The Road Back to Us Read online

  He chuckles and hands the phone back to me. “Snap the pic, photog lady.”

  I take the phone and set the timer to five seconds before reversing the image. Bentley grins back, looking ever so adorable. But me . . .

  “Holy shit! I look like a hag!” I shriek in horror.

  The Caroline he’s used to is poised and put together. Her shoulder-length, blond hair is always styled perfectly, not a hair out of place. And her makeup—her makeup is nothing less than flawless. The Caroline he shares his loft with wears designer clothes free of wear or wrinkles.

  This Caroline is the sloppy college kid he fell in love with—I remember looking exactly like this after staying over at his place many nights in the beginning.

  “You’ve never looked more beautiful than now.” He kisses my cheek.

  I close my eyes. It’s been a long time since he’s done that, and it always comforts me.

  Snap.

  I pop my eyes back open and review the picture. Even though I feel ugly, the picture captures something—a new us. I love it. I want to mark this moment with new memories—happy ones—so I delete the messages from Ginny. All that remains on his phone is the perfect picture of the two of us.

  He slides the phone from my hand and sets it on the floor before covering me with his body. I let my knees drop open to give him access to a part of my body that desperately craves him. Then the blanket slides off his back and onto the floor, but the cabin is warm, so we don’t miss it.

  When his mouth finds mine, he kisses me with unspoken words. We’re so connected on a deeper level that I somehow understand them.

  Love.

  Adoration.

  Apologies.

  Regrets.

  Promises.

  They’re all intertwined with his tongue and his lips.

  I slide my palms over his toned shoulders and run my fingernails down his back. God, how I’ve missed this.

  He breaks away from my mouth and slowly trails kisses down my neck until he reaches my breasts.

  “These,” he murmurs as he teases a nipple with his tongue, “I’ve missed so goddamned much.”

  I gasp when he sucks the nipple hard and nibbles. “Oh, wow. You and me both,” I giggle.

  When his head lifts from my breast, I have the urge to shove him back down. Instead, I raise an eyebrow in question.

  “Why’d you stop?”

  Serious, coffee-colored eyes stare into mine as he slides his cock against my wet opening. He doesn’t yet enter despite my needful squirming.

  “Because, baby, I can’t wait another second to be inside you. And when I enter you rough and fast, I want to see your pretty face—to see the way your eyes flutter back in ecstasy as I take you. I need to see those plump lips part open, desperate to beg me to go faster but unable to find the words. I have to see the way your cheeks redden the closer and closer you get to your orgasm. I have to see your mouth as it finally finds its voice and you scream my name over and over again as I own your body with mine.” He pauses to add emphasis on his next line. “I’m going to watch every detail of the evidence that proves I’m fucking you into oblivion. The only thing that will matter to you in this universe is me.”

  I gape at him as words fail me.

  “Caroline, I’m about to rock your fucking world.”

  AND I AM.

  Her eyes are widened at my words, but I see them daring me. Challenging me to take her the only way I know how.

  Fully.

  All-consuming.

  Completely.

  The tip of my dick drags along the slit of her pussy, and I feel her need wetting my sensitive skin. Her body writhes as she waits for my promise to own her body.

  With a growl, I make good on my promise and slam into her—her scream a release of the pent-up craving she was barely able to contain.

  This woman, my wife, fits my body perfectly. As my dick drives deep inside her, her pussy hugs it tight¸ as if they’re married in their own right. We’re two pieces of a complicated puzzle, but when you get rid of all the other pieces, it’s suddenly complete.

  Her fingernails claw into my shoulders as I take her body. Her lips shout my name just like I knew they would—begging me to claim every part of her.

  How did we go on for so many years, pushing each other apart, when we only wanted to be together?

  How in the fuck did I almost let her go?

  Care is my life.

  My heart.

  My goddamned soul.

  Everything else is just a backdrop to the love story that is us.

  My lips find hers and I kiss her roughly, needing her to understand the raw, carnal desire I have to mold my being with hers. I’ll never function properly without my other half.

