by Audrey Drake
Keegan gave her what she wanted, kissing her thoroughly but gently as he thrust into her inch by slow inch. It was maddening to wait as he took his time filling her and completely sensual and satisfying, all at the same time. Her body shuddered with release over and over, just from the one act, and it proved promising for what was still to come.
Finally fully inside her, Keegan stopped and held there for several long breaths, his eyes closed and his jaws clenched shut. But Callie couldn’t stand the hesitance, her body too hot to wait. She urged him on, rocking her hips and pushing at him with her heels, as if he could go any deeper.
When he began to move, his rhythm was slow and sensual, pumping in and out while swirling to assure he caught every last erogenous zone in her core. Callie came again and again, unable to stop the tumultuous reaction, like a rockslide within. As he filled her, he flicked his tongue over her lips, scraped his teeth on her nipples, and tended to every part of her. In all the sexual exploration she’d partaken of, she’d never felt so worshiped, like her needs mattered most. In the back of her mind, she wondered what Keegan was thinking, something she’d never been concerned with for any partner she’d had. But mostly, she could tell he wasn’t thinking, just feeling.
He adjusted slightly, and he picked up the pace. It drove Callie right over the edge of a cliff, and she rolled her head and thrust her hips forward, taking him in deeper. He grunted and shivered, and she knew she’d taken Keegan to the end of his sanity. With hard, determined thrusts, he reached his pinnacle and spilled, crying out as his body convulsed above hers. Callie rode out the orgasm with him, her inner walls in spasms as they clenched around him.
Exhausted, Callie let her head fall back on the pillow and closed her eyes, her limbs dropping away from Keegan. He went limp on top of her for a minute, and Callie smiled softly at the beauty of his weight on her. Normally, she was on top and got off immediately, or pushed the guy to the side before he sweated on her too much. But this was different. She liked the feel of their bodies molded together.
When he did move to the side, he remained tucked tightly up against her, and Callie turned her neck to look at him through hooded eyes. He glowed with satisfaction, and when she realized that made her happy, she marveled that she even cared. “What just happened here?” he asked in a raspy, light voice.
Callie took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I’m not sure, but I think it’s called sex.” He nudged her playfully, and she giggled. “Keegan, I don’t know what to say or what to think about it right now. We’re going to have to talk this through or something.”
“Of course we are,” he agreed, pushing up onto his elbow to look down at her. “I’m going downstairs to tell everyone to head home, that I put you to bed and I’m not feeling so well. I’ll pass it off as food poisoning or something.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “Are you sure?”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t really like most of those people. I just happened to still be in touch with them.” He rolled to his feet, stretching, and Callie took advantage of the view. He donned the bathing suit, and she envied his ability to look no different than when they’d started. Her hair was probably a royal mess. He walked over to kiss her and said, “I’ll be right back. Just wait here, okay?”
Callie nodded. She had no intention of moving unless the house caught fire. And maybe not even then.
Chapter Six
Trying not to be irritated, Keegan looked up from the breakfast he was preparing as Callie came down the stairs and into the kitchen. For the first time since he’d been home, she didn’t seem to be suffering from a hangover. Not that she hadn’t tried to drink too much, but something about making love typically sobered a person pretty quickly.
And as far as Keegan was concerned, that’s what they’d done.
His feelings for her were far stronger than he’d realized, and it didn’t make sense with the short time they’d been here together. Still, he couldn’t deny the obvious. He wanted Callie as more than a fling, and for more than sex. It was an awkward situation, and that was why he’d wanted to talk things through last night.
Unfortunately, some of his guests had been entirely uncooperative, and it had taken a little longer than he’d anticipated to get them all shoved out the door. By the time he got back upstairs, Callie was sound asleep. He’d sighed, tucked her in, and spent the night sitting in his own bed awake with his thoughts spinning at lightning speed.
“Good morning,” she greeted with a smile, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She’d pulled on a large t-shirt, and Keegan thought there was a pair of short shorts underneath, though he couldn’t tell for sure beneath the shirt. “I’m sorry I fell asleep.”
He shrugged, all his frustration dissipating at her apology, coupled with the sight of her face. She was so beautiful, especially now. She’d slept soundly, without being drunk out of her mind or used by some random guy. She hopefully had been truly satisfied, and now she glowed with a radiant expression. “It wasn’t your fault. A couple people got angry when I asked them to leave. It took a little longer than I thought.”
Callie scowled. “This is your house, and you have a right to decide when people come and go. If you want them out, they leave.” She shook her head. “Some of my friends are asses, but they don’t have that kind of sense of entitlement.”
“Like I said last night, I don’t really count them as friends anymore. Anyway,” he went on, shifting subjects, “we still need to talk.” He placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of her, and she sent him a grateful expression. He wanted to lean down and kiss her, but he wasn’t sure what she wanted to do about all of this. She’d expressed serious interest in him last night, but it had started with the influence of alcohol. What would she say now that she was stone sober?
He set plates full of bacon and sausage in the middle of the table, handed Callie a saucer, and then presented her with a bowl of oatmeal he’d prepared with raisins, pecans, and cinnamon. Sliding into his own seat, he asked, “How do you feel about me?”
