Tabitha Ch 01

"My flight leaves in four-and-a-half hours," Tabitha Riley said throwing another pair of jeans into her suitcase that lay open on the bed. She frowned when she saw how frayed they were at the bottoms and took them out again.

Her brown curls hung loose around her shoulders...undone just as she seemed at the moment. Her honey-brown skin was flushed and she paced around her bedroom, wearing a path in the carpet from bed to closet to dresser and back to bed. The cornflower blue dress she wore swirled around her knees as she kept making sudden changes in direction. Tabitha was certainly not the most organized packer.

Wes watched as she slammed hangers from one side of the closet to the other, frowning at every piece of clothing she saw. "How long will you be gone?" he asked.

"Six weeks." Tabitha huffed and pulled a pair of dark-wash jeans from the closet. She threw them in the direction of the bed but they landed at his feet. After a moment's hesitation he picked them up, folded them, and put them in the open suitcase.

"That's a pretty long time." Wes was having a hard time figuring out exactly what he wanted to say about this situation. Well, he knew what he wanted to say...he wanted to ask her why she'd sprung this on him. She'd mentioned going to see her sister, but she hadn't mentioned that it would be for over a month.

"Uh-huh, well, I've finally got the money to buy my own ticket and the vacation time saved up at work. So, I'm going to spend a month in England with my family. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then what's with the face? You look like I just told you that your dog died." She stopped her frantic search and studied him. Her hands were planted on her hips and she studied him with her head tilted to the side. She narrowed her hazel eyes and frowned.

Wes rolled his eyes and set his jaw. "I'm not making a face. I just don't get why you're suddenly so anxious to leave. I thought we were having a good time."

"Oh," Tabitha sighed. "We've been having fun and I really like you and everything, but this isn't going to be anything serious. We can just continue on with our lives...as they were before...and when I get back we'll see if we can start hanging out again. Maybe we can have a friends-with-benefits-thing if you're not dating anyone."

"Is that what you want?"

She shrugged. "Sure, it's cool. Isn't that every guy's dream? No strings, no commitment." She turned back to the closet.

Wes frowned. "Yeah, I guess that is every guy's dream."

"Cool," Tabitha said flashing that captivating grin over her shoulder, "now, will you give me a ride to the airport?"

"Of course," Wes sighed, "but first I have to give you a proper goodbye."

"Oh, Wesley, no. I have to pack!"

He walked forward until he was right behind her. "How long have you had this trip planned?"

"A while," Tabitha admitted.

"So, you've waited this long to pack, what's another hour or so?"

Tabitha's hands stilled, no longer moving through her clothes. "Make it twenty minutes and you've got a deal."

"Deal."

"Plus, you've got to help me pack and you can't take advantage of me while I shower afterward."

"Damn, Tabby," Wes muttered into her hair, even as his hands traveled from her hips and up to cup her breasts over her white t-shirt. "You drive a hard bargain."

"Yeah, but all you have to do is agree to my terms and you can drive something hard."

Fuck if he didn't love her dirty mind. He couldn't help but smile when he said, "You know, you've got me."

Tabitha turned in his arms and went up on her toes. All she had to do was turn her face up to him and he finished the rest. Wes leaned down in order to bring his six-foot-two frame closer to her five-foot-three. As usually her lips were soft and warm; they parted easily for him.

She moaned and pressed herself closer to him and he was lost in her. The softness that was Tabitha Riley never failed to make him hard. He pulled her closer and not even light could get between their bodies. Her soft hands moved up his bare arms, and he immediately missed the feel of them when she wrapped her arms around his neck.

A deep groan vibrated from his chest. Six weeks without this...without her. How was he going to make it? He felt her lips pull back and knew she was smiling. He was about to ask what was so damn funny, but Tabitha bounced on the balls of her feet, making his erection rub up and down her stomach.

"You play too much," he grumbled as he picked her up and walked toward the bed.

Tabitha only giggled.

In one smooth motion he pushed the suitcase over the opposite side of the bed and planted her on top of the duvet while simultaneously pinning her beneath him.

