Thicker than Water

Chapter 12 (Lauren)

           

Lauren was mostly relieved when Josh asked the question that had been on the tip of her tongue. She didn't want him...she needed him. Family be damned.

What harm could come from one night?

Josh placed his mouth against hers once more and stealthily stood up. He lifted Lauren up with one arm behind her back and the other behind her knees, like it was their honeymoon. Lauren laughed as she tilted her head back. She finally felt like she could breath again.

Her head had been in a fog since the night of the wedding. She had wanted Josh that night and couldn't shake the feeling that this whole thing just wasn't fair.

When he reached a bedroom down the hall, he kicked the door open, making Lauren laugh again. I'm so happy. It had been a long time since those words had entered her thoughts.

Josh walked toward the edge of a massive four poster bed and laid her down gently. When he began kissing her again, she felt calm. She returned the kiss with a ferocity that she knew she hadn't shown before. Josh matched her without hesitation.

She placed her hands on his back again, under his shirt, and felt him shiver. The motion made her smile. She liked that she had that effect on him.

"Lauren-" Josh tried to speak between their kisses. "I—" *kiss* "I'm not sure—" *kiss* "—I can handle--" *kiss, kiss* "—this".

Lauren stopped and looked at him. "Have you changed your mind? About me?"

"What? Oh God, no! I want you more than ever. That's the problem. If we keep going, I don't know if I trust myself to stop."

Lauren smiled to herself while leaning into Josh's neck. She whispered into his skin, "I don't think we should stop."

Josh froze. "Are you sure?" His voice had changed, became huskier. "Don't think that you need to just because—" He stopped talking as Lauren began trailing kisses up and down his neck. She reached his ear, and nibbled it gently. In one quick motion, Josh had placed Lauren on her back with him on top of her.

They continued kissing until they both needed air. Lauren touched the bottom of Josh's t-shirt and raised it up and over his head. She threw it across the room, not bothering to see where it landed. As Josh reached for her shirt, she could see that his hands were shaking.

She grabbed them and gently placed a soft kiss on each of his ten knuckles. She then grabbed her own shirt, removing it in the same manner as Josh's.

Now they were skin to skin, and Lauren was reminded of the first time they had touched—when Josh "accidentally" touched her leg at the gym. If that had felt like an electric shock, this was a lightning strike.

They quickly removed the remainder of their clothing, and Josh stood up to reach into his bedside table. Lauren realized she had never actually seen a naked man in real life before. With Dwayne, they had both basically stayed fully clothed throughout the entire ordeal.

Josh was beautiful. That was the only way Lauren could describe it. She knew it was cliché, but she had visions of Michelangelo's Statue of David. He looked so strong standing there in all his glory, like he could protect her from all evil forces. She knew she could trust him; he would never hurt her.

As Josh positioned himself over her, she looked into his eyes and knew this was right; and as their bodies joined, she began to wonder why she had ever thought it could be wrong.