  To have and to hold.

  From this day forward.

  For better, for worse.

  For richer, for poorer.

  In sickness and in health.

  Until death do us part.

  “Care,” I groan against her lips, which are dry and cracked from the harsh elements we’ve been exposed to.

  “Mmm?”

  “Do you feel it? Our bodies are sealing a deal no courtroom will ever break.”

  As she shudders beneath me, a whimper escapes her.

  Sitting up, I grab her thighs and push them up against her chest. I need to be deeper, closer—completely inside her. It will never be enough; I’ll always need more of her.

  “Shit!” she yelps as I push my cock into her as far as it will go.

  My girl is small, and I’m fucking huge. Together, we make it work, even if it is a tight squeeze.

  “Shh. Relax, baby,” I coo as I slowly I rock into her, letting her adjust to the deep intrusion.

  Her pussy is so damn wet, and I want to taste her—it’s been too fucking long—but right now, we need this.

  “Bentley,” she gasps as her body contracts around my cock.

  A groan bursts from me as I attempt to hold my climax in, but every nerve ending in my body is screaming for release. When her back lifts up from the cot and she cries out in raw pleasure, though, I know I can give in too. My brain hasn’t even given my cock the command before I’m powerfully shooting my load into her. With every clamp of her pussy as her body shudders wildly, my dick releases more pent-up semen inside of her.

  God, I hope we make a baby.

  The thought catches me off guard, and I collapse onto her with a moan, just barely catching myself on my elbows to keep from crushing her. The inside of her is still hot as fuck, but she’s relaxed now and my dick is retreating blissfully into a flaccid state.

  “You’re amazing,” she sighs with sleepy eyes.

  My eyelids are drooping as well. It won’t be long before we’ll both be passed out.

  “Only because of you, baby,” I say. “Before you, I was some college jock who thought he might take over his mom’s hardware store. You showed me I could be better—more. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I was going to have you one day. Forever. Suddenly, school became more important because I wanted to take care of you. Everything I ever did was for you. Now that I managed to have it all, I almost lost you. You nearly slipped through the cracks as I worked to build us an empire—one that you’d reign over beside me. Instead, I pushed you out. The one thing that made it all worth it was you. How in the hell did I lose my way?”

  “I found you, Bentley. You’re not lost anymore.”

  I want to sleep nestled inside her, but we need to clean this shit up. Lifting up, I grab the still-damp-from-snow scarf I don’t care to wear ever again. Reluctantly, I slide out of her body and set to cleaning us both up.

  Her eyes become heavy and her breathing becomes soft. I pick my phone up, for once not to check the news or the market. This time, I swipe it open to find the camera. She’s beautiful, and I want this picture remembered forever. Once I snap the photo, I set the phone back down and then sidle up next to her. Her body easily molds to mine. Then the warmth from the fire blanket
s us, and soon, I join her in blissful unconsciousness.

  Cold.

  My body shivers, and I drag my eyes open.

  When Caroline quivers in my arms, I realize the fire has nearly gone out. A hungry grumble roars from my belly as I climb off the cot. Then I find the blanket and cover her while I search for more of the newspaper. The sun has risen, but one glance out the window tells me that it snowed a shit-ton more.

  I saunter over to the kitchen area, not at all bothered that my dick is flopping around as I walk around the cabin naked. The cabinet is ajar, and when I open it, I easily find the stack of bundled newspaper next to a metal pot and some other dishes. When I see a long, gnarly-looking knife, I grin. That could be useful.

  There’s not much in the way of food though. A small, individual-sized can of baked beans and a larger can of fruit cocktail are all that’s been left in the cabinet. My belly growls again, and I consider popping the can of fruit open but refrain because we have no idea how long we’ll be here. It makes more sense to save it.

  I’m going to have to hunt for some food. Yesterday, I teased Caroline about the meatless bunny, but what I didn’t tell her was that the forest was plenty full of squirrels. There wouldn’t be much meat from them, but they would be easy to kill and provide some nourishment. I’ll have to kill first and then beg for forgiveness. She won’t be happy. At all.

