by Cara Dee
"Or maybe…" She dipped a finger through the chocolate frosting and popped it into her mouth. Highly distracting. "Hmm. One Tennessee, two Tennessee, three Rhode Island."
I laughed.
She grinned impishly.
"You're really something else, Chloe." I set down the plate and draped an arm around her bare shoulders. "I can't remember the last time I enjoyed myself this much."
She ducked her head then smiled up at me. "Me either." Reaching for me as I dipped down, she kissed me sweetly, unhurriedly, and I tasted the chocolate and the coffee on her tongue. "Mmm, I think I've developed a crush on your mouth."
I smirked and gave her bottom lip a teasing nip. "Very mutual."
The kiss deepened, and after some squirming in the sheet, not to mention some troubling creaking from the little sofa, she ended up on my lap. And damn, she fit well there. Naked and warm, her smooth thighs on each side of me. Her hands went to my chest.
"Come here," I whispered. Pulling her closer to me, I lifted the sheet to rest on her shoulders. It wasn’t a very cold evening—for Washington, anyway—but the rain was picking up outside the narrow ceiling above us.
The soft, needy sounds Chloe made woke me up.
Her fingers played along the thin leather around my neck while I explored the smooth skin of her thighs. Angling myself for a deeper kiss, I stole her breath and slid my hands up her sides.
She broke away panting, shivering. "Is—Is there a story here?" She fingered the leather cord.
"Mm…" I lowered my face, and she exposed her neck for me. Perfect. My eyes had adjusted enough for me to make out the contrasts and shadows of her collarbone, full breasts, and belly button. "Book signing a few years ago." I cupped her breasts, growing increasingly desperate for her again. "A young girl had wandered off and couldn’t find her parents, so Isla sat with her while…" I took a breath and concentrated on not forgetting what I was talking about. With Chloe on my lap and my hard cock wedged between us, it was no easy feat. "The, uh, bookstore was next to a mall. Isla ran over and bought two cheap jewelry-making kits for children while they waited for the girl's parents."
As a joke, once the lost girl's parents were located and the family was reunited, Isla gave me the necklace she'd made. The very pink, plastic bead of a seashell had fallen off a long time ago, but the cord persisted.
Chloe laughed softly when I told her of the pink charm.
"You're kind of amazing, Aiden." She cupped my jaw and kissed me, which ended the discussion. The kisses and touches grew heated, and I hoped it wasn’t too presumptuous of me to say it looked like we were both ready for the night to continue.
"I want you." I shifted my hands higher up along her thighs, and she responded by rolling her hips enticingly over my cock. It was all the permission I needed, and I took it from there. Tracing her pussy with two fingers, I coaxed more wetness and needy sounds from her.
"Now," she whimpered.
The heat spread in me, and I stroked my cock a few times before sliding it through her juices. Fuck. The smell of rain and sex was heavy in the charged air between us. Chloe's breath hitched as I pressed the head of me against her, and then she slowly lowered herself on me. I clenched my jaw and cursed.
"Oh, God." She paused once I was all in. Her fingers dug into my shoulders, and she waited while she got used to my size. "Aiden—"
"Move with me." I needed her to fucking move. It took every bit of my strength to keep from ramming into her. "Jesus—you feel so good." I kissed her hungrily, groaning when she swiveled her hips and I sank even deeper. "Amazing."
She gasped, finding a pace that I matched with my own thrusts. "Understatement, but—ahh, more."
I shared her frustration. The sofa wasn’t made to be fucked on. The wicker creaked and squeaked every time we moved. Dammit. I'd wanted to stay here.
"We can go inside."
"No." She kissed me fiercely, sending sparks of dirty promise through me. "You can fuck me hard in the rain."
I groaned, my hooded gaze flicking to the lawn that stretched up toward the inn. "What about—"
"Aiden," she whispered, cupping my cheeks, "sometimes we just have to say fuck it." Mother of Christ, she was Gypsy Girl. "Let's get positively drenched." Her eyes glinted in the dark.
I grinned faintly, and with a firm grasp of her ass, I told her to hold on. Then I pushed myself off the old sofa and carried her out into the pouring rain. It was a cold shower—literally—but something far stronger was igniting me.
