Whiskey Lullaby

by Keren Hughes

  “Mmm, cheese on toast with tomato ketchup …” I trail off as she cuts her eyes at me.

  “No, no and no. It’s far superior to that. Here, let me show you.”

  She rolls her eyes at me before getting up and walking into the kitchen. I follow hot on her heels.

  I watch as she grabs a ton of ingredients and realise it must be much more than just plain old cheese on toast.

  She melts butter in a pan, then adds in some flour once it’s melted. As she stirs that in with one hand, she picks up a bottle of milk with the other.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” I ask, feeling like neither use nor ornament standing here.

  “Sure, grab a knife from the block there and slice that tomato. We want two slices each. Make sure they’re not too thick but not wafer-thin.”

  “Are you always so precise?”

  “I can be. I’m usually very organised, but to err is human after all. We’re all flawed.”

  “Good to know that even a woman as beautiful as you can make mistakes.”

  My god, why did I say that out loud? I grab a knife and she looks at me like I’m insane, before reaching over and pulling a different one out of the block.

  “You can slice it better with this,” she says as she hands it to me.

  She completely ignores my compliment, and I’m glad she doesn’t address it.

  “Oh, sorry. Okay, so four slices.”

  I turn to her chopping board and grab the tomato, unsure that I’ll even get four slices out of it. That’s how bad my kitchen skills are.

  I turn to look at Caleigh and see her pour milk into the pan.

  “Uh-uh, back to slicing, mister. If you want to know what I’m doing, I can tell you as I do each thing.”

  I start to slice the tomato and she tells me as she reduces the heat and adds Worcester sauce. That makes me quirk an eyebrow at her, but she tells me to trust her, so I do. She then adds mustard, paprika, salt, pepper and finally cheese, as I finish up slicing the tomato and wash the knife.

  “You keep the pan over the heat until the cheese is melted. Now, I have another pan here to fry a couple of rashers of bacon. One each, unless you’d rather more.”

  “I’ll trust your recipe. Though I do love bacon.”

  Caleigh smiles at me as I come around to watch her frying the bacon whilst simultaneously watching so that the cheese doesn’t burn. I take the spoon from her and begin to stir so she doesn’t have to do both at once.

  “Just don’t let it burn.”

  “Yes ma’am,” I say with a salute.

  She grins another goofy but sexy grin at me. She really is so beautiful.

  Caleigh reaches over and pops two pieces of bread in the toaster next to her. I almost want to say that it’s cheese, tomato and bacon on toast, but resist the urge, knowing it would probably earn me another dirty look.

  After plating the toast, she puts the bacon on top and then asks me to pass her the slices of tomato. I grab the plate I put them on and hand them to her, watching as she lays two pieces on top of the bacon.

  How is it that she looks this sexy cooking me lunch? Well, more like brunch, as I only had a croissant at Audrey’s earlier and it’s a bit too early to be lunchtime.

  “Now pass me the melted cheese.”

  I carefully hand her the pan and watch her use the spoon to help pour the cheese over the slices of toast.

  “So, it’s like gourmet cheese on toast then?”

  “Don’t let my grandmother hear you say that. She’ll cut off your balls and wear them as earrings.”

  “Ooh, feisty. I’ll have to protect my manhood around her then.”

  She giggles, and the sound makes my cock stir. Why? I don’t know. It’s just that everything about her is undeniably sexy.

  “Et voilà,” she says with a flourish of her hands. “You could top it with a sprig of parsley or something, but I see no point in garnish that adds no real extra taste. It’s perfect as it is.”

  “I trust you implicitly,” I reply with a wink.

  Her skin colours pink as she takes the plates from the worktop.

  “Knives and forks are in that drawer.” She juts her hip in the general direction.

  I grab cutlery and follow as she leads me back into the living room.

  “We could eat in the dining room, but it doesn’t make sense for just a light brunch.”

  “That’s fine by me.”

