All I Want Is You (Forever and Ever Book 1) Read online

I knew that too well. Sometimes they didn’t understand the boundaries of public displays of affection. “Well, they are weird too.” I finished my pizza then felt my stomach. “I’m going to explode.”

  She shrugged. “I could eat forever.”

  “You’re lucky you aren’t a cow. I hope that’s something I inherit from you besides these humongous back killers.”

  She laughed. “I’m sure you will. It seems like the only thing you got from your father is his eyes.”

  “That’s a good thing. Otherwise I would be a crazy control freak.”

  “There’s more to your father than that.”

  I knew that was true. “I know.”

  We squared the bill then headed home. My mom usually spent the night at my place before she drove home the next morning, on my father’s orders.

  We tossed our bags in the corner then sat on the couch, putting our feet on the coffee table.

  “How’s Cayson?” she asked.

  “Good. He’s being a geek, like usual.”

  “And you think you aren’t?” she teased. “You went to a business conference to give a presentation.”

  “But I don’t study biochemistry. That’s super geeky.”

  She smirked. “I guess. That was nice of Cayson to go with you.”

  “Yeah, but it didn’t surprise me. He’s the nicest guy in the world.”

  “He is. I know Cortland is very proud of him. Whenever he talks about him, all he does is brag.”

  “He’s something to brag about.”

  “Your dad mentioned you stayed in the same hotel room?”

  “Yeah. All the other rooms were booked.”

  She nodded. “And how was that?”

  “Fine. He slept on the couch. But Dad got me the presidential suite.” I had to roll my eyes. “So the couch was practically the size of a bed. After walking in my heels all day, Cayson rubbed my feet. His hands are a godsend.”

  She chuckled. “He’s too sweet.”

  “He is. But that’s why he’s my best friend.”

  “Is he the reason why Zack gets jealous?”

  “Don’t even get me started… Zack thinks Cayson is in love with me because he’s always around.”

  “Does he know you stayed in the same hotel room?”

  “Yeah…he wasn’t pleased about that. It was World War III.”

  “What did you say?”

  “That he has to accept Cayson completely or our relationship is never going to work.”

  My mom raised her hand and high-fived me. “Good girl.”

  I laughed then pulled a blanket over my legs. “Would Dad react the same way if you and Uncle Cortland stayed in the same room?”

  “No. He trusts everyone in our inner circle. In fact, if your father couldn’t be there for some reason, he would prefer someone to stay with me.”

  “Wow. I guess he’s not that crazy.”

  She smirked. “I wouldn’t say that…”

  Like my dad could hear our conversation, he called her. Her phone vibrated on the coffee table. She grabbed it and sighed. “I forgot to call him.”

  “Oh no. Where’s my helmet?”

  She answered it. “Hey.”

  His voice was audible on the other line. “Are you back at the apartment?”

  “Just check the GPS,” she said sarcastically.

  “You know I’ll only do that if I’m concerned for your safety.”

  “Yes, I’m back.”

  “Okay. Can you do me a favor?”

  “You know I’ll do anything for you.”

  “Can you make sure you get a picture with Skye? I’d like one.”

  She smiled. “Sure.”

  “Thank you. Can you do me another favor?”

  “Now you’re pushing your luck…” A wide grin was on her face.

  “Can you call me when you leave tomorrow?”

  “I know the drill, babe.”

  “Thank you, baby. I miss you.”

  “I miss you too.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Bye.”

  She hung up.

  “You just saw him today,” I argued. “How can you possibly miss him?”

  She put the phone down, a smirk still on her lips. “I always miss him.”

  When Zack and I were apart, I wasn’t going crazy for him. Most of the time, I appreciated the space. “Did you see Roland while you were down here?”

  “We had breakfast today.”

  “Why don’t you spend time with us together?”

  She shrugged. “I know you both have different needs. I like to give each of you my full attention privately. It makes us have a stronger bond. Besides, your brother isn’t going to want to listen to us discuss shopping, boys, sex, and my marriage to your father.”

  “Yeah…I don’t even want to discuss it.”

  She laughed.

  “Movie?” I asked.

  “Something with a pretty man.”

  “We really are related.” I turned on the TV and we lay on the couch until bedtime. I wasn’t going to make my mom sleep on the couch, so we both slept in my bed. I had a king size bed so there was plenty of room anyway.

  When my mom left the next day, I was sad. Saying goodbye was always hard. She was just a two-hour drive away but not living at the house anymore always made me a little teary-eyed. I missed helping her make breakfast in the morning on the weekends. I missed listening to her read to me at night before bed. There were so many things I took for granted in my youth.

  “Bye, Mom.” I hugged her tightly, closing my eyes.

  “Bye, honey. I’ll see you next weekend.”

  “That’s so far away…”

  “It’ll be here before you know it. And the holidays are coming up.” She pulled away and gave me a brave smile. “We’ll be spending a lot of time together.”