She made a strange face. “I don’t know. I mean, I’ve never really felt anything for anyone, so it’s hard to describe. And with the complications of our situation, it feels weird to even think about it.”
He nodded. “Put that aside for a minute. You have to realize, in a few weeks, our parents won’t be married anymore. I don’t even use my father’s last name, except for legal purposes. With the divorce final, this whole problem of being stepsiblings disappears. So, without that hang-up, tell me how you feel about me.”
She stared at her food. “I care about you, Keegan. I can’t really place words on it. I know I’ve never felt so special sleeping with someone before, and I’ve never thought about how nice it would be to wake up next to that person every morning. But with you, it was like you were fresh air that my lungs needed, and it was okay if you never moved away from me.” She stopped and gazed up at him in question. He could see the vulnerability in her eyes as she asked, “Is that okay? I mean, I still don’t know what you want from me.”
Keegan didn’t have a clear answer for that, either. “My instant answer to that is, let’s make a go of it. I think we could really have something special. You know, I’ve never seriously dated anyone because no one ever quite felt like they fit the mold. But you just feel right. It feels like I was meant to hold you, and even our stupid teasing games make me happy. You’re smart and funny and outrageously beautiful.”
“But?” she asked, hearing the indecision in his voice.
“But…my life is in Europe, and your life is here. I don’t know if you’d be willing to come with me, or if I’d want to stay here. I had a clear plan of action, and now that’s been shot to hell.” He laughed sarcastically. “You threw my life into upheaval twenty years ago, and now, you’re doing it all over again. I don’t know, Callie. My feelings for you right now are too strong and confusing for me to think rationally.”
“I understand that,” she muttered, and the fact that sh
e was in the same place of befuddlement went a long way in easing his mind. “What do you want to do, Keegan? I’ll say this. I’m not tied down here. I mean, I have my friends and my life, but I’m really tired of what I do. I have a reputation here, and you’d probably hate to be associated with me in anyway because of the media and whatnot. But I don’t know if you want me to tag along when you leave. It’s a big decision for both of us.”
Keegan would have loved to bring her to Germany with him and start a life there. But he didn’t want to scare her, either. Clasping his hands in front of his face, he said, “I think we should take it one step at a time. We’re going to be here for a while. Why don’t we just…cool it down a little and really get to know each other? Then, when your mother and my father have finished settling their affairs and this divorce is final, we’ll explore our options. We’ll know better how we feel about each other, and we’ll be free to be together without a negative stigma hanging over our heads.”
Callie seemed to consider that, but she scowled. “It sounds good except I don’t know if I can keep my hands off you, Keegan. It’s like a compulsion. If we’re here together, which we have to be, it’s going to be impossible to ‘cool it’, as you say. Maybe I can tone it down. But your physical touch makes me feel like I’m alive.”
Keegan felt the same way, and he couldn’t deny that he’d be more than tempted to kiss her, to run his fingers up and down her arms. He could wait for sex, but he couldn’t be distant from her. “Okay, so we’ll keep it toned down. We’ll act like normal people who are starting to date. We’ll work on it until we feel comfortable with it, and when things calm down around us, we’ll take the big leap and call it a relationship.”
That made Callie laugh, which relieved Keegan greatly. Things had gotten entirely too serious for a moment. Now, he had confidence that they could get through this and come out happy together on the other side.
***
The last three weeks had been a blur of heaven for Callie, and she saw a real difference in her happiness and well as her health. She had more color to her cheeks and more confidence overall. Keegan was amazing, and she knew that, whether it was appropriate or not, she was falling for him.
She had never considered she would fall in love with anyone really, and it was exciting to be in the midst of such an adventure. Sure, Rena thought Callie was crazy; they hadn’t gone out on the prowl during the last three weeks, and Callie hadn’t offered an explanation as to why she wasn’t interested. Her best friend kept threatening an intervention, claiming Callie must be seriously depressed and maybe suicidal if she didn’t want to go out.
Other than that, Callie didn’t miss anything to do with her old lifestyle. She smiled at her reflection, wondering what her mother and ex-stepfather would say when they got home in a few minutes. She really was the picture of what they’d pretended she was all along. She adjusted her summer dress, checked the clip in her hair, and joined Keegan down in the sunroom to wait.
He looked as anxious as she felt, and they exchanged a quick kiss as they heard the car drive up. Laughter preceded their parents’ entrance into the room, and Callie was actually glad the divorce had been amicable. She didn’t want her mother to hurt.
But as the two older people entered the room, Callie’s jaw dropped. Both of them sported very lovely golden tans, which wasn’t a surprise, considering they’d been in the Canary Islands. But they were draped over each other with a twinkle in their eyes like newlyweds.
They barely addressed either Keegan or Callie as they took a seat almost on top of each other on the formal settee, and Callie moved instinctively closer to Keegan, as if she needed his protection. He brushed his hand against hers in quiet support, and she knew that whatever her mother and his father had to say was not going to come as good news.
