Wait For Me // Kings of Leon

Jackson

It's always the quiet ones.

Holly wasn't kidding. Some kind of inner goddess was unleashed last night that I didn't see coming. I didn't see anything coming where she's concerned, and I've never been happier to be taken by surprise.

I roll from my side onto my back and reach an arm out toward Holly, needing to pull her into me. I couldn't get enough of her last night and this morning isn't any different. I don't know that I'll ever get enough. My arm stretches across the bed, all the way to the edge of the mattress—covered with my new dark blue sheets between round one and two—but come up empty.

I open my eyes and turn my head but see no one. She's not lying next to me. I sit up to look around and she's not in the room, at all. The door is closed and her clothes that had littered the floor making me stupid happy as she peeled them off last night are also gone.

Did she leave in the middle of the night? That's a page out of my book. I'd spend the night with a girl only to wake up in the wee hours of the morning itching to get the hell out of there. I cut and run more times than I care to remember, but I never thought Holly would do that. I have her in my place, something I never did with any of the girls in my past, a place I picked out with her in mind. I never once had the need or desire to ask her to leave and give me my space. Fuck no. I need her closer.

I grumble to myself about payback as I pull my shorts on. Then I fling the door open and head to the kitchen to grab my keys. I didn't think to look for a note or check my phone for a message, but dammit I deserve more than a cold goodbye in writing. Woman should have woken me up, kissed the hell out of me and let me walk her out for fuck's sake.

I stop short when I get to the kitchen and see Holly standing there. In my shirt, which I didn't even notice was missing, with a cup of hot coffee up to her lips and a wicked look in her eyes.

"Morning."

My jaw drops. I feel like an ass. I was ready to rip into her for sneaking out on me and here she is standing in my kitchen making me breakfast. I glance around, not seeing any food out at all, and amend my thought. She made coffee. Good enough.

She's still fucking here.

"Way to almost give me a heart attack," I say, reaching for my chest as I step closer to her. I grab her coffee, take a sip then put it on the counter next to her. My hands have a mission as they grab her waist and haul her closer. I nuzzle into her neck and sigh in relief as her arms wrap around my shoulder.

"I thought you left me." I confess into her hair that I wish was wrapped around my fist. Later.

"You were so adorable snoring in there I didn't want to disturb you."

"I don't snore."

"Okay, sure."

I lean back to look in her eyes. "I do?"

"You do. But it's a very gentle snore. Like a puppy." She smirks.

I growl.

"I'm a ferocious lion, not a puppy."

Holly laughs. The best fucking sound in the goddamn world.

"Okay, Simba. Would you like your own cup of coffee instead of stealing mine? There's plenty. And we should have planned our groceries better, because all we bought for breakfast is cereal and a slab of ham."

I freeze for a second before nuzzling back into her neck. Then I can't help but pick her up by the ass and sit her on the counter. I drag her legs around my waist, a little hint for where I'm about to take this.

"You said, 'we.'" Fuck that sounded good. I'm rock hard for her, now. Not that I wasn't ready to go the second I saw her standing in the kitchen in my shirt. But now it's fucking steel.

"Of course I did. We shopped together."

"It's not just that. Fuck." I can't help myself. I shove my hand up her shirt—my shirt—and cup her breast. "I cannot get enough. I'm insatiable."

Holly hums as I massage her chest. "I know the feeling."

"Perfect. We're on the same page." My fingers wander to her panties, all she had on under my shirt. Hearing her refer to us as 'we' was the biggest fucking turn on of my life. I had no idea what that could feel like. I thought I was allergic to relationships, to feelings like this. But damn if I'm not all in with her. Damn if I'm not ready to drag her downtown and give her my last name.

I pull back to look at the woman in my arms, suddenly dizzy from thoughts of a future with her. Holly looks up at me, the sweetest smile on her face. And I'm done. Fucking gone.

"I love you." Three words I've never said to anyone before other than my mom. And that was when I was a kid.

The look on her face when she registers what I've said will stay burned in my memory forever.

"I love you, too."

Fuck. I fold into her. Not only have I never said those words...no one has said them to me in a long damn time. No one.

"Holly..." Her name on my lips is a prayer. How the hell did I function in life before her? How did I care about anything without knowing this level of connection with another person. She's my human, my heart, my future...my fucking life. I don't want anything without her. I should be fucking scared. I should be leaving the way I've always done before. Instead, I'm digging in closer, needing more of her not less. Needing to be wrapped up in her, not running off on my own for more breathing room.

I pick her up and carry her to the couch, only a few steps away. I sit down with her straddling me and revel in her touch.

"Here?" she asks, hesitation in her voice.