  Once I get the fire roaring again, I fumble through the clothes. Everything is pretty much dry aside from our jeans and boots. I slide them closer to the fire so they can dry out. While she sleeps, I check my phone again for a signal, but frown when I see that there isn’t one.

  How will they find us?

  I’m hoping the fire from the chimney will serve as some sort of beacon. My hopes are dashed, though, when I look out the window and remember that we were pounded with several more feet of snow. This shit is fucking ridiculous. All rescue efforts will be halted until they can clear some of the snow off the roads.

  We’re going to have to survive for God only knows how long. Those cans of beans and fruit aren’t going to last long at all.

  “Come back to bed,” Caroline begs with a thick-with-sleep voice. “I’m cold and you’re warm.”

  I chuckle. “Baby, that sounds really fucking great, but we’re going to have to figure out food today. There’s a pot and some glasses. We’ll boil some water using some of the freshly fallen snow, but I need to get us something to eat. Those chips and nuts are gone from our systems.”

  She sits up with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Just knowing she’s naked underneath has my cock hardening. When her eyes fall to my dick, she beams at me.

  “See something you like?” she teases.

  “Nope.”

  Her frown is immediate. “Oh.”

  I prowl over to her and fall to my knees on the chilly, wooden floor. “I see something I love.”

  With that, her grin comes back and she accepts my kiss. My lips are chapped and raw, but not kissing her with them is not an option. I’ll kiss her until the day I die.

  Slipping a hand under the blanket, I palm her inner thigh, inching it higher and higher until the prickly hair of her pussy pokes my thumb. She lets out a gasp when I graze my thumb along the slit between the lips of her hot center.

  “Who needs food? The only thing I crave is you,” I murmur.

  The blanket slips off her shoulders and pools around her waist. With my free hand, I tug it the rest of the way down so that I can see her milky skin. Sliding my hands to her knees, I roughly spread her out before me. I’m about to dive in when . . .

  “No! Bentley, gross. I haven’t showered in days and we’ve made love twice. Please, for the love of God, do not go anywhere near that area with your nose or mouth!” she shrieks in horror.

  My eyebrows pinch together. “Why not, baby? I think you taste sweet. Always.”

  “Not today. Believe me—I want you there so bad. It’s been way too long, and my vibrator certainly doesn’t even come close to feeling as good as your tongue. But please, if you love me, do that once we get back home.”

  With a low grumble, I dip forward and playfully bite the inside of her thigh. “I’m not promising anything, Care Bear.”

  She whimpers as I suck the sensitive flesh between my teeth hard enough to leave a hickey. There was a time when this woman would let me mark her skin up with my mouth and she would never get embarrassed. But then things changed. When work got too busy for me, sex became a release—a goddamned chore even. Gone went the love bites and bruises. They were replaced with methodical lovemaking without any imagination or passion. We had sex to get off and that was that.

  “I’m coming,” she lies.

  I’ve made love to her enough times to know when she truly comes. Her pale skin turns pink and tiny beads of perspiration build on her forehead. She pants softly, but the breaths become more erratic as she nears the edge of her climax. But tonight? Tonight, she’s pretending, her body lying limp like a fucking rag doll, and she’s making hideously fake moans. So I’ll finish and get off her.

  She doesn’t know that I know about her seeing a divorce attorney. I saw the e-mail on her laptop. Her correspondence with the lawyer was so robotic and cold—much like our marriage these days. That was two days ago, and I haven’t slept well since.

  Divorce.

  I’m sickened at the thought of it, but I’m not really sure what to do. Instead of confronting her about it, I’m selfishly fucking her as if I don’t already know.

  Her moans are phony as hell, and I almost can’t come because of them. Grabbing a handful of her tits, I thrust hard over and over until I feel the tightness in my nuts.

  “Fuck!” I groan loudly as I burst inside her—quite possibly for the last time.

  As soon as I’m done coming, I pop out of her body and climb off the bed. Then I stalk over to her nightstand, wrench it open, and find her vibrator.