  We sit and make small talk as we eat. She was right. Cheese on toast pales in comparison to the taste sensation currently exploding on my tastebuds. I’ll have to remember this for when I go home. It’s something I can see myself being able to make without too much hassle, although I have been known to burn cheese on toast. The boys in the band can attest to that.

  “That was delicious,” I say as I rest my knife and fork on my plate.

  I stand and take her plate from her, take them both into the kitchen and make quick work of washing them up.

  I walk back into the living room and I sit next to her. I can’t help but notice as my thigh brushes hers and electricity seems to crackle in the air.

  Caleigh looks at me and bursts out laughing.

  “Want to let me in on the joke?”

  “Sorry, you just have some …” she makes a gesture to the side of her mouth.

  I wipe at my mouth and she laughs even harder.

  “I meant this side. Here, let me,” she says as she reaches out a hand.

  I was wiping the wrong side. I blame her for making me make a fool of myself.

  “It’s just a little cheese.”

  She pulls her hand away, but I stop her and before I can think it through fully, I suck her finger into my mouth.

  Her skin colours pink but doesn’t pull her hand away.

  I feel my grin split my face as her eyes darken with desire as she looks at me. She casts her gaze over me, appraising me. Her eyes roam from my eyes down to my lips, then to my abs and back up to lock gazes with mine. Her emerald green eyes sparkle like the most exquisite gems. Rare and beautiful, just like the rest of her.

  “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do since you got here,” she says quietly.

  “Oh, and what would that be?”

  “This,” she whispers, barely audible, before leaning in and slanting her lips over mine.

  Gone is the sweet kiss from before. This time it’s fiery and passionate. Her tongue demands entry, and when I grant it, her tongue dances with mine. Her hands come to cradle my cheeks and I wrap an arm around her waist as the other hand goes to her pink tresses and cradles the back of her head.

  Caleigh’s hands begin to explore my abs over the top of my t-shirt. But as her kiss becomes bolder, so does her touch. It’s like she’s testing the waters out by dipping her toes in before she decides to go for a swim.

  My cock stirs and I can’t help its reaction to her very proximity.

  One of her hands traces down my chest to the hem of my t-shirt. She slides her hand underneath to glide over the ridges of my torso before dipping to the waistband of my jeans. I only have a moment to question whether or not to let this happen. But that moment is gone when she expertly undoes the button and slides down the zip.

  Her hand glides down beneath the denim, slipping underneath the material of my boxers. Her skin is like the softest silk as she caresses me.

  I momentarily feel guilty—like, somehow, I’m taking advantage of her—but that evaporates as she kisses me more fiercely. She wants this as much as I do.

  My cock hardens as her touch drives me crazy. Suddenly, she moves to straddle my lap, keeping her hand on me.

  My hands are in her hair and I pull her head back to expose her throat. Pulling away from her lips, I pepper her throat with kisses, earning me a soft moan. Her whimpers turn to soft cries as I nip at her earlobe.

  My hands roam from her hips up her sides to cup her breasts. Caleigh arches her back, pushing them closer to me, so I brush my thumbs over her nipples as I kiss dow
n her neck to the hollow of her throat before following the trail down to the valley between her breasts.

  Caleigh tugs at my hair until I relent and look up to meet her gaze. Desire swims in her eyes, but I don’t get long to process it before her lips slam down over mine and she leads me in a sensual kiss—a kiss so hot I am susceptible to spontaneous combustion.

  She moves her hand so that she’s gripping the base of my now throbbing cock. I lift her from my lap and lift my hips from the couch so that I can slide my jeans and boxers further down my legs.

  “Shit, wait, I don’t have a condom,” she says in a mildly panicked tone.

  “Wallet. Back pocket.”

  Now she probably thinks I carry one on me in case I pull some rando in a bar, but it doesn’t seem like she cares as she pulls the foil packet from my wallet and tears it open.

  This isn’t how I imagined sex with her might go—because let’s be honest, I’ve dreamed of this moment and it was nothing like this. It was in a bed, for a start. But I haven’t got it in me to care as she slides the condom down over me and seeks out my lips once more.