  “Yeah…”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  She walked to her car then drove away. I stayed outside my door, suddenly feeling alone. Something in my life wasn’t right but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Something was missing. I had a wonderful family who loved me, I was studying something I was interested in, and I had great friends that would do anything for me. So what was wrong?

  ***

  “What do you think of this?” Trinity held out the dress to me. It was silver with sparkles and was skin-tight.

  “It’s cute.” I stayed on the couch, my computer in my lap.

  “I think it’ll be good for this gala.”

  “I’m sure it will be.”

  “What are you wearing?” she asked.

  “A pink dress.”

  “Short or long?”

  “Knee length.”

  She laid the dress on my counter then sat down on the couch.

  “Does your house still smell like a beer factory?”

  She laughed. “No. I left the windows open for a few days and that cleared out the smell.”

  I scrolled through an article I was reading. “That night was a blur. I drank way too much.”

  “You and Zack were practically having sex in the hallway.”

  Why didn’t that surprise me? “I’m sorry if you saw too much.”

  “Apology accepted.”

  “Did you hook up with anyone?”

  She grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels. “No.”

  “Really? That devil costume didn’t attract any winners?”

  “Nope. They couldn’t handle this anyway.”

  I hadn’t seen Cayson in almost two weeks. He didn’t come by the diner on Wednesday like he normally did. It was like he disappeared. “Have you talked to Cayson?”

  “I’ve seen him around here and there.” She stopped when she found a fashion show.

  “Did he seem…different?”

  “No. Why?”

  “I don’t know… I just haven’t seen him around much. We usually cross paths every day, but I haven’
t spotted him in almost two weeks. He didn’t come to the diner either. That’s two weeks in a row.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe he’s busy.”

  “Yeah…but it’s still unusual.”

  Trinity watched the show then grabbed the bowl of popcorn off the table.

  “I miss him,” I whispered.

  “When was the last time you saw Zack?” she asked.

  “Um…we’ve both been busy so I guess over a week.”

  “So, you miss Cayson more than your own boyfriend?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t put it like that…”

  “That’s how it sounds.”

  I scrolled through the article on my computer. “Relationships come and go but what Cayson and I have is for life. That’s why it’s different.”

  “I didn’t see you all week and that didn’t ring any alarms.”

  I looked at her. “What are you getting at?”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes I wonder if you have feelings for Cayson.”

  What? “No.”

  “You’re awfully close. You do everything together, tell each other everything, and you snuggle together.”

  “I tell you everything,” I argued.

  “But I can’t recall a time when we snuggled on the couch together.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “How did you know about that?”

  She squirmed a little bit. “It’s not brand new information, Skye. Seriously, you aren’t attracted to him?”

  “Well…I think he’s a good-looking guy.”

  “You know what I mean, Skye.”

  “I understand why the girls are so interested in him.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question either.”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “He’s just a friend.”

  She gave me a firm look. “You’re sure?”

  “What do you mean am I sure? I have a boyfriend.”

  “That you don’t even like most of the time.”

  “That’s not true,” I argued.

  “Yes, it is. He drives you up the wall.”

  “We have good times too.”

  “Sure…” She turned her attention back to the screen.

  “I don’t have feelings for Cayson.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  “I don’t,” I argued.

  “It sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself, not me.”

  I turned my attention back to my computer, ignoring Trinity.

  She smirked then continued to watch TV.

  “You’re going away for the weekend?” Zack asked sadly. “You just spent last weekend with your mom.”

  “It’s for my dad’s company. I have to go.”

  He sighed. “Why didn’t you invite me? I’d be your date.”

  “Well…it’s a family thing.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest while he stared at me. “When am I going to meet your family?”

  Meet my family? Where the hell was this coming from? “Um…I don’t know. But I don’t think now is a good time.”

  “Why not? We’ve been dating for six months.”

  “I haven’t met your parents,” I countered.

  “Because they live in California,” he snapped. “If you want to make a trip out there, I would love that. But your parents are only two hours away.”

  Why did he want to meet my parents so bad? “We haven’t even said I love you to each other. Don’t you think meeting parents is premature?”

  He continued to stare at me with intensity in his eyes. “Well, I love you.”

  What? Did he just say that? “Sorry?”

  “I love you,” he repeated.

  Blurting it out right this second wasn’t romantic at all. It felt rushed. “Uh…”

  “It’s okay if you aren’t ready to say it back. I’m not in a rush.”

  “No, I think you are.”

  “I just think it’s time we take our relationship to the next level. I have a suit and a tie, and I’m not doing anything this weekend. It’ll be fun.”

  I wasn’t ready for that. My dad was intense and stern. Meeting a boyfriend was something he didn’t look forward to, and I would rather only put him through it once, for my sake and for his. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Zack.”

  He sighed in annoyance. “What more do I have to do, Skye? I said I love you. I treat you right. I don’t rip Cayson’s head off.”

  “Have to do for what?” I asked. “What do you want from me?”

  He ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. “Nothing. Forget it.”