The sheet fell off us and pooled on the ground. Chloe wriggled free and quickly fanned it out on the wet grass, after which she and her sinfully naked self lay down and spread her legs.
"No words," I muttered under my breath. "No fucking words."
Dropping to my knees, I covered her body with mine and pushed inside her pussy. She'd told me to fuck her hard, and that’s exactly what I did. Hooking an arm under her knee, I shifted so I could go deeper, and then I drove into her over and over again.
Our bodies were already slick with rain, and my mouth became dry at the mind-blowing sight. Her breasts glistened and shook each time I pushed in, and I couldn’t fucking tear my eyes away from her. I drank her in, tasted her, and took. I consumed her.
"Oh, fuck!" She threw her head back and raked her fingernails along my biceps.
I hissed and ground my pelvis over her clit, her reactions driving me wild. She couldn’t possibly understand what a drug this moment was. She couldn’t know how my chest expanded with each breath and what a complete rush it was. All because of a girl I'd made up who turned into a woman who was real. So goddamn real.
I didn’t write her character to fit my own fantasies and agenda. I wanted to fit Gypsy Girl into the mold of a little girl who'd lived across from me, not the other way around. I'd had it wrong. She wasn’t Gypsy Girl. Gypsy Girl was her, and it was Chloe who took me on this adventure.
"Fuck, you feel perfect wrapped around me." I cupped one of her breasts and sucked a nipple hard into my mouth. Chloe cried out and lifted her hips. My heart hammered in my chest. "Like that—take my cock, darling girl. All of me."
Losing track of time, we existed in flashes that would forever play in my mind. Snapshots of fiery kisses, wet skin, taut muscles, and writhing bodies. She moaned and got her leg free, only to wrap both of them around my hips and press her heels into my ass. Her hands found my face, and she caressed my skin, pushed back hair that'd fallen free, and tasted me as I continued to fuck her against the grass. The sheet was soaked and made for some wet slapping sounds when her back hit the ground.
Then she arched upward, pleasure taking over, and gasped my name.
Still no words. She'd stolen them. She had me tongue-tied.
With a dark smile, I pushed her harder, fucked her faster, rubbed her clit, and manipulated her flesh persistently. My thighs and stomach strained by the time it was getting too much for me. I gritted my teeth, fighting against my orgasm.
"Let go." I grabbed her jaw and kissed her. "I need you to come for me."
She didn’t reply, already there. A hiss of pain escaped me as her nails dug deeper, and that was it. Her pussy constricted around me. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. Or maybe she did scream. Thunder and lightning drowned out any noise, and then I couldn’t care because I was coming, too.
Rocking against her, I let go with a groan and buried my face in the crook of her neck.
Sweet fucking heaven.
*
The next morning, I woke slowly. Chloe's bed was deliciously warm and smelled of detergent and sleep. Was there anything more comfortable than fresh sheets? Well, hiding under them with a gorgeous woman. I pulled her close and pressed my nose to her hair, the light jostling rousing her.
"Let's stay here all day," I mumbled groggily.
I could feel the sun shining through the window. Its heat landed on my leg that was exposed.
Chloe giggled sleepily and kissed my chest. "Sounds wonderful to me."
; "Not to us."
I frowned and stiffened at the very male voice that said that, a male voice sure as hell not belonging to me, whereas Chloe yelped and flew up. Cracking an eye open, I saw her sitting up and securing the sheet around her upper body.
"What the fuck!" she cried out. "Out! Now!" She glared and pointed at the door.
It was her sons. Good Lord, all of them. Four young men stood between the bed and the door. They all took after Chloe in appearance, so it was easy to see they were brothers. The two eldest having a slightly lighter shade of brown hair was the only exception. One of them looked torn between confusion and annoyance. Might that be Gage, the eldest? The man next to him was visibly curious and amused, and he eyed me with the least amount of contempt. Fingers crossed that he had a book he wanted me to sign.
"So this is what you do when we're out of town?" one of the twins asked. He and his twin brother wore blank expressions, so I gave up on gauging their moods.
