Believe In Me (Paradise Place Book 7)

by Natalie Ann

  “Once a week at least. I try to do it more just for the stretching factor. Being on my feet all day, if I’m in the OR more than normal, I can get kind of stiff.”

  He wanted to make a comment about how stiff he was right now but knew that would be in poor taste when he was trying so hard to not be crude.

  “So, what is the occasion for dinner tonight?” he asked. They’d been talking or texting daily, but during the week either she was busy or he was it seemed. They did spend most of the weekend together though.

  “I was missing Jet.”

  “Just Jet?” he asked.

  She moved out of his arms and hung her bag up. He wanted to know what was in it since it was bigger than the normal purse she carried, but he decided against it for now. No use getting his hopes up.

  “You too. I wanted to suggest it earlier but didn’t want to come off as clingy. Then it hit me your parents are coming tomorrow and you’d be busy all weekend.”

  “I will be. I’m taking everyone out to dinner tomorrow. Saturday my mother said she’ll cook, the same with Sunday. I hate she is coming here to do that, but I understand she feels the need to baby me too.”

  “You’re her oldest and her only boy. Are you a Mama’s boy?”

  He started to laugh. “My sisters would say yes and I’d argue until I was a member of the Blue Man Group. My mother might agree with my sisters though.”

  “There is nothing wrong with that,” she said. “Harris and my mother have always been close too.”

  “So are you a Daddy’s girl?”

  “I think I’m equally close to both of my parents.”

  He opened up the box of pizza and got the plates down. “Are you sure you’re okay with the veggies?”

  “I’m totally okay with a veggie pizza. Most men want them loaded with meat. I can throw back a meat-filled one too, but I do enjoy the veggie better.” He was trying to avoid the grease from the meats, but did opt for wings that he was dying to dive into. “I’m starving but would limit myself if it was full of meat.” He rubbed a hand over his stomach. “Veggies are fine and help me keep my figure.”

  She laughed and poked him in the stomach. “I’m sure that figure of yours is just fine.”

  “Only fine?”

  She put Jet down and went to wash her hands, then put a piece of pizza on her plate and took a few wings out. “I’ve only seen you clothed. I can’t really tell fully.”

  “We should work on changing that.”

  “Maybe you need to,” she said back, sitting on the stool and taking a big bite of her pizza, her eyes telling him tonight might be the damn night he was waiting for.

  “Are you just teasing me?”

  “I think I’ve been teasing you for a few weeks,” she said back. “The question is if you’ve had enough.”

  Did she worry that maybe he was getting sick of it? Was staying away for a couple of days making her doubt things? He didn’t want her moving forward for that reason but wasn’t sure how to ask either, but decided she might appreciate him being more direct.

  “So talk to me. Do you only want to get in my bed because you think I’m pulling away by not seeing you for a few days?”

  “What?” she asked and started to cough. He got up and got her a bottle of water. She took the top off and swallowed a bit, finally stopped coughing and said, “Why would you ask that?”

  “I’ve managed to insult you I see.”

  “Yeah. I don’t know the type of women you are used to dating, but I don’t jump in bed with a guy on the first date. I like to get to know him better. We’ve known each other a few weeks. We’ve been out. We’ve bonded over a puppy, you’ve cooked me dinner. We talk all the time and text too. I feel like we’ve gotten to know each other, but now I’m wondering.”

  And he was wondering if somehow he’d made a big mess of things. “I agree with all of that. I guess it was the way you said it.”

  “No. There is more to it. So tell me if you want to talk.”

  “Fine,” he said. “I’ve had women get sick of me not being around and give me ultimatums.”

  “Saying I was ready to see you naked isn’t an ultimatum in my book. I guess we visit different libraries.”

  He started to laugh. “No. It’s not the same. But the way you asked if I’ve had enough of the teasing made me wonder if you thought I wasn’t around lately because I was annoyed with you holding out.”

  “First off, I’m not holding out. Second of all, you’ve got a job and you’re new here. I know you need to put time in there and, as I’ve said before, Mr. Overachiever, that tells me you put a lot of time in. I’ve got a job too and a life and friends and family outside of that job.”

  “I know. I completely read the situation wrong and I’m sorry. Now I’m pretty sure I lost the opportunity to see you naked when it’s been on my mind for weeks.”

  Sarah wasn’t sure what to make of this conversation.

  She’d come here ready to get her hands on Caden. She’d been thinking of it since they picked up Jet on Saturday. She’d even broken the promise to herself to not reach out to him so fast on Sunday after spending the day with him on Saturday, but she couldn’t stop herself.

  And when he cooked for her on Sunday, man, she thought she might be losing her heart.

  It was stupid and simple things, but things no man she’d ever dated before did. Fun and happiness she tried to remind herself.

  He was considerate. He was funny. He had a great personality. He turned her on like no other man.

  And he wasn’t pushing her. No pressure that made her feel like if she didn’t give in he’d take a hike.

  She knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him. And the way he was with Jet. Yeah, any woman would have gone mushy seeing the big strong sexy man with a five o’clock shadow holding a puppy.

