CHAPTER FIVE
COLLIN
My eyes combed the candle-lit table. A smile lit the corners of my lips. The navy place settings were perfectly placed across the table from each other. I was proud of myself. Looked as good as if my maid had completed the task. The fire roared in the fireplace. I peeked at my Breitling Bentley watch. Kara would be here any moment. I darted across the room and grabbed a bottle of red wine off the bar. Normally, I was cool as a fan, but Kara sometimes made me nervous. Was my hair ok? I didn’t have time to peek in the bathroom mirror. Wait, what the fuck was I saying? I sounded like a chick. The blue flannel shirt, jeans, and loafers were perfect for a night inside in Alaska.
Knock, knock.
I turned the knob, swinging the door open. “Kara.” I smiled.
“Hello, Collin.”
“Come in. I’ll take the pot of soup.”
Kara wore her hair pulled back in a low ponytail. A single thick spiral curl descended her back. That cute little sloped nose was perfect for her oval face. Those brown eyes slanted a smidge. I wondered if she had Mandarin in her bloodline. Pressing my lips against her honey brown skin was ruling my thoughts at the moment. I placed the pot on the kitchen table.
“Smells good in here. Did you hire someone to cook?”
“Cute. No.” I stepped over and slipped the brown bomber jacket off of her slender frame.
“Why is it hard to believe a man can cook?”
“It’s not hard to believe a man can cook. It’s hard to believe that you can cook, Collin.”
“It’s my secret hobby. It’s how I unwind when I’m stressed.”
Her brow rose as we walked into the kitchen.
“Have you called your family or your business partner?”
“No.”
“I think it’s time you do.”
“I’m not stressed now. I have to eat, so I cooked. If I didn’t, I’d dine in town or order carryout.”
“Hm, I see your point. We do have chefs in town who’d love to cook for you.”
“No. I’m fine. Besides, I wanted to enjoy a quiet dinner alone with you.”
“All right, I’ll wash my hands and I’ll be right back.”
I nodded. She was right; I needed to call home. I’d been here almost a week and had no communication with my family or business partner. I peeked at our stocks on the stock market. They were still climbing. That was a good sign. I opened the wine and poured Kara and myself a glass.
“I’m back. I’ll warm up the soup, then we can place the other dishes on the table.”
“I forgot to ask if you ever had a boyfriend?” I asked her.
“Um, yeah. His name is Jack. He owns the auto repair shop in town. Eric was pissed. Said he was no good, and I’d regret choosing him to be my boyfriend.”
We placed the dishes on the table.
“He was right. I did. Jack liked several girls in town. He was also dating them while he dated me. Eric and Chrissy took me to a bar in Anchorage and there he was kissing another girl. We were only seventeen.”
Kara placed a large bowl of soup in the microwave.
“I’ve been picky ever since. Eric is a great guy. I’m just not romantically attracted to him. It’s hard to explain. He’s a gorgeous guy, but I don’t get that spark when he kisses me.”
I clenched my teeth. Eric kissing her all the time. That shit had to stop.
“Do you still kiss him?”
“We haven’t kissed on the lips in years. He settles for kissing my cheek. He doesn’t know how to let me go. I’ve told him several times to move on, but I don’t know what else to do.” She grabbed the pot holders, removed the soup from the microwave, and sat the bowl on the table.
“Michelle told him about you. Eric wasn’t happy.”
I pulled her chair out, she sat, and I pushed her closer to the table.
“He sounds like a great guy.” I sat across from her. “But he needs to move on. Not sure seeing us together will change how he feels about you. He probably feels like any guy you date is temporary. It’s ok, he’ll learn I’m not. I’m here to stay, Kara.”
“But Collin, you’re not. You will return to L.A. eventually. I’ll be here. There’s no way we can have a long-distance relationship.”
“Kara, don’t compare me to the Jack dude.”
“Let’s enjoy this time together while we can.”