  She lifts the dress she’s wearing and pulls her lace panties to one side, guiding the tip of my cock through her wet folds with her left hand.

  A throaty moan escapes me as I feel how wet she is, even without foreplay. It’s enough to drive a man to the brink of insanity.

  Her right hand still in my hair, she slides down onto me, slowly, torturously, inch by inch.

  I want to take my time with her, but it’s impossible. All I can see is here and now. All I know is how wet she feels and how she stretches to accommodate me, so in the heat of the moment, I reach up and tear the side of her panties.

  Her shocked gasp is swallowed as I kiss her like it’s the last time—and who knows, it might well be. If all I have with her is this one time, then I’m going to make the most of it.

  I tear the other side and discard the material. Now I can be as close to her as I actually want to be.

  My hands reach up underneath her dress and unhook her bra. The straps fall down her shoulders, so I take a moment to pull them completely free and discard her bra along with her torn panties.

  I brush my thumbs across her nipples, and they pebble under my touch. She arches her back and I cup her breasts.

  Her pussy feels so damn good as she moves as though she’s going to let me slide all the way out of her, before slamming back down onto me, causing me to groan. She moves again and again, each time slamming her hips home, the slap of her ass against my thighs echoing.

  I run my hands down her silky skin to grab her hips. Bucking to meet her thrusts, I’m rewarded with throaty moans. She lets her head fall back and I watch as her chest rises and falls with her laboured breathing.

  Jesus Christ, she feels so fucking good that I can’t help but wonder if this is a dream after all. I goddamn hope not, but if it is, I intend to stay asleep and see it through to the end.

  Caleigh’s moans get louder with each thrust home. Her pussy is soaking, and my cock is rock hard. I need to chase her climax before my own, but it’ll be damn hard to resist the urge.

  “Kiss me, Rhett,” she says as her eyes meet mine.

  “I want to, but there’s something I want to do first.”

  “Oh?” she asks.

  “This,” I say as I stand with her wrapped around me.

  Her legs grip tightly around me as I turn to face the couch. I’m not sure I can lower her without breaking contact, so I palm her ass and hold her tight to me as I lower her to lie on the couch.

  Caleigh sighs as I manoeuvre myself between her legs.

  “Now will you kiss me?”

  I answer her with a white-hot kiss. Our mouths meeting in a frenzy, tongues duelling for dominance over the kiss.

  She pushes at my chest and I have no choice but to break the soul-searing kiss. I move back and watch as she unbuttons the front of her dress. I watch her deft fingers make easy work of undoing them and then she slides the spaghetti straps off her arms.

  Her hands move to the hem of my t-shirt and I lift my arms so she can pull it over my head. It is pure torture being so still when I’m inside her, but I can exert a little patience—as long as it’s only a little.

  When she’s discarded the material on the floor, she looks up at me, her gaze intense.

  Leaning down, I claim her lips in a soft, tantalising kiss. I part her lips with my tongue and explore her mouth. She has me hypnotised as she tries to gain some friction against me.

  Her legs hold tightly around my waist as I begin to move slowly inside her. A groan reverberates through my chest as I feel her walls constrict around me. Goddamn, this woman is driving me crazy.

  “Fuck, Rhett, I’m so close,” she says as I break the kiss.

  “Hold on, baby.”

  Baby? I’ve never called a woman that in my life.

  I build a steady rhythm and she never falters as she bucks her hips to meet me thrust for thrust.

  My eyes never leave her hooded gaze as I buck harder and faster. Her nails dig into my shoulders as she grips me. I feel the heels she’s still wearing dig into my ass and my god if there isn’t something to the whole pleasure-pain theory. I’ve never cared to test it before. Never met a woman that drives me so wild with lust.

  “Rhett,” she cries out.

  Fuck how I wish I could hear my real name fall from her lips. But there’s no time to ponder that any further as she repeatedly shouts out my assumed name.

  I feel her shatter beneath me and watch as she rides out the little aftershocks. She closes her eyes and I lean down to kiss her, a chaste kiss, a promise of more to come.