"I swear, Gideon." Chloe was a furious mama bear, and how the fuck did she tell those two apart?
I scrubbed tiredly at my face and dragged myself up to sit back against the headboard.
Two of the boys threw me fleeting glances before they took Chloe's warning seriously and left the room.
One of the twins—the other one—was the last to leave, and he paused in the doorway. "Looking forward to some answers, young lady."
My mouth twitched, and he ducked out right before Chloe threw a pillow toward him.
"Oh, God," she bemoaned and plopped back on the mattress.
I peered over the edge of the bed. Hmm.
"You made me forget they were coming home early." Lovely, she was blaming me. "If you bail now, I totally understand."
"I'm not sure I can." Reaching behind my head, I pushed in the hair that'd escaped the rubber band somewhere between the best sex of my life and a good night's sleep. "I don't know where my clothes are."
A small laugh burst out of Chloe, and she gave my arm a squeeze and a kiss. "I'll find them for you."
"Thank you." I caught her before she could leave the bed. "I have no plans today other than checking out and waiting for my former college friend to come home from a business trip." I kissed her chastely. "I'm here until you kick me out."
Her smile was warm, and mirth trickled into her gaze. "Did you not see the four monsters who recently invaded our personal space? Something must be wrong with you if you're staying here willingly."
Or maybe I only enjoyed being around Chloe that much.
I kissed her again. "Find my clothes, young lady."
She snorted and left the bed to get dressed.
"That view," I sighed to myself.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice was warning me not to go any further. Not only had I walked away from the main road, I'd left the beaten paths too, and now I was wandering in the wilderness.
I couldn’t bring myself to care, though. Chloe was a lovely compass to follow.
22.
Chloe Nolan
This was unreal. Why wasn’t he fleeing? I'd given him every opportunity, going so far as to suggest he could check himself out at the inn and then come back for breakfast. I figured it'd be enough for him to make up an emergency and ask for a polite rain check. But no, once he'd checked out, he returned with his bag. He'd showered and changed, too.
"It's nice out," I declared. "Gid and Gabriel, can you take out the lawn furniture? Find a sunny spot for us to eat breakfast."
I'd done a good job avoiding their stares and the occasional awkward moment while preparing breakfast, so they walked out all huffy. Whenever I looked in Gage's direction, I was met with stony silence and looks that made me feel bad for his future children.
One more and I'd shut him up. I was an adult, for chrissakes. I was their mother, and they hadn't met any of the men I dated in the past several years.
Gray was having fun.
"Should we get introductions out of the way?" I suggested as I set the coffee on a tray. Aiden stood in the doorway while my two eldest sat at the small kitchen table. "Gage, Gray—Aiden Roe. Aiden, these are two of my rascals. Gage is usually more upbeat than this." I gave my oldest a pointed look. "Don't give me that, son. My house, my rules. I will cut off your supply of home-cooked meals."
He rolled his eyes but cranked up the politeness a little bit and nodded in acknowledgment to Aiden. "Nice to meet you."
Well, he wasn’t going to become an actor.
Gray threw Gage a dubious glance, then faced Aiden with a smile. "Unlike him, I actually mean it. Nice to meet you, Mr. Roe. Big fan of your work."
Bless his heart, I could count on my bookworm.
"It's Aiden. Pleasure's mine," Aiden replied, inclining his head. "Your mother said you wanted me to sign something?"
"Oh, yeah." Gray stood up and turned to me. "Where did you put the book?" To which I pointed at the shelf by the door. "I have a question for you, too. Why doesn't the guy in Gypsy Girl have a name? I looked online, but I couldn’t find any answers."
I paid attention while wrapping up breakfast. Food for five men filled three trays and emptied my bank account. I grinned to myself. Because dammit if this didn’t feel good.
Don't get caught up in something that doesn’t exist.
"That’s because I've always declined to answer that question." There was a wry, familiar smile in Aiden's voice. I got the impression Gray's question was one Aiden received often, and it was starting to bug me I hadn't read Gypsy Girl yet. I wanted to understand the inside jokes. "If you promise to keep it between us, I suppose I can share it with you."