She slid her knife through the medium rare steak.
“If I lived here, would you feel different?”
She chewed the steak and stared through me, then her eyes met mine. “I am extremely, physically attracted to you and I hate it. I hate you know how attracted I am to you.”
She didn’t answer my question.
“Kara, it’s not a bad thing.”
“You say you want me to be yours. What does that mean exactly?” She sipped her wine.
“There’s no way I could just sleep with a woman like you. Your spirit and smile are infectious. Every time I’m close to you, I want to kiss you. That doesn’t normally happen to me. If I’m at a club, I flirt with a woman. Possibly fuck her that night or make sure she understands there aren’t any strings. For the first time, I look forward to seeing a woman again for more than sex. Maybe I should have given one of those women I fucked more than my dick. I didn’t bother to get to know them. Probably because I was too busy. For the first time, I slowed down and really paid attention to what was in my view. Kara, I understand you’re not a one-night stand kind of woman. The biggest issue is...” I felt my jaw twitch.
“What’s that?”
“I can’t share you. If one of your guys can’t accept us, I’ll be forced to bash their heads in.”
Her jaw slacked. “Collin, you don’t mean that.”
“In two weeks, I’ll reveal a surprise to you.”
“What kind of surprise?”
“I won’t say. Just know I want you to be my woman. That’s not the surprise. You already knew what I wanted.”
She chomped on a broccoli stem. “We leave for Anchorage in two days. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
I decided to avoid the elephant in the room. We’d only keep arguing.
“Are we driving, flying, or taking a train?”
“Would you like to take the train?”
“Yes, we can rent a truck once we arrive.”
“Sounds good.”
I stretched my hand out toward her. She placed her hand in mine. “Kara, I won’t hurt you. I need you to listen to your heart. Tonight, we’ll watch a romantic movie, then I’ll carry you to my bed and we’ll sleep. I won’t try to fuck you, Kara. This isn’t what our closeness means. We are getting to know each other. I love holding you while you sleep.”
“You won’t try to touch me?”
“If you want me to play with your pussy, I will. But I won’t tongue fuck you anytime soon until…”
She rubbed her collar bone with her free hand.
“Until when, Collin?” Her slanted beady eyes held on to my every word.
“Until you’re my woman.”
She retracted her hand from mine.
Greedy little thing didn’t like my answer. “What?”
“I hate how hot you make me. If you touch…”
“If I touch what? Say it, Kara.”
“If you touch my pussy,” she mumbled. “Collin, I’ll want more.”
“Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I’ll have to ration out the tongue and dick over time. It will be awhile before I let you ride my cock. I ain’t fucking around, Kara, you’ll be all mine.”
Shit, she was mine right now, but I didn’t want to totally freak her out.
“I know you didn’t expect to spend the night. You can wear one of my T-shirts. And no panties.”
She visibly swallowed. Her eyes fell to her plate.
“After dinner, let’s play a game of Connect Four. Maybe that will keep my mind out of the gutter.”
Doubt that. I smiled. “Oh, you’re going down.”
We laughed.
Finally, I could eat without stressing about her giving me shit about spending the night.
∞
The game of Connect Four didn’t go as planned. We decided to just watch the movie and drink wine. Kara sat on the sofa and sipped her glass of wine.
“Were you a nose in the books kind of student or a party animal?”
I sat beside her and pulled her feet into my lap. “Mixed if you can believe it.”
I untied her boots, then placed them under the coffee table.
“You were half and half?”
“Yes. During midterms and finals, I was focused on my assignments. The first two years I played football, and I partied a lot. By my junior year, I settled down and only partied a few times a year. My buddy, Bryce, said I was too focused on obtaining good grades. Let’s say, he partied a lot more than me. Good thing we weren’t roommates, I wouldn’t have slept. We had our own dorm rooms at Harvard.”
“You never felt homesick?”
