On the Line

by Liz Lincoln

  “My last test was all good, and no one but you since.” His brows eased back into their usual neutral positions. “But I’m not ready for another kid, I—”

  “I’m on the pill. Have been for years.” Did she sound as desperate to him as she did in her head? It wasn’t that she wanted to feel sex without a condom. She hadn’t noticed much difference with the one other boyfriend she’d done it with. But she wanted the trust involved in taking the step. She wanted the intimacy.

  Seth’s arm relaxed until he again lay face-to-face with Carrie. He stroked her hair back from her forehead. “You’re sure?”

  She held his gaze as she nodded. “Positive.” Then, because the emotional tension around them was starting to overwhelm her, she chuckled. “Seems like a decent way to officially become boyfriend and girlfriend.”

  He breathed out a half-laugh, then leaned in for a kiss. It immediately turned hot and desperate and his dick pressed hard against her belly, the root once again tormenting her clit.

  “Yes,” she moaned. “Please. Now.”

  Seth moaned into her mouth as he lifted her leg over his again. Then he guided himself to her entrance and slipped inside.

  OK, maybe there were subtle differences. She felt the slick of his pre-come as his tip grazed her clit before he entered her. And he did seem to slide more smoothly as he pressed forward.

  “Jesus fuck, darlin’, you feel fucking incredible.” With a snarl, he shoved the rest of the way in one firm thrust; at the same time, he closed his mouth over hers for a frantic kiss.

  He spread his hand over her ass and began to move, long, slow glides out, with firm thrusts back until he was as deep as he could go. It was a perfect rhythm to catch all Carrie’s most sensitive spots on the way out and again on the way back in.

  Needing air, Carrie pulled her mouth from his, panting, but kept her forehead pressed to him. She watched the tense expression on his face, knowing it was how he looked when the pleasure was intense.

  He dragged open his lids, his eyes wild and desperate, but somehow still soft. Tender.

  “This is…” He slammed into her hard, then rolled his hips in a circle that had her gasping. “This is really fucking good. You’re so beautiful and you feel amazing.”

  With every thrust, his chest grazed her nipples just enough to keep her on edge. She wanted to play with them, wanted to pinch her nipples until they reached—maybe even crossed a little—that precarious line between pleasure and pain.

  But she couldn’t stop touching his face. His hair and his beard and the smooth skin below his eye, where his whiskers stopped, and the fleshy pad of his earlobe, and the crease between his eyebrows that he always got when he was deep in focus on bringing her pleasure.

  “Haven’t you—” Her words broke off on a moan when he pinched her nipple, distracting her from her question. She had to fight the urge to arch into the touch. His gaze locked on hers was too much to look away from. Like everything else that night, there was a deeper connection building between them. An understanding of the other, an intimacy that was impossible to break.

  “Haven’t I what?” he panted, followed by a long, guttural moan.

  He shifted his hips, hitching her closer as he rolled in a circle. Pleasure detonated throughout Carrie’s body, so intense she almost wanted to pull away. It was too much. Yet it wasn’t enough.

  “Haven’t you…done…this…” She could barely find air to push the words out. “Before?”

  For several moments, he didn’t answer. The only sounds were their labored breaths and the slap of his groin against hers. Occasionally one of them moaned or cried out.

  She used her legs to pull him tighter, flexing her thighs for leverage as he slid back and shoved home.

  His hand left her ass, trailing up her back and over her shoulder until he cupped her cheek. His thumb caressed her cheek as he said, “Never. Even with Maddie’s mom, we used one.” His words were tense, huffed from his mouth into hers.

  With as much of a smile as she could dredge up, she squeezed him with her inner muscles.

  “Fuck!” he barked out. His eyes rolled back in his head and it was a good thirty seconds before he looked back at her. “Don’t do that again unless you want me to come.”

  She was so close. She did want him to come. She wanted him to shove inside as deep as he could go, and find ultimate pleasure in her arms, while giving her the same. She wanted him to look in her eyes as he did, so she could tell him without words exactly how she felt.