  Upping my pace once again, it’s time to chase my own release. Caleigh is so hot and wet that it doesn’t take me long before I’m crying out her name as I freefall into the abyss.

  Stilling, I slide out of her to remove the condom. I tie a knot in it and leave it with her torn panties as I lie down on the couch beside her. She moves so that I’m lying flat on my back and she’s lying on top of me.

  Her mouth meets mine in a soft, tender kiss. It’s the polar opposite of what I’ve experienced with her so far. It feels more romantic instead of frenzied. Her tongue dances softly with mine as I hold her close.

  “We should shower,” she says, breaking the kiss.

  “Together?” I ask hopefully.

  She rewards me with a grin before moving to stand and hold her hand out to me.

  I’m experiencing a whole lot of firsts with this woman, and I find myself actually wanting more. I usually can’t wait to get away, but with Caleigh, I want to stay for as long as she’ll let me.

  Chapter Seven

  Caleigh

  I don’t know what came over me with Rhett. We’d been talking about Angelo—although I didn’t say much on that subject—and then I cooked us brunch. That was supposed to be all, but it turned out to be so much more.

  I can’t deny I’ve wanted him since the first time I saw him—well, saw in the flesh, not on my phone screen on a hook-up app. But what made me so brazen as to make love to him? And it was in the middle of the day, on the couch, no less.

  I’m normally known for taking what I want, but not when it comes to men. I’ve pretty much been a nun this last three years, only without the vow of celibacy.

  What makes Rhett so different? My mind is spinning with questions, but also with images of what we did and memories of how amazing it felt. It felt good to be wanted, to be touched, to feel him inside me. But now I’m not sure what happens next.

  He didn’t say anything about it after our shower together, and we made small talk a little longer before he left. He didn’t exactly seem in a hurry to go, which surprised me. I’d thought he would get dressed and leave as soon as it was over, but he proved me wrong.

  It seems he’s proving me wrong in all kinds of ways. I didn’t think I was ready to look at another man, let alone to have sex. I also didn’t think I’d feel any sort of connection
; it was just sex after all. But as he made me feel cherished, desired, really wanted, I began to feel something.

  It’s like I’ve been sleepwalking through my life and Rhett was the one to finally wake me up. Maybe that’s all it was. There were no emotions behind it, there couldn’t be because I barely know the man. But damn if my heart doesn’t skip a beat just thinking of him.

  Rhiannon would psychoanalyse me here and say something like it’s all because he’s the first person I’ve truly seen in that way since Angelo passed. She’d tell me that it was just me blowing away the cobwebs or getting back in the saddle or something. She’s like that. Irritating, annoying me, because she talks sense. But I have a nagging feeling that she’d be wrong. Call it naïveté or call it intuition, but it felt like there was something connecting us, like an invisible cord tethering us together.

  I should call Rhi and ask her advice, but I don’t want her to pour a bucket of cold water over me. I want to revel in this feeling a little longer before coming back down to earth with a bump.

  It’s quiet here in the house now that Rhett’s gone. I know we took a shower together, but I feel like a long soak in a hot bubble bath. So, I head upstairs to my master bathroom, where I have the most beautiful claw-footed, rolltop bath. It’s deep and I can actually submerge myself as opposed to the bath that came with the house, where my knees were constantly above the water level.

  As the water runs, I grab my iPod dock from my room and hit shuffle. If there’s anything I love, it’s to listen to music. Anywhere, anytime, I just have music in my soul. It’s a part of everyday life. Or it is for me, anyway.

  Turning off the taps, I sink into the water and fully submerge myself. I come back up with wet hair and wipe the water from my eyes.

  You were all I ever needed, but you left me feeling broken…

  The words float through my iPod dock and I can’t help but sing along.

  My heart exposed and open, you took my love and left me cold…

  As I listen to the voice, it feels like déjà vu. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the voice sounds a bit like Rhett when he was singing karaoke the other night. But I know that can’t be true. After all, this is a country band I used to listen to with Angelo.