  She’d wanted to make a comment about calendar shots but knew it might be cliché since he’d modeled before.

  Last night when he’d called her to say Jet had all his shots and would be going to doggie daycare next week and that his sister Morgan could get off his back, she’d realized that if she didn’t see him on Thursday, they’d be looking at almost another week before she could again.

  She found she didn’t want to wait when she’d never felt like that before.

  Until this conversation started. Now she wasn’t sure what the hell to think.

  “I’m glad to know it’s been on your mind. But I’m not like other women you’ve dated. At least I’m pretty sure of that.”

  She didn’t reek of class nor was she out to land a man to take care of her. She’d bet most of the women Caden dated before only wanted one of two things from him. His money or his body.

  A little bit of arm candy and some fun.

  She was old enough to not be going for either of those things in life.

  Matter of fact, she was at a stage in her life, that at some point, she wanted to know what his thoughts were about settling down. Not that she wanted a ring from him or anything like that.

  She just wanted to know if he even thought about it. Or if he was going to be a confirmed bachelor married to his job that she suspected might be the case.

  Though she told herself she was out for fun, she wasn’t going to do it long term either. It had to start that way, but couldn’t be a lifestyle for her to stay with a man that didn’t feel the same way as her.

  “You’re not at all,” he said, and continued to eat.

  She wasn’t sure what to make of the sparkle in his eyes. “Is that good or bad?”

  “Definitely good,” he said. “I can actually appreciate the fact that you don’t need to be together every night. Or that you understand I’ve got other responsibilities.”

  There was no reason to be hurt by words she’d said first so if she felt a little ache in her heart, she was going to have to push it aside.

  “Exactly. So are we all clear here?” she asked.

  “I think so.” He put his unfinished pizza down
and stood up and moved toward her. “But now that we’ve talked about naked bodies, I think the food just has to wait.”

  She laughed and felt a flood of heat go right between her legs, then dropped her own food back on the plate. “Well then. We might have finally checked out the same book.”

  He took her hand and pulled her to his bedroom at the other end of the house, then shut the door with his foot. Before they could get to the bed, she put her hands on his chest and nudged him a few feet closer until he landed on his back, her crawling on top of him.

  “Well hello there,” he said just as her mouth closed over his.

  “We’re done talking now, right?”

  “Only if they are sex words.”

  “I’m not into dirty talk,” she said. “But who knows, maybe you can teach me.”

  “Don’t put a challenge like that on my shoulders,” he said.

  “Oh yeah. A goal you’d have to reach. How’s this for a goal? Make me scream your name out tonight.”

  “That is one that I’ll do gladly. Multiple times.”

  She wanted to say he was bragging, but before she could say another word, he’d flipped her and switched their position and had her shirt lifted up and under her chin with her bra, his mouth on a nipple.

  How the heck did he do that so fast and who cared with how wonderful it felt?

  Her hips lifted up grinding against him the minute he started to suck a little harder.

  Heat? She thought she had heat there before? Now it’s fluid for sure. And lots of it.

  “Caden,” she said, her voice rising up. It’d been a long time since she’d been with a man and her body was demanding a lot more than what she was getting.

  “Something you want?” he asked.

  “You know I do.”

  He moved down her waist, undid her jeans and pulled them down and off with her underwear, and she managed to remove her shirt and bra.

  She was just ready to tell him to get undressed, but he decided his mouth had to be put to work somewhere else and didn’t leave her guessing as to where.

  He found her swollen nub, his mouth went right to it and he pulled it in like he had her nipple.

  She was pretty sure her eyes just crossed and his name escaped from her mouth before she could stop it.

  While she tried to catch her breath, he climbed off the bed and quickly disrobed, then opened up a drawer for a condom.

  Yeah, he had one hell of a body on him, but he wasn’t giving her time to admire it before he was over her and gliding into her.

  “Shit,” he said. She was thinking the same thing but didn’t have a chance to voice it before his mouth covered hers.

  He was sliding in and out, she was meeting and matching, then planting her feet on the bed to try to get him in deeper. She couldn’t get enough even though it was tight and she didn’t care.

  He was stretching her out and the feeling was more pleasure than any discomfort.

  His hands went into her hair holding her head in place, his mouth assaulting her as much as his body was and the combination of the two at once was enough to build her up and send her spiraling out of control again.

  Her nails started to dig into his back, but he didn’t seem to mind. Instead he had this unbelievable control of sliding in and out of her at the same pace as he worked her up. She wanted to think it was almost robotic but then that bordered on creepy and she wondered if it was just an act to him and he actually felt anything.

  Was this one of his overachieving things again? That he perfected how to give women orgasms?

  Then she wondered how the hell those thoughts were in her head when she was building up so fast below. When her own hips started to move faster, he met the pace and she couldn’t hold back if she wanted to.

  She started to throb and twitch, and if he weren’t kissing her, she would have shouted out his name again.