  And maybe she would see the same in his eyes.

  She tilted her face so her lips brushed his as she said, “I want you to come.”

  Groaning, he claimed her mouth. His tongue mirrored his cock, thrusting strong and sure. As he pulled back, Carrie clenched hard.

  Seth groaned her name. So she did it again. Now with each thrust, she squeezed as hard as she could as he tried to pull back. And with each thrust back inside, she yelped, the pleasure immense as he teased all her best spots.

  Forehead to forehead, nose to nose, sharing the same breath, they raced to completion. As tense as Seth’s face was, there was a softness in his eyes, in the slight upturn of his lips that was tender. It made her own lips curl even as she was drowning in pleasure. This was not merely fucking.

  This was making love.

  The realization was the final push she needed. Her orgasm crested, her whole body trembling from sensations so amazing, so intense, a sob broke from her throat.

  “That’s it, baby. Come on.”

  She started to arch her head back, but Seth’s hand in her hair was an anchor. Keeping her grounded, keeping her with him for this moment.

  He continued thrusting as Carrie’s orgasm tossed her high and wild. She was weightless.

  With a final thrust so hard it made her teeth rattle, Seth slammed into her as his body began to shake. His groan filled the room, followed by him panting her name as he pulsed and shook in her arms. “Motherfucker, that’s good, Carrie. Oh shit, that’s so good.”

  The pleasure seemed to go on endlessly, one crest rolling into the next. Finally she dragged her lids up to find Seth watching her. She smiled shyly, embarrassed to be caught in such an intimate moment, even if he’d been the one to cause her orgasms.

  Four times.

  “I love your face when you come.” He said it so quietly, she at first wasn’t sure she’d heard him right. His thumb stroked her cheek and she leaned into the touch. After the intensity of their sex, the gesture was dichotomous, but sweet.

  She’d managed to keep her eyes open for part of the explosions. “I like yours too. I like knowing I did that to you.”

  They spent long, lazy minutes caressing each other. A perfect ending to their first time making love. Thinking the word made her chest swell and ache, in the best way.

  She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, soft and wet and undemanding. She felt his smile as he returned the kiss.

  “You know what’s the best part of not wearing a condom?” Each word formed against her mouth.

  “One less thing going in the landfill, so we’re saving the planet by having sex?”

  He leaned back to look at her for a moment. She gave him a playful smile. Face opening up in laughter, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled to his back. He’d gone soft, but he was still somewhat inside her. Another new intimacy that thrilled her deep inside.

  “I never considered the conservation angle, but I’m willing to do my part to save the Earth. If we must, I’ll make that sacrifice.”

  Carrie rested her chin on her fist, her other hand sliding lazily up and down his arm. “Tell me the best part.”

  The humor slipped from his face, his expression turning tender but intense. “I don’t have to get up right away. I get to stay here with you. I can hold you until we fall asleep.”

  He had to say the exact right thing to make her fall a little farther, didn’t he? Did he even realize what he did to her?

  Th
ey shifted around on the bed until they were snuggled together under her blankets. The December wind rattled the gutters outside, but inside she was cozy and warm.

  Before they drifted off to sleep, Seth tilted her face to his and gave her a soft, lingering kiss. “Happy birthday.”

  Something about the way he touched her cheek, the way he said the words, like they meant so much more, had her wondering what else he might be thinking but not saying.

  But there was time another day to figure out if Seth had fallen as deeply in love as she had.

  Chapter 17

  Damn, Carrie was one sexy woman. Seth needed to leave, but he couldn’t seem to tear himself away from the woman in his arms. She was warm and soft and fit so nicely against him as he leaned against the refrigerator, waiting for his breakfast burrito to heat up. He loved the feel of her arms wrapped around him. He loved the way her skin tasted, loved how she shivered when he kissed her behind her ear. Loved that little sound she made when his teeth grazed her earlobe.

