Crushing on Kate

by Theresa Paolo

  “I can’t imagine it would be easy, especially knowing that you could finally find peace away from pain. If your brother was anything like you I’m sure he put up a hell of a fight.”

  Caleb shook his head, but that didn’t distract Kate from the wince that momentarily distorted his features.

  “My brother was stronger than me. Always had been. Even when we were kids, I could never beat him in an arm wrestle or out run him. He was four inches shorter than me, but what he lacked in height he made up in strength. He fought to the end. I was the one who gave up. In the beginning, I’d pray that he would beat this and he’d get better and we could get back to our lives. Back to looking for our next adventure…but then watching him deteriorate day in and day out, watching the life getting sucked right out of him…

  “I started to pray that the cancer would take him sooner before there was nothing left of him because I couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t stand to sit by his bedside while he wasted away. He was my best friend, the one person I could call on for anything, yet when he needed me most… I failed him. I feel guilty about it every day. He never would have given up on me no matter how bad it was.” He cleared his throat and turned away, unable to look her in the eyes. “Some brother I am, huh?”

  She stepped toward him, resting her hand on his shoulder. “I hope to never be in that sort of position, but I imagine if I ever were, I wouldn’t want my brother or sister suffering. I’d pray to end it, too.”

  “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

  She met that smoldering gaze dead on, needing him not only to hear what she had to say, but know that she meant it. “I think you know me well enough at this point to know that’s not my style. I’m honest to a fault. I don’t lie, especially not to people I care about.”

  His eyes widened at the declaration, but he didn’t say anything. He stood there, staring at her until she became uncomfortable and terribly embarrassed. She had no idea what it was they were doing, but clearly feelings were not to be involved. Her timing had always sucked, but this might very well take the cake.

  She stepped back, ready to run out and pretend those words never left her mouth. She’d collect the little bit of dignity she had left and walk out of there with her head held high and not let him know that his lack of response pierced a hole in her heart.

  “I should go,” she said, her words quick, teetering on panic.

  He didn’t say anything to stop her, so she spun on her heel and hurried down the stairs to the door. Just as she was about to throw it open and disappear into the dark of night, his hand landed on the door and pressed it shut.

  His body pressed against hers. She sucked in a ragged breath as his own breath brushed warmth along her ear. “Please don’t go,” he said, his voice tight and gruff.

  “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t?”

  One hand landed on her hip the other on her face as he gently turned her until she was staring into those dark beautiful eyes that made her weak in the knees.

  “Because I care about you, too.” Before the last word was even off his tongue, she crushed her lips to his. Desperation exploded inside of her, and she threaded her fingers into his hair. He didn’t hold back, swiping his tongue along her crease, begging for more. She simply couldn’t deny him, parting her mouth and letting him deepen the kiss.

  A hungry need to feel him inside her, took control, leaving her dizzy and drunk on desire. She grabbed for his shirt, fumbling with the buttons one by one until he slipped it off his arms and let it pool on the floor, but before she could take advantage and run her hands along the taut muscles of his chest, his fingers dug into the round curves of her ass and hoisted her onto him.

  She locked her legs around his waist, her back pressing against the door as he trailed a path of fiery kisses down her neck. A moan rumbled up her throat as he gently bit and sucked on the sensitive skin at the crook.

  Every kiss was like a match against her skin, sparking her nerve-endings to life and spreading an uncontrollable fire to rage inside her. She wanted more. Needed more. She wouldn’t be content until every inch of her bare body was touching his.

  She reached down, pulling at the hem of her shirt until it was on the floor beside his.

  Caleb growled as he looked down at the bright red lace bra that barely contained her breasts—a number she picked up with Shay on their most recent shopping trip in hopes that she’d be able to show it off. His reaction was everything she expected and more. His hungry eyes sweeping across each rounded curve sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine.

  “You’re going to be the death of me,” he said.

  She was about to retort with something witty when he dipped his head and dragged his tongue along the space where lace met skin, making every thought other than the wicked sensations he stirred inside her vanish.

  He reached behind her, releasing the hooks that kept her covered. One by one the cups fell, revealing each nipple eager for his touch. He didn’t disappoint, taking the pebbled flesh between his thumb and forefinger, eliciting a stream of moans from her throat.

  “I need you now,” she said, unable to wait another second. “Please.” She didn’t care how pathetic and desperate she sounded. All she cared about was feeling Caleb inside her, filling her completely.

  He rested his forehead against hers, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. “I already took you once on my desk. I’m not about to take you again against a door.” He tightened his hold on her ass and spun them, walking up the stairs with ease and moving toward his bedroom.

  Kate took advantage, kissing and sucking the tight skin along his shoulders. She trailed her tongue around his earlobe and nipped at it until a carnal growl rose in his throat.

  His hands moved up her back then down, tightening on her hips as he lowered them both to the bed. He hovered above her, his eyes practically black with desire as they stared into hers. The way he looked at her with wonder and need, she had never felt more beautiful in her life. It was a feeling every girl should experience at least once.