"Wes-leeey!" Tabitha moaned when he reached under the hem of her sundress and pushed aside her panties.

"You're the one putting me on a time limit, Tabby. Are you ready for me?"

"Yeah," she whispered, lifting her hips off the bed to encourage him.

"How can I be sure?" teased Wes.

Tabitha fisted his long black hair in both her hands and tugged his head forward. Their noses were almost touching. "You can fuck me, and then you'll know for sure."

Her lace thong didn't stand a chance when he tugged. The thin blue string ripped on the sides but Wes didn't even pause. He couldn't bother pretending to be remorseful for ruining yet another pair of her overpriced panties. At this pace she would have to start buying underwear in bulk from a warehouse store...along with toilet paper and liquid soap.

"That's another one," Tabitha hissed.

"Put it on my tab, Tabby," Wes whispered plunging two fingers into her soaking wet pussy.

She clawed at his shoulders as she cried out. "Damn it, Wes! I didn't mean with your fingers!"

"Just testing," he whispered. "Don't worry Tabby, I'll fill your kitty up."

"Ooh," she purred. "Yes, please!"

They both worked on his belt, then his button and zipper. He barely got the jeans past his knees when she took a fist full of t-shirt and yanked him back down. Their mouths crushed together.

Tabitha screamed when he slid home.

"Fuck, baby, you're so tight."

Tabitha groaned and locked her ankles behind his back. "Hard Wes, go hard!"

He slammed into her, and she screamed his name. The sweetest sound in the world.

Tabitha didn't need to tell him anything when they were connected. He knew her body better than he knew his own. Every freckle was committed tattooed on his brain, as was her scent...without any soap or perfume...just the scent of her...like lilac and lavender after the rain. So when her fingernails got through the sleeves of his cotton t-shirt as she gripped his upper arms, he knew exactly what to do. She was close, so close and there was one thing guaranteed to push her over the edge.

His hands had been roaming her body, greedily taking one last feel of her lush curves and soft, sweat-dewed skin. Immediately, he stopped grazing and fisted both hands in her hair...not too rough, he would never dream of doing anything to hurt her. One quick tug and he felt her shatter. Her pussy clenched and creamed, her eyes rolled backward, and she screamed so long and loud that the sound tapered off, raspy by the end. She'd lost her voice, but it would only be for a short while.

He brought her to a second, even more intense orgasm and let her pussy milk his cock. Once they were both sated, they collapsed onto her bed and folded into each other.

"That was amazing," Tabitha whispered her voice hoarse. She trailed slow circles through the sparse dark hair across his pectorals.

Wes watched her light brown hand move along his pale skin and smiled. She was his, she belonged with him and no matter how hard she tried, she wasn't going to escape that fact. Tabitha could put an ocean between them, but there was no doubt that when she came back home...back to him...he wouldn't settle for a friends-with-benefits situation.

They'd been together over four months and so much had happened. They were tested and tried, and they were still together. He could see plain as the nose on her beautiful face that they were meant to be together, and soon she would see that too.

Her breathing changed, it grew slower and as tempted as he was to let her fall asleep in his arms and miss her plane, he knew he couldn't do it. She was going to England to visit her family. He had to let her go...so she could come back to him.

"Tabitha," he whispered. When she didn't respond he shook her shoulder, trying not to make her full breasts jiggle too much or his hard-on would insist on nailing her to the bed again.

"Hmm?" she sighed.

"You've still got to pack and shower."

"No, we've got to pack and shower," she muttered.

"Yeah, okay, so that means you can't fall asleep." She didn't move. "Come on, you've got to get up."

She yawned and didn't bother opening her eyes. "But I like it here," she said with a hint of a smile.

"Me too, baby, but your flight leaves in less than four hours."

"Oh, shit!" she gasped sitting up and scurrying off the bed. "I've got to get out of here! You start the shower and I'll start packing."

Wes smiled and moved slowly off the bed and toward the bathroom. "Yes, dear."

She stuck her tongue out at him, but still smiled.

He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. He'd sure as hell miss that smile.