  Seth lifted his head and looked deep into her eyes. Her expression was sleepy and seductive, and even after an entire night with her, even after having her again this morning before they got out of bed, he wanted nothing more than to drag her back to his bed and lose himself inside her once more.

  He was falling in love with her. There was no other explanation for how he felt with her. Even when he wasn’t with her.

  She brushed her sweet mouth across his. “You need to go.”

  “I know.” Without his permission, his fingers threaded into her hair and tilted her head so he could kiss her more deeply. She made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a moan, and opened for him.

  His tongue tangled with hers, flooding him with heat and an overwhelming sense of peace. This was where he belonged.

  Somewhere in the distance, the microwave beeped, but they ignored it. He needed to get his fill of her. He wouldn’t be home until late tomorrow, too late to see her until Monday morning. He likely wouldn’t get to hold her and kiss her again like this until his day off on Tuesday.

  Saturday to Tuesday was a long time.

  “Dad?”

  Seth’s kiss-drugged brain struggled to make sense of the interruption. Carrie made a confused sound.

  “What the hell?”

  Oh. Shit.

  Understanding slammed through him, and he jerked away from Carrie. Standing in the foyer, eyes blazing, expression furious, his daughter gaped at him.

  “I can’t believe—” Her voice choked off. Her big brown eyes filled with tears. “How could you?”

  Seth took long strides toward her. “Maddie…”

  She shrank away from him. “No.” Her head swung back and forth, a violent denial. “No, get away.”

  He didn’t stop her as she raced past him. As she passed the kitchen, she paused to turn her fury on Carrie. “I hate you.”

  “Madison, that’s enough,” Seth warned.

  “Leave me alone!” she yelled as she stormed up the stairs. There was a moment of tense silence before her door slammed.

  Seth leaned his elbows on the kitchen counter and dropped his head into his hands. “Fuck. This is exactly…”

  Carrie’s hand sliding over his back soothed his temper more than it should. Shit. What was he going to do about this mess?

  “I’m sorry.”

  He turned to look at her. Her face was lined with concern. For him, for his daughter, for the mess they’d made.

  God, he was wild about her. Was he crazy to think they could talk to Maddie and he could have everything he wanted? Maybe this was a good thing, getting their relationship out in the open. Maybe…

  His eyes snagged on the clock. “I’m late. I gotta go.” He straightened and cupped her cheek.

  “I know.” Her eyes were full of understanding. And sympathy. She gave him a soft smile.

  “Sorry to leave you with this.”

  Carrie shrugged. “We’ll deal with it. I’ll make a Starbucks run, get her an apology Frappuccino.”

  He bent to brush his lips over hers. “You’re the best. Seriously.”

  “I have my moments.”

  His last kiss was firmer, but when the urge to lick into her mouth took him, he pulled back. He didn’t have time for that. “See you tomorrow night.”

  “Kick some Stallion ass.”

  Grinning, he headed for the door. Damn, he was crazy about her.

  *

  —

  Carrie shouldered open the garage door, balancing her mocha in one hand and Maddie’s Frappuccino in the other. As olive branches went, she hoped it would at least get Maddie to talk to her. She had tried to coax Maddie out of her room so they could go to Starbucks together, maybe talk about the situation while they sipped their drinks. But when Carrie knocked on Maddie’s door, the girl had yelled at her to go away. She still sounded furious, so Carrie had made the coffee run alone.

  Now she took the drinks upstairs to again knock on Maddie’s door. With some luck, the promise of sugary caffeine would at least earn Carrie a few minutes of Maddie’s time.

  “Salted caramel mocha Frappuccino delivery service for you,” Carrie called as she reached the top of the stairs. “I even asked for extra caramel drizzled on the whipped cream.” Oh, to be a twelve-year-old athlete and be able to eat like that and stay thin.

  To Carrie’s surprise, Maddie’s bedroom door stood open. Carrie went in, expecting to find the girl at her desk, or maybe sacked out on her bed.

  Instead the room was empty.

  Dread crept over her. “Maddie?”

  No answer.