  Now that she witnessed it, felt the pure hunger emanating from him, devouring her with his eyes, she knew what true happiness was…knew that there was nothing and no one that would ever compare to him.

  In a single moment, Caleb ruined every other guy for her.

  ***

  Caleb had never been with a woman like Kate. She was gorgeous and sassy, and her natural curves were like a work of erotic art. That day he took her on his desk, he’d convinced himself it was just sex between two people who were attracted to each other, because he was scared of the truth, but now as she lay beneath him, staring up at him with those gorgeous blue-green eyes, he knew it was so much more than that.

  He wasn’t lying when he said he cared about her. After Gia, he never thought he’d be able to trust again let alone care about someone, but Kate chipped away at the wall he built, brick by brick until all that was left was her standing in front of him, admitting what he hoped to be true. She cared for him. This magical creature who didn’t take his shit and who warmed his heart just by a single smile cared for him, a cynical, beaten down man who all but gave up on happiness until she walked into his life.

  She deserved to be made loved to on a bed and not up against a door because he couldn’t control his urges. He needed to show her just how much he cared about her by touching and tasting every inch of her body.

  He brushed the stray hairs off her face so there was nothing between them before pressing his lips to hers, gentle yet firm. He kissed her like it was to be her last—thoroughly and indulgent. Their tongues slid against each other in a slick dance, giving and taking until there was nothing left. Over and over he kissed her, worshipping her mouth like it was one of the wonders of the world. Her hands tightened around his neck, her body arching into his, a silent plea for more.

  “What is it you want?” he asked, and she whimpered. He ran his hand up her bare side and took her nipple between his fingers, rolli
ng it until she cried out. “Is that what you want?”

  Her head pushed back into his pillow, strawberry blonde hair, spilling out around her like a crown. “More,” she cried.

  He moved his hand to her other nipple repeating the same movements, and when she cried out again he dipped his head taking the other in his mouth. Her body arched off the bed as he swirled his tongue around the taut bead.

  “Why are you…?” Her words cut off as he slipped his hand beneath her skirt and dragged his finger along the damp material between her legs.

  “Why am I what?” he asked, hooking his fingers into the bands of her panties and sliding them down her legs. He pushed her legs apart, pressing a kiss on the inside of her thigh. Then dragged his tongue slowly across her bare flesh, stopping just shy of where she desired him most. He looked up, her cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of crimson, her eyes half hooded and delirious. “What were you saying?” he asked with a wicked grin.

  “Dressed? Why are you still dressed?” she managed before he slipped a finger between her folds, causing her body to fall back against the mattress as she cried out his name. It was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard, and he relished in it for a moment before swiping his tongue across her swollen nub.

  Her body bucked off the bed, and he placed his hand on her stomach, pushing her gently back to the mattress as he continued to taste her delicious sweetness.

  He worked his tongue in motion with his fingers, licking and sliding, pushing her toward the edge. Her moans grew louder with each thrust and stroke, until she tightened around him and cried out..

  Her body went lax except for the slight tremble of her legs. He stood up, pushing his pants off and stepping out of them.

  Kate lay satiated in the middle of his bed her porcelain skin glowing against the navy-blue comforter. He took her in for a minute, thanking his damn lucky stars that a woman like her even gave him the time of day, especially when he gave her every reason not to.

  She lifted her leg, skimming his thigh with her red painted toe, a simple gesture that was sweet yet seductive. He grabbed her foot, kissing the top of it then continued the journey up her leg. He hesitated when he got to her thigh, removing her skirt and giving the area a little more attention than the rest before moving on to her stomach.

  Her skin was unbelievably soft and warm—an addicting combination that he knew he’d never get enough of. He finally reached her lips, slipping his tongue inside and deepening the kiss. She moaned against his mouth and he reached over to the nightstand, grabbing a condom. He quickly ripped the package open and sheathed himself, his lips never once leaving hers.

  She moaned again as he teased her, swiping his erection against her slick folds.

  “Please,” she begged, and the desperation in her voice was enough to have him cave, to want to give her anything she asked for. He pushed into her inch by excruciating inch, wanting to savor every second and not rush it like last time.

  He looked down at her, brushing the stray hairs from her face, and locking their gazes. Her eyes still held the satiated heaviness from her earlier orgasm, but beneath the lids, her irises were coming alive again. When he finally pushed all the way in, her eyes widened, lips parted into a sexy O, and she grabbed onto his shoulder, digging her nails into his skin as he rocked back and forth.

  Her body arced into him, pressing her warmth flesh against his. He hooked his hand beneath her back and flipped them over until she was on top. A smile lazily formed at the edges of her mouth as she looked down at him, strawberry blonde hair creating a curtain around them.

  “Tired?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “I want to watch you.” He wanted to watch her eyes flutter shut when she moved toward the peak, watch as her lips parted and body greedily moved against his.

  “I see how it is. Dinner and a show is what you want,” she said with humor in her tone which was one of the many things he loved about her.