  What the hell was going on here? Why did he want to meet my parents so much? “Zack, I told you from the beginning that this wasn’t serious. I just wanted something fun. Meeting parents and saying I love you is not something I signed up for.”

  “So, I don’t mean anything to you?” he snapped.

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I feel like you’re rushing me. You have from the beginning. I said I wanted to take things slow and just hang out, but you wanted to be my boyfriend. I just wanted to fool around and you pressured me into a commitment. This is as far as I can go—for now.”

  He clenched his jaw but didn’t say anything. “Fine. Whatever. I can be patient.”

  “Maybe we should just end this relationship…” If this situation was making him unhappy, then he shouldn’t be in it. I didn’t want to hurt him and I didn’t want to string him along.

  “No.” His eyes shined in determination. “I said that’s not an option.”

  “It seems like you want something more than I can give. If you’re looking for a wife to settle down right now, that isn’t me.”

  “I’m not looking for anything. All I want is you.” He came close to me and cupped my cheeks. “I’m sorry I pressured you. I am. I’ll give you whatever you want. Just don’t go. Please.” Desperation was in his eyes.

  When he looked at me like this, I couldn’t say no. He did mean something to me. He did make me feel good. There were times of laughter and joy between us, and the sexual attraction was undeniable. Every time he held me like this, begging me to be with him, I couldn’t say no. “Okay.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief then pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was slow and gentle then escalated into passion. He was an amazing kisser and he knew how to use his hands. He touched me the way I liked, made my legs shake for him.

  When we got to the bedroom, we peeled our clothes away and touched each other. His finger slid between my legs and brought me to the edge of a climax. It was so close I could feel it. But then he pulled away.

  “I want you to come when I’m inside you.”

  Ugh. That rarely worked

  He slipped inside me and did his thing. Like usual, he didn’t make me come. The foreplay leading up to the sex was always the best part. He could get me off with his mouth or his hands. But he could never do it during intercourse.

  Oh well. I guess that was normal.

  ***

  I had a SUV so I thought my car would be the best to take on the trip. I piled everything into the truck when everyone else showed up.

  Roland tossed a bag on top of mine.

  “That’s all you’re taking?” I asked.

  “It’s just for the weekend.”

  “Where’s your suit? Is it stuffed in there?”

  “Mom will iron it. Calm the hell down.”

  My brother and I were constantly butting heads. “You can just hang it up in the back.”

  “You can just stop talking.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re annoying.”

  “And you’re a pain in the ass.” My brother looked so much like my father it was frightening. They had the same dark hair, the same eyes, and the same build. He hit six feet before he graduated high school, and he had my father’s intensity.

  “Shut up and get in the car,” I said.

  “You shut up for the entire drive.”

  “Gee, this should be fun.” Cayson approached us then tossed his bag in the b
ack. “I love hearing you guys nag. It’s a hobby.” He hung up his suit on the hanger in the back.

  I was so excited to see him that I didn’t care about his comment. “Hey. I haven’t seen you in weeks.” I immediately moved into his arms and hugged him.

  He flinched, which he never had before. “I’ve just been busy.” He pulled away quickly then stepped back. “How’s your mom?”

  “Good. We spent the day shopping.”

  “Sounds boring. But cool.”

  I couldn’t ignore the distance between us. I felt like he was pushing me away but I had no idea why. “How was your date?”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Date?”

  “You said you had one a few weeks ago…that’s why you couldn’t get pizza.”

  “Oh that. It was fine.” He walked to Roland then shook his hand. “Are you dreading this as much as I am?”

  “Dressing up nice and pretending to give a shit? Yeah, it sounds terrific.” He rolled his eyes. “At least there will be girls there who already want to marry me and will do anything to catch my attention.”

  “You’re such a pig, Roland,” I snapped.

  “Is that supposed to be an insult?” He snatched the keys from my hand. “I’m driving. You suck at it.”

  I didn’t bother arguing with him.

  Trinity and Conrad pulled up in his Honda.

  “Wow, everyone is on time today.” Cayson looked at his watch.

  Trinity carried three bags to the car then started to shove them in the back.

  Cayson eyed her. “Um…I’m not sure if it’s all going to fit.”

  “I’ll make it fit.” She continued to stuff the bags inside. It was almost overflowing.

  “And where am I going to put my stuff?” Conrad demanded.

  “Like I care,” she said.

  “Do you really need that much stuff, Trinity?” I asked.

  “Does a mule need water?” she countered.

  “That’s not the same thing at all,” Conrad said. “Stick to fashion.” He pulled one bag out and tossed it on the ground then inserted his into the pile. “You have to leave one behind.”

  “No.” She picked up the bag. “This has all my shoes.”

  “We’re only going to be there for two days,” Conrad snapped. “Why do you need a whole bag of shoes?”

  “You never know.” She picked it up and almost fell over because it was so heavy.

  “Just borrow something from Mom.” Conrad snatched the bag with one arm then carried it back to the car.