Page 43 of Love You Still
She takes a step back and gives me a bright smile before threading her fingers through mine. “Show me the rest of the house,” she says in excitement, bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet.
I chuckle softly, pulling her toward the back door. “I’ll do one better.”
We quickly head through the kitchen, not bothering to stop and turn on a light before I pull open one of the doors. She gasps in surprise when she sees that I renovated the sunroom, turning it into an outdoor living space, complete with comfortable seating and a small dining area. It’s the perfect place to entertain friends and family on a cool summer day or to just spend a lazy Sunday afternoon, snuggling with a good book. But what catches her attention is the additions I’ve made to the deck.
“Finding the same wood to match the deck was hard, but we managed,” I mumble as she inches toward the door. “I added a small overhang, just enough to cover the swing with a little space for others to fit. I wanted to make sure you could enjoy it, no matter what the weather was like.”
Selina flies out the door, making a beeline for the porch swing that brought her back to the past. This swing holds so much history for us. Our first kiss, the first time we said I love you, and many other firsts for the both of us happened on this swing. There was no way I wasn’t putting it in this house. It’s a part of our love story, one that I never want to forget.
A single tear cascades down her cheek as she runs her hand along the wooden back of the swing. “When I came home and didn’t see this swing on my parents’ front porch, I was heartbroken. I thought they had thrown it away, but here it is.”
“I have so many good memories sitting on that swing. I couldn’t imagine it being in anyone else’s possession but mine.” I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her tightly to me. “Your parents gave it to me as a housewarming gift when I moved in. We always hoped you would come home one day and share this place with me.”
Selina steps out of my embrace and sighs. “Vance, I don’t know what the future holds. The director could call at any minute with the details about my audition.”
“Seli, I love you. I have loved you since the first time I saw you. When will you understand that you’re it for me?”
Chapter 16
Selina
We stare at each other for a moment, my mind and my heart battling for what to do next. Being with Vance again is as easy as breathing. After seeing him with someone else when I came home for Lydia’s funeral, I convinced myself he had moved on, but I was wrong. Vance has done everything in his power to let me know how he feels. He’s said it a million times, but until this moment, I didn’t believe him.
I’ve been making excuses for months, trying desperately to keep him at arm’s length, for no reason. I was so afraid that he no longer loved me, but I never stopped to think that anything else was possible. He’s told me what he feels a million times, but deep down I’ve been afraid to hope. Afraid that if I opened my heart to him again, he would break it, breaking me in the process.
Not that I could blame him. I was a coward. Instead of asking him what happened that night, I ran, leaving both of us with broken hearts and unanswered questions. We both attempted to move on in our own ways, but here we are, back at the place where it all started. I have to make another impossible decision: dancing or Vance. I love to dance, but damn it, I still love him, too. I’ve tried to deny my feelings for years, but being back intown with Vance and all our friends is the first time I’ve felt alive in years.
I know that if I told Vance to take me home, he would. He’d take me back to my parents’ house and never bother me again, but is that really what I want? It’s been sixteen years since Vance and I have been together, and I’ve only been back in town for a few months. Am I ready to give up everything I’ve worked for a chance of finding happiness with him again?
Before I can decide what my next move is, his lips are on mine. My arms wrap around his neck as he steps in close, pressing his body against mine. The muscular ridges of his chest cause my nipples to become impossibly hard as they rub against him. I abandon all logical thought as my body takes control.
Vance’s fingertips dig into my skin, holding me against him like he’s afraid I’ll push him away. He doesn’t know that I can’t. Not this time. I’m no longer able to resist the pull we have had toward each other since the day I returned to town.
I love Vance Kirkland more than I’d like to admit, but what I need to decide is if I love him more than my career. I will have to give up everything to stay here with him, and I don’t know if being a dance instructor in a small town will be enough.
“Stop thinking so much,” Vance whispers as he takes my ear into his mouth, biting down gently. “Just feel, Seli.”
Electricity pulses in my veins, morphing into a burning need as one of his hands slips beneath my shirt. His calloused fingers brush against my nipples as he wraps his hand around my breast and squeezes. The heat of his palm against my skin brings a moan from my mouth.
“Seli, I need you.” The rough grumble of his voice caresses my skin, making goose bumps pebble on my flesh. “We should wait and talk things through, but if I don’t get a taste of you soon, I may just go insane,” he growls, leaning forward and closing the gap between our lips.
My eyes drift close as he brushes his lips against mine softly, and I gasp when a tingling sensation courses through my entire body. “Show me.” My eyes lock with his as he trembles. The need he has for me is so damn clear in his face.
Vance groans loudly, pulling my body tighter to his chest before he leans in for another pass. I hold my breath, knowing that this moment is going to change everything. I just hope my heart knows what it’s getting us both into.
I nibble lightly on his bottom lip as he grips the end of my hair in one of his hands and pulls down, deepening our kiss. His other hand slides down my back, gripping my ass tightly in his palm, and I moan. Vance pulls back from our kiss, pressing his lips to mine gently three times before speaking. “I think a change of venue is in order.”
I look directly into his eyes, which are swirling with emotion, waiting for me to give him the okay. He’s giving me an out, a chance to stop things before they go any further, but I remain frozen in place.
“Don’t make me regret this,” I whisper, afraid of what the morning will bring.
Vance wants everything to go back to the way it was for us—the two of us lost in our own world, where no one else exists—but I don’t know if that’s possible. We’re adults now, with responsibilities and people who depend on us. I know I could untangle myself from his arms and leave, forgetting about how things were, but I know deep in my soul that I can’t. Fate has given Vance and me another chance. If I don’t take it, I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life. I would wonder if the fire burning in my heart for this man a second time was just a product of what we had before, or if it was so much more.
“I don’t have all the answers, Seli. What I know is that I love you more than anything. There are no guarantees in life, but Ican promise you I’ll live every day of the rest of my life making you happy.”
Tears well in my eyes as I rise on my toes, pulling on the back of his neck and crushing our lips together for a second time, letting him know I hear him, and I want everything he can give me, even if it’s just for tonight. Without breaking our kiss, Vance wraps his arms around me and lifts me, bringing my feet off the ground and striding inside the house. My back hits the wall as Vance pins me there and slams the back door shut behind us. My head drops back with a thump as my eyes drift shut, lost in the sensation of his lips on my skin.
The same fire as before begins burning through me, and I pull myself tighter to his chest. A painful groan escapes as his hips thrust forward, his jeans rubbing against my swollen lower lips and sending shockwaves of pleasure through my body.