  His body momentarily froze at the thought. Love? No. He swore to himself he’d never fall in love again. Love was nothing but heartache and headaches. But as Kate moved her body against his, bending down to take his face in her hands and kiss him stupid, there was no way he could deny it. He didn’t just care about her.

  He loved her.

  Chapter 12

  Kate buried her head into Caleb’s side, her soft, warm arm draped over his waist as her finger traced circles against his chest. It was how he wanted to fall asleep every night and how he wanted to wake every morning. Thinking about spending the next fifty-seven years of his life like this didn’t scare him like it once did. But the fact that it didn’t terrified him.

  It also made him sad, because he didn’t think his brother ever got to experience anything like this, and knowing true happiness with another was something for every person’s bucket list.

  He ran his hand up and down her back, loving the way it made her snuggle into him more. She took his wrist in her hand, running the pad of her thumb across the tattooed bike and the words Keep Moving.

  “Tell me about this,” Kate said.

  “I got it the day Milo was diagnosed. We both did. We swore to each other that no matter what, we’d keep moving. I think back on it now and wonder if he knew, despite what he made me believe, that he wasn’t going to make it. That this tattoo was his way of reminding me after he was gone that I had to keep going. That I couldn’t stop my life. He’d want me to continue on the adventures that he no longer could take, rip up as many trails as I could.”

  “Did you?”

  “A week after he died, I packed a bag, tossed my bike on the rack of my car, and took off. I had no destination, no plan. All I knew was I had to get away.”

  “Where’d you go?”

  “Everywhere. Utah, Colorado, California, North Dakota, Canada, New Hampshire, Vermont, everywhere… It’s how I discovered Red Maple Falls. I can’t explain it, but there was something about this place when I came through that drew me in.”

  “This town has that effect on people.”

  He laughed before continuing. “Milo and I talked about opening a bike shop together as our retirement project in thirty years. When I came through here I wondered, why then and why not now? I had the money and no desire to go back to my old life. I wanted a complete change and figured this was it. I knew I could’ve opened a bike shop anywhere, a place with more than nine hundred people in the town.”

  “Nine-hundred and twenty-two last count.”

  “Right, half of which is your family.”

  She tilted her head and laughed, and he kissed her forehead because he could. “Well, yeah.”

  “This town just felt right, and as stupid as it may sound, it felt like Milo brought me here. Even though he was gone, he was still pointing me in the right direction.”

  “I’m happy he pointed you here.”

  “You kidding? You hated me.”

  “You weren’t exactly the most pleasant person I had ever met, but your looks did give you some points.”

  “Really?” he said, looking down at her with a smile.

  “If you think I’m going to stroke that massive ego of yours you can think again.”

  “You can stroke something else,” he said with a wink that earned him a swat to his chest.

  “Haven’t you had enough?”

  “Of you? Never.” He had never said a truer word in his life.

  Kate slipped her hand beneath the navy-blue sheets and wrapped her fingers around his hardened length. She moved her hand up and down rotating between long calming strokes and fast heart racing pumps. The pressure built, driving him toward the edge, but he didn’t want to fall over without her. Never without her.

  He grabbed her sides and flipped her beneath him. She let out a squeak of surprise, and he covered her mouth with his, reaching beneath the covers and swiping a finger across her folds.

  “I love how wet you are for me.”

  Her teeth slid over her lip, and he bent down taking that lip betw
een his own teeth and sucking on the plump flesh. She moaned against his mouth, and he slipped his finger into her wetness, eliciting a string of loud moans as he worked in and out of her.

  He grabbed a condom off the nightstand, tearing open the foil with his teeth and sheathing himself. He positioned himself at her entrance and looked down at her, wanting to watch her as he slipped into her, joining their two bodies as one.

  Desire and lust filled her eyes, turning them that vibrant aquamarine color. Slowly, he pushed into her. Her lips parted and her body arched as he moved inside her with long, sensual strokes until her muscles tightened and they both fell over the edge together.

  He placed a kiss on Kate’s forehead then got up to dispose of the condom. When he came back she was curled up in his sheets, a satiated smile resting on her lips. She looked beautiful, like a damn angel lying in his bed.

  He had no idea what the future was going to bring, but right now, he was happy. But he knew happiness only lasted so long before the carpet was ripped out from underneath him. The only question was when.

  ***

  Kate was starving. Any type of physical activity made her hungry, and the several rounds of sex she had with Caleb left her stomach feeling empty. She lay curled up his arms, but really, at the moment, all she could think about was a slice of pizza or a bag of chips.

  Her stomach growled, and she heard Caleb snicker. “Hungry?” he asked and heat filled her cheeks.

  “I guess you heard that?”

  “How could I not? It sounded like an angry lion.”

  She swatted at his chest, and he grabbed her hand bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Come on. I’m hungry, too.”

  He took her by the hand and pulled her from bed, walking toward the door. “Shouldn’t we get dressed?” she asked, not used to walking around in the nude.

  He tugged on her hand, bringing her flesh against him. His hand trailed down her sides then cupped her bottom before coming around her front and stopping on her nipples. “Why the hell would we want to do that?” he asked as he bent his head and took her nipple into his mouth.