  “Maddie!” she yelled. Maybe she was in the bathroom.

  Still no answer.

  Dread turned to panic, chilling her from the inside. Carrie surveyed the room, looking for an indication where the girl could be.

  Her laptop was gone from its usual spot on the desk. What’s more, both the laptop charger and Maddie’s cell phone charger were also gone.

  Not good. Not good.

  Frantic now, Carrie rushed to the bed. To her dismay, the beat-up stuffed bunny that Maddie slept with was gone from its perch on the pillow.

  Oh shit oh shit oh shit.

  A glance back at the desk confirmed that Maddie’s carved wooden box where she kept her spending money was open and empty.

  Doing her best not to collapse in a heap of terrified tears, Carrie sank onto the bed and pulled out her phone. She almost ripped her hair out, waiting for an answer, but of course Maddie didn’t pick up. So Carrie tried a different number.

  “Hello?” Emilia’s voice sounded wary.

  “Emilia, it’s Carrie. Maddie’s nanny.”

  “Oh. Hi.”

  “Do you know where Maddie is? I came back from Starbucks and she isn’t here. I’m sure she left a note, but I can’t seem to find it.” Carrie was positive Maddie hadn’t left a note, but she didn’t want Emilia to think she would get her friend in trouble if she told Carrie where she was.

  “Um, I don’t…”

  Carrie knew preteen girls well enough to be sure Emilia had at least an idea where Maddie might be. In fact, Carrie would bet Emilia knew exactly where Maddie was.

  “Emilia, she’s not going to get in trouble. I promise. I just need to know she’s OK.” Carrie paused for effect. “But if I have to call her dad and make him miss his flight to St. Louis….”

  “I don’t know exactly where she is. I’m sorry!” Emilia sounded as worried as Carrie felt. “She said something about how her mom would understand.”

  A wave of dizziness rolled over Carrie. Her mom. She didn’t know if she wanted to scream or cry or panic. Probably panic. But she couldn’t, not if she were going to find Maddie before she did something even dumber.

  “Did she say anything else? Please, Emilia, it’s important.”

  “Just that she was really mad at you and her dad.”

  “OK. Thank you. I appreciate you telling me this.” Thank God Emilia was willing to talk t
o her. “If you hear from her again, will you tell her that her dad and I really want her to come home? And will you let me know if she tells you anything else about where she is or where she’s going?”

  Why couldn’t Maddie simply have stormed out and gone to Emilia’s house? No, she had to have ideas in her head about finding her absentee mom, who lived somewhere in Texas. Only a thousand miles away.

  Did she think she was going to take her spare cash and buy a plane ticket? This was, at least, the advantage to tracking down a distraught twelve-year-old: she wouldn’t get far with only a half-assed plan.

  Carrie hung up with Emilia, then made the call she truly dreaded.

  *

  —

  Seth stormed into the house, slamming the door as hard as he could behind him. Fury and panic warred for control, and he let the anger have free rein. If he allowed the fear to surface, he’d stop being able to function.

  He’d fucked up. Big time.

  “How the hell did you let this happen?” he roared at Carrie, who stood at the kitchen counter, in almost the same spot she’d been when he left a few hours earlier.

  Her face turned pink, her eyes flashing as she stared at him. “Let this happen? What, you think I gave her a wad of cash and drove her to the airport?”

  It was unfair to blame her, but dammit, she was the adult. He’d left her in charge. And now his daughter was missing. He wanted to punch his fist through the wall several times. He wanted to beat the shit out of something.

  What he really wanted was to yell at his daughter to stop acting like a brat and maybe for once see things from his perspective instead of throwing a tantrum because one time he’d put his own needs ahead of hers.

  But he couldn’t do any of that. So he yelled back at Carrie. “How the hell did she get out of the house without you even noticing?”

  “I went to Starbucks,” she bit out through her teeth.

  “Oh, you went to Starbucks. Because why wouldn’t you indulge your caffeine need when the child you’re supposed to be looking after is upset?”