  “Here,” I snap as I toss it to her. “Maybe you can really come now since I don’t seem to do it for you anymore. I guess it’s a good fucking thing you’ve already filed for divorce.”

  Ignoring her tears and the painful throb in my chest, I storm off toward the shower.

  We’re fucking over.

  “DID EVERYTHING COME out okay?” Bentley teases as I emerge from the outhouse.

  I roll my eyes and swat at him. “Don’t be gross.”

  He chuckles as he takes my gloved hand and we trudge back toward the cabin. This morning, we spent the morning making love, but we eventually had to put on clothes and take care of business.

  “At least whoever uses this cabin left toilet paper in there, right? Weren’t you getting tired of having to pee in the snow without any way to wipe?”

  “Bentley! Can we please change the subject?” I laugh.

  When his stomach grumbles loudly, my smile falls. It’s moments like these that I remember how truly screwed we are out here. This morning, we foolishly feasted on the fruit. It wasn’t much, and we devoured every last drop. But now, all I can think about is the can of beans left.

  Then what?

  Then we starve.

  “I’m going hunting,” he says softly as we push the door to the cabin open and walk inside.

  I spin and gape at him. “But I’m vegan.”

  “Yeah? So? You need to eat if you plan on surviving. I’m not going to let you starve. And in case you haven’t noticed, there aren’t any damn leaves for you to munch on.”

  His tone is harsh, which reminds me of the first time I told him that I was giving up meat, among other foods.

  “You’re shitting me, Care,” he laughs. “You are shitting me, right?”

  I glare at him. “No, I am not shitting you. Why is it so hard for you to believe I’m becoming a vegan?”

  He picks his phone up, ignoring me, and taps out a response to someone. After he finishes, he lifts his gaze to mine. “It’s stupid.”

  “Excuse me?” I snarl.

  When he drops his
eyes back to his phone, I have the urge to knock it out of his damn hands.

  “Baby,” he says finally, “you were eating steak just last night like it was no fucking problem. Today, you wake up and, suddenly, you’re a changed woman? Did that stupid lady put you up to this? Roxie?”

  “Her name is Renée, and no, she did not,” I hiss back at him. It’s a small lie. She’s the one who droned on and on during our massage today about the abuse of animals being raised for human consumption. I was about to puke by the end and had mentally vowed to never even look at a chicken again.

  “Fine. Whatever. Go eat a salad.” His tone is dismissive.

  I can tell he doesn’t think I’m serious. It makes me crazy when he treats me as if my ideas are just fleeting moments of curiosity. I know I tend to take things on only to grow bored with them after a short while. But for once, I wish he’d take me seriously.

  “You’re an ass,” I snip out as I stalk away from him.

  “An ass that eats meat,” he calls after me.

  “I would rather starve,” I mumble as I stomp the snow off my boots on the wood floor. The memory hangs in the air, leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

  “Baby, I’m sorry. I just know that we need to eat and—”

  “Stop. I’ll be fine. But please don’t make me look at it or have to smell it.” I want to run and lock myself away, but there’s nowhere to go. It bothers me that we’re already fighting again. And it bothers me even more that I’m ready to revert to my old ways.

  When he doesn’t say anything, I sneak a peek at him. He’s glaring at me with his arms folded across his chest.

  “What?”

  Shaking his head, he continues to stare angrily at me. “You. If you think I’m going to sit here and let you starve, you’re drunk. I don’t care if I have to hold your nose and shove bits of bear down your throat—I will.”

  “Bear?!”

  His jaw is clenched tight, but his lips twitch. The thought of Bentley hunting a big-ass bear like he’s Davy Crockett sends me into a fit of giggles. This time, his lips break into a smile.

  “I’m sure the woods are crawling with them. You just wait,” he grins.

  As he approaches me, I feel some of my anger dispel. His cheeks are growing darker each day as his facial hair thickens. Because of his professional job, he keeps his face smooth, but now, without any means to shave, his face is prickly and sexy as hell. My fingers tremble to touch him.