Writing Lanie - Forbidden Heart Series Book 2

26| The Knitting Process

"Lanie, the next time I see you, I'm going to lock us in a bedroom for days."

I giggled. "What about food and stuff?"

"Eh, who needs it."

We both laughed into the phone. God, I really missed him. Over the past four weeks, I've gone back and forth with our 'situation'. Were we friends with benefits? Or in a relationship? Originally, I wasn't worried about figuring that out. But the more my feelings grew, the more obsessed with the question I became.

"Ayden, can I ask you something?"

"Anything," he breathed into the phone. It sounded like he was stretching. I could easily picture his large muscles flexing and it made my mouth water.

"I know we agreed to take this one day at a time; but I can't help but wonder-- are we...uh, together? Or is this just, you know, sex friends?" The next part rushed out of me. "If I'm being honest, I wonder sometimes if there's-- others. Over there. Even if there were, we didn't set any rules or anything. So, yeah..."

Great Lanie. Way to go with that. You probably freaked him out and he's never going to--

"I want to be with you."

My mouth dropped open. And closed. And opened again. "I'm-- what?"

He sighed deeply before explaining, "You aren't the only one who thinks like that, Lanie. I want the two of us to be in a relationship. As much as it scares me, I want it. I wonder to. Sometimes days go by and I can't help my mind from questioning if you have been with anyone. Not because I don't trust you. I do. But it's like you said, we never set any rules or anything." He paused. "Should we? Set rules?"

My hand was gripping the phone as I hung on to his every word. It made me feel a little better to know that he was as freaked out as I was. My last relationship ended so terribly. Maybe this time would be different. "I think that's a good idea. Also, I've haven't been with anyone but you."

"Same with me. Just you." He chuckled before asking, "Where should we start? Well, there's the obvious thing, neither of us sleeps with anyone else."

"Yes. We continue to talk as much as we can."

Silence and then he asked, "Anything else you can think of?"

There was another little piece of information I was curious about. There was something that was gnawing at me. The main reason was because his answer could change everything.

"There is one thing I was wondering." My voice was so quiet that the sound of my nervous heart was all I could hear. "When you get out of the service, where..."

I trailed off, unable to finish the question. But I didn't need to. "Ah, that. You have a right to ask me that and I'm glad you did. We can see how this goes between us as it gets closer. If we feel like this relationship will work, I want to find a place in New York. Personally, I have no interest in anything long distance. This is hard enough."

"I agree." I hated long distance with a passion. Wondering when and if I'll ever see him again. Wondering if our last kiss was 'our last kiss'. Why did I get myself into these situations? Why did I let myself get attached to someone I had a chance of losing? I guess everyone takes that chance in a relationship. It's just different with Ayden. He was a soldier. I could lose him to something other than another woman or simply the relationship just 'not working'. If that happened, if he died over there, something inside me told me that I wouldn't survive it. Same went with Nate.

The hungry tone in his voice dragged me from my thoughts. "So, Goddess, have you already done your knitting today?"

I frowned with confusion. What the hell? "I don't--" Then it hit me. "Ohhhhhhhh." I laughed. "No, I haven't starting my knitting yet today."

"I think you should go to your room, and slowly take off every single piece of clothing you're wearing. You know, for your knitting. Then tell me when you're in the tub."

The effect his words had on my body over the phone were no different than if he were here in front of me. Each one send a heated wave of desire through me. It was unlike anything I have ever felt before. I jumped from the couch and went straight to my room to do as he said.

When I started to undress, I got a wicked idea I thought he would like. "I think it will help if I tell you each step to the knitting process. You know, just an FYI type of thing. If you're interested."

There was no hesitation to his answer. "Oh, I definitley want to know you're knitting process."

I smiled at that. "First, I take off my top. Tonight, I'm wearing a dark blue spaghetti strap shirt."

"And then?"

"Now, I'm taking off my yoga pants. Black." I walked over to my bathroom and turned on the water to get it hot. "The key to knitting, is to make sure the water is just right. I let it heat up a little before I continue-- the knitting process."

"You are a clever Goddess," he quipped.

I chuckled as I continued. "Next is the black lace bra I have on. Oh, and the matching panties."

I could hear his breaths coming harder on the other end of the line and knew this was affecting him as much as it was affecting me. "Now, I apply the bubble bath before I submerge myself under the water."

After a minute, he asked, "Are you in?"

"Yes," was my throaty answer.

His laugh was deep and rumbly. "Good. Now, this is what I want you to do..."