***

Tabitha thanked the ticket counter clerk and glanced at her suitcases as they were conveyed away from her. She silently hoped that they would meet her at Heathrow and not come up missing. She adjusted her carryon and glanced down at the ticket and passport she had clenched in her hand.

This was it, her first trip out of the United States. She had never felt more adult in her twenty-six years. Sure she'd been through college and worked her nine-to-five, but this was an honest-to-goodness vacation abroad! Well, sort of a vacation. She wasn't going to be a tourist; after all, she would be staying with her family and not in some hotel. However, between playing with her nieces and nephew and spending time with her sister and brother-in-law, she would be on her own, exploring a foreign land.

"Are you ready to go to your gate?"

Tabitha looked up at Wes and smiled. He looked so out of place...but he usually did, unless they were at a club or concert. His tattered black jeans were frayed at the bottoms and the black t-shirt he wore clung to his solid frame. His jet black hair hung loose around his face, still a bit damp from the quick shower they'd had less than twenty minutes before. His eyes, usually bright gold were dark at the moment.

"Not really, but I should go ahead."

"Yeah," he said with a shrug. He uncrossed his arms and enveloped her in a hug.

Tabitha bit her bottom lip to stop the tears she felt forming. "You still have a key to my place right?"

She felt him nod.

"Don't forget to water my plants and don't let the mail pile up in the box in the lobby." He knew all this, they'd been over it on the ride to the airport, but she had to talk or she'd cry. She didn't want him to see her cry. She was happy about this trip, he'd know that she was crying over leaving him, and that just wouldn't do.

After what felt like an eternity, they stepped apart. Tabitha nervously smoothed her hair back into the ponytail, completely unnecessary, but another nice distraction. "Okay, I'll call you when I get there so you know I'm safe...and I'll see you in six weeks."

His dark eyebrows came together and he nodded.

"Tell Alton I'll take a picture of Jim Morrison's grave just for him." She was rambling...like a moron. She really needed to stop. "I'll get you something too, something totally clichéd and touristy like a Big Ben magnet or something."

Wes smiled the slight smile he'd given her when they'd met for the first time in the music store. "Just lift something from the palace while you're having tea with the Queen."

She laughed. "My sister would never forgive me if I got arrested over there."

She glanced at the line waiting to get past the security clearance checkpoint. It was getting pretty scant. She really should get in it before it got long again.

"Hey," said Wes.

The smile was gone when she looked back. His face was uncharacteristically serious. "I...I..." He took a deep breath and let it out slow. "I'll miss you."

Tabitha smiled and caught one of his hands in hers. She laced their fingers together and squeezed. "I'll miss you too."

She wasn't surprised when Wes bent down and gave her a long, lingering kiss. In fact, she was expecting it. What she wasn't expecting was the lump that formed in her throat when she turned and walked away from him. She also didn't expect him to watch her go through the security line. She stood on the other side and waved to him, after she got her flip-flops back on and repossessed her carryon.

He blew her a kiss and she laughed at the way he managed to still look cool while doing something so damn corny. Finally, she turned and walked to her gate. She refused to look back because if Wesley Roberts was still standing there she wouldn't be able to stop herself from crying any longer.

***

Once Tabitha was settled into her business-class seat, the tears came. She turned her head to the window and tried to distract herself by watching other planes taxi the runway. It didn't work. She couldn't get around the fact that she'd given Wes permission to start dating someone else.

She had managed to sound aloof about it, but the idea that when she came back, he could be doing to someone else what he'd done to her a few hours before, made her stomach hurt. She hadn't intended to fall so hard for him, but it was too late now. It was just her luck that she'd fall in love while she was busy having fun with a great guy. What the hell happened to just friends?

She pulled the novel that she'd bought specifically for the eleven hour flight and wiped away the tears. She really needed to occupy her mind. Maybe reading would keep her mind off Wes. The plane began to taxi and she glanced out the window. There were no clouds in the sky and it was the same color blue as the shirt Wes wore at work. The shirt he'd been wearing when they first met.