“What’s this about?” Keegan asked in a deadpan tone. “You two seem awfully cozy.”
Not taking their eyes off each other, Callie’s mother beamed. “Well, we got there, and as we went over property and whatnot to try and settle our affairs, we started reminiscing and missing those good times. I remembered why we fell in love, and it sort of rekindled our relationship. I’m just not ready to be done, and we reconciled.”
Callie felt sick to her stomach. “So, are you saying you two got divorced and are getting back together, or are you cancelling the divorce altogether?” she asked, tasting bile in her throat.
“We negated the divorce process,” her stepfather told her, looking smug. “And we’re renewing our vows later this summer.”
That was it, then. Callie had finally found what she wanted in life, and her wicked stepfather had yet again found a way to ruin it for her. “What about selling the property and moving and all the crap you’ve put Keegan and me through in the last few weeks?”
“Oh, honey, it couldn’t have been that difficult to be here with Keegan. I mean, you had free run of the house, the pool, everything. And I don’t see any boxes, so I doubt you actually packed anything.”
She had…when the news had first come. And she would pack the rest. She was done. She wanted her own apartment. She glanced at Keegan, blinking back tears, and he looked as upset as she did. Of course, he was a master at hiding his emotions, but she’d learned to read him. Feeling spiteful and hurt, she took it out on him. “Well, I suppose you should go ahead and buy your one-way ticket back to Europe. Let’s make it a point to have a reunion in another twenty years, okay?”
She didn’t wait for a response and rushed up to her room. She slammed the door and locked it, and she was on the phone with Rena in a heartbeat. She ignored the infernal knocking and first Keegan calling out to her, then her mother. There was only one cure for this sort of devastation. She was going to go out with Rena, dance until her feet fell off, and find someone who could knock her socks off in bed. She would forget about Keegan. It had been a pipe dream, and she never should have let herself believe they could be together.
She should have stuck with what she knew and stayed in the comfortable little pocket of her life, where she belonged. Now, it was going to be an adjustment to get back into the swing of things, and she had memories of a wonderful relationship for comparison, something she should never have experienced.
That was fine; Callie knew it would take time, but eventually she would find enough men and enough liquor to blur and replace those memories.
To Be Continued…
Forbidden Fruit - The Complete Box Set
Caged Imbalance
Chapter One
Lucy’s heart pounded threw her chest when the day finally came. Everything she had learned seemed to float out of her mind on the long drive to downtown Little Rock. The only thoughts that remained were the anxiety driven ones; nervousness, fear, and uneasiness.
The small grey arena panned into view when Ben turned onto Main Street, and Lucy’s breath ceased to exist for a few drawn out moments. The world switched from real time to a slow motion dread. She had to win. She had to make him proud…
Lucy eyed Rita from across the ring. The same nervous wall that met her in the previous match returned for seconds. Rita stood motionless, the lights reflecting off her tan, sweat glistened skin. She held a constant stare towards Lucy. Lucy tried to return the intimidation factor, but did not feel like she was doing a good job of faking it. She was petrified. Lucy probed the floor for Ben, but he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap around her left ankle.
“Lucy!” Ben yelled over the arena music.
Lucy jumped at the feeling of his hand on her foot.
“Lucy, this is all you. Remember what I taught you; channel your anger. Unleash it on Rita. She has nothing on you.”
Ding. Ding. Ding.
The match began.
Rita established herself as the aggressor early on. She bounded across the ring and met Lucy’s thigh with a swift right legged kick.
Lucy was more seasoned, and as soon as the pain met muscle, her brain kicked into gear.
She landed a right handed jab at Rita’s exposed midsection. The forty or fifty occupants yelled with pleasure. Lucy let a single smirk rise to her lips. They were cheering for her.
Lucy blocked another of Rita’s kicks, and let loose one of her own, straight to Rita’s ribcage. She saw the pain in Rita’s eyes. The same pain she was sure that her previous opponent had seen in hers.
“Finish her!” She heard Ben yell in the background.
Lucy turned briefly, and met his beautiful eyes. His shirt clung to his amazing body, as always. She hoped that she could touch him, could feel him at the end of this night.
“Ugh.” Lucy braced herself against the rope confining the two fighters into the ring.
Rita had taken advantage of Lucy’s momentary lapse, her right foot striking fleshy contact with the back of Lucy’s hip. A pain that felt like a knife digging into her side immediately rose to life.
Lucy tried to regain her balance, but another kick from Rita’s left leg to Lucy’s stomach halted that effort.
The crowd rose to their feet. Screaming and clapping in a drunken applause.
They are cheering for her…
Lucy thought to herself. She had to win them back.
She limped back to the center of the ring. Rita bounced around on her toes, waiting for her. Lucy blocked a jab, and swung a violent kick towards Rita. Missed. The momentum of her leg carried her body around and left her midsection exposed again. Rita did not miss.
Another kick to Lucy’s abdomen sent a cold shock through her entire body. Lucy fell to her knees and the judge sprinted to the two women to separate Rita.
“Are you done?” The judge prodded.