away, her pink hair in a messy bun, followed by Taylor. I stood on the front porch, my hands stuffed in the pockets of my faded jeans, the winter breeze freezing through the thin fabric of my long-sleeve cotton shirt. My feet itched to run after her. To hold her one more time. To gather doses of strength from a simple touch of her lips. April glanced one last time in my direction and waved her hand, holding Bernice’s carrier in the other one. A piece of my heart went missing.

I smiled back and mouthed a “Don’t go,” when the car disappeared from my sight.

My throat tightened at the thought of us apart, on opposite sides of the country. For a week.

* * *

Boarding the plane in 5 minutes. Please stay in touch. Thinking of you.

All my insecurities resurfaced when April left early yesterday morning. A part of me feared she wouldn’t come back in a week. She’d left some of her clothes behind to soothe my anxiety. I still didn’t understand why she was in a hurry to go back home. To leave. The taste of her last kiss still lingered on my lips. Mint and strawberry.

April had lost some of her spark after she ran into the Bensons at the fundraiser.

Most nights, a storm of conflicted emotions passed through her baby-blue irises, clouding them. But with every kiss, every touch, and every smile, her eyes cleared a little more each day.

Did her ex-boyfriend do something to her? Shivers ran through me, and my stomach tightened at the idea.

What happened with Mr. and Mrs. Benson? Each attempt to bring their name up had ended up with a “Not now, Carter.” So, I stopped trying to push it. April promised she’d open up about them. Soon. I rubbed my hand over my face. Everything inside me screamed to do something. But I ignored what she needed. In the last week, I’d spent a lot of time in my music studio and in the gym to silence my screaming thoughts. They just wouldn’t shut up.

June nudged my side. She was boarding the plane with me and Ed. Riley would meet us in Portland later.

“Where’s April?” June asked. “Is she coming? I was looking forward to having a lady friend onboard for once.”

My shoulders dropped forward. “No. She’s back home. I wish she were here, though.”

“Oh. Did she move back to Georgia?”

“No. She’s not supposed to. At least, that’s what she told me.”

June frowned. “When will she be back then?”