“What did you do?” she asked perplexed.
I held up a finger and climbed off the bed, tugging the pillows out and laying them next to her, finally taking the small kit out of my duffel bag where I had hidden it.
She had her hand to her mouth and I noticed it trembled a little bit as she eyed the items. I handed her the bag and she unzipped it, peeking inside then up at me. “You went to She Likes It Sexy?” she asked.
I nodded. “I did go to She Likes It Sexy. Sorry for the name, but I couldn’t find the pillows anywhere else.”
“I can’t believe you stepped a foot inside their store. It had to be horrifyingly embarrassing.”
I held her against me and kissed her forehead. “In the beginning, yes, but once through the door, I found it somewhat liberating. I told the clerk what I needed and it turns out they have an entire section devoted to pillows and tools to help those with physical impairments. If I bought the pillows, they threw in the bag for free.”
She lowered the small bag into her lap. “Wow, how…”
“Awesome, kind, refreshing, and accepting?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said on an exhale. “How did you know what to get?”
I smoothed her hair back and kissed her neck. “I didn’t, so I pictured the first time we made love in my mind. It was easy then because I could see the positions you couldn’t get into yourself, and the ways you would need to be supported. I originally stopped in to buy the pillows, but since I didn’t know what kind of sensation you had in your pelvis, I decided to get the kit just in case. The clerk said it was better to have it and not need it—”
“Then need it and not have it?” she asked, her voice breathy as I bit down gently on her neck.
“Exactly,” I finished. “I want your first time to be something you remember forever, Cat. What do you say just for now we pretend nothing exists beyond these walls?”
“Just for now?” she asked, as my hands slithered up her chest to rest between her breasts.
“Just for now,” I whispered, “let me love you the way you deserve to be loved. I have protection with me,” I promised.
Her breath hitched when I ran my thumb across her nightshirt over her erect nipple. “I’m on birth control.”
I didn’t let her finish. My lips were on hers and her hands were braced against my chest as I straddled her. Where our other kisses were languid and unhurried, tonight’s kisses were fast, noisy, and hot as we stripped each other of clothes. She ran her hands over my bare chest, her fingers curling in the soft hair over my nipples. My boxer shorts were on, but tented and I rubbed against her gently, being careful not to put too much pressure on her. I sat back on my knees and tugged her nightshirt over her head, throwing it on the floor beside the bed as I took in her naked body lying under me. I ran my finger over a neoprene belt wrapped around her abdomen.
She stopped my hand from pulling on the Velcro. “Leave it. Then the tube won’t get pulled on.”
I met her eyes and understood. She had bought the belt in hopes of being intimate with me. The thought made me moan and I ran my hands up the sides of her ribs, drinking in how her nipples thrust upward at me and her stomach quivered with pent up desire.
“Ren, touch me,” she begged.
I held my finger against her lips. “I’m memorizing every little thing about you, sweetheart. There will only be one first time and I don’t want to forget the feel of you under me, the way the chill in the room raises goosebumps across your skin, and the way your nipples beg me to touch them.”
She took a deep breath and her chest rose, but before it fell I had one of those teasing nipples in my mouth, and her hands wrapped in my hair.
She moaned loudly, her chest vibrating the tender bud in my mouth. “Ren, my breasts are my new erogenous zone. If you suckle too hard the party will be over before it gets started.”
I tugged on the nipple gently until it fell from my lips as I locked eyes with her. “Your new erogenous zone?” I asked, confused from the passion clouding my mind.
“Since my paralysis and the spotty return of sensation down below, I’ve found my nipples are far more sensitive than they used to be,” she said, her voice going up an octave as I suckled the other one, my head filling with the scent of her.
She fought with my boxers until they were at my thighs, then she grasped hold of my hardness and ran it up and down in her hand. My knees were shaking and I didn’t want to release too soon. I grasped her hand and held it still.
“Let me get my boxers off and then I want you to tell me exactly what to do so you’re safe with no pain.” I said, making quick work of the cotton boxers.
Kneeling to get the material off my legs put me in a compromising position and she took advantage of it, turning her head and taking me into her mouth the way I had her. It took all my concentration to focus on how turned on she was to be pleasing me, not to lose it.
“My God, Cat, you have a hidden sexy side I’m quickly falling in love with.”
She laughed naughtily and it reverberated through my soul like an electric shock. As soon as I could, I carefully wiggled myself from her mouth and positioned the pillows the way the pictures showed. “Will this work?” I asked, kissing and nipping her breasts as I slipped a hand between her legs. “Can you feel me holding you?”
She never answered me, instead began to writhe under me, her cries as I rubbed giving me more pleasure than anything I’ve ever experienced before. I was hooked on Cat Chávez and there was no way I would ever be the same.
“I’m proud of you, Ren,” Tabitha said as she drove into the parking lot of the bank.
“Because?” I asked, undoing my seatbelt.
“You’re organizing your priorities. I wish I had been able to do that at your age.”
I patted her shoulder. “Don’t get down on yourself, Tab. Sometimes we go through certain things in life because we need those experiences to reach a new goal, and then a new one and a new one. Selling Mabel’s car allows me to reach a new goal. I honestly believe this was the purpose behind why she left the car to me in the first place.”