“Whenever I missed my mom, I’d fly home. Dad said I didn’t need to run back and forth.”
“Was he a loving dad or the life lessons type?”
“Definitely, life lessons. He never coddled me.”
“Do you want children?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think you’ll provide the same level of compassion to your children?”
I rubbed my brow. “Hadn’t really thought about it.”
“My children will receive all the hugs and kisses I can give. None of us are promised tomorrow. I want them to know their mommy loves them.”
I kissed her nose. “That’s smart.”
“My husband would have to be a loving man to my children. Not a stern, no affection kind of man. My father is stern when he needs to be, but so loving.”
“You don’t think I can be a loving father?”
“I didn’t say that. Only you know what kind of father you’d like to be. It sounds like you’re a workaholic. I don’t think you have time for a family.”
She was right. I’d have to change my daily schedule to accommodate Kara.
I pressed play on the remote, then retrieved my wine glass. Gulping the contents, I pondered on her words. I placed the empty glass on the table.
The pads of my fingertips pressed into the center of her foot.
Kara’s elbow rested on the sofa beside my head. “Collin, what do you plan to do about your work schedule once you return home?”
I met her gaze. “Tweak it. I want to spend as much time with you as I can.”
“That’s not realistic. We live too far apart.”
“I’ll do what I have to do to keep you in my life.”
Her thumb stroked my stubbled jaw. “I hope you mean that, Collin.”
“I do, Kara.” I parted my lips over hers, sucking on her top lip. My hand swept along her sides under her sweater.
“How many layers do you have on?”
She chuckled against my lips. “Three. This is Alaska.”
I untucked her T-shirt, then her thermo cami. “Less is more in L.A.”
“Do you expect me to visit you in L.A.?”
I grinned.
Kara laughed. “I hate flying, Collin.”
“Kara, I know. Overcome that fear. I’d fly you to and from L.A. on my private jet.”
Her eyes widened, and she pulled back. “What do you mean, your private jet?”
“Kara, you knew I was rich, right?”
“It was obvious you weren’t hurting for money. But I didn’t know you were rich. I was so caught up in your party and charity photos, I never Googled your net worth.”
“I know you don’t care about money. That’s what I love about you. My wellbeing is of importance.” I slipped her sweater and pink T-shirt over her head.
“We’ve spent almost every waking hour together in four days. I’d say, I’ve figured you out for the most part. And I don’t want anyone to use you for your impeccable skills.” Her fingers slipped through my brown curls.
“Which skills are you referring to? My work skills or my tongue and finger skills?”
She wiggled her nose against my neck. “Your fingers. Those are the only skills I can speak on.”
“Are you trying to bait me, Ms. Riley?”
She pulled back and her face twisted ever so cute. “Is it working?”
I threw my head back and laughed. “No, sweetheart, it’s not.”
“Shit, that sucks. I need to work on my negotiation skills.”
“Just so happens, that’s my expertise.”
“This could work against me. I think I may have a few tricks up my sleeve, though. I may have something you want.”
“What’s that?”
“Not ready to say. I don’t want to play my hand just yet.”
I lowered her onto the pillow. “There isn’t a hand you could play; I wouldn’t be able to guess.” I yanked her tight black cami over her head and tossed it on the pile of clothes on the chair.
“Kara, I want everything you are willing to give to me. I was the first to make you come.”
Her brow rose.
“I want to be the only man to make you come. I want to be the man who breaks that shell you have built around your heart. I’m a selfish bastard. I want to be your first love and your last.”
A tear slid down the side of her face. “Collin, you can’t say things like that.”
“I want to be the only man you long to kiss.”
“Collin,” she cried, caressing my face.
“I want you so comfortable, you’ll walk around naked in front of me like you’re wearing clothes.”
“That sounds crazy.”
“It doesn’t, Kara.”
“I’ll be the first man to shove my tongue into that tight hole of yours.”
Her brown eyes sparkled.