  And just as her body started to slow down the throbbing, he sped up again, and there was no control this time. Nothing methodical at all. And knowing he was getting there, she started to move with him, causing him to be almost jerky in his need to get to where he’d just sent her.

  She pulled his hair and lifted his head up to look in his eyes. She wanted to see him as he came. She wanted to see what he might be feeling.

  And when he finally let go, his body stilling, his gaze remained locked on hers, a big smile on his face, his head lowering and touching his lips to hers.

  13

  Giving Right Back

  Caden felt almost lightheaded. If it wasn’t for the fact that he could feel the warm body of Sarah under him and his heart racing again, he might have had flashbacks of the night he passed out in the restaurant.

  He couldn’t remember ever feeling like this after sex.

  Most times it was a physical release more than anything. Never an emotional one.

  He’d even thought that going in with her. When they started, it was all about getting her there like he’d said he was going to do.

  But little by little he found he was straining to maintain any control and wondered if he’d be able to bring her to a second time before he just lost it.

  And when she finally let go that second time, he knew he could breathe and do it too.

  Then she made eye contact with him.

  Her blue eyes staring into his. He couldn’t look away even if he wanted to and he didn’t.

  Their hips were just moving on their own. There was no control. Nothing.

  She wasn’t moving to get herself there again. Nope, she was doing it to get him there.

  She’d taken what he’d given her, but she was giving right back.

  Not one other woman he’d been with had ever done that before.

  Had ever wanted to see him when he came. Had ever pulled something out of him so powerful.

  Sure, women had put out. They’d done kinky things. They’d given him blow jobs in odd places. They were acts that hoped to get them something in the end.

  Sarah just did what came naturally to her. There was no hidden agenda there.

  He knew because he could see she’d felt the same as him. That both of them were shaken by what they’d just experienced.

  And as chatty as he’d been earlier, he really didn’t want to talk about this.

  He rolled off of her and flopped on his back. “Are you okay?”

  “I think so,” she said. “Just trying to catch my breath. You?”

  “The same.”

  They were both just looking at the ceiling now, but her hand reached over and grabbed his. “I only shouted your name once.”

  He laughed. “If I weren’t kissing you, you would have a second time. Don’t lie.”

  She sighed. “Fine. You’re right. But you did say multiple times.”’

  “It’s early yet.” He turned and looked at the clock by his bed. “Barely seven. I’d say we have all night if you brought a change of clothes.”

  “I might have. I wasn’t sure how you felt about overnight guests. I’ve got to be to work at seven, so I’m an early riser and will have to leave here around six thirty to get there and clocked in. Surgeries start at seven.”

  “I’m an early riser. Even more so with a puppy that needs to go to the bathroom.”

  She sat up. “Speaking of Jet. It’s kind of quiet, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah,” he said sitting up with her. “Guess we should go see what he might have gotten into.”

  He stood up and went to the bathroom to take care of the condom, then came out to pick his clothes up off the floor. She already had her jeans and shirt back on. No bra that he could see and it was just going to tease him knowing that.

  He pulled on his jeans and shirt and opened the door, hoping to see the puppy there, but he wasn’t.

  “Should we call his name?” she asked.

  “No. I want to see what he might be doing to let me know if I can trust him or not.”

  She started to laugh and covered her mouth. “He’s two
months old and you are wondering if you can trust him. I guess you haven’t been around dogs much.”

  “No,” he said, wondering what they might discover. And when they walked in the kitchen they saw Jet sleeping next to a bunch of vegetables on the floor.

  “Crap. I hope he didn’t get the chicken wings. How the heck did he get the pizza?”

  They both rushed over to the table and saw that only Caden’s slice was missing from the plate and not much had been on it. Maybe a quarter of it left. “Thankfully it looks like all he ate was the remaining piece of mine.”

  “Guess he doesn’t like veggies,” she said, grinning and picking up the other half of hers. “And mine is safe and I’m even hungrier now.”

  He reached in the box for another slice. “I should let him out. I wonder if dough and cheese are bad for him. I’m almost afraid to text Morgan and ask. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “He should be fine. Harris feeds Nicks some scraps. Cheese is one thing dogs like. I’m not so sure it’s going to be a problem more than a bellyache though.”

  “And you’ll be here to help me clean up any messes since you distracted me so much I forgot to put Jet in the crate.”

  “Oh sure,” she said laughing. “Put the blame on me.”

  He reached out and tapped her nose with his finger, took one more bite of his pizza, then set the slice down and picked Jet up and grabbed his collar and leash. “I’ll be right back. Help yourself to whatever you want or need.”

  “I got everything I wanted and needed tonight,” she said, winking at him.

  The next morning, Sarah rolled over at five thirty and went to shut her alarm off. Caden’s bed was so soft she didn’t want to get up.

  Not only that, he’d worn her out and kept good on his promise to have her saying his name multiple times before they fell into an exhausted slumber.

  When she turned back over, she realized that the bed was empty and Caden must have gotten up before her and she never even felt the bed move. Not even when Jet was moving around sleeping with them.