She nodded as though she were pondering what I had said. “You’re right. Mabel never got hung up on possessions. She left the one thing she loved in this world to the person who needed him most.”
“Brutus,” I said. “Though, I’ve decided over the past years, she loved all of us. Maybe not in the typical ‘grandma making pies and wearing aprons’ kind of way, but she did the best she could for us. She experienced some terrible things in the service, but we didn’t understand PTSD then like we do now. I think it’s safe to say she suffered from PTSD in the worst way. What we saw as her attachment to only an animal proved to be her lifeline. In the end, she made us think about who we are and who we want to be in the future.”
Tabitha nodded and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. “The only one of us who straight up had a plan after high school was Cinn, as much as I hate to admit it. She had her life together long before we did, or at least I did. You were barely out of high school and didn’t need to have your life together, but here you are, already taking the next step in life.”
“Cinn had her life together because it already fell apart once. I asked her about it and she told me there wasn’t a choice in what she would do in life once she couldn’t tour anymore. She had to teach or she wouldn’t find a way out of her depression. Cinn sees life a whole lot differently than we do.”
"All I'm saying is most guys your age wouldn't sell their sports car to start a business,” she said shrugging one shoulder.
"The car is fun to drive, but also anxiety ridden every time I take it out,” I explained. “Even a small fender bender is going to cost big money to repair."
"I guess I didn't think about what it costs to run it, but you're right. I wish I had more money in my bank account. I would love to cut some expenses while I get the business off the ground."
I took her hand off the wheel and held it. "I haven't forgotten
my promise to build the display cases. I found a glass company I can buy the panes for each case from. They’ll be a little bit more expensive in the end, but also better quality and strikingly unique. I plan to do a beautiful inlay throughout the edges of the case. Your shop will be as beautiful as the jewelry within the cases."
She hugged me over the console. Hugs from Tabitha used to be weird, but over the last few years we've gotten closer to each other. It’s hard to expect two kids who barely knew each other to form any kind of bond when there was such an age difference between us. But watching her since the incident with the dog park has given me a different perspective. She’s trying to figure out life the same way we all are. I decided to cut her some slack and get to know who she is now and who she wants to be.
I had an idea, and without thinking threw it out there. "You mentioned cutting costs. Would you be interested in my apartment? It's small but the rent is half what you're paying now, and there are no utilities to pay except phone and cable. As a bonus, you get free meals."
Her eyebrows went up, surprised by the offer. "You're moving?"
I nodded, knowing she wouldn't like what I had to say next, but I said it anyway. "I'm moving in with Cat, but my lease doesn't expire for three months."
Her mouth was hanging open and I closed her lower jaw with my finger. “You’re moving in with Cat?” she repeated and I nodded.
“She asked me to move in. I’ve been staying there with her for the last few weeks as the police worked to locate the suspect in Xavier’s murder.”
“Is the move temporary? You haven’t known Cat long.”
I shook my head. “No, the move would not be temporary. I love her, Tabitha, and she loves me.”
“You love her, knowing her less than a month?” she asked unimpressed.
I held up my finger. “I’ve known her for years, Tab. We only reconnected a month ago. People fall in love at first sight. I think I’m awfully damn lucky to be one of those people.”
“Cat has some issues, Lorenzo,” she said slowly.
I chose not to bite her head off, instead decided to help her understand the woman I love. My attitude has changed since Cat and I made love. I no longer feel the need to defend who we are together and it was a fantastic feeling to be free.
“We all have issues, Tabitha. While Cat may not be able to use her legs, once you spend some time with her it never crosses your mind. She’s one of a kind, Tab. I’m lucky to be the man who gets to love her.”
She leaned over and hugged me again, patting my back. “I always knew you were special, Lorenzo. Neither you nor I have had it easy when it comes to the things our minds do. I’m happy you’re happy, but please, be careful.”
I leaned back and searched her face. “Something is going to happen, isn’t it? I can feel the anxiety rolling off you.”
She rubbed a hand over her face. “I feel like I’m going crazy trying to figure these visions out. All I can say is, you and Cat are in danger. Don’t let your guard down. If I get a better vision of the person lurking in the shadows, I’ll call you immediately. Make sure you take my call.”
I nodded and squeezed her hand. “If you get clarity on the person lurking in the shadows call Noah Jonas at the station, too. He’s working this case and they don’t have much to go on.”
At the mention of his name, I noticed her start to blush. She had a funny expression on her face which told me she hadn’t forgotten Noah either.
I grabbed my briefcase and hugged her one last time. “Wait here? I won’t be but a few minutes.”
She nodded and I climbed from the truck and whistled as I strolled into the bank with enough money to secure my future.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Saturday dawned bright as I lay with Cat wrapped in my arms. Since the first night we made love her whole demeanor had changed from fearful to confident. She took great pride in knowing she could turn me on quickly, and our lovemaking left no room for doubt in her mind. We were in love, and no one could tear us apart.