I cup her face and look in her eyes. "Anywhere. We can move to the bed if you're more comfortable. But baby, I need you so fucking bad."

Her answer is a tender kiss that deepens with every passing second. We strip each other of our clothing much faster than last night. When she lowers herself onto me the connection is more intense than it was before. Because I love her. Because she loves me. This isn't a physical release, not that it ever was with Holly. This is everything sex is meant to be. More. How can it be this intense, but it is.

We whisper words of affection as we crest that high, chasing every ounce of pleasure we can give each other. I hold her close, not wanting to lose the connection we've found.

Eventually we get up and dress for the day, nibble on cereal with plans to do a better job at the store next time.

I'm not used to the touching. Simple brushing of fingers as we prepare the food or clean up. She runs her fingers along my shoulders as she passes behind me. I pat her ass when she bends over. Little signs of affection that mean we're a couple, and our relationship is more than sex. I like this. I like us together.

It sucks that I have to leave her so soon after finally telling her what's been on my heart.

"Now that I'm moved in, I should get more of my stuff over here."

"What else do you have at the shop? I thought you'd grabbed everything." Holly's wiping down the counter as I put the clean dishes that we washed back in the cabinet.

"Not the shop. I need to drive back to my apartment. My buddies agreed to sub-let my room for the time being so I'm clearing out my personal stuff and leaving the furniture."

Holly freezes before turning to look at me. "The time being?"

"What?"

"You said they're sub-letting it for the time being. How long is that?"

I shrug. "At least six months. That's the agreement Brax and I made."

"Oh." Holly turns back to face the counter, wiping in circles over a spot I'm pretty sure she just cleaned.

"When are you leaving?"

"I was thinking tomorrow. I can make the four-hour drive early in the morning, check in at the office for a few hours then work on packing up my room. I can stay there for a day or two, however long it takes, then I'll be back."

"Okay." She stops cleaning to rinse the cloth out. Then she freezes at the sink, pulling on the washcloth but not turning to look at me.

"Baby." I step closer to her and wrap my arms around her waist, pressing my forehead to her shoulder. "I don't want to go."

"I'm really trying not to be upset about this. I know why you need to go. But something in my gut is freaking out."

I nod against her neck but don't speak yet.

"Maybe it's the timing."

"Because I just moved in here?"

"No."

"Because we just..."

"No." She takes a breath that feels like defeat. "Because we just said, 'I love you,' and now you're leaving."

"The timing is terrible, I know." I pull her closer to me. "I'm coming back. And for the record, I'm not happy about this. I'm actually dreading going back there but it's necessary."

She nods. "Are you going to see your mom?"

"Not if I can help it."

"Are you ever going to ask her about your dad?"

It's my turn to take a breath before answering. "Yeah. I know it's going to be messy, and ugly, and hurt like a bitch. So, it's not something high on my to-do list. I've been happy spending time with my dad. What if she tells me something to change how I see him? What if I end up hating both of my parents? I'm not ready to deal with it."

Holly drops the cloth into the sink and spins in my arms to face me. Her arms wrap around me, gripping me to her.

"I'll be here for you. We can deal with it together, whenever you're ready."

"That's why I love you." How have I never known what it's like to have someone by my side until now?

"I love you."

I can never hear her say that enough. "Trust me I will be rushing back to you as soon as I can."

"I do trust you."

That's all I can ask for. I kiss her to seal the promise.

"Now, let's spend the day holding hands and kissing. Maybe we can even gross out some of our friends with our lovey dovey moon eyes."

Holly laughs. "I would never have pegged you for a guy who'd want to act love-sick around people."

"I never was before." I wink and give her a quick kiss. Truth is, I never wanted to give the wrong signals to a girl I slept with because I never wanted it to go any further than that. But with Holly, I'm already in neck deep. I'm already head over heels for her, so a little PDA isn't something to fear.

I'm ready to be that guy so in love with a girl he can't get enough. Good thing I found the girl of my dreams to be him with.

A day late but wasn't it worth it? Some more spice in this one *wink* because Jackson wasn't done yet. Any thoughts on Holly's concerns??

ALSO - I cannot believe how jammed my days have been that I'm THIS behind on replies to your comments. THEY ARE COMING I promise...just not sure when. I can hardly keep up with writing chapters, let alone replies but hopefully the busy is winding down.

I didn't have a great song for this chapter, mostly because it wasn't originally part of my vision when building the playlist. But this song, Wait For Me, fit pretty perfectly. Lucky me!

https://youtu.be/MC8QcaMMVQE

Hoping you find some escape in the crazy stories I write cause that's why I write 'em. 💕