A glance over my shoulder revealed a Gray who looked adorably excited—all while trying to keep a cool face about it—at the prospect of knowing something not many others knew.
"Fuck, yeah. Secret's safe with me." He handed over a marker to Aiden, who took it and sat down.
He didn’t say anything, though. I added the last of the bacon and eggs on a plate, and when I looked back at the guys, Aiden was writing in the book.
I wanted to know, damn it all.
"There you go." Aiden closed the book and returned it to Gray.
Gage had lost interest, so he grabbed a tray and left the kitchen.
I could be sneaky. "Okay, breakfast is ready. Can y'all carry it out for me?"
"Um, sure…" Gray was reading what Aiden had written. Then he abruptly closed the book, eyes momentarily wide before he narrowed them. Brows furrowed.
Aiden pressed a kiss to my temple and grabbed another tray.
"Gray?" I admit, I got impatient, but I wanted to see what Aiden had told him.
"Yeah—yeah, on it." Triumph. He set the book on the table, then disappeared with the last tray.
I hurried over and quickly opened the book, flipping two pages to find Aiden's autograph and a neatly written message.
The awkward boy in the book is me. Gypsy Girl was a fearless little girl who lived across from me in Shreveport, Louisiana. When I didn’t have the courage to introduce myself, I started imagining what it would be like to have her as a friend. Thirty-two years later, I was given a second chance. I had the courage to say hello this time.
I smiled, feeling oddly emotional and melancholy. Closing the book, I set it down with care and touched my lips, thoughts of yesterday dancing in my mind. I knew his name now. And God, I didn’t want this to be a two-day fling.
*
Breakfast helped to cool off some young minds. I understood them; it wasn’t a habit of mine to let them meet anyone I dated. So I got it. It was strange for them, and boys who were becoming men got their hackles up if there was a threat or a possible change in the hierarchy.
Thanks to casual conversation and Gray being curious about Aiden, it smoothed things over while we ate. The late morning sun filtered through the apple trees in front of the house, and I enjoyed the fresh air and a cup of coffee and having my sons home while Aiden answered Gray's questions. After the "So what brought you to Camassia?" the t
wins relaxed visibly, 'cause they sure found it funny when Aiden revealed his suspicions about his daughter.
I smiled into my mug, keeping an eye on Gray. I was fairly certain he'd expected another answer. He knew very well I'd once lived in Shreveport, so I couldn’t help but think that he was trying to piece things together. But no, Aiden had not come up here for me.
Forking up some scrambled eggs, I couldn’t deny there was a growing part of me that wanted him to stay for me, though. What if we could be great for one another? On the other hand, we only showed our best sides on a first date. Regardless of chemistry that was out of this world, we didn’t actually know each other.
After breakfast, it was decided—since the boys wanted to celebrate my birthday—that we'd pack up some food and drive out to Silver Beach for the day. The twins headed inside to find their trunks, and Gage—who hadn't brought any with him—asked to borrow a pair from Gray.
"Yeah, I gotta go home real quick and pack," Gray replied, cramming another muffin into his mouth. He jerked his chin at Gage. "You wanna come with?"
"Yeah, sure." Gage nodded. Then he faced me. "Want help cleaning up?"
I shook my head. "No, that’s fine, sweetie. We'll meet back here when y'all are ready."
With the boys scattering, it was only Aiden and me left at the table. He scooted his chair closer to mine and took a sip of his coffee before he pulled up my legs to rest them over his lap.
"They seem like fine young men." He smiled, pensive, and began stroking my legs absently. Ungh, good call on wearing the capri-length leggings. His touch made me shiver in contentment. "They're protective of you."
I smiled back, a bit languid thanks to his massage, and folded my arms casually under my breasts. "They're high on testosterone."
He chuckled and draped one arm over the back of my chair. I turned my head and kissed his forearm.
If I could freeze time right now, I would. I couldn’t think of anything better than sharing lazy mornings in the sun under our apple tree, coffee on the table—a table that stood on the exact spot a wet, muddy sheet had littered the ground mere hours ago—and Aiden not running for the hills.