We would have to get up soon and get ready for the carnival today. Suffice it to say, the whole event made me nervous, but she’s worked hard for so long to create the images she’s donating, and I can’t stop her from going. I would have to stick to her like glue, and make sure no one tried anything. It didn’t seem likely, since we would be in public, but you never know with crazy people. After all, someone slipped Viagra in Mabel’s drink in a busy bar and it killed her. Stranger things have happened.
By the time I got back to Tabitha’s car after depositing the money at the bank, she had decided to accept my offer to take over my lease. Since her lease was month-to-month she wouldn’t suffer any penalty for leaving, so the situation resulted in a win-win for us. My meager belongings wouldn’t take long to move, and I planned to do it tomorrow once the daylong carnival wrapped up today.
Cat shifted and snuggled in tight against me, waking the sleeping monster in my groin. She had an instantaneous effect on me every time. She exuded beauty, yes. She learned quickly what turned me on, yes. But the best part was when she wasn’t afraid to tell me when something we were doing wasn’t working. We’ve explored each other more in a few short days than some people do in a lifetime. I had fallen hard and fast for her, and I had to physically avoid any jewelry stores, or I would buy her a ring and make her mine forever. She needed more time to believe I wouldn’t leave before I could count on her saying yes to my proposal.
She wiggled her butt some more and I moaned, kissing her neck just below her ear. “If you don’t stop wiggling we’re going to have a problem on our hands.”
She laughed sleepily. “We already have a problem on our hands. I can feel it.”
I stroked the hair out of her face and away from her neck so I could leave a trail of kisses across her collarbone. “I want you every minute of every day, Cat. God made you for me and I want to cherish His gift for the rest of my life.”
She turned over and lay on her pillow, running her hand through my hair while her other hand rubbed my hardness. “You’re the best thing for my self-esteem, you know that?” she asked, her voice husky when she spoke.
I chuckled, one hand on her face and the other ready to tease her erogenous zone when my phone rang. I held up my hand. “Let me check it, just in case.”
I grabbed the phone and the caller ID showed Little Ivywood Police Department. I showed it to Cat before I answered and she sat up immediately.
“This is Lorenzo,” I answered, almost holding my breath.
“Lorenzo, it’s Noah. I wanted to let you know we have a suspect in custody.”
I hit the button for speakerphone so Cat could hear, too. “What? You’re kidding me,” I said grabbing Cat’s hand.
“I’m not in the habit of calling people up to kid them about suspects,” he answered with a laugh.
I kissed Cat’s hand and let the grin fill my face. We were finally free to live again. “Can you tell me who it is?”
“You know her. She’s the coach of the Little League team from Hanover.”
“Gretchen Linus?” I asked completely shocked.
“Bingo. It turns out she had a thing for him. They had a short relationship a few years back and she’s been planning this since then. We know she can swing a bat, so it’s not too hard to believe she could swing a hammer. People witnessed her near the scene of the crime even before the ambulance arrived.”
“And you’re confident you’ve got the right person in custody?” I asked. “I know Gretchen and she doesn’t seem the type to kill someone.”
“If I had a dime for every time someone told me that about a murderer I’d be rich, Lorenzo. She’s denying it, of course, but we have solid evidence and no alibi.”
I scratched my chin as I listened. “Why my toolbox, though?” I asked. “Why did she go to all the work of stealing from me to obtain the murder weapon?”
“She set you and Cat up. She wanted one of you to take the fall for his death. Since you were the last
person Xavier threatened, it made sense to stalk you, get something of yours to use, and then pin the whole thing on you.”
“She’s not the brightest bulb if it that’s true. Why would she kill him on the night she knocked us out? We could have a solid alibi if the hospital had kept us overnight.”
“From what we gather, she didn’t plan to do it the same night. She had a run in with him at a bar shortly before she killed him. She made advances and he called her unattractive names. She didn’t take it well from what the witnesses tell me. We have a strong case against her and I’m confident she’s our killer.”
“I’m so relieved,” Cat said. “Thank you, Noah.”
“Just doing my job,” he insisted. “I’ll keep you in the loop. You’ll have to testify when her case goes to court, but for today enjoy being free again.”
“We will,” I promised. “Thanks again for letting us know.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up. I grabbed her and hugged her to me. “No more bodyguard. We’re free,” I said, kissing her neck.
“I’m so relieved right now I could cry,” she said happily.
I ran my thumb under her eye as I smiled. “How about we share this feeling of elation without tears, but rather with kisses?”
She lifted her face to mine. “Mmmmm, sounds like the best plan you’ve had since last night.”
I crushed my lips to hers and she moaned again. The sound set me on fire and before I could think, I pulled her onto my lap and plunged inside her. Holding her steady over me, I sucked one nipple into my mouth as she arched against me.
I thrust upward, her cries of pleasure driving me to the brink. I crushed her to my chest and kissed her breast, sucking deeply on the tender skin. “Forever, Cat. Do you hear me? Forever,” I cried as she released around me. The light exploded behind my eyes and I followed her straight to heaven.
Inherited Light_A Small-Town, California Romance Filled with Dogs, Deception, and Finding True Love Despite Our Imperfections Page 25