“I’ll be the only man who comes inside that virgin pussy.”
Her hand flew over her mouth.
“How did you know?”
“Our conversation the other day. You probably have gotten hot and heavy, but it was obvious you hadn’t had sex yet. You were waiting for me to blow into town.” I winked.
“You rocked my entire world, Kara.”
“If I reward you with all of me, what will I receive in return?”
“You’ll become my first real girlfriend and my last. Most importantly, you’ll have my heart.”
Her face softened then her brows wrinkled. “You didn’t ask for my heart.”
“Sounds like I already penetrated your heart before we met. But now that I’m alive and in person, I’d say every day I receive a tiny bit more of your heart. This is our story, Kara. How our life began.” I bit her pouty lower lip.
“Do you want a life with me?” I asked her.
“I don’t know.”
“Kara, I think you do.”
She was afraid to trust her heart. My fingers slipped the button free on her jeans. Her lips pressed against mine.
“I thought we were watching the movie.”
“Not right now. I want you, Collin.” Kara unbuttoned the first few shirt buttons then tugged my shirt over my head.
Her fingers stroked my fine chest hairs. “Jeans and shoes off, Collin.”
“You are a demanding little thing even when you aren’t drunk.”
We laughed.
“You have that effect on me.” She smiled.
What did I do to deserve her? She was the good in my shitty fuckery kind of world. Kara was aware of my countless one-night stands. My desire not to commit to a woman until her. I toed off my loafers. She shoved my jeans over my ass revealing the brown hair around my cock.
“Kara, you’re pushing my boxers down too.”
“So what, I want to see it all.” She licked her lips.
Her hand dipped into my boxers and she gripped my cock. “You’re huge. I want to see it. I don’t just want to feel it.”
“As I told you before─”
Her li
ps crushed mine.
She wasn’t taking no for an answer. I pushed my gray cotton boxers and jeans down my legs, then kicked them aside. I gripped the waistband of her panties and jeans with one hand and yanked them off.
We broke our kiss and stared between us. Her eyes combed over my cock, resting on her hairy mound. I unhooked her bra, then snatched it off, throwing it to the floor.
“I need to see all of you, Kara.”
Happy I left the lamp on; my eyes marveled her breasts and tummy. Sitting on my shins, I bent her knees and spread her legs. Kara watched my every move, and I loved it.
“Fuck, Kara, I really need to wait to take your virginity. Baby, you’re making it difficult right now.” Precum seeped from the head of my cock.
“We don’t have to wait.”
Fuck her right now. She’s fine with it. You’d shatter her walls in an instant. Kara would be screaming your name. Nope, because I definitely would want to come several times in her pussy.
“Kara, I didn’t plan to have sex with you tonight. The condoms are upstairs.”
“I can wait until we go up.”
“We don’t have to rush. All the women will be cut off, Kara.”
She grabbed my neck and pressed her lips against mine. With her free hand, she gripped my cock and placed it against her soaking wet hole.
“Damn you’re wet. Even this wet, you can’t handle me. I’m too thick.”
I pushed my cock against her tight hole as her legs widened.
“Ouch,” she yelped.
“I told you.”
“We can try upstairs.”
“Kara, no. We aren’t having sex tonight.”
“You’re leaving in three weeks. I need to get it while I can.”
My eyes darkened. “Kara, we’re leaving in three weeks. Surprise,” I growled.
Her eyes grew the size of saucers. “You want me to visit right away?”
“No, Kara, I want you to return home with me to live.”
“Collin, I can’t do that. My life is here.”
“And my life is there. I run a billion-dollar company, Kara. I can’t move here full-time. I was serious. The jet is at your disposal. You can return home at any time.”
I bit her neck and pinched her nipple. “Like I said, you don’t have to worry about the other women. I’ll put an end to those arrangements.” Hunched over her, I rubbed her clit. “I told you, Kara, you’re mine.”
